160: A Truth and The Truth

160: A Truth and The Truth

The wizarding world may live like it's stuck in the last century, but some things really are convenient.

For example, right now, Sirius was groggily waking up after being doused with cold water.

With his sense of smell ruined by John's dung bomb earlier, he hadn't noticed Snape sneaking up on him and was caught completely off guard.

He heard a vaguely familiar voice, though his brain hadn't fully caught up.

"Come on, dear, time to drink your medicine."

Half-conscious, he felt a cup pressed to his lips, and, without thinking, he gulped down the liquid. It was only after swallowing that he jolted to his senses.

Looking up, he saw John cheerfully holding a water cup, looking unsettlingly caring, like he was doting on a patient.

Then he noticed a pale, sallow face hovering beside John. Instinctively, Sirius muttered, "Snivellus Snake-Ape?"

".."

John observed that Snape's face somehow grew even darker.

"Wait!" Realizing the situation, Sirius flew into a rage. "What did you make me drink?!"

"Veritaserum, of course. Didn't I just say it was medicine?" John replied innocently.

Sirius felt a chill run down his spine; from his perspective, this duo was the ultimate nefarious tag team.

This was his old school-days nemesis, the one he clashed with constantly, and now being at his mercy felt no different than being back in Azkaban.

Seeing the effects of the Veritaserum kick in, John was very satisfied. He conjured a chair, sat down, and smiled. "So, this isn't exactly our first meeting, is it, Sirius Black?"

"You're pretty skilled; that mist was your work, wasn't it?"

Unable to resist, Sirius sat on the damp ground and said, "But before I answer, I have something to say."

"Please, go on." John noticed Snape still wore an icy expression, as though he might whip out his wand and fire a Killing Curse any moment.

John, for his part, wanted to dig up more secrets, especially any related to Voldemort. After all, he and Voldemort were sworn enemies, and John had already destroyed two of his Horcruxes.

While Sirius had been unconscious, John had learned a lot.

Snape had revealed that Sirius was responsible for the deaths of the Potters.

This made John all the more eager for any secrets. As a double agent, Sirius surely knew more than the average Death Eater, right?

After twelve years in Azkaban, Sirius's mental state was a little unhinged. He looked at John, his expression heavy. "I'm not a murderer. It was him—the one hiding!"

As he spoke, he broke into a shout, bordering on hysteria.

Out of reflex, John slapped Sirius across the face, and, being a swordsman by trade, he didn't hold back. Sirius's face swelled immediately and he snapped back to his senses after the slap, mumbling, "It was him... that coward. He betrayed James... he betrayed James!"

John glanced at Snape, wondering if the hit had jarred something loose in Sirius's head. Snape, however, looked at Sirius's swollen face with something close to eager anticipation.

"Alright, so you're saying you're not the murderer. Then who is?"

John had intended to ask about Voldemort, but seeing Sirius in this state, he decided to follow along.

"Peter Pettigrew!" Sirius's bloodshot eyes were wild with fury.

Snape and John listened in silence.

Barring the possibility that Sirius was a master of Occlumency or that the truth serum had failed, his words exposed a tremendous scandal within the Ministry of Magic.

"Professor, how do you plan to handle him?"

Breaking the silence, John was the first to speak.

Snape glanced at him, as if not quite understanding what he meant.

John gave a slight smile, revealing eight teeth, and said, "I mean, don't you think it's time to settle your old grudge with him?"

"Ah.."

Sirius also looked up at John, who, in his Slytherin uniform, spoke in a calm, harmless tone.

"No one knows he's here, not even the Aurors. We could just say he attacked a student, eliminate him on the spot, or hand him over to the Dementors to have his soul sucked out."

A chill ran through the hearts of the two adult wizards, who looked at John, shock and horror in their eyes.

Snape's reaction was one of astonishment—he hadn't expected John to say something like that.

Sirius's reaction was one of terror; John knew the truth, yet could calmly speak such words.

This meant John didn't care in the least about the life of an innocent person.

Terrifying.

Both wizards felt a deeply unsettling fear creep over them.

Snape, his expression stern, reprimanded him, "Mr. John Wick!"

John shrugged and said, "Alright, the professor is being generous. If possible, I'd like to keep him locked up for now. After all, we still need to verify what's true."

Snape's expression softened a bit, as John refrained from voicing any more disturbing ideas.

In fact, John planned to use Sirius as leverage in discussions with the Ministry of Magic. Now, knowing the truth of this twelve-year-old case made things even juicier.

Peter Pettigrew had been awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class, for his so-called "heroic sacrifice" and was celebrated as a hero.

But now, the fate of this "hero" was solely in John's hands.

If Rufus Scrimgeour continued with his current stance, John wouldn't mind making the truth public, letting people see the Ministry's scandal—the real truth of the wrongful conviction and their honoring of a Death Eater as a hero.

But if Scrimgeour continued to be a reliable partner to "Johnny Silverhand," John could keep the truth buried, giving Scrimgeour a big favor and letting the Ministry's reputation remain intact.

With Professor Snape present, however, John chose not to speak so bluntly.

After securing Sirius, John and Snape left the Forbidden Forest side by side.

Snape's steps were brisk, and John watched as he departed.

Regardless of the choices ahead, tracking down Peter Pettigrew was essential.

With a deep gaze, John ran his fingers over his ring—a pitch-black ring, cursed with a terrible spell. Through the dark gemstone, it looked like a pool of shadowy water swirling within.

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