The days following the Wizengamot trial passed in a blur of headlines and whispers.
The Daily Prophet and Wizarding Weekly blazed with bold letters across their covers:
"Sirius Black Innocent — Ministry Wrongfully Imprisoned Him for Twelve Years!""Peter Pettigrew: The Betrayer Found Alive!""Roy Valvas and Hogwarts Professors Uncover Truth Behind Infamous Betrayal!"
Roy read the articles with mild amusement over breakfast in the Great Hall. The words brilliant young wizard, Order of Merlin recipient, and political rising star appeared far too often for his taste. Yet he said nothing, only folded the paper neatly and resumed his meal as whispers followed him from every table.
When he, Harry, Snape, and Lupin returned to Hogwarts, life gradually resumed its rhythm. Classes continued, exams loomed, and the castle—though quieter—felt steadier after so many storms.
But not everything had healed.
Roy often noticed Ron awkwardly apologizing to Harry in corners of the corridor, near the library, or outside the Great Hall. His voice always carried the same guilt:
"I didn't mean for him to escape, mate… I just—Scabbers—he was my pet for years—"
Harry, ever forgiving, would nod, though his eyes held a quiet distance.
"It's all right, Ron. It's over now."
But Roy could see the cracks. The friendship that had once seemed unbreakable was now fraying at the edges.Ron, since the diary incident last year, had changed—colder, shorter-tempered, prone to picking fights with anyone who so much as looked at him wrong. Even Gryffindor's common room had grown weary of his temper.
Roy understood. The diary's lingering influence was subtle, corrosive, and it had left something dark in the boy's heart.
A week later, a letter arrived from Narcissa Black, sealed in silver wax bearing the Black crest.
"Sirius has honored his word," the letter read. "Five percent of the Black family's wealth and the copies of our magical grimoires are deposited into your Valvas vault at Gringotts. I trust you will find them… educational."
Roy smiled faintly, folding the letter and tucking it into his pocket.
"Educational indeed," he murmured.
Final Exams and New Beginnings
Exams came swiftly. The Great Hall filled with parchment, ink, and groans of panic.Roy, as always, sat calm and composed, quill gliding across the pages as though the questions themselves were trivial puzzles.
When the results were posted, his name stood proudly at the top — Roy Valvas, First Rank.Following him were Hermione Granger, Cassandra Vole, and Daphne Greengrass, each only a few points behind.
He glanced over the list again, noting the others — Astoria, Ginny, Cedric, the Weasley Twins, Cho, Penelope, Harry, and Ron.Harry had barely scraped through most subjects, though his Defence Against the Dark Arts marks were exceptional.Ron, strangely enough, had managed decent scores—something that made Roy raise an eyebrow but ultimately dismiss with a shrug.
That afternoon, an excited shout echoed through the Great Hall as Harry tore open a large package delivered by his owl.Inside gleamed a magnificent Firebolt broom, polished and perfect, with a letter attached in Sirius's unmistakable handwriting:
"Heard from Roy that your broom broke. Thought I'd fix that. Fly high, kid. — Sirius."
Harry's grin could have lit the entire hall. Within minutes, he was outside with the broom in hand, soaring across the Quidditch pitch, laughter chasing him through the sky.
Penelope's Departure
As the term drew to an end, Penelope Clearwater prepared to graduate. Roy met her by the Black Lake, the late afternoon sun shimmering across the water.
"You've done well," he told her. "Your NEWT scores are more than impressive."
"Thank you, Roy," she said softly. "I don't quite know what comes next."
"Work with Nagini," Roy replied without hesitation. "You'll start as her assistant at Liyue Store—an internship for now. It's a good place to learn how the real world works."
Penelope smiled. "You make it sound so certain."
"Because it is," he said. "I only offer certainty."
She laughed, and for the first time since her exams ended, she looked at peace.
The End of the Term
At the final feast, Dumbledore stood, eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles.
"Before we conclude this year," he began, "there are certain achievements I must acknowledge."
He raised his hand toward Roy's table.
"To Mr. Roy Valvas— for his contribution to the Ministry and for aiding in the exoneration of Sirius Black — fifty points."
The Great Hall erupted in applause, Hufflepuffs cheering loudest.With the additional points, Hufflepuff won the House Cup for the third consecutive year. The banners shifted color—gold and black filling the hall—while cheers and laughter rose all around.
Roy accepted the congratulations with a calm nod, though Hermione's proud smile and Daphne's discreet wink didn't go unnoticed.
The joy, however, was short-lived.
Just two days before the term ended, Wizarding Weekly broke another story:
"Werewolf at Hogwarts? Professor Lupin's Shocking Secret Exposed!"
By morning, hundreds of howlers had arrived for Dumbledore, bursting one after another in shrill voices:
"How could you endanger our children?""A werewolf teaching Defence? Outrageous!"
The Great Hall echoed with angry letters and exploding envelopes.Lupin, calm but weary, quietly resigned before the week's end.
Roy watched from the corridor as the man who had helped free Sirius walked down the path away from Hogwarts, his suitcase levitating behind him.
"It seems truth always comes with a price," Roy murmured.
Hermione, beside him, sighed. "And yet, somehow, you always end up ahead."
Roy only smiled faintly.
"That's because I play the game long before others even realize there is one."