After leaving the headmaster's office, Blake didn't return to the dormitory, nor did he go to the Room of Requirement.
Instead, he quietly made his way alone to the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Activating his True Eye, he scanned the area carefully.
But luck wasn't with him today.
At least within a kilometer radius, there was no sign of Sirius.
Which could mean Sirius was still wandering around Hogsmeade—or had ventured deeper into the forest.
Blake didn't hesitate.
After confirming that no one was following or watching him, he slipped into the shadows between the trees and disappeared silently into the depths of the forest.
Reaching the darker heart of the Forbidden Forest, Blake stopped beside a towering old tree.
He laid his palm flat on its bark.
A soft green glow spilled from his hand and sank into the trunk.
Immediately, the canopy above began to sway gently, as though whispering a message to the forest around.
"Swish, swish…"
After a few moments, the rustling ceased, and new sounds emerged—the quiet tread of paws, hooves, and claws pressing on dead leaves from every direction.
Blake stepped back, leaving behind a faint, luminous handprint on the tree.
Watching the steadily growing circle of animals, he let a small smile appear before melting back into the shadows.
A silent bird soon landed on a branch beside the glowing mark.
The bird cocked its head, studied the symbol, and gave a low whistle—"Choo choo choo…"
Then, as if understanding perfectly, it leapt into the sky and vanished into the trees.
Around the clearing, more creatures gathered.
Some magical, some mundane—even animals that were natural enemies under ordinary circumstances.
Yet here, under the lingering magic of Blake's touch, they coexisted peacefully.
One by one, they too glanced at the handprint, and then quietly turned and left.
In Hogsmeade, Mrs. Aliska was out in her yard feeding her cats and dogs.
The air was chilly, and suddenly she felt an odd shiver—like someone was watching her from behind.
She turned quickly toward the gate.
There was no one standing there.
Only a skinny, ragged, black dog sat silently in the cold.
"Oh… you poor thing," Mrs. Aliska murmured, setting her basket aside.
The big black dog didn't bark, nor did it move.
Its gaze was fixed only on the food she had laid down.
Noticing its look, she sighed. "Ah, you must be starving."
She reached into her basket, pulled out half a roasted chicken, and unlatched the gate.
"Come on now… eat, little fellow."
She placed the chicken gently on the ground before the dog.
Any other stray would have leapt forward hungrily, tearing the meal apart in seconds.
But this dog only hesitated, showing a wary expression that seemed strangely human—though it vanished almost immediately.
Mrs. Aliska blinked, wondering if she'd imagined it.
The dog then leaned forward, sniffed the food, and began eating—carefully, almost reluctantly.
"That's odd," Mrs. Aliska whispered to herself.
"He eats like he doesn't even like it…"
Concerned, she decided the poor animal must be ill.
She turned to fetch her pet medical kit from inside the house.
But when she stepped back out, the yard was empty.
Only a few scattered chicken bones remained, proof the black dog had been there at all.
By a small river on the edge of Hogsmeade, a stone bridge arched over the flowing water.
Underneath, hidden in the cold darkness of the bridge hole, the black dog now lay curled up.
Before him sat the half-finished piece of chicken.
Sirius Black swallowed another bite, though it made his stomach turn.
Animagi retained human tastes, unlike creatures truly born in animal form.
Unlike Nagini—whose serpentine senses found raw, fishy flesh appetizing—Sirius had to fight the nausea every time.
But it was better than starving, or catching wild rats.
Above, the sky darkened further.
Sirius' gaze lifted toward the fading light as he gnawed slowly.
He wondered how long he could stay hidden in Hogsmeade.
More Ministry witches and wizards had arrived today.
Though, thankfully, the villagers of Hogsmeade had refused to let Dementors patrol openly.
But it couldn't last. If Hogwarts was placed under martial law, he'd never get in.
And all day, a sense of dread had weighed on him, as though something terrible was about to happen.
Suddenly, voices carried down from the bridge overhead.
"What? Sirius is an Animagus?"
"Yeah… and his Animagus form is a big black dog."
"Tsk! Why are we only hearing this now?"
"I just got the letter too…"
"Wait… I did see a black dog earlier today, near Hogsmeade."
"What? Really?"
"Yeah…"
"Tsk! If only we'd known earlier…"
"It's alright, I'll go ask for reinforcements now."
Under the bridge, Sirius froze.
A cold wave of despair swept over him.
So that was the reason for the terrible feeling in his chest all day.
It was over. His last secret—his only real protection—had been exposed.
But how? Only a handful of people had known he was an Animagus.
Peter couldn't have told them; Peter was hiding, too.
Could it have been… Lupin?
Fury flared inside him. That damned werewolf!
But just as quickly, it faded.
No. How could he blame Lupin?
In Lupin's eyes, Sirius was the traitor who had betrayed James and Lily.
If Sirius had been in Lupin's place, maybe he'd have told the Ministry too.
The thought stabbed at his heart, reopening old wounds.
But none of it mattered now.
Night had fallen completely. His black fur would blend perfectly into the shadows.
He couldn't wait any longer.
He had to get into Hogwarts tonight—to find Peter, to finish this.
Even if it cost him his life.
Moving silently from the bridge, Sirius padded swiftly toward the Forbidden Forest.
But just before the forest's edge, he froze again.
A ginger cat sat on a stone, staring at him with unblinking amber eyes.
In the Hufflepuff common room, Blake sat in a quiet corner, hunched over a half-repaired bag.
Thread by enchanted thread, he used alchemy to stitch it back together.
"Meow~"
He lifted his head and saw the ginger cat in front of him.
A warm smile crossed his face. "Crookshanks, you're back."
Blake didn't ask how Crookshanks had gotten into the Hufflepuff common room.
Cats had their ways.
He had avoided the Room of Requirement precisely so Crookshanks could find him easily tonight.
"Did you finish the job?" Blake asked.
"Meow~" Crookshanks answered, his tail curling.
"Good," Blake nodded. "Thank you."
He opened a tin of soft cat food and set it before Crookshanks, who began to eat eagerly.
Blake then took out a folded piece of parchment and tapped it with his wand.
Ink lines spidered across the page, forming the familiar map of Hogwarts.
Tiny black dots marked every living being, each labeled with their name.
Blake's eyes scanned the parchment.
This was no ordinary Marauder's Map, but a copy he'd made himself—improved from the Weasley twins' original, thanks to his study under Nicolas Flamel and the aid of his magical "plug-in."
Earlier, Blake had used druidic magic to send a message through the creatures of the Forbidden Forest, instructing them to watch for a black dog.
Crookshanks had followed, and now had successfully lured Sirius into Hogwarts.
Blake traced the map with his finger, locating a motionless dot labeled "Sirius Black" hidden in a secret passage.
Checking his watch—8:15 p.m.—he guessed Sirius was waiting until most students were asleep before moving.
But for now, Sirius was safer within Hogwarts than wandering Hogsmeade or the forest.
Blake's thoughts moved quickly.
Old Lepp had reported that Linji and Shafiq had met secretly for over an hour tonight.
No doubt Fudge had delayed releasing the Animagus information so he could sell it for the highest price.
And Fudge had only known about Sirius' secret because Dumbledore, trusting Fudge, had told him the night before.
If Dumbledore had suspected Fudge would betray them, he never would have shared it.
Blake's eyes returned to the map.
Peter Pettigrew's dot was near Severus Snape's, suggesting Snape was keeping a watchful eye on him—or perhaps something harsher.
Blake shrugged. That was Snape's problem.
Then Blake noticed something stranger.
"Hermione… one, two, three of them?" he muttered.
Three Hermiones, at different places on the map.
After a few moments, two dots vanished, leaving only one, moving toward the library.
Blake exhaled softly and tucked the map away.
Reaching over, he patted Crookshanks' head.
"Alright, after you finish eating, go back."
He slipped a small potion vial into the pouch around Crookshanks' neck.
"And bring this to your master. She's been pushing herself too hard lately."
"Meow~" Crookshanks replied, licking his paw.
Blake smiled faintly. "No, I won't go see her myself."
With a time-turner in play, meeting the wrong Hermione could cause chaos.
Besides, he wasn't ready to risk another uncontrolled time jump.
And three or four Hermiones wandering the halls at once? That was amusing enough.
Finally, Blake rose and made his way to Professor McGonagall's office.
Dumbledore had gone to the Ministry earlier that day and wasn't at Hogwarts.
Professor McGonagall had insisted she be kept informed first in his absence.
Blake knocked.
"Please, come in," came the familiar Scottish accent.
Blake entered, bowing politely. "Good evening, Professor."
"Oh… Blake," McGonagall set down her quill. "Is something wrong?"
Blake smiled. "Professor, I think I've found Sirius."
At this, McGonagall's hand trembled slightly as she adjusted her glasses, her eyes widening.
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