A lot has happened in the past few days, leaving the entire British Wizarding World stunned.
First, news media outlets began to report that Sirius Black was innocent, and that he had been wrongly imprisoned in Azkaban for so many years.
The real murderer of the Potters, PeterPettigrew, the person who was rumored to have been blown up by Sirius, also reappeared.
Through the media reports, the public learned many specific details from that year.
For example, the Potters changing their Secret-Keeper, and PeterPettigrew using the Blasting Curse to destroy a Muggle street, leaving behind a finger to frame Sirius.
Appearing alongside these reports was Minister for Magic Fudge's statement: "We will not wrong a good person, nor will we let a bad person go. The Ministry of Magic will surely give everyone the truth."
As soon as these reports were released, they attracted the attention of all British Wizards.
Good gracious!
Someone had actually been in that dreadful place, Azkaban, for over ten years due to the Ministry of Magic's blundering actions. That was truly tragic.
For a time, public sentiment was agitated, and everyone protested that the Ministry of Magic handled cases without evidence, leading to the wrongful suffering of innocent people.
Along with the numerous media reports, people's attitudes towards Sirius were divided into many factions.
Some felt sorry for him, some detested him, some admired him, and some called him a fool for not knowing how to clear his name for so many years.
Everyone was discussing heatedly, and many news commentators rushed to express their views in various media outlets.
During this period, the public had been waiting for the Ministry of Magic to release the final official news.
But they waited and waited, and no news from the Ministry of Magic arrived.
At this point, the public became impatient. They sent out various owls carrying Howlers to bombard the Ministry of Magic.
Sebastian hadn't expected Fudge to be so patient; it wasn't until late May that Sirius and Peter were publicly tried.
Under the live broadcast of many media outlets, almost all Wizards witnessed that trial.
Sirius Black was cleared of all charges and regained his freedom, receiving a thousand Galleons in compensation from the Ministry of Magic.
PeterPettigrew also received his deserved punishment; he would receive the Dementor's Kiss, scheduled for the end of June.
The moment the verdict was announced, all the onlookers cheered, while only Peter wept on the stand.
Watching Peter crying on the magic television, Snape let out a soft breath.
He did not continue watching Fudge's performance of taking all the Ministry of Magic's mistakes upon himself, but instead came alone to the Black Lake, staring silently at the water.
Suddenly, a stone skipped across the water. Snape turned his head and saw Sebastian bending down to pick up stones from the ground.
"Severus, do you want to join? Let's see who can skip a stone the farthest?"
"Childish!" Snape's lips curled slightly, then he turned his head back to continue looking at the scenery of the lake.
After a long while, he asked, "Sebastian, I heard you gave Fudge a lot of ideas that night. Was it really necessary? You could have made Fudge listen to you more through various other means."
Hearing this, Sebastian chuckled, not directly answering the other party's question.
"Severus, do you know what I admired most about our DeanSlughorn during our school days?"
"What?" Snape slightly turned his gaze.
"It was his shrewdness and sophistication, his ability to navigate various complex interpersonal relationships with ease."
Before Snape could say anything, Sebastian continued to ask, "Do you know what I admire most about Dumbledore?"
He skipped another stone into the water: "It's that he clearly possesses the power to suppress everything, yet he is still willing to abide by secular rules."
"Many people, once they reach his level, would probably have long been shouting 'I don't eat beef' and become even more arrogant than You-Know-Who."
"When I was at school, I didn't quite understand his approach, but only after I gained absolute power did I gradually appreciate the fun of playing within the rules."
"After all, if you always try to solve everything with violence, this world will quickly become boring."
"Of course, I'm not as pedantic as Headmaster Dumbledore."
Sebastian's lips curled into a disdainful smile, then he used his wand to control a large stone, making it glide far across the water.
"If someone doesn't play by the rules with me, then I will be very happy to let them experience what cruelty is."
"Do you still remember the life philosophy I set for myself when I was at school?"
Snape raised an eyebrow: "As long as you can be reasoned with, you are the second Dumbledore. If you are unwilling to be reasoned with, then you are the next Lord Voldemort."
"Haha," Sebastian skipped another stone, "That's right!"
.....
On a warm summer day, a gentle breeze brushed across the shimmering lake.
After the final exams, the students of Hogwarts seemed to have shed a heavy burden, each becoming lazy.
They walked out of the Castle in twos and threes, coming to the lakeside to seek coolness and tranquility.
Tree shadows danced, the air was filled with the fragrance of grass and flowers, and even the sunlight was so gentle it made one drowsy.
The lake water sparkled in the sun, like it was covered in golden fragments, reflecting light that danced and shone on the soft grass by the shore.
Several seventh-year girls, barefoot, gently dipped their toes into the lake, the ripples spreading out, intertwining with their laughter.
Harry and his two friends also came to stroll by the Black Lake, enjoying their last moments before leaving school.
"I didn't expect Wood to be enthusiastically taking graduation photos," Ron teased, "I thought he'd call you all for Quidditch training again before leaving school."
Harry grinned: "We won the Magical School Quidditch Cup again this year, and Wood said he has no regrets before leaving school. Plus, he got a recommendation letter from Professor Swan, and all the major Quidditch clubs have opened their doors to him."
"Alas..." Ron sighed, "Once Wood and Marcus graduate, our Quidditch team will be much weaker. I wonder if we can still be invincible next year like we were this year."
"Ron," Hermione smiled, "Think of something happy. Your grades improved a lot this year, you even got several O's (Outstanding). Your mum will definitely praise you when you go home."
"Of course!" Ron thumped his chest, "I really studied hard at the end. By the way, what are you planning to do during the holidays? Do you want to go watch this year's Quidditch World Cup together?"
"Hermione, you can come to our house first, and then go to the Quidditch stadium with us."
Hermione's eyes sparkled, and she immediately accepted Ron's invitation.
"I'm going with Professor Swan and them," Harry also said with a smile, "We'll meet there."