Murphy, at some unknown time, found himself on the rooftop of a building, looking down at Sirius Black lying on the ground below. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers.
Clouds gathered instantly, and the terrifying voltage made the tattered cloaks of the Dementors lift upwards. Then, hundreds of lightning bolts fell at once, striking those hideous creatures, burning their rotten cloaks, and piercing through their flesh as if it were already rotten, causing them to emit an unpleasant howl.
In the blink of an eye, nearly a hundred Dementors scattered like a school of frightened fish.
Murphy raised an eyebrow. It seemed these creatures had quite the defense, managing to fly even after being hit by lightning and apparently not suffering much damage.
If he had the chance, he would definitely capture one to dissect and see what makes them tick.
But for now, dealing with Sirius Black was the priority.
...
An hour later, Sirius Black woke up on a warm, large bed.
He sat up abruptly, panicking as he surveyed his surroundings, until he was sure there were no Dementors nearby, then he sighed in relief.
"Mr. Black, you're awake?"
Across the luxurious room, on a sofa, sat a young man with black hair. He put down the book he was holding and asked, "How do you feel? Is there any discomfort?"
"Where, is, this. Who, are, you..."
Having not had a normal conversation with anyone for a long time, Sirius had almost lost his ability to speak. It seemed he had only just regained control of his tongue, struggling to utter these few words.
The young man across seemed to know his condition and was very patient, "My name is Murphy Darkholme. You can call me Murphy. This is my home."
"You, saved, me?"
"Correct."
"Why?"
"Let's just say, Blanck Lloyd is my employee, and not long ago, I discovered his pet was somewhat unusual." Murphy explained, "After employing some measures, I made that rat reveal its true form, and it turned out to be Peter Pettigrew."
"From that moment, I knew you were innocent."
Sirius's eyes widened, "You, caught, him?"
"Yes, Peter Pettigrew is in my hands."
"Give, him, to me!"
"No," Murphy said, "Please be patient, Mr. Black. If I were to hand him over to you now, I suspect you would kill him without hesitation."
"What, do, you, want?"
It seems a few years in prison had only made Sirius's speech clumsy, not dulled his mind.
"What I want..." Murphy thought for a moment, then suddenly laughed, "I want justice to be served."
Sirius looked at him, puzzled and confused. Murphy shook his head, "Sorry, just a joke."
"Let me introduce myself again. I am Murphy Darkholme. The son of the Darkholme couple, known Death Eaters. A dark wizard in the eyes of many Aurors. Also, the bane of Mr. Bartemius Crouch, the man who sent you to Azkaban."
Bartemius Crouch, it took Sirius a moment to remember the name.
A fool who mistook him for a Death Eater, leading to his nearly decade-long imprisonment, but... it was irrelevant.
He didn't care.
"From a personal standpoint, I deeply sympathize with your plight. No one should suffer unjustly like you did. Betrayed by a friend, losing your best brothers, and then spending ten years in that hellish place of Azkaban..."
"Frankly, if I were you, I wouldn't rest until I had turned the wizarding world upside down in revenge."
"But, I also know that there are people in this world who hold higher moral standards, who are kinder, and more benevolent. Although I can't do what they do, I would never mock such people; I always respect their greatness."
"And you, Mr. Sirius Black, are such a person."
"The rules of this world always favor the worst, always allow evil to thrive over good. The strong exploit these rules for their own gain, the wise see through them and remain detached, only able to save themselves. Only the kind are willing to ignite themselves, becoming a beacon to light the way for the weak."
"As individuals, they increase the difficulty of their own survival, often ending in failure. But as members of humanity
, I forever hold them in awe for their greatness."
"Therefore, whenever possible, I prefer to deal with such people, and am more willing to lend a hand, making it easier for them to navigate a world that does not accommodate them."
"I sincerely hope you can clear your name."
"Of course, aside from fulfilling some moral satisfaction, I also have practical considerations," Murphy continued, with no intent to hide, "I am a businessman, a researcher, but my existence puts pressure on certain individuals, including Mr. Bartemius Crouch, who wishes to see me in Azkaban."
"I do not wish to let him succeed, therefore, you will become a valuable asset to me."
Sirius understood.
As a member of one of the oldest wizarding families, even though he scorned the so-called power struggles and had no interest in them, he inherently possessed a keen sense for these matters.
In the end, it was all about conflicting interests.
He didn't ask further; he didn't care.
Compared to the young man's initial high-sounding speech, this was somewhat more sincere.
He felt he was starting to understand this person he had met for the first time.
"What, do, you, want, me, to, do?"
"Simple. I will hand Peter Pettigrew over to you. But you have to promise me to spare his life for the time being. My people will pretend to capture you and take you to Wizengamot for a retrial..."
"No, trial, I, will, be, kissed, by, Dementors..."
"Don't worry, a long time ago, I took some measures. I will ensure you receive a fair trial."
Sirius looked at him for a while, then nodded, "Okay."
"At the trial, you just need to speak the truth," Murphy said, snapping his fingers. A house-elf suddenly appeared, holding a large plate of food.
"There's still some time left. You can eat something, rest, or think about your future life."
"You're no longer in Azkaban, Mr. Black. You can start to be hopeful again."
...
"Chaos in the Ranks, Aurors Defeated by Werewolves!"
"Aurors Flee Diagon Alley in Disarray!"
"Aurors Discharged, Can St. Mungo's Heal Lycanthropy?!"
"Facing Werewolves! Watchers Cleanse Diagon Alley!"
"Sirius Black Captured! Watchers Achieve Another Victory!"
"Trial of the Century! Is Sirius Black a Dark Wizard or Innocent?"
Since Murphy's investment, the Daily Prophet had essentially become his mouthpiece, either stirring up trouble or on the way to stirring up trouble.
With the Daily Prophet's day-by-day editorial control, the Aurors' reputation had plummeted to an all-time low, becoming synonymous with weakness and incompetence.
Meanwhile, the Watchers' reputation soared, reaching its peak after the capture of Sirius Black.
Soon, the retrial of Sirius Black began, and under Murphy's meticulous arrangement, the trial was without suspense. When Dumbledore forced Peter Pettigrew to reveal his true form with magic, Sirius had already won his victory.
The moment he was declared innocent, the shackles were removed from Sirius, and he was released from the thorny iron cage, standing tall.
After ten years, he finally regained his long-lost freedom and belated justice.
The man who had never shed tears even in his most desperate moments, for the first time in a long time, raised his head and let the hot tears flow down his cheeks.
___________________
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