When the final sentence was announced, the last glimmer of hope vanished from Peter Pettigrew's eyes.
His entire body went limp, collapsing against the chair like a boneless sack of flesh.
Wherever it drifted...
A thin layer of frost spread through the air.
Soon afterward, under the Aurors' arrangements, a Dementor floated silently into the courtroom, gliding directly toward Peter Pettigrew.
Unable to bear the sight, many members of the Wizengamot stood and quietly left the chamber.
Even Dumbledore departed.
Only a handful remained behind, together with the Ministry officials.
Sirius Black was among them.
They would witness the execution.
But for Peter...
Resistance was already meaningless.
At first, he made one final desperate struggle.
He twisted violently in the chair, screaming hysterically.
Lewis's Duplication Charm had recreated the chair perfectly.
The enchanted chains held Peter firmly in place.
There was no escaping them.
As the Dementor drew closer...
Peter gradually froze.
His eyes stared blankly at the creature's hood.
He no longer moved.
Without hesitation, the Dementor floated before him.
It slowly raised its hood.
A dark, empty void appeared beneath it.
Then...
It lowered its face toward Peter...
And opened its mouth.
By this point, the chains restraining Sirius had already disappeared.
He was free.
As the Dementor devoured Peter Pettigrew's soul...
Along with every fragment of happiness that remained from his wretched life...
Sirius suddenly covered his face.
He dropped to his knees.
And broke into uncontrollable sobs.
At that moment...
It felt as though thirteen years of grievance...
Hatred...
Despair...
All poured out together with his tears.
The wizards present couldn't help but be moved.
Even the discomfort of watching Peter's execution seemed lighter.
The ragged man kneeling before them...
Had once been a proud young wizard at the height of his life.
Yet because he had trusted the wrong friend...
His closest companions had died.
He himself had spent thirteen years imprisoned in endless darkness.
In a corner unnoticed by everyone else...
Snape silently concealed himself within the shadows.
Beneath his long sleeves...
He quietly wiped at his eyes.
After a long while...
Lewis walked over to Sirius Black.
He bent down...
And gently patted him on the shoulder.
Sirius raised his tear-streaked face.
His eyes met Lewis's calm gaze.
Neither of them spoke.
Yet overwhelming emotions surged within Sirius.
Gratitude.
Respect.
Relief.
The seed Lewis had planted...
Had finally begun to sprout.
"Come on."
"Get up."
"Dumbledore is waiting for you outside."
Lewis said softly.
Sirius opened his mouth to say something.
Lewis interrupted him.
"There's no rush."
"Your collection isn't going anywhere."
"We can discuss your payment later."
"I understand."
Sirius nodded.
Then, as if remembering something, he looked at Lewis with concern.
"You shouldn't have watched that."
"You're still too young to witness an execution like this."
Although Lewis was extraordinarily powerful...
To Sirius, he was still just a teenage wizard.
He shouldn't have had to witness something so cruel.
Lewis smiled faintly.
"Thank you for worrying about me."
"But you don't need to."
"I've had my own understanding of death for a long time."
"The Thestral-drawn carriages at Hogwarts are proof enough."
Then he looked at Sirius carefully.
"You're the one I'm worried about."
"I don't think you've really let go."
Sirius sighed deeply.
"Let go..."
"How could thirteen years of suffering be forgotten so easily?"
"Death may be punishment..."
"But it can never erase the pain left in the living."
After saying those words...
Even Sirius found himself surprised.
He had actually opened his heart to a child.
Perhaps it was Lewis's calm demeanor.
His overwhelming strength.
Or perhaps...
It was because Lewis truly had helped him.
He had captured Peter.
Cleared his name.
Whether it was Auror Captain Tonks...
Or Deputy Director Gianna Proudmoore...
Sirius had seen with his own eyes how much influence Lewis held over them.
Everything they had done for him...
Had happened because of Lewis.
Although Lewis still couldn't compare to Dumbledore in Sirius's heart...
He had already become someone Sirius considered utterly dependable.
Lewis looked at the lingering pain in Sirius's eyes and answered seriously,
"You're right."
"Justice that arrives too late can never truly heal a wounded heart."
"But..."
"In my opinion..."
"Peter Pettigrew had already been paying for his sins."
"For thirteen years..."
"He lived only as a rat."
"Hiding inside wizarding families."
"Living every day in fear."
"Never daring to reveal himself."
"That wasn't an easy existence."
"The suffering and torment he endured during those years..."
"...were already part of his punishment."
Sirius quietly absorbed those words.
The resentment and hatred weighing on his heart seemed to lessen ever so slightly.
"Enough about that."
Lewis smiled encouragingly.
"The most important thing for you now is to take a bath."
"Put on some clean clothes."
"Eat a proper meal."
"And start your new life."
He helped Sirius to his feet.
"Your friend Lupin..."
"And your godson Harry..."
"They're both waiting for you at Hogwarts."
Sirius nodded firmly.
He accepted Lewis's advice.
Lewis watched him leave the courtroom...
Where Dumbledore was already waiting to receive him.
Just then...
Gianna walked over.
"Come on, little brother."
"Let's get out of here."
As Deputy Director of Magical Law Enforcement...
The Princess of Kul Tiras had never liked this gloomy courtroom.
But Lewis remained where he was.
His gaze drifted toward the audience seats.
Near the back...
A witch was still sitting there, busily scribbling notes without showing any sign of leaving.
Her blonde hair was styled into stiff, elaborate curls.
She wore magenta robes.
A jeweled pair of glasses rested on her nose.
Beside her, a Self-Writing Quill flew rapidly across a roll of parchment.
It was none other than...
Rita Skeeter.
The chief reporter of the Daily Prophet, whom Lewis had worked with before.
Following Lewis's gaze...
Gianna immediately spotted her.
"Big Sis Gianna."
"That's Rita."
"If you ever need media coverage or publicity..."
"You can talk to her."
Lewis reminded her quietly.
Gianna nodded knowingly.
Then walked directly toward Rita.
The moment Rita saw her...
She was briefly startled.
Then...
Her face blossomed into an enthusiastic smile.
Lewis wasn't worried in the slightest that Rita would write something unfavorable.
She understood the rules of survival.
She never casually offended those in power.
Especially now.
Gianna had just overturned Sirius Black's conviction...
And severely weakened Bartemius Crouch's political influence.
She had become one of the Ministry's newest power figures.
A mere reporter could only benefit from staying on her good side.
Lewis paid no further attention to their conversation.
Leaving the Ministry, he cast Teleport and returned directly to the entrance of Hogwarts.
He walked calmly toward the castle.
Just as he was about to enter...
Someone called his name.
Turning around...
He found Professor McGonagall hurrying toward him.
Her expression was unusually grave.
Anxiety was written all over her face.
Behind her stood Professor Lupin...
Harry...
Hermione...
And—
Luna?
What was Luna doing here?
Why were they all gathered together?
Lewis walked over.
McGonagall immediately seized the opportunity to question him.
"Mr. Green."
"You've finally returned after disappearing for an entire day."
"Although the Ministry informed us that you had official business..."
"I still want to know."
"What exactly were you doing?"
"I was at the Ministry."
"Helping with an investigation."
Lewis answered simply.
"I see."
McGonagall nodded.
"The very night you left..."
"Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy both disappeared."
"Do you happen to know where they are?"
"I don't."
Lewis struggled to suppress a smile.
"Ron and Malfoy disappeared too?"
"Yes."
Professor Lupin nodded heavily.
"We've been searching for them."
"Since they vanished around the same time you did..."
"We initially suspected the incidents might be connected."
"I came along to help look for you."
Luna added matter-of-factly.
Lewis naturally had no intention of exposing himself.
Instead, he redirected the matter.
"Have you asked Professor Snape?"
"He went to the Ministry with me."
"Maybe he saw them before we left."
Unfortunately...
That attempt to shift the blame failed.
"We already contacted Professor Snape."
McGonagall explained.
"The Ministry informed us of his involvement as well."
"We've already sent owls."
"But strangely enough..."
"None of them have returned yet."
Of course they hadn't.
At that very moment...
In Godric's Hollow...
Severus Snape stood motionless before a white marble gravestone.
The inscription shimmered faintly beneath the cold night sky.
He didn't need to kneel.
He didn't even need to stand particularly close.
The words were perfectly clear.
James Potter
Born March 27, 1960
Died October 31, 1981
Lily Potter
Born January 30, 1960
Died October 31, 1981
"The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."
Peter Pettigrew was dead.
His revenge...
Had finally been fulfilled.
So what?
Lily's body still lay beneath cold stone and frozen earth.
Long since reduced to nothing more than bones and dust.
She neither knew...
Nor cared...
That someone who had loved her stood only a few steps away.
Tears streamed freely down Snape's face.
They were scorching hot.
Only to freeze almost instantly in the winter air.
There was no point wiping them away.
No point hiding them.
He simply let them fall.
His lips pressed tightly together.
His eyes fixed upon the thick layer of earth covering Lily's remains.
Then...
Upon the name carved into the stone.
After a long silence...
Snape slowly raised his wand.
He traced a circle through the air.
A wreath of beautiful roses bloomed into existence.
He gently picked it up...
And laid it beneath Lily Potter's name.
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