Before Scrimgeour could react, Sirius continued:
"Or, with this, you wouldn't have let that traitor escape right under your noses? Wouldn't you agree? Look, now that you have these handcuffs, equip every Auror with them and record that rat's aura. As long as he shows up nearby, even as a rat, you can catch him, can't you?"
Scrimgeour flew into a rage at that, his heavy breathing making the air in front of him feel hot.
What had happened before was all because these people had refused to cooperate with the Ministry of Magic, causing the Aurors to make one mistake after another.
He had thought coming to Hogwarts would be a good opportunity to undermine Dumbledore's authority and let the Ministry make a fine showing. Instead, they had made complete asses of themselves.
He had thought they were coming to arrest Sirius, only for him to suddenly turn out to be innocent. Peter, who had been missing for over a decade, had appeared and turned out to be the real culprit all those years ago.
Because they had received the news too late, Peter had seized the opportunity to escape when they arrived.
And now he had to listen to this fellow's snide remarks:
"Black, if you people hadn't refused to cooperate-especially you-if you had explained from the very beginning that you were innocent, how would any of this have happened afterward..."
Sirius gave a disdainful snort. In the situation he had been in back then, even if he had said he hadn't killed anyone, who would have believed him?
Still, he adopted a magnanimous air, as though he wouldn't hold it against Scrimgeour:
"Oh, come now, our Head Auror, don't get worked up. As long as we cooperate more closely from now on, what Dark Wizard could you