After Sirius Black had showered and changed into clean clothes, he looked like a different man—his whole demeanor brighter, more at ease.
Dobby had set out a hearty meal on the dining table.
No sooner had Sirius sat down, ready to press Douglas with his questions, than Douglas pulled out a photograph and handed it to him.
The photo showed five people—one opening the door, the rest gathered around a table, eating. Suddenly, one of them seemed to choke, sending a noodle shooting out of his nose, which sent the others scrambling to shield their bowls.
Sirius's face twisted with a strange mix of emotions: a third joy, a third sorrow, and the rest burning with hatred. He stroked the photo gently, whispering, "James… James…"
Watching him, Douglas felt a pang of sympathy, but said softly,
"That's Harry Potter, not James Potter..."
It was as if Sirius hadn't heard him. He jabbed a finger at Ron in the photo, anxiety flaring in his eyes.
"The Weasley boy—why is he with Harry? Do they spend a lot of time together?"
Douglas nodded.
"They're best friends. Both Gryffindors. 'A lot' doesn't even cover it—they're practically glued at the hip.
And I know what you're worried about. Peter isn't quite that foolish…"
At the mention of that name, Sirius's composure shattered. He leapt to his feet, muttering under his breath,
"I'll kill him. I'll kill that traitor…"
Douglas had to raise his voice.
"Mr. Black, calm down. In your state, how do you expect to make it to the Scottish Highlands? Eat something first, and listen to me."
But Sirius ignored him, making for the door.
With a flick of his wrist, Douglas sent the magical binding rope flying from his arm, wrapping Sirius from head to toe.
Sirius roared,
"Let me go! I need revenge! I have to avenge James!"
Douglas wasn't about to indulge him. With a wave of his wand, he secured Sirius to a chair and turned to Dobby.
"Dobby, feed him."
Then, to Sirius:
"We'll talk when you've eaten. If you drop dead halfway there, how am I supposed to explain that to Harry?"
Sirius snorted, glaring at Douglas with open contempt.
"Cheap tricks. Don't think I don't know—in Harry's eyes, I'm just a murderer, the one who betrayed James and Lily. Why would he care about me?"
Douglas tapped the table, curiosity flashing in his eyes.
"Don't you want to clear your name? Don't you want to take care of Harry as his godfather?
If you just hunt down Peter and kill him, all anyone will see is a dead rat—and you'll still be the infamous fugitive."
Sirius's voice was raw with pain.
"Clear my name? There's nothing to clear… If it weren't for me, James and Lily would still be alive. I deserve everything I've got.
I'm sure Harry's doing fine. With you—a Hogwarts professor for an uncle—he must have a good life…"
Douglas realized there was no reasoning with him right now; revenge was all Sirius could think about.
He signaled Dobby to keep feeding Sirius and continued,
"The first time I met Peter, he was already a rat—being kept as a pet by the Weasley kids.
Then, one day, I came across a mysterious alchemical map. On it, I noticed that this rat had a name: Peter Pettigrew. That caught my attention.
I'd seen that name in the Daily Prophet—supposedly killed by you while being pursued, hailed as a hero, even awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class.
Why would a dead man's name show up on a rat?
I got curious, so I tried the Animagus Reversal Spell…"
At that, Sirius's eyes snapped to Douglas.
"You found the Marauder's Map?"
Douglas smiled.
"It's a brilliant piece of alchemy. Hard to believe you lot managed to invent such a thing as students…"
Sirius stared, astonished. How did this man know he was one of the Marauder's Map's creators—and more, how to activate it? Clearly, this wasn't someone who'd been a rule-follower at school.
Douglas kept talking, explaining how he'd practiced all sorts of spells—yes, even Legilimency—on Peter, and erased his memory afterward, over and over.
Sirius, tears streaming down his face, burst out laughing, spraying food everywhere.
"Haha! Serves the damn traitor right! You should've practiced the Unforgivable Curses on him too. I bet he'd have loved it—after all, that's what his wretched master specialized in…"
Douglas eyed the mess on the table, privately relieved that at least all this food was for Sirius alone. Still, he frowned at the outburst.
Maybe, just maybe, the thought of Peter Pettigrew suffering had steadied Sirius's mind a little.
Sirius waved off Dobby's attempts to feed him more, then turned to Douglas.
"What do you want from me?"
Douglas met his gaze.
"I want you to live, and I promise—when the time comes, I'll help you clear your name."
Sirius struggled against his bonds, shouting,
"I don't need it—I don't need anything! Just let me kill him, that's all I want!"
Douglas picked at his ear, then launched into another story.
He gave Sirius a rundown of Harry's life in the Muggle world, focusing on the worst of it.
Sirius stared at him, incredulous.
"That's impossible! That's Lily's child—her own sister! How could she… I know they never liked James, but…"
Douglas seized the moment.
"That's why I want you to pull yourself together. Catch Peter Pettigrew, prove your innocence to the Ministry, and stand in the open to protect Harry—James Potter and Lily's only child."
Sirius brushed the hair from his eyes and looked at Douglas.
"But… isn't that your job?"
Douglas blinked.
"I'm just his uncle. But you're his godfather.
And you might not realize it, but Voldemort isn't dead. He could come for Harry at any moment. He's already returned to Hogwarts twice in the last two years…
Don't forget—Harry is the child that James and Lily gave their lives to protect."
Sirius fell silent for a long time before finally asking,
"So—what's your plan?"
Hearing the change in his tone, Douglas let out a breath of relief and laid out his plan in detail.
When he finished, Sirius looked him up and down.
"You're not a Slytherin, are you?"
Douglas looked offended. With a flick of his wand, he sketched a badger crest in the air, his tone indignant.
"Excuse me, I was in Hufflepuff!"
Sirius glanced at the table, then grinned.
"Yeah, that explains the feast!"
🔥 Want to read the next 20 chapters RIGHT NOW?
💎 Patreon members get instant access!
⚡ Limited-time offer currently running...
👉 [Join on - patreon.com/GoldenLong]