"What do you know about Sirius Black?"
The moment I asked the question, I knew something was wrong.
Ted didn't move. He didn't reach for a wand. He didn't even change his posture. Yet the atmosphere inside the room shifted so abruptly that it felt as though someone had cast a powerful spell.
The warmth that had been present in his eyes throughout our conversation disappeared entirely. The friendly lawyer who had been discussing property disputes and family matters only moments ago seemed to vanish, replaced by someone else entirely.
For the first time since arriving in this world, I understood what people meant when they spoke of killing intent.
Back on Earth, I had always considered it a dramatic exaggeration. A phrase used in novels and movies to make dangerous characters seem more intimidating. Sitting across from Ted Tonks, I realized how naive that assumption had been.
Nothing visible happened.
And yet every instinct in my body screamed at me that the man sitting across the desk was dangerous.
Not politically dangerous.
Not socially dangerous.
Dangerous in the most primal sense possible.
The air felt heavier. My breathing became difficult. A cold pressure settled over my shoulders and chest as though an invisible hand had wrapped itself around my throat. Whether it was accidental magic, years of experience from surviving a war, or simply my body's instinctive reaction to a genuine threat, I couldn't tell.
What shocked me more than Ted's reaction was my own.
I froze.
Completely.
The realization struck harder than the pressure itself.
Ever since my reincarnation, I had spent years preparing for the future. I trained my magic. I built connections. I gathered resources. I constantly reminded myself that this world was dangerous and that one day I might have to fight, kill, or make difficult decisions to protect the people around me.
Yet all of those thoughts suddenly felt hollow.
This wasn't a duel in a classroom.
This wasn't a political disagreement with a professor.
This wasn't a noble family attempting to pressure me during a social gathering.
For the first time, I was sitting across from someone who had lived through a war, someone who had undoubtedly seen death firsthand, and the mere glimpse of what lay beneath his usual friendly demeanor was enough to lock my body in place.
I wasn't prepared.
Not even close.
The pressure lasted only a few seconds.
Then Ted blinked.
The coldness disappeared from his eyes.
The oppressive feeling vanished so quickly that it almost felt unreal. Air flowed freely into my lungs once more, and the room seemed to return to normal.
For a few moments neither of us spoke.
I focused on steadying my breathing and regaining control of my thoughts.
Unfortunately, Ted noticed.
Concern immediately appeared on his face.
"Alastair."
His voice had returned to normal.
The contrast was unsettling.
"Are you alright?"
Before I could answer, he reached for a nearby pitcher and poured a glass of water. He slid it across the desk toward me.
"Here. Drink this."
I accepted it without argument.
The cool water helped settle my nerves, though not nearly enough to erase what I had just experienced.
Ted waited patiently until I finished before speaking again.
"I'm sorry."
The apology caught me off guard.
For several seconds he remained silent, as though choosing his words carefully.
"My reaction was instinctive."
His gaze drifted briefly toward the window before returning to me.
When he spoke again, there was a weariness in his voice that hadn't been present before.
"Deatheaters are a sore subject in the family."
"Death Eaters are a sore subject in the family."
I nodded slowly.
"I understand, Uncle Ted. I hate those roaches as well. They're the reason I lost my family."
The words escaped before I could stop them.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Ted's expression softened slightly.
"I'm sorry for bringing it up."
I shook my head.
"Don't be. The reason I asked about Sirius isn't because of the war itself. I started looking into him while researching Blake's remaining relatives."
That seemed to confuse him.
His brow furrowed slightly.
"Looking into him for what reason?"
I leaned back in my chair and organized my thoughts.
"There are discrepancies."
Ted remained silent.
"What kind of discrepancies?"
"The biggest one is that he never received a trial."
The lawyer's eyes narrowed slightly.
Clearly he had noticed the same thing before.
Encouraged, I continued.
"That's not the only reason. Before my mother died, she left behind several memories. Most were of her and my father. Some were from Hogwarts. A few involved people they knew."
I paused briefly.
"One of those people was Lily Evans."
That got his attention.
"And Sirius?"
"He appeared in several of those memories."
Ted's expression became thoughtful.
I continued carefully.
"The Sirius I saw wasn't a good person."
That earned a raised eyebrow.
"He was arrogant. Narcissistic. A bully."
That much was impossible to deny.
"But he wasn't dark."
The room remained quiet.
"He hated everything associated with that ideology. From what I saw, he despised pureblood supremacy, fought with his family over it, and eventually left home because he refused to become what they wanted."
Ted let out a slow breath.
"That sounds like Sirius."
"Exactly."
I folded my hands together.
"So when I compared that image with the official story, things stopped making sense."
The lawyer remained silent for several moments before responding.
"I know he never received a formal trial."
His tone suggested he had thought about the matter many times before.
"But circumstances were different then."
His gaze drifted toward the window.
"The Dark Lord had just fallen. People were terrified. Angry. Looking for someone to blame."
His expression hardened slightly.
"And Sirius confessed."
I had expected that answer.
Most people used it.
"Or at least everyone says he did."
Ted looked back toward me.
"He was found laughing in the middle of the street surrounded by bodies. Witnesses heard him admit responsibility."
"And after killing his best friend and seeing the Dark Lord somehow defeated in a single night, do you think Sirius would have been mentally stable?"
The question lingered between us.
I nodded.
"I'm not saying Sirius is innocent."
That was important.
"I wasn't there. I don't know what happened."
Ted seemed relieved to hear that.
"But I think too many people accepted the official explanation because it was convenient."
The lawyer studied me for several seconds.
Then he slowly leaned back in his chair.
"You know I don't believe your theory."
"I know."
"You're basing this on memories, second-hand information, and assumptions."
"I know."
"And if anyone hears you questioning the conviction of Sirius Black, people will think you've lost your mind."
A faint smile appeared on my face.
"That wouldn't be the first time."
Ted actually chuckled at that.
The tension in the room eased slightly.
Finally, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"I still think you're wrong."
"I expected as much."
"But..."
He paused.
"I can make a few discreet inquiries."
My attention sharpened immediately.
Ted raised a warning finger.
"Nothing obvious. Nothing that attracts attention."
"That's all I'm asking."
He nodded.
"And this stays between us."
"Of course."
The matter settled, both of us rose from our chairs.
As we walked toward the door, I felt no closer to the truth than before.
If anything, I had more questions now than when I entered the study.
The official story still didn't fit.
Ted clearly had doubts of his own despite refusing to admit them outright.
And somewhere in Azkaban sat a man who might be one of the greatest traitors in modern history.
Or one of its greatest victims.
Neither possibility was particularly comforting.
When we returned to the living room, the atmosphere couldn't have been more different.
Blake, Andromeda, and Tonks were still talking.
Or more accurately, Tonks was talking while the other two attempted to keep up.
Andromeda noticed us first.
"You two are finally done."
She hoped that we'd stay for lunch.
Normally, I would have accepted.
Today, however, my thoughts remained trapped inside that study.
Blake noticed immediately.
Her eyes lingered on me for a moment before understanding appeared on her face.
Politely, she declined the invitation and promised that we would visit again soon.
The promise seemed to brighten Andromeda's entire expression.
A short while later, we said our goodbyes and left the Tonks residence.
I had come hoping to achieve two goals.
The first had succeeded beyond my expectations.
Blake had found family.
The second had also succeeded.
Sirius case will have someone investigating him. Opening a path for my future plans.
Still as we made our way back toward London, I found myself carrying far more questions than answers.
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