Chapter 387: We Have to Do Something!
Chapter 387: We Have to Do Something!
"Why?" Sirius Black furrowed his brow deeply, asking in confusion.
"Perhaps you don't know, but Professor Dumbledore hasn't been at Hogwarts recently! You should be well aware that no one else has the ability to clear your name!"
At this point, Ivan paused and continued his explanation. "The Ministry of Magic and the Wizengamot won't easily admit their mistake and tell everyone that they wrongly imprisoned a War Hero, Sirius Black, as a dangerous Death Eater for over a decade in Azkaban!"
And they have been promoting Peter, the traitor, as a hero, Ivan added silently in his mind.
This would be a massive scandal. If the high officials of the Ministry don't want to be bombarded with angry wizards' Howlers, they will do everything in their power to cover up this news!
Sirius paced restlessly in the small room. He was well aware of this, but waiting like this wasn't a solution. Who knows when Dumbledore will return? What if it takes a month or even longer?
Anything could happen during this time! What if Peter finds a chance to escape?
Most importantly, after he saw that damn rat in the Gryffindor dormitory yesterday, he had been barely suppressing his urge to kill. He was almost at his limit.
"How about this, you bring Peter here at this time tomorrow, and let me kill him!" After a while, Sirius stopped and said with a fierce expression.
"You need to calm down! If you kill Peter, you won't be able to clear your name!" Ivan noticed Sirius's emotional state and tried to soothe him.
"How can I calm down? I've waited long enough!" Sirius shouted in a fit of rage.
Compared to killing Peter, Sirius felt that his own situation could wait, and he no longer cared whether he could clear his name or not.
"Do you want to live in the shadows for the rest of your life? Do you want Harry to continue hating you and seeing you as a despicable traitor?" Ivan asked.
"Peter betrayed James, not me!" Sirius said, emphasizing each word.
"Who knows?" Ivan looked at him without mercy. "I'm asking you, who knows you're innocent? If Peter Pettigrew is dead, who will testify for you?!"
Sirius stared at Ivan, who did not back down. They stood there in a standoff for a while until Sirius finally sighed and said resentfully.
"Anyway, we have to do something; we can't just keep waiting like this!"
Ivan didn't push him further but thought for a moment before speaking. "In a few days, it will be Halloween, and students in their third year and above will go to Hogsmeade. Both Peter and Harry will be there. We can find an opportunity to take Harry to a secluded place and explain the situation to him."
"Also, I will try to reach out to Lupin. He is a professor at Hogwarts and your good friend. If I show him the Marauder's Map and let him know that the supposedly dead Peter is still alive, I believe Professor Lupin will be willing to listen to your explanation."
Ivan recalled how in the original timeline, Professor Lupin, after seeing the Marauder's Map, clearly chose to stand by Sirius. He decided to try to win Lupin's support.
With Dumbledore not at Hogwarts, his and Sirius's words carry little weight. If they can add Harry's and Lupin's testimonies, the credibility will be much higher!
That way, even if something goes wrong before Dumbledore returns, they won't face the worst outcome.
"Alright, then I'll wait a few more days!" Sirius Black hesitated for a long time but finally agreed. Before killing Peter, he needed to explain himself to Harry and Lupin.
Ivan let out a sigh of relief. He was worried that Sirius might act on his own and sneak back into Hogwarts to kill Peter, which would really mess things up.
Although Peter's death or survival didn't matter much to him, Sirius himself would end up being wanted by the Ministry of Magic, forced to hide in the shadows just like in the original timeline.
Earlier in Knockturn Alley, Sirius had helped him quite a bit. If possible, Ivan certainly hoped Sirius could clear his name.
After that, the two discussed the details of their plan in the dilapidated house.
Ivan didn't dare stay too long, fearing that someone might notice his prolonged absence from the school. Once they had a plan, he ended the brief meeting.
Just before leaving, Sirius seemed to remember something and suddenly spoke up. "Hals, do you know what kind of gifts Harry likes? On Harry's Birthday, I accidentally scared him, so I want to give him a birthday gift as an apology."
"Harry? Hmm, he's quite fond of Quidditch. Maybe you could start from there!" Ivan suggested after some thought.
"Quidditch? I should have thought of that. After all, James was an excellent Quidditch player when he was at school! It seems Harry has inherited his father's talent!" Sirius's eyes showed a hint of nostalgia.
"Of course, he's the best Seeker in Gryffindor right now!" Ivan said with a smile.
"In that case, I'll get him a Broomstick. If I remember correctly, a new model just came out recently, called the Firebolt. Harry will definitely love it!" Sirius decided on the spot.
Firebolt? Ivan's lips twitched.
Rich guy! If he remembered correctly, that thing was a concept broom, priced to match!
It must be incredibly expensive!
While he could afford it with his current wealth, Ivan never spent Galleons on such things, especially since he didn't play Quidditch.
Hmm, what gift did Sirius give Harry in the original timeline? It was also a Firebolt, right?
While pondering, Ivan didn't stop moving. He transformed into an Animagus Owl and, under Sirius's watchful gaze, flew back to Hogwarts Castle through the circular tunnel.
Finding a secluded, empty classroom, Ivan transformed back into his human form and glanced at the clock.
"Only half an hour has passed. I shouldn't be noticed, right?" Ivan muttered to himself. He found the nearest secret passage to head to the library, to avoid raising suspicion.
With that in mind, Ivan left the classroom and tapped the wall's recess, opening a secret passage.
At that moment, the ghostly blue Peeves happened to float down the corridor. Seeing a student in a Gryffindor uniform about to enter the secret passage, his eyes lit up, and he clapped and shouted.
"Ah ha! Look what I've found! A student opening a secret passage, and at this time too. Let me guess, you're going to meet Black to tell him today's password, right?"
Peeves laughed as he sang, but when he got closer, he suddenly realized the figure looked familiar.
(End of Chapter)
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