The Chambers doing

Chapter 8 - Ragnok's Discoveries

It was the last week of July. Mr Weasley had been making regular visits to Privet Drive, each time bringing a hamper full of food from Mrs Weasley. By this point he was visiting less frequently, as nothing seemed to be changing with the muggles.

One early Thursday morning, Harry was lying awake in his bed. Something didn't seem right about Scabbers. For a start, what had he been doing around Little Whinging, and secondly, how had he got there? Harry specifically considered the questions in that order - after all, with what had already happened to him since joining the Wizarding World, he had come to learn that everything had its reasons for happening, as bad as they may be. The how no longer seemed as important as the why.

He thought back to what had happened the morning after they had found Scabbers...

Mr Weasley had arrived as normal that morning, and Harry and Ginny had led him up to their room. They all sat down on the sofa. After asking the normal questions about how the Dursleys were treating them (they were still mostly being ignored, but that was fine - they were happy to either get up to eat breakfast and make a lunch to take with them to the park before the Dursleys, or wait until it was only Aunt Petunia left in the house, who allowed them access to the kitchen as long as it was left exactly as they found it), and what they had found to do (they spent most days exploring the park), he suddenly seemed to notice that the occupant to the cage across the room was not an owl as it should have been, but was in fact a rat.

"Hello, what's a rat doing in Hedwig's cage? I didn't think she normally brought creatures back from her hunting?" Mr Weasley asked. It was true, Harry had never once seen the results of Hedwig's hunt, it had always been devoured before she returned to her cage, and the Weasleys would know this. After all, he'd practically lived at the Burrow the previous summer.

"Um, we wanted to talk about that you see." Harry started cautiously. "We found him in the park yesterday."

Ginny continued. "I noticed his missing toe. It's the same one Scabbers has been missing ever since Percy found him. It looks so much like Scabbers, and we didn't know how or why he was in Little Whinging. We decided to bring him back here to ask you." She said nervously.

"Well," Mr Weasley looked thoughtful. "Ron did say that Scabbers has been missing since the train ride home, but I don't see how he could have got here. Let's have a look at him." He got up and headed to the cage, and unlocking it, drew Scabbers out. "It certainly looks like Scabbers. Ron and Percy would know best." He quickly transfigured one of the used plates that had held food in the basket Mrs. Weasley had given him to bring into a travelling cage (transfigured items always lasted longer than those conjured), and dropped Scabbers inside before locking it.

"I'll take him back to the Burrow. If Ron and Percy recognise him, then we'll assume he is Scabbers. If not, I'll let him go. But it does seem a startling coincidence for two rats that look similar to be missing the same toe."

Shortly after that, he left for the Burrow, taking the empty basket and Scabbers in his new cage with him. Harry and Ginny hadn't thought any more of it at the time, especially after he had brought news the next time he visited that Ron and Percy had positively identified him. After all, what reason would any of them have had to be suspicious?

Suddenly, his eyes opened - he must have fallen asleep while considering what felt so wrong about how they had found Scabbers. It was only now that he had begun to realise that while at the time nothing had seemed overly suspicious about finding Scabbers at the park - he was notorious for escaping and travelling long distances in short amounts of time - he was beginning to realise just what a coincidence it was that he had showed up in the exact area that Harry lived in. But he could consider all that implied later, as looking down, he noticed his wife's long red hair splayed out across his bare chest (it was much too hot for them to wear full pyjamas, so he often went to be in just his pyjama bottoms), and he tightened his hold on her. She stirred sleepily, but didn't wake up.