This school year, Harry had kept seeing a large black dog. The first time had been on Privet Drive, on the day he ran away from home and took the Knight Bus. He had also seen it several times during Quidditch matches.
Harry had never mentioned his worries to anyone—not even Ron knew.
In the wizarding world, seeing a black dog was called "the Grim." Not the kind of ominous sign involving old age and red hair—it was a genuine omen of death. Many witches and wizards firmly believed in the Grim, and they could even list a long string of names of those said to have died after seeing it.
Today, seeing the black dog again, Harry's heart suddenly sank as he ran. A sense of foreboding rose in him.
Near the Whomping Willow, Ron had once again caught hold of the rat Peter had become. He shouted repeatedly at Garlon and Crookshanks, ordering them to go away. But neither Garlon nor Crookshanks had the slightest intention of leaving; instead, they stared fixedly at the rat in Ron's arms.
Harry had just started to move forward to pull Ron away when he saw a huge black dog with gray eyes darting toward them.
Harry reached for his wand, but he was too slow—far too slow. His hand had only just touched it when the black dog had already knocked him to the ground.
The impact left Harry dizzy and disoriented. By the time he recovered, Ron had already been dragged away by the black dog, disappearing into the opening at the base of the Whomping Willow.
At some point, the Whomping Willow had apparently learned to pick its targets. In front of Eda, it acted meek and obedient; in front of Harry and Hermione, it struck with full force.
Having finally encountered opponents it could actually overpower, the Whomping Willow's branches lashed wildly. If it could speak, it would probably have said to Harry: Boy, I already let you off once before, and you still dare come back to die!
The whipping branches left Harry and Hermione in a miserable state, and their relentless flailing filled the two with despair.
As if understanding its master's desperation, Crookshanks dashed forward, once again becoming a ginger ball of lightning. The cat pressed one paw against a knot on the trunk, and the Whomping Willow, which had been so aggressive moments before, instantly froze still.
Crookshanks glanced back at Hermione, then slipped into the hole beneath the tree trunk. Garlon, as the faithful follower, was equally diligent—only after Crookshanks had gone in did he follow him inside.
Before entering the tunnel, Garlon barked several times at Harry and Hermione, urging them to hurry and follow. Worried for Ron's safety, Harry and Hermione did not hesitate for a moment and quickly crawled into the hole.
The secret passage beneath the Whomping Willow led to the Twilight Cottage (the Shrieking Shack). After years of repairs by Eda, this tunnel was no longer the cramped, low passage it had once been.
Harry and Hermione stared in surprise at the tunnel before them. The ground was paved with smooth stone tiles, and torches were mounted on the walls at regular intervals. Whenever Harry and Hermione passed by, the torches lit automatically, illuminating the path beneath their feet.
"Where does this tunnel lead?" Hermione asked in a hushed voice behind Harry.
"Not sure… it's on the Marauder's Map, and Fred and George mentioned it before, but they only brought it up casually," Harry said. "It should also lead to Hogsmeade…"
Burning with anxiety, the two hurried through the tunnel, afraid that if they were even a step too late, Ron would become the black dog's dinner.
At the end of the tunnel was a half-open door, beside which stood a wooden sign. A closer look would reveal that the words on it had not all been written at the same time.
The line at the bottom—"No nesting dolls allowed"—had clearly been added only recently.
The space beyond the wooden door was unexpectedly clean and tidy. A faint medicinal fragrance lingered in the air, and soft lighting glowed in the entry hall, giving the place a warm and cozy feeling.
Through the window, they could clearly see Hogsmeade. Harry and Hermione now knew exactly where they were.
Wands raised, Harry and Hermione quietly crossed the hall and saw pale-colored Garlon waiting for them on the staircase. Garlon turned and ran upstairs, and Harry and Hermione hurried after him.
On the stair landing, a door stood wide open, and Ron's low groans could be heard from behind it. Harry and Hermione exchanged one last glance and nodded.
Gripping his wand tightly, Harry rushed in. He found the room fully furnished with all the necessities of daily life—there was even a piano and a guitar. Crookshanks lay on a soft sofa, meowing loudly at them, while Ron was slumped on the couch, clutching his injured leg.
Harry and Hermione immediately rushed to Ron's side and anxiously asked how he was. Only then did they learn from Ron that this had all been a trap—a trap set by Sirius Black.
There was no mysterious black dog at all. The black dog Harry had seen was Sirius Black himself!
The door slammed shut. Sirius appeared in Harry's line of sight. He looked nothing like an escaped convict—his complexion was healthy, his clothes fit properly, and he was completely different from the wild, crazed figure on the wanted posters.
"I knew you'd come to save your friend," Sirius said, his voice no longer hoarse but rich and magnetic. "Just as brave as your father, Harry."
Sirius had only meant to praise Harry. After all, for many boys, their father is their first hero. But Sirius did not realize that mentioning James in front of Harry was like dancing wildly through a minefield.
Hearing his father's name, hearing Sirius Black dare to mention his father, a surge of hatred rose in Harry's chest, driving out his fear.
Harry raised his wand and aimed it at Sirius—but before he could act, his wand was disarmed. Not only Harry's wand, but Hermione's too flew out of her hand. When it came to dueling skill, Harry was simply no match at present.
"No, Harry!" Hermione cried in fear.
"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" Ron shouted fiercely. Dragging his injured leg, he struggled to his feet.
"I'm glad to witness your friendship," Sirius said. "James and I were the same back then—we would both have died for each other."
As an excellent wizard, what should one do when deprived of a wand? Of course—engage in hand-to-hand combat and show the other side what a close-combat wizard is. That was exactly what Harry did. Driven by rage, Harry charged straight at Black.
"And you still dare mention him! You betrayed him! You killed him! You traitor!" Harry shouted, his eyes red with fury.
Having only recently recovered from serious injuries, Sirius was still somewhat weak. Caught off guard, he was knocked down at once by Harry and pinned beneath him. Harry angrily raised his fists and rained blows down on Sirius without restraint.
As Sirius dodged Harry's wild flailing punches, he said, "Are you trying to kill me, Harry? Could it be you didn't like the Firebolt I gave you? I remember when you were little, you loved broomsticks most of all. Your first toy broom was a gift from me…"
Sirius kept rambling on about things from before Harry turned one year old, but in his rage Harry heard none of it, his fists still pounding down relentlessly.
Suddenly, Harry found himself inexplicably lifted into the air, getting farther and farther from Sirius until he landed on the sofa with a thud.
Under the astonished gazes of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, Remus Lupin rushed into the room. Panting, Lupin asked Sirius, "Where is he?"
With Lupin's help, Sirius climbed to his feet and said excitedly, "Remus, I found him—we found him!"
Sirius pointed toward the sofa where Harry and Ron were. Lupin turned to look as well. The murderous intent in Lupin and Sirius's eyes only deepened Harry, Ron, and Hermione's misunderstanding of the two men.
Ron painfully shifted himself in front of Harry to shield him, while Hermione spread her arms wide, blocking Harry and Ron as though playing mother hen protecting chicks.
"Professor Lupin!" Harry shouted, unable to understand Lupin's actions. Had Lupin taught him the Patronus Charm only to gain his trust? Had all his kindness been for this day?
Hermione was equally unable to comprehend Lupin's behavior. The girl cried out hysterically, "I trusted you all this time! I've been helping you keep your secret! You…"
"Calm down, Hermione," Lupin said, steadying his emotions and speaking as calmly as possible. "We can explain…"
Harry was trembling all over, not from fear, but from anger. He shouted at Lupin, "I trusted you so much, and all along you were his friend!"
"Listen to me, Harry," Lupin tried to calm him down. "Things aren't the way you think they are. Everyone has gotten it wrong…"
But two teenagers in the heat of adolescence were not so easily soothed. Even Lupin could not settle Harry and Hermione with just a few words.
"No!" Hermione screamed. "Harry, don't believe him—he's a werewolf! Eda knows about this too!"
The muscles in Lupin's face twitched strangely for a moment before he said, "I admit that I'm a werewolf. But we—Sirius and I—neither of us wants to harm Harry."
"Just as you said, little girl, Eda knows about it too," Sirius added. "She really is the least lovable girl I've ever met—far worse than Lily!"
The names Lily and Eda seemed to possess some strange magic. Just moments ago, the little house had been filled with murderous tension, as if a fight to the death were about to break out; now, an eerie calm settled over it.
Lupin first put away his own wand, then picked up the wands belonging to Harry, Ron, and Hermione and walked toward them. Halfway there, he suddenly stopped. He placed the three wands on the floor, then pushed them toward Harry.
When the wands rolled to their feet, the three quickly picked them up, keeping their eyes fixed on Lupin and Sirius the entire time. Lupin spread his empty hands to show he held nothing, then slowly stepped backward, pulling Sirius back with him.
Only when they had retreated all the way to the wall did Lupin stop. He said, "Your wands have been returned. Three against two—I think now we can have a calm discussion."
"Discuss what?" another voice suddenly came from outside the door. "Discuss the two of you talking about your future lives in Azkaban? There's really nothing worth discussing about that."
(～￣▽￣)～Read 12 Chapters ahead:
Patreon: Dragonel