Chapter 127: Hatred and Resentment

"Because I suffered some stimulation," Peter said evasively. "That night Sirius used a terrible explosion spell, I had a finger blown off, and in fear and pain, I felt my spirit was a bit dazed."

"It probably took more than ten years for me to realize that I wasn't actually a rat, but a person," Peter began to speak more confidently. "But when I realized this, I felt there was no rush to change back. The youngest son of the Wei Silai family likes and takes care of Scabbers so much. I wanted to accompany him for a while longer as Scabbers. If Scabbers left him, he would be very sad."

Harry felt Luo En clench his hand.

"And thinking about it from another perspective, I actually have an obligation to atone. If I had volunteered to suggest to James earlier that I be the Secret-Keeper," Peter showed some guilt. "I'm not like Sirius, greedy for wealth and power in England. I could have gone far away, to a place where no one could find me, Albania or something, so James would be absolutely safe."

"Out of guilt and pain, I deceived myself, pretending that I really was James's Secret-Keeper now," Peter said, shedding tears. "I felt that if I could continue to hide my name, so that no one could find me, then James could still live well, hiding in a safe place, and no one could find him..."

In Peter's low sobbing, not only Lupin, but Harry also felt the truth began to become confusing.

"You think living as a rat counts as atonement?" Sirius said angrily. "I want to kill you a thousand times, and it wouldn't be enough!"

"Don't be hasty, Sirius. Then what about you?" Lupin pointed his wand at him again. "Isn't it also out of guilt and atonement that you spent thirteen years in prison with a clean record? If you are really innocent."

Sirius's lips quivered. He looked very annoyed, but at this moment, both he and Peter were without wands. Facing Lupin, who had a wand, he needed to consider how to gain Lupin's trust.

"Obviously, Mr. Werewolf," a low, cold voice came over. "Sirius has never changed; he has always been such a bad seed."

Taking advantage of their attention being on Snape, who had just lifted his Disillusionment Charm, the three children changed into new Disillusionment Charms.

"He just wants to gain your trust and then find an excuse to get close to Harry," Snape's wand pointed fixedly at Sirius. "Obviously this has nothing to do with the rat. Sirius broke out of prison because he heard the news of the Dark Lord's resurrection, right?"

"What? Voldemort has resurrected?" Sirius looked very shocked.

"That's right, he is recruiting old subordinates. You came here with a secret mission, didn't you?" Snape said slowly. "You intend to kill Harry, and of course, you can also deal with the fish that slipped through the net ten years ago."

"I see, you're the one with the mission, Snivellus?" Sirius sneered.

"I never intended to make things difficult for Harry, even though he is almost exactly the same as his annoying father," Snape said through gritted teeth. "In the end, I just have some old grudges with them, but I have a life-and-death hatred with you."

"Just because of this little shack?" Sirius said disdainfully. "If it weren't for you insisting on investigating Lupin's secret..."

Lupin, knowing there were three children in the room, was already a bit numb, but he didn't know that the three children also knew about this.

"But the main reason is because you betrayed Lily!" Snape roared. "I can never forgive..."

"But I told you the real traitor is Wormtail!" Sirius roared back.

"You think anyone cares about this rat-man?" Snape shook his head. "Would James choose him as Secret-Keeper? Would the Dark Lord find him to ask about James? Even that red-haired kid never used him to test medicine once."

In fact, Luo En didn't use Scabbers to test medicine because he had absolute confidence in his own potions, knowing they would definitely have problems.

"Then, rat-rat, I'll go first?" Peter said in a low voice. "I want to go back to Luo En's side. He really likes Scabbers."

"You can't go." The broken wardrobe in the Shrieking Shack suddenly opened. Johnny English, the tiger of the Auror Office, wearing a crisp black suit, with a wand in one hand and a gun in the other, appeared coldly in front of everyone.

"Professor Doudou?" Snape looked a bit confused.

"Call me Agent English." He took out his ID with his left hand and showed it to everyone present.

Sirius looked at the ID that was almost touching the tip of his nose, and the wand held by only two fingers behind the ID. After a moment of hesitation, he jumped up and snatched Johnny's wand.

Now Sirius and Snape were pointing their wands at each other, Lupin was staring at Peter and shielding the children behind him, only Johnny was holding his ID in one hand and a gun in the other, looking very Muggle.

Johnny blinked and slowly put his ID back into his pocket, saying: "Since you are now... aha!"

He took out another wand.

"A trump card always has a Plan B." He pointed his wand at Peter. "Now none of you can run."

In Snape's cold eyes, Johnny continued: "Setting aside the facts, just based on the crime of being an illegal Animagus, both of you must go to Azkaban for at least a year."

"And, if You-Know-Who has resurrected, I also need his specific portrait to draw a wanted poster," Johnny pointed his wand at Snape again. "We all know you used to be a favorite by his side, don't we?"

Lupin suddenly pointed his wand at Peter as well, and he said slowly: "I almost forgot that Snivellus might not be on our side now. He wants to protect you?"

"Even if it's just for the illegal Animagus," Peter said. "Agent English, you can take me away, as long as you can give Black the punishment he deserves, and make sure he can never kill anyone else again."

Sirius's eyes were almost spitting fire. Harry felt the tip of his wand seemed a bit green.

"Take Sirius back, sentence him to ten years in prison first, and we'll slowly try the rest later," Johnny nodded. "Now, put down your weapons..."

"Expelliarmus... ouch!" Sirius was just about to cast a Disarming Charm, but his wand was shattered by Johnny's shot. Harry was surprised to notice that good marksmanship was really useful.

Snape and Johnny worked together to conjure ropes to tie Sirius up, then Johnny took him into the wardrobe and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"They must have Apparated," Lupin said. "But Professor Doudou really has a soft spot for wardrobes."

"As for you, rat-man," Snape put away his wand disdainfully. "Take care of yourself."

"I think Agent English has already given an opinion on behalf of the Ministry of Magic," Lupin said lightly. "The evil liar should be Black. You just need to go and register your Animagus."

"Really?" Peter's tone sounded a bit unconfident.

"Relax, Peter," Lupin comforted. "Given that you helped them catch Sirius this time, I think the Ministry of Magic will award you another medal. In such dark times, your courage is precious."

"The Dark Lord won't let you go," Snape snorted coldly. "But what does that have to do with me? You'd better continue being your rat. I'm a kind person and won't tell anyone."

"In any case, I'm glad to see you're still alive," Lupin didn't care about Snape's mockery. "Let's go, Peter, we need to have a drink."

Snape rolled his eyes and then left through the secret passage, while Lupin signaled Harry to lift his disguise. The two adults took the three children to the Three Broomsticks pub.

"Open a room for our friend," Lupin said. "He just came back from an adventure in the wild and needs a good bath."

"Indeed," Peter said awkwardly. It might not have mattered when living as a rat, but once he turned back into a person, the smell on him made even himself unbearable.

Taking advantage of Peter going upstairs to bathe, Lupin ordered a Butterbeer for each of the children, then he said embarrassedly: "Perhaps you have guessed something. I think it's better not to hide it clearly."

Harry and Zhang Qiu's expressions were a bit strange, only Luo En was genuinely confused.

"Don't be afraid of what I'm about to say," Lupin paused. "I am a werewolf."

"Wow..." Harry tried his best to pretend he had just learned this.

"Actually, the Shrieking Shack isn't haunted; it's the place where I transform every time at Hogwarts," Lupin lowered his voice and said wearily.

"When I was very young, I was bitten. My parents tried every method to make me recover, but in that era, and even now, being a werewolf is an irreversible transformation. This resulted in me being unable to attend school at all. What parents would be willing to let their children be with a werewolf?"

"But later Dumbledore became headmaster. He is a compassionate person. To help me attend school, he took a series of measures, setting up the Shrieking Shack and the Whomping Willow, as well as that secret passage," Lupin looked straight at Harry. "On that day every month, I would sneak out of the castle through this and spend it in the Shrieking Shack... The Whomping Willow usually serves as a cover for the secret passage, and also to prevent anyone from breaking in rashly and encountering me after I transform, leading to accidents."

"Fortunately, life is much easier now. Damocles invented the Wolfsbane Potion, and Professor Snape can brew it—that allows me to keep my sanity when I transform."

Don't you think the days you transform every month are a bit wrong? Harry glanced at Zhang Qiu, but still didn't ask this question. ===== CHAPTER 128 =====