Hogwarts: Not Even Voldemort Can Stop My Learning

Wade's Book of Friends, designed for tracking, sold only moderately well. Parents mostly bought them to put on their children, treating them like protective charms.

Wade, of course, had various templates of the Book of Friends himself.

After he got the Marauder's Map, he improved the tracking Book of Friends based on the magical circuit patterns he learned from the map, making it smaller, more accurate in location display, and its magical fluctuations more concealed.

After capturing Peter Pettigrew, Wade used a Sticking Charm to attach a tracking Book of Friends to the back of the man's head.

He had shrunk the Book of Friends significantly with a Shrinking Charm. Even if Peter Pettigrew turned into a rat, it would probably be mistaken for an accidental speck of dust.

With this, Wade could track Peter Pettigrew's location in real-time.

To Percy, Ron, and others, handing Peter over to the Ministry of Magic would solve everything, but Wade didn't see it that way.

In fact, his initial decision to risk catching Peter with the Weasley brothers himself, rather than seeking help from Dumbledore or Professor McGonagall, was based on the same reasoning.

Wade had no faith in the Ministry of Magic's competence, integrity, or accountability.

And while Dumbledore was one of the most powerful wizards in the world, he had a tendency to "imprison himself."

Even though he could easily crush Fudge and Umbridge with one hand, in the story, he continually tolerated them using various absurd decrees to restrict his power and persecute the school's teachers and students.

Not only that, but starting from his second year, the Ministry of Magic repeatedly encroached upon Hogwarts, arresting people Dumbledore believed innocent under grand pretexts, forcing Dumbledore to leave the school on more than one occasion, and later slandering him as an old lunatic.

And Dumbledore?

He was always yielding.

Dumbledore would subtly nudge the needle within the rules, guiding events in the direction he desired, but he wouldn't directly overturn the table.

Influenced by Dumbledore, most of the professors at the school—such as Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, Professor Sprout, and so on—handled matters similarly.

So, after catching Peter Pettigrew, Dumbledore would question him privately, but ultimately, he would hand him over to the Ministry of Magic for investigation and judgment.

He had his own expectations for the outcome, but he wouldn't arbitrarily use his power to interfere with the Ministry's investigation results or force Fudge and others to rule according to his wishes.

Even if the final outcome was completely contrary to his expectations, his first approach would be to try to achieve it within the bounds of the law, rather than directly saying, "Fudge, this must be done this way, or I'll have you removed from office!"

For ordinary people, it was undoubtedly a great blessing that the person with the greatest power consistently adhered to the law and exercised self-restraint.

But when facing someone incompetent who arbitrarily broke rules in the name of law, was consumed by a lust for power, and refused to take responsibility, Dumbledore's "adherence to the law" became frustrating.

Wade couldn't place his hopes on Dumbledore.

Nor could he, like the trio in the original story, naively pore over legal texts trying to change the outcome when the Ministry of Magic made an unfavorable ruling. Or regret missing the best opportunity when things spiraled out of control.

Because he knew that regret was useless, and mistakes came with a price.

...

During the Umbrella Room gathering the next day, Harry told everyone exactly what had happened, with Fred and George adding details.

Since the Battle Royale began, the twin brothers had also joined the SSC. Their Spell proficiency had advanced by leaps and bounds, and when they didn't have classes, they would research Alchemy with Wade.

"Such a big thing, you should've called us to participate," Michael complained to Wade.

"You can't get into the Gryffindor common room," Wade said. "Besides, to succeed at something, the first rule is to keep it a secret. What if Wormtail had accidentally overheard us discussing it?"

"So... the former hero was the traitor, and the one who ended up in jail was actually framed?" 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, he's been in Azkaban for eleven years... I can't even imagine."

"What kind of place is Azkaban?" Harry asked.

"It's the most terrifying place in the world, a wizard prison," Theo said, unconsciously lowering his voice. "Dementors guard it."

"Dementors?" Harry still didn't understand.

"They're monsters that suck happiness, making you remember the most terrible things."

Theo shivered involuntarily. "I had an uncle who stayed in Azkaban for three months once. He nearly went mad when he came out. He said he'd rather die than go back to that place."

A shadow of worry crossed Harry's face.

He nearly went mad in just three months, so what about eleven years?

Would his godfather... have already gone insane?

Even so...

Even so... I'll take good care of him... Harry thought.

Because even if Sirius Black had gone mad, it was to protect his family.

It was his responsibility, and what his parents would have wanted him to do.

...

For several days straight, Ron felt sick whenever Scabbers was mentioned, until Harry asked Lupin to buy an Owl for Ron as compensation for losing his pet.

It was a very beautiful Owl, with eyes that sparkled like luminous pearls. Its radial feathers resembled pointed cat ears, and its mottled brownish-yellow plumage was like a leopard's, giving it a very majestic appearance.

The joy of a new pet instantly overshadowed the disgust and frustration caused by the previous one. Ron spent all day showing off his Owl, absolutely delighted.

Harry was also thrilled, practically counting down the days until his godfather's release.

Over the weekend, Marchioni was too busy with work and had to postpone his meeting with Wade.

So Wade and the others used the Vanishing Cabinet to go to Hogsmeade. Upon arriving at Lupin's house, they all saw that Lupin had rehung the photo on the wall, only this time Peter Pettigrew's face was covered.

Finally, Sirius's full face was revealed, handsome and elegant, with black hair falling messily over his eyes and a pair of striking, smiling grey eyes.

"His eyes are grey, just like yours!" Michael exclaimed in surprise.

"Yeah, they are," Wade replied, a little surprised himself.

Harry studied the photo, looking at it again and again, an unconscious silly grin spreading across his face.

Lupin looked at him, his smile subtly tinged with worry.

"What's wrong?" Wade asked him.

"I don't know… but I have a bad feeling," Lupin said vaguely. "I applied to visit Sirius, but I was denied. And there are some unfavorable rumors…"

"Rumors?"

"Someone's put forward a theory…"

Lupin lowered his voice so no one else could hear: "That Sirius and Peter both served Voldemort… Eleven years ago, after James and Lily were killed, they framed Sirius, and Peter went into hiding, waiting for his chance…"

"Eleven years later, Peter's exposed, and now he's trying to clear Sirius's name… to ensure there's always a loyal Death Eater out there working for Voldemort…"

Even Wade was stunned for a good while before he said, half-admiringly, half-sarcastically:

"What an imagination… Didn't they ever consider why the two of them couldn't have escaped together back then?"

"Exactly, and some people actually believe such an absurd theory."

Lupin could barely hide his emotions: "Most importantly, the Ministry of Magic seems to support this theory…"

"Who's that stupid?" Michael, having overheard, naturally chimed in.

"Minister of Magic Fudge. I hear he provided crucial testimony."

Lupin gave a wry smile: "Back then, he was the Deputy Head of the Department of Magical Catastrophes. They were among the first to arrive at the scene after Peter committed the murders."

"He testified that… when there were bodies everywhere, Sirius stood there laughing maniacally, and he was still laughing when he was arrested, like a madman seeking desperate revenge because his master had failed…"

"Aside from Sirius, almost all of the Black family were staunch Pure-blood supporters and always supported Voldemort. Sirius had a younger brother who willingly joined the Death Eaters before even graduating from school."

"So Fudge doesn't believe Sirius is innocent. He seems to think… if Sirius were released, he'd find a way back to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and this loyal and insane servant would surely help He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named rise again…"

"Doesn't the Ministry of Magic always maintain that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was defeated?" Wade asked.

"That's what they say publicly, of course." Lupin shook his head. "Fudge says… he's just presenting a possibility… a possibility that makes him shudder just thinking about it…"

"No one wants He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named back, except for the Death Eaters."

Michael said objectively, "Considering the circumstances, the trial might take an unfavorable turn."

"If they were even more despicable, they might even coerce Peter Pettigrew into giving testimony against Black…"

Lupin's face grew paler, his brows furrowed, and he seemed incredibly heavy-hearted.

He murmured, "Wade, that thing we prepared earlier…"

Wade thought for a moment before nodding: "I originally wanted to hold off on the news… but now it seems, perhaps this is the most opportune time…"

Lupin's tense expression eased somewhat, and he couldn't help but say, "Good thing you prepared in advance… I originally thought it was overkill…"

"What else did you do?" Michael asked curiously.

"Found a few reporters, planning to make big news," Wade said succinctly.

If they had waited longer, releasing the news when the Ministry of Magic held the public trial might have further damaged the credibility of Fudge and others, potentially forcing them out of office sooner.

But that would introduce even more variables.

Most importantly, while Fudge seemed subservient, he was a ruthless individual capable of "silencing witnesses." If the situation became too unfavorable for him, he might have Sirius and Peter killed together.

It wasn't uncommon for criminals to "commit suicide out of guilt" in prison, and Fudge could easily shirk responsibility by finding one or two "temporary workers." At that point, even if Dumbledore was displeased, what could he do?

No matter how angry Dumbledore got, he couldn't storm into the Ministry of Magic and eliminate Fudge. This was why the Minister had been so brazen in repeatedly provoking the white wizard.

Before returning to school, Wade contacted Marchioni.

Early the next morning, Marchioni sent Wade several newspapers.

France, America, Germany, New Zealand, Italy…

The most popular newspapers in several countries all carried similar news, telling a dramatic and perplexing story that had unfolded in Britain.

In the wizarding world, spatial distance meant little, and news flew to Britain in an instant.

How could the mainstream British media tolerate others stealing their front-page headlines?

On the third day, the Daily Prophet published a news story in incredibly prominent lettering—

Hero or Traitor? Eleven Years Later, Peter Pettigrew's Crime Exposed!

Two large photos were on the front page.

One was of Sirius Black, with a gaunt face and tangled, messy long hair.

The other was Peter Pettigrew, bald and round-faced, with a cowering expression.

Wade was pleased to see that the reporter had almost entirely copied the foreign reports, narrating the whole story with repeated questioning that made it particularly captivating.

Anyone who read the report would surely come to the conclusion that Peter Pettigrew, once awarded the Order of Merlin, was the true betrayer and that the Ministry of Magic had made a huge mistake in this case.

After the newspapers arrived, the entire Great Hall buzzed with discussion, and the students could barely focus on eating.

The professors at the faculty table each had a newspaper as well, occasionally discussing in hushed tones—most of the professors at Hogwarts were still unaware of Peter Pettigrew's capture, apart from those who were present that day.

Wade quickly finished his meal and, upon returning to the Room of Requirement, opened the slightly warm Book of Friends.

Marchioni: A reporter contacted me. Fudge is very unhappy with their report. The Ministry of Magic has forbidden them from portraying Sirius as an innocent victim and has put a lot of pressure on the newspaper.

Wade: Wasn't it Barty Crouch from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement who sent Sirius Black to Azkaban without a trial? If you shift the blame to him and downplay Fudge's role, the Ministry of Magic shouldn't object as much.

Marchioni: Aren't you trying to undermine Fudge's authority?

Wade: It's just a temporary measure. There will be plenty of opportunities to bring this up again later.

Marchioni earnestly drew a thumbs-up on the paper, then wrote:

Marchioni: That would reduce resistance significantly. I'll convince them to cooperate.

Wade: Tell them I can pay more.

Marchioni: ...Then there's no problem.

Marchioni: But I have another question, if I may?

Wade: Please ask.

Marchioni: Why are you doing so much to clear Sirius Black's name? You don't even know him.

After a long while, Wade wrote on the paper:

Wade: Laws are established to protect the innocent. If the rules are unjust, order will collapse.

Wade: If those in power use the law arbitrarily to persecute innocent people, and if we have the ability to change it but turn a blind eye, then when such persecution comes upon us, who will speak for us?

Much later, Marchioni's reply appeared:

Marchioni: I look forward to meeting you next weekend, Wade.

[Two-in-one chapter, one update today]

I've been busy these past few days, so updates might not be very consistent.

If I need to take a leave, I will explain it in the "Works Related" section.

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