Lupin felt like he'd been struck by lightning. James' revelation hit him like a thunderclap—straight to the heart. If the Secret Keeper had
Lupin felt like he'd been struck by lightning.
James' revelation hit him like a thunderclap—straight to the heart.
If the Secret Keeper had been changed… then Sirius wasn't the traitor?
The real traitor was Peter Pettigrew—the one they'd never suspected.
For more than ten years, they'd all believed Sirius had betrayed them. That he'd sold them out to Voldemort. That he'd caused James and Lily's deaths.
But he hadn't.
He'd been innocent—wrongfully imprisoned in Azkaban all this time.
"Why… why did you do this?" Lupin whispered, the question slipping from his lips without him realizing it.
James responded, his voice quiet: "It was Sirius' idea. He thought he was too obvious. Everyone knew how close we were…"
"He was also constantly involved in the fighting back then. He worried that if he was captured, they'd use Veritaserum or even the Dementioning Curse to force him to reveal where Lily and I were hiding."
"So he suggested Peter instead. Peter was quiet, timid—no one would suspect him."
"I agreed… and we made Peter the Secret Keeper."
The room fell into heavy silence.
It was true—no one would have suspected Peter. Not even the Order.
But what Sirius and James hadn't known was that Peter had already turned.
The rat had been a spy for Voldemort long before they'd trusted him with the secret.
Once he had the location, he betrayed them.
Voldemort, desperate to fulfill the prophecy, attacked—and was destroyed in the process.
Harry's face was pale, his eyes wide with shock.
Sirius—the man he'd despised for so long—hadn't betrayed his parents?
He'd been innocent. Imprisoned for over a decade. For nothing.
"My god…" Lupin's voice cracked as the weight of it sank in. The truth was too cruel.
"If only… if only I had been the Secret Keeper instead…" Lupin choked. "Or if you'd just told me the change—Sirius wouldn't have had to suffer alone for ten years."
James lowered his head. "I'm sorry, Remus. Back then… Sirius and I didn't trust you."
"You… didn't trust me?" Lupin's voice was hollow, wounded. "Because of… what I am?"
James didn't answer. He just nodded.
At the time, many werewolves had joined Voldemort. Sirius—perhaps understandably—had harbored doubts. Even about Remus.
They couldn't afford to take chances—not with their lives, or Harry's, at stake.
And Peter… he'd seemed so harmless.
No one had expected that quiet, cowardly boy to be capable of such betrayal.
But he was.
That one decision had changed everything.
James finally spoke again. "Remus… what happened after I died? Why did everyone think Sirius was the traitor?"
Lupin exhaled shakily and began. "After your deaths… we all knew someone had betrayed you."
"And we believed it was Sirius—because, officially, he was your Secret Keeper. The Aurors found him on a Muggle street."
"He had… caused an explosion. A dozen Muggles were killed. Peter Pettigrew was among them—only a finger was left behind."
"Sirius was laughing when they found him. He was arrested on the spot. No trial. Just… Azkaban."
"He's been there ever since. Until recently. He escaped."
James stared at Lupin, horrified. "Sirius… spent over ten years in Azkaban?"
"He didn't even defend himself?" Lily asked softly.
Lupin shook his head.
"He must've blamed himself," Lily continued, her voice full of grief. "For trusting Peter. For your deaths."
"In all of this… Sirius has suffered the most."
"This has to be made right," James said firmly. "The Ministry. Dumbledore. They all need to know. Sirius is innocent."
"And the dementors are still hunting him…"
Blake, who had been listening quietly, finally interrupted.
"Sorry, but—don't you think this is all a little strange?"
"Sirius was in Azkaban for more than ten years. Why escape now?"
"If he'd really given up on life, why break out?"
Everyone fell silent, considering this.
Lily's eyes lit up. "He must've discovered something. Something new."
Blake gave her a nod of approval. Smart as ever, he thought.
"Whatever it was, we can figure that out later," he said. "Right now, the priority is to get Professor Dumbledore here. We need to tell him the truth—while your souls can still linger here."
Lupin nodded in agreement. "Harry, can you go find Dumbledore? His office is on the eighth floor. The password is—"
"What a waste of time," Blake cut in.
"Right…" Lupin said, catching on. "You can just send a Patronus to summon him."
Blake, master of the Patronus Charm, would have no trouble with that.
But Blake simply raised his hand and slashed the air.
"Stab it!"
A glowing dimensional portal opened with a crackle.
"Why use owls when you have something better?" he said dryly.
At that moment, in his office, Dumbledore was reviewing documents when he heard the now-familiar sound.
He immediately stood and approached the portal.
"Blake, what's happened?"
On the other side, Lupin leaned through. "Professor, please come quickly."
Dumbledore sensed the gravity in his voice and stepped through without hesitation.
Then he saw them.
Lily.
James.
He froze.
Even for the most seasoned wizard alive, seeing two dead people standing before him was enough to stop his heart.
"L-long time no see, Professor Dumbledore," James said, smiling as he held Lily's hand.
Dumbledore gawked. Then turned toward Blake, who stood to the side, calm and composed.
Of course Blake was behind this.
"Alright," Dumbledore said, regaining his composure. "Would someone please explain exactly what is going on?"
Only Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of the century, could have steadied himself so quickly.
The truth was now out—and Sirius' long-awaited vindication was just beginning.
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