Unlike the Aurors, who merely intended to carry out their orders...
Peter Pettigrew regarded them as his final lifeline.
"He's here to kill me again!"
Peter suddenly shrieked, pointing at Sirius with his middle finger—the index finger had long since been severed.
"He murdered James and Lily!"
"Now he's trying to kill me too!"
"You're Aurors!"
"You have to protect me!"
Sirius fixed Peter with those deep, unreadable eyes.
His gaunt face looked even more skeletal than before.
"As long as we're here, no one is going to kill you."
Tonks said calmly.
"But first..."
"We need to determine what really happened."
"Determine what happened?"
Peter screamed hysterically.
His frightened eyes darted around before landing on the Whomping Willow.
"I knew he'd come after me!"
"I knew he'd come back!"
"I've been waiting for this for twelve years!"
"You knew Sirius Black would escape from Azkaban?"
Tonks frowned.
"Nobody has ever escaped before."
"He knows Dark Magic that the rest of us can only dream about!"
Peter screeched.
"Otherwise, how could he possibly have escaped?"
"I bet You-Know-Who taught him those tricks himself!"
Peter cried so desperately that his words almost sounded convincing.
However...
The middle-aged Auror recalled something he'd witnessed before coming here.
Earlier that evening...
He had been on duty inside the Auror Office.
Then Tonks burst in, announcing an emergency assignment.
After collecting their equipment...
The group headed out.
As they passed through the Ministry corridor...
He had accidentally overheard a conversation between Deputy Director Gianna Proudmoore and Minister Fudge.
"There is good news, Minister."
"Someone has discovered Sirius Black near Hogwarts."
"But there's an unexpected development."
"The witness also found Peter Pettigrew alive."
"It appears..."
"There may have been something seriously wrong with the original investigation."
"Perhaps Mr. Crouch made a terrible mistake."
"And what do you recommend?"
The Auror would never forget Fudge's expression.
First...
Shock.
Then...
Ecstatic delight.
Finally...
A carefully restrained calmness.
"I believe the arrest should be carried out by Aurors."
Gianna had replied.
"Not Dementors."
"We may finally uncover the truth that was overlooked thirteen years ago."
Fudge had agreed immediately.
The Auror understood why.
Just like Fudge...
The moment he'd heard Peter Pettigrew was alive...
He'd realized something was terribly wrong.
Peter's very existence was full of contradictions.
In his opinion...
The truth was likely the exact opposite of the official story.
Peter Pettigrew...
Might have been the one who blew up the street...
And betrayed James and Lily Potter.
While Sirius Black...
Had been the victim.
If Sirius had been convicted during Fudge's administration...
The Minister never would have allowed the case to be reopened.
Fortunately for him...
The trial had taken place years before Fudge assumed office.
The man responsible had been the then-Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement...
Bartemius Crouch Sr.
Overturning the verdict would embarrass Crouch...
Not Fudge.
Despite falling from grace after his son's exposure as a Death Eater...
Crouch still possessed tremendous influence within the Ministry.
He remained one of Fudge's greatest political rivals.
Now...
The Deputy Director of Magical Law Enforcement was preparing to expose one of Crouch's greatest mistakes.
Naturally...
Fudge had every reason to support the investigation.
"Voldemort..."
"Taught me Dark Magic?"
Sirius suddenly burst into laughter.
Despite having an Auror's wand pointed directly at him...
He laughed.
It wasn't joyful laughter.
It sounded hollow.
Almost terrifying.
Hearing Sirius casually speak Voldemort's name...
Peter visibly flinched.
It was as though someone had struck him.
"What?"
"Afraid to hear your old master's name?"
Sirius sneered.
"I don't blame you, Peter."
"His followers never liked you very much."
"Did they?"
"I..."
"I don't know what you're talking about..."
Peter mumbled.
Sweat poured down his face.
"For twelve years..."
"You weren't hiding from me."
Sirius said coldly.
"You were hiding from Voldemort's old followers."
"I heard plenty in Azkaban."
His voice became increasingly sinister.
Peter involuntarily shivered.
"Peter..."
"They all believed you were dead."
"Otherwise..."
"You would've owed them an explanation."
"I heard them screaming in their sleep."
"They kept talking."
"They believed someone had deceived them."
"Voldemort reached the Potters because of the information you gave him..."
At this point...
Sirius's eyes blazed with murderous fury.
Nearby...
Even Snape stared at Peter with icy hatred.
"But Voldemort failed there."
"And that..."
"Was your fault."
"Not every Death Eater ended up in Azkaban."
"Many remained free."
"They're still waiting."
"Pretending they've abandoned the Dark Lord."
"If they ever learn you're alive..."
"Peter..."
"I..."
"I don't know what you're talking about..."
Peter repeated.
His voice rose another octave.
He hurriedly wiped the sweat from his face before looking pleadingly toward the Aurors.
"Y-you're not actually going to believe..."
"...this madness..."
The Aurors avoided meeting his gaze.
Instead...
Every one of them looked toward Tonks.
Although young...
She was the team's captain.
"I have to admit..."
Tonks said calmly.
"I simply can't understand one thing."
"Peter..."
"If you're innocent..."
"Why would you willingly spend twelve years living as a rat?"
"I..."
"I was terrified!"
Peter shrieked.
"If Voldemort's followers were hunting me..."
"It's because I helped send their greatest servant to Azkaban!"
"That traitor..."
"Sirius Black!"
Sirius's face twisted with fury.
"How dare you!"
He roared.
His voice resembled the furious bark of the enormous black dog he transformed into.
"Me?"
"Voldemort's spy?"
"When have I ever spent my life clinging to people stronger than myself?"
"But you..."
"I can't believe I never realized it sooner."
"You've always loved attaching yourself to stronger people."
"So they'd protect you."
"Wasn't that always how it worked?"
"First James..."
"Then Remus..."
"And me..."
Peter wiped the sweat from his forehead yet again.
His breathing became increasingly ragged.
"Me?"
"A spy?"
"You..."
"You've gone mad..."
"I..."
"I've never..."
"I don't even understand how you could accuse me..."
"It was because of my stupid suggestion..."
Sirius growled through clenched teeth.
"That James and Lily chose you as Secret Keeper."
"I thought it was the perfect plan."
"The perfect trick."
"Voldemort would chase me."
"He'd never suspect someone as weak..."
"...and insignificant..."
"...as you."
"The moment you offered James and Lily to Voldemort..."
"Must've been the proudest moment..."
"...of your miserable little life."
Sirius's voice broke.
Regret nearly swallowed him whole.
Nearby...
Snape's expression grew even darker.
At this moment...
His hatred for Peter Pettigrew had nearly surpassed even his hatred of Sirius.
Of course...
Snape still despised Sirius.
He hated the cruel bullying of their youth.
He hated Sirius's arrogance.
His recklessness.
And for years...
He had believed Sirius responsible for Lily's death.
But at the same time...
Snape knew Sirius well.
Sirius Black was far too proud to lie.
Sometimes...
Your greatest enemy understands you better than anyone else.
Back then...
Sirius had never defended himself.
Never cried out his innocence.
Instead...
He silently accepted imprisonment in Azkaban.
To Snape...
That had seemed entirely consistent with Sirius's personality.
Now...
He finally understood.
It hadn't been pride.
It had been guilt.
A foolish...
Misguided guilt.
The true object of his revenge...
Had been someone else all along.
Peter looked ready to continue arguing.
But Lewis had grown tired of the endless shouting match.
"Actually..."
He said calmly.
"There's a much easier way to determine the truth."
Tonks turned toward him with a gentle smile.
As expected...
Only Lewis had discovered a way to uncover what had happened all those years ago.
"The simplest solution is magic."
"Either Veritaserum..."
"Or memory extraction."
"I recommend the latter."
"It's much more direct."
As he spoke...
Lewis removed a small crystal vial from his robes.
Inside floated shimmering silver strands.
Several experienced Aurors immediately recognized it.
Memories.
"This contains Sirius Black's memories."
Lewis explained.
"He voluntarily provided them to earn my trust."
He deliberately omitted Sirius's earlier foolish behavior.
Sirius shot him a grateful glance.
"Now..."
"All we need..."
"Is Peter Pettigrew's memories."
"We compare the two."
"And the truth will reveal itself."
"Normally..."
Tonks considered it for a moment.
"The law doesn't place much weight on memories."
"They can be altered."
"But this case is different."
"The fact that Peter Pettigrew is alive..."
"Already changes everything."
"There's only one problem."
Lewis suddenly added.
"Unlike Sirius..."
"Peter has no desire to prove his innocence."
"If he's truly guilty..."
"There's no chance he'll cooperate."
"Extracting his memories..."
"Won't be easy."
He paused deliberately.
"I believe..."
"I'm going to need a little assistance."
A moment later...
A familiar hoarse voice echoed through the tunnel.
"Perhaps..."
"I can provide the help you require."
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