"Did I interrupt a meeting, Professor?" Wade asked.
Dumbledore said, "No, I should thank you for rescuing me from a tedious and pointless argument so I can do something useful."
His gaze fell on the squirrel, a hint of amusement in his blue eyes.
The squirrel was so excited it nearly jumped off Wade's shoulder. It let out several short chirps, its paws gesturing rapidly, and its tail wagging constantly from side to side.
"Ah…" Dumbledore stared at the squirrel for a moment, then smiled and said, "This is indeed Sirius."
He extended a slender finger, took the squirrel, and said to Wade, "Come with me."
Wade followed Dumbledore to a seemingly ordinary and normal tent nearby. He reached out and brushed aside the hanging ropes at the entrance, feeling like this dusty canvas tent could blend into a Muggle park with absolutely no sense of incongruity.
Once inside, he realized it was indeed a Wizard's tent. The interior was very spacious, and everything was neatly organized. Even the cushions on the high-backed chairs were arranged in the same direction, and a Sneakoscope and a Seeker's Detector hung near the entrance.
This definitely isn't Dumbledore's own tent, Wade thought.
Dumbledore placed the squirrel on the ground and pointed his Wand at it. A pale blue light, like water, flowed from the tip of his Wand, enveloping the squirrel's entire body.
The squirrel's bones made a faint sound, its fur rapidly receded, its limbs lengthened and expanded, and the features on its furry head deformed one after another. In an instant, a tall, black-haired man was half-kneeling on the ground.
Sirius gasped as he stood up, his body trembling slightly. He looked down at his restored hands, his gaze still seemingly a little disoriented.
Although Sirius was a skilled Animagus, and had been accustomed to maintaining an animal form for extended periods in Azkaban, being magically transformed into a squirrel by someone else and unable to revert was still an extremely terrible experience for him.
The important thing wasn't "turning into an animal," but rather being unable to control his own body. For a few seconds, he almost forgot who he was, as if he had returned to that cold, desperate prison.
Wade pulled two pieces of the chocolate he always carried from his pocket and handed them to him. Seeing hot water on the stove, he picked up the teapot, preparing to pour him a cup of hot tea.
"Don't give me that," Sirius mumbled, stuffing the chocolate into his mouth. "Wade, could you grab me a bottle of alcohol?"
"Me too," Dumbledore said. "Ah, I recall there's a good bottle of brandy in the kitchen's fridge."
Although they could have summoned the brandy with a flick of their hand, Wade still made the trip, grabbing glass wine cups for both of them. He, on the other hand, took a porcelain cup from the coffee table and leisurely brewed himself a steaming cup of plain hot water.
Sirius gulped down his drink in one go. He let out a breath, looking as if he had finally come back to life.
Dumbledore leaned forward slightly, his eyes filled with concern, and asked, "Sirius, what did you track down?"
Sirius's lips moved, and he said in a hoarse voice, "I followed Lucius Malfoy all the way into the woods, but I didn't expect someone to be lying in ambush there… While I was fighting Malfoy, that guy suddenly attacked me from behind and turned me into a squirrel…"
Dumbledore's eyes narrowed slightly.
Given Sirius's abilities, there weren't many people who could ambush him from behind, and even fewer who could transform him and prevent him from reverting on his own for an entire night.
"Did you see who that person was?" Dumbledore asked.
Sirius was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded, his gaze somewhat unfocused from memory.
"I immediately fled at the time, but then I went back… and saw someone walking out of the woods… I recognized his face, and I even saw him turn two Veela into monsters, but…"
Sirius paused, poured himself a full glass of alcohol, and after taking a big swig, he wiped his mouth and said,
"Barty Jr. Crouch. I still remember how he looked when he was sent to Azkaban… He was being carried by Dementors, passing by my cell, looking no older than nineteen…"
Dumbledore slowly furrowed his brow, and Wade also turned to look at Sirius.
"The kid was completely terrified, crying and screaming non-stop, trembling all over… He always denied being a Death Eater, kept calling for help, and screamed for his mother in the middle of the night… But after a few days, he went silent…"
Sirius paused again before saying, "He died a year later… They said he died. I watched the Dementors drag his body out and bury it outside the fortress…"
"I even used to think that maybe the child was truly wronged, maybe he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time…"
Sirius looked up at Dumbledore and said, "But I was wrong, Dumbledore… You should have seen his expression then. He felt genuine pleasure from people's suffering and death…"
"Barty Jr. Crouch, without a doubt, he was a thorough Death Eater!"
"I spoke with Barty Crouch," Dumbledore said. "It wasn't a pleasant conversation, but fortunately, he eventually agreed to honestly tell me that he had indeed done some things wrong back then… At his wife's plea, Barty secretly helped his gravely ill wife and son switch places."
Knowing the truth of what happened then did little to help the current situation. After Barty Jr. drove the Veela mad, Sirius, even as a squirrel, rushed into the tent to try and help save people. Not only was he almost torn apart by the Veela, but he also lost track of Barty Jr.
Dumbledore didn't scold Sirius for his recklessness. When Sirius apologized remorsefully, he simply asked, "Sirius, tell me, what were you thinking when you saw those people fall into the trap?"
"I…" Sirius looked confused for a moment, then said, "I wasn't thinking anything, Dumbledore. I just instinctively rushed in…"
Dumbledore nodded. "Sometimes, the most correct choice comes from our instinctive reactions. I'm glad you didn't disregard life just to track down an enemy."
He smiled and said, "What could be wrong with wanting to protect innocent people?"
…
Sirius left, his fighting spirit high but his body weary. Dumbledore turned to Wade and said, "Wade, I noticed your expression changed just now. Do you have something to tell me?"
Wade's gaze moved across the Headmaster's brow. Seeing Dumbledore's eyes were as calm as ever, seemingly unaffected by Grindelwald's words, he rubbed his nose and said,
"Tonight, I also encountered Barty Jr. Crouch…"
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