Returning to his human form did nothing to free Sirius from the vines.
Bound tightly from head to toe, he struggled to prop himself up, staring at Lewis with a mixture of shock and caution.
He had never imagined that after escaping Azkaban…
After escaping the Dementors…
He would ultimately be brought down by a boy no older than fourteen or fifteen.
Feeling the unyielding restraints around his body, Sirius wisely abandoned any thought of direct resistance.
Instead, he calmly surveyed his surroundings, searching for an opportunity to escape while growling,
"Congratulations, kid. You've caught Sirius Black—the most infamous prisoner ever to come out of Azkaban. So… when are you taking me to collect the bounty?"
"A reward that small isn't enough to make me work for the Ministry."
Lewis casually lowered his wand and looked directly into the gaunt, haggard man before him.
"I came here specifically to find you."
Sirius frowned, unable to understand what he meant.
Then…
Lewis slowly spoke a single name.
"Peter Pettigrew."
Sirius's pupils contracted violently.
He instantly struggled with all his might, but the enchanted vines only tightened further around him.
Only after several futile attempts did he force himself to calm down.
His deep-set eyes, however, had already filled with madness.
"Where…"
"Did you hear that name?"
Every possible explanation flashed through Sirius's mind.
If this stranger wasn't planning to hand him over to the Ministry…
Yet somehow knew about Peter Pettigrew…
Then there could only be one conclusion.
He had come to kill him.
Perhaps he was related to Peter.
Or perhaps his family had died in the explosion thirteen years ago, and he had come seeking revenge.
After all…
Only he and Peter knew the truth about what had really happened back then.
Thinking this, Sirius's face gradually darkened.
Instead of answering…
Lewis simply placed a newspaper into his hands.
Sirius looked down.
It was an old issue of the Daily Prophet.
Not the one carrying his wanted poster.
An even earlier edition from early July.
The front page reported that the Weasley family had won the Grand Prize Draw and would be traveling to Egypt.
A family photograph accompanied the article.
Standing in the middle was Ron Weasley.
Perched on his shoulder…
Was his pet rat, Scabbers.
Its right forepaw was missing a finger.
Sirius's chest rose and fell violently.
Had he not been tied up, he would have lunged forward and torn the newspaper to pieces.
Instead…
He could only glare murderously at the photograph.
As though sheer hatred alone could tear the rat apart.
Finally, he looked back at Lewis.
His tone had softened considerably.
"Kid…"
"How much do you know?"
"Far more than you imagine."
Lewis answered calmly.
"I first noticed him on the Marauder's Map."
"I thought it strange that Ron Weasley's name was always accompanied by someone named Peter Pettigrew."
"Eventually, I confirmed the truth."
"A rat."
"An illegal Animagus."
"Just like you."
He continued slowly,
"Then things became interesting."
"A man celebrated by everyone as a hero… a recipient of the Order of Merlin, First Class…"
"Why would someone like that spend over a decade disguised as a pet rat?"
"Why hide beside the son of his best friend's friend…"
"When Voldemort has already been dead for more than ten years?"
"What exactly is he afraid of?"
"Perhaps…"
"You can answer that question for me."
Of course, Lewis had known Peter's identity long before ever seeing the Marauder's Map.
Mentioning the map simply provided a believable explanation for his information.
"He's a liar!"
"A coward!"
"A filthy traitor!"
Sirius roared hoarsely.
"He betrayed our trust!"
"He was the real Secret Keeper!"
"He betrayed James and Lily!"
"I thought as much."
Lewis nodded.
"But calm yourself, Black."
"I might be able to help you catch him."
"Why?"
Sirius stared suspiciously at the young wizard.
Although he now believed Lewis wasn't trying to capture him…
Being betrayed once had taught Sirius never to trust easily again.
"Because…"
"The Black family is one of the oldest pure-blood families."
"Among the Sacred Twenty-Eight, it remained one of the strongest and most complete lineages…"
"At least until Voldemort's rise."
Lewis smiled faintly before finally revealing his true purpose.
"I assume such an ancient family possesses quite an impressive collection."
"And…"
"You're its sole heir."
Understanding finally dawned on Sirius.
His guard lowered slightly.
"You want the Black family fortune?"
"No."
Lewis shook his head.
"I don't need the Black family's money."
"I already possess more wealth than I could ever spend."
"I'm not interested in money."
"I've never judged people by how rich they are."
"After all…"
"No one here is wealthier than I am."
He wasn't exaggerating.
Ever since obtaining the Philosopher's Stone…
Money had become meaningless.
There were still well over a hundred kilograms of gold stored beneath his tower.
Sirius studied the boy carefully.
He believed him.
Even after years imprisoned in Azkaban, Sirius could still recognize quality.
Everything Lewis wore was extraordinarily expensive.
A child like that truly had the right to speak those words.
Which only confused Sirius further.
"Then…"
"What exactly do you want?"
Aside from money…
He couldn't imagine what else the Black family possessed that would tempt someone.
Lewis immediately corrected that misconception.
"Knowledge."
He answered without hesitation.
"More specifically…"
"I want every book, manuscript, and magical record accumulated by the Black family over the centuries."
"Especially the library."
Although becoming an Origin Mage meant Lewis no longer needed traditional study to master core arcane spells…
That didn't diminish his desire to acquire knowledge.
Learning…
Collecting…
Understanding…
Those pursuits were addictive.
The wizarding world contained countless unique grimoires, handwritten journals, and magical tomes that could never be duplicated.
Not even Hogwarts possessed a complete collection.
Which meant…
The library of an ancient pure-blood family undoubtedly contained countless works unavailable anywhere else.
"…That's all?"
Sirius looked utterly incredulous.
In fact…
He felt Lewis was asking for far too little.
A true Gryffindor.
Unable to appreciate the real value of knowledge.
"But if you release me…"
"I can catch Peter myself."
He still wanted to take revenge with his own hands.
"No."
Lewis mercilessly shattered that illusion.
"You can't."
"After your failed attempt on Halloween, you've already alerted everyone."
"Hogwarts security has become airtight."
"You'll never get past every defense and enter Gryffindor Tower to capture Peter Pettigrew."
"In everyone's eyes, you're a wanted criminal."
"Dumbledore will stop you."
"Professor McGonagall will stop you."
"Snape would gladly kill you."
"Lupin still believes you're his enemy."
"And even James's own son…"
"Harry…"
"Believes you're the man who betrayed his parents."
Lewis's words struck Sirius like hammer blows.
"You see?"
"Not a single person stands on your side."
"And yet…"
"You think you can break through all of Hogwarts' defenses to find Peter Pettigrew?"
He paused before delivering the final blow.
"Besides…"
"If Peter could blow up an entire street thirteen years ago…"
"He can just as easily blow up Hogwarts."
"He could even kill Harry Potter."
"Don't forget."
"Harry and Ron Weasley sleep in the same dormitory."
"They've shared a room for over two years."
The more Lewis spoke…
The lower Sirius lowered his head.
The once-proud Gryffindor seemed to shrink with every sentence.
Finally…
He gritted his teeth.
"…Fine."
"I'll trust you."
"If you bring Peter Pettigrew to me…"
"I'll give you everything."
"The entire Black family library."
"Every magical treasure."
"Everything."
"Then we have a deal."
Lewis nodded.
With a wave of his hand, the vines released Sirius.
His tone also became noticeably gentler.
"As your ally…"
"And as Harry's friend…"
"I suggest you stay here quietly and recover."
"Don't act recklessly."
"You need to stay alive if you want Peter Pettigrew to pay for his crimes."
"And if we're going to complete this agreement."
As he spoke, Lewis took a large crate of chocolate from his storage.
"I bought these in Hogsmeade recently."
"They're yours."
"If you stay here patiently…"
"I'll bring you supplies from time to time."
With that, the boy waved casually and left the Shrieking Shack.
Leaving Sirius Black sitting alone against the wall…
Silent.
Lost in thought.
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