How could one possibly describe this revelation?
The entire confrontation was nothing short of a farce—a melodramatic soap opera of the highest order.
The trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione practically had "I won't listen, I won't listen, I don't believe you, you must be lying to me" written across their faces in bold, highlighted letters with magical special effects for emphasis.
Meanwhile, Sirius Black kept insisting vehemently on killing Peter Pettigrew immediately, while Lupin refused to permit it, stubbornly attempting to explain the situation to the determinedly-refusing-to-listen trio. The entire confrontation had devolved into an incredibly chaotic, endlessly circular argument that went absolutely nowhere.
Forget Snape's perspective—even Sean, watching these individuals agonize uselessly for nearly ten full minutes, wanted to rip off the Invisibility Cloak, draw his wand, cast Avada Kedavra to eliminate Peter Pettigrew permanently, follow with two Stunning Spells to incapacitate both Lupin and Sirius, and finally silence the incessantly clamoring trio with a well-placed Silencing Charm!
Finally, to Snape's visible astonishment, Lupin forcibly yanked Peter Pettigrew from Ron's protective grasp and used magic to compel the Animagus transformation, forcing him back into human form. Ron recoiled in utter shock and disgust, staring at the spot where his beloved pet had been moments before.
The newly-revealed Peter Pettigrew immediately began feigning weakness and confusion, refusing to acknowledge Sirius's accusations directly. Instead, he attempted to manipulate Harry, his friends, and even Lupin with carefully chosen words designed to sow doubt and discord.
Lupin clearly trusted Sirius far more than Peter Pettigrew based on their shared history. However, Harry and his friends remained deeply hesitant—Hermione especially. It was abundantly clear that Lupin's werewolf identity had already become a significant point of concern for her. Coupled with her firm belief that Sirius was a dangerous escaped criminal and former Death Eater, Hermione instinctively sided with Peter Pettigrew's protestations of innocence.
Though even Hermione found Pettigrew's transformation into a rat and his years of living in such close proximity to Ron utterly revolting.
At this moment, Snape's internal emotional state was extraordinarily complex.
On one hand, Snape understood logically that Peter Pettigrew's survival fundamentally proved Sirius Black's innocence. All the previous evidence—built entirely on the assumption of Pettigrew's death—had pointed conclusively to Sirius as the traitor. Now that Pettigrew stood alive before them, that same evidence ironically proved Sirius Black's innocence while simultaneously becoming damning proof of Pettigrew's guilt.
On the other hand, Snape's profound hatred for Sirius Black made him desperately unwilling to admit this truth. He wanted desperately to oppose Black on principle, to somehow prove his guilt regardless of evidence. Yet no matter how Snape twisted the logic in his mind, he inevitably arrived at the conclusion he absolutely refused to accept:
Sirius Black was innocent.
Taking a deep, steadying breath, Snape removed the Invisibility Cloak in one swift motion, brandished his wand with practiced precision, and cast a wordless Disarming Charm. Every wand in the room flew from its owner's hand, clattering uselessly to the dusty floor.
Sean attempted to stop his professor's dramatic intervention, but reacted a fraction too late.
With a resigned sigh, Sean also removed his portion of the Invisibility Cloak and moved to stand beside Snape's position.
"Sean?" Hermione gasped.
"Sean?" Ron echoed with confusion.
"Sean!" Harry's voice carried unmistakable relief. For reasons he couldn't fully articulate, the moment Harry saw Sean arrive, he felt immediately reassured and considerably more relaxed.
Sean met Harry's gaze across the room, then acknowledged Ron and Hermione with a slight nod. "Hello, Harry. Ron. Hermione."
After completing his greeting, Sean turned deliberately to study Peter Pettigrew directly. He'd witnessed the rat-like man's filthy, cowering appearance countless times in memories extracted during their previous encounter.
From the precise moment Peter Pettigrew noticed Sean's arrival, he felt an inexplicable chill race down his spine. Now, meeting Sean's steady gray-eyed gaze directly, Pettigrew experienced overwhelming fear and visceral dread. He involuntarily took a stumbling step backward, trembling visibly.
Observing Peter Pettigrew's reaction with predatory interest, Sirius Black immediately erupted.
"Ah! Peter, what's wrong with you? Feeling guilty now that more witnesses have arrived? It's far too late for regrets!"
"Guilty? How could I possibly feel guilty?" Pettigrew's voice rose shrilly. "I'm simply frightened! I'm terrified that you and Lupin will disregard the truth entirely and manipulate these children and Severus into murdering me! I'm innocent—innocent from the very beginning! It's you, Sirius—you're an Azkaban fugitive, you're the truly evil one, you're that man's henchman! You're here to kill us all, to murder Harry Potter!"
It must be acknowledged that in this crucial moment, Peter Pettigrew managed to say precisely the right things to sow maximum doubt and confusion.
For Snape in particular, the words struck directly at his deepest conflict. He despised James Potter's child with burning intensity, yet simultaneously felt willing to sacrifice everything to protect Lily Potter's son. These strange, contradictory emotions coexisted uneasily within Snape's heart.
Hearing Pettigrew's calculated accusation, Snape couldn't risk Potter's safety on mere probability. His wand shifted position slightly, his face filling with unparalleled disgust. "Black, this truly is a perfect opportunity for revenge, isn't it?"
"You really cannot distinguish truth from lies, you slimy git!" Sirius spat.
"Slimy git?" A cold, cruel smile spread slowly across Snape's features. That particular nickname from his tormented childhood had completely ignited the hatred buried deep within him. He stepped forward menacingly, his wand pointing directly at Sirius's face, his voice as chilling as midwinter frost. "Indeed, a remarkably familiar insult. But don't forget—the moment I depart this place, the moment I pass beyond that Whomping Willow, I can immediately summon dozens of Dementors to this location. They would be absolutely delighted to give you their Kiss. I expect you're quite eager for that reunion, aren't you?"
Hearing this genuine threat, Sirius's defiant expression immediately transformed into barely-concealed panic. He retreated several steps, trembling as though recalling profoundly unpleasant memories of Azkaban's torments. However, with Peter Pettigrew standing right before him—his chance for vindication and justice finally within reach—Sirius maintained his basic rationality and continued staring intently at the traitor.
"Professor," Hermione ventured hesitantly, "perhaps... perhaps Sirius Black and the others are telling the truth? For someone to transform into a rat and remain constantly at Ron's side for years seems far too suspicious to dismiss entirely."
Snape turned to Hermione, a mocking smile twisting his features. "Miss Granger, I believe you're rapidly approaching expulsion from Hogwarts. Deliberately associating with escaped Azkaban fugitives and unregistered werewolves—you no longer deserve to remain at this institution."
Hearing this pronouncement, Hermione's face turned deathly pale, her eyes reddening with barely-suppressed tears. She immediately fell silent, not daring to speak another word.
Harry looked frantically around the room, utterly unsure whom to believe or trust. His desperate gaze quickly found Sean. Usually, Sean could answer his most difficult questions with clarity and wisdom. Harry believed that at this critical moment, Sean was the only person present who could properly guide him toward truth.
"Sean," Harry asked with visible hope, "do you... do you have a way to prove what really happened?"
Harry's question immediately drew everyone's attention sharply to Sean.
Hermione and Ron looked understanding and expectant, while Snape frowned with grudging agreement that consultation might prove useful. Lupin nodded thoughtfully, clearly willing to hear Sean's perspective.
Sirius, however, looked utterly bewildered. Who was this young Slytherin student named Sean Bulstrode? Why did Harry Potter apparently trust him so completely?
Snape regarded the composed Sean carefully, pursed his lips in thought, and though clearly reluctant to admit uncertainty, finally asked, "You have a method to resolve this situation, Sean?"
Sean nodded once, decisively. "Indeed, Professor. There is a way to definitively establish the truth."