When Hermione returned to the Room of Requirement, she hesitated. Was this the right place?
Gone was the wilderness used to cultivate magical plants. In its place stood a quiet, modest study room. Towering bookshelves lined the walls, and cozy chairs surrounded large study tables. Nothing else cluttered the space.
Hermione spotted something familiar. On one of the high shelves, Blake's vast book collection had been organized meticulously by category. A neat desk sat by the window, with a small adjacent bookshelf.
The bookshelf held only the titles from the reading list Blake had once given her.
Her heart warmed. Clearly, this was Blake's spot, reserved with care.
"Good evening, Hermione," Blake's sudden voice startled her.
She jumped slightly. "Do you always appear like that? I thought you'd walk in through the door."
Blake shrugged. "Why use a door when you can teleport straight in?"
Since placing the Dimension Door, Blake rarely bothered with conventional entrances.
"We can study here from now on. No interruptions."
He added, "To avoid unnecessary questions, please use the dimensional gate when you come."
Hermione nodded and sat in the seat clearly set aside for her. She took out her lantern, activated it, and entered a meditative study state.
"Meow~"
Crookshanks peeked his flat face out of Hermione's backpack.
Blake reached out. "Come here. Your master's a little preoccupied."
The cat looked at Hermione—already deep in her book—then hopped out.
Blake picked him up. "She forgot to feed you again, huh? Poor guy. Let's go find something. I haven't eaten either."
The Dimension Door shimmered open. In a blink, Blake stepped into a quiet hallway near the Great Hall.
Mealtime was ending. The 27th Ceremony Hall had mostly emptied.
Blake grabbed a seat at the end of Hufflepuff's long table. He placed a fish in front of Crookshanks and then filled his own plate.
While he and the cat began eating, Harry appeared.
"Blake..."
Blake looked up to see Harry's worried face.
"What's wrong? Haven't eaten? Sit."
He cleared the seat next to him.
"No... It's Sirius. The trial started today. I don't know the result. I'm too anxious to eat."
Blake smiled reassuringly. "With Dumbledore there, Sirius is safe. He might already be acquitted. Come on, eat."
He handed Harry a bowl of roasted beans. "Starving yourself won't help."
Harry hesitated but took the food and began eating quietly.
To him, Sirius wasn't just a godfather—he was family. After growing so close to him recently, the idea of losing him was unbearable.
Suddenly, owls poured in from the high windows, carrying newspapers.
The Daily Prophet's evening edition had arrived—much later than usual. Curious students paused to watch.
The owls dropped the papers onto the heads of subscribers. Blake received one, glanced at the headline, and tossed it to Harry.
"Now you can eat."
Harry dropped his fork, snatched the paper, and scanned it.
"A Shocking Twist! The Most Vicious Criminal is Actually a Wronged Hero!"
"Peter Pettigrew: The Thief of Honor!"
The paper was filled with articles vindicating Sirius Black. It even printed an official apology from the Ministry of Magic.
"Sirius is innocent! They dropped the wanted order, issued an apology, and even paid compensation!"
Harry's hands trembled.
"And... they're awarding him the Order of Merlin, First Class!"
Blake calmly sipped his soup. "It's about time. More than ten years wasted."
He thought silently: If that were me, I'd have vanished the Ministry of Magic.
"Blake! Your name's here too!" Harry exclaimed.
"Me?" Blake frowned.
He had only helped behind the scenes. Why was he mentioned?
"It says Sirius will be formally honored next week alongside other Order of Merlin recipients. You're one of them! First Class!"
Harry blinked in disbelief.
"Did it say why?" Blake asked.
He had several possible achievements—but which one earned him this?
"Dean Bohan of St. Mungo's nominated you for the 'Limb Regeneration Spell'. Wizengamot approved it unanimously."
Harry stared at Blake again.
Hadn't he just received a Second-Class medal for the life-extending potion not long ago?
Because of his age, they hadn't awarded him First Class.
Now, not long after—he'd broken through that age barrier.
Blake sighed. "Well, the medal's nice. Can't complain."
Even Harry was stunned. The wizarding world would be even more amazed.
"Blake, that's incredible!" Harry beamed.
In a matter of minutes, his godfather was vindicated and his best friend honored. It felt like a perfect day.
And with Sirius cleared... maybe Harry could finally leave the Dursleys.
He beamed at the thought.
Blake nudged him. "Your godfather's here. Go give him a hug."
Harry looked up. At the doorway stood Sirius Black, dressed sharply.
Students stepped aside instinctively—then remembered the articles.
A wronged hero. Not a fugitive.
The hall fell silent, save for Sirius' echoing footsteps.
"Sirius!" Harry ran and threw his arms around him.
Sirius was momentarily stunned by the enthusiasm.
"Harry... I'm officially cleared. The Ministry restored everything. I'm free. And that means... I can raise you."
He added quickly, nervously: "Unless, of course, you prefer staying with your aunt and uncle—"
"No way! I want to live with you! I'm sick of them!"
Sirius grinned. "That's great! I'll tell Dumbledore."
Blake shook his head. Wishful thinking.
Dumbledore wouldn't allow Harry to leave the Dursleys—not while ancient protective magic tied to Aunt Petunia still lingered.
Still, this wasn't the time to crush their excitement. Dumbledore would explain eventually.
"Meow~"
Crookshanks licked his paws contentedly. The fish was gone.
Sirius eyed the cat and gasped. "That's your cat?!"
"Not exactly. Hermione's. I just borrow him now and then."
Blake added casually, "Like luring a dumb dog into the castle..."
Sirius' expression twisted.
If Crookshanks was part of Blake's plan, then...
The whole capture operation had been orchestrated from the start.
"So catching me wasn't just about the Marauder's Map."
"No, that was a big part of it. I still needed the map to find you," Blake said, smiling.
Sirius stared into Blake's calm blue eyes and sighed. "You really are Dumbledore's child."
One person's talent wasn't enough. Influence mattered. Power mattered.
And Blake knew exactly how to build his own.
Later, as Blake stood atop the mountain base of the Fourth Natural Disaster, the stars above shone clearly.
"Stargazing suits you," said Ariana behind him.
He turned. "Did I used to like watching the stars?"
"No," she laughed. "You liked watching pretty girls."
Blake frowned. "Are you making that up?"
He paused. "Wait—don't I still like watching them now?"
"Bring your past self here to prove me wrong," Ariana teased.
He heard the wistfulness in her tone.
The Blake before her wasn't the one she remembered.
"He'll come back," he said softly.
"Yes... he will," Ariana said, exhaling.
"Here." Blake handed her a small bag. "Blueprints and prototypes. You'll need them when I leave. You once said the gate wouldn't work after I left your timeline."
Ariana eagerly unrolled the blueprint. Her eyes sparkled.
"You remembered... Thank you."
"You're welcome. Got anything for me in return?"
"Remember the master of Chaos Wish?"
"Of course. He tested us before."
"Well, he picked our group for a commission—"
"And the target?"
Ariana smirked mischievously. "You."
Blake blinked. "He hired us... to go after me?"
She nodded.