Hidden by his overwhelming desire for revenge, Snape silently immobilized Ron and Malfoy with magic.
Then...
Like a bat gliding through the darkness...
He silently advanced toward Lewis and Sirius.
Meanwhile...
The conversation between Lewis and Sirius continued.
"Fine..."
"I'll believe you weren't planning to break our agreement..."
Sirius had finally calmed down somewhat while still bound by the vines, though resentment remained obvious in his voice.
"But then why won't you hand him over to me?"
"Hand him over?"
Lewis sneered.
"If I gave Peter to you..."
"What would you do?"
"What else?"
"I'd tear him apart with my own hands!"
Sirius roared.
"Because of him, James and Lily died!"
"I spent over a decade rotting in Azkaban for a crime I didn't commit!"
"This is the revenge I deserve!"
"You think you're innocent?"
Lewis found that statement deeply ironic.
In his eyes...
Sirius certainly hadn't betrayed James and Lily.
But that didn't mean he bore no responsibility.
As a Gryffindor...
Sirius possessed courage and a strong sense of justice.
Otherwise...
He never would have stood against Voldemort.
But at the same time...
He perfectly embodied Gryffindor's worst flaws.
Recklessness.
Arrogance.
Overconfidence.
In that regard...
He was remarkably similar to Harry and Ron as they were now.
It had been Sirius's own foolish confidence...
And his misplaced trust...
That had ultimately caused the tragedy.
Even now...
Standing before Lewis...
He was making exactly the same mistake.
"You know..."
Lewis said coldly.
"Professor Snape was actually right about some things."
"You lot really are arrogant, conceited, and impulsive..."
The moment Snape's name was mentioned...
Sirius exploded.
"You actually believe Snape?"
"He was our enemy from the very beginning!"
"Of course he'd say things like that!"
Lewis's reply was merciless.
"If you think he's wrong..."
"Then let's go through everything properly."
"It all began with your own cleverness."
"If you hadn't insisted on changing the Potters' Secret Keeper at the last minute..."
"Would Peter Pettigrew ever have had the chance to betray them?"
"If you had remained the Secret Keeper..."
"James Potter..."
"And Lily Potter..."
"Would never have been found so easily."
Lewis deliberately used James and Lily's names instead of simply saying the Potters.
Not far away...
Snape had originally been preparing to rush forward and knock both men unconscious.
But upon hearing Lewis mention him...
He froze.
He didn't remember ever discussing such personal matters with Lewis.
Yet...
Hearing Lewis's words...
He couldn't help feeling a surge of satisfaction.
That feeling lasted...
Right up until Lewis spoke Lily's name.
Of course...
Snape wasn't the only one shaken.
As Lewis's primary target...
Sirius's initial anger gradually transformed into overwhelming regret.
Truthfully...
During his years in Azkaban...
He had asked himself these questions countless times.
What if I had remained Secret Keeper?
What if I hadn't tried to outsmart Voldemort?
What if I had trusted Lupin completely...
Instead of placing my faith in Peter Pettigrew?
Looking back...
There had been plenty of warning signs.
Peter had displayed suspicious behavior long before the betrayal.
But nobody paid attention.
Simply because he was insignificant.
James and Sirius had always treated him as little more than an extra member of the group.
Someone who simply followed along.
If everything had happened differently...
Would James and Lily still be alive?
Would Harry have avoided growing up in someone else's home?
But Lewis wasn't finished.
"You got your friends killed through your own arrogance."
"That tragedy already happened."
"It can't be changed."
"But afterward..."
"Why did you continue making mistakes?"
"If you always had the ability to escape Azkaban..."
"Why didn't you escape sooner?"
"Did you honestly think locking yourself away counted as repentance?"
"Have you mistaken who you were supposed to atone to?"
Lewis's accusation struck like a knife.
"The people you owed an apology to..."
"Were actual living victims."
"Not your own guilty conscience."
"If you hadn't stayed imprisoned..."
"Harry would've had a completely different childhood."
Lewis recalled things he had personally witnessed growing up.
"Do you know how Harry lived?"
"Eating leftovers every day."
"Wearing hand-me-down clothes."
"Being scolded."
"Ignored."
"Humiliated."
"Do you have any idea what that feels like?"
"And despite all that..."
"He still had to be grateful to the Dursleys."
"Because they took him in."
"They protected him from Voldemort's followers."
"Throughout all those years..."
"Neither Dumbledore nor anyone else made the slightest effort to improve Harry's life."
"You..."
"As Harry's godfather..."
"Could've escaped."
"Secretly watched over your godson."
"Protected him."
"While searching for evidence to clear your own name."
"Instead..."
"You wasted the best years of your life in Azkaban."
"You tortured yourself."
"And allowed Harry to suffer."
"Don't you feel even the slightest bit responsible?"
Lewis genuinely pitied Harry's childhood.
But more importantly...
Every one of these words was intended to shatter Sirius's pride.
As he spoke...
Lewis secretly infused every sentence with Suggestion.
Enhanced by psionic power...
His words became invisible blades that pierced directly into Sirius's heart.
Sure enough...
As Lewis continued speaking...
Sirius's face became increasingly pale.
His throat moved repeatedly.
Yet...
He couldn't utter a complete sentence.
Finally...
Lewis sighed.
"Forget the past."
"No matter how much we discuss it..."
"We can't change what already happened."
"So let's talk about the present."
He returned to the original topic.
"If you kill Peter now..."
"Yes."
"You'll feel satisfied."
"You'll have your revenge."
"But what happens afterward?"
"Who proves your innocence?"
"You'll still be a convicted murderer."
"Your so-called redemption will remain a joke."
"And Harry..."
"He'll lose the last person in the world who genuinely cares about him."
Lewis left one final sentence unsaid.
And under those circumstances...
You'll never reclaim Grimmauld Place...
Nor pay me what you owe.
There was no need.
Everything he'd already said...
Combined with the subtle influence of psionic suggestion...
Was more than enough to make Sirius question everything.
Sure enough...
Sirius now looked utterly lost.
The convictions he had clung to for years...
Were crumbling beneath Lewis's relentless assault.
As those beliefs collapsed...
The void they left behind was quietly filled by Lewis's influence.
A seed of doubt toward Dumbledore...
A seed of trust toward Lewis...
Had now been planted.
It would simply wait for the proper time to take root.
Lewis finally released the vines.
"So?"
He asked calmly.
"Do you still want to kill Peter?"
"...No..."
Sirius answered weakly.
"You're right..."
"I've made far..."
"Far too many mistakes..."
"I should listen to you."
"Peter..."
"You can keep him for now."
Lewis nodded with satisfaction.
"In that case..."
"Sirius."
"Peter alone won't be enough to clear your name."
"I'll also need part of your memory as supporting evidence."
"So..."
"I need you to cooperate."
"Open your mind."
"And remember everything that happened back then."
Now completely trusting Lewis...
Sirius offered no resistance.
Lewis immediately cast Mind Probe.
Compared to Legilimency...
Mind Probe, enhanced by psionic power, could delve much deeper into a person's memories.
It allowed Lewis to precisely locate whatever memories he sought.
Naturally...
He wasn't merely extracting the memories proving Sirius's innocence.
Opportunities to openly interfere with another person's consciousness were exceedingly rare.
While retrieving Sirius's memories...
Lewis quietly reinforced every subconscious suggestion he had already planted.
If everything went according to plan...
Sirius Black would become Lewis's hidden asset inside the Order of the Phoenix.
A source of information on Dumbledore whenever necessary.
Although the Order largely consisted of good people...
Lewis had already realized that he and Dumbledore fundamentally disagreed on many important issues.
Because of that...
He no longer intended to rely solely on Dumbledore's goodwill.
It was far wiser to prepare in advance.
Should conflict ever arise...
He intended to hold the initiative.
Once everything was finished...
Lewis drew several shimmering silver strands of memory from Sirius's mind.
He carefully sealed them inside a prepared crystal vial.
At that moment...
Watching from the shadows...
Snape—who believed himself to be the mantis stalking the cicada while unaware of the oriole behind him—
Finally made his move.
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