Chapter 153: News, Law

The sales of the "Locator" version of Book of Friends that Wade invented were fairly modest, with only some parents purchasing it to put on their children as a sort of protective charm. Wade himself, of course, had various models of this Book of Friends. After acquiring the Marauder's Map, he adapted the locator using magical rune circuits he learned from the map, making the device smaller, more accurate in location, and with a more concealed magical aura. After capturing Peter Pettigrew, Wade used a sticking charm to attach a locator to the back of his head. He shrank it with a Shrinking Charm so that even if Peter transformed into a rat, it would likely be mistaken for a small speck of dust stuck on him. With this, Wade could track Peter Pettigrew's location in real-time. To Percy, Ron, and the others, handing Peter over to the Ministry of Magic seemed like the end of the matter, but Wade didn't see it that way. In fact, his decision to go after Peter himself, along with the Weasley brothers, rather than seeking help from Dumbledore or Professor McGonagall, stemmed from a similar belief. Wade neither trusted the Ministry's capabilities nor its integrity, let alone its sense of responsibility. While Dumbledore is one of the most powerful wizards in the world, he has a sort of "self-imposed restraint." Even though he could easily overpower Fudge and Umbridge, he continued to tolerate their absurd laws that limited his authority and persecuted the students and staff. Not only that, Starting from their second year, the Ministry repeatedly intruded into Hogwarts, used official reasons to arrest people whom Dumbledore deemed innocent, often forced him out of the school and later slandered him as a mad old man. And what did Dumbledore do? He kept backing down. Dumbledore would subtly influence events within the boundaries of the rules, nudging them toward his desired outcomes, but he would never outright flip the table. Under Dumbledore's influence, most of the professors at the school—such as Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, Professor Sprout, and others—also adopted similar approaches. So, even if they managed to capture Peter Pettigrew, Dumbledore would conduct a private interrogation but would ultimately hand him over to the Ministry for investigation and trial. He had his own expectations of the outcome, but he would not wield his power to interfere with the Ministry's investigation, nor would he force Fudge and others to follow his wishes in making a judgment. Even if the final verdict opposed his expectations, his response would first be to fight within the boundaries of the law, rather than directly saying, "Fudge, this must be done in such and such a way, or I'll remove you from power!" For ordinary people, having someone with immense power who strictly abides by the law and exercises self-restraint is undoubtedly a great blessing. But when the person opposing him is someone who breaks the rules at will under the guise of the law, consumed by a lust for power yet unwilling to take responsibility, Dumbledore's strict "law-abiding" stance becomes quite frustrating. Wade could not place his hopes on Dumbledore. Nor could he, unlike the trio in the original storyline, naively comb through legal texts to try to change the outcome when the Ministry of Magic made an unfavorable ruling. And he certainly wouldn't regret missing the best opportunity only after things had spiraled out of control. Because he understood that regret was useless—mistakes always come with a price. ... At the next day's gathering at the Umbrella Room, Harry recounted the entire sequence of events to everyone, with Fred and George chiming in. Since the start of the Battle Royale game, the twins had also joined SSC, and their spell-casting abilities had advanced rapidly. When they weren't in class, they would join Wade in researching alchemy. "This was such a big deal, you should have involved us!" Michael complained to Wade. "You couldn't even get into the Gryffindor common room," Wade replied. "And for a plan to succeed, secrecy is essential. What if Wormtail had overheard our discussions?" "So... the former hero was actually the traitor, and the man imprisoned was actually innocent?" Ryan concluded. "Yeah..." Harry said wistfully. "Lupin told me that Sirius Black is actually my godfather. I wonder what kind of person he is." Theo said sympathetically, "Merlin's beard, he's been in Azkaban for eleven years... I can't even imagine." "What's Azkaban like?" Harry asked. "It's the most terrifying place in the world—a prison for wizards," Theo replied, lowering his voice unconsciously. "It's guarded by Dementors." "Dementors?" Harry still didn't quite understand. "They're creatures that feed on happiness, making people relive their worst memories." Theo shuddered involuntarily. "I had an uncle who spent three months in Azkaban. When he got out, he was nearly insane. He said he'd rather die than go back." A shadow crossed Harry's face. Just three months had nearly driven someone mad—what about eleven years? Would my godfather... already have lost his mind? Even so... Harry thought. Even so... I'll take good care of him. Because if Sirius Black has lost his mind, it's because he went mad trying to protect Harry's family. It's his responsibility, and it's what his parents would have wanted him to do. ... For several days, Ron felt nauseous at the mere mention of Scabbers, until Harry arranged for Lupin to buy an owl for Ron as a replacement for his lost pet. It was a very beautiful owl, with eyes that shone like pearls in the night. Its feathers were arranged like pointed cat ears, and its mottled brown and yellow plumage gave it a majestic, almost leopard-like look. The joy of having a new pet instantly erased Ron's distaste and frustration over his previous one. He spent all day showing off his owl, completely delighted. Harry was happy as well; he was practically counting down the days until his godfather would be freed. Over the weekend, Marchionne was busy with work and had to postpone his meeting with Wade. So Wade and the others traveled to Hogsmeade using the Vanishing Cabinet. When they arrived at Lupin's house, they noticed that Lupin had re-hung the old photograph on the wall, but this time Peter Pettigrew's face was covered. Sirius, now fully visible, looked both handsome and dignified, with his messy black hair falling across his forehead and a pair of striking, smiling gray eyes. "He has the same gray eyes as you!" Michael exclaimed in surprise. "Yes, he does," Wade replied, equally taken aback. Harry studied the photo, he looked at it again and again and a goofy smile spread across his face. Lupin watched him, though his smile was tinged with a hint of concern. "What's wrong?" Wade asked him. "I don't know... but I have a bad feeling," Lupin replied vaguely. "I requested permission to visit Sirius, but it was denied. And there are some troubling rumors..." "Rumors?" "Some people are suggesting..." Lupin lowered his voice so the others wouldn't hear. "That both Sirius and Peter served Voldemort... Eleven years ago, when James and Lily were killed, Sirius was pushed forward, and Peter stayed hidden, waiting for the right moment..." "Now, eleven years later, Peter is exposed and is trying to clear Sirius's name... to ensure that one loyal Death Eater would always remain free, able to act on Voldemort's behalf..." Even Wade was taken aback by this theory and, after a pause, half-amused and half-skeptical, replied, "What imagination they have... Haven't they ever wondered why the two of them couldn't have just escaped together back then?" "Exactly. It's absurd, yet people believe it." Lupin could hardly contain his frustration. "And worst of all, it seems the Ministry of Magic is supporting this version of events..." "Who's that dense?" Michael overheard and naturally joined the conversation. "Minister Fudge. I hear he provided critical testimony." Lupin forced a bitter smile. "At that time, he was the Junior Minister of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. They were among the first to arrive at the scene after Peter's attack." "He testified that... when they arrived at the site strewn with bodies, Sirius was standing there laughing maniacally. He was still laughing when they arrested him, like some lunatic, hopelessly lashing out because his master had been defeated..." "The Black family, except for Sirius, were all staunch supporters of pure-blood supremacy and consistently backed Voldemort. Sirius even had a younger brother who willingly joined the Death Eaters before he'd even graduated from school." "So, Fudge doesn't believe Sirius is innocent. It seems he thinks... if Sirius is released, he'll find a way to return to the Dark Lord's side. This loyal, unhinged servant would be the key to Voldemort's revival..." "Doesn't the Ministry keep insisting that the Dark Lord is gone for good?" Wade asked. "When making public statements, yes." Lupin shook his head. "But Fudge says... he's just pointing out a possibility... a terrifying possibility that chills him if he dwells on it." "Other than the Death Eaters, no one wants the Dark Lord to return." Michael said objectively: "Given that scenario, the trial might turn unfavorable." "If they're unscrupulous enough, they might even hint that Peter Pettigrew should give testimony against Black..." Lupin's face turned pale and his brows furrowed in a deep, troubled expression. He murmured, "Wade, that plan we prepared..." After a moment of thought, Wade nodded. "I was planning to hold off on the news... but now, it seems this may be the best time." Lupin's tense expression relaxed a bit. He couldn't help but say, "Thank goodness you prepared in advance... I thought it was overkill at first..." "What else have you done?" Michael asked, curious. "We lined up a few journalists to break some major news," Wade replied simply. If they waited until the Ministry's public trial to release the story, it might hurt Fudge's credibility and potentially force him and his allies out of office sooner. But that would introduce more risks. The biggest concern was that while Fudge might appear weak, he is ruthless enough to take extreme measures. If he saw things turning against him, he might have Sirius and Peter killed together. "Prison suicides" of convicted criminals weren't uncommon. Fudge would only need a couple of "temporary workers" to deflect the blame. Even if Dumbledore were furious, what could he realistically do? Dumbledore, no matter how outraged, would never storm the Ministry and take Fudge down, which is why Fudge felt emboldened to repeatedly challenge the head of the White Wizards. Before heading back to school, Wade contacted Marchionne. Early the next morning, Marchionne sent Wade several newspapers. France, the United States, Germany, New Zealand, Italy... Newspapers from several major countries ran similar stories, narrating a mysterious and suspenseful story unfolding in the UK. In the wizarding world, distance hardly mattered, and news quickly reached the UK. How could British mainstream media tolerate others stealing their front-page headlines? On the third day, The Daily Prophet ran an eye-catching story: [Hero or Traitor? The Eleven-Year Mystery of Peter Pettigrew's Crimes Revealed!] On the front page were two large photos. One showed Sirius Black, with a gaunt face and tangled, disheveled long hair. The other displayed Peter Pettigrew, bald with a round face and a timid expression. Wade was pleased to see that the reporter had nearly copied the entire story from the international coverage, narrating the tale in a suspenseful and provocative style that drew readers in. Anyone who read the article would likely come to their own conclusion: Peter Pettigrew, once awarded the Order of Merlin, was the true traitor, and the Ministry of Magic had made a grave mistake in this case. After the newspapers were delivered, the entire Great hall was abuzz with discussion, and hardly anyone focused on eating. At the staff table, the professors were each absorbed in a copy, and occasionally discussed in hushed voices—most of them hadn't yet heard about Peter Pettigrew's capture, aside from those directly involved. Wade quickly finished his meal, then returned to the Room of Requirement and opened his Book of Friends, which was slightly warm to the touch. [Marchionne: A reporter contacted me—Fudge is very unhappy with their coverage. The Ministry forbade them from portraying Sirius as an innocent victim, putting a lot of pressure on the paper.] [Wade: Wasn't it Barty Crouch Senior from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement who sent Sirius Black to prison without a trial? Shift the blame to him, minimize Fudge's role, and the Ministry should be less opposed.] [Marchionne: Weren't you trying to undermine Fudge's credibility?] [Wade: It's just a temporary measure. There will be plenty of opportunities to bring this back up later.] Marchionne carefully drew a large thumbs-up on the page and wrote: [Marchionne: This will make things a lot easier; I'll convince them to go along with it.] [Wade: Tell them I can increase their pay.] [Marchionne: ... Then there won't be any problem.] [Marchionne: But I have one more question—do you mind?] [Wade: Go ahead.] [Marchionne: Why are you going to such lengths to clear Sirius Black's name? After all, you don't know him personally.] After a long pause, Wade finally wrote on the page: [Wade: The law is meant to protect the innocent. When justice is corrupted, order falls apart.] [Wade: If those in power can manipulate the law to persecute the innocent, and we have the means to prevent it but choose not to—then who will stand up for us when such persecution comes for us too?] After a long silence, Marchionne's reply appeared: [Marchionne: Looking forward to meeting you next weekend, Wade.] -------------------------------- ????????Please consider supporting this translation project by becoming a P@treon member!!! Your support is greatly appreciated! Available on my P@treon page for just $4!! 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