After finishing a sentence in a very low voice, Lupin, with his keen hearing, was astonished and widened his eyes, while Fudge seemed as if he had been burned, quickly releasing Sirius's hand.
His face turned instantly pale, staring terror-stricken at Sirius, his small eyes flickering uncertainly, as if through him, he saw some horrible shadow.
Beside him, the dark-skinned bald wizard looked at Sirius with a solemn expression, seemingly trying to peer through his flesh to see the soul within.
Sirius smiled calmly and extended his hand again: "Minister, you can take me away now."
Fudge shuffled backward two steps, as if those hands were a pair of venomous snakes. He stammered and said:
"Ah... you... this... arrest... I think... I think there's still something unclear here, we can't blindly arrest an innocent person..."
Lupin, who had been staring at Sirius in shock, shifted his attention upon hearing this, nearly laughing at Fudge's evasive words.
——before, when they were pulling, Fudge did not say this!
He swore up and down, almost declaring that Sirius planned everything, was a deeply hidden Dark Wizard, and not arresting him was a disservice to the Magic World and the deceased James and Lily.
Lupin almost felt morally blackmailed by him.
But now, Fudge just left a stuttering remark and quickly left with a group of Aurors.
Only then did Lupin have the time to think about what he had heard.
He frowned and looked at his friend, saying in confusion: "Sirius, what you just said..."
"You'll have to ask Harry about that."
The aura Sirius was pretending to have suddenly vanished, and he gestured to the teenager poking his head out from behind the door.
"Vid taught me!"
Harry blinked innocently: "I didn't know it would work so well either."
"Indeed, indeed, Fudge practically ran away! Too cowardly! I don't know how he became Minister!"
Sirius was somewhat pleased, then gloomily said: "If I really knew where that rat was, I wouldn't need them to say, I'd grind that guy into dust myself!"
Lupin had already grown accustomed to Sirius's recent unpredictable moods — ever since the news of Peter Pettigrew's escape came, Sirius had been going out early and returning late every day, trying to catch that traitor.
As time went on, there was not a peep about those three, especially Peter Pettigrew, everyone suspected that the person must have learned from before, turning into a rat and hiding in Muggle Society.
The world is so big, trying to find a mere rat is almost impossible.
As a result, with each passing day of busyness, Sirius's temper became more volatile.
The last time, it was only at Harry's request that he was willing to take the time to accompany the two kids for a visit to Diagon Alley.
Nominally, it was to buy things for the kids; in reality, everyone wanted Sirius to relax a bit.
At this point, after hearing Harry's explanation, Lupin was not reassured; instead, his brow furrowed even more tightly.
"Vid? How did he come up with this idea? Forget it, I'll ask him myself."
"But..." Harry said: "If Fudge is scared off, Sirius had better Apparate away immediately — Vid also said so."
"Leave?" Lupin was puzzled, then understood: "A fake is ultimately a fake, it won't deceive them for long. Sirius, you should go to Hogwarts first..."
"No, I'm not going to Hogwarts." Sirius shook his head: "I have somewhere else I need to be."
"Where?" Harry pressed.
Sirius ruffled his hair and said: "I recently found out that a relative of that jailbreak companion Gall is in Glasgow, Scotland, I want to check it out."
Lupin nodded: "Be careful on the way."
He didn't suggest going together, because someone had to keep an eye on Harry.
No matter how slim the chance, there had to be precautions against Peter making a move on Harry.
...
Fudge's mind reverberated with Black's voice, his steps hastened, and even his fingers trembled unconsciously.
His brain was in chaos, he couldn't achieve the calmness required for Apparition, so he could only walk as fast as possible, as if this could leave worries and fears behind.
And... that spine-chilling line.
"We do not fear being misunderstood, for the greater good, sacrifice is glory, my honor is called loyalty."
At first glance, Black seemed to be making an absurd argument, but every word of his triggered the deepest fears in Fudge's heart.
As if it were decades ago, when the entire world was shrouded in a black shadow, with a black-robed wizard army chanting slogans, fervent and efficient, cruel yet restrained.
At that time, Fudge was a nobody, as fragile as a piece of paper that could easily be torn apart in front of Gellert's Witch Pure Party.
He once left the United Kingdom with enthusiasm, to a country where the Witch Pure Party ran rampant, hoping to help those who were harmed.
But in less than three months, Fudge fled back to the United Kingdom like a startled bird, leaving a deep shadow in his heart from those days.
After Grindelwald was imprisoned in Nimongard, Fudge thought the Witch Pure Party was completely finished, but unexpectedly, today, the memories of death were awakened again.
"What's going on? Is the Witch Pure Party about to make a comeback? Did Grindelwald escape from Nimongard? Why haven't I received any news? Is the Austrian Ministry of Magic hiding the truth?"
Fudge mumbled to himself, thinking of the sights of the Witch Pure Party rampaging across his lands, just felt his scalp tingle.
Voldemort's Death Eaters were already terrifying, if the even more frightening Witch Pure Party were resurrected...
Perhaps it's best if Dumbledore becomes Minister of the Ministry of Magic... only he can stop those guys from running rampant...
"Minister."
"Minister Fudge!"
Immersed in fantasies, Fudge had already begun pondering which country would be the safest to flee to after stepping down, suddenly awakened by the voice behind him.
Originally somewhat irritated, but seeing it was his capable subordinate, Fudge patiently asked:
"What is it, Kingsley?"
The dark-skinned bald Kingsley Shacklebolt said: "Minister, I believe Sirius Black is not the kind of person you think he is."
Fudge frowned: "Did you hear what he said? Do you know what those words represent?"
"Heard a little."
Kingsley calmly said: "But Minister, the subordinates who followed that person back then are all old now, if they secretly trained the next generation, allowing the Witch Pure Party to continue and regain power, would it make Black expose himself over such a small matter?"
Fudge was stunned, his stout face showing a confused and straightforward expression.