Chapter 248: No Innocent Bullies
"What method?"
Sean looked at Snape: "Professor, actually you know this method too. There's a type of potion under which anyone can only speak the most truthful words from their heart."
"Veritaserum!"
"Veritaserum!"
Hermione and Lupin said the name almost simultaneously.
At the same time, Lupin looked at Hermione with appreciation and regret: "Pity this isn't in the classroom, otherwise I'd definitely award you ten points for such a keen answer!"
"Thank you, Profess..."
Before Hermione could thank Lupin, Snape directly interrupted her: "Pity this isn't in the classroom, otherwise I'd definitely deduct fifty points from Miss Know-It-All for speaking out of turn without permission!"
One sentence silenced Hermione and successfully made her eyes red again.
Looking at Snape, Sirius began shouting loudly again: "Snivellus, if I see you bullying these children again, I'll definitely..."
Snape stepped forward again, his wand almost poking Sirius's face, causing Sirius to immediately shut his mouth.
Turning to look at Sean, Snape said again: "Veritaserum could indeed solve the problem here, but I don't have this potion on hand. Or could you go to the school now, to my office, and fetch it?"
"Of course there's no need for such trouble, Professor. Veritaserum. I've practiced making it before, so I happen to have some in stock."
As he spoke, Sean took out a small vial of Veritaserum from his Undetectable Extension Bag. Seeing Sean actually produce Veritaserum, Harry and the others immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Lupin and Sirius also showed slight smiles, but only Peter Pettigrew looked utterly devastated. He even shuffled toward the nearby window, already subconsciously looking for an escape route.
Seeing Peter Pettigrew's movement, Sean didn't hesitate and directly cast a Thorn Curse, summoning numerous thorny vines to bind Peter Pettigrew in place. At the same time, he said to Peter Pettigrew: "If you dare use Animagus transformation, I'll kill you immediately. Understand?"
Hearing Sean's words, Peter Pettigrew immediately whined: "Oh, Sean, Sean, you're so clever, you can always see through to the truth. You must know this is all something this dangerous escaped prisoner Sirius has orchestrated. He wants to trick you into using Veritaserum.
That's a potion the Ministry strictly forbids private use of. You know, once you use that potion, you'll be expelled from Hogwarts too. You might even be sentenced by the Ministry and thrown into Azkaban. There's no need to ruin your bright future for this escaped prisoner, Sirius!"
Looking at Peter Pettigrew, Sean smiled: "Thank you for your concern, Peter. It's fine. I believe everyone here will keep it secret for me." Walking before Peter, Sean held the Veritaserum in one hand and raised his wand with the other, pointing it at him: "Open your mouth, Peter. Don't make me force you."
Trembling, Peter Pettigrew looked at Sean, wanting to say something more. But when he saw Sean's eyes, for some reason he only felt terror and fear. Though he knew clearly he couldn't escape Veritaserum, whenever he looked into Sean's eyes, the panic deep in his heart involuntarily obeyed Sean's command.
Seeing Peter open his mouth, Sean poured a drop of Veritaserum into it.
At this moment, Sirius was just preparing to step forward and drink a drop of Veritaserum himself but saw Sean directly put away the potion.
"Potions are precious. If Peter is the criminal, then Black is innocent. If Peter is innocent, then Black is the criminal."
Everyone basically accepted this explanation.
But only Snape was very clear that the preciousness of potions wasn't a real reason for Sean at all. Moreover, Snape knew Sean's character well. He wasn't this kind of imprecise person. If he truly had doubts about both Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew, he would definitely use Veritaserum on both of them.
There was only one reason Sean gave Veritaserum to Peter Pettigrew alone. He had already determined that Peter Pettigrew was the culprit and Sirius Black was innocent.
So the question was: how had Sean determined this?
Snape looked at Sean but didn't voice his inner doubts.
"Harry, come here."
Hearing Sean's words, Harry walked somewhat bewildered to his side. He looked at Sean and asked: "Sean, what is it?"
"Among everyone here, you're the most qualified person to question Peter Pettigrew. You ask him."
After a moment's pause, Harry slowly nodded and looked at Peter Pettigrew. During this time, Sirius didn't really approve of letting Harry face the truth directly, but constrained by Snape's wand and Lupin shaking his head at him, Sirius still closed his mouth and quietly looked at James and Lily's son, his own godson.
Harry looked at Peter Pettigrew, who had entered a dazed state due to the potion's effects. He took a deep breath and asked: "Who betrayed my parents and sold their location to Voldemort?"
Peter Pettigrew looked at Harry, staring at him in bewilderment. He opened his mouth and answered with great difficulty: "It was, it was, it was Sirius... it was... it was me! I betrayed James and Lily, I caused their deaths, I betrayed my friends to my master!"
With these words, everything was settled.
Sean waved his wand, sending all the scattered wands back to their owners' hands.
Returning to Harry's side, Sean looked at him. At this moment, Harry's face was like the sea before a storm, as if brewing towering waves, needing only a trigger to erupt immediately.
Sean didn't say much. At this time, anything he said would be inappropriate.
So Sean just stood by Harry's side, supporting this friend.
"Harry, leave him to me. I've waited twelve years. I want to kill that beast, Peter, with my own hands!"
Just as he stepped forward, Sirius was again blocked by Snape's wand.
At this moment, Lupin immediately came to Sirius's side and said gently to Snape: "Severus, I think it can now be proven that Sirius is innocent. Don't do something irreversible because of grudges from our school days."
Hearing this, Snape's eye twitched slightly. Those school-day bullying incidents that affected his entire life were, in the perpetrator's mouth, just light "grudges from our school days"?
His hand gripping the wand tightened slightly, and a dangerous glint appeared in Snape's hollow eyes.
But just then, a rope suddenly flew over, quickly wrapping around Lupin, binding his hands, feet, and mouth together.
At this moment, Sean's voice slowly rang out.
"No one has the right to use casual words to erase the bullying another person suffered in their school days, especially you as the perpetrators!"