The wizarding world always loves to stir up spooky mumbo-jumbo. It usually sounds terrifying, but it's often just smoke and mirrors—like the rumors about the Shrieking Shack being haunted by fierce ghosts when it was actually just a werewolf.
Speaking of which, there wasn't a werewolf this time, but there was certainly a fugitive.
Sirius Black, seeing the young wizard suddenly appear before him, instinctively tried to dodge. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough. He got sucked right into a magical cyclone and spun around like laundry in a dryer for a solid half-hour.
"Mr. Black, there's no need to worry. I've read your case file, and I know exactly why you broke out of prison. That's why I'm going to cooperate with you. I'll get you into Hogwarts so you can expose the real traitor in front of everyone. The Ministry of Magic will play along to clear your name, but you have to do me a favor in return."
"What... do you want me... to do?"
Although he was still dizzy from the spin cycle, Sirius maintained his wariness. He braced himself to hear whatever exorbitant demands Owen might have.
"You should recognize the items on this list, right?"
Owen floated a piece of parchment over. Sirius took one look, and his eyes went wide. "You want these things? What for?"
"Do you know what a Horcrux is?"
Owen conjured a chair for himself and sat down casually opposite Sirius.
"There is a high probability that Voldemort turned all these items into Horcruxes. My goal is to find them and destroy them."
Hearing the name, Sirius instantly snapped to attention. "If it's for that, then it's not a condition—it's a favor I owe you! But how do you know these are Horcruxes?"
"Because I found Ravenclaw's Diadem and confirmed it had been turned into one. I dealt with it just a few days ago. By my count, two Horcruxes have already been destroyed. That leaves at least five more. This matter requires absolute secrecy; I don't want the whole world knowing about them."
"Agreed!"
"Then we have a deal. Come to the Great Hall during dinner tomorrow. But I expect you to maintain your composure—don't cause a riot."
"I... I will. Um, about Harry..."
"He's fine, though he needs proper guidance. As his godfather, Mr. Black, you have a responsibility and duty toward him. But that's a private matter between you two. I'm just offering a suggestion; whether you listen is up to you."
Sirius suddenly buried his face in his hands, his voice turning hoarse. "I will... I definitely will... James... Lily..."
Walking out of the shack and listening to the weeping coming from inside, Owen let out a long sigh. More than a decade had passed, yet the tragedies of that war were still playing out. The grief hadn't disappeared; people had just buried it deep in their hearts.
However, this time around, if Voldemort thought he could start another wizarding war, he was sorely mistaken. Owen was going to show him exactly how much times had changed.
---
The next morning at breakfast, notices were posted in all four House common rooms and the Great Hall.
They stated that after dinner that evening, students were requested to remain in the Great Hall as there was an important announcement to be made. The notice was signed: Owen Corlett.
This naturally built up a lot of anticipation.
What no one expected was that after classes ended—before dinner had even started—Ministry officials quietly slipped into the castle. Upon entering, the first thing they saw was Sirius Black sitting there, calmly drinking pumpkin juice.
Yet, no one drew their wands. They simply sat on the other side of the room, waiting for the results.
To be honest, the Ministry folks weren't in a rush. They knew they were taking someone into custody today—either Peter Pettigrew or Sirius Black. Either way, they wouldn't be leaving empty-handed.
Sirius wasn't anxious either. Owen had promised he would get to catch the traitor with his own hands.
The professors, who had been notified in advance, seemed a bit distracted. After all, whether it was Peter or Sirius, both were former Hogwarts students, and for some of the staff, former classmates.
Snape sat there expressionless. He held no love for Lupin, Sirius, or Peter. Right now, Snape's mood was... complicated. Extremely complicated.
Dinner that night was a quiet, rushed affair.
Harry kept glancing at Owen, who was standing up on the dais. Harry's face went through a series of contortions. He didn't know what Owen was planning; he assumed Owen was going to publicly punish him for his impulsive outburst the other day.
Harry made up his mind: even if it was in front of the whole school, he would apologize to Owen.
"Everyone, now that dinner is over, please listen to a story. It's a story that happened over ten years ago. Please listen carefully, as this counts as a mini-lesson."
"Back then..."
The story wasn't long. Owen started strictly with the case details. He didn't mention the personal grudges or emotional drama, yet everyone listened with rapt attention.
"So now, does anyone know what spell caused the explosion in this case?"
"It was a Blasting Curse, Mr. Corlett."
Owen nodded. "Good answer. That is an extremely dangerous spell. Aside from its massive power, its true danger lies in the spell's inherent instability. For example, it easily rebounds. You might cast it at an enemy, only to end up blowing yourself up."
Laughter rippled through the students. This was Owen's teaching style; he disliked keeping the atmosphere too serious.
"Now, let me tell you something else. In this case, twelve Muggles were killed by the blast. However, the wizard at the center of it left behind only a single finger. The rest of his body was allegedly turned to ash. Do you think this is plausible?"
"Maybe..."
"No, absolutely impossible!"
Hermione stood up. "The primary damage from a Blasting Curse comes from the shockwave and impact! It doesn't have the heat intensity to vaporize a body. Even if it could vaporize a body, it wouldn't leave a single finger behind!"
"Excellent! Miss Granger. It's a pity I can't award points outside of class."
He couldn't, but the professors on the dais certainly could. Professor McGonagall smiled. "Five points to Gryffindor for Miss Granger!"
Applause broke out. The third-year witch still blushed at the praise.
"Now, let us invite the criminal in this case, Mr. Black, to the stage. I believe he has something to say."
Sirius walked out. Having eaten, bathed, and changed into fresh clothes beforehand, he didn't look nearly as ragged as before.
He walked up to Owen, bowed slightly, and then spoke. "When I arrived, the disaster had already happened. I saw the crater, the dead bodies, and... that finger. I recognized that finger. It belonged to Peter. Before I could even cast a Revealing Charm, the Aurors arrived and assumed I did it."
"Mr. Black, did you try to defend yourself at the time?"
"I... did not. Because I thought I had lost another best friend..."
Owen nodded and turned to the students. "When people are in extreme emotional states, they often experience aphasia or a breakdown in logic. So, Mr. Black, why didn't you try to escape after being sent to Azkaban?"
"Because my heart was dead. The death of my friends hit me too hard. At that time, I didn't want to live either."
"But recently, why did you decide to break out?"
Sirius's voice suddenly became sharp. "Because I accidentally saw a newspaper. In that paper, I saw a man who should have been dead for ten years. He was still alive!"
Owen smiled. "In that case, let us invite the man who is 'still alive' to join us."
Without using magic, Molly the big cat trotted over, carrying a cage in her mouth. She set it down and sat faithfully beside Owen.
"Scabbers?"
Ron nearly jumped out of his seat below, but he quickly made the connection. The finger... Scabbers was missing a toe...
"Finite Incantatem!"
Bang!
The cage burst open. Scabbers the rat instantly transformed into a human. The students didn't recognize him, but the professors and the waiting Aurors certainly did: Peter Pettigrew!
Realizing there was no escape, Peter gritted his teeth and lunged, appearing instantly behind Owen. He wrapped an arm around Owen's throat.
"Don't come any closer, or I'll kill him!"
It was a standard villain move. However, Peter noticed something odd. The way Owen looked at him... wasn't right.
It was a look of... pity? Mixed with a bit of "I dare you"?
Before Peter could figure it out, he felt the world spin. A sharp pain exploded across his back.
With a simple shoulder throw, Owen successfully removed himself from the hostage situation.
The onlookers looked like they expected nothing less, but Sirius and the Aurors were shocked. They had no idea that even without a wand, and in a situation where magic was too slow, Owen possessed such formidable combat skills.
Honestly, Peter got off easy. If he had been standing in front of Owen instead of behind him, it wouldn't have been a judo throw. It would have been a full-force boxing combination—an uppercut, a hook, maybe a straight right. The result would have been much messier.
Owen looked down at Peter, who was groaning on the floor. He pulled a vial of potion from his pocket, stepped firmly on Peter's neck to force his mouth open, and poured the liquid straight down his throat.
Only then did he wave to the Aurors.
"I've confiscated his Animagus ability permanently. Gentlemen, please take the prisoner away."
The Ministry was ready. The notice for a public trial had already been sent out; they were just waiting for the defendant.
The Aurors moved in, shackled Peter, and dragged him out. Sirius followed them, no longer a fugitive, but a key witness.
Finally, when the outsiders were gone, Owen smiled at the students.
"Everyone, I let you witness this to teach you a lesson: sometimes, our eyes deceive us. So, when you encounter a problem, please stay cool-headed. Never rush to a conclusion. Alright, that's all for tonight. You may all go back and rest."