Professor Lupin told Harry some stories from when he was at school, all trivial things, but Harry was completely fascinated.
When Professor Lupin started talking about graduating seventh year, he looked at Sirius Black, because after graduation he had been helping Dumbledore make contact with other werewolves and didn't know what was happening on this side.
By the time he got the news, James and Lily were both dead, Voldemort had fallen, and it was as if overnight, the once huge and terrifying Death Eater group had completely collapsed.
Even the werewolves he had been contacting disappeared, slinking back into the shadows after losing many members—they were nowhere to be found anymore.
And by the time he finished speaking, Black had already fallen from the air.
"Everything began because of a prophecy..."
He sat on a battered chair, and under everyone's gaze, slowly revealed the truth of that year.
Professor Trelawney had made a prophecy about the Savior, saying that the child who would defeat Voldemort had been born. There were two children born that year, but Dumbledore ultimately chose Harry.
But somehow, the Death Eaters got hold of this information too.
"It must have been Peter who leaked it..." Black said through gritted teeth. "Dumbledore told James not to let anyone else know about this, but he told us anyway..."
"And then?" Harry asked anxiously.
"James and Lily took you and kept running, hiding from the Death Eaters," Black said, getting lost in memory. "After that, they decided to take Dumbledore's advice and use an ancient magic to protect you as you grew up.
The Fidelius Charm.
It's a miraculous kind of magic—it can hide a secret inside a person's heart, like the address of a house.
As long as the Secret-Keeper didn't deliberately reveal James and Lily's location, even if Voldemort pressed his nose against the window, he wouldn't find them."
Harry had pretty much figured out what Black was getting at by now.
"So, Peter was the Secret-Keeper, right?"
"It's all my fault!"
Black suddenly started pounding his own head, his voice hoarse, "I was supposed to be the Secret-Keeper, but at the last minute I convinced Lily and James to use Peter instead... I thought it was a brilliant idea... a double-bluff—Voldemort would come looking for me, and would never think they'd use someone as weak and useless as Peter...
I brought ruin to Lily and James..."
The more Black spoke, the more agitated he became. And every time he ground his teeth in hatred, he thought about Peter's current situation and would burst out laughing hysterically again.
But even when he was laughing, Harry couldn't hear a trace of joy.
After Black regained his composure, he continued, in a halting and broken voice, to answer the others' questions about what happened later.
How he saw Scabbers' photo in the newspaper, recognized him as Peter, and how he used Animagus magic to escape Azkaban and come to Hogwarts.
"So that dog was you!" Harry pointed at him and said.
"That's right, it was me." Black grinned, "I wanted to see you, so I went to Privet Drive, but I'm sorry, I think I scared you at the time."
Harry didn't know what to say... Black hadn't just scared him once—because of that big black dog, he'd been on edge for months now.
"Sorry, Sirius." Lupin walked over and hugged him.
"Long time no see, Remus." Black hugged him back, "You really ought to give me a good beating."
"I was thinking the same." Lupin nodded, and without warning, punched Black square in the face. "You should have told me all of this earlier."
Black went flying and crashed to the ground, but he just started laughing again.
Professor Lupin walked over, grabbed his hand, pulled him up, and the two of them hugged again.
"Forgive me, Remus..." Black said.
"Don't mention it, Padfoot, old chap." Lupin replied, "But you also have to forgive me for thinking you were the traitor, all right?"
"Of course." A faint smile flickered across Black's gaunt face.
"I'm really sorry..."
Though he didn't want to interrupt their brotherly moment, it was late, and Kael wasn't planning to spend the whole night in this place.
He walked over and handed the cage with Scabbers inside to Black.
"Now he's yours... but as compensation, you'll have to buy Ron a new pet. How about an owl?"
"Of course, that's only right."
Ron, who'd looked miserable a second ago, immediately brightened up when he heard that.
You could've said so sooner...
If he'd known Scabbers could be swapped for an owl, there would've been no need to go to all this trouble, right?
Black, holding the cage, looked absolutely savage, as if he were about to eat Scabbers, then looked at Kael. Just as he was about to say thanks, he suddenly seemed to remember something...
"I think I've seen you before," Black said. "Remember, in Hogsmeade, you gave me a pack of jerky? That was the most delicious thing I've eaten in years."
"Oh, that time," Kael pretended to suddenly remember. "You deserved it—your flaming hoop performance was spectacular..."
There was another brief silence.
"Flaming hoop?" Professor Lupin gave Black a very odd look. "You can do that?"
"Uh..." Black's eyes darted away, but quickly he composed himself and stared right back.
Well, he was a dog at the time—so what if he jumped through hoops? He was just trying to fill his belly, nothing to be ashamed of.
"Ha..." Professor Lupin let out a low laugh, echoing clearly in the tight little room.
It was like a fuse had been lit.
Ron and Hermione both turned away, their shoulders shaking.
"Pfft..."
Even Harry, who had been lost in the truth of everything, couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Maybe thinking it was inappropriate, he quickly clapped a hand over his mouth and changed the subject: "So, what are you going to do with Scab—Peter?"
"Kill him, of course!" Black glared at the unconscious Rat in the cage. "But this is fine too—let him be a Rat forever!"
"He really can't change back?" Harry asked quietly. "I mean... someone like him isn't worth letting you become a murderer.
And Peter is the real traitor! If anyone belongs in Azkaban, it's him—not you..."
Black's eyes were bloodshot, and he was panting heavily.
If he could, of course he wanted to get rid of those Dementors for good. Only then could he openly take care of Harry.
But the problem was, Black didn't know if Peter could ever turn back...
In tacit understanding, everyone turned to look at Kael.
"Actually, yes, it's possible," Kael said. "When wizards discovered that Animagus who couldn't return to human form, they started researching a related Magic Potion.
"Remember in second year, when those people got Petrified by the Basilisk?"
Everyone nodded. That time Hogwarts nearly got closed down—they remembered well.
"The Resurrection Potion that was used to cure their Petrification was invented then, and it's also the only way to get him back to normal."
"But..."
He looked at the surprised faces and continued, "Before making any decisions, I think you'd better go see Professor Dumbledore.
After all, right now everyone thinks you're a traitor and Peter is a hero. No one will believe a traitor's word... you don't even have a chance to defend yourself—the Dementors won't listen to explanations.
Unless you can convince Professor Dumbledore to help you."
"You're right," Black had calmed down as well, "I'll go tomorrow."
"No need, you can go right now," Kael said. "He's a light sleeper, just knock a few more times and you'll wake him up."