Confrontation

Crookshanks went to Chris and spread out on her lap like a big, ginger rug. Snow was still falling outside the windows. Chris started to think about all of those things she just discovered about Harry's life. 

'It's really difficult to be in Harry's shoes.' She sighed. 'But what's the reason that made Black betray his friend like brother and join Voldemort? He was already powerful if they needed so many trained Wizards to capture him — so it can't be for power — Hating muggles? No, he rode a motorbike, he couldn't be the person who hates muggles. He wasn't mad — so why go exposing himself when he could've gone hiding. Betraying his best friend for Voldemort understandable but killing — no — blowing up his other friend like that just because he stopped him — sounds like a madman's job — but then again he was very normal, even in Azkaban. Urghh! nothing makes sense.'

"Harry, you — you look terrible," Ron said, Hermione and Chris turned to see Harry coming downstairs.

"Where is everyone?" said Harry.

"Gone! It's the first day of the holidays, remember?" said Ron, watching Harry closely. "It's nearly lunchtime, I was going to come and wake you up in a minute."

"You really don't look well, you know," Hermione said, peering anxiously into his face.

"I'm fine," said Harry.

"Harry, listen," said Hermione, exchanging a look with Ron and Chris, "you must be really upset about what we heard yesterday. But the thing is, you mustn't go doing anything stupid."

"Like what?" said Harry.

"Like trying to go after Black," said Ron sharply.

"You won't, will you, Harry?" said Hermione.

"Because Black's not worth dying for," said Ron.

Chris didn't say anything, she just watched how it goes because she was very sure this will never work. Harry was definitely not going to agree with this.

"D'you know what I see and hear every time a Dementor gets too near me?" Harry said suddenly. Ron and Hermione shook their heads, looking apprehensive. "I can hear my mum screaming and pleading with Voldemort. And if you'd heard your mum screaming like that, just about to be killed, you wouldn't forget it in a hurry. And if you found out someone who was supposed to be a friend of hers betrayed her and sent Voldemort after her —"

"There's nothing you can do!" said Hermione, looking stricken. "The Dementors will catch Black and he'll go back to Azkaban and — and serve him right!"

"You heard what Fudge said. Black isn't affected by Azkaban like normal people are. It's not a punishment for him as it is for the others." Harry said rather aggressively.

"So what are you saying?" said Ron, looking very tense. "You want to — to kill Black or something?"

"Don't be silly," said Hermione in a panicky voice. "Harry doesn't want to kill anyone, do you, Harry?"

Chris watched Harry closely, he didn't answer Hermione's question.

"Malfoy knows," Harry said abruptly. "Remember what he said to me in Potions? 'If it was me, I'd hunt him down myself — I'd want revenge.'"

"You're going to take Malfoy's advice instead of ours?" said Ron furiously. "Listen — you know what Pettigrew's mother got back after Black had finished with him? Dad told me — the Order of Merlin, First Class, and Pettigrew's finger in a box. That was the biggest bit of him they could find. Black's a madman, Harry, and he's dangerous —"

"Malfoy's dad must have told him," said Harry, ignoring Ron. "He was right in Voldemort's inner circle —"

"Say You-Know-Who, will you?" interjected Ron angrily.

"— so obviously, the Malfoys knew Black was working for Voldemort —"

"— and Malfoy'd love to see you blown into about a million pieces, like Pettigrew! Get a grip, Malfoy's just hoping you'll get yourself killed before he has to play you at Quidditch."

"Harry, please," said Hermione, her eyes now shining with tears, "please be sensible. Black did a terrible, terrible thing, but d-don't put yourself in danger, it's what Black wants — oh, Harry, you'd be playing right into Black's hands if you went looking for him. Your mum and dad wouldn't want you to get hurt, would they? They'd never want you to go looking for Black!"

"I'll never know what they'd have wanted because, thanks to Black, I've never spoken to them," said Harry shortly.

Chris finally cleared her throat. Harry looked at her like he had noticed her for the first time.

"I'll help you," Chris said and the three of them looked at her with a shocked expression. "Yes. You heard it right if you want to go after Black I'll help you, Harry."

"Chris what are you saying? We didn't tell you all of this so that you can encourage Harry to die." Hermione said angrily.

"Are you on Black's side, Chris? Do you want Harry to be dead?" Ron said fuming.

"See, that's your problem. You just assumed the conclusion without wasting your time in thinking." Chris said sharply.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked angrily.

"I mean, you heard a story in three broomsticks and decided to believe it without thinking or analyzing it," Chris said.

"No Chris. We've spent lots of time thinking about it." Hermione snapped.

"Then tell me why Sirius Black joined Voldemort and betrayed Harry's parents who were his best friends?" Chris asked.

"Because —" Hermione abruptly stopped. "Bad persons don't need reasons for joining the dark side, Chris." She said stubbornly.

"If he was a bad person then why Harry's dad was friends with him?" Chris asked next.

"Maybe Harry's dad didn't realize that first what's inside him," Hermione answered.

"Alright, tell me, Harry, after living with Ron for almost three years, being his best friend, won't you know if he is a bad person or not?"

"Er. . . Yes." Harry said nervously.

"Of course you'll. Last year when Ginny wasn't even talking to me, I realized something was wrong with her. That happens when you're best friends or live together or both." Chris said with a matter-of-fact tone. "But Harry's father didn't find anything bad in Black. He was a smart person, I guess, and he believed him blindly, so we can assume Black wasn't bad at first. That means he needed a reason to be on the dark side." Chris added to Hermione. "So, Ron and Hermione, think, a reason which can force you to betray Harry."

Hermione slammed her book shut. "Where are you going with this Chris? We'll never betray Harry."

"Yes. We'll rather die." Ron said furiously.

"You'll never understand a situation until you imagine yourself there," Chris said calmly. "Fine, if you two can't do it. I will do it. So what possibly make me join Voldemort and betray Harry." She looked at Harry. "Tell me, Harry. What do you think? You were a little nervous at the chamber last year, didn't you?"

Harry looked at Chris then said after a few moments. 

"Yes, I was — I even thought you're going to listen to that Riddle when he said that he was going to give you lots of power —"

"Yeah. So it can be for power. Black could've gone for power but — he already had lots of power, didn't he?" Chris asked and Harry nodded.

"Then — he could've hate muggles. I mean many followers of You-Know-Who follow him because of the same beliefs as Malfoys. And he was a Black — it was a wealthy pure-blood family. So that can be the reason, right?" Ron said.

"Yes. I guessed the same but then again if he despised muggles and muggle-borns then why did he have a motorbike, a muggle vehicle?" Chris replied.

"So you're saying Black is innocent?" Harry said spitefully.

"No. I'm not saying that — I'm just not seeing the reason for his crimes," Chris answered thoughtfully.

"But Minister of Magic said this and even Professor McGonagall and Flitwick believed it. How can be —" Hermione tried to protest.

"That minister also thought Hagrid was the heir of Slytherin, just based on what Riddle made him see," Chris said raising her eyebrows. "Listen, after spending this adventurous two years — well — almost two years in Hogwarts, I realized something. The thing is — in this magical world anything is possible. You can't trust a thing just like that. It could be proved wrong on your face. So don't go around hunting Black." Chris said and got up.

"But —" Harry was a loss of words.

"I know Harry — it hurts to think about your mother, your parents — but will revenge change anything? Will it bring back your parents?" Chris sighed. "But if you kill Black then maybe your parents will be hurt. No one wants their children to become a murderer, Harry. No one."

Chris looked at Harry, Ron and Hermione's stunned faces and left the common room.