Chapter 156 What Is A Friend?
Pettigrew suddenly caught Ron from behind. No one expected him to do such a thing; he was too close to him.
Ron did not evade it; he stood there with a pale face, allowing Peter to grab him.
As Pettigrew seized his wand, he was like a ragdoll, doing nothing to stop him.
The warmth brought by the scene between Black and Harry instantly vanished. The atmosphere tensed again, and Harry and Hermione quickly aimed their wands at Pettigrew.
"Ron!" Hermione said worriedly, looking at them with tears in her eyes.
"You filthy coward, release Ron!" Harry shouted angrily.
Evan remained silent, but the tip of his wand shone brightly.
He was accumulating magical power. He stared intently at Peter, seeking an opportunity to strike.
"Peter Pettigrew, you vile bastard, wretched coward, release that boy!" Black roared angrily, "You are despicable; I should have killed you!"
"Sending me to the Dementors instead of killing me, makes no difference. It's even worse!" Peter's face showed extreme horror as he trembled and pleaded, "I can't go there. They will suck out my soul. Come on, let me go. Sirius, we used to be friends!"
"Friends?" Black approached Peter, gritted his teeth, and said, "I was so blind at that time to befriend someone like you. That is one of my greatest regrets!"
"No, don't come any closer!" Peter Pettigrew shouted, pointing his wand at Black, then aimed it back at Ron's chest, "Back away from me, lower your wands, if you want Ron to live, do as I say, or else...!"
His voice was the only one heard, as no one else even moved.
"Quick, do what I said!" A hint of madness flickered in Peter's eyes. He shouted, "I'm not joking. I'll give you ten more seconds. If there's anyone who hasn't dropped their wand, get ready to bury Ron's body."
Evan, Harry, Hermione, and Black looked at each other hesitantly.
Little Peter was clearly serious, he would actually kill Ron, the tip of his wand began to emit a faint green light, it was the Unforgivable Curse Avada Kedavra.
Harry gasped and looked hesitantly at Pettigrew.
He regretted stopping Black from killing him. If he hadn't done that, they wouldn't be in this situation. To help Sirius Black clear his name, he couldn't let Pettigrew escape, but he also couldn't ignore Ron's life.
Harry hesitated. He didn't know what to do.
On one hand was his best friend; on the other, his godfather. Regardless of whom he disappointed, he would feel bad.
"Do as he said, Harry!" Black suddenly said. "Lower your wand, we must ensure the boy's safety."
"But..."
"No buts!" Black said emphatically. "That boy is your friend. We can't let him die. Remember, Harry, if a friend is in danger and needs your help, you must do everything in your power to help them, even if it costs you your life. Never hesitate!"
Upon hearing Black's words, Harry sobbed and threw his wand to the ground.
"Ron, I know you are under Pettigrew's control. I don't know if you can hear me, but still, I want to tell you..." Harry looked at Ron firmly. He shouted with all his might, "Ron, you are my best friend, forever! As Sirius just said, I am willing to sacrifice my life to help you! So please, wake up once and for all."
No one spoke. Everyone watched Harry in silence, listening to his heartfelt cry.
"You are a true son of your father, Harry!" Black said relieved. "I am very proud of you!"
"Alright, two more!" Pettigrew shouted, also with tears clouding his vision.
He tried to contain his tears. He saw James in the young Harry. He thought he too would be willing to give his life for him. He remembered his school days with James, Sirius, and Lupin. Over the years, they had shared adventures together at Hogwarts, and their footprints were everywhere on the campus.
But now, there is nothing. He destroyed everything with his own hands.
Upon hearing Harry's cries, Peter Pettigrew repeated to himself that he had done nothing wrong and that hiding behind the stronger one was the right choice.
If he had confronted the Dark Lord, perhaps he wouldn't have survived this long!
"Evan, Hermione, I have no right to ask anything of you, but..." Black glanced at Evan and Hermione, who still held their wands.
"I know, Sirius," Evan dropped his wand to the ground. He gazed at Ron slowly and said, "As I told you in Professor Lupin's office, despite all your flaws, Ron, you are nothing like the man behind you! There is a crucial difference between you two: you will never betray your friends. We all trust you. Do not disappoint us."
"Yes, Ron, we all trust you," Hermione also laid down her wand, her eyes red. "Do you remember how we became friends? Do you recall that in our first year, you and Harry saved me from the troll? When you came out? In that moment, it was you who defeated the giant beast! Without you... without you, I might have died! I would also sacrifice my life for you."
Watching the scene unfold before him, Ron turned pale, his face filled with anguish.
He was being urged by Peter to slowly retreat from the scene.
Ron's body trembled uncontrollably. In his mind, Peter was giving new orders, but Ron couldn't hear a single word. All he could think about was what Harry, Evan, and Hermione had told him.
They had been through so many wrongs, yet they still considered him a friend.
He shuddered. He used to think he was akin to Peter Pettigrew, a misunderstood hero. But now, he saw Peter for what he truly was - despicable, cowardly, the perpetrator of all those miseries. And now, he was aiding him and betraying his friends.
Although still under the Imperius Curse, Ron suddenly burst into tears and wept like he had never done before.
Suddenly, he found himself as a scoundrel, a scoundrel of the worst kind!
It was like last year when he chose to believe in a strange diary and a dark wizard, instead of his friends.