Seeing that Dumbledore was unmoved by his words, he turned his gaze to Professor McGonagall.
"Professor McGonagall, how can you bear to see your student..."
"I do not have a student like you!" Professor McGonagall roared angrily, like a lioness.
She was truly hurt—she had trusted Peter so much before, yet the truth had given her a painful blow.
It was this cowardly Peter who betrayed her favorite students!
"Ron, I'm a good pet, right?" Peter Pettigrew turned to Ron, stammering, "Merciful child, merciful master... don't send me to Azkaban, please save me, because I am your rat..."
Ron showed a look of polite refusal and turned away.
Goodness, you really know how to hit a sore spot!
"I hope everyone keeps this a secret." He pleaded with everyone: "If my two brothers find out about this, they'll laugh at me forever... Oh dear, sleeping with a rat..."
Snape, holding the Truth Serum bottle, showed a smile on his expressionless face for the first time.
"Look on the bright side, Ron," Harry said, "Didn't Percy do the same thing?"
Hearing Harry's attempt to console him, Ron's face looked somewhat relieved.
"Saying that makes it a bit more acceptable," he said.
"But I fear that Fudge won't easily help us clear up the truth," Professor Dumbledore added. "As we've said, he cares more about his position as the Minister of Magic than principles, ready to abandon it at the slightest hint of trouble."
"Why?" Ron asked in astonishment. "Shouldn't this be a joyful thing? We've finally cleared up a wrongful case? Oh my, Sirius has been wronged for so many years..."
"That's exactly what makes it difficult," Hermione sighed and explained to Ron. "For the Ministry's credibility, this is a heavy blow—just think, an innocent person staying in Azkaban so long without cause..."
"Was the person who handled the case at the time Fudge?" Harry suddenly asked.
"No, it was Old Batty Crouch," Professor Dumbledore said. "He judged and sentenced most of the Death Eaters."
"Was his relationship with Fudge very good?" Harry asked again.
"Not particularly," Professor Dumbledore replied ambiguously.
Harry glanced around.
He approached Professor McGonagall and asked in a low voice, "Professor McGonagall, do you know the stories between Minister Fudge and Old Batty Crouch?"
"Oh, child," Professor McGonagall wiped the tears from her eyes and began to explain to Harry the old grievances between Fudge and Old Batty.
After a short while, Fudge arrived at the Headmaster's Office.
"Albus."
He said, then saw so many people in the Headmaster's Office.
"So lively, even at this hour? I heard your Phoenix sent word that there's news about Sirius Black?"
"Yes," Dumbledore nodded, "And it concerns this person in front of us—Peter Pettigrew."
Fudge was taken aback at Dumbledore's words.
"Peter Pettigrew? Didn't he die already?"
"It turns out he only faked his death," Professor Dumbledore explained. "He's an unregistered Animagus and has been living at the school all these years as a rat, serving as a pet to a student who prefers to remain anonymous."
As he said this, Ron lowered his head, and Hermione reached out to hold him gently, comforting him softly.
"We only discovered this recently," Professor Dumbledore concluded, "In short, the truth is that the real betrayer of James and Lily was Peter Pettigrew; and what you call the Azkaban fugitive Sirius Black, he is actually an innocent man—the charges against him for murdering Muggles and Peter Pettigrew are not valid."
Fudge nodded stiffly, glancing at Peter Pettigrew, then at Lupin who stood nearby.
"But Pettigrew being alive doesn't necessarily prove Black's innocence, does it?" Fudge frowned and said.
Indeed.
Seeing Fudge's demeanor, Harry immediately understood why Dumbledore had said what he did earlier.
More than the truth, he preferred to capture the fugitive Sirius Black rather than admit the Ministry's mistake by arresting some Peter Pettigrew.
"The explosion was caused by me, to frame Black," Peter Pettigrew said weakly; the effect of the Truth Serum hadn't worn off, "In fact, only he knew that I was James and Lily's Secret Keeper; as long as he was sent to Azkaban, I could live safely in this world..."
"A single testimony cannot clear Black's name," Fudge reiterated, "You must understand, this is a solid case! The Ministry must use the appropriate procedure to redress Black, not rely simply on Peter Pettigrew's word—and we don't even know if he's really Peter Pettigrew!"
"Hey!"
Phineas' portrait barely got out a "hey" before Dumbledore cut him off to prevent a furious outburst that could unnecessarily provoke Fudge.
"Can't we all prove his identity?" Professor Sprout asked, frowning, "We taught him, won't our testimonies suffice?"