Thick of it : reboot

James strode purposefully down the dimly lit corridors of Hogwarts, his steps light but determined. The weight in his pocket—a certain petrified rat—felt heavier than it should. 

As he pushed open the heavy wooden doors of the hospital wing, he found exactly who he was looking for.

Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape stood by Ron's bed, still deep in conversation. The air was thick with tension, their faces drawn in quiet contemplation. The moment James entered, however, all three sets of eyes turned sharply to him.

McGonagall was the first to speak, her lips pursed in disapproval.

"Now what, Mr. Dawson? You should be in bed! What in Merlin's name are you doing back here?"

James shifted slightly under her gaze, though he was far from intimidated. Before he could respond, Dumbledore raised a hand, his blue eyes twinkling with curiosity behind his half-moon spectacles.

"Now, now, Minerva, let us not be too hasty. If young James has returned, there must be a matter of importance weighing on his mind."

James gave the old man a nod. "Yeah."

Dumbledore smiled gently. "And what, pray tell, troubles you at this late hour, my boy?"

Without another word, James reached into his pocket and pulled out the stiff, unmoving rat, holding it out for them all to see.

A beat of silence.

Then—

"SCABBERS!" Ron yelped, practically lunging forward in his bed. His face was a picture of distress.

Snape, who had been watching with mild boredom, raised an eyebrow. "Did the rat finally kick the bucket? Have you come seeking a resurrection, Dawson?"

James rolled his eyes. "No. This isn't about a dead rat, Professor. This is about Ron's pet."

He extended his hand further, letting them get a good look.

"Ron, how long has Scabbers been in your family?"

Ron, still looking like James had just skinned his pet in front of him, hesitated before answering. "Ten years...?"

The atmosphere in the room changed instantly.

Dumbledore , severus and McGonagall's expressions shifted from confusion to wide-eyed realization. Almost as one, they whipped out their wands and aimed them at the rat, their bodies tense.

James smirked. "Thought that might worth your attention."

"You petrified it yourself?" Dumbledore asked, stepping closer.

James nodded. "Just in case."

Dumbledore moved with practiced precision, gently taking the rigid rat from James' hand and placing it on one of the hospital beds. With a flick of his wand, he reinforced the petrification, ensuring the creature remained still.

Ron, meanwhile, was beginning to panic. "Oi! What's happening? Why are you pointing your wands at Scabbers?!"

James turned to him, his voice calm but firm. "Ron, no rat lives for ten years. It's not normal."

Ron blinked. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying," James continued, "your pet might not be a pet at all. He might be an illegal Animagus."

Ron stared at him as if he'd just sprouted an extra head.

Snape, ever the skeptic, crossed his arms. "And you deduced this simply because Weasley mentioned how old the rat was?"

James smirked. "That, and the fact that Professor McGonagall gave us a lecture on Animagi recently."

McGonagall pressed a hand to her chest. "Good heavens..."

Dumbledore wasted no time. Raising his wand, he murmured an incantation, and golden light swirled around the rat, enveloping its tiny, rigid form. The glow intensified for a brief moment—

And then, in the blink of an eye, Scabbers was no more.

In his place lay a man.

A short, balding man with a pointed nose and watery eyes. His robes were tattered, his complexion pale, and as his gaze flickered around the room in sheer terror, he scrambled to sit up—only to find himself surrounded by three of the most powerful professors at Hogwarts.

The room fell deathly silent.

James tilted his head, studying the man. "So… anyone recognise him?"

McGonagall's voice was barely a whisper. "Peter Pettigrew."

Ron, still catching up, furrowed his brows. "Who's that?"

Dumbledore's face, usually so unreadable, held a rare look of sadness. "A friend of James and Lily Potter. A man believed to be dead."

Snape's sharp gaze snapped towards Harry's unconscious form, his mind working at lightning speed. "This means... this man might be—"

Dumbledore nodded grimly. "Yes, Severus. He might be the traitor."

Ron gaped at them all. "WHAT IS HAPPENING?!

=== 

so i have decided to derail the plot from beginning . now donate powers stone