"It's really Sirius Black. Notify the Minister. Now."
The Ministry examiners didn't wait to get closer. The moment the black dog reverted to human form, orders were shouted. Someone sprinted toward the castle, already heading for the Hogwarts fireplaces to contact the Ministry.
Dumbledore stepped forward, his gaze moving from the unconscious Sirius to the bound figure hanging in the air. "Rowan," he said calmly, "can you explain what happened here? And why Remus is restrained as well?"
That Sirius had been subdued didn't surprise him. Dumbledore knew Rowan's true capabilities. What puzzled him was why Lupin had been taken down alongside him.
Snape, however, had no such doubts.
"Isn't it obvious?" he sneered. "Lupin was working with Black. That's why Rowan acted. I've said it for years. How else do you think Black managed to break into the school twice? Lupin let him in."
Seeing Lupin dangling upside down, trapped by a spell Rowan had devised himself, while Sirius lay unconscious nearby, Snape looked positively delighted. Old grudges simmered to the surface. Once, it had been Snape humiliated by these people. Now, his own student had crushed them without effort.
And Snape had never approved of a werewolf teaching at Hogwarts to begin with.
"You're mistaken, Severus," Lupin said, straining to keep his voice steady. "Sirius didn't come here to kill Harry—"
Rowan cut in before Lupin could finish. "Let me explain."
He laid out the events clearly and concisely, recounting everything from his own perspective without embellishment or emotion.
Snape's expression hardened. "Stories meant to fool children," he said flatly.
The Ministry examiners nodded along. One of them stepped forward. "This is a transparent attempt to evade responsibility. Sirius Black will be taken into Ministry custody immediately. As for Professor Lupin, he is guilty of aiding a fugitive and will also be detained for questioning."
"Wait," Dumbledore said, his voice soft but unyielding.
He raised a hand, stopping the examiners in their tracks. "If this were merely a lie, why explain anything at all? Why not attack immediately after disarming everyone? If Sirius intended to kill Harry, that moment would have been ideal. They had no idea Rowan could cast without a wand."
The clearing fell quiet.
The logic was hard to dismiss.
Rowan spoke again. "There's an easier way to settle this. Find Scabbers. If he really is Peter Pettigrew, the truth becomes obvious."
He turned to Ron. "Where's your rat?"
Ron scratched his head. "After you flew off earlier, it bit me and ran. Haven't seen it since."
Rowan nodded. "That figures. I'll find him."
He lifted his hand. Four sheets of paper, each a different color, rose into the air, circling one another as a complex formation took shape.
Several professors stared, stunned.
"So that's his tracking spell," one murmured. "Incredible."
They had already been shaken by the reports. Rowan subduing Sirius. Wandless magic. Overpowering Lupin in seconds. This was just one more reminder of how far beyond his peers he stood.
"I've got him," Rowan said. "He's left the castle grounds and is heading west. Fast."
He looked to Dumbledore. "If Scabbers really is Pettigrew, once he clears the anti-Apparition barrier, he'll escape for good. I can still catch him."
Dumbledore nodded without hesitation. "Go. Be careful."
Rowan spread his wings.
A thundercrack split the air as he vanished in a blur, tearing westward.
Pettigrew ran.
Inside Hogwarts' protective boundary, Apparition was impossible. He had no broom. No flight spell. As a rat, all he could do was scurry, relying on speed and concealment.
Once he cleared the grounds, he would vanish. No one would ever find him again.
They won't catch me. They can't catch me.
His thoughts spiraled as he fled. He remembered the Dark Lord's terror, the fear that had driven him to betray James. He hadn't wanted to kill anyone. He'd just wanted to live.
He'd framed Sirius. Faked his death. Hidden in sewers and shadows. Twelve years as a rat, clinging to the Weasley family so he could stay close to the wizarding world, always listening, always waiting.
It had almost worked.
Then Sirius escaped.
Just a little farther. A few more minutes. Then I'm gone.
"Hey, Scabbers," a familiar voice said lightly. "Where do you think you're going?"
Pettigrew froze.
No. Not him. How did he catch up so fast?
Before he could react, his tail was seized, and he was lifted off the ground. He twisted and snapped, teeth sinking into Rowan's fingers.
Rowan didn't flinch.
"You really think that'll work?" Rowan said calmly.
Pettigrew bit harder, desperate. It was useless. His teeth couldn't even break skin.
Rowan held him there, dangling, utterly helpless.
The rat had run out of places to hide.