Sirius didn't answer immediately, but the fire in his eyes dimmed, just a little. Alex could tell the man was still torn between rage and despair. It wasn't surprising, after so many years in Azkaban, anyone would be on edge. You either went numb in that place or turned into something wild. For Sirius, it looked like he was on the verge of both.
After hearing Alex's words, Sirius fell silent, torn by the emotions churning inside him. Guilt had been eating away at him for years, but now that he knew Peter Pettigrew was still alive, all he could feel was a burning rage mixed with bitter regret. The thought of that coward walking free while he rotted in Azkaban was almost too much to bear.
But as the storm in his chest slowly settled, Sirius began to see the sense in Alex's reasoning. As much as he wanted revenge, charging out blindly wouldn't get him anywhere. He didn't even know where Peter was. If he acted recklessly and failed, it might give that rat a chance to disappear again, this time for good.
He finally looked at Alex with a grave expression. The young man standing in front of him was the one person he trusted most, aside from James and Lily.
"Fine," Sirius said through gritted teeth. "I'll go along with your plan. But you'd better get me out of this cursed place soon. Every second I spend in here just makes me want to tear Peter apart with my bare hands!"
Alex gave him a firm nod. "I understand. But you have to hang in there and trust me. I'll stay in contact through official channels, and no matter what it takes, I'll find a way to clear your name."
With that, Alex started pulling supplies from his enchanted space ring, long-lasting food, warm clothes, and other daily essentials. Thankfully, he always prepared for emergency from preserved meals to basic necessities. He handed everything over to Sirius without hesitation, determined to make his stay in Azkaban as bearable as possible.
Eventually, it was Bagnold who stepped in, raising an eyebrow and finally putting a stop to the steady stream of supplies. "That's enough, Alex," she said dryly. "This is still a prison, not a hotel."
After that, the three of them sat down once more. Alex and Bagnold questioned Sirius carefully about the events from years ago, listening to every detail that might help later. Once they had everything they needed, the two left Azkaban and made their way back to the Ministry of Magic the same way they came.
Back at the Ministry, the moment they stepped into Bagnold's office, Alex wasted no time. "Will it be difficult to clear Sirius' name? Where exactly is the resistance coming from?"
Bagnold sighed and shook his head. "It's a lot more complicated than you think," he said. "Like I told you before, when Sirius was first arrested, the Ministry pushed a massive campaign to reassure the public. We painted him as the traitor, the killer, the villain. Everyone in the magical world has had that image burned into their minds."
She paused before adding, "And as for Peter Pettigrew… the man was awarded the Order of Merlin, for Merlin's sake. Now imagine you're a member of the Wizengamot. You're being asked to overturn not just one, but two major judgments. Basically, it's like admitting they got everything wrong. They'd be slapping themselves in the face. Would you want to do that publicly?"
Alex frowned. He understood now, this wasn't just about justice. "So even if we show them solid proof, they might still resist?"
Bagnold nodded grimly. "Some of them might change their minds when faced with hard evidence, yes. But many will cling to the status quo. They'll come up with excuses, twist things around, or drag the process out. Their reputations are on the line. And beyond that, they're worried that overturning these decisions could shake public trust. It's about control, appearances… and not stirring up chaos in the magical world."
"Then what do you think I should do next? I'm willing to fully cooperate."
What Alex really wanted to do was ask Bagnold for the list of Wizengamot members and visit them one by one. Whether through veiled threats or outright force, getting them to change their stance would be much easier that way. But he knew such an approach would only backfire. It would turn everyone against him, and worse, he might find himself in direct conflict with Dumbledore, something he wasn't ready for. Or more accurately, something he wasn't ready to risk just yet.
"I'll start by talking to Dumbledore," Bagnold said thoughtfully. "We'll go over the options with him first. His influence alone is a huge help. I'll also ask him to personally extract Sirius's memories to collect proper evidence. That should give us a strong starting point. Then I'll focus on winning over the easier members of the Wizengamot first. Once we get some traction, we'll deal with the more stubborn ones."
After She finished speaking, Bagnold turned to Alex and added, "As for you, there are two things you can do. Either one, if done right, could make clearing Sirius Black's name a whole lot easier."
Alex immediately perked up. "Oh? What is it?" he asked, straightening in his seat and giving Bagnold his full attention.
"The first," Bagnold began, her voice calm and steady, "is finding Peter Pettigrew. He's the real traitor, the one who sold out the Potters. He framed Sirius and disappeared. If you can catch him, that's solid evidence. No matter how much the Wizengamot or the pure-blood families want to resist, they can't argue with that kind of proof."
"I understand…" Alex replied, though his tone dimmed a little. "But Peter Pettigrew could be anywhere by now. I'm not a Seer. I don't have the means to just track someone like that down. It's really not going to be easy."
"I'm aware," Bagnold nodded. "That's why there's a second option."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Second option?"
"To help Scamander locate the Silver Wand's hideout," Bagnold said, his expression turning serious. "I heard Mr. Scamander mention this to Sir Merlin bloc. And frankly, we all know that you've got a lead on the lost Thunderbird. If you can track it down and find the Silver Wands along the way, it would be a huge breakthrough for us."
"But…" Alex frowned. "What does that have to do with Sirius?"
"If you manage to accomplish this," Bagnold explained, "you can use it as leverage. Strike a deal with the Wizengamot. Trade the information, or the capture, for Sirius's release. Sir Merlin bloc has already promised his full support if you go this route."