After Nymphadora Tonks said those words, she felt her heartbeat quicken.
She had thought what she would see next was Sirius Black grinning as he clapped his hands, then saying, "As expected of an Auror. You really do have presence!"
But none of that happened. The smile on Sirius Black's face faded, revealing a bitter expression.
"Tonks, you really are something!" He shook his head and let out a long sigh. "I'm truly happy for Remus! To think there's someone like you, someone who can accept him so completely, without reservation."
Hearing Sirius Black say that, Nymphadora Tonks asked in confusion, "Sirius Black, what do you mean by that?"
"Why does it sound like..." She raised an eyebrow and looked Sirius Black up and down. "You're not his friend at all?"
Sirius Black sighed again. "Mad-Eye told me before that the year you officially joined the Auror Office... that was the beginning of last year, wasn't it?"
"That's right!" Nymphadora Tonks recalled what had happened back then. "When Peter Pettigrew was caught, I even went to Hogwarts with Minister Fudge."
"I was supposed to go and take over from Deloris at the time. I never expected Peter Pettigrew to knock Deloris out and escape from Hogwarts! It was far too dangerous!"
"So you were involved too..." Sirius Black replied with some emotion. "Then you should know very well, shouldn't you? Why I was locked up in Azkaban."
Nymphadora Tonks answered, "Harry's parents were killed by Voldemort, Peter Pettigrew was the one who betrayed the secret, and you were framed by Peter Pettigrew, then sent to Azkaban."
"That's a very comprehensive summary..." Sirius Black nodded in affirmation. "Then you should know very well how they accused me back then..."
"They said I'd gone mad, that I had indirectly or directly killed