"Good question. Even I find it puzzling. Why don't we let our brave Mr. Pettigrew explain?" Augustus nodded, gesturing toward Peter.
"Exactly!" Peter Pettigrew shrieked, pointing his maimed finger at Hermione. "Thank you! You understand. Augustus, sir, I never hurt a single hair on Harry's head! Why would I?"
"Tsk tsk, let me solve this mystery then," Augustus said, stroking his chin with a faint smile. "As Voldemort's double agent, you were likely the lowest-ranking among the Death Eaters. Given that your master was already defeated, someone as cowardly and traitorous as you would hardly have the nerve to clean up his mess. If Voldemort were alive, killing Harry might earn you favor, but since he's gone, you wisely decided to live safely as a rat, didn't you?"
Peter opened his mouth, then closed it again, repeatedly, as though he had lost the ability to speak.
"That said, Mr. Black, though turning into an Animagus helped you resist the Dementors, your willpower in escaping from Azkaban and finding your way to Hogwarts is rather commendable," Augustus remarked, turning to Sirius.
Sirius seemed lost in thought, revisiting painful memories. "I think the only reason I didn't lose my mind was that I knew I was innocent. It felt like a fire burning in my head—a determination the Dementors couldn't extinguish. It wasn't pleasant… more like an obsession. But that thought kept me strong, kept my mind clear. One night, when they opened the door to deliver food, I slipped past them as a dog. Dementors have trouble sensing the emotions of animals, as they're chaotic. I was so thin—so thin I could squeeze through the bars. I swam to the mainland as a dog and headed north, straight to Hogwarts. Since arriving, I've been living in the Forbidden Forest—except, of course, when I came to watch the Quidditch matches. You fly just like your father, Harry..."
Sirius looked at Harry, his eyes filled with sincerity. "Believe me," he rasped, "I never betrayed James and Lily. I'd rather die than betray them."
Harry finally believed him. His throat tightened with emotion, and he could only nod.
"What a touching scene," Snape interjected coldly. "Though it might seem inappropriate to bring this up now, what do you intend to do with Peter now that the truth has come out?"
"Of course," Sirius said, a thin smile crossing his gaunt face as he began rolling up his sleeves. "We kill him together."
"Yes, I think so," Lupin said darkly.
"No—you won't—you can't!" Peter gasped, his watery eyes darting desperately around the room before landing on Augustus.
"Please, Augustus! Don't let them kill me. I know you'll help me!" Peter pleaded, collapsing to his knees in front of him, his high-pitched voice trembling with fear.
Augustus took a step back in disgust, then turned to Sirius. "As much as I'd like to see this traitor meet his end, you can't kill him here. Take him back to Hogwarts and hand him over to the Dementors. Prove your innocence to the Ministry—that's the only proper course of action."
"Thank you, Augustus," Peter panted. "Thank you... for sparing me..."
Sirius nodded, then turned to Harry. "What do you think? If you want, we can kill him now."
"Let him go to Azkaban," Harry said firmly. "If anyone belongs there, it's him."
"Two of us should stay bound to him," Sirius said, nudging Peter with his foot. "Just in case."
"I'll do it," Lupin offered.
"So will I," Ron growled, limping forward.
Sirius conjured heavy manacles out of thin air. Peter was quickly shackled: his left arm to Lupin's right, and his right arm to Ron's left. Ron's face was set in anger, as though Peter's true identity had personally insulted him. Crookshanks hopped off the bed, tail high, proudly leading the group out of the room.
"An excellent resolution," Lupin said as he walked alongside Augustus. "Thank you for believing in us and helping, even knowing what I am. Without you, Snape might have turned us all over to the Ministry by now."
"It was nothing," Augustus replied with a casual wave. "I simply trust my own judgment. Besides, what you've done is morally right. For someone like Peter Pettigrew, a traitor who betrays his friends, no conscientious wizard would stand idly by. Upholding justice is simply our duty."
Harry followed Sirius, who was at the rear.
"Harry, your parents appointed me as your guardian," Sirius said stiffly. "In case something ever happened to them..."
"What? Live with you?" Harry exclaimed, accidentally bumping his head on a protruding rock in the tunnel. "Leave the Dursleys?"
"Of course. I understand if you don't want to," Sirius said quickly. "I just thought—"
"Are you crazy?" Harry interrupted, his voice suddenly hoarse with emotion, much like Sirius's. "Of course, I want to leave the Dursleys! Do you have a house? When can I move in?"
"You mean it?" Sirius asked, disbelief and hope flickering in his gaunt face.
"Yes, I mean it!" Harry said firmly.
For the first time, a genuine smile lit up Sirius's face.
Augustus also smiled warmly. The world of the young is never short of surprises. Perhaps only when we grow up and look back do we truly understand that the warmth of a home—so simple and taken for granted—is one of life's greatest treasures.
Want to read the chapters in Advance? Join my Patreon
https://patreon.com/Glimmer09