The Prisoners of Hogwarts

Chapter 290 Eye of the Storm

Chapter 290 Eye of the Storm (5K) (2/2)

"Professor Lynch, what did you just say? What do you mean by 'real traitor'?" Dumbledore's eyes sharpened. "This accusation is extremely serious and unbelievable."

Snape's rage was like the billowing smoke before a volcanic eruption. He took a leap forward, almost bursting through the space between him and Lynch, his voice trembling with extreme sarcasm and fury: "Peter Pettigrew? That good-for-nothing who stumbles and fumbles even with a Disarming Charm? That lackey who grovels before James Potter and Sirius Black? You expect us to believe that he orchestrated and carried out such a—brilliant—betrayal and escape?" He let out a short, grating laugh. "What a convenient story! To exonerate your dear friend who should be rotting in Azkaban, you've concocted such a—fairy tale! What evidence do you have, Lynch! What do you have besides your silver tongue?"

Lynch remained unmoved by Snape's barrage of questions, as if he had anticipated this question.

He did not answer Snape directly, but instead kept his gaze fixed on Dumbledore.

"My basis lies in the very fact that you all believe," which is itself a massive, overlooked lie. His tone carried the certainty of someone revealing a core secret. "You believe Sirius was the Potters' confidant, that he succumbed to pressure and surrendered directly to the Dark Lord, right?"

"This is the official record of the Ministry of Magic! It's a fact that was accepted at the time!" Snape growled.

"Official records aren't always the truth, Severus. You know that better than anyone." Lynch gave him a cold glance, then looked at Dumbledore again. "At the last minute, James and Lily followed Sirius's advice. They implemented a scheme within a scheme. On the surface, Sirius was the well-known Keeper of the Secrets, but in reality, they changed the person at the last minute before the Loyalty Charm was officially activated. Sirius thought he was too conspicuous, too obvious, and easier to become a target. He insisted that choosing the most inconspicuous and least suspicious person was the only way to truly protect them."

Seeing the sudden surge of shock in Dumbledore's eyes, he uttered the name slowly and deliberately: "Their true secret keeper is Peter Pettigrew."

"This is impossible—" Dumbledore muttered to himself, but his mind was clearly racing, recalling every detail from that year, every illogical point he had overlooked. "Does Remus know?"

he----"

"He didn't know." Lynch shook his head decisively. "For absolute secrecy, only James, Lily, Sirius, and Peter knew about the plan. Even Remus Lupin was kept in the dark. Sirius thought—thought that Remus might be easier to infiltrate or monitor because of his werewolf identity—and he didn't want to take any risks. He placed all his trust in that unassuming Peter."

He paused, a chilling edge creeping into his voice: "And you saw it. Peter was a true coward, choosing the most despicable betrayal in the face of genuine fear and pressure. He knelt at Voldemort's feet, betraying the Potters. And Sirius, upon learning the devastating news, immediately realized what had happened. He confronted Peter—and then, the explosion and the massacre you all know about occurred." It wasn't Sirius who killed them; it was a staged performance by Peter himself. He used a powerful Explosion Charm to kill the Muggles, severed one of his fingers, transformed, and blended into the swarm of rats in the sewers, disappearing forever. Sirius, consumed by rage and grief, believed Peter died in the explosion, so he broke down laughing at the scene, accepting no resistance as he was taken away by the Ministry of Magic—because he knew his best friend was dead, another friend he trusted had betrayed them, and the family he wanted to protect had vanished. He—utterly despondent, gave up trying to defend himself."

Dumbledore's breathing suddenly stopped.

Animagus!

This overlooked crucial point struck him like a bolt of lightning.

He certainly knew the Raiders' secrets, but he had never deeply considered the connection between this fact and Peter's death. Being able to master Animagus transformations, especially unregistered and illegal transformations, naturally allowed him to evade the Ministry of Magic's search of the scene.

"A fascinating story!" Snape interrupted sharply, but deep in his eyes there was a very subtle wavering, because Lynch's description of Peter "cutting off his finger" matched strangely with the finger found at the scene that year that was awarded the Order of Merlin.

"But this is still a story! A story with no way to prove it! Peter is dead! Blake blew him to pieces! You can put all the blame on him! He'll never show up again anyway! Because he's dead!"

"Dead?" Lynch gave a cruel, cold laugh for the first time. His gaze swept over Snape, finally settling on Dumbledore's pale, grave face. "Do you really think so? A wizard capable of orchestrating such a meticulously planned defection, so easily vanished without a trace?" The Ministry of Magic found only one finger at the scene—Severus, one finger! What else? What about Peter's other body parts? Were they blown to bits? Not a single remnant besides a finger. Is that even possible?

Lynch's question was like a cold dagger, piercing the frozen air in the principal's office.

That finger that was displayed, mourned, and ultimately awarded the Order of Merlin—now seems like such an ironic and deliberate "evidence."

Dumbledore's deep blue eyes peered sharply through his half-moon spectacles at Lynch, as if trying to pierce through his skin and reach the truth of his words deep within his soul.

The principal's fingers tapped lightly on the table unconsciously, the rhythm revealing the intense tremor within him.

"Your deduction—is extremely radical, Professor Lynch," Dumbledore's voice was low, "but it's not entirely impossible. Certain details at the scene, especially regarding Peter's remains, have indeed been questionable, but at the time—grief and anger overshadowed too much."

"Dumbledore!" Snape growled in disbelief, his facial muscles tense, his dark eyes swirling with offended anger and a deeper, unacknowledged panic.

If what Lynch said is true, it means that his deep-seated hatred for Sirius Black over the past ten years has at least been based in part on a huge lie.

No, he refused to believe it!

Black is still that arrogant, damned idiot. Even if Peter is a traitor, Black deserves to rot in Azkaban!

"Severus," Lynch said, looking at him coldly, "Do you want the real traitor who caused Lily's death to continue to go unpunished?"

Snape's face turned deathly pale under Lynch's piercing question, as if all the blood in his body had frozen.

His lips moved, but he couldn't make a sound immediately.

The phrase "the real traitor who caused Lily's death" was like a sharp dagger, piercing through all the defenses he had built up based on hatred.

Dumbledore took a deep breath, breaking the suffocating silence.

His voice was heavy, revealing his inner exhaustion, but his eyes had regained their sharpness as he stared intently at Lin Qi.

“Professor Lynch,” he said slowly, “the possibility you’ve raised—if true—would overturn everything of the past twelve years. But as Severus has said, it’s still a conclusion lacking conclusive evidence. Peter Pettigrew has been legally and publicly recognized as dead for twelve years. Do you want us to change our entire view and treatment of Sirius Black based on a single inference?”

"I am not asking you to exonerate Black immediately, Headmaster Dumbledore." Lynch leaned forward slightly, his hands outstretched at his sides, his posture frank and focused. "What I am asking for is an opportunity. An opportunity to atone for the mistakes you made because of your unwavering faith. An opportunity for the truth to come to light and for the real sinners to be brought to justice."

"An opportunity?" Snape finally found his voice, hoarse, laced with barely suppressed sarcasm and a hint of barely perceptible wavering. "Your so-called opportunity is for us to turn a blind eye to Black's potentially dangerous actions? To let you and Lupin carry out your dangerous plan in the castle, at Hogwarts, right under Dumbledore's nose?"

"Our plan," Lynch's voice was firm and unwavering, "is precisely to avoid greater danger. Think about it, if Peter is really still alive, and lurking somewhere—he could even be lurking among anyone in his Animagus form—then exposing his true identity is the most urgent matter. This is not just for Black's innocence, but to eliminate a despicable traitor, a murderer with blood on his hands."

He turned his gaze back to Dumbledore, his tone becoming highly persuasive: "Headmaster Dumbledore, do you want to see the real killer who killed Lily and James continue to go unpunished? Do you want the lingering effects of this tragedy to continue to spread because of your inaction? Everything Remus and I have done is precisely to try to correct this mistake."

Dumbledore's eyes flickered intensely, clearly indicating a fierce internal struggle.

Lynch's words struck at his deepest vulnerability—his guilt towards the deceased and his sense of responsibility for unfulfilled duties.

"What is your specific plan?" Dumbledore asked in a deep voice, his gaze piercing. "How will you prove Peter's survival? And how do you intend to—lure him out?"

Lin Qi slowly shook his head, a perfect blend of helplessness and determination on his face.

"Please forgive me for not being able to reveal the details, Headmaster. Just as I trust Remus to keep quiet, I must also keep the core of the plan a secret. The reason is simple: we are facing an extremely cunning opponent, skilled in disguise and concealment. Any slight disturbance could alert him and cause him to vanish without a trace once again."

His twelve years of lying low proved his patience and caution. We only have one chance.

He paused, observing Dumbledore's reaction, then continued, "What I can tell you is that we have laid the bait. It needs time to ferment, it requires patience. Any external interference, especially from you—the Headmaster of Hogwarts, the most powerful white wizard—"

Our attention and actions might alert him. Therefore, I implore you, Albus Dumbledore, to trust us this time. Or rather, to trust your own judgment of James, Lily, and even Sirius and Remus. Give us room to act.

"Trust?" Snape let out a sharp, cold laugh. "Trust an Azkaban fugitive? Trust a werewolf hiding his identity? And you, Lynch, a bloodthirsty, ruthless hangman? Where do you place the students of Hogwarts? What if your plans spiral out of control? What if Black causes any harm on campus—"

“Severus,” Lynch interrupted him, his tone unusually calm yet imbued with an unwavering resolve, “I understand your concerns. But I assure you, in my plans, the safety of the Hogwarts students, especially Harry, is my top priority. I will not allow Black or Peter to harm Harry.”

He looked at Dumbledore: "That is why I ask you to refrain from action. Not only should you not interfere with me and Remus, but you should also restrain any surveillance that Severus might take."

Peter has his information channels at Hogwarts. We need to maintain the status quo and not let him realize that we've already targeted him.

Dumbledore fell into a long silence.

He looked at Lin Qi, his deep blue eyes seeming to pierce through all the fog.

Inside the office, only the soft hum of silverware and the suppressed breathing of the portraits could be heard.

Dumbledore thought about Lynch's behavior at Hogwarts over the past two years, and finally, he slowly...

He nodded with extreme heaviness.

“Very well, Professor Lynch.” His voice was hoarse, indicating the difficulty of making this decision. “I cannot fully agree with your approach, nor can I ignore Severus’s reasonable concerns about the risks. But—your reasoning that Peter might survive and remain in hiding is logically plausible. And I cannot bear the consequence of ignoring this possibility and letting the real culprit go free forever.”

He raised his hand to stop Snape, who seemed about to vehemently object.

"I happen to have made some discoveries in Azkaban, so I will give you and Remus some time, and—a certain degree of freedom of action, but this is not unconditional trust." Dumbledore's gaze became extremely serious. "The time you have is until I settle things in Azkaban. And the safety of every student and teacher at Hogwarts remains my highest priority. I will be monitoring closely, in my own way. If I find any indication that Harry or any other student is in direct danger, or if your actions are out of control, I will intervene immediately. There is no room for negotiation on this."

Lin Qi smiled, his first genuine smile since entering the office, though it was faint.

"That's enough, Principal. I never expected unconditional trust, only an opportunity for the truth to come to light." He stood up, elegantly straightening his suit. "Well then, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. I still have student records to revise."

Dumbledore nodded slightly.

Lynch nodded politely to Dumbledore, completely ignoring Snape who was standing next to him like a volcano about to erupt, then turned and walked steadily away from the headmaster's office.

The door closed gently behind Lynch.

Only Dumbledore and Snape remained in the office.

Snape turned sharply to Dumbledore, his black robes heaving violently with rage, his sallow face contorted in pain.

"Dumbledore! You just believed his flawed story? You gave them a pass to do whatever they wanted at Hogwarts!" he almost growled. "You're risking everyone's safety for a nonexistent possibility?!"

Dumbledore did not answer immediately. He leaned back in his chair, looking somewhat weary, his gaze fixed on the perch where Fawkes perched, as if gazing into the distant past.

"Severus," he said softly, his voice heavy with weariness, "it's not that I believed his story, but—I can no longer bear the thought of making another irreparable mistake because of my own unwavering conviction. There are already too many details about Lily and James's tragedy that I haven't noticed."

He turned his head and looked at Snape with a complicated expression.

"As for security—I haven't let my guard down. On the contrary, it's precisely because Lynch raised this possibility that we need to be even more vigilant. Vigilant against that real traitor who might still be alive." He paused, his voice lowering, "and I ask you—to refrain from your actions against Remus and Lynch for now. We need to observe, we need evidence."

Snape stared intently at Dumbledore, his chest heaving. He could feel that the idea that Peter might be alive had taken root deep within him like a poisonous seed, bringing not hope, but a deeper, more confused anger.

In the end, he didn't argue anymore, but said in an extremely cold voice, "You will regret your decision today, Dumbledore."

After saying that, he turned around abruptly, his black robe billowing as he rushed out of the principal's office like a black hurricane.

Dumbledore sat alone in his office for a long time, then let out a long, heavy sigh.

The portraits on the wall finally dared to whisper among themselves, their buzzing like a distant harbinger of thunder.

Dumbledore knew what a storm it would bring to the wizarding world if Lynch's words were true.

In the past, he would choose to go deep into the eye of the storm and dismantle it before it formed.

But this time, he chose to stand on the edge of the storm, betting the truth on a hangman and a werewolf struggling in agony.