0231 Wait

Sirius had barely recovered from the shock of seeing Bryan Watson enter the mansion, when a shrill voice pierced his ears.

"Filthy, lowly mudblood has invaded my mistress's house and harmed my noble mistress!"

It was Kreacher, his house-elf, who had crawled out of the shadows. His old, wrinkled nose was red with rage, and a disgusting thick mucus dripped down his chin. He extended his bony finger and pointed it at Bryan, who was walking towards Sirius.

"Kreacher will avenge the mistress, Kreacher will defend the honour of the Black family!"

As he spoke, a faint glow gathered at the tip of his finger, ready to unleash a blast of magic.

"Wait, Kreacher, you are not allowed to attack!"

Sirius shouted desperately, clutching his chest. 

For a house-elf, the commands of the master were everything. Even if Kreacher despised Sirius, as long as he was the legitimate heir of the Black family, he had to obey him. In the instant Sirius said "not allowed to attack" the slave contract hidden within Kreacher's soul forced him to stop his spellcasting.

"Master and the filthy mudblood are in cahoots!"

Kreacher's bloodshot eyes widened with disbelief, as he muttered angrily,

"Kreacher knew long ago that the master brought this lowly mudblood back for…"

Bang!

A dazzling silver light flashed in the dim corridor, like a blade slicing through the air. It hit Kreacher in the chest, sending him flying backwards. He crashed into the wooden door leading to the basement, leaving a large hole. He landed heavily on the stairs, motionless.

"I don't like indulging in the quirks of these little creatures…"

Bryan said in a cold tone, lowering his arm.

"Did you kill him?"

Sirius asked in a hoarse voice, turning his dull gaze towards Bryan. He felt a mix of fear and anger, as he faced his enemy.

"Sorry, did I anger you?"

Bryan said mockingly, standing a few steps away. He sneered at Sirius,

"Do I need to kneel down and apologise to you, Mr. Black?"

Sirius's hand holding the wand trembled, and his voice became intense.

"Huh… How could Dumbledore use a wizard like you?"

"Who knows? But I guess he was very afraid that one day I would join forces with your former master. So, even if some of my actions were very annoying to him, he had to tolerate me."

Bryan said, tilting his head. He looked at Sirius with a strange gaze, as if he was studying him.

"Interesting, Mr. Black. You show pity and anger for the death of an old, toothless house-elf, but you pushed your former friend to his death with your own hands?"

Sirius's body shuddered, and he was about to say something, but Bryan waved his hand. A silver serpent, as thick as a wrist, shot out from the tip of his wand. It swiftly coiled around Sirius's body, binding him tightly. The snake's head hissed in his ear, spewing a foul odour that made him gag.

"Let me go, you evil bastard!"

Sirius roared, glaring at Bryan with hatred. He tried to ignore the pain and the fear, and focused on his anger. Whether it was because he was captured or because of Kreacher's uncertain fate, he did not know.

Unmoved by Sirius's futile shouting, Bryan hooked his finger, and the wand that had fallen to the ground flew into his hand with a swish. He glanced at it casually, and put it back into his pocket, nodding in satisfaction.

"Now, Mr. Longbottom can finally go home for Christmas."

Sirius gnashed his teeth at Bryan, roaring and howling. He desperately tried to break free from the snake's grip, but the more he struggled, the tighter the snake squeezed. In the end, the thick snake had left purple marks on his skin, and even a little crimson seeped from his lips.

"Stop struggling, Black…"

Bryan said, squatting down. His eyes were filled with interest, as he stared at Sirius, who was filled with hatred and madness.

"If you break yourself into pieces, and the Ministry can't recognise you and refuses to give me the bounty, what should I do?"

He said, taunting Sirius.

Sirius's mind was filled with thoughts of resentment and despair. 

He had escaped from the heavily guarded Azkaban, swimming back to the mainland in his dog form, braving the vast, cold sea. He had been hiding from the relentless pursuit of the Aurors and the furious Dementors ever since, plotting his solitary revenge. But now, his plan had failed. He was captured by a young wizard named Bryan Watson, who was ruthless in his methods, and was going to take him to the Ministry for a bounty-A BOUNTY?

Sirius suddenly stopped struggling, as a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes. He stared at Bryan, and shouted with great urgency, like a drowning man grasping the last straw,

"Wait, Watson, You! you caught me. just to exchange me for a bounty from the Ministry of Magic?!"

He could hear the disbelief and fear in his own voice, echoing in the cold, damp air of the mansion. The only light came from the flickering candles on the walls, casting dark shadows that lurked in the corners.

"How can you see me like this, Mr. Black?"

Bryan laughed "sheepishly", as if he was embarrassed by his own greed.

"Striking down evil is the responsibility of every resident of the wizarding world. Of course, I also have no reason to refuse the Fifty Thousand galleons reward from the Ministry, right?"

He said casually, as if he was talking about the weather. He held Sirius's wand in his hand, twirling it between his fingers.

"I can give you more money, Watson, as long as you let me go!"

Sirius wriggled like a maggot once again, trying to free himself from the silver snake that bound him. He felt a surge of desperation, as he realised that money was his only chance.

"50,000 galleons… No, I can give you more. How about 100,000? Watson, as long as you let me go, pretend you never saw me tonight, I can give you 100,000 galleons!"

He said quickly, hoping to persuade Bryan with his offer. He could feel his heart beating violently, as he waited for his response.

The air, filled with the stench of corruption, suddenly fell into a strange silence. Bryan's expression also became strange. He looked at Sirius with a mixture of curiosity, as if he was examining a rare specimen.

"A hundred thousand. you want to give me a hundred thousand galleons., to let you go?"

He repeated slowly, as if he was weighing the pros and cons.

"How about it, Watson, this is a deal!"

Sirius said eagerly, raising his head. He tried to ignore the pain and the fear, and focused on his hope.

"The Black family's vault is piled with gold, Watson, as long as you let me go, I can give you all those wealth, I swear I will do it!"

He added, lying through his teeth. He didn't know how much money was left in his family's vault, but he hoped it was enough to tempt Bryan.

"A hundred thousand galleons–hmm"

Bryan stood up, rubbing his temples with annoyance. He muttered to himself,

"Sounds like a good deal, Mr. Black, but you've given me a big problem."

Although he didn't know why Dumbledore had chosen such a person to ensure the safety of the children in the school, but Sirius was still grateful that Dumbledore had made a mistake. Otherwise, he would have to bid farewell to his revenge plan tonight.

Just as he was about to emphasize the wealth of the Black family, one of the twenty-eight pure-blood families, had (actually he didn't know either), Bryan's regretful tone and words suddenly stopped his pounding heart.

"A hundred thousand galleons is indeed a tempting fortune, Mr. Black. But unfortunately, I cannot make this trade with you."

Bryan explained to himself, as if he was trying to justify his decision.

"If you were just a simple murderer, maybe I could turn a blind eye, Mr. Black. But unfortunately, you killed Lily Potter. You know, this woman is not only Harry's mother, but also the lifelong love of my respected Professor Snape. I had made up my mind that if I caught you, I would bring you to him and let him deal with you. Oh, actually, I had also made a contract with your former friend, Remus Lupin. Look at the trouble you've caused me. So many people are eagerly waiting to take your life…"

He said, spreading his hands, sighing. He looked at Sirius with pity, as if he was sorry for him.

"So, you see, we can't make this deal."

"Professor Snape–"

Sirius ignored the fact about Lupin's desire to kill him, and opened his mouth to stare at the pretentious Bryan blankly.

"You mean, Severus Snape, that annoying snot?"

Sirius's emotions flared up again,

"Wait, Watson, don't do this, I beg you. I don't want to see Snape, or Lupin, or anyone else. I want to see Dumbledore!"

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