Hearing Harry's request, Sebastian discreetly raised an eyebrow.
Among the Marauders, only Professor Lupin got along well with him because of his reasonable nature.
James and Sirius's relationship with him, however, was at an all-time low.
Sebastian couldn't be bothered to clear Sirius's name.
He silently sat to the side, waiting for the others to answer Harry's questions.
Hagrid's breathing became heavy, his thick shoulders rising and falling with each breath, as if he was trying to control his emotions.
Finally, he took a deep breath and said sullenly, "He was a shameful traitor, there's nothing more to say."
Traitor?
Harry's heart sank abruptly.
Who did he betray?
If it concerned him, did that mean he betrayed his parents?
His breathing quickened, and he turned to Professor Lupin, hoping he could elaborate.
Professor Lupin remained silent, his eyes fixed on the ground, his brows slightly furrowed, seemingly lost in distant memories.
His fingers lightly rubbed the teacup, trying to soothe the turmoil within him with this action.
"What exactly did he do, can you tell me, Professor Lupin?" Harry's voice trembled slightly.
Finally, Professor Lupin looked up, his face complex, his eyes filled with pain and struggle.
Originally, he didn't want to tell Harry the cruel truth, but when he saw Harry's eyes, his heart ached, and he completely softened.
Forget it, he should tell Harry.
No matter what, he had the right to know the truth of what happened back then.
"Harry," Professor Lupin's voice was low and hoarse, as if every word had been chewed for a long time before being spoken, "If possible, I really don't want to mention this person to you."
"Sirius, he was originally…"
"Remus!" Mia urgently interrupted, cutting off what Professor Lupin was about to say, "Today is Harry's birthday!"
"Aunt Mia," Harry pleaded, "Please let Professor Lupin tell me."
"Just let this truth be my birthday present, okay?"
Hagrid's anger, Professor Lupin's hesitation, and Mia's attempts to stop them made Harry's heart feel as if it was being torn by thousands of ants.
His mind was in utter chaos, unable to find peace.
He felt that if he didn't uncover the truth, he would surely go mad.
Seeing Harry's pained expression, Mia's heart softened, and she opened her mouth, trying to say something.
But in the end, she chose silence, simply coming to Harry's side and holding his hand.
"Mia," Professor Lupin looked at Mia and gently advised, "If we don't tell Harry,"
"He will definitely piece together the truth of what happened back then on his own."
"Rather than that, it's better for us to tell him exactly what happened."
Professor Lupin took a deep breath and turned to face Harry, his gaze profound, carrying an unspeakable sorrow.
"Harry, I know you yearn for the truth," his voice was heavy, "We didn't tell you because we didn't want you to get hurt."
"But I've realized that some truths are unavoidable, especially when you are already at the center of the vortex."
Professor Lupin paused, as if he had already organized his next words.
"Sirius Black was once your father's closest friend. They were brothers, not by blood, but their bond was deeper than that of blood brothers."
"He and James, and Peter, the four of us…" A bitter smile appeared on his lips, "The four of us were the closest companions at Hogwarts."
Closest friends?!
Just like him and Ron?
Upon hearing this answer, Harry's pupils suddenly constricted.
Sure enough, this guy betrayed his parents.
A complex emotion surged within him, a mix of curiosity and a faint sense of fear.
His body tensed, leaning slightly forward, listening intently to Professor Lupin's words, afraid of missing a single one.
Professor Lupin continued, "At that time, Lord Voldemort's power grew stronger, and the shadow of war loomed over the Wizarding World. Many trembled under the dark mark. Betrayal and treachery became commonplace in the war."
"For some reason, your parents, James and Lily, were chosen to be Lord Voldemort's primary targets."
"And you had just been born not long ago, so for safety's sake, your parents decided to hide your home using the Fidelius Charm."
"It is an extremely powerful magic that can forever hide a secret within the soul of the Secret-Keeper."
"As long as the Secret-Keeper doesn't reveal it, no one will know the location of your home, not even You-Know-Who."
Secret-Keeper?
Reveal?
Harry's heart was pounding, he could almost hear the sound of his own heartbeat. Although he had a vague idea of what was coming, he still found it hard to believe the truth he was about to hear.
"James chose his most trusted friend—Sirius Black—as the Secret-Keeper." Professor Lupin's voice grew lower and lower, each word as heavy as a mountain, pressing down on Harry's heart.
"You mean…" Harry felt his head explode, his thoughts chaotic.
He tried to say something, but the words caught in his throat.
Professor Lupin's voice was filled with pain: "Yes, Harry. Sirius, he betrayed your parents… He revealed your parents' hiding place to You-Know-Who."
So that's how it was…
Harry felt as if the whole world had come to a standstill.
He couldn't believe, or even didn't want to believe, what he had just heard.
He had always thought that his parents were directly found and killed by Lord Voldemort.
But the truth was so cruel; who would have thought that their closest friend betrayed them, personally pushing them into the abyss.
"But why?" Harry's voice trembled slightly, filled with anger and grief, "Why did he do that?"
"We don't know why, Harry, no one can understand his motive for betrayal." Professor Lupin closed his eyes, as if suppressing his inner pain.
"Perhaps it was fear, or perhaps Lord Voldemort's temptation… But whatever the reason, the result was the same."
"Your parents were killed by Lord Voldemort, and Sirius, after killing Peter, was caught by Aurors and imprisoned in Azkaban."
"And now he has escaped from Azkaban, and it's very likely he's coming for you."
Hagrid could no longer suppress the anger in his heart, he stood up, clenching his fists and growling, "If I catch him, I'll break all his bones."
"That bastard doesn't deserve to be your godfather, Harry!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, everyone stared at him, as if blaming Hagrid for revealing that information.
Hagrid, realizing his slip of the tongue, clapped a hand over his mouth and sat back on the sofa sheepishly.
Harry felt as if he was standing on a glacier, with no warmth around him, making his hands and feet feel cold.
"Godfather?" he repeated softly, "That person is my godfather?"
"Heh heh—"
He desperately wanted to stand up and scream hysterically, but a wave of powerlessness filled his entire body.
He stood up and, under everyone's worried gazes, stumbled towards his room.
"I'm too tired, I'm going back to sleep first…"
Undoubtedly, Harry suffered from insomnia.
He lay in bed, tears streaming down his face, his mind constantly flashing with the faces of his parents, Lord Voldemort's sinister grin, and Sirius's distorted image on the wanted poster.
Sirius Black.
I must catch you and make you atone for my parents!
Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Harry got dressed and went to the small dueling arena at Swan Manor.
He desperately practiced all the offensive spells, refusing to rest even when he was drenched in sweat.
There was only one thing on his mind: to improve his strength and then take revenge with his own hands.
At nine in the morning, Harry saw Sebastian walking towards the manor's main gate, then opening it to welcome a short, stout man.
He heard Sebastian's voice from afar.
"What brings you here, Minister Fudge?"
…