Hogwarts' Golden Glory

Fudge's bow tie seemed to have suddenly become too tight.

He didn't expect his actions to be opposed by so many people.

He loosened his collar, beads of sweat glistening in the candlelight: "But time is limited, we have more important things to do—"

Kane suddenly said:

"More important things? Like figuring out why some people would rather believe the rat's lies than give the hero a chance to defend himself?"

There's no need for those who take money but do nothing to stay!

These words exploded like a bomb in the courtroom.

Fudge suddenly turned to Umbridge, who pretended to be organizing documents.

"Continue your testimony, Mr. Lupin."

Mark Bans tapped the scales. "This court acknowledges its relevance."

Lupin continued recounting the stories of the raiders:

"On the day of the Sorting Ceremony, when the Hatter shouted 'Gryffindor,' I almost fell off my chair."

A slight smirk played on his lips. "James and Sirius were clapping like crazy at the far end of the table, as if I were some Quidditch star, not some…"

His voice lowered, but quickly became firm again.

"In Gryffindor, I met my best friends!"

The candlelight in the courtroom suddenly dimmed.

Harry saw Professor Snape gripping the fence tightly in front of him!

"At first, I was worried that I would lose them because of my identity, so I kept it from them!"

"Every night before the full moon, I would make up a new excuse."

"My mother is seriously ill, a distant relative has passed away..."

"But later, despite my best efforts to cover it up, they still noticed something was wrong!"

"They found out about my werewolf identity when I was in second grade."

Lupin's voice was very soft, as if afraid of disturbing that treasured memory: "The day they discovered the truth... was actually very quiet."

Lupin lowered his gaze, as if he had returned to that night.

"It was a morning after the full moon. I woke up in the infirmary, my body ached all over and my lips were chapped."

His voice trembled slightly, "I thought I had hidden it well, but..."

"But we already knew."

Sirius Black suddenly spoke, his hoarse voice standing out clearly in the silent courtroom.

Lupin looked up and met those gray eyes—ten years later, they were still as resolute as they had been back then.

"James was the first to discover it."

Sirius said softly, a slight smile playing on his lips, "He said the timing of your leave requests every month is too precise, as if you're being led by the moon."

Lupin's Adam's apple bobbed, and his eyes welled up with tears.

"We didn't call you out on it because..." Sirius's voice choked, and he took a deep breath, "because we didn't know how to tell you—we didn't care."

Harry's heart skipped a beat.

He saw Lupin's shoulders tremble slightly, as if the weight of those words made him unsteady on his feet.

"Then one night," Lupin continued softly, his voice as gentle as if he were telling a fairy tale.

"I secretly headed to the place where I transformed into a werewolf, but I was stopped by the three of them halfway there."

"James was holding a large piece of chocolate, Sirius was hugging a thick blanket, and Peter... Peter was holding a book called 'How to Calm a Grumpy Magical Creature'."

Sirius suddenly burst out laughing, tears streaming down his face: "That idiot James, he just shoved the chocolate into your hand and said—"

"Eat up, I've heard that sweets can improve your mood."

Lupin repeated softly, a smile playing on his lips, "Then he pushed up his shattered glasses and asked with utmost seriousness, 'What does it feel like to become a werewolf? Would you want to gnaw on a table leg?'"

A few suppressed laughs rang out in the courtroom.

"Sirius..." Lupin looked towards the defendant's dock, his gaze gentle, "He draped the blanket over my shoulders and said—"

"Moon Face, remember to call us next time you transform."

Sirius Black replied hoarsely, tears streaming down his dirty face, "'We can have a tea party there and see who can scream the scariest.'"

"In their eyes, the evil werewolves are just a hairy little problem."

Harry suddenly felt a burning sensation in his chest.

He seemed to see his young father and Sirius.

Standing in the corridors of Hogwarts, they told their friends in the most awkward way possible—

You don't have to bear all of this alone.

A few suppressed sobs came from the audience.

Old Mrs. Longbottom blew her nose loudly, startling Fudge.

"And on that day in fifth grade, I woke up in my dorm and found three animals standing by my bed: a stag, a big black dog, and... a wet little mouse."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately made the connection.

Animagus!

Snape's lips twitched slightly when he heard this.

His fingers, clenched tightly beneath the black robe, turned white.

But when he saw Harry's worried eyes, he simply turned his face away in disgust.

"They spent three years,"

Lupin's voice began to tremble, "Secretly practicing the potentially fatal Animagus transformation. Just so I could be with you."

Everyone present was shocked, after all, the danger of the Animagus was widely acknowledged.

There are only seven registered Animagus individuals.

"Sirius and James were even closer."

"From the moment we first met on the Hogwarts Express, it was like two shooting stars destined to collide."

Harry leaned forward unconsciously, his green eyes unblinking.

He had never longed to know what his father looked like when he was young.

"The scene when they met was absolutely ridiculous."

Lupin's lips curled into a slight smile. "James's hair was a complete mess, like he'd been struck by lightning, while Sirius was wearing an elegant silk shirt—though that shirt was stained by Chocolate Frog five minutes later. They both pointed at each other and said, 'You look absolutely hilarious!'"

A few soft laughs echoed in the courtroom.

Sirius's chains swayed gently, making a soft tinkling sound.

"Later I realized where that tacit understanding came from."

Lupin's gaze swept over the members of Wizengamo.

"They both came from pure-blood families, yet they both hated those outdated dogmas. James often said, 'Love is more important than blood,' while Sirius..."

He hated his decadent family.

"Christmas in fifth grade,"

Lupin continued, a warm light shining in his eyes, "Sirius ran away from home. He came to the Potters' house in the dead of night, covered in wounds. James didn't ask him anything, he just gave him half of his bed—and from then on, that bed was always piled with the smelly socks of the two of them."

Sirius suddenly lowered his head, his messy black hair obscuring his expression.

But Harry clearly saw a tear fall onto the back of his clasped hands.

"Then James' parents took him in. They treated him like a second son of the Potters."