Harry gripped the cold ring Portkey tightly, as if holding onto a lifeline.
Dumbledore looked into Harry's determined green eyes, which reflected both his mother's spirit and his father's stubbornness.
After a long moment, that sharp gaze gradually softened into deep weariness, finally settling on Sagres.
"Sigh.. Then.." Dumbledore said, his voice returning to its usual calm with a faint note of concession, "the specific arrangements. The Fidelius Charm… who do you propose as the Secret Keeper? I must remind you, this decision is critical and cannot be taken lightly."
"I will."
Before Sagres could respond, Sirius stepped forward at once, his tone firm.
"I am Harry's godfather. His safety is my responsibility. Grimmauld Place is my home, and no one is more suitable than I am."
Dumbledore looked at him. "Sirius, no one doubts your courage, but your situation…"
"My situation is perfectly safe!"
Sirius's voice was hoarse with excitement. "The Ministry of Magic has lifted my arrest warrant. I am a free man now. I will protect Harry just as I protected James and Lily. I swear on my life, unless I am dead, Voldemort and his followers will never find the doorstep of Grimmauld Place."
Sagres added calmly, "Mr. Black's resolve is reassuring. In addition to the Fidelius Charm, I will layer several additional protective enchantments and Confundus effects to ensure that even if the worst should happen and the Secret Keeper fails, that location will appear, to both Muggles and wizards, as nothing more than a ruin that never truly existed."
"Very well," Dumbledore said at last, nodding slowly. "Since you have considered everything so thoroughly. Then, Harry…"
He turned to the boy. "This summer, you will stay at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. However, you must swear on your parents' names to strictly follow all the rules Professor Greengrass has set. From this moment on, you are not to leave the house without permission. Any outing must be accompanied by Sirius at all times. You must remain vigilant at all times."
"I swear!"
Harry answered without hesitation, his heart racing with overwhelming joy and relief.
"As for you, Sirius," Dumbledore's gaze turned extremely serious, "what you have gained is not only the right to reunite with your godson, but also a heavy responsibility. You must be more cautious than ever. Every decision you make concerns Harry's life or death."
"I understand, Professor," Sirius said, straightening his back. "I won't let anyone harm him."
"Then it is settled." Dumbledore gave a slight wave of his hand, as if dispersing the last trace of tension in the air. "The details of the spellcasting I will leave to you. Sagres, I trust your magic will ensure complete security."
Sagres gave a faint nod and turned to leave.
Harry and Sirius exchanged a glance, both seeing overwhelming joy and relief reflected in each other's eyes.
Harry looked down at the rough ring in his palm. It no longer felt cold, but almost burning, filled with the promise of freedom.
"We're going home, Harry."
Sirius placed an arm around his godson's shoulder, his voice filled with warmth and determination.
"Yes, home."
Harry repeated the word, his green eyes shining with the first true light of summer that belonged to him.
Sagres, who had already walked ahead, suddenly turned back, frowning slightly as he looked at the two of them.
"There is still an exam to be taken. What home?"
"Uh…"
Both fell silent at once.
Sagres tilted his head slightly, his grey eyes sweeping over them as his frown deepened.
"So absorbed in emotional relief that you have forgotten the basic schedule. It seems excessive excitement does indeed impair logical judgment."
His calm voice was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the rising excitement in Harry and Sirius.
"The final examinations are not yet complete. Mr. Potter, if I am not mistaken, your Divination exam is still pending."
Then he turned to Sirius. "And you, Mr. Black, as his guardian, may wait in the Great Hall or the common room, rather than planning an immediate departure."
The smiles on Harry and Sirius's faces froze instantly.
They suddenly remembered that before rushing into the Headmaster's office, they had indeed been on their way to the Great Hall to complete their final exam.
"Uh… now?"
Harry instinctively tightened his grip on the ring in his pocket, feeling that burning sense of freedom cool slightly.
"Do you think Hogwarts's academic schedule will make way for individual emotions?"
Sagres replied calmly, his tone completely devoid of feeling.
After speaking, he turned and walked toward the dueling arena.
Harry and Sirius exchanged a glance, both seeing a trace of helplessness and exasperation in each other's eyes.
Their overwhelming joy was abruptly dragged back to reality, like being pulled down just as they were about to take flight.
"All right," Sirius said, ruffling Harry's hair and forcing a light tone. "Go finish that last exam, kid. I'll wait for you outside. We've got the whole summer ahead of us… and more."
Harry nodded, took a deep breath, and pushed the longing for "home" back into his heart. He hurried toward the Divination classroom in the North Tower.
When he arrived outside, Ron had just finished his exam and was coming down alone.
"How was it?" Harry asked quickly.
"Terrible." Ron made a face. "Couldn't see anything. I just made stuff up, but I don't think she completely believed me…"
"All right. See you in the common room."
Harry lowered his voice as Professor Trelawney's call drifted down from above.
"Harry Potter!"
He quickly climbed the ladder.
The heavy scent of spices still filled the room, now mixed with the tension of an exam.
Professor Trelawney sat in her nest-like armchair, wrapped in layers of shawls and beads. Her oversized glasses made her already large eyes appear even more exaggerated.
The crystal ball before her glowed faintly with a hazy white light in the dim room.
"Ah, Mr. Potter…"
She spoke in a wavering tone, as though just returning from a distant vision. "Come, child. Gaze into the endless crystal eye. Try to decipher the patterns woven for you by the threads of fate… and tell me, what do you see?"
Harry sat down as instructed, attempting to focus on the swirling white mist.
His mind was still filled with the conversation in the Headmaster's office and the sensation of the ring, making it hard for him to concentrate.
He tried to recall the vague phrases from the textbook.
"Uh… I think I see… something blurry… silver?"
He spoke hesitantly. "Maybe… it represents a difficult journey? Or… hidden treasure?"
He felt he was doing a terrible job.
Professor Trelawney gave a vague hum in response.
She seemed uninterested in Harry's interpretation, her attention instead fixed more deeply on her own crystal ball.
Her breathing gradually slowed and deepened, and the air in the room seemed to grow heavy with it.
Suddenly, a completely different voice emerged from her, no longer the affected mystical tremor, but hollow and distant, as if echoing from far away:
"Tonight!"
Harry looked up sharply, a chill running down his spine. That voice… he had heard it before!
________
o(*≧▽≦)ツ💫 Read up to 12+ chapters in advance on Patreon/DarkDevil1