章 249: 0248 Explanation
"When did this happen, Filch?"
Lupin's face darkened for some reason, and he stared at Filch's eyes with a piercing intensity.
"Two weeks ago–"
Lupin's heart sank, this was after Bryan had searched the tunnel under the Whomping Willow.
Filch wrung his hands nervously, looking afraid that he had failed the task that Director Watson had given him and worried about being targeted. He rambled on about how hard he had tried to find the parchment, but to no avail. He claimed that he had always kept a close watch on the confiscated items from the students, and the only reason he couldn't find it was that some troublemaker had sneaked into his office.
"It must have been Peeves!" Filch said indignantly, "Can you please talk to Director Watson for me, Professor Lupin? He surely has some tricks to get rid of that crazy ghost from Hogwarts."
Harry and Ron lowered their heads involuntarily, feeling sorry for Peeves, who had been blamed for Fred and George's prank for no reason. They knew that Peeves had nothing to do with the parchment, and that they were the ones who had taken it from Filch's office. And seeing their guilty looks, Hermione snorted through her nose, looking displeased. She hesitated to look at Lupin, as if she wanted to reveal the truth, but after a series of intense and complicated inner struggles, she said nothing. She was torn between her loyalty to her friends and her respect for Lupin, who had been kind and helpful to them.
To their surprise, Lupin did not follow Filch's lead, and remained silent, making them feel suffocated. This silence was so long that Harry had to whisper his name several times before he came to his senses.
"Oh, I'm fine, Harry–"
Lupin turned his head and smiled apologetically at Harry, but his smile was very ugly. It was forced and strained, and did not reach his eyes. And as he turned his head, he glanced at Tom, who was squatting on the desk and looked a bit restless.
"I'll pass it on to Watson–"
Lupin nodded at Filch, and took a breath. He suddenly asked, "Has Headmaster Dumbledore left again?"
After getting a positive answer, Lupin clenched his fist in his sleeve. He turned around and looked at the three of them, and said in an unusually firm tone,
"I've thought about it carefully, and the origin of this broom is indeed very suspicious, Harry. Since Professor Watson is not in Hogwarts, I suggest you take it to Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick. They are also experienced wizards, and if there is something wrong with the broom, they should be able to figure it out–"
Lupin's words made the three of them look puzzled, but before they could figure it out, Lupin pushed them roughly to Filch's side with a gloomy face.
"Please escort these three children to the Great Hall, Filch, and hurry up–"
Lupin did not give them time to ask questions, and urged them repeatedly, until he saw them go down the stairs in the middle of the corridor, and then withdrew his gaze.
Huh– Remus took a deep breath, and turned back to the room, closing the office door with a click. He leaned against the door, and closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down.
Although he knew that Bryan had set up a complete defensive spell for his office, Lupin still took out his wand and cast all the sealing spells he knew on the rusty door handle. These spells could only be lifted in one situation, and that was when he died. Lupin faced the door with his head down, and no one could see his expression.
Tom on the desk saw Lupin's actions clearly, and tilted his head to look at the window, then at the fireplace, and finally, his gray eyes fixed on Remus at the door, and he sighed softly. He knew what Lupin was doing, and why he was doing it.
The fireplace crackled and burned, and from time to time, the remaining moisture in the dry wood was rapidly turned into expanding steam by the scorching heat, and the exploding firewood splashed out star-like sparks to the outside world. They embraced the world with great heat, but they didn't go far before they lost their light and heat, leaving only the soulless ashes floating in the office–
A deep blue light crossed the distance of the entire office, and Tom wrapped in the blue light slowly floated in the air, followed by a dazzling flash, like a fast-forward shot of a tree growing, a slightly meaty and skinny head grew out, followed by the body and limbs. A moment later, a man wearing an old wizard's robe, with hair as tangled as seaweed, appeared in the office.
Remus and Sirius's eyes met in mid-air, and they looked at each other, one was a fugitive on the run from the law, and the other was a werewolf who had finally found a short-lived place to stay.
The once spirited friends, twelve years later, had become rotten and withered. They had lost their youth, their innocence, and their trust. They had nothing to say to each other, only silence, resentment, and hatred.
There was no greeting, no scolding, and after a long time, Remus's face turned pale and he slowly raised his wand at Sirius, and said calmly, "Bryan's clothes don't fit you very well, Sirius–"
At this moment, all the anxiety, regret, and resentment disappeared from Sirius's heart, and the only thing left was exhaustion.
"Yes–this is Watson's old robe, he's a bit taller than me."
Sirius nodded, and pursed his lips, showing a bitter smile that could barely be called a smile.
"You're still so attentive, Remus, you found out my identity with just a small flaw."
Lupin's wand in his hand trembled slightly, and the blood pumped to his brain by his heart still made him feel a bit dizzy, but he tried his best to adjust his breathing and keep himself awake. He had not slept well for days, and he had just gone through a painful transformation under the full moon. He was weak and vulnerable, but he could not afford to let his guard down.
This was not easy, especially for him who was in the weakest period due to his transformation.
"I'm not as good as I used to be–" Lupin's eyes gradually hardened, "otherwise I should have realized something was wrong sooner. But I was lucky enough to figure it out. Yes, Filch helped me a lot, besides you, who else knows where the Marauder's Map ended up. I mean, among the people who are still alive."
Sirius's body also shook a bit, but this was immediately interpreted by Lupin as wanting to resist, and his attitude became tougher. He stretched his wand forward and shouted,
"Don't move, Sirius, raise your hands and put them where I can see them!"
There was no other choice for Sirius. He knew that Lupin would not listen to him, and that any sudden movement could trigger a curse. He had to play along, and hope for a chance to explain.
"Don't get excited, Remus–"But, Sirius didn't raise his hands, he looked upset, "If you're willing to listen to me for a few words, Remus, I can explain to you, although this is not what I intended."
"I do want to hear your explanation, Black–"
Lupin stepped closer to Black, and stood in the middle of the office, pointing his wand at his former friend's eyes, and said, "I think it's better to start with what happened recently. Yes, let's start with how you persuaded Watson to cover for you. Oh, let me think, yes, I almost forgot, you were born in the noble pure-blood family of the Blacks, and you have a lot of money, and Viper- Huh, I have to admit that I was wrong again, he is indeed a scum who can give up his principles for money!"
'Who is Viper?' Sirius felt a bit confused, but at this time, this confusion was obviously trivial.
"Actually, Bryan Watson is more noble than you think, Remus–"
Sirius said with a strained face, "I did try to use galleons to make him let me go, but he refused!"
"That's surprising–" Lupin sneered, this kind of smile was rare on his face, "then what did you use to buy him off?"
"It was–" Sirius was about to answer subconsciously, but he realized that Lupin had misunderstood, so he said angrily,
"It's not what you think. Don't get excited, Moony, either listen to my explanation quietly, or write a letter to Watson and ask him to come back, he knows everything, he can prove it for me!"
"Don't say that name, Black, you're not worthy!"
Lupin suddenly roared, and he stepped over to Sirius, grabbed his collar and pressed his wand hard against Sirius's forehead.
"You want to call Watson back!
Huh? For what? Ah, yes, you know he's powerful, you know I'm not his match, you want him to kill me, don't you, Black!"
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章 250: 0249 Proof
"I just praised your cleverness, Remus!"
Remus's aggressive attitude provoked Sirius's stubbornness. Although Remus was holding his wand against Sirius's forehead, Sirius was no longer submissive. He proudly lifted his chin and stared defiantly into Remus's amber eyes, which were glowing in the dark.
"You think that Watson was covering for me, helping me infiltrate the castle. But have you ever thought about why he did that? Huh? Was it to kill Harry, James and Lily's son? Or was he planning to assist me in a massacre inside the castle?" Sirius challenged, his words laced with bitterness and contempt.
"Isn't that your plan, to escape from Azkaban and wait for Voldemort to rise again?" Remus blurted out, but halfway through his sentence, he realized something was wrong. His eyes widened as he remembered something that had been nagging at him for a while.
Two weeks ago, Bryan had learned about their secret hideout from Harry. He knew about the passage under the Whomping Willow, and Sirius had followed Bryan back to Hogwarts that night.
During the past half month, Bryan had spent most of his time away from the castle. If Sirius and Bryan intended to harm Harry, they would have succeeded long ago and would have already fled.
"Realized something's wrong, huh?" Sirius keenly caught the hesitation in Remus's eyes. He was furious, not because of Remus's attitude towards him, but because of Watson. He suddenly realized that Bryan probably wanted to get rid of him a long time ago, which was why he had asked Remus if he wanted to adopt "Tom" on the day Remus fell ill.
"I can never understand the schemes in your mind, Sirius!" Remus said coldly, trying to shake off his doubts. He couldn't believe that Sirius was innocent, that he had been wronged for so long.
Suddenly, he took a few steps back and a thin rope shot out from the tip of his wand, swiftly wrapping around Sirius from head to toe, binding him tightly. Sirius gasped as the rope constricted his breathing, but he didn't stop glaring at Remus.
"But I do want to hear your excuses," Lupin said with a cold and stern expression.
Sirius's withered cheeks turned completely black. On the night when Watson discovered him, he had treated him the same way.
To be honest, revealing the truth from that year did not align with his plans at all. Since escaping from Azkaban, his goal had been to kill Peter. He had absolute determination, and no one could stop him, even if it meant death.
But there were indeed some things that Sirius did not want to face. One of them was seeing those familiar faces before avenging James and Lily. It was not just because he, who had put everything on the line, couldn't trust those former friends, but also because he couldn't face the fact that his own stupidity had caused the death of the Potters. This guilt was also the reason he didn't want to face those familiar faces. He could tell them the truth, but at least it would be after avenging them!
However, Bryan Watson, that young Slytherin, ruined everything!
"That traitor wasn't me, Remus. It was Peter who leaked James and Lily's whereabouts!" Sirius finally roared out, his words filled with boundless resentment towards Peter and Bryan Watson.
Remus's ears were struck by Sirius's words like thunder, leaving him stunned. Unconsciously, he stammered, "That's impossible. Dumbledore said it himself, Sirius, James and Lily didn't want him to be the Secret-Keeper. They chose you. Peter, He's dead, isn't he? He died at your hands, and so many Muggles saw it."
He remembered the news report, the picture of the street, the bodies of the innocent people.
The next ten minutes were a time for clarification.
Bound by the rope, Sirius lay on the ground, revealing unknown facts. This time, he had experience. Without waiting for Remus's interrogation, he voluntarily spoke about things like why he willingly stayed in Azkaban for twelve years, why he suddenly escaped from there, how he escaped, and what happened before and after and the events leading up to his capture by Watson.
As Sirius recounted everything, perhaps because he had already gone through it with Watson, he felt a numbness as he spoke. He felt like he was watching a movie, a movie of his life, a movie of his mistakes.
"Finally, Watson reluctantly agreed not to hand me over to Dumbledore or you. I can't transform into my animagus form anymore because you would recognize me. So, Watson turned me into a cat and brought me back to Hogwarts–" Sirius said wearily, his voice barely above a whisper.
The ashes floating in the air finally fell to the ground, bursting into a last glimmer of life as they touched the bricks. The room was filled with smoke and dust, making it hard to breathe.
Remus stared intently at Sirius, his eyes searching for any hint of deception or madness. At some point, the hatred in his eyes had disappeared, replaced by confusion.
How absurd reality was.
Remus thought wearily, feeling a headache coming on. He had held a grudge for twelve years, and now the events of that year had led to such a result.
But it wasn't Sirius who had killed James and Lily; he was innocent.
But the truth wasn't much better than before, was it?
It was still a tragedy, a nightmare.
"This is just your side of the story, Sirius. There is no evidence to prove–" After a long silence, Remus shook his head and said, his voice hoarse and strained. "I can't find any flaws in your story, Sirius, but this is a serious matter. You must provide evidence to prove that what you're saying is not a carefully crafted lie."
Remus actually believed him now. He just felt helpless and lost. War was cruel, but human hearts were even crueler.
He didn't know what to do, what to feel. He felt like he had been living in a lie, in a delusion, in a fantasy.
"If you want to see my memories, then go ahead, Remus–" Sirius lay on the bed, his body devoid of any anger. Of course, he had no right to be angry with Remus. After all, this tragedy originated from his foolish suggestion. He was the one who had convinced James and Lily to switch their Secret-Keeper from him to Peter, thinking that it would be safer.
"You know, Sirius–" Remus rubbed his stiff cheeks with his palm, feeling the stubble on his face. He hadn't shaved in days.
"I'm not as skilled in Legilimency as Bryan. If you don't mind, Snape is currently…"
Seeing Sirius's sudden change in expression, Lupin changed his words.
"I can write a letter to Albus. He will surely find a way to prove the truth of what you said." Remus said instead, hoping that Sirius would agree.
"If you insist on doing that, Remus–" Sirius went from lying on his side to lying flat on his back. He stared at the dark brown ceiling, lifeless as he spoke.
"Then go ahead and call Dumbledore. Maybe Watson was right. I am indeed a hopeless fool. Perhaps it's time to end all of this." Sirius said, his voice hollow and empty.
Upon hearing these words, Remus suddenly softened.
The once spirited and talented prankster seemed to have died. What stood before him now was just a shell driven by hatred.
Remus remembered the old days, the happy days, the golden days.
"Alright–" Remus sighed suddenly, making a decision. Sirius was a proud person, and he could imagine how much torment Sirius had endured in his heart over the years. That was why he was so obsessed with killing Peter. Remus himself wanted to do the same, to kill Peter with his own hands and let this guilt end with the four of them, without letting Peter's dirty soul harm anyone else, including Albus Dumbledore.
"Just don't tell Albus for now–" Remus took a deep breath, feeling a rush of adrenaline. He waved his wand, causing Sirius, who was staring at him in surprise, to fall onto the bed. Then, he rushed to the desk and quickly wrote a letter on a piece of parchment. Two minutes later, Remus folded the parchment, which was filled with elegant handwriting, and put it in an envelope.
"Sorry, I can't let you go just yet, Sirius. I wrote a letter to Bryan, asking him to come back temporarily and personally confirm what you said. So- STUPEFY!!" Remus said, turning to Sirius, who was still lying on the bed.
A Stunning Spell knocked Sirius unconscious, and after unbinding the ropes, Remus checked to make sure they were secure. He lifted Sirius's limp body and carried him to the bed, tucking him under the covers. He picked the letter on the bedside table, and grabbed his cloak and wand. Now, He had to go to the owlery and send this letter to Bryan.
The unlocking spell was cast, and the door creaked open.
Before leaving, Remus's footsteps suddenly paused. He turned his head and looked at Sirius, who was unconscious on the bed. Suddenly, he pursed his lips and revealed a pale smile.
"Anyway… welcome back, Padfoot–"
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