In the small train compartment.
Upon hearing that he might have to duel Snape with a wand, Ron suddenly ceased his violent struggles. Although he still occasionally twitched, expressing his unwillingness, it wasn't as intense as before.
In truth, this wasn't a major issue, at least not in the eyes of the other three in the compartment. Hermione aside, Harry had, after previous divinations, developed a subconscious trust in Ino, and as for Ginny, the Tom Riddle's diary incident was only a year past.
Seeing the tension in the compartment ease, Ino began to speak:
"This matter concerns the Dark Lord, or rather, it concerns Harry's parents!"
With just one sentence, Ron completely calmed down, even ceasing his mild struggles. Conversely, Harry's expression grew tense. Since entering Hogwarts, or rather, since stepping into Diagon Alley, all he had heard were praises. Yet, nothing about his parents was ever mentioned.
As everyone quieted, Ino released Ron from his binding spell and began to recount:
"This story begins thirty years ago, during a new school year at Hogwarts. Among the new students were James Potter, Sirius Black, Lily Evans, and Severus Snape..."
Starting from the beginning, Ino did not intend to hide the stories of the Marauders. It was better than Harry hearing only bits and pieces and then confronting Snape with incomplete knowledge, claiming his father had saved him.
"...Four Gryffindors bonded over their shared interests, forming a group with a bold name—the Marauders. They engaged in numerous activities they considered pranks..."
As time passed, Ino reached the turning point and the climax of the early narrative—the public humiliation of Snape with the Levicorpus spell.
As the story progressed, Harry's expression became increasingly peculiar. He couldn't help but envision Malfoy, constantly flanked by cronies, strutting about. The only difference was that the Marauders seemed worse than Malfoy, who merely bullied Neville. But Harry's father and his friends led a classmate to a transformed werewolf...
Thankfully, it hadn't ended in tragedy.
At this moment, Harry understood why Snape always targeted him. Now, he felt that Snape's restraint, merely picking on him rather than lashing out, was quite significant.
The story continued. As time passed, the plot moved forward.
Harry's changing expressions did not go unnoticed by Ino. Lily's strong genes had passed on to her son, whose eyes and temperament resembled hers. Indeed, as the saying goes, the eyes are the windows to the soul.
Perhaps feeling tired from standing, Ino waved his wand, conjuring an icy panton chair in the empty space near the door. Leaning against the door, he continued the tale:
"...The Potters decided to use the Fidelius Charm to create a safe house. The most crucial part of the Fidelius Charm is the Secret Keeper..."
After about ten more minutes, Ino concluded the story of the Marauders' thirty-year saga.
---
"I want to kill him!"
Harry staggered to his feet, rushing towards the door. However, Ron grabbed him tightly, genuinely afraid. Sharing a bed with a Dark wizard, a Death Eater, for years terrified him. More so, he feared Harry's rash actions. Thus, he used all his strength to restrain Harry.
Beside them, possibly due to grief or an unsteady stance, Harry collapsed onto the compartment bench under Ron's pulling. When he lifted his head, silent tears streamed down his face. The years of suffering, growing up without parental love, being mocked by classmates, and bullied by Dudley...
All this tragedy stemmed from the traitor's betrayal. He wanted nothing more than to kill Peter now.
As Harry drowned in grief, a small flame appeared before him. The orange glow brought a long-lost warmth. Through the flames, he saw a beautiful vision—the scene from the Mirror of Erised. His parents, his elderly grandparents, all happily together.
"Mr. Potter, don't do anything foolish. You are not alone. They are always with you, and you have found friends now."
Ino spoke in a soothing tone, waving his wand to conjure a foot-long candle on the table. The small orange flame seemed to have a life of its own, flying to the candle's wick and quietly burning. Meanwhile, Ginny, who had been silent, joined in:
"Harry, don't let hatred cloud your heart. You have friends, you have us... As for that traitor, don't worry, I won't let him get away with it."
Under the orange candlelight, Ginny gazed into Harry's green eyes, her heart aching at the sight of his tear-streaked face. Feeling uncomfortable, Harry turned his head away. Next to him, Ron slowly released Harry, sensing the change in the atmosphere.
---
The train continued to move leisurely through the fields. The scenery outside, like a series of moving paintings, displayed their unique beauty through the train's window frames. However, this fleeting beauty and the passing time were both ephemeral, soon replaced by the encroaching darkness outside.
Ino quietly watched the compartment's main characters. He did not regret revealing the truth to Harry today, hoping to prevent a future tragedy.
Whether Voldemort could resurrect without Peter, Ino wasn't worried. At worst, he could delay it until Harry's natural death, just like the third brother in "The Tale of the Three Brothers," who only met Death at the end of his life. With five years until graduation and the fantasy world's time, Ino was confident they could handle Voldemort.
Dumbledore had kept Voldemort at bay for half a century; Ino could surely do it longer. With a slight smile at this thought, Ino's expression soon turned serious, sensing a cold chill from the sky as the train began to slow.