99 Betrayal
"I see!" Dumbledore said softly, as if he were talking to himself, as he walked in the direction of the Whomping Willow.
"So it turned out like this... Animagus Sirius Black was able to escape from Azkaban by becoming an Animagus. Similarly, he sneaked into Hogwarts through the Whomping Willow!"
"Fortunately, I have been a Transfiguration teacher for more than ten years, and I forgot such a simple method!" Dumbledore couldn't help but sigh. "What a shame!"
Jon knew that under normal circumstances, he should ask Dumbledore more about Animagi...
But considering the impending plot collapse, he didn't have the mood for it at all!
It's terrible now! Dumbledore knew that Black was innocent... and later on, Peter wouldn't be able to escape. Dumbledore would definitely catch him. Voldemort wouldn't be able to return through Peter... it's all a mess!
They reached the side of the Whomping Willow.
Dumbledore suddenly stretched out his hand to stop Jon from going any further.
Jon saw a figure walking out of the castle and heading towards the Whomping Willow.
It was Remus Lupin. He picked up a broken branch from the ground, used it to poke the knot on the trunk, and then entered the tree hole.
"It seems that my plan is working!" A smile appeared on Dumbledore's face.
"Perhaps we should follow and see what happens..." Dumbledore stopped midway through his sentence.
As they watched, the castle door opened again, and Severus Snape hurriedly came out and ran towards the willow.
They saw Snape hesitate by the tree, looking around, picking up the invisibility cloak (the one Harry left behind) from the ground, putting it on, and then he, too, disappeared into the cave.
"It looks like it's getting interesting in there!" Dumbledore joked. "It's our turn, Jon... I promise there won't be anyone else following. We should be the last two 'orioles'!"
...
They snuck under the Whomping Willow, entered the Shrieking Shack where Black and Lupin were, and found a good vantage point to observe them up close.
Since Dumbledore hadn't disturbed their thoughts, Jon naturally had no objections.
The plot unfolded much like in the original book... Lupin first returned the wand to the trio, and then began explaining the stories of James, Sirius, and Peter as Animagi, along with the secret of the Marauder's Map and the Fidelius Charm.
Dumbledore occasionally whispered explanations in Jon's ear, such as the meaning of the Marauder's Oath... but only Jon could hear his voice.
From the corner of his eye, Jon secretly watched Dumbledore and noticed the surprise in his eyes. It was clear that Dumbledore didn't know the full truth and was unaware that Peter was still alive.
When Lupin gained the complete trust of Harry and Hermione, Snape suddenly appeared, restraining Lupin first and then cornering Black.
Just as Snape was about to revel in his revenge, Harry, Ron, and Hermione simultaneously cast Disarming Spells, hitting Snape at the same time and knocking him out.
Jon's gaze quickly turned to Dumbledore.
In any case, it was impossible for three third-year students to overpower a wizard of Snape's caliber, especially when he was completely alert... Furthermore, a simple Disarming Spell wouldn't cause such damage to render an adult wizard unconscious.
Dumbledore subtly blinked at Jon and retracted his Elder wand into his pocket, signaling Jon to continue observing.
Fortunately, with so many people in the room, no one noticed their exchange.
Lupin finally gained Ron's trust and asked for Scabbers from Ron...
With a wave of his wand, Scabbers transformed back into Peter Pettigrew's form.
Pale and facing Lupin's and Black's accusations, Peter tried to defend himself, but no sound came out.
Pointing his wand at Peter's chest, Harry Potter intervened before Black could kill him.
Harry made the decision to spare Peter's life and let him spend the rest of his days in Azkaban... thus clearing Black's name!
Lupin and Black agreed to Harry's decision.
To prevent Peter from escaping, they brought out handcuffs and shackled Lupin, Ron, and Peter together.
Then, using Snape's wand, Black levitated Peter into the air, and the seven of them lined up, leaving the Shrieking Shack and heading toward the exit of the Whomping Willow.
...
"What a remarkable story!" As the Shrieking Shack emptied, Dumbledore's disillusionment charm dissipated.
"Yes!" Jon nodded outwardly, but inwardly, he remained unaffected.
Moreover, if he remembered correctly... the previous group that exited the Whomping Willow was about to encounter an accident.
Almost simultaneously, a wolf's howl echoed from outside.
"Oh, Remus!" Dumbledore's face turned serious. He grabbed Jon's hand, and suddenly, Jon felt as though he were soaring through the air.
After a few seconds, they reappeared on the surface beside the Whomping Willow.
Jon saw Lupin had broken free from his restraints and was now engaged in a fight with Black in his dog form. Peter had taken Lupin's wand and knocked down both Ron and Crookshanks.
Then, Peter transformed into his Animagus form, a rat, and scurried toward the Forbidden Forest.
"I have to catch Peter!" Dumbledore said grimly. "You protect them!"
Before Jon could reply, Dumbledore, who had been standing beside him just moments ago, vanished.
Black, as a dog, couldn't hold on for much longer. Perhaps due to prolonged malnutrition, it wasn't as large as Lupin's werewolf form. In just a few rounds, it was battered and beaten, unconscious, near the lakeside.
The werewolf's attention shifted towards Harry and Hermione, its jaws wide open.
Jon surveyed the surroundings carefully. According to the original work, this was the moment when Harry and Hermione were supposed to appear, diverting the werewolf's attention after using the Time-Turner... This would save their lives.
But now, there was no sign of them.
There was no choice. If he waited a few more seconds, Harry and Hermione would become the werewolf's prey, or if they were lucky, they would transform into newborn werewolves themselves.
Everything was falling into chaos.
Jon took out the PSM pistol loaded with silver bullets and aimed it at Lupin's position.
"Bang!" The sound of the PSM pistol was barely audible amidst the werewolf's howls.
The silver bullet flew past Lupin's shoulder. In reality, even a hit at such a distance wouldn't cause much harm.
However, Jon managed to draw the werewolf's attention.
Lupin shifted his target and roared in Jon's direction.
