Chapter 278: Pursuit
Chapter 278: Pursuit
At the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Felix saw a young wizard desperately fleeing towards the forest. He raised his wand, gauged the distance, and in the moment before the spell hit, flicked his wrist and cast a spell.
The young wizard, as if expecting it, twisted his body to dodge the spell, moving with agility that seemed out of place for his age.
"Sirius Black, why don't we have a chat?"
Felix took a step towards him. The Polyjuice Potion Black had taken was wearing off, and his body began to change, growing taller and broader.
He panted heavily, stumbling forward. As he stepped into the Forbidden Forest, it was as if he had been punched, his body stiffening for a few seconds before he finally collapsed.
The transformation began.
He curled up, his body trembling, and a hoarse breathing sound emanated from his throat. His skin, like boiling white wax, began to bubble, and his fingers grew larger and thicker. A thin, adult hand clawed at the damp, brown earth, the knuckles white from the effort, the nails digging in.
Black let out a low growl, his shoulders broadening. The loose robes stretched but did not tear, and the man's body was completely devoid of fat.
Felix waited quietly. It would take the others a couple of minutes to catch up, giving him ample time.
The transformation ended. Black lay on the ground, gasping for breath, seemingly resigned to his fate. With a raspy voice, he said, "Who are you? So young, you must be—"
He rose and fired a Stunning Spell from his wand.
Felix had been prepared. Even in the midst of his pain, Black had not let go of his wand.
He deflected the spell with a wave of his wand and a red fireball flew towards him, exploding in mid-air. Thanks to the human-form armoring charm, he was unharmed. He frowned as he looked down, where a wand lay on the ground, and Black's figure had vanished.
Felix examined the wand carefully. It was real, not a Transfiguration, which surprised him.
"Transforming into an Animagus to escape? Are you giving up? Without your wand, how do you think you can match me? You've even lost your last hope of Apparition."
Felix tapped his ring, and a broomstick appeared. He mounted it and rose into the sky.
Below, a vast expanse of brown and gray blurred together. He gently lifted the broom handle, ascending to fifty feet, then to a hundred feet. In the distance, he saw a large black dog sprinting along the rugged path of the Forbidden Forest, moving with astonishing speed, like a wisp of dark smoke.
The weather had only just started to warm, and the trees in the forest were still bare, their branches stark and leafless, offering no cover or obstruction. This made it impossible for Felix to lose Black.
By a small stream, he caught up to Black. A brilliant red beam struck the large black dog, sending it flying far away.
From a distance of about twenty feet, Felix stopped. "Transform back, become a human, Sirius Black."
The large black dog struggled to lift its head and meet Felix's gaze. After a moment, a second transformation began, this one rapid but equally strange. His body shrank, and a dirty, disheveled man appeared in its place.
If he had been still, he would have looked like a corpse, one that had clearly suffered unimaginable torment in life—matted, dirty hair hung to his elbows, unkept for a long time; his body was caked with dirt, revealing pale, sunken cheeks.
Black laughed softly, his eyes like those of a wolf. With a raspy voice, he said, "Are you Peter Pettigrew's student? Felix Hepburn... famous name. I saw you on the cover of Wizard Weekly. To be honest, you look better in person."
Felix said calmly, "Although I have many questions for you—"
He pointed his wand at Black. "Scouring Charm!" A series of bubbles emerged from Black's mouth, followed by a fit of coughing that took a while to subside.
He slowly used the stream water to check his teeth. "That was a very creative idea. We used it on Peter Pettigrew when we were young, and James ended up with a scar on his face."
Felix shook his head. "I've heard your story from many people. They describe Sirius Black as handsome, wild, and unconventionally elegant. But look at you now—"
He waved his wand, summoning a tornado-like whirl of water from the stream that enveloped Black entirely.
Black's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth, struggling to say, "Rat—" but the water drowned out his words and caused him to choke.
After about ten seconds, a murky mass of water was thrown back into the stream. After the cleansing, Black looked much better, though he was still emaciated, with a faint resemblance to his younger self.
Black hovered in mid-air, tilting his head with a look of surprise. "You don't want to kill me?"
"Why would I? I said I have many things I want to talk about with you. Your betrayal, your escape—oh, the latter is already clear, given your Animagus form."
"Take me to Dumbledore! I'll confess everything without reservation."
"Can't you tell me now? I'm quite curious, but some questions are better left for a more private setting, such as the grudges between Severus and the Potter couple, or some information about Voldemort."
"Ha! Are you planning to sell me to the Ministry of Magic, or give me as a gift to Peter Pettigrew? You must be his favorite student; he even shared these secrets with you..." Black sneered, but a sudden gust of wind made his body shudder.
"I don't like the way you address me. If you keep provoking me—" Felix gestured with his wand and blinked. "You'll definitely regret it."
Black said nonchalantly, "Torture? For someone who spent twelve years in Azkaban? Everything you do will only make me feel more alive—"
His teeth chattered from the cold, but his eyes remained fixed on Felix.
Felix's wand touched Black's chest, and a cloud of steam rose from his body, drying him instantly.
Black landed on the ground, moved his limbs, and looked at Felix with a mixture of surprise and suspicion. "You're not afraid I'll escape? Not going to tie me up?"
"You can consider it a gesture of goodwill to facilitate our conversation", Felix said.
Black's sunken eyes stared at him, and he grinned. "I'm starting to like you, but—I still can't trust you. You're too close to Snape."
Felix noticed his expression becoming more composed and probed, "Does it matter whether you trust me? Do you really have a choice?"
"Of course, don't underestimate anyone. Go back and tell Dumbledore. The boy, the Weasley one who's Harry's classmate, his pet rat is an Animagus." Black didn't know about Scabbers' disappearance.
"An Animagus?" Felix repeated.
"Yes, it's Peter Pettigrew. He didn't die—damn it! I thought he was dead!" Black suddenly became agitated, cursing wildly. After a while, he calmed down. "Sorry, you've seen me like this, but I've been suppressing it for too long."
"You want to say Peter Pettigrew is the traitor? Even though you were the Secret-Keeper?" Felix said.
"It wasn't me—we switched! He and I, we swapped roles. He's the Secret-Keeper! Dumbledore will understand. Once we catch Peter Pettigrew, everything will be clear."
"I think it's best if you tell Dumbledore these things in person."
(End of Chapter)
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