The bound man hovered in the air, his body held firm by thick, enchanted ropes that glowed faintly in the day light. He twisted slightly with the motion of Dumbledore's wand, but there was no struggle, only the shallow rise and fall of his chest, the quiet rasp of his breath.
Nero's silver-blue eyes narrowed as he took in the sight before him. The man was disheveled, his once-thinning hair now patchy and unkempt, streaked with gray despite his relatively young age. His face was gaunt, skin stretched thin over sharp cheekbones, and his small, watery eyes darted frantically beneath swollen lids, even in his unconscious state.
His tattered robes clung to his frail frame, dirt-streaked and ragged, the last remnants of a man who had once run free under the moonlight with those who had called him a brother.
Now, he was little more than a ghost of the past.
Shriveled, pathetic, a man who had drowned himself in cowardice
Nero exhaled sharply, the pieces clicking together in his mind.
Peter Pettigrew.
His lips curled into something that wasn't quite amusement. "So you went to the Weasleys."
Dumbledore inclined his head slightly, his expression as composed as ever. "Indeed."
He flicked his wand once, and Pettigrew's floating body settled gently onto the ground, still wrapped tightly in magical bindings.
"You now understand why I did not bring you with me," Dumbledore continued. "Your presence would have been... difficult to justify."
Nero scoffed, crossing his arms. "You mean it would've raised too many questions if an upcoming fourth-year just happened to be involved in the exposure of a supposedly dead man hiding as a pet rat."
Dumbledore's lips twitched slightly. "Yes. Especially the Ravenclaw Heir. We don't want unnecessary questions on how this discovery came about."
Nero let out a slow breath, his gaze lingering on Pettigrew's unconscious form.
The pathetic excuse for a wizard had spent the past four years hiding in the shadows, living in filth, all while Sirius Black rotted in Azkaban for his crimes.
"What comes next?" Nero finally asked.
Dumbledore stepped forward, folding his hands behind his back. "We must move carefully. Pettigrew is the key to exonerating Sirius, but exposing him prematurely would risk interference from those who prefer the current narrative."
Nero nodded slowly. The truth alone wasn't enough. Public perception was everything.
"Will you take him to the Ministry?" he guessed.
Dumbledore shook his head. "Not yet. Not directly."
The older wizard's expression darkened slightly, his sharp blue eyes holding something weighty.
"The Ministry is not as impartial as we would hope. Many within its ranks benefited from Tom's disappearance, and some still protect the remnants of his regime, whether out of fear, ambition, or misplaced loyalty. Simply presenting the truth will not suffice. We must ensure it cannot be denied."
Nero exhaled sharply. "Then how do you plan to do that?"
Dumbledore turned toward him, his expression thoughtful. "By ensuring that public opinion favors justice before the Ministry is forced to act."
A flicker of intrigue crossed Nero's face. "You mean… shaping the narrative to our advantage?"
Dumbledore smiled faintly. "Something like that." He gestured for Nero to follow him back toward the house. As they walked, his tone became more measured, thoughtful.
"Millicent Bagnold is the current Minister for Magic," he began. "She is an individual of contradictions. Charismatic, well-liked by the public, but largely ineffective when it comes to true governance. She enjoys popularity and stability, and she avoids conflict where she can. It was under her leadership that the celebrations following Tom's fall were openly condoned, despite the breaches of the International Statute of Secrecy. She once famously defended the chaos by stating, 'I assert our inalienable right to party.'"
Nero raised a brow, unimpressed. "Not exactly the words of a wartime leader."
"Indeed." Dumbledore's expression grew more serious. "She is neither a fool nor a tyrant, but her greatest flaw is complacency. She did not actively resist Tom when he rose to power, nor did she take meaningful steps to cleanse the Ministry of its corruption once he fell. Instead, she allowed the wizarding world to return to its state of fragile normalcy, sweeping the war's deeper wounds under the rug."
Nero absorbed this carefully. "So she governs by following the crowd. Not leading it."
Dumbledore sighed. "Indeed, she governs through public sentiment rather than true leadership. If the people demand something strongly enough, she will oblige. But she will never be the one to spark change herself."
Nero smirked. "Then we make the public demand justice before she has a choice."
Dumbledore smiled, his gaze approving. "Precisely."
He continued, "I have already made preparations. Various journalists across the wizarding world have been approached. Some well-known, others independent. Articles will be released in the coming days, all neutral in their stance but questioning the state of justice in post-war Britain. Some will highlight the inefficiency of past Ministry actions, others will subtly hint at undiscovered truths. The goal is to stir doubt, to make the public ask the right questions before we offer the answers."
Nero's smirk widened. "You're playing a long game."
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "It is a game I've played for many years, my dear boy… but this time, I intend to play it differently."
Nero chuckled. "And how do you think Bagnold will respond?"
Dumbledore's expression turned knowing. "That depends entirely on how things unfold. If she senses the tide shifting, she will adapt. She may present herself as the one championing justice, taking credit for a movement that was never hers to begin with. If, however, she attempts to suppress the truth, then…"
He spread his hands lightly. "Well, let us just say I have contingencies in place."
Nero let out a low hum, absorbing it all. "And in the meantime?"
Dumbledore's smile faded slightly, replaced with something colder. "We must move forward with our priority. Freeing Sirius."
The weight of those words settled between them. Pettigrew was proof, but proof meant nothing if Sirius remained shackled in Azkaban. First, they had to secure him, and save him from the dementors' torment.
Nero's gaze narrowed. "Seeing how you've been moving lately… am I correct in assuming you don't plan on waiting for a trial?"
Dumbledore's expression didn't shift.
"Correct. By the time the Ministry acts, it may already be too late. And who knows how many variables our inaction, or action, might trigger in the meantime."
He let out a quiet chuckle, the sound tinged with something deeper, acceptance, perhaps.
"In that case, I'd rather choose action over guilt."
A pause.
"Live a life with no regrets, that's what you said, isn't it?"
Nero's eyes softened slightly. He nodded, a smile blooming on his face.
"No regrets."
Then, with quiet resolve, he added: "Then it's time we paid a visit to Azkaban."
Dumbledore gave a single nod.
"Yes. Let us begin."
With a swirl of magic, the air around them warped.
And in the next moment, they were gone.
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