Chapter 35: Scabbers
Due to a mishap during the spellcasting class, the afternoon flying lessons were canceled.
Although Seamus's flashing spell had mostly worn off, some young wizards were still experiencing blurred vision, making it unsuitable for flying lessons.
This gave the first-year students an unexpected afternoon of rest.
After lunch, Ethan approached the Gryffindor table, greeted the twins, and sat next to Hermione.
"Why are you sitting with me instead of finding your senior sister?" Hermione asked, swallowing her food and shooting him an annoyed glance.
"Why would I go look for her?" Ethan was confused. What was Hermione talking about?
"Haven't you been eating with your senior sister these past two days?" she asked, her tone slightly sour. "And laughing and joking with her?"
Hermione seemed to realize she had said too much but could only continue now that she'd started.
"I'm from Ravenclaw. Isn't it normal to eat with Ravenclaw students?" Ethan countered quickly. He didn't mind what his roommates thought, but he didn't want to ruin his image in front of the young witch.
"No, there's nothing wrong with it," Hermione muttered, suddenly unsure of herself. She had wanted to argue but didn't know how.
"Then why did you make such a scene when we first met, crying and embarrassing yourself?" Hermione retorted, remembering their first encounter. She had seen Ethan laughing happily with his senior sister, yet she had ended up in tears after meeting him.
"I just wanted to show you that there are people better than you," Ethan replied matter-of-factly. "I didn't want you to get too full of yourself. You'll work harder now, won't you?"
Hermione thought for a moment, then nodded. "I suppose you're right," she conceded, but quickly followed up with, "But why did you call me 'big front teeth'?"
Her teeth had always been a sensitive subject for her. As the daughter of a dentist, she was particularly aware of her appearance, and her larger front teeth had always been a sore spot.
"Well, aren't they big?" Ethan teased. "Besides, I wanted you to remember me. "
Hermione fell into thought, unsure whether to laugh or be irritated by Ethan's cheekiness.
While Ethan and Hermione were bantering, Ethan turned his attention to Harry and Ron—particularly Ron.
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"Ethan, you know Scabbers is practically family to me," Ron said, clearly distressed. "I can't just hand him over."
"Ron, it's three Sickles a day. That's a great deal," Ethan replied, trying to sweeten the offer. "A new wand costs seven Galleons, an owl is twenty. Don't you want some extra gold?"
Ethan knew Ron's weakness—his family's financial struggles. The Weasleys had so many children that pocket money was scarce. Ron, being the youngest son, always had hand-me-downs. His siblings might have had new wands and books, but Ron rarely had anything of his own.
"Scabbers has been in my family for ten years," Ron protested. "He even sleeps in my bed. He's like a brother to me."
"Come on, Ron. I promise I won't hurt Scabbers," Ethan said reassuringly. "You're practically getting free money!"
After some persuasion, Ron reluctantly agreed. The deal was made: Ethan would rent Scabbers for two Galleons a week, which was a small fortune for an eleven-year-old wizard.
Ron was satisfied with the deal, having never dreamed of saving two whole Galleons. He rushed to the Gryffindor dormitory, caught Scabbers, and handed him over to Ethan, afraid that Ethan might change his mind.
Ethan knew the rats sold in Diagon Alley weren't magical creatures—they were just ordinary animals used for experiments or live food. But at Hogwarts, they weren't for sale, which made Scabbers a valuable acquisition.
"Don't worry, I'll give him back to you next week," Ethan assured Ron, carrying Scabbers away in a cage.
"Ethan, be careful," Ron called after him. "I don't know what experiments you're planning, but Scabbers is old—he's been with us for ten years. Don't be too rough on him."
Ron was protective of Scabbers since he had been passed down from Percy, but their bond wasn't deep enough to outweigh two Galleons.
On the other side, Ethan took Scabbers to the Room of Requirement on the eighth floor. The moment they entered, Scabbers began to panic, thrashing around in the cage. He seemed to know that something bad was about to happen.
When Ron handed him over, Scabbers had sensed that something was off, but as a mouse, there wasn't much he could do besides run and bite.
Once in the room, Ethan dumped Scabbers out of the cage and nonchalantly cast a spell.
"Crucio!"
Though other spells could force someone out of their Animagus form, the Cruciatus Curse was faster and more effective.
The mouse, previously frantically searching for an escape route, collapsed in agony, writhing on the ground. Scabbers never imagined that a first-year wizard would know the Unforgivable Curses, let alone use them so mercilessly on a defenseless mouse.
"You'll endure this," Ethan sneered before casting another Cruciatus Curse.
This time, Scabbers foamed at the mouth, overwhelmed by the pain, and could no longer maintain his Animagus form. His body twisted and transformed, eventually revealing a short, balding middle-aged man with beady eyes, graying hair, a pointed nose, and dirty clothes. He looked like a rat that had taken human form.
But his condition was dire. He lay half-dead on the floor, struggling to move and unable to get up.
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