Bab 145: Chapter 145: The True Traitor
Sherlock Forester turned his gaze towards the watchful Remus Lupin, but remained silent. Lupin raised a hairy finger, signifying a silent request. His lupine ears flickered slighty, hinting at detected sounds from some hidden direction. He then gestured subtly that Sherlock should follow him. As they tiptoed to their left, moving as stealthily as a whisper of wind. After approximately ten steps, the soft sound of snoring reached Sherlock's ears. Lupin froze and Sherlock held his position, their eyes fixed on the source of the snoring. There lay a large black dog, sound asleep! They exchanged a glance, realization reflecting in their eyes. The dog was none other than Sirius Black!
Upon sighting Black, Sherlock quietly pulled a small sack from his pocket, reaching in and extracting five or six wands. He tossed them into the air where they hovered in suspension. Lupin's eyes widened in surprise at Sherlock's actions. Had it not been for the urgency of the moment, he might have thought Sherlock was simply showing off. Ignoring Lupin's reaction, Sherlock tossed several more wands into the air. Silently, the wands spread out, their furthest range extending about ten meters. Just enough distance from Black. Dozens of wands now floated above him, their tips all aimed in his direction.
Unexpectedly, the sleeping Black twitched his dog ears, sniffed the air, and opened his eyes. His gaze met that of Sherlock and Lupin. Instantly, he knew something was wrong. Fear sparked in his eyes as he quickly scrambled to his feet. Using every ounce of energy, he attempted to escape into the depths of the Forbidden Forest. Simultaneously, Lupin sprung towards Black, roaring like a wild beast. Sherlock remained still, but the wands in mid-air sprang into action.
Suddenly, the bushes around Black disappeared, replaced by countless slithering vines, constricting his escape. Desperation flashed in Black's eyes as the vines wrapped around him, leaving only his dog head exposed. As Sherlock expertly subdued Black, Lupin didn't halt his charge and collided head-on with Black, blood splattering in all directions.
The dawn sunlight was slowly gracing the sky, but none present had the leisure to appreciate the beauty. As the moon descended, Lupin's werewolf form receded, leaving his human features. His disordered face pale, but the fury in his eyes undiminished. Lupin glared at Black's bloodied dog face. "Change back!"
Sherlock loosened the vines cautiously, as Black morphed from a black dog into his human form. Sirius Black: black-haired with deep gray eyes, a tall stature, and scarily thin. Lupin lost his composure, the sight of Black's face a trigger, he swung a fist and landed a blow on Black's face. "You killed James and Lily!"
Blood flowed from the corners of Black's mouth and nose as he answered hoarsely, "I won't deny it, it's my fault."
"You blew up Peter with your curse, leaving only a finger!" Lupin spat.
"No! Peter didn't die!" Black's eyes blazed with his revelation.
Sherlock tightened the vine binds and intruded, "Save your explanation for the Dementors. Although I fear they might possibly not listen, perhaps even give you a Dementor's Kiss." Sherlock was well aware of the dangers of overconfident villains and allowed no room for turns of unexpected events that resulted from him talking unnecessarily.
"I'm not lying! If I wanted Harry dead, I could've already done it twice even when I didn't have my wand! Besides, I have not harmed any soul since escaping Azkaban! James' death was my fault, but I am not the traitor! The moment they caught me, I didn't resist! I only longed for punishment for my stupidity!"
Black uttered everything in one frantic breath. Sherlock halted and shared a glance with Lupin before murmuring tentatively, "What if we listen to what he has to say?"
Lupin also shared the same sentiment. The conviction in Black's words hinted at greater insights. Lupin looked down at Black, whose body was tightly bound to the ground, and said coldly. "You have exactly one chance to convince us."
Black was evidently desperate to seize this opportunity. He was certain that if he was captured by the Dementors, his chances of surviving would be slim to none. He knew he had to speak, not out of fear for his life, but for the truth that Peter Pettigrew was the true culprit. "After the prophecy that Voldemort's defeat would be brought upon by a child born at the end of July, James contemplated going into hiding," Black forced himself to breathe evenly, telling both Lupin and Sherlock his side of the tale, "H is choice for the Secret Keeper for the Fidelius Charm was certain from the beginning, it was supposed to be me."
"But thinking myself quite clever then, I suggested that we make it known publicly that I was the Secret Keeper while secretly nominating Peter Pettigrew. Voldemort would aim for me, completely oblivious to the real Secret Keeper."
"But my clever ruse resulted in the unthinkable, James and Lily's demise! It was Peter, he was the traitor! The moment he was entrusted the secret location, he revealed it to his true master, Voldemort."
"That's how Voldemort found them, that's how he murdered James and Lily!"
"When the truth struck me, I was consumed by rage—I hunted down Peter, bent on revenge," said Sirius Black. His eyes, filled with harsh memories and regrets, were focused on the past. "I found him on a crowded street, with innocent Muggles going about their day, ignorant to the darkness about to unfold. To save his own skin, that coward cried to them that I had betrayed the Potters, then he unleashed hell."
"With an explosive curse, he obliterated the entire street, leaving behind one of his fingers in an attempt to stage his death!"
"I was duped. I believed he was dead. I offered no resistance when the Ministry came, willingly shouldering the blame, even accepting the lifelong punishment of Azkaban for my 'mistake'. But only last year did I discover that Peter wasn't dead at all! He lives, and all this while, he's been close to Harry!"
Driven by a sense of Justice long overdue, he added, "That's why I broke out of Azkaban. I have to kill Peter! He must answer for his betrayal to James, to Lily, and Harry!"
The intensity of Black's hatred was palpable in the air as he spoke. Sherlock Forester, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts, furrowed his brow and interrupted with a pertinent question. "What is Peter's Animagus form?"
"A rat!" spat Black, teeth gritted in contempt. "He used that disguise to escape from me twice!"
Sherlock couldn't help but feel that Black's story held some truth. He recalled from the original story he'd only watched a brief review of that the true traitor had indeed escaped as a rat. Remus Lupin too seemed convinced. He'd grown up with Black, knew him well. It had always been difficult for him to believe Sirius capable of treachery, now his explanation made perfect sense. Yet, Sherlock did not allow himself to fully trust Black's narrative and continued probing. "How did you come to know that Peter is still alive?"
"Through a newspaper, of all things! It was brought into prison by Fudge during an inspection. It's still with me, in my pocket!"
Lupin, upon hearing this, approached Black and pulled out a crumpled copy of last summer's Daily Prophet. The front page featured a story of Arthur Weasley's surprise jackpot win and a picture of the Weasley family in Egypt. The rat perched on Ron's shoulder in the photo was hard to miss. "The rat's front paw is missing a claw, just like Peter is missing a finger!"
With Black's vehement reminder, Sherlock and Lupin also spotted the missing digit. Lupin murmured, "This is uncanny. This rat, it does look remarkably like the Peter's Animagus form!"
At this point, they were inclined to believe Black's claims. Nevertheless, Sherlock remained guarded. He rummaged through his pockets and produced a small potion bottle. "Are you willing to take Veritaserum, ensuring you speak only the truth?"
Without hesitation, Black agreed. Lupin looked at Sherlock in surprise as Veritaserum was a controlled substance in the wizarding world, accessible only to the Ministry and a handful of skilled potion masters. Sherlock approached Black, potion in hand, and Black drank it without a second thought. As they waited for the Veritaserum to take effect, Black's face, previously marred by injuries, rapidly healed. Both Lupin and Black regarded Sherlock with a mix of shock and confusion.
Sherlock merely shrugged. "It was just a test, I don't actually have access to Veritaserum. What you drank was merely a healing potion, but if you had declined, I would've had no choice but to turn you over to the Dementors. The fact you were willing to consume it makes me believe your intentions are sincere. And, it seems, you required some healing."
Meanwhile, he lifted the Transfiguration spell from Black, freeing him. Lupin reached out to Sirius, helping him up. "So, you suspected me as the rat amongst us, that's why you concealed the switch in plans?" Lupin asked, a hint of hurt behind his words.
Sirius responded, shaking Lupin's hand firmly. "I can't apologize enough, Moony. I just never imagined cowardly Peter, not you, would turn his back on us."
Lupin, with a lightened heart, replied. "It's alright, Padfoot. I've also accused you falsely all these years. Score's even." The friends shared a heartfelt embrace. Sherlock watched their interaction and interjected, "We might want to leave the reminiscing for later. We still have an essential piece of the puzzle to address."
At Sherlock's reminder, Sirius and Lupin separated. Sirius turned to Sherlock, extending his hand. "We've encountered each other quite a few times, yet I don't believe I know your name."
Sherlock shook his hand. "Sherlock Forester, Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. I also have you to thank for the assistance you've previously rendered Hilke and me."
With introductions out of the way, they focused on the pressing matter. As Sherlock calmly laid out the reality of their situation, mentioning Peter's name caused Sirius's hand to form an unconscious fist. His voice barely concealed his anger as he voiced his observations. "He knows I'm after him. I managed to enter the Gryffindor common room twice. The first time, Peter wasn't there, but the second time he'd already fled, faking his death again!"
Sherlock then shared what he'd heard from Hermione, a friend of Harry and Ron Weasley. "A few days ago, I found Hermione crying alone in a classroom. She mentioned that her cat had been accused of killing Ron's pet rat, leading to a big fallout between the friends."
"No, that's not the case!" Sirius vehemently interjected. "Hermione's cat was instrumental in my search for Peter. But Peter, true to form, played dead once again to make his escape!"
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
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