Hogwarts Lion Girl

Lupin clenched his wand, his fingertips trembling slightly. Sirius Black, who used to be so high-spirited, was now emaciated, with unspeakable fatigue and pain in his eyes. For a moment, all kinds of emotions surged in his heart, anger, doubt, and even a little fear.

"Sirius...is it really you?" He spoke with difficulty, his voice as dry as if it had been polished by sandpaper.

"It's me, Remus," Sirius whispered, a hint of bitterness in his tone.

"You're mad, Sirius!" Lupin shouted. "James and Lily have been so kind to you, how could you ..."

Sirius smiled bitterly, "You think I'm a Death Eater. You think I betrayed James and Lily."

"Isn't it?" Lupin's voice trembled slightly, and he tried hard to control his emotions. "Back then, you killed Peter, and you even went crazy and laughed wildly in the street!"

"Shut up!" Sirius interrupted him abruptly, his hoarse voice like a wounded beast, "You know nothing! You don't know what I've been through!"

He held his head in pain, his body trembling slightly, as if he was trying to suppress something. After a long time, he raised his head, and the madness in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by endless sadness and despair.

"No, Remus, you're wrong!" Sirius raised his head suddenly, his eyes flashing with anger, "I have never betrayed James and Lily, and I would never hurt Peter! Peter is the real Death Eater. It was he who betrayed James and Lily, and it was he who faked his own death and put the blame on me!"

Sirius' words were like a thunderclap, exploding in Lupin's ears. He stood there in a daze, unable to digest this shocking truth for a moment.

"This is impossible..." Lupin muttered to himself. He couldn't believe that he had wrongly blamed Sirius all along, and the real murderer was Peter, whom he had always regarded as a friend!

"I know you have a lot of questions, but now is not the time to talk about them. Harry is in danger and we must leave here as soon as possible." Sirius' words were like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, causing a thousand waves.

Lupin suddenly remembered the boy in the photo, the boy who inherited Lily's emerald green eyes, the boy he swore to protect.

"What's wrong with Harry?" Lupin asked anxiously, gripping his wand even tighter, his knuckles turning bluish-white.

"Remus," Sirius whispered, "I know you don't believe me, but please, for the sake of the past, believe me once. I am not a Death Eater, and I have never betrayed James and Lily. I am here to protect Harry and the only bloodline left of Lily."

Lupin was silent. He could not ignore the sincerity in Sirius's eyes. He knew that although Sirius was impulsive and reckless, he would never betray his friends. But if he was not a Death Eater, then what was going on?

"Then why did you attack Harry?" Lupin asked, still with a hint of suspicion in his tone.

"I didn't!" Sirius said excitedly, "I admit that I wanted to go see Harry before, but I never thought of hurting him. It was Peter, the damn traitor, who betrayed James and Lily, and then framed me!"

"Peter?" Lupin looked at him in disbelief. "This is impossible! Peter is a coward, how dare he ..."

"Do you think he's really a coward?" Sirius sneered, "You've been fooled by him, Remus! He has been hiding it very well, pretending to be a coward to win everyone's sympathy. But in fact, he is a coward who is afraid of death. He can do anything to survive!"

Lupin was stunned, and Peter's honest face appeared in his mind. Could it be that he really had misjudged the person? Could it be that Sirius was really wronged?

"Remus, I don't have time to explain more to you." Sirius said anxiously, "Now, we must find Harry as soon as possible, otherwise it will be too late!"

He said, turning and walking out the door. Lupin hesitated for a moment, but finally followed him. He didn't know whether he should trust Sirius, but he knew that he couldn't leave Harry alone.

……

In the dim house, only a few rays of moonlight squeezed in through the gaps in the tattered curtains and shone on the dusty floor. A fat rat scurried around the room, gnawing on the few moldy crumbs. This was Peter Pettigrew's current hiding place. Or rather, a rat's nest.

"Damn Black! Damn Black Dog!" Peter cursed in a low voice, his tone full of fear and resentment, "He was able to escape from a hellhole like Azkaban. Is he crazy?"

He scratched his sparse hair hard, his sharp nails scratching his scalp, bringing waves of stinging pain, as if this could alleviate the fear and anxiety deep in his heart.

Ever since Black escaped from Azkaban, Peter has been like a frightened bird, and he is in a state of panic all day long. He knows that Black has only one goal, which is to find him and avenge James and Lily.

Peter covered his face in pain, his thoughts drifting back to his school days uncontrollably. The Sorting Hat hesitated for a long time on his head, and finally shouted "Gryffindor!" He clearly remembered that what sounded around him was not applause, but the exaggerated cheers of James and Black's group.

"I knew you would come to Gryffindor, Peter!" James excitedly hugged his neck and almost strangled him. Peter forced a smile, but his heart was full of bitterness. He didn't want any courage at all, he just wanted to live peacefully, like a mouse hiding in a cave, mediocre and safe.

"Coward!" Black laughed at him mercilessly, his tone full of contempt. Although Lupin said nothing, Peter saw the same contempt in his eyes.

They were always causing trouble in school, and he was like their little follower, forced to participate in all kinds of dangerous pranks. Every time facing the provocation of Slytherin, James and Black always rushed to the front, while he could only hide behind and tremble.

“If I had great power…” Peter clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his flesh. He remembered the day his father died, and his mother’s helpless cry still echoed in his ears. If he had great power, he could protect his mother and get rid of these damn shadows!

This idea grew wildly in his mind like a weed, and eventually devoured all his reason. He betrayed his friends and revealed the hiding place of the Potters to Voldemort. He thought he had found a strong support and could obtain the power and status he had always dreamed of.

However, Voldemort fell, and his former glory vanished. What awaited him was only endless fear and pursuit. He hid from place to place like a stray dog, and his former friends became his nightmare.