The word "traitor" froze everyone for a moment.
The raw emotion behind it was unmistakable—even the dullest wizard could feel it.
In another setting, with different people, you might have mistaken it for a touching scene—something out of a rustic tragedy with an axe in hand.
But the problem was that the wizard speaking was Sirius Black, a man the Ministry of Magic had branded a dangerous criminal, and his target was Ron Weasley—a boy a generation younger, with no apparent connection to him.
The mismatch between the two made the entire situation strange and unexpected...
"Now this seems entertaining~"
Lockhart, who was increasingly taking on the role of a meddler, paused his assault as he watched.
To think it had all started simply because he noticed a dog following him and decided to catch it out of curiosity. Lockhart hadn't expected to stumble into something this interesting.
Not only had he discovered Sirius Black, but he'd also found himself witnessing this bizarre confrontation.
Though he hadn't seen the dog's true identity with his own eyes, Sirius's beast-like movements in combat made it easy for Lockhart to draw his own conclusions.
For now, Lockhart lowered his wand and watched with amusement as Sirius Black lunged toward Ron Weasley...
...
As Sirius charged, Hermione—who had been calm up to this point—finally showed a change in expression. Perhaps because this was something she hadn't anticipated.
What truly stunned her, however, was that Lockhart wasn't fighting.
She hadn't foolishly believed he was here to help them, but she hadn't expected him to stop so abruptly after only a few seconds of combat. That wasn't like the battle-hungry man she knew.
Even more surprising was that Sirius Black's target wasn't Harry Potter, but Ron Weasley—someone who shouldn't have had any connection to him at all.
"Come out, you little... Peter Pettigrew!!!"
"Wah!!"
Completely unprepared—and still focused on restraining Harry—Ron was struck directly by Sirius's spell.
He rolled across the ground and crashed hard against a nearby tree. The impact snapped Harry out of his rage like a splash of freezing water.
The sight of Sirius Black's bloodshot eyes made it even harder for him to breathe.
"Ron! Are you alright?"
"My leg... it's broken... ahh!"
"Stop!!"
Harry didn't really believe shouting would stop Sirius Black from advancing—but to his shock, it did.
That single hesitation caught Draco's attention.
"Step aside!"
"You killed my parents!"
Snatching Ron's fallen wand, Harry stood his ground before Sirius Black.
His glasses were crooked, his stance unsteady—it was reckless, almost foolish—but that courage was undeniable. When it came to protecting his friends, Harry Potter's heart never faltered.
Seeing him like that, Sirius—who moments ago had looked feral—suddenly froze, as if reminded of something. For a brief second, his expression softened.
"Your father would have done the same. Brave..."
"..."
"But if you knew the whole truth..."
"The whole truth? Ha! You betrayed them to Voldemort—that's all the truth I need!"
"You have to listen to me!"
The strange exchange left Draco looking bewildered. He turned toward Hermione, who looked just as uncertain.
From the way things stood, Hermione was probably hoping he and Lockhart would join forces against Sirius Black—or at least cover Harry and the others so they could escape.
But now, even Hermione seemed unsure whether intervening was the right move. Something about this felt wrong...
Instinctively, Hermione turned her eyes toward Draco beside her.
"Is there really something more to this?"
"I don't know. What I'm curious about is what he meant by 'traitor.'"
"Traitor? Could he be talking about that Weasley? Or maybe the Weasley family behind him?"
Rather than focusing on the exchange between Harry Potter and Sirius Black, Draco's gaze lingered on Ron Weasley, who was clutching his injured leg and breaking out in a cold sweat.
And Peter Pettigrew...
That name felt strangely familiar to Draco, as though he'd heard it somewhere before.
Meanwhile, Lockhart—who had been enjoying the spectacle—suddenly turned his gaze toward the woods, a strange smile curling on his lips.
And then...
"Scabbers! Where are you going?"
"Squeak!!"
"Scabbers!"
Despite the pain, Ron shouted in alarm.
In its desperate attempt to escape his grasp, the scruffy, unidentifiable rat sank its teeth into its owner's hand without hesitation, seemingly oblivious to Ron's state.
Yet, strangely, the rat didn't bolt immediately. Instead, its tiny eyes glinted with an odd, almost mocking amusement as it looked back at them...
"Peter Pettigrew!!"
Sirius Black, who had only moments ago managed to regain his composure, instantly lost control.
At the sight of Scabbers, his magical energy spiraled into chaos. His wand, which had been hanging at his side, suddenly lifted again—its tip aimed squarely at the harmless-looking rat.
Pure hatred. Frenzied killing intent. A curse steeped in malice.
The wand in Sirius Black's hand began to glow with a chilling light.
"Avada—"
"Crucio!"
"WAAAAH!!!"
A hoarse scream came from the woods just as a burst of green light—the unmistakable color of dark magic—struck Sirius Black, whose attention was fixed solely on the rat.
Hit by the Cruciatus Curse, Sirius collapsed to his knees, screaming in agony. His eyes rolled back, froth dripping from his mouth—a horrifying sight that left Harry Potter frozen in shock.
And then, from the shadows of the forest, several wizards in black robes emerged, their faces hidden beneath their hoods.
The one leading them stepped forward and spoke coldly to the trembling rat.
"Peter Pettigrew, the Master is very disappointed in you."
He said—Peter Pettigrew?
Scabbers?
...
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