Early the next morning, Lewis headed to the Great Hall for breakfast as usual.
The moment he stepped inside, he realized the hall was in an uproar.
Every student was talking excitedly.
Did Ron and Malfoy's incident get exposed?
Who couldn't keep their mouth shut?
Curious to enjoy the gossip, Lewis headed toward the Ravenclaw table to find Hogwarts' resident gossip queen, Cho Chang.
Yet as he walked through the hall, everyone kept staring at him.
That only confused him even more.
Not until Cho looked at him with a complicated expression and silently handed him today's newspaper did Lewis finally understand.
"Well... looks like the gossip is about me."
The front page of The Daily Prophet featured yesterday's trial in enormous headlines.
A Hero Hidden as a Rat for Twelve Years: The True Murderer Finally Revealed!
Yesterday, the Ministry of Magic officially declared Sirius Black innocent after a full retrial. The real culprit has finally been exposed...
"We are doing everything possible to improve our legal system while correcting the mistakes made during Bartemius Crouch's administration," Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge said this morning.
"We ask the wizarding public to understand that those events occurred during extraordinary times."
Lewis skimmed through the pages.
It wasn't just the front page.
Nearly the entire newspaper revolved around yesterday's trial and the truth behind the Potters' deaths.
There was no helping it.
The entire affair was simply too dramatic.
Sirius Black Finally Cleared After Thirteen Years!Illegal Animagi Once Again Expose Weaknesses in Magical Law
The newspaper was filled with photographs.
Young pictures of Sirius and Peter.
Photos from Sirius's imprisonment.
Pictures from his escape.
Even photographs of Peter's Animagus transformation.
Many of them were obviously impossible for ordinary reporters to obtain.
Clearly, they had come directly from the Ministry.
It seemed Gianna and Rita Skeeter's cooperation had gone exceptionally well.
The largest picture in the paper captured the most iconic moment of yesterday's trial.
Sirius and Peter sat side by side, separated only by a single barrier.
One wept.
The other trembled in terror.
One walked toward freedom.
The other toward death.
One was filled with hope.
The other with despair.
The contrast was so striking that Lewis couldn't help thinking...
If this were the Muggle world, the photograph could probably win a Pulitzer Prize.
As Lewis leisurely ate his sandwich and continued reading...
He discovered something else.
Gianna had pulled him into the spotlight as well.
Rita Skeeter had described his role throughout the entire case in remarkable detail.
It was almost as if she had personally witnessed everything...
Well...
The information had come directly from Lewis through Gianna.
No wonder everyone had been staring at him when he'd entered.
Penelope even hurried over to tell him that, just this morning, applications to join the Society of Erudition had reached an all-time high.
Almost every applicant had joined because of him.
Another excellent advertisement.
...
Just as Lewis finished breakfast and prepared to leave...
Someone called out.
"Lewis!"
It was Harry.
"Thank you... for helping Sirius."
Harry walked over with an unusually complicated expression.
He remembered what he'd heard months ago at the Three Broomsticks.
Back then...
He had believed Sirius Black was responsible for betraying his parents.
He had hated Sirius with all his heart.
Who could have imagined...
That the true culprit had been sleeping beside Ron for three years?
And once again...
The person who had changed everything...
Was Lewis Green.
"It's nothing."
Lewis smiled casually.
"Anyone who discovered the truth would've done the same."
"I just happened to be the one who found it."
"Besides, Sirius and I already agreed on suitable compensation."
"So you don't owe me any thanks."
"But..."
Harry shook his head stubbornly.
"You saved Sirius."
"And you found the real murderer of my parents."
Without another word...
Harry stepped forward and hugged him.
Lewis sighed helplessly.
He wished he could explain to Dumbledore that he wasn't deliberately getting close to the Boy Who Lived.
Harry had simply insisted on doing it himself.
This time...
Harry was alone.
Ron and Hermione weren't with him.
Lewis's psychic senses easily found Ron hiding behind a nearby corner, refusing to show himself.
He understood.
After all...
Ron had embarrassed himself thoroughly in front of Lewis.
First...
Lewis had found him covered in filth.
Then...
Lewis had publicly revealed that Ron had spent years sleeping beside an ugly, greasy, middle-aged man disguised as a rat...
And had even kissed him countless times.
If someone witnessed that much of your darkest history...
You'd probably want to Obliviate them too.
As for Hermione...
She still hadn't reconciled with Ron.
Naturally, she wasn't with him.
Just then...
Another figure approached.
He was tall.
Broad-shouldered.
Sporting neatly trimmed facial hair.
An unmistakably adult wizard.
"Sirius Black!"
Ron exclaimed in shock.
Sirius stared fixedly at Harry with his deep gray eyes.
He was still frighteningly thin...
But now he was dressed impeccably.
His hair and beard had been washed and neatly trimmed.
He wore an elegant, expensive coat.
Even a hint of cologne lingered around him.
Though he hadn't completely regained the handsome appearance of his youth...
His spirit had recovered considerably.
Yet despite everything...
His face showed unmistakable nervousness.
Harry wasn't much different.
He had no idea what expression he wore.
Anticipation.
Anxiety.
Hope.
Fear.
Whatever it was...
It certainly wasn't composed.
His entire body felt stiff.
Whether only seconds passed...
Or an eternity...
Harry finally stood before Sirius.
"Hello, Harry."
Sirius spoke first.
"I'm Sirius Orion Black."
"But... I don't know whether anyone has told you..."
"...I'm your godfather."
"Yes..."
Harry looked into Sirius's eyes.
"I think... I know."
The Sirius described in the newspapers had looked terrifying.
Wild.
Gaunt.
Consumed by hatred.
Harry had secretly worried whether such a godfather would be difficult to get along with.
Now...
It seemed he'd worried for nothing.
Sirius visibly relaxed.
A genuine smile spread across his face.
"As your godfather..."
"I brought you a few gifts."
"They were actually Lewis's suggestions."
"I hope you like them."
He handed Harry an enormous package.
Opening it...
Harry found it packed full of joke-shop merchandise.
Dungbombs.
Hiccup Sweets.
Frog Spawn Soap.
Biting Teacups.
Dr. Filibuster's Self-Igniting Fireworks.
Water-Bloom Fireworks.
Every one of them came from Zonko's Joke Shop.
How could a grown wizard still love things like this?
Harry happily rummaged through the package.
Then suddenly froze.
"The Firebolt!"
Ron looked over in surprise.
"Hermione guessed it was you who sent it, didn't she?"
Harry looked eagerly at Sirius.
"That's right."
Sirius smiled.
"I ordered it through the Owl Post."
"I used your name..."
"But paid with gold from my own Gringotts vault—Vault 711."
"Consider it your thirteenth birthday present from your godfather."
"Ha!"
Ron shouted triumphantly.
"See? There wasn't any curse!"
"Hermione was wrong!"
"But she did guess it was from him."
Harry reminded him.
At that moment...
His heart felt unbelievably warm.
Even while living as a hunted fugitive...
Sirius had still remembered his birthday.
For the first time...
Harry truly experienced the love of family.
Just then...
A tiny gray blur landed on Sirius's shoulder.
Tilting its little head...
It curiously observed everyone.
Ron looked closely.
It was an unusually small owl.
The little owl noticed Ron staring and immediately fluttered onto his hand.
"Ouch!"
It enthusiastically pecked his finger.
Apparently...
That was simply how it showed affection.
"Ron."
Sirius smiled.
"I thought you might like to keep this owl."
"After all..."
"My mistake cost you your pet rat."
Ron stared.
The tiny owl chirped excitedly.
"...Keep it?"
He examined it suspiciously before asking,
"It's... actually an owl, right?"
"Not another person's Animagus?"
Harry and Sirius burst into laughter.
"For me..."
Ron grinned.
"This is more than enough."
"I'll take him!"
"Oh!"
Sirius suddenly remembered something.
He reached into his pocket and handed Harry a folded piece of parchment.
Harry glanced over it.
Warmth immediately flooded his entire body.
It read:
I, Sirius Black, legal guardian of Harry Potter, hereby grant him permission to visit Hogsmeade Village on weekends.
Harry immediately handed it to Ron.
"Great!"
"Now we can finally go to Hogsmeade together!"
Ron cheered before hastily covering his mouth.
Sirius laughed.
"No need to hide it."
"I know James owned an Invisibility Cloak."
"We used it exactly the same way when we were students."
His eyes became distant.
Remembering happier days.
After a long silence...
He awkwardly cleared his throat.
"Harry..."
"Your parents appointed me as your legal guardian."
"If anything ever happened to them..."
Harry waited quietly.
He already suspected what Sirius wanted to say.
"Of course..."
Sirius hurriedly added.
"If you'd rather continue living with your aunt and uncle..."
"I completely understand."
"I only thought..."
"...perhaps..."
"...if you'd like a different home..."
Harry felt something explode inside his chest.
"What?!"
"Live... with you?"
"Leave the Dursleys?"
"Of course."
"I mean..."
"I assumed you wouldn't want to..."
Sirius said quickly.
"I understand. It was only a suggestion..."
"Are you crazy?"
Harry interrupted, his voice suddenly hoarse.
"Of course I want to leave the Dursleys!"
"Do you really have a house?"
"When can I move in?"
"You... really want to?"
Sirius asked in disbelief.
"Really?"
"Of course!"
Harry practically jumped with excitement.
For Sirius...
This was the happiest day he'd experienced in thirteen years.
Laughing heartily...
He slapped Harry on the shoulder exactly as he'd once done to James.
"I have to leave for now."
"When school finishes..."
"I'll come pick you up."
Harry nodded repeatedly.
His thoughts were already racing.
How long until summer vacation?
For the first time...
He wasn't counting the days because he wanted to escape the Dursleys.
He was counting because someone would finally be waiting for him.
"Oh!"
Sirius suddenly stopped after taking a few steps.
Turning around, he looked at Harry.
"Spend more time with Lewis."
"He's an excellent friend."
Ron watched Sirius walk away.
Then glanced at Harry.
He looked as though he wanted to say something.
But after looking down at the tiny owl in his hands...
He ultimately swallowed every complaint he'd ever had about Lewis.
"Next time we go to Hogsmeade..."
"We're going to have so much fun."
Ron happily played with his new owl.
Harry simply smiled, gently stroking the parchment bearing Sirius's signature.
This is wonderful...
Soon...
I'll finally be leaving the Dursleys behind.
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