The Reluctant Alliance Is Restored Once More

Sirius quickly stuffed the notebook into his robes, but Regulus's gaze had already caught the tense atmosphere of the three of them huddled around Peter's bedside.

The brothers exchanged a look, Sirius's tone low.

"Nice work, Reg. The Black family's Heartbreak Curse?"

Regulus did not deny it, answering calmly, "He deserved it. If we weren't at school, he'd be in much worse shape."

Little Barty scanned Peter's injuries with indifference, then looked toward Sirius. "Pettigrew's wounds... have you two already dealt with them?"

James shook the notebook in his hand, his expression complex. "It's much more serious than I imagined. We found his surveillance logs."

Regulus did not show his usual gentle expression; instead, the corners of his mouth turned up. "So you've already read his notes. I can only say that some things cannot be solved by simply reporting them, Potter."

Lupin sat back down at the bedside. "It seems you already know what we just discovered. This list of questions... it clearly goes beyond the curiosity of an ordinary student."

"We found him hiding in a corner on our way back from the Forbidden Forest."

Little Barty swept a glance over Lupin's somewhat guilty expression and let out a cold snort.

"Your sidekick is once again acting like a self-important idiot with a perverted interest in pretty girls, showing up around Lucretia for no reason."

Sirius grabbed the notebook and flipped to a page. "It's not just 'around.' Asking Mr. Crouch if he's discussing work, whether the fireplace is connected to the Floo Network—these questions... someone is using him to spy on the Crouch family."

James scratched the back of his head. "So you decided to teach him a lesson, but why use Dark Magic?"

Regulus said calmly, "To ensure he remembers the lesson. Besides, this Heartbreak Curse will leave his mind in chaos for weeks, making him unable to identify who attacked him."

Sirius nodded. "Practical. I didn't expect you to have already learned a variation of it. You learned it faster than I did back then."

Regulus shrugged. "We've both taken some of the same courses, haven't we?"

Their lines of sight met briefly, then both looked away.

Lupin and James exchanged a look.

James steered the topic back. "Alright, the question now is, Pet... er, Pettigrew is clearly spying on Miss Lucretia, likely at someone's behest. What should we do?"

Little Barty's answer came without hesitation. "The answer is simple: strengthen the protective measures."

Sirius's reply was so fast it surprised even himself. "Agreed. It seems this is our only point of consensus."

Little Barty narrowed his eyes, his gaze piercing directly at Sirius. "What is it, Black? Since when did you start caring so much about her safety?"

Sirius's expression did not change in the slightest. "Don't misunderstand, Crouch. I'm concerned about the potential threat behind Pettigrew."

The corners of Little Barty's mouth curved, but it was not a smile. "Is that so? Then why are you so familiar with her class schedule? Popping up in the corridor every now and then?"

The air in the room suddenly turned taut.

James hunched his shoulders at the bedside, Lupin's fingers tapping lightly against the edge of the quilt.

Regulus glanced at Little Barty, silently reminding him that now was not the time for an argument.

Little Barty looked back at James, his tone cold: "We have already arranged a rotation to ensure she is never left alone."

Lupin pointed out: "But your class schedules can't possibly cover all her activities. Especially the Ravenclaw Common Room; you can't get in there."

James patted the map in his pocket: "That's where we can help. I know you've seen this before, Crouch. The Marauder's Map lets us know exactly who is approaching her at any time."

Little Barty narrowed his eyes, silent for a few seconds: "A combination of remote monitoring and close-range protection."

James looked at Sirius's expression and quickly corrected himself: "That's what I meant. We don't want to see Pettigrew or anyone else hurting her either. She is our future... er, our... good student, isn't she?"

Sirius added, his voice flat: "James and I don't have many electives, so our schedules have plenty of free time. At the very least, we can ensure her safety on the way to and from classes and in public areas. Remus is still a Prefect, so he can reasonably appear on any floor."

Regulus looked at his brother: "This is a reasonable arrangement. A joint defense."

Little Barty opened his mouth, clearly wanting to object.

Regulus glanced at his friend again: "Considering the nature of the threat to Mr. Crouch, temporary cooperation is the wise choice. Besides, Barty, if there really is an external threat, the two of us alone won't be enough."

Little Barty's jaw tightened. It was a long time before he nodded: "Temporary."

Lupin raised a key question: "Regarding Miss Crouch, do we need to tell her what happened tonight?"

Little Barty's tone was calm: "She already knows Peter is watching her. I told her a long time ago to be wary of Pettigrew, especially regarding my father."

James raised an eyebrow: "You already told her? How did she react?"

Little Barty answered briefly: "Calmer than you'd imagine. But she doesn't know Pettigrew's current state, nor does she know how serious things have become."

Sirius sat back down by Lupin's bedside: "So that's it? We monitor with the map, and you provide close-range protection."

Little Barty nodded and walked toward the door with Regulus.

Just as the two reached the doorway, Sirius suddenly spoke up.

"Don't worry, no one will know who did it. Take care of yourself, Reg."

Regulus turned back, and the brothers' gazes met for a moment.

He curled his lips: "Of course. Black family business stays in the Black family."

Little Barty waited at the door, his gaze shifting between the two brothers, saying nothing.

The two Slytherins left silently just before Madam Pomfrey walked in.

Madam Pomfrey returned carrying a potion. Seeing the three Gryffindors still by the hospital bed, she frowned sternly.

"What are you still doing here? The patient needs rest!"

James immediately put on his most innocent expression, his eyes wide: "We're just worried about our friend, Madam Pomfrey. He's in Gryffindor with us, it's only natural to be concerned."

Sirius stood to the side, struggling to keep a straight face and stop himself from laughing.

Madam Pomfrey re-examined Peter's condition as she spoke: "His condition is stable, but he remains unconscious. Professor McGonagall and Professor Slughorn are investigating what happened. Do you know anything about this?"

Sirius said calmly: "We've been here all night keeping Lupin company, though Peter has indeed been acting strangely lately."

Madam Pomfrey looked up at him: "Strangely?"

James added, the worry in his voice not entirely feigned: "He likes to go off on his own, acting all mysterious. He keeps saying he has an important mission."

Madam Pomfrey gave them a suspicious look but didn't press further: "You should return to your dormitory. Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, if the Headmaster has any questions, he will speak with you tomorrow morning."

The three of them had no choice but to say goodbye.

On the way back to Gryffindor Tower, James occasionally tossed a stone around corners to ensure there were no patrolling professors or Filch ahead.

After avoiding two patrols in a row, James finally couldn't help himself: "Crouch looked like he wanted to burn a hole right through you with his eyes back there."

Sirius raised an eyebrow: "So? What were you expecting? Did you want us to start a fight right in front of Madam Pomfrey?"

James lowered his voice, mimicking Sirius's tone from earlier: "I'm concerned about the potential threat behind Pettigrew?"

He stopped in his tracks, laughing non-stop.

"Honestly, I felt embarrassed for you. Your brother even turned his head away after hearing that, the corner of his mouth twitching. You two are making it more and more obvious."

Sirius scoffed and corrected him: "No one is competing."

In the corridor where moonlight filtered through the windows, the two of them tacitly slowed their pace.

James was silent for a brief moment, then put on a serious expression: "I know, but seriously, do you think Crouch is going to let you get near her?"

Sirius stared straight ahead: "I have hands of my own; I don't need his permission. And this isn't a competition; she isn't a Golden Snitch."

James agreed, his eyes turning earnest: "Of course not. But if Wormtail really was being directed to spy on the Crouch family..."

Sirius finished his thought: "Then Hogwarts is no longer the safe place we thought it was. The war outside has already seeped in."