The Rune Mage Starting at Hogwarts

“Unanimously approved, I hereby declare Sirius Black innocent and acquitted,” Fudge said, striking down his gavel and announcing the end of a decade-long mistake.

"Furthermore, in accordance with the provisions of the Wizarding Legal Rights Act regarding compensation for wrongful convictions, the Ministry of Magic will pay appropriate compensation to Mr. Black for the ten years he was wrongfully imprisoned in Azkaban. Specific details will be negotiated between the Ministry of Magic and Mr. Black in the coming days."

Hearing the verdict, Harry felt as if a huge weight had finally been lifted from his chest.

He turned to look at Reiz, who was not far away, and saw that Reiz was comforting Mrs. Andromeda, who was wiping her eyes.

Below the judge's bench, Sirius stood alone in the center.

But with Peter Pettigrew's judgment, his dormant eyes finally regained some light.

After being comforted by Ryze and her husband, Andromeda, whose emotions had stabilized somewhat, quickly walked down the steps and headed straight for the gaunt man who looked nothing like himself.

“Sirius…” Andromeda stopped a few steps away from him, his voice trembling slightly.

Sirius looked at Andromeda: "It's been a long time, cousin Andromeda."

Andromeda stepped forward and gave her cousin, whom she hadn't seen for ten years, a tight hug: "I'm sorry, I couldn't have believed in you more firmly back then."

“Don’t say that, Andromeda, you don’t need to apologize for this,” Sirius laughed self-deprecatingly. “It was my own choice. If I wanted to rebel, I wouldn’t have let them send me to Azkaban back then.”

“Even now, I still feel that I should continue to atone for James and the others in Azkaban.”

“James would never want to see you like this, Sirius,” Andromeda released the hug, pressing her hands firmly on his shoulders, trying to dispel his negative thoughts. “You’ve been in that hell for ten years. Now that the truth is out, for the sake of those who still care about you, you have to live a better life!”

At that moment, Harry, who was watching Sirius Black and Andromeda talk from afar, felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Come on, Harry,” Dumbledore said softly, “go say hello to him. He needs a little support right now.”

Harry followed Dumbledore down the steps somewhat awkwardly.

At this moment, Sirius finally noticed the boy who looked remarkably like James, and his eyes immediately welled up with tears.

Chapter 119: The Godfather

Sirius Black stared intently at Harry.

His lips trembled violently, as if he were seeing his dearest friend from years ago for whom he would have given his life.

“James…”

But upon seeing those emerald green eyes, he snapped back to reality: "You're Harry! Albus was right, you really do look like your father..."

Harry didn't know what to say at that moment, but he could definitely feel the burning emotion in the other person's eyes.

“Hello, Mr. Black,” Harry greeted him somewhat awkwardly.

“Call me Sirius, Harry. You may not know this, but I’m actually your godfather now,” Sirius took a step forward, wanting to give Harry a hug, but he was also worried that his long-lost godson wouldn’t accept him.

Harry nodded silently, indicating that he knew this.

“I’m sorry, Harry, I should have taken care of you ten years ago,” Sirius said to Harry in a hoarse voice. “I should have been your guardian... but I messed everything up.”

“I’ve missed every moment of your growing up, and I don’t even know how you’re doing now, Harry.”

Harry whispered reassured him, "I'm fine, Sirius. After all, it's the Mysterious Man and Peter Pettigrew's fault."

He could sense the man's feelings for him, and he also felt a surge of attraction.

Now that Sirius is his godfather and has shown a willingness to take care of him, can he finally leave Dursley's house, which has no emotional connection to him?

Sirius seemed to realize from Harry's eyes that the other was also expecting something, and immediately looked up at Dumbledore.

“Albus, I want to take him with me,” he said suddenly, but it wasn’t surprising; it was just Sirius’s personality.

“I can take care of him now. I've restored my reputation, and I have enough money and ability to teach him... I can teach him everything James and I know…”

Upon hearing this, Harry's heart pounded wildly.

However, Dumbledore's words the next moment calmed Harry down a bit.

“Sirius, I completely understand how you feel,” Dumbledore said calmly. “But before we talk about guardianship, you need to go to St. Mungo’s and rest for a while. You’ve been in Azkaban for ten years, and your health is not good.”

Sirius seemed reluctant: "I know, but I can fix my own body, even if I don't go to St. Mungo's!"

Andromeda stepped forward and said firmly to Sirius, "Calm down. There's still a long way to go, Sirius. You have a lot to deal with right now: your health, the compensation from the Ministry of Magic... and Grimmauld Place, that place has been abandoned for far too long, including the affairs of the Black family."

"Do you really think you can take care of Harry before you've sorted out all these things?"

"If you want to be a good godfather, if you want to make amends to Harry, you must first make yourself more like a normal person."

Sirius was silent for a moment before slowly nodding.

“Come on, Sirius,” Dumbledore stepped forward and gently patted him on the shoulder. “The Aurors will escort you to St. Mungo’s, and of course, we’ll all be there with Harry.”

“Albus, I can walk on my own. I’ve persevered for the past ten years. A few more steps are nothing to me,” Sirius Black refused the offers of help from the Aurors who came to assist him, then...

The fishy shimmering water...

In the corridor outside the courtroom, Fudge, who had delivered the verdict in the case, was surrounded by a group of reporters from the Prophet's Daily.

He was speaking eloquently to the camera, looking quite greasy.

“...Yes, the Ministry of Magic is always committed to the pursuit of truth, and this review is a testament to our rigorous attitude,” Fudge’s voice echoed down the corridor.

His eyes lit up when he saw Sirius and his group come out from behind.

He subconsciously straightened his tie, preparing to take a photo with this "wrongfully accused hero" in front of the camera.

However, Dumbledore, who was walking ahead, simply shook his head slightly, and Fudge's expression became awkward.

But he was a seasoned politician after all; after a brief moment of regret, he turned back to the reporter from the Daily Prophet and recounted how, under his leadership, the Ministry of Magic had astutely uncovered the truth.

Listening to Fudge take all the credit, Sirius let out a cold laugh, while Andromeda merely glanced coldly at Fudge before looking away.

She gestured to the gray-haired woman, her eyes filled with a strange, unspoken message.

They quickened their pace, passing through the Ministry of Magic's Great Hall before being noticed, and used Floo Powder to reach St. Mungo's.

Since it was Harry's first time using Floo Powder, Dumbledore carefully taught him how to use the silver powder before he used it.

As Harry took a deep breath and mustered the courage to speak, he arrived at St. Mungo's Hospital after a violent spinning sensation, only to realize that there seemed to be only Dumbledore behind him.

As Dumbledore finally appeared, Harry asked him with some concern, "Where's Rhett? I just realized he hasn't been with us since the beginning. Could he have gotten lost in the Ministry of Magic?"

Upon hearing the name, Sirius also looked up sharply, realizing that he had not yet spoken to the other person.

"Uncle Alfard's son, I noticed that child next to you, Andromeda, who looks a lot like Alfard. That must be Rez, right? Where is he?"

Andromeda nodded, reassuring everyone: "So much has happened today, and we'll probably be staying in St. Mungo for quite some time, so Rez and Ted are going back to prepare lunch for everyone. They'll be here when they're ready."

She paused, then looked at Sirius: "Riz has always been a very opinionated child. He actually has a lot to say to you too. After all, this matter... oh, it's not easy to explain the specifics here. In short, he understands better that you need a therapist's help right now. So let's talk about these things after your condition stabilizes."

Sirius was a little confused, but he still nodded.

Just as several medical staff rushed over, he turned to look at Harry again.

Before Sirius could speak, Harry chimed in, "I'll stay too. You can go and get checked out."

Chapter 120: The Last Two Men of the Black Family

In a private ward on the fifth floor of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries, several senior healers had completed a full examination of Sirius Black and were now announcing the treatment plan to Sirius and Andromeda.

“The damage to his soul caused by long-term malnutrition and prolonged exposure to Dementors,” the healer’s voice carried a hint of sympathy, clearly knowing the truth about Sirius’s wrongful imprisonment.

“Mr. Black, it is a miracle in itself that you have been able to maintain this level of sanity after ten years in Azkaban.”

“Your treatment may take at least three months. In the next month, in addition to treatment, you must take strong tonics and sedatives on time every day. Before you are discharged from the hospital, I do not recommend that you perform any high-intensity spells.”

Sirius leaned against the hospital bed, slightly dissatisfied with the time elapsed.

His hair and beard had been given a simple trim, which restored some of his former handsomeness.

But when he saw Harry sitting in a chair to the side, he swallowed his complaints.

Then the therapist reminded Andromeda, "Mrs. Tonks, the patient's emotional fluctuations must not be too great. The shadow left by the Dementor needs to be gradually faded. If he experiences hallucinations or severe tremors in the next two weeks, please notify us immediately."

Andromeda nodded solemnly, indicating that he would keep an eye on things.

Only after the therapists left did Sirius say impatiently, "I've been in Azkaban for ten years without ever having hallucinations. If I'm suddenly having hallucinations now, it must be because these unreliable doctors have problems with their treatment methods."

Andromeda gently explained to Sirius, "That's because you're not in that godforsaken place anymore, Sirius. Ted told me that there's a mental illness in Muggles called post-traumatic stress disorder, and that's what it means."

“You’ve lived in Azkaban for too long. In this situation, even if you leave there, your brain might have the illusion that you’re still in Azkaban. Anyway, trust me, listen to the doctor, okay?”

Sirius then calmed down a bit.

Just then, the door to the ward was gently pushed open.

Ted walked in carrying a heavy lunchbox, with Rizz following behind him, carrying a picnic basket filled with snacks.

"What about Albus? Has he already passed away?" Ted looked around the ward and asked with some surprise. "I even prepared some of his favorite desserts for him."

“He’s back at the Ministry of Magic, Ted,” Andromeda said, taking the lunchbox and picnic basket as she explained. “He was the chief wizard of Wizengamor, and with this case causing such a stir, he naturally had to keep an eye on things. You must have heard what Fudge said; if no one’s watching him, who knows what else he might say.”

She then looked at Harry beside her: "Albus will come to pick Harry up and take him back to Hogwarts tonight."

Sirius muttered a few words: "Hmph... Fudge, I saw him inspecting Azkaban before. He had this arrogant, showy attitude. I don't know how he became Minister of Magic."

As he said this, his gaze fell on Ryze.

He stared at Rizzi for a long time.

Ryze also stood by the hospital bed, letting Sirius look at her openly.

“Uncle Alfard’s child… I never imagined that Alfard would leave me with a cousin when he was almost 50,” Sirius exclaimed.

"But he was a bastard too, disappearing before you were even born. But I wasn't much better than him. If I had known Albus had raised him in that kind of place, I would never have stayed in that hellhole for ten years."

During the time it took for the therapist to finish the examination and explain the treatment plan, he had already talked with Harry about his life over the past 10 years. After learning about Harry's situation in the Dursleys' house all these years, he couldn't help but directly berate the Dursleys.

Sirius shook his head, then continued to say to Ryze, "You look a lot like him, but I heard from Albus that you're not ready to change your last name back yet?"

Ryze nodded. "After all, the surname 'White' was with me for the first 11 years of my life, and my father had already been expelled from the family before that—"

"Kicked out of the family?" Sirius scoffed, interrupting Ryze.

He said nonchalantly, "I was burned off the tapestry by that old woman too, Ryze, but that doesn't change the bloodline. Now Orion is dead, Volbuga is dead, and that idiot Regulus is dead too..."

His eyes darkened when he mentioned his younger brother's name.

However, he quickly continued, "Now I am the nominal head of the Black family. Uncle Alfard was completely abandoned by that family because he helped me run away from home. Now, there are only the two of us men left in the Black family... Of course, there is Andromeda as well. Although she has also been removed from the family, it doesn't matter because we are now in charge of the Black family rules."

He spat out: "Don't think I don't know what those people outside are thinking just because I'm in Azkaban. Malfoy, Nord, Caro... any guy who has even a little bit of blood relation to the Black family in the last hundred years is probably waiting for me to die in Azkaban so they can legitimately go and divide up the Black family's treasury and library!"

“Even if I burn that dilapidated house in Grimmauld Place down and everything inside, I won’t let those so-called pure-blood nobles succeed,” Sirius said, looking at Rhett. “So you don’t need to worry about anything. As long as I’m alive, you are one of the most legitimate heirs of the Black family. As for the surname… it doesn’t matter. As long as we don’t let others take advantage of us, it doesn’t matter if you turn black into white in the future.”

Andromeda sighed softly to herself; she knew, of course, that things weren't as simple as Sirius had made them out to be.

She brought over a bowl of chicken soup that Ritz had cooked: "Okay, don't get so worked up. We'll have plenty of time to discuss these things later."

"After you're discharged from the hospital, I won't care if you really want to burn down the ancestral home. But for now, you should have some soup. This is a calming chicken soup that Reese developed himself. It's even more effective than regular calming agents."

Sirius's eyes lit up when he smelled the chicken soup with its faint herbal aroma: "It seems you have quite a talent for potions. You actually managed to make a potion like this. I heard that Snape, that snotty-nosed guy, often gives you trouble at school. Could it be because you made him a pot of chicken soup like this in class?"

Chapter 121: Rizzo's Talent

“Snotty?” Harry repeated the word unconsciously.

He certainly knew how disliked Professor Snape was at school, and he also knew about Sirius Black's unpleasant past with Snape and his father at school.

However, this was the first time he had ever heard the nickname "snotty-nosed man".

Sirius Black's smile froze for a moment as he drank chicken soup.

He realized that he had been too relaxed in front of the two eleven-year-old boys.

"Oh, that's just some old stuff from when we were young. We did go a bit too far back then, so don't take it to heart."

Sirius changed the subject somewhat awkwardly: "What I mean is, although Snape was indeed not very likable, his potion-making skills were really high. Back then, only your mother could outperform him in the whole school."

Harry had heard of his mother's excellence, but he never imagined that one day his mother would be compared to Snape.

“I’ve heard Hagrid say that my mother was very good at potions,” he said, turning to look at Rhett beside him. “And she even participated in the Potions Challenge back in the day, which was the easiest Hogwarts victory in the last half-century.”

Sirius recalled nostalgically, "Potion of the Immortal... I remember it was when she was in sixth grade. At that time, James was trying to woo Lily, but Lily wasn't willing to accept him yet. In fact, they didn't officially get together until seventh grade, so James and I could only try to give Lily advice. But because our ideas were so bad, we were severely ridiculed by Snape, who was also participating in the competition."

“That was probably one of the few times in our seven years at Hogwarts that we were mocked by Snape and had no way to retaliate,” he shrugged. “We were indeed a bit impatient with potions. In the end, James brought Lily a copy of his grandfather’s Potions Notebook as a Christmas present when he came home for Christmas. I think that helped Lily a little. Anyway, after that, Lily’s attitude towards James did improve a bit.”

Harry sat quietly to one side, listening to the stories of these fathers.

After Sirius finished speaking, he turned to look at Ryze beside him: "Ryze has also signed up for this competition. He'll be able to win a trophy."

Sirius, sipping his chicken soup, was somewhat surprised to hear this: "Two years from now...aren't you just starting school this year?"

"That Snape guy actually agreed to let you sign up... Didn't Albus say he's been targeting you guys? Is he going to come up with some other way to humiliate you?"

It's clear that even though Sirius Black realized that their actions back then were somewhat excessive, he still harbored a prejudice against Snape.