https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-975-Harry-at-King-s-Cross-Station/12946784/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-977-I-Just-Want-to-Make-a-Horcrux/12946788/
Chapter 976: Sirius' Dilemma
Chapter 976: Sirius' Dilemma
The Ministry of Magic, the same Second Hearing Chamber.
The number of attendees for this hearing was even greater than the first, with the tiered seats packed to capacity.
It had been a short while since Voldemort's downfall, and there were still numerous Death Eaters awaiting trial, making it hard to imagine that so many members of the Wizarding Council could spare the time to attend such a minor hearing.
But this didn't concern Kyle, who once again secured a spot as an observer through his Second Order Medal, quietly sitting on the last row of stone steps.
Coincidentally, the two elderly wizards he had met during the first hearing were seated next to him.
Unlike others who seemed to be there for the spectacle and gossip, these two were munching on roasted watermelon seeds and a bag of snacks.
"What a coincidence, it's you again," the elderly wizard next to Kyle might have smiled and passed him the bag.
Kyle pondered for a moment before taking a handful of the roasted seeds without declining.
...
As he had anticipated, this hearing was merely a formality, and despite the doubled attendance, the process was much more efficient than the first time.
Minister of Magic Amelia Bones seemed to be rushing through the proceedings—presenting evidence, voting, and determining the outcome in one go.
She immediately announced that Snape was not a Death Eater and retracted all accusations made by the Death Eaters against him.
Bones also praised Snape for his calm demeanor, intelligence, and fearlessness, and promised to nominate him for the Order of Merlin.
Kyle couldn't help but feel like laughing at the mention of a Slytherin student being fearless... Wasn't that an insult? As for the Order of Merlin medal... Kyle thought it was just a casual remark, as Snape hadn't initially sided with Dumbledore.
Given that he had revealed the prophecy, it was impossible for him to receive the Order of Merlin medal.
However, Snape didn't mind, as he only wanted an identity that would allow him to operate openly—something Dumbledore had promised him.
So, he was satisfied with the outcome.
As soon as the verdict was announced, he quickly left his seat and walked outside with Conna, not giving anyone a chance to approach him.
His behavior was somewhat inappropriate, but Minister Bones pretended not to notice, acting as if she was searching for something, only looking up when Snape was about to grab the doorknob. She then declared the hearing concluded.
Some people stood up, but by then, Snape had already exited the room.
As he pushed open the door, he was met with Sirius' complex expression... Sirius had been waiting outside.
Snape's face showed unconcealed disgust, as if someone had thrown a disgusting mess on the ground.
The next second, Sirius mirrored the same expression.
Forgetting everything he had wanted to say, Sirius blurted out, "Consider yourself lucky, you snot-nosed brat."
He knew Snape was fine because if he had been identified as a Death Eater, he would have been escorted by the Aurors and wouldn't have been able to walk out on his own.
"Hmph, you filthy, stupid dog," Snape retorted, not backing down.
Neither of them lingered, and Sirius didn't intend to stop him, just watching as he stepped into the elevator.
When some people chased after him, the elevator had just started moving, taking Snape and Conna away from that floor.
Sirius didn't rush to leave; instead, he waited outside for a while longer.
Mr. Weasley had just informed him that Molly had gone to King's Cross Station to pick up Harry, so he wasn't in a hurry to return.
After some unrelated individuals, Amelia Bones emerged from the room, nodding at Sirius as a greeting.
Following her was Professor McGonagall, who appeared visibly relieved, indicating that Snape's matter was now completely resolved.
This was her first time acting as the Headmaster of Hogwarts, and she had successfully accomplished it.
"Sirius..." Professor McGonagall looked at him, "What are you doing here? Is it also because of Severus' memories?"
"Yes," Sirius nodded, "I heard that this memory is related to James and Lily."
"Then why didn't you go in?"
"I wasn't invited," Sirius replied casually.
Professor McGonagall didn't say much more, as there were indeed many people at this hearing, and it was the first time she witnessed the courtroom seats being insufficient, even for those with medals like Kyle, who almost couldn't get in.
"Well, then, why are you here? Do you know something?"
"It was before, but now..." Sirius paused for a moment before continuing, "I heard some things, and I came here just to confirm them. Now I know."
Sirius spoke softly, as he had been searching for the one who leaked the prophecy, and his hatred had reached its peak when he learned it was Snape.
But later, he found out that Snape had been protecting Harry all these years.
This contradictory behavior left him as conflicted as Harry, unsure of how to approach Snape.
Just then, Snape had made a choice for him.
At that moment, another group of people emerged.
"Hey, Kyle!" Sirius waved his hand, using the opportunity to change the subject, "Minerva, Molly has prepared a sumptuous dinner to celebrate Harry and Ron's graduation. Why don't you join us? I'm sure everyone will be delighted."
"If I were to attend, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley might not be too pleased," Professor McGonagall said half-jokingly.
She was well aware of the grudge between Sirius and Snape, but since Sirius didn't want to talk about it, she pretended not to know.
This was too complicated; even Dumbledore might not have a perfect solution here.
Professor McGonagall left the Ministry of Magic, and Kyle approached after hearing someone call his name.
"Sirius? Didn't you go to pick up Harry?"
"Molly has already gone," Sirius said, pausing for a moment before suddenly asking, "So, he's fine after the hearing, right?"
There were some things he didn't want to discuss with Professor McGonagall, the Headmistress of Hogwarts, but he could talk to Kyle.
Sirius couldn't quite explain why, perhaps it was due to their extraordinary experiences... Kyle not only helped clear his name but also brought his brother, Regulus, back from the cave.
This had earned Kyle a high level of trust from Sirius.
Moreover, Kyle was intelligent, a fact certified by Dumbledore himself, who had mentioned it more than once.
Instinctively, Sirius also wanted Kyle to help him figure things out.
"Well... I suppose you could say that," Kyle glanced at him, "You, do you still want to take revenge for them?"
Sirius remained silent, his head lowered.
Kyle didn't rush him but led him to a place with fewer people.
The afternoon sun shone through the magically enhanced windows, casting a slanted light on half of Sirius's face.
After a long while, Sirius finally asked, "Do you think I should take revenge?"
"I must say, you're asking the wrong person," Kyle shrugged, "You know, Snape is Conna's only uncle, and it's difficult for me to be fair and impartial in this matter."
"That's why I came to ask you..." Sirius blurted out, but quickly closed his mouth.
"I suggest you talk to Harry," Kyle said.
"Harry is still young..."
"He's already a fully-fledged wizard," Kyle replied, "Besides... Sirius, I personally think Harry is more suitable to make this decision than you."
Sirius raised his head.
"I know you probably don't agree, but that's my opinion.
"Harry endured rejection and hardships at the Dursleys, and his mentality is more mature than his peers, even though he has many flaws as well, but they don't diminish his strengths."
"As for you, Sirius... for the sake of so-called redemption or self-punishment, you abandoned your godson and willingly went to Azkaban.
"Honestly, I still can't understand how you made that decision. To borrow one of Snape's phrases, do you have some giant's blood in you?"
"Hey, I'm a proper Black!" Sirius exclaimed in an exaggerated tone.
But it was evident from his face, which alternated between pale and flushed, that he was not at peace.
Perhaps he couldn't understand why he hadn't considered what Harry would do...
When he heard that the Dursleys were mistreating Harry, he almost showed up at their doorstep with his wand, ready to cast a few blasting curses, and he even considered casting them on himself.
"Go and discuss it with Harry. It's better than agonizing over it here," Kyle said again.
This time, Sirius nodded.
He took a deep breath, "Kyle, you should be preparing to go home soon too, back to St. Cuthbert's Village."
"That's right," Kyle agreed.
Speaking of which, he realized he hadn't been home in a long time. Now that Voldemort was dead and the danger was over, it was only natural for him to return and visit.
The two entered the elevator room.
"Are you heading back to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place?"
"No, I'm going too. Mo is preparing a celebratory feast, and I want to get back for it."
"At the Burrow?"
"There'll be more people there," Sirius said, "I think Harry would enjoy that atmosphere too."
They arrived at the main hall of the Ministry of Magic and went to the room opposite the fireplace, using the Floo Network to return to Hogsmeade.
...
The Burrow was bustling with activity, and even from a distance, the sounds of the Weasley family's playful banter could be heard, with Fred and George's voices being the most prominent. Harry was among them, playing gnomes with Ron.
This game had been a favorite activity of the Weasley family since before Kyle started school, and it remained so to this day.
Sirius, watching the excited Harry in the garden, suddenly hesitated and stood still, not taking another step forward.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, nothing," Sirius stammered, "I was just thinking, does Harry really want to make this decision?"
"Who knows," Kyle shrugged.
"Then let me go find him."
"I'm just saying, if you want revenge, it's best to consult Harry's thoughts first," Kyle emphasized each word, "My focus is on you, not Harry!"
"You...I..." Sirius stared at him, his eyes wide, unable to speak.
"Of course, as a friend, I won't just stand by and do nothing..."
"How about this, if you two eventually reach an agreement and want revenge, I can give you Snape's address."
Sirius's body tensed.
"What, aren't you worried that if I kill Snape...what if Conna finds out that you gave us the address?"
"You're overthinking it," Kyle waved his hand dismissively.
"Are you that confident that Conna won't blame you?" Sirius laughed. "Confidence is good, but overconfidence is not."
"No, I'm sure about this..." Kyle looked at him, "Anyway, even if I tell you the address, you're no match for Snape, so what's the point?"
Sirius's body tensed, and his expression turned serious instantly.
Kyle had touched upon his bottom line, his principles!
"You think I can't beat that snot-nosed git?" Sirius waved his arms in the air, "I can hang him up and beat him!"
"Tsk...stop being shameless," Kyle glanced at him, "Even if we're friends, you can't insult my intelligence like that."
"You don't believe me?" Sirius shouted, pulling out his wand, "Come on, tell me the address right now, and let's see if I can hang him up and beat him!"
His voice was loud, quickly attracting the attention of Harry and several Weasley children, who rushed over.
"Hang him up...if you're referring to the Levicorpus Charm, that's Snape's invention."
Sirius was struck as if by a punch, unable to speak.
"He invented at least five spells before he even graduated, and you..." Kyle delivered another punch.
"I, I can be an Animagus."
"I'm talking about creating spells...fine, let's call this round a draw." Kyle said casually.
"What about the twelve years you wasted in Azkaban? Snape became the youngest Head of Hogwarts, and you think a weak wizard like you could gain the unanimous approval of Slytherin House?"
"Also, he openly sided with Dumbledore, yet he managed to rejoin the Death Eaters when Voldemort returned. Don't you think Voldemort is a fool for not suspecting Snape at all?"
"But he got away with it, could you do the same?"
With each sentence Kyle spoke, Sirius's face grew paler.
He knew he couldn't do it.
He also knew that perhaps he really couldn't beat Snape; it was already an achievement that his skills hadn't deteriorated after leaving Azkaban.
Although his abilities had improved significantly over the years while fighting Death Eaters, Snape hadn't stood still either, and the pressure on him was even greater.
Even with Harry's help, they might not be a match for Snape, but Sirius didn't want to admit it, nor was he willing to.
"I'm saying this so you can find a way to save face," Kyle smiled at him and turned to walk towards his home.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
