"If Harry truly wants to understand the events of the past, we need to tell him objectively and fairly, Sirius."
"Of course, I'll be objective and fair!" Sirius exclaimed, "I'll show him in the most direct way why James and the rest of us disliked Snivellus so much back then!"
"Don't you understand how incredibly rude that behavior is!"
Finally, Harry had had enough of Sirius's derogatory nickname. He pointed an accusing finger.
"No matter what conflicts you had with Professor before, if he hadn't vouched for you earlier, you wouldn't have had the chance to clear your name! Even if you aren't grateful to him, you could at least use the proper name!"
His words left Sirius momentarily speechless, even blushing with embarrassment.
Clearly, he hadn't expected to be scolded like this by Harry, yet he couldn't retort because Harry was James's son, his own godson.
Lupin also looked seriously at Sirius.
"Harry is right. No matter what, you shouldn't keep referring to him like that, Sirius."
Seeing that even Lupin wasn't on his side, Sirius couldn't help but cry out in frustration.
"Alright! Alright! Since you're all defending him! Snape! I'll call him Snape, is that good enough?!"
Harry sat in the chair with his arms crossed, his expression still far from pleased.
Lupin, meanwhile, had already pulled out his wand. He thought for a moment.
"You'll need to wait here for me for a bit. I need to borrow something."
"Can't we just tell Harry? What else do you need to do?" Sirius was growing impatient.
The more Harry defended Severus, the more eager Sirius became to show Harry Severus's true colors, to make him see the light immediately and recognize who could truly be his reliable support!
"No, that won't do." Lupin's expression was serious, "The language of those involved often uncontrollably carries subjective bias. That's definitely not what Harry wants to see."
By now, he was already waving his wand.
"Just a few minutes. Wait for me a few minutes."
As his words faded, Lupin Disapparated from the spot.
The room was left with only Harry and Sirius, and the atmosphere grew quiet for a moment.
Sirius had a lot he wanted to say to Harry, but he could also see that Harry's impression of him wasn't very good.
So, not wanting to invite further displeasure, Sirius didn't initiate conversation. He just lay by the bed, ears drooping, lost in thought.
Harry watched him for a good while before speaking first.
"What's an Animagus?"
Even now, Harry didn't understand what an Animagus was, nor why Sirius looked like a dog.
"It's an extremely advanced branch of Transfiguration. It allows a wizard to completely and thoroughly transform into a specific animal form. Throughout magical history, only a very few wizards have mastered it."
Hearing Harry's question, Sirius finally lifted his head from the floor, perking up to reply.
"Both your father and I were Animagi. And we learned this magic while we were still at Hogwarts!"
"What could my dad turn into?"
"A stag! A strong stag!"
This time, the male broadcaster's voice from the No. 3 radio finally matched Sirius's current mood.
"Besides you, my dad, and Remus, you had another companion?" Harry continued asking.
Faced with this question, Sirius's eyes visibly darkened.
"Yes, that's right. We did have another companion once."
"Was he an Animagus too?"
"Yes. He could turn into a rat. He was the smallest among us, and usually the most useful for hiding."
"Why did you learn this magic in the first place?" Harry was sharp, "Hogwarts wouldn't teach such an advanced spell, right?"
"Of course not. Hogwarts certainly has no Animagus-related courses. And according to magical law, any new Animagus must register with the Ministry of Magic. Unregistered Animagi are all illegal."
"As for why we learned this magic back then... it was to be able to accompany Remus when he transformed into a werewolf on the full moon."
Sirius said proudly.
"Werewolves don't attack animals after transforming. Back then, we would lead him, take him roaming around Hogsmeade at night!"
From Sirius's explanation, Harry shrewdly guessed how Sirius had managed to evade so many Aurors in Britain and finally find them.
"Because you're an illegal Animagus, no one else knew you could turn into an animal, so the Aurors could never find you!"
Harry's words made Sirius laugh.
"You're clever, Harry. Just like your father. Or perhaps just like your mother too."
Hearing him mention his mother, Harry couldn't help but ask,
"What about my mom? Was she with you all at Hogwarts too?"
"Lily?" Sirius's smile turned somewhat odd, "She wasn't. For a long time in the lower years, she couldn't stand us. In fact, she was very close with Sn… with Snape."
Harry now remembered that when Severus first took him from the Dursleys, he had indeed told him that he had an unusual relationship with his mother.
Just as Harry was about to ask more, a distorted figure suddenly materialized in the room. The next second, Lupin, who had left earlier, returned.
Unlike when he left empty-handed, he now held a stone basin!
Seeing the basin, Sirius couldn't help but ask,
"Where did you get that thing?!"
"A second-hand dealer who runs a rental service. He does business in Bulgaria. When he was sourcing goods in Britain before, I helped him out a bit. He left me his address, said if I ever needed anything, he could rent it to me cheaply."
"You went to find him in the middle of the night, and he still did business with you?"
"His shop is open 24 hours. You understand, this kind of business often isn't suited for daytime."
"How much did he charge you to rent it for one night?"
"Seven silver Sickles."
Hearing the price, Sirius muttered,
"He definitely didn't rip you off."
As he spoke, Lupin placed the old stone basin on the table. Facing Harry's puzzled gaze, he explained,
"This is a Pensieve, Harry. It can help us experience memories of the past firsthand."
Harry's expression showed some understanding.
"Professor showed me something similar before, but he didn't use a basin."
"That requires a very high level of study in both Occlumency and Legilimency to achieve," Lupin explained, "And even then, the limitations are significant. A Pensieve is the more suitable tool."
Lupin pointed his wand at his own temple, then slowly rotated the wand. A silvery strand of memory was drawn from his mind and placed into the Pensieve.
"Come on, Harry, follow my lead. Take a deep breath, and then like this."
As his words fell, Lupin plunged his face directly into the Pensieve.
Harry followed immediately after, also immersing himself in the Pensieve.
Sirius, who had been on the floor, also leaped onto the table and, following them, stuck his dog face into the basin.