Harry Potter : Bloodraven-Chapter 179: The Brave Who Ran (IV) (CH - 199)

Maverick wasn't just listening—throughout the entire conversation, he had also been skimming the broken man's surface thoughts and quietly reading his emotions with his Magical Sense as well.

Sure, he remembered how the events had played out in the original story… but at the end of the day, that was still just a story.

Reality—especially in a universe as much of a chaotic mess as this one—could very well turn out differently. That was exactly why he had made Sirius recall everything for him, just to be sure.

Fortunately, things had lined up more or less the way he remembered. And now… he could finally begin the next phase of his plans.

"You are… a pitiful man, Sirius Black. Brave, sure—taking Azkaban on the chin for choosing Pettigrew, knowing it got your friends killed. But let's be honest… it was also foolish. You never stopped to think the rat might've escaped… which should've been obvious if you'd even entertained the thought."

"Or you could've at least exposed him. Brought some kind of justice for the Potters—who you've claimed time and time again were your closest companions. But instead… you let your guilt bury you. You hid behind your grief and called it penance."

"You're a coward too, Sirius Black. A brave man… who ran."

Hahaha.

Sirius let out a hysterical laugh, loud and broken. Even Maverick's Patronus, which had been quietly calming him until now, was beginning to lose its effect.

"Yes… I'm a coward. A bloody coward who ran instead of facing it all. A coward who let his best friend's son grow up in a Muggle shithole, never knowing the truth. I knew it… I know it… but so what?"

"What can change now, huh? What's left to fix? They're dead. James… Lily… all gone. And I—"

He tugged at the restraints, growing wilder with every word that left his mouth.

"I just ran. Like a useless, gutless fool. So yeah… call me whatever the fuck you want... I don't bloody care anymore!"

"My heart…" he growled, yanking hard at the ropes again. The bindings held firm, causing the chair to creak and nearly tip over.

"My heart only wants revenge now! Now that I know the rat's alive—killing that son of a bitch is the only thing keeping me breathing! You hear me, you condescending little fuck? Let me go!"

His eyes turned bloodshot as he thrashed against the restraints, yanking over and over, desperate to break free. His voice rose to a raw, broken scream.

"Let me fucking go! I want to kill the bastard who got my friends killed! I want to kill—"

Then… a quiet sob slipped out.

Just moments ago, he had been thrashing in his chair, screaming for blood, his eyes wild and furious. Then, as if a switch had been flipped, his fury cracked.

Maverick, even with his overpowered Magical Sense, found it difficult to grasp the barrage of emotions pouring off him. The little sanity Sirius had left was crumbling like a demolished building—and it was happening at an alarming rate.

The broken man's whole body slumped as though the fight had drained out of him all at once. The ropes held firm, yet he no longer struggled against them. His breath hitched. A second sob followed the first, and then another.

"Let me go.

Just… let me go and…"

Maverick watched the man break down and let out a quiet sigh. It was time to end the interrogation.

He exhaled slowly, then flicked his finger, and Sirius Black went limp, unconscious in an instant. Another flick, and the ropes vanished, leaving the broken man to slump out of the chair—but just before he hit the ground, a soft mattress formed beneath him, cushioning the fall.

Grrrr.

With a low growl, Ali—who had been silently watching the whole time—also moved. His form shrank, then morphed into his human self as he stepped toward the unconscious body.

"Do you feel sympathy for him?" Maverick asked from behind.

"Yes..." Ali didn't hesitate. "But like you said, boss... he's a coward who ran. At the same time, that doesn't erase the fact that he's still an innocent man who's suffered far too long."

Maverick tugged a brief smile at his friend's straightforwardness. He stood up, and the chair behind him vanished as he too walked over to Sirius, and then crouched down beside him.

Ali watched silently as Maverick retrieved a vial from his storage ring, and then placed a finger against the unconscious man's forehead.

After a few quiet minutes, wisps of silvery substance began to rise from Sirius Black's head, almost like drifting smoke. With calm precision, Ali observed as his leader guided the strands into the vial before sealing it shut with practiced ease.

"Clean him up and take him to a guest room. Let him rest, and give him a few rejuvenation potions while you're at it," Maverick said, rising from his crouch. "But don't leave him alone—not even for a second."

He gave Ali a brief pat on the shoulder as he passed, heading for the room's only door.

Maverick could, of course, end it all right now if he wanted to—take the memories, capture the rat, hand it over to the Ministry, and effectively reopen the case for Black. He had more than enough influence now in the Wizengamot to ensure that Fudge, or any other idiot, wouldn't be able to sweep the case under the rug to save face.

But it can't happen now. Maverick needs Fudge to mess up badly enough before he takes action. Besides, the one who would make that happen would be Greengrass, not him.

As for the rat, he planned to capture it tonight—without the Weasleys ever knowing a thing. Letting that garbage run free any longer was no longer necessary. Until the time came to use it, he would keep the coward locked up and miserable.

Passing through a couple of doors, he stepped out onto an empty street in Hogsmeade Village. This was just one of the many properties he had purchased and converted into a safe house.

It was nearly midnight, and not a soul was in sight. Then, a soft pop later, he vanished with the destination clear in his mind: the Burrow. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

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Half an hour later, he hovered over the Weasleys' property, peering down at the peaceful—though somehow oddly unsettling—house. Or building, really, whatever it was. And next to him, a cage held an unconscious, scruffy brown-furred rat with a missing toe.

It was hardly a challenge. Finding the rat, knocking it unconscious, and securing it in a cage took only a matter of minutes. As for how he got inside and past the wards—well, the house barely had any to begin with. The few in place were nothing more than simple Muggle-repellent charms and basic intruder alarms.

For someone like him, they were little more than a mild inconvenience, easily slipped past without so much as a whisper.