Godfather Owl: Guardian of Batman

"Welcome, everyone."

From his seat at the head table, Lupin addressed the room. "Now that the banquet has begun, I think it's time we drop any unnecessary disguises, don't you?"

As he spoke, the large black dog, previously frozen in shock, began to shift.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the dog transformed into a disheveled, skeletal man.

"Sirius Black!"

Hermione's scream shattered the tense silence.

Snape and Fred moved immediately, shielding Harry from Sirius.

"Squeak! Squeak!"

The rat in Fred's hand, terrified beyond reason, squirmed and shrieked.

Snape pulled out his wand.

"Looks like Azkaban will have two new inmates tonight," Snape sneered coldly. "An escaped convict… and you, Lupin. Dumbledore vouched for you, and this is how you repay his trust? By harboring the notorious Sirius Black?"

His dark robes billowed as he positioned himself firmly between Harry and Sirius, refusing to let the man approach.

But Sirius, his eyes burning with hatred, stumbled forward, unfazed by the warning.

"Give him to me!" Sirius growled, stretching out his hand. "Hand him over!"

"Don't come any closer!" Snape barked, his wand steady. "Sirius, you know what I'm capable of!"

"Ha!"

Sirius let out a short, bitter laugh before lunging.

"Sectumsempra!"

Snape's voice rang out as he cast his signature spell. Deep gashes appeared across Sirius's frail body, blood soaking his tattered robes.

Yet Sirius didn't stop. He collided with Fred, forcing the Weasley twin to stumble and release the rat.

The rat, Scabbers, hit the ground running, darting into the shadows.

Fred remained standing—Sirius's weakened state lacked the strength to knock him down.

"Enough!"

Snape roared, preparing to cast another spell.

But Lupin, calm and composed, pointed his wand at Snape instead.

"Expelliarmus."

The disarming spell sent Snape's wand flying out of his hand.

"It's not time for killing yet," Lupin said smoothly. "You'll have your chance later. Plenty of it.

"And as for our little rodent friend," he added, turning his wand toward the corner where Scabbers had fled, "how much longer do you plan to stay hidden?"

A jet of blue light shot from Lupin's wand, striking the rat.

In an instant, Scabbers began to twist and contort.

It was like watching a sped-up time-lapse of a tree growing. Limbs emerged, followed by a head and a torso.

Moments later, a man stood in Scabbers's place—a short, hunched figure with patchy, greasy hair and a shiny bald spot.

His wrinkled skin was filthy, his sharp nose twitching, and his watery, rodent-like eyes darting nervously.

"Oh my goodness!"

Fred clutched his forehead in horror, staring at the hand that had held Scabbers just moments ago. A wave of nausea washed over him.

He knew this rat.

Scabbers had lived with his family for twelve years.

And now, it had turned into a man.

"If I'd paid even a little more attention to Ron's movements on the Marauder's Map, I would've spotted this sooner," Fred thought bitterly. But he also knew the truth—why would he have bothered? Ron wasn't someone he actively kept tabs on.

"Si-Sirius… R-Remus…"

The newly revealed man, Peter Pettigrew, stammered in his high-pitched voice, nervously waving his claw-like hand. "Oh! And Severus! How have you been?"

"Peter Pettigrew?!"

Snape's expression twisted in disbelief. "You're supposed to be dead!"

"He faked his death!" Sirius snarled, collapsing to the ground in a bloody heap. "He killed those thirteen Muggles—he's a Death Eater! And it was him, HIM, who betrayed James and Lily!"

BOOM.

The revelation hit Snape and Harry like a thunderclap.

Lupin, however, merely watched with a smile.

"...It was you!"

Snape's memories surged forth. That fateful day, he had betrayed Voldemort, run to Dumbledore, and begged him to hide the Potter family.

And still, tragedy struck.

Because of this man.

"PETER!"

Snape's fury erupted, his whole body trembling like a beast on the brink of attack.

His eyes locked onto Pettigrew with unbridled malice.

Pettigrew squealed in terror, turning to Harry in desperation.

"Harry! Save me! Think of your father—James wouldn't want me dead!"

"How dare you even speak to Harry?" Sirius howled from the floor, his voice thick with pain. "How dare you face him, after what you've done?"

He groaned in agony, unable to contain his rage.

"Gentlemen, please, let's rein in the murderous intent for now."

Finally, Lupin's measured tone broke through the chaos. He turned to Snape.

"Severus, would you kindly reverse your spell on Sirius? At this rate, he'll bleed out."

"Fine."

Snape hissed through clenched teeth. With a wave of his hand, he grudgingly cast the counter-curse.

"Vulnera Sanentur."

The gashes on Sirius's body began to close, though some remained, leaving faint scars as reminders of the attack.

"That's for biting me earlier," Snape growled, his tone venomous.

Sirius, now on his feet, turned to Harry, his expression softening.

Harry, however, stood frozen. He didn't know what to believe.

He didn't know Sirius was his godfather.

He didn't know about the Fidelius Charm or how his parents were betrayed.

But the scene unfolding before him—the raw emotions and truths—planted seeds of doubt.

Could Sirius be innocent?

"You look so much like your father," Sirius said gently, his eyes filled with warmth. "I'll explain everything to you soon, Harry. Don't be afraid. I would never hurt you."

Snape rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath.

"All right, everyone, take your seats."

Lupin's commanding voice cut through the tension. "If we don't start the banquet now, all my preparations will have gone to waste."

Reluctantly, the group began to settle in.

Sirius slid into a seat beside Harry, shoving Snape aside.

Snape shot a cold glare at Lupin.

"You're not Lupin," he said flatly. "Who are you?"

"I never said I was."

Lupin's cryptic reply hung in the air as he watched everyone settle.

With all nine participants present, and Pettigrew nervously crouching at the edge of the long table, Lupin finally spoke again.

"Welcome to the Banquet of the God of War."

He smiled. "I know some of you had no intention of attending. You must have been quite surprised to find yourselves suddenly transported to the Hall."

Cedric and Snape exchanged uneasy glances.

Lupin was referring to them.

They had gone to bed with no plans to join any banquet. Yet here they were, dressed as if prepared for an event.

"To bear the mark is to accept the rules," Lupin continued. "Resistance is futile.

"Allow me to introduce myself. You may call me Ares, the host of this banquet."

"Ares?"

Snape's voice was laced with suspicion. "Why are you impersonating Lupin?"

"That's not something I care to explain." Ares waved his hand dismissively. "Now, let's move on to the rules of the banquet!"

With a flick of his wrist, sumptuous dishes and drinks appeared before everyone.

"Since this is a banquet, it must feel like one."

Ares leaned forward, his expression darkening.

"This banquet is designed to let you indulge your true nature. Each month, we shall meet, and during that time, you will have ample opportunity to complete your tasks."

"Tasks?" Hermione's sharp mind caught the word immediately. "What do you want us to do?"

"Patience, Miss Granger. Let me explain."

Ares smiled faintly.

"Among the nine of you, I've chosen three to serve as my emissaries—representatives of the God of War."

"Their mission is simple."

Ares's smile vanished, replaced by an icy calm.

"To kill every single one of you."

A stunned silence fell over the room.

Even Kathoom couldn't hold back his exclamation.

"WHAT?!"

The owl squawked. "What kind of twisted game is this?!"

He shot a glare at Ares. Are you a monochrome bear or something?!

"This joke isn't funny," Snape snarled. "You're delusional if you think anyone here will play along with your sick games."

"Whether you comply is irrelevant," Ares replied. "The emissaries will act, regardless of your participation. They'll kill you first, then move on to the rest of the school."

"Your only hope of stopping them is to identify and eliminate them before they eliminate you."

Snape scoffed, shaking his head. "Dumbledore would never let this madness unfold."

"Dumbledore?" Ares chuckled. "What's an old wizard compared to a god?

"This isn't a negotiation," Ares continued. "Tonight, I'm simply explaining the rules. Next month, when the banquet resumes, you'll see the reality for yourselves."

"One month. One life."

"My emissaries know each other's identities. They will kill one person each month."

"And during every banquet, you'll have a chance to vote."

"The person with the most votes will be hanged before your eyes."

"Find the emissaries, or they'll slaughter all of you."

He paused, then chuckled lightly.

"I've given my emissaries a name."

"I call them Werewolves."

Kathoom finally pieced it together.

This is Werewolf, the party game.

No wonder Lupin—a literal werewolf—was chosen as the host.

But Ares wasn't done.

"There's more," he said. "Earlier, an external force intervened in my banquet."

"It seems to be this world's way of protecting itself. I allowed it to join because it makes the banquet more interesting."

He stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"You call these forces… guardians, don't you?"

Ares described four new participants in the banquet:

Eagle: Can inspect one player per month to determine if they're a Werewolf.

Snake: Can poison one player of their choice.

Lion: Can take one person down with them if they die.

Badger: Can protect one person from being killed that month.

"These powers belong only to the guardians," Ares added. "They will never be granted to the Werewolves."

Kathoom couldn't help but smirk.

Three wolves against four guardians in a nine-person game? The odds favor the good guys.

But his amusement faded as Sirius suddenly spoke up.

"I understand everything now!" Sirius exclaimed, arms crossed confidently. "No wonder something strange happened to me today."

"An eagle-shaped guardian flew into me."

Kathoom's jaw dropped.

Did the seer just out themselves on the first round?

---

Thank you for reading this chapter!

Wise-Senpai leads the way, sharing stories that inspire and connect us all. Your support is like the encouragement of a loyal companion, pushing this journey forward and lighting the path ahead.

If you'd like to support Wise-Senpai, you can visit:

[patreon.com/WiseTL].

Every contribution strengthens our resolve, paving the way for the stories yet to come!

Let's continue to explore these worlds together!

-Mash Kyrielight 💜