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Chapter 444: Going Back to Azkaban, Isn't It Just Like Going Home?
Chapter 444: Going Back to Azkaban, Isn’t It Just Like Going Home?
Harry and the others looked very disappointed. No matter how they tried to coax information out of Ivan, he refused to reveal anything.
Considering that there were still a couple of days before the trial, Ivan was a bit worried that they might get bored and secretly search for Sirius Black's location. So, he spoke up.
"Harry, if you have the time, you might as well think about how you will testify in the Wizengamot. Your testimony is very important and could influence the final verdict!"
Thanks to Ivan's reminder, Harry suddenly remembered this and immediately felt a bit nervous. He had never been to court before and didn't know what to expect.
"We can go to the library and look up the specific procedures for Wizengamot trials and any major cases recorded in the past century. That way, we'll know what to expect", Hermione suggested.
"Good idea!" Harry nodded.
With a plan in mind, Harry hurriedly pulled Ron and Hermione to head to the library.
Ivan, of course, did not follow. He made up a reason, saying he had something to do, and declined Harry's invitation.
In fact, being a witness wasn't that complicated. It wasn't like he was going to be a lawyer or give false testimony. He just needed to tell the truth.
The reason Ivan brought this up was purely to give Harry and the others something to do, to distract them.
Just as he was thinking about this, Ivan suddenly sensed something and turned his head to look out the window. The sky was gray, and something seemed to be moving in the mist.
"Dementors? Are they here so quickly?" Ivan immediately thought of what Severus Snape had told him—that the Ministry of Magic planned to send some Dementors to assist the Aurors in guarding.
Ivan had always been wary of these evil creatures. Expecting Dementors to have any self-control was a pipe dream, so he decided to check what the Ministry was up to that evening.
As night fell, Ivan transformed into an Owl and flew to a deserted Astronomy Tower at the top of Hogwarts Castle. He passed through the Dementors' patrol and stopped at a vent.
Dementors had almost no vision and seemed uninterested in animals, so they didn't notice the Owl at all. This allowed Ivan to easily observe the inside of the Astronomy Tower.
It looked like a small prison, with walls worn down by time, covered in moss and vines.
Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew were bound face-to-face at opposite ends, their hands in shackles and their bodies tightly restrained.
In addition to them, an Auror stood inside the tower, holding some Parchment and writing with a quill.
"Peter Pettigrew, is there anything else you want to say? You haven't told me how you were discovered", the Auror said, writing down Peter's confession and continuing to question him.
"I really don't remember anything. He used an Obliviate spell on me, making me forget a lot", Peter shook his head, trembling.
"Someone used an Obliviate spell on you? Who? Albus Dumbledore? Why would he do that? Was it because you knew some secret information?"
The Auror suddenly became very excited. He had been ordered to find out the whole story, but now it seemed he might have stumbled upon something unexpected.
He knew that Minister Fudge was very displeased with Dumbledore. If he could find something incriminating and report it, he might earn the Minister's favor.
"No, it wasn't Dumbledore. It was Ivan Hals, that demon!" Peter answered, terrified.
Just thinking about that experience made Peter shudder. He didn't know how much he had forgotten or if his memory had been altered.
"Ivan Hals?" The Auror vaguely remembered the name but couldn't place it.
Sirius, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up. "He's a very capable young wizard. He discovered Peter's trail. As for why he used an Obliviate spell on Peter, I think it was to prevent Peter from doing something during the investigation."
The Auror frowned. Using an Obliviate spell to erase or alter a wizard's memory was illegal. However, he didn't say much because the situation was special. The victim, Peter, was a criminal, and there was a reason for the use of the spell. He simply wrote it down.
After repeated questioning and confirming that Peter had said everything he needed to, the Auror turned to Black with a hopeful expression.
"Mr. Black, what do you think about my previous suggestion?"
"You mean you want me to say that I was very comfortable in Azkaban after the trial, that being locked up felt like going home?" Sirius sneered.
"I'm not asking you to say that, Mr. Black. You just need to state that you were not mistreated or subjected to any unfair treatment in Azkaban."
The Auror looked embarrassed. He knew it wasn't quite right, but it was an order from above, so he continued to plead.
"If you cooperate, the Ministry will provide you with sufficient compensation after your release!"
"Compensation? You mean some Galleons?" Sirius smirked. He had no shortage of Galleons, and the Ministry's attempt to buy him off with money was misguided.
More importantly, Sirius looked down on the Ministry's behavior. He regarded the Auror with disdain and said, "I will tell the truth, regardless."
Seeing Sirius's stubbornness, the Auror felt his face burn. He thought the Ministry had shown enough sincerity, and he had even lowered himself to beg, but the other person still refused to cooperate.
With this in mind, the Auror couldn't help but issue a threat.
"Mr. Black! I advise you to think carefully. Going against the Ministry is not a wise choice. You haven't been cleared of your charges yet."
However, Sirius was unmoved. He didn't even acknowledge the threat. He knew that if the Ministry hadn't run out of options, they wouldn't have sent someone to beg him to say nice things and offer compensation.
(End of Chapter)
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