Snape, the Sunshine of Hogwarts.

Chapter 207 This is a bottle of truth serum
Severus's words not only attracted the attention of Harry and Lupin, but also made Black, who had been slumped in the corner, suddenly raise his dog head.

He looked at Severus without any excitement or gratitude, only his deep, cold eyes meeting Severus's gaze.

Severus simply smiled and shrugged at his gaze, while explaining to Lupin and Harry.

"During dinner, I noticed that someone was spying on us, so I added an extra layer of more discreet surveillance magic in addition to the tent's own protection."

"So, I spotted Black as soon as he sneaked in. After entering the tent, he first quietly went into Harry's room, but he didn't make a move against Harry, who was fast asleep. Instead, he stood by the bed for a long time before coming out and then coming to my room to grab me."

"If he really wanted to do something to Harry, then that was the best opportunity."

Severus analyzed calmly.

"If he is, as the charges against him suggest, a loyal henchman of the Man of Void who hates Harry to the core, then why was he unwilling to take action? And why did he choose to capture me instead of killing me directly?"

His words made Lupin and Harry think, but Black remained silent throughout, simply staring coldly at Severus.

Even now, Blake has absolutely no trust in Severus.

Harry's words just now, while confirming that James' son wasn't the kind of person who would betray his father, still made him feel deep down that Severus had ulterior motives in keeping Harry by his side.

And now, bringing this up at this time must be for some ulterior motive!

"Many people speculate that he and Barty Crouch Jr. escaped together in a planned way. The fact that he was able to come here and find us might also be part of a plan by his group to capture you and Harry alive?"

Lupin guessed.

Severus shook his head at this.

“You know I still have contact with Lucius and his gang, and I know a bit about Barty Jr.’s group. I can confirm that Black’s escape from Azkaban has nothing to do with them. Since his escape, he has never had any communication with Barty Jr. and his group, and has always been a loner.”

Upon hearing Severus vouch for Black, Lupin looked back at his former best friend.

"Is there anything you'd like to say, Sirius?"

In response to his question, the No. 3 radio around Blake's neck merely let out a sneer.

"What do you want to say? What else could I possibly want to say? Do you want to kill me or hand me over to the Aurors?"

Lupin clearly knew his temperament well; from his student days until now, even after so many years in prison in Azkaban, his character had never changed.

It was precisely because of this that Lupin had always wanted to know exactly when Black had completely betrayed them and joined Voldemort's side.

It was precisely because everyone knew his character that no one ever doubted that he could be the one to betray James.

However, after Black was captured, Wizengamo did not conduct any public trial, but instead announced the verdict directly, sentencing him to life imprisonment in Azkaban.

This completely deprived Lupin of the opportunity to communicate with Black.

Now, Lupin is well aware that it's impossible to get Blake, this stubborn dog, to lower his head and engage in reasonable communication.

Just like back in their Hogwarts days, when there were internal conflicts, no matter whose fault it was, he was always the first to speak up and offer a way out.

“I have always been surprised and confused by your betrayal. I have written to Dumbledore many times, asking him to help me apply for magical permission to visit you in Azkaban. But prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment are generally not allowed to be visited.”

Lupin pulled a chair from Severus's room and sat down in front of Black, adopting an open and frank demeanor.

However, Blake's gaze remained unchanged. He stared coldly at Lupin without uttering a word, as if he had become mute.

“I know what you're bothered by about me; you think I shouldn't be involved with Severus right now.” Lupin looked at him calmly.

"It is precisely because I can guess how you feel right now that I find it even more incomprehensible that you betrayed me in the past. You still hate Severus, but this hatred is not what people outside say, that you hate him for betraying the Man of Void. Rather, it is the same as always, that you hate him for his association with the Death Eaters of Slytherin, thinking that he must have ill intentions."

Finally, Blake spoke, his gaze icy as he looked at Lupin, while the announcer's loud voice rang out over broadcast number three.

"Since you understand all this, why do you still hang out with this snotty-nosed guy!"

“You are very smart, Sirius.” Lupin looked at him sincerely. “I have always thought you are the smartest of the four of us, but it is precisely because of your intelligence that you are very arrogant and always think that having this innate intelligence is enough, but that is obviously wrong.”

"I have always felt that I am an ordinary person. It is the greatest honor of my life to know you and be your friends. That's why I like to read books, learn from books, and use my eyes to see, my ears to hear, and my brain to think."

His words were not only spoken to Black in front of him, but also clearly heard by Harry and Severus standing behind him.

"When I first met Harry, he was among the werewolves that Fenrir had organized. He said he was captured along with Severus. At that time, like you, I had a lot of prejudice against Severus, just like in my school days, and I thought he was a stubborn villain."

"I initially chose to follow him simply because I was uneasy about Harry being with him, and I was also afraid that James' son would end up being raised to be the kind of person he once hated the most."

"After that, I heard the story of Severus's return to the world in England. Of course, I was skeptical of such rumors, but after spending so many days with Severus and Harry, I became certain that he was no longer the Severus Snape we used to know."

Lupin's words were incredibly sincere. He was clearly not just trying to appease him; regardless of whether Black was truly guilty, he genuinely wanted to share his changing opinion of Severus with him.

“He’s really different from before, and he’s qualified enough to be a good teacher for Harry. It’s also because of him that I’ve cleared up the misunderstanding between my father and me after so many years.” “I’ve even decided that all these years of wandering around have been irresponsible to my family. After things are over in Albania, I will go home and live with my father for a while.”

"These changes were all brought to me by the changed Severus."

"I'm telling you all this because I want to tell you that no matter what you've been through, or why you betrayed us, Sirius, as long as you tell your story, as long as what you say is true, then both I and Harry Severus will use our eyes, our ears, and our brains to judge what is true."

After Lupin finished speaking, the room fell silent.

After raising his doubts about Black, Severus remained silent, knowing that if he voiced his suspicions, Lupin would surely discover the problem.

Black's remarks to Harry, though full of prejudice and arrogance, were also a genuine expression of his feelings. Lupin, who was his close friend, could certainly see that if Black were truly the traitor in the verdict and a staunch supporter of Voldemort, he would never be able to show such emotions at this moment.

Therefore, Severus only needs to get to the point; saying more would only backfire.

The silence lasted for a long time, almost a full minute, until Draco had already run back to his room to get an ear pick to clean his ears. Only then did Black slowly speak again.

“I am not the traitor. The real traitor is Peter Pettigrew.”

His gaze was calm, yet the announcer's voice was loud and clear.

Harry, standing behind, stared wide-eyed. He didn't know much about the past, but he was shocked by Black's words.

Although Lupin's expression remained calm, the slight contraction in his pupils betrayed his inner turmoil.

However, just as Lupin promised Black, he was willing to listen to whatever came to mind, no matter how absurd or outrageous it was.

"Could you elaborate? I know very well that after the swearing of the 'Loyalty' spell, James and the others chose you as their confidant."

"Yes, it was me. Everyone knows that I am his closest friend, even better than a brother! So, the fact that I am the one who keeps the spell secret can't be a secret at all. So, I thought I was being clever and came up with a better way."

Blake's eyes clearly showed pain.

"I brought in Peter and had James replace me with him as the Secret Agent. I thought the plan was foolproof and no one could have guessed it, but I never expected that Peter had already submitted to Voldemort at that time!"

He buried his dog head in his paws, and then stopped talking.

There was no need for him to say anything more; through this incident alone, Lupin already understood why Black would relentlessly pursue Peter!
"Then why don't you tell us?" Lupin asked, puzzled. "If you just tell Dumbledore, tell me, we will definitely find a way to clear your name and prove your innocence!"

“But I am not innocent. I am clearly guilty, aren’t I?” Blake suddenly shouted.

This wasn't something the announcer on Radio Number Three did on his own initiative; anyone could tell from his wide-open mouth that he was shouting.

Raising his head again, Black didn't look at Lupin again, but instead met Harry's eyes behind Lupin.

“I am guilty because my cleverness led to the deaths of James and Lily! I indirectly caused all of this! I have no face to say these things. Even killing Peter cannot make up for my mistakes, so I have chosen to accept this guilt and stay in Azkaban to atone for my sins for the rest of my life!”

His words made Harry feel like he couldn't breathe.

The young Harry didn't understand what the Unwavering Faithful Charm was or what the Secret Keeper was, but he could tell from Lupin and Black's conversation that the man in front of him, who was considered by the outside world to be the biggest villain who betrayed his parents, seemed to be more than just a simple person as rumored!
Lupin remained silent for a long time before finally speaking again.

"Where's the evidence? What other evidence do you have to prove this?"

Blake lowered his head again, lay on the ground, and offered no further explanation.

“There’s no evidence. Peter is already dead, and James and Lily, who knew the Secret Service had been replaced, are also dead. No one can testify for me anymore.”

Before he could finish speaking, Lupin reacted quickly and suddenly said...

"No! We don't have anyone here who can testify for you, but those core Death Eaters must know about Peter's betrayal, right? They're imprisoned in Azkaban. If the Ministry of Magic reopens their case and extracts the truth from them, your story will be proven!"

In response to his words, Blake simply said dismissively.

"The Ministry of Magic wasn't even willing to hold a trial for me back then, and now you want them to re-interrogate those people in Azkaban just to prove something for me, only to slap themselves in the face? You're too naive and overestimate those politicians."

“We can ask Dumbledore for help. He is the chief archmage of Wizengamor. As long as he questions the fact that you were never tried, he will definitely be able to get the Ministry of Magic to reopen the trial!” Lupin said, still unwilling to give up.

At this moment, Severus, who hadn't said much until now, suddenly smiled and spoke.

"Actually, if you want to prove whether what he just said is true or not, I have a simpler and more direct way."

At that moment, everyone's eyes were on him, whether it was Harry, Lupin, or Black lying on the ground.

Faced with their gazes, Severus simply took a small vial of potion from his pocket and shook it gently.

"This is a bottle of truth serum."

(End of this chapter)