Sirius Black... acquitted...
The woman’s pronouncent echoed like a golden bell, reverberating in the air.
Sirius sat blankly on the chair, his gaze vacant and bewildered.
He did not hear Fudge snort angrily, pushing his chair forcefully and striding out; did not see the few wizards hurriedly leaving after Fudge; nor did he realize when Dumbledore’s hand left his shoulder.
People gradually left along the aisles, so whispering, so looking at him with expressions of sympathy or disdain, but he was oblivious to it all.
He stared at the floor ahead, seemingly lost in thought yet seeing nothing.
Until soone ca beside him, took his hand, pulled him up, and hugged him tightly.
Remus...
Sirius thought of this brother he hadn’t seen in so long, he wanted to speak, but his throat felt blocked by sothing. So his arms trembled as he raised them, hugging Lupin with force.
The warmth of human touch was like sunlight, pulling him out from the dark hell.
After a long while, they released each other.
"Remus..." Sirius’s facial muscles twitched as he revealed a stiff smile: "I never expected to see your old self again..."
"I’m sorry, Sirius." Lupin whispered in repentance: "For eleven years, I didn’t trust you... I should have known, of all people, you were the least likely to betray Jas..."
"No, I was indeed wrong." Speaking of the past, Sirius couldn’t help but show a painful expression: "I foolishly suggested an idea, thinking it was the most perfect plan... If it weren’t for ..."
He shook his head, unwilling to say more, not wanting to hear Lupin comfort him.
He saw the boy standing next to Lupin—ssy black hair, green eyes, full of nervousness and anticipation.
How much he resembled Jas in his youth!
It was as if that friend was standing in front of him again.
Sirius was montarily dazed, his mouth opening and closing several tis before he finally found his voice.
"Harry?"
"Uh... it’s ." Harry said sowhat timidly.
To Harry, Sirius was both a stranger and a familiar face.
Stranger because it was their first eting, familiar because Lupin had shared many stories of their youth in recent days.
They went to school together, played together, lived in the sa dormitory, confronted students from Slytherin, and often explored the campus at night;
In second grade, they discovered Lupin’s secret of being a werewolf, but did not distance themselves.
To accompany Lupin during his werewolf transformations, Jas and Sirius learned to beco Animagus by fifth grade;
Jas pursued Lily, initially hitting walls, but eventually succeeded in dating her in seventh grade, becoming as happy as a fool...
Sirius left the Pure-Blood supremacy of the Black Family at sixteen, and lived with the Potter Family. Jas’s parents treated him like a second son...
After graduation, they attended Jas and Lily’s wedding together, with Sirius as the best man. Then they all joined the Order of Phoenix, fighting against Voldemort and the Death Eaters...
Lupin did not ntion the bad parts, completely omitting Peter Pettigrew’s betrayal.
His story was filled with friendship, adventure, courage, vibrant young n crafting a beautiful and aspirational tale.
Though it was the first ti eting Sirius, Harry felt he had known him for a long ti.
Despite Sirius’s current appearance seeming quite daunting, upon closer look, one could see the handso contours on the face now thin as a skeleton.
Sirius’s lips quivered, taking a long ti before saying: "The last ti I saw you, you were so small..."
He gestured with his hands a size like a small ball, then slightly enlarged it, realizing it wasn’t quite right.
Harry didn’t know what to say, rely smiled shyly.
Sirius looked at him, hesitating to say: "I don’t know if anyone has told you... that... Harry, I am your godfather..."
"Yes, I know." Harry nodded.
He hesitated for a mont, walked forward, and gently hugged Sirius.
Sirius bent down to hug him, his arms trembling slightly.
"Your parents appointed as your guardian should they et misfortune..."
Sirius said hoarsely: "Of course, I know I don’t really have the rights to take you away from your current family... but if you wish... if you want... I hope to take care of you..."
Before Sirius could finish speaking, Lupin interrupted him.
His existing, only friend laid a hand on his shoulder and smiled, saying:
"Sirius, you’ve just regained your honor, there’s no need to rush. Go ho, take a bath, change clothes, you need to eat nutritious food to recuperate well?"
Sirius: "..."
What Lupin said made sense, but sohow his smile seed a bit fierce?
"Well... alright..."
Sirius said hesitantly, looking at Harry, about to say sothing when Lupin interjected:
"Oh, and I need to introduce you to soone. You don’t know him, but regarding your case being retried, he is actually the greatest contributor."
Sirius’s attention imdiately shifted, asking: "Who is he?"
"His na is Vid Gray, Harry’s classmate, also my employer and student." Lupin said proudly: "Though he is only twelve, he is the smartest young wizard I’ve ever t."
Sirius thought he misheard: "Twelve years old?... Employer?"
"Yes..." Lupin tried to introduce Vid to Sirius, but turning around found Vid’s seat already empty.
"If you’re looking for that boy," said Moody, who hadn’t left, "Dumbledore called him away, and as he left, asked to tell you not to wait for him."
...
The crowd climbed the stairs, rushing to take the elevator. The underground space was oppressive and dark, not a place people liked to linger.
Vid unconsciously stopped, looking towards a nearby corridor.
The corridor was pitch black, with no doors or windows, not even torches on the walls. At the end of the corridor was a black door, silently beckoning one to approach.
"That’s the Departnt of Mysteries." Dumbledore said: "A top-secret room of the Ministry of Magic, it contains many things, their forms of existence difficult to understand and control."
"Even you can’t, professor?" Vid asked.
"I must admit, that place makes feel as ignorant as a child." Dumbledore smiled: "Though many believe I possess more magic than others, in the pursuit of magic, I am rely an apprentice."
"What kind of magic is there?"
"Many." Dumbledore said: "For instance, those concerning ti, death, prophecy. Many knowledgeable and excellent wizards research the most mysterious and dangerous magic there day and night. They are called Unspeakable, never revealing to others the contents of their work in their lifeti."
"Unspeakable..." Vid pondered for a mont, then asked: "Professor, why did you call ?"
"I want to thank you, Vid." Dumbledore said calmly: "In the matter of Sirius, I made a mistake of subjective assumption."
"I once presented to the Ministry of Magic that Sirius was the Secret Keeper for the Potter Family, and after his imprisonnt, did not investigate thoroughly..."
"If I had visited Sirius in prison, even just once... I should have realized he wasn’t the betrayer."
Vid did not reproach Dumbledore, he thought and said: "When you initially thought he betrayed, you must have been very angry... and disappointed."
"Indeed." Dumbledore said: "I’ve seen too many talented young people fall into darkness, I thought Sirius was one of them..."
"But Mr. Blake shouldn’t bla you for this." Vid said: "Their plan deceived everyone... if Peter Pettigrew hadn’t betrayed, it was actually a great strategy."
"Yes, who would have thought?" Dumbledore sighed: "Close friends turning unrecognizable in an instant, making you wonder... if you ever truly knew them..."
Vid glanced at Dumbledore, only seeing half of his side face silhouetted by torchlight.
He didn’t know if Dumbledore was reminded of soone.
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