Under the thin rope, only a few steps away from Sirius Black, Hagrid fell to the ground and caused a tremor.
Harry immediately caught on, turning around quickly, his wand pointing in the direction where the rope had shot out of the darkness. Ron and Hermione were a beat slower in their response, but they followed suit, knowing that only when the outline of human nature emerged from the darkness did they breathe a sigh of relief.
It was Professor Lupin.
He looked pale and breathless, as if he had entirely relied on his two legs to chase here.
"Professor Lupin, Hagrid is dealing with Littlefoot--"
Harry's angry outburst only got halfway before it stopped, because Professor Lupin gave him a gesture, indicating that he should be quiet. This confused Harry, as Littlefoot was involved, and his parents who were killed by Littlefoot were also friends of Professor Lupin. So why was there nothing but fatigue on Professor Lupin's face?
And Hermione seemed to have encountered some possibilities, she covered her mouth, gradually looked horrified.
"Huh!"
Professor Lupin's ropes, made by magic, seemed quite useful. Hagrid moved to sit up, squeezing his palms hard. Although several ropes were snapped, the broken ends twisted a few times in the air before repairing themselves. Not being able to get up, Hagrid glared at Professor Lupin as he passed by dissatisfiedly.
"Your magic is far inferior to Amortentia, Remus. You've hurt me!"
"Calm down, Hagrid."
Remus's hair fell loosely around his forehead, wet and sticky. He walked past Hagrid, heading directly to Sirius who was lying on the ground, having fallen down from his attempt to avoid Remus's unconsciousness curse. They exchanged a glance.
All eyes were on Professor Lupin, including Harry's, but his gaze became intensely hollow, and the power within him seemed to be dissipating as well.
His spell had failed to harm Black, and now, Hagrid was here, Professor Lupin was also here, and Sirius Black couldn't escape. He would be handed over to the Dementor. For the rest of his life, this detestable criminal could still cling to life. Perhaps one day when Voldemort returned to the wizarding world, he would try to rescue his loyal pet from death. His revenge had failed.
"Mr. Malfoy, what happened?"
To their surprise, Lupin did not immediately apprehend Black but instead showed concern for the unconscious Draco Malfoy lying on the ground.
This was not particularly difficult to understand. After all, Lupin was a professor. His concern for the life and death of a small witch couldn't be considered wrong. However, what he saw in front of him was none other than Sirius Black himself.
Hagrid felt confused, Harry also felt puzzled, Ron. He couldn't find anything wrong with it. Only Hermione, her fear in her eyes growing stronger and stronger!
"I didn't touch him; he fainted on his own."
"Lupin crouched down, he gently pushed open Malfoy's eyelids, and examined his pupils with the light of his wand. After a moment, he said in a heavy tone,"
"It might be an Imperius Curse."
Imperius Curse? What kind of spell is that?
Harry felt as if his brain was rusted, and he became increasingly unable to understand everything happening in front of him.
"I also think so." Sirius's expression showed no sign of joy. He supported himself to stand up, looking down at the pale-faced Malfoy, coldly said.
"And it looks like this little guy has been under control for a while. It's really strange that no one noticed."
Suddenly, Sirius furrowed his brow as he remembered the strange behavior he had seen in Draco Malfoy when he had seen him in the office before Amortentia.
"What's wrong?"
Remus asked warily.
"Nothing --"
Sirius slowly shook his head and said that he couldn't be sure if Amortentia had noticed something wrong with Malfoy, and besides, it didn't matter now.
"By the way, how did you notice something was off?"
Sirius asked back.
"It's thanks to our previous inventions."
Remus's eyes flickered with a sinister glint. He glanced at Harry and the others, whose expressions were now completely stunned, and then pulled out an old piece of vellum from his pocket. In the surprised yet puzzled gaze of Sirius, he explained.
"Before that, I left the office to use the staff bathroom, and when I came back, this parchment was lying on the desk. I was also very curious who had put it there. I saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione leaving the castle to go out of the Great Hall, and then I searched for your name on the map. But I didn't expect to see your name and that person's name suddenly appear at the edge of the Forbidden Forest--"
There was no doubt that the person who threw the map into Remus's office was trying to lure him out, and there was no doubt about it. And the reason he did so was most likely to net them all in one swoop.
"Why is the Moving Map in your hands? It's mine--"
If Harry still can't see that Black and Lupin are on the same side by now, then he must be incredibly stupid. Looking at the two people who were chatting in a familiar tone, Harry's face was expressionless, not knowing how to describe his own feelings. However, when he saw Black take the map that should belong to him from Lupin's hand, he blurted out.
The two people exchanging information were attracted by Harry's words. When they noticed the expressions on the faces of the few people who were staring at them, they both froze for a moment. Then Remus realized that Harry and the others didn't know that Sirius was innocent yet.
"Don't worry, Harry--"
After exchanging another glance with Littlefoot, Remus took the initiative to explain,
"There's been a misunderstanding. For some reasons, we haven't had the chance to explain yet--"
"Is that so?"
Harry stared at Lupin, his eyes burning with an indelible hatred. "For example, are you actually working with Black?"
"Don't listen to a word he says, Harry!"
Hermione screamed out immediately.
"Don't believe him, Harry. Last Halloween he helped Black enter the castle. He wants you to die, Harry. He's a werewolf!"
A silence that presses on the eardrum ensued. Now, all eyes were on Lupin's face, but he remained very calm, merely weakly smiling.
"I had expected this. If any young witch could uncover my identity, it would be you, Hermione. I do indeed collaborate with Sirius, but it was not me who helped him enter the castle last Halloween."
"The werewolf thing can wait, Hermione--"
Hagrid had somehow managed to free himself from the ropes, and he had gotten to his feet. He was breathing heavily, as if ready to erupt at any moment.
"What do you mean, Remus? What do you mean by being in cahoots with Sirius? Are you betraying Professor Dumbledore's trust?!"
"We can't waste any more time, Peter is definitely watching us somewhere. I know he's been planning to kill me, but the misunderstanding between us has been cleared before he certainly wouldn't have known. Now seeing this scene, he may have already prepared to escape!"
Sirius said angrily.
Peter? Petunia?
"You're right, Sirius--"
Remus took a deep breath, looking around at the dark that surrounded them and enveloped them. He spoke quickly, "
"Please give me five minutes to explain the situation to you simply--"
For the next few minutes, not a sound of insect or bird was heard in the Forbidden Forest. Everyone remained silent, trying to understand what Remus was saying. However, after Remus finished explaining the reasons behind Sirius and Peter exchanging secret-keeping duties, as well as the events of last Halloween when Sirius ran into the castle intending to kill a rat named Fawkes, Ron couldn't help but excitedly exclaimed.
"Fawkes was the wizard who betrayed Harry's parents; that Peter Pettigrew is all lies!"
Freeze!
Just as Remus was trying to convince Ron, a repressed howl came from a tree near them. Two harsh red beams shot out from somewhere, and Remus's and Sirius's wands flew out of his hand at the same time. They curved through the air and landed precisely in the hands of the person who had slid down from the tall trunk.
Hearing that familiar voice, everyone was utterly shocked.
"You're quite sane at last, Mr. Weasley."
A face with a sinister and filled with extreme hatred eyes emerged from the darkness.
"I've had enough of your lies, werewolf!"
(Chapter ends)
