The Wizengamot members rose one by one andwatched Sirius .
As if by tacit agreement, they quietly began to gather their documents and leave this negotiating room, which had brought both pain and rebirth.
After a long time , Dumbledore walked towards Sirius Black .
He leaned down and patted Black lightly on the shoulder.
Black lifted her tear-stained face andmet Dumbledore's compassionate gaze.
Although Professor Dumbledore said nothing, a powerful feeling surged in Black's heart, grounding him and filling him with hope.
Black couldn't hide his surprise.
Professor Dumbledore patted him lightly on the shoulder again, nodded, and then turned to leave the dark room.
"Let's go, Allen." Owen Harris felt it was time to leave.
But Allen didn't move; he pointed to a Witch sitting in the middle of a few rows behind them .
Among the few remaining people, Owen went in the direction his youngest son pointed and saw him at a glance.
She has short blonde hair, wears a fuchsia dress, and is sucking on the tip of a showy green quill pen.
Without a doubt , this was Rita Skeeter , the chief reporter for the Daily Prophet .
"Dad, you'd better talk to Fudge before you see him. I'll be going out alone in a moment," Allen reminded him in a low voice.
Owen nodded in agreement and walked towards Rita .
After a brief moment of shock, Allen realized Rita Skeeter was having a pleasant conversation with her father.
Allen wasn't at all worried that Rita would write nonsensical things ; Rita was someone who knew how to adapt to circumstances and wouldn't easily anger those in power.
Even when Allen and Black were the only ones left in the dark and gloomy room, Allen still didn't move.
She knew Black needed time to collect his emotions.
Allen didn't step forward until Black stumbled to his feet .
Black rolled up his sleeve and casually wiped his face.
"You shouldn't have watched an execution like that," Black said seriously, his somber eyes fixed on Allen.
Despite Allen's immense power, she believed he was still a Young Wizard who wasn't yet of legal age and shouldn't have to witness such a cruel punishment .
"Most people fear nothing but death; Lord Voldemort is like that, and so is Peter Pettigrew . The tragedy of the Potters stems precisely from Voldemort's quest for immortality and Pettigrew's fear of death," Allen said, both lamenting and reminding.
"Death may be a punishment, but it cannot atone for sins. I don't know if thirteen years of mental anguish can be compensated for by a few seconds of pain from the extraction of his soul ! " said Sirius , and then he was surprised that he had opened his heart to a child.
Perhaps his calm demeanor and the fact that he possessed far more power than an ordinary wizard at such a young age prevented him from ever feeling like a child in the eyes of others.
Allen looked into Sirius's eyes, filled with grief and sorrow , and replied seriously, "You're right. Sometimes even justice isn't enough to soothe the heart."
"In the eyes of the world, Peter Pettigrew received the punishment he deserved, his sins have been cleansed, and perhaps he can even win Merlin's forgiveness , " Allen said slowly.
Black frowned.
"However, if someone inflicts slow, deep, boundless, and lasting pain on me, and I wish to take revenge, I will do my best to inflict the same pain on them. As a famous Muggle proverb says: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot."
"But hatred blinds people, and anger leads to recklessness. Those who blindly pursue revenge may eventually have to drink the bitter residue themselves." Allen looked at Black and continued, "In my opinion, Peter Pettigrew has long been paying for his mistakes. Thirteen years of living like a rat hiding within a wizarding family is no easy feat. The pain and torment you inflicted on him while hunting him may far outweigh even the damage caused by the Dementor's Kiss ."
Black took Allen's words seriously, and the lingering pain and resentment in his mind seemed to lessen.
As for the remaining emotions, they will, of course, fade away with time.
Sirius looked at Allen carefully, then suddenly changed the subject. "You've kept all the promises you've made to me, and I will keep mine and fulfill my vow."
Hearing this, Allen smiled involuntarily. Although he didn't like the other's personality, he absolutely trusted Black's character ; otherwise, he wouldn't have made this deal with him in the first place, even though he had taken an extra precaution to prevent Dumbledore's interference .
"Why don't you come with me and take over this place now?" Sirius asked .
Black was an impatient man; he didn't want to owe Allen anything.
Allen thought about it, felt there was enough time, and, not wanting to cause any problems, nodded his head in agreement.
After writing a letter to his father Owen informing him of his movements, Allen followed Sirius Black and openly left the Ministry of Magic .
Some of the wizards who saw Sirius on the roadstill didn't fully understand what was happening and seemed inexplicably horrified.
"This is what freedom feels like!" After leaving the Ministry of Magic, Sirius spread his arms and embraced the sky.
Allen smiled at Sirius ; he understood perfectly well how this former fugitive, who had once been hiding everywhere, was feeling right now.
After Sirius calmed down,they both apparated directly to the Black family's former home , Number Twelve Grimmauld Place .
The old house presented to Allen had dirty walls and eerie windows.
They climbed the crumbling stone steps and saw that the black paint on the door of this old house was peeling and covered in scratches.
The silver door knocker was shaped like a coiled snake. There was no keyhole or mailbox on the door.
"Excuse me, could I borrow your magic wand ?" Black asked .
Allen winked, drew his wand from its sheath, and handed it to Black .
Black waved the wand and realized it could do almost nothing; then he frowned and weighed it, feeling it was a little heavier than he'd imagined. But he soon shrugged andtapped lightly on the door with Allen's wand . Allen heard many loud metallic clicking sounds and a clanging like chains.
The door creaked open.
Black casuallyhanded the wand back to Allen.
They both crossed the threshold and stepped into an almost pitch- black corridor .
Allen detected a damp, dusty smell mixed with a sweet, decaying odor. It looked like an abandoned house.
Immediately afterwards, he heard a rustling sound, and then the old-fashioned gas lamps on the wall lit up, casting a flickering, surreal light on the peeling wallpaper and worn, ancient carpet in the long, eerie corridor.
A chandelier covered in cobwebs shimmered softly on the ceiling, and some portraits, darkened with age, hung crookedly on the walls.
Allen noticed that both the chandelier and the candlesticks on a nearby rocking table were shaped like snakes.
This old house bore the heavy mark of Slytherin .