Chapter 197: Searching for Sirius
Mid-February.
After eleven o'clock at night, Ethan and Penelope walked out of Hogwarts Castle and headed towards the grounds.
"Where are we going now?"
Late at night, Ethan had pulled her out without saying where they were going, which made Penelope feel a bit odd.
"To find someone, or rather, a dog."
Ethan had finally decided to look for Sirius, because if he didn't go now, he would jump out on his own after a while.
Ethan was very interested in the House of Black, a family that had been passed down for a thousand years and was known as the most ancient and noble family.
This was not their self-proclaimed title, but an accurate external evaluation of them; in the Great Britain region, the House of Black was one of the most ancient and wealthiest pure-blood Wizard families.
In terms of history, it was even older than the Malfoyfamily, and its bloodline purity was also superior.
After all, the Black Family did not accept Squibs and consistently supported the pure-blood supremacy viewpoint, which was also one of the factors contributing to their decline.
Ethan was quite interested in the collections of such a family.
The wealth accumulated over a millennium was also a considerable amount; in Crete Island last time, even though nearly four hundred Wizards were slaughtered, the harvest was less than three hundred thousand Galleons.
The valuable items should have been with those who were in the same bar as Ethan, but unfortunately, after a fire, they all turned into scrap metal.
Besides that, slytherin's locket was also at the Black Family.
As long as he could obtain it, a reward for an achievement would be inevitable, and the remnant soul of Lord Voldemort inside could also replenish Little Tom.
With so much value, Ethan would be letting himself down if he didn't go and take a piece of it.
Although Ethan knew that the Black Family old house was at 12 Grimmauld Place in London, it was protected by magic, so he certainly wouldn't find it by going directly.
After Sirius's mother passed away, probably only Siriusand Kreacher could find and enter it.
Even Lucius's wife, it was highly likely she wouldn't be able to enter.
Otherwise, after Sirius and Bellatrix were imprisoned in Azkaban for life, she would definitely go in and ransack it, bringing it back to the Malfoy family.
No one could refuse the inheritance of a large family like the Black Family, which had been passed down for a thousand years.
Since she didn't do that, it means she still wasn't qualified to enter it.
The true heir was still Sirius's branch, even if Sirius had been disowned by his mother from the family tree, this fact could not be changed.
Now, to gain everything, he still had to start with Sirius.
"Looking for someone? Looking for a dog?"
Penelope looked at Ethan in confusion; she didn't know what Ethan was talking about.
She had thought that pulling her out late at night meant he had some ideas about her.
Wanting to find a place to do something exciting, but instead, you're looking for a dog?
"You seem very disappointed?"
Ethan turned his head to look at Penelope, with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
"No, absolutely not!"
Penelope denied it immediately; she would never admit that she had misunderstood.
Sirius Black's Animagus form is a black dog. Dementors don't actively attack animals, which is the main reason he was able to escape. I'm going to find him now."
Ethan stated his purpose. Although Penelope's strong denial made Ethan even more confused, he didn't ask further.
"Sirius Black, there have been rumors that he's near Hogwarts. Are you doing this for the Ministry of Magic's bounty?"
After Sirius escaped Azkaban, the Ministry of Magicissued a warrant, and the bounty had risen from an initial 30,000 Galleons to 100,000 Galleons.
Near Hogwarts, there were still many hunters specifically seeking the bounty for Sirius.
"No, I'm after the Black Family's wealth. You must know about their family, right?"
"I do!"
Penelope nodded somewhat numbly. So, Ethan was playing for such high stakes.
Penelope was quite clear about the wealth disparity in the Wizarding World.
This family, which once controlled the Ministry of Magicand could manipulate the entire Great Britain Wizarding World by itself, had an immeasurable foundation.
After this job, even if they did nothing else, their descendants would be wealthy and worry-free for at least several hundred years.
He led Penelope directly to the Whomping Willow at the edge of the grounds. The Whomping Willow, which had been somewhat aggressive as Ethan approached, immediately stopped moving its branches and stood still like an ordinary tree after Ethan released his pressure.
Ethan began to grope around the tree trunk, remembering there was a protrusion here that was the switch to open the secret passage below. However, Ethan had never used this secret passage, so it took him a while to find it after much searching.
He rubbed it gently a few times, and after a tremor at the base of the tree, a hole just big enough for one person to squeeze through was revealed.
Ethan went in first, and after confirming there were no problems, he cast a Lightening Charm, then beckoned Penelope to come in.
Penelope stooped and entered, surveying the narrow, dirty, and somewhat damp tunnel.
"Where does this secret passage lead?"
Ethan replied while closing the entrance:
"The Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade."
After doing all this, Ethan cast a Lightweight Charm and a Silencing Charm on himself and Penelope, then began to lead the way.
Sirius was most likely hiding in the Shrieking Shack, as almost no one would approach that place.
It wouldn't surprise Ethan if they encountered Sirius along the way, as this tunnel led directly to the Shrieking Shack.
However, Ethan truly didn't know whether Lupin had gone to find Sirius.
Logically, Lupin must have known Sirius's Animagus form and also known where Sirius would hide after escaping Azkaban and coming near Hogwarts.
As long as Lupin intended to find him, he would definitely be able to.
In fact, if Lupin had just mentioned Sirius's Animagusform, he could have been found.
After all, even in his Animagus form, Sirius needed to eat. Once Sirius's identity and the characteristic of being a black dog were confirmed, he couldn't hide.
Unfortunately, Lupin showed no signs of doing anything, still enjoying his life as a teacher, as if he were completely unaware of these matters.
Due to the narrowness of the passage, Ethan had to walk in front, with Penelope following behind.
Ethan truly disliked the environment here; it was far worse than the secret passage leading to the Honeydukes basement. At least that secret passage was dry enough, and no water dripped from above.
After about an hour of walking, Ethan and Penelopefinally reached the exit.
Like the Honeydukes, this was an upward entrance, just like a well.
Pushing open the wooden board covering it, Ethan emerged first.
It was quite dim here. After casting another Lightening Charm, Ethan finally saw the situation clearly.
The place wasn't large, with nothing much in it, making it seem a bit empty. Cobwebs and dust covered everything, but there were many footprints, all of which were dog prints.
Following the direction of the dog prints, they found a small staircase with a closed wooden door at the top.
Other than that, there was nothing else special.
Ethan reached out and pulled Penelope up; she also curiously surveyed the surroundings.
She had heard of the Shrieking Shack's reputation even before entering Hogsmeade, but she had never seen it up close, let alone entered it.
"Ethan, are you sure Sirius is here?"
"There are dog footprints here. If he really is an unregistered Animagus and his form is a dog, then it's quite possible."
Because of the magic Ethan had cast, she wasn't worried that her voice would carry beyond this range.
"This is the only place to hide around here, and Siriusknows this secret passage. Where do you think he would hide?"
"The marauder's map I showed you was actually made by Sirius and his friends."
Ethan hadn't used the marauder's map for a long time, mainly because he didn't need it.
Although he had encountered Filch and Madam Norris a few times while using a Disillusionment Charm to go to the Room of Requirement, after consuming Magic Blood, Madam Norris, even if she sensed Ethan, would immediately run away with Filch, not daring to pounce on Ethan.
This meant that as long as he used a Disillusionment Charm, he could wander around freely without obstruction, making the marauder's map completely unnecessary.
"Made by Sirius?"
"What about Harry's dad?"
Penelope still remembered the widely circulated and highly credible rumor at Hogwarts before the Christmasholiday.
"He was also one of them."
"You'll find out exactly what happened in a bit."
With that, Ethan led Penelope towards the staircase.
"Alohomora!"
As the spell took effect, the wooden door opened. Due to Ethan's area-of-effect Silencing Charm, sound could only travel within 2.5 meters of Ethan or Penelope.
Beyond that range, there was no sound.
Leaving the basement, they entered a very cluttered room. Various useless wooden furniture pieces were discarded, and there were some food wrappers and remnants on the floor.
This indicated that someone had indeed been living here recently.
Searching all the way to the main entrance, Ethan finally found his target for this trip.
A large black dog was sleeping on the floor, its body so thin it was just skin and bones, but its frame was visibly quite large.
Its fur was also dirty and disheveled, with various stains that had never been cleaned, and many areas were matted.
If the ancestors of the House of Black saw this, they probably wouldn't recognize this descendant; it was truly a disgrace to the Black Family.
Although Ethan made no sound, the light from the Lightening Charm still startled the large black dog awake, showing its high level of alertness.
Now, the startled black dog was baring its teeth at Ethan, with a trickle of drool running from its mouth.
Anyone looking at it would think it was a very ill-tempered stray dog.
[Thanks to Lord Wen Qing for the monthly ticket, thank you, Lord!]
Chapter 198: Sirius's Resignation
Sirius, in his black dog form, saw that the man and woman opposite him were completely unmoved, instead looking at him as if he were a clown. He immediately felt that something was wrong.
Did they know something? Otherwise, what was the point of looking at a stray dog like that?
But only Peter and Lupin were supposed to know that his Animagus form was a black dog.
Could they be Peter's people?
Last Halloween, he had already been targeted by Dementors trying to capture him, and now Peter had found outside help from who knows where.
It must be like this; otherwise, they couldn't have come in from the basement. Peter must have told them about the secret passage below and this Shrieking Shack.
He absolutely could not be caught by them.
As soon as he thought of this, the large black dog immediately turned around and charged towards the main door.
Ethan's expression changed. He had expected him to charge and bite, but just now he was baring his teeth, and now he had turned and run.
Was this the heir of the most ancient and noble House of Black?
Ethan pointed his wand forward, and immediately the door automatically closed, and the entire Shrieking Shack's material changed to stone.
Bang!
The black dog plunged headfirst into the stone door, which truly looked painful, and the sound indicated a solid impact.
After rolling a few times on the ground, the large black dog staggered to its feet, its head lowered, its body crouched, and it once again bared its teeth at Ethan.
The entire house had turned into stone, directly blocking his escape route.
He couldn't help but marvel at how hard its head was; it could crash into something like that without any problem.
Fortunately, he had used Transfiguration to change the material; otherwise, if it had still been the wooden door, that impact would probably have shattered the door, allowing him to escape.
By now, Sirius was almost certain that the other party knew his identity and had come specifically for him.
But he hadn't personally killed Peter Pettigrew yet; he was unwilling to give up!
Immediately, the large black dog's eyes changed, and it lunged forward.
It opened its gaping maw and sharp claws, aiming directly for Ethan's throat and chest.
Although he currently had no wand, which greatly reduced his strength, his Animagus form wasn't just a mere dog.
Due to magic, his Animagus form had incredibly explosive physical qualities; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to swim across the sea from Azkaban back to Great Britain.
As long as he could get close, victory would definitely be his.
These two young Wizards would surely pay the price for their actions, and he would also acquire a usable wand.
But in the process, Sirius saw the male Wizard opposite him give a disdainful smile, then extend one hand.
Ten.
Shouldn't he be casting spells with a wand?
He didn't care; not casting spells actually benefited him. With this thought, Sirius's confidence greatly increased.
But reality delivered a harsh blow—just one punch. Before he could even pounce, the young Wizard opposite him moved first.
A heavy punch landed on his head. For a moment, he thought he saw James waving at him.
Boom!
Sirius, with his dog mouth distorted, flew backward even faster than he had pounced forward, then crashed heavily into the stone wall.
Ethan had also held back some strength, otherwise he was truly afraid of killing Sirius with one punch.
Although this black dog was capable of brawling with Werewolves, Ethan's strength now surpassed that of a Giant. Even if a Werewolf came personally, a punch to the head would probably make its brains splatter out.
This heavy blow left the large black dog struggling on the ground for a long time without getting up, only its four limbs flailing wildly on the ground.
Moreover, its dog mouth was somewhat crooked, one canine tooth directly broken, and a large amount of drool continuously flowed from its crooked mouth.
It truly looked exceptionally disgusting.
But at the same time, the black dog's eyes became even more ferocious.
After a full two and a half minutes, the large black dog finally got up.
He would absolutely not compromise. If he could just kill Peter, the traitor, what did it matter if he sacrificed his own life?
He would definitely kill these two of Peter's people here, and then go kill Peter to avenge James.
Driven by hatred, the large black dog lunged again.
Its two dark dog paws swung directly at Ethan's head, as if this blow would blow Ethan's head off.
Ethan sighed, looking at Sirius like this. He had thought that the previous heavy blow would make him see clearly and then they could talk properly.
After all, Ethan hadn't directly killed or controlled him, which was already showing mercy. This certainly wasn't about capturing or killing him.
He hadn't expected him to still be so reckless.
As expected of Gryffindor; they truly had no brains.
He kicked out, directly hitting the lower abdomen. In the process, he seemed to have kicked something, and the sensation in his foot felt off!
"Ow~"
A shrill, miserable cry came from the large black dog's mouth, and then its entire dog body was sent flying into the air, spinning 1080 degrees before landing.
After landing, the large black dog curled up and struggled continuously, letting out whines like a bullied puppy.
You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
Although Penelope hadn't clearly seen what happened because of how fast the movement was, she understood everything when she saw the dog clutching a certain part of itself in pain, as if it were a human.
Ethan's kick must have landed on an indescribable spot, and she, having experienced and felt that thing many times, naturally knew how important that part was to a man.
Now, having been kicked directly by Ethan like that, it was probably blown up. If it wasn't treated, it wouldn't even be able to find a female dog in the future.
"No, I just kicked instinctively. Whose fault is it that its dog head was covered in drool? It was really disgusting and hard to aim."
Ethan immediately shook his head and denied it.
He only felt that the foot contact was wrong after he kicked. How could it have been on purpose?
Hearing this, the large black dog, rolling and howling on the ground, raised its bloodshot dog eyes and glared fiercely at Ethan. Its dog head was covered in drool because of him!
But it was fortunate that it didn't move down a bit further, otherwise, its balls would probably have been kicked off.
But now, Sirius truly didn't know if he could still be saved. Although he had no intention of marrying, having children, or continuing the Black Family bloodline.
But having it and using it are completely different matters.
He would rather face the green Avada Kedavra directly than take such a kick.
Thinking that his private parts might already be ruined, and that both his hind legs were unresponsive, making it basically impossible to stand up, Sirius felt a wave of despair.
He couldn't win anyway, and now he had lost his mobility. He also didn't have his wand. It truly felt like the heavens were not on his side.
In despair, Sirius curled up on the ground, his eyes having lost their sparkle.
He had failed after all, and even now, he hadn't even seen Peter.
If he had known, he would have agreed with Remus's suggestion.
"Homenum Revelio!"
A red light directly struck the large black dog, which offered no resistance. Under the effect of the spell, the large black dog's body began to twist and deform.
Until it became a tall, thin Wizard in ragged clothes, with a bird's nest of hair, a somewhat dirty and disheveled face, and a face distorted by pain, lying motionless on the ground, clutching his lower body.
Even after transforming back into human form, he had no intention of resisting, as if he had already accepted his fate.
If only you had been more sensible earlier, how much better it would have been. You had to suffer such a significant blow before recognizing reality.
"Sirius, can we talk?"
Ethan had originally intended to force Sirius to voluntarily revert from his Animagus form and talk to him, so he could maintain the upper hand.
But now, after a small mistake, he had to initiate the conversation himself.
Sirius, lying on the ground, remained unresponsive, as if the one who had reverted to human form wasn't him.
"Should we give him some Potion first, and then talk about other things?"
Penelope guessed that Sirius couldn't accept this blow, which was why he seemed to have lost his soul.
"Alright!"
Saying that, Ethan directly threw three Potion bottles to Sirius. These were for pain relief and treating external injuries, one for oral consumption and one for external use.
Taking the Potion bottles, Sirius quickly examined them and then immediately drank the contents of two bottles.
As for the external one, there was a Witch present, and he was too embarrassed to expose himself.
As for whether it was poison, it no longer mattered. Anyway, he was already their captive, and he couldn't resist whatever they wanted him to take.
If he hadn't wanted to see Peter and get an explanation before dying, he wouldn't have wanted to live at all just now.
After taking the Potion, Sirius immediately felt a cool sensation in his lower body, and the pain rapidly subsided.
This made him realize a fact: his little brother could still be saved. He couldn't give up!
Even if he was going to die, he had to recover first.
Otherwise, if he met James in the afterlife, James might mock him endlessly.
Thinking of this, Sirius immediately stood up.
"What do you want to say, and when will you take me to see Peter?"
Even though he could move now, Sirius had no intention of resisting.
Although the Wizard opposite him had just said he didn't do it on purpose, who knew if he was telling the truth.
He didn't want to experience that kind of injury again.
"What Peter? Who said we're with Peter?"
Ethan had wondered why Sirius looked like he wanted to fight to the death as soon as he saw him. It turned out he had mistakenly thought he was one of Peter's people.
But his dog brain didn't even consider it. With Peter's rat-like habit of hiding, could he afford to hire people with Galleons?
Or did he have the ability to recruit followers?
"Remus, did he send you?"
Besides Peter, Sirius could only think of this one possibility. Other than that, no one knew about his Animagus form, not even his parents.
[Thanks to Blackwo for the monthly ticket, thank you, big boss!]
Chapter One Hundred Ninety-Nine: Unbreakable Vow
"Although Remus Lupin is currently a Professor at Hogwarts, our visit has nothing to do with Remus."
"I'm more curious, have Remus and you met?"
Ethan's initial guess was likely correct: Remus had met Sirius, believed his explanation, and was also trying to catch Peter.
But why there hadn't been any action yet, Ethan didn't know.
"Yes, we have!"
Sirius had no intention of hiding anything. It was meaningless.
Judging by their appearance, they weren't to be trifled with. If they didn't get the information they wanted, Siriusdidn't rule out the possibility that they might use methods like Veritaserum.
Moreover, they hadn't directly restrained him yet, so it was unlikely to be for the Ministry of Magic's 100,000 Galleon bounty.
"Since you haven't caught Peter Pettigrew yet, we still have room for cooperation."
Ethan also didn't want to know what they had discussed. In any case, Remus wouldn't stop Ethan and his group from catching Peter.
"Who exactly are you?"
"How do you know Peter isn't dead, and why would I want to catch him?"
Sirius's brows furrowed immediately. This person knew a bit too much.
He wasn't Remus's or Peter's person, yet he knew about him and the secret passage from Hogwarts to here.
Peter, a recipient of the Merlin Order First Class, had been confirmed dead over a decade ago, and he had died by his hand. This was something the entire Wizarding World knew, yet he knew Peter wasn't dead.
Even Remus initially didn't believe his story. It was only when he showed Remus the photo taken by the WeasleyFamily in Egypt that Remus accepted this reality.
Now he also knew that his goal in escaping Azkaban was Peter, not the widely accepted reason of killing Harry.
What was going on? It seemed like everything was within his grasp.
Even Dumbledore didn't know these things.
But these two, they clearly looked like Hogwartsstudents. He had seen reports of one of them after his escape. He was only a third-year, the same age as Harry.
"Isn't it normal to know these things?"
"You can look at this."
Saying that, Ethan directly took out the marauder's map. This was the most useful proof.
It wasn't very useful here, but at Hogwarts, one could clearly see the name Peter Pettigrew.
Anyone with a decent reading comprehension would know that this name represented a recent recipient of the Merlin Order First Class, who was also a hat-wearing idiot, but he was already dead.
Isn't it strange for this name to suddenly appear now?
If you think about it carefully, you can find the problem within it.
Although it couldn't be inferred as comprehensively as Ethan knew, combining it with Sirius, who had been obediently serving his sentence for over a decade, suddenly escaping, one could make a rough deduction.
"The marauder's map, you got it from Filch?"
Carefully stroking the somewhat old parchment, Sirius's eyes slowly filled with memories.
His days at Hogwarts were the happiest time of his life.
The last time he went to Gryffindor to look for Peter, he had intended to retrieve the marauder's map from Filch. This would make it easier for him to find Peter, but he didn't have the opportunity at the time.
"Yes, when I got it, I found Peter Pettigrew's name right next to Ron's~"
"Especially for a period this school year, they were almost inseparable."
"If this Peter Pettigrew really is that Merlin Order First Class recipient, coupled with the rumors circulating at Hogwarts before Christmas, everything makes sense."
There was no need to explain the rest so clearly. It was a cliché melodrama: the real murderer disguised himself and got away with it, the wrongly accused person became disheartened and willingly went to prison, but one day discovered that his former enemy was not dead and bravely escaped to seek revenge.
Such plots are common in Muggle movies and TV shows.
"It is indeed as you thought. I escaped Azkaban this time for Peter. How do you want to cooperate?"
"And what do you want to gain?"
There is no such thing as help without reason in this world, especially when he has no relation to himself or Peter.
Having been imprisoned in Azkaban for over a decade, he had long understood this principle.
Since they sought him out, they must want something.
His only valuable asset now was his identity as the heir of the Black Family, which allowed him to mobilize the Black Family's various resources and inheritance, a considerably large sum.
It just depended on how big the appetites of these two young Wizards were, and how much they wanted to carve out of the Black Family.
Thinking of this, Sirius relaxed instead.
He had never really wanted to accept everything of the Black Family, so giving away a part wouldn't pain him much.
On the contrary, if he could use the Black Family's inheritance to successfully catch Peter, it would be a form of recycling.
As for accepting Ethan's help, it was out of the question.
If he had been capable at all, he wouldn't have been holed up here all day.
After meeting Remus, Remus told him to go to Dumbledore to resolve the matter, but Sirius didn't want to see Dumbledore at the moment, mainly because he didn't have the face for it.
Furthermore, Remus himself couldn't catch Peter. First, he hadn't seen Peter; Ron had seen him many times, but he had never seen Peter in his Animagus rat form.
Clearly, he was deliberately hiding, and Remus didn't dare to disturb him rashly.
The Halloween night operation had already alerted him, and now Sirius didn't dare to act rashly at all.
Otherwise, if he really ran away, it would be almost impossible to find Peter in the entire world, especially since his Animagus form was a rat.
This put Sirius in a stalemate: either catch Peter in one go or continue to wait.
Now, with Ethan's help, it would definitely be much easier.
At least Peter wouldn't hide from Ethan, who was also a Hogwarts student. With Ethan's premeditation and magical ability, catching Peter was truly not too difficult.
"I'll help you catch Peter Pettigrew, and you'll pay me!"
Knowing it would be like this, Sirius immediately asked:
"What kind of payment do you need?"
Sirius, at this moment, had a very generous demeanor, completely like a prodigal son spending his inheritance without a care.
"The collection in the Black Family's library, an item from the House-elf Kreacher, and half of the cash."
Ethan made his demands without hesitation.
One could say that this wave directly demanded more than half of the Black Family's foundation, especially in terms of books, which would have an extremely significant impact.
"Your appetite is indeed not small. I can agree, but you must first catch Peter and hand him over to me."
Although Sirius didn't care much about these things, he was still surprised by Ethan's demands.
These items alone could instantly establish a top pure-blood family with deep foundations in Great Britain, only lacking a bit in wealth.
This was also because he didn't ask for any fixed assets. The Black Family had many fixed assets and a considerable collection of other items.
If these also had to go for half, then they could almost be on par with the current top pureblood families.
As for the family's collection of books, although in terms of value, they were more important than Galleons, representing a family's heritage.
But for Sirius, this part was precisely what he cared about the least.
Most of the Black Family's books were Dark Arts, and quite evil ones at that, so Sirius had no interest in learning them at all.
He also had no intention of leaving them to Harry, or giving them to anyone; taking them out for a trade now truly wouldn't hurt him in the slightest.
Finally, the things in Kreacher's hands, he cared even less about them, and didn't want to know what he had, or how Ethan Adrien knew about it.
But just thinking about it, what good things could a House-elf have in his hands?
If he was willing, he could even take Kreacher away.
Kreacher had been corrupted under his mother's tutelage; his values were completely misaligned with his own.
"That's no problem."
"However, to ensure both our peace of mind, how about we make an Unbreakable Vow?"
Ethan Adrien nodded in agreement without hesitation, but insurance was still necessary.
Human nature cannot withstand temptation, especially since the value of this transaction was quite large; at another time or with another person, Ethan Adrien would not have been able to gain such an advantage.
Even if Sirius was relatively trustworthy, Ethan Adrienstill wasn't very at ease.
If an Unbreakable Vow was made, there would basically be no problem.
Unless Sirius could think of a way to reasonably bypass the vow.
For example, preventing Ethan Adrien from catching Peter, or waiting until the vow was lifted after the transaction was completed, then reneging and taking everything back.
But Sirius couldn't do either of these.
Besides that, even Dumbledore couldn't resist such a vow spell head-on.
Hearing Ethan Adrien say this, Sirius was silent for a moment before finally nodding in agreement.
He had no intention of going back on his word, so he didn't resist much.
It's just that his demeanor didn't resemble a third-year Wizard at all!
He himself had been through this age, and not only his strength, but also his knowledge, way of thinking, and cautiousness were all inferior to Ethan Adrien.
"Penelope, you'll be the witness later."
"Mmm!"
Hearing this, Penelope nodded. She also believed that an Unbreakable Vow was very necessary, after all, it was such a large sum of wealth.
This magic wasn't difficult to learn, it was just rather obscure and rarely documented. Penelope had learned it while perusing magic books in the Ravenclaw common room.
Subsequently, Ethan Adrien and Sirius began to discuss the specific contents of the vow, and after Penelope was ready.
Ethan Adrien and Sirius stood face to face, holding each other's arms.
Meanwhile, Penelope stood beside them, wand in hand.
From the tip of Penelope's wand, a thin, dazzling tongue of fire emerged, like a red-hot metal wire, which quickly coiled around Ethan Adrien's and Sirius's wrists after appearing.
"I, Ethan Adrien, will capture Peter Pettigrew and hand him over to Sirius Black."
"I, Sirius Black, after Ethan Adrien captures Peter Pettigrew and hands him over to me, will, within six months, deliver to Ethan Adrien all of the Black Family's collected books, half of the cash, and one specified magical item from Kreacher's possession."
At this moment, every time Ethan Adrien and Sirius spoke a vow, a thin, red flame would spurt from Penelope's wand, tightly wrapping around their hands.
Thank you, great Snake God, for the monthly ticket! Thank you, great one!
Chapter 200: A Public Scheme Against Peter
After making the Unbreakable Vow with Sirius, the next day was Defense Against the Dark Arts Class.
When the dismissal bell rang, Ethan Adrien did not leave immediately.
"Adrian, is there something you need to stay for?"
Professor Lupin, who had already packed up his teaching tools, smiled and walked over to ask after seeing only Ethan Adrien left in the classroom.
"Professor, let's find a quiet place. There's something I want to tell you."
"Alright, then follow me to my office."
Professor Lupin led the way, his expression unchanged, but he already had many conjectures in his mind.
Among them, what worried him most was whether Ethan Adrien had discovered his Werewolf identity?
After all, at Hogwarts, there was Snape, who was determined to expose him, always mentioning Werewolfmatters openly and secretly, and hoping to lead the suspicion towards him.
If it were the Gryffindor lot, he wouldn't worry that they would suspect him of being a Werewolf, but as for Ethan Adrien, given his demonstrated excellence, he might have discovered something.
They arrived at the familiar Defense Against the Dark Arts office. Whether Quirrell was Professor or Lockhartwas Professor, he had been in there many times.
"Adrian, is there something you want to tell me?"
Professor Lupin had to admit, he was truly a bit nervous at this moment.
If his identity were exposed, a Werewolf certainly couldn't continue to stay at Hogwarts as a Professor.
Even if Dumbledore strongly supported him later, the parents of the students would not approve. Professor Lupin, who knew Dumbledore's character, knew that at that point, besides resigning voluntarily to save face, there would be no other way.
This period of time could be said to be the happiest time he had spent since that great Wizard war.
"I saw Sirius last night."
Upon hearing this, Professor Lupin's expression immediately changed.
"Where? Tell me quickly?"
"Then I'll notify the Ministry of Magic and Dumbledore. This time, we definitely can't let him escape." Professor Lupin's face was filled with anger and anxiety, as if he had a deep hatred for Sirius.
Ethan Adrien hadn't expected that Professor Lupin, the honest man, could also act so well.
If he hadn't clarified everything when he met Sirius last night and didn't use magic to detect, he would have truly been fooled by him.
"Professor Lupin, stop pretending. Sirius has already told me that you two have met."
"I also know all about your affairs. I came to see you this time to catch Peter Pettigrew."
"Of course, this isn't me being kind-hearted; it's purely because Sirius and I made a deal."
Saying that, Ethan Adrien directly took out the marauder's map.
After hearing Ethan Adrien say this, Professor Lupin fell silent; his performance just now truly resembled a clown.
However, upon seeing the marauder's map, Professor Lupin's reaction was similar to Sirius's, both filled with nostalgia.
"Can I see the marauder's map?"
Professor Lupin's outstretched hand paused in mid-air. Now that the marauder's map was no longer his, it was better to follow Ethan Adrien's wishes.
He really wanted to see if Peter was on it, and where he was now.
Although Sirius had given him that issue of the newspaper, he had indeed confirmed that Peter was not dead.
A Peter who faked his death and lived a life of ignominy using his Animagus form for over ten years—anyone with a functioning brain would know there must be something wrong with that.
This was also the main reason Professor Lupin could trust Sirius.
Also, during the first class, Ron's fear, the Boggart that transformed into a rat, also closely resembled Peter's Animagus form. He hadn't thought much of it at the time, but only realized the truth when he recalled it later.
But Professor Lupin had never been able to pinpoint Peter's location. He could easily see Ron in class, but was Peter really on Ron?
If he pushed too hard, given Peter's actions back then, having directly blown up thirteen Muggles, he would definitely attack young Wizards, and casualties were possible.
Although he hadn't experienced the events in the Gryffindor dormitory last school year, Professor Lupinknew some news, and he absolutely could not accept such a thing happening to him, especially if he was the cause.
Thus, whether in class or in the Gryffindor dormitory, he couldn't act.
Furthermore, he couldn't even confirm Peter's location, and he only had one chance.
As a result, during this time, he could only endure and endure until he could find a suitable opportunity.
But until today, he had never encountered Peter, not even once, so naturally, there were no opportunities.
If he could obtain the marauder's map, it would certainly make things much easier for him.
"Yes."
Seeing Ethan Adrien nod in agreement, Professor Lupinimmediately took the marauder's map.
His rough hands constantly caressed it, as if it were some rare treasure.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!"
As this familiar incantation was uttered from Professor Lupin's mouth, ink lines instantly appeared on the parchment, sketching and drawing. A detailed map of Hogwarts instantly appeared on the map, and names also emerged on it.
Professor Lupin quickly saw his own name and Ethan Adrien's name, right in his office.
But this was not Professor Lupin's goal at the moment. He found the third-year students who had just left class, and as he expected, Peter Pettigrew's name was on it. His name overlapped with Ron's, and Harry was also beside them.
Clearly, Peter had been in Ron's pocket when he was teaching earlier.
He just hadn't noticed it, while Peter had been spying on him countless times.
Now that he knew Peter's location, the next step was to figure out how to catch Peter.
"Adrian, what's your plan? I mean, the plan to catch Peter."
After staring at the marauder's map for a good while, Professor Lupin finally looked up.
He knew his mind wasn't very clever, definitely not as good as the Wizard in front of him who was much younger than himself.
If he were to come up with a plan, the results might not be very good, so it was better to just follow Ethan Adrien's plan.
Anyway, he had made a deal with Sirius, so he was definitely on their side.
As for what the deal was, Professor Lupin didn't want to know.
After all, it had nothing to do with him; besides a few tattered clothes, he only had a little bit of salary from this period. Ethan Adrien, who could cooperate with the Worre Family to sell Alchemy products, certainly wouldn't care about his few Galleons.
"During this time, Peter Pettigrew has been inseparable from Ron. If we want to act, we can only do so in a deserted place."
"And we definitely can't take Ron out. If we go too far, Peter will surely notice."
"So, we first need to deal with Harry, and have Harrybring Ron out. Given their relationship, only if Harryinvites him will Peter not suspect anything."
This was Ethan Adrien's plan.
Actually, Ethan Adrien could solve it with an Imperio. After Ron was controlled, he would definitely hold Scabbers with both hands and deliver him. If Scabbersdared to escape, a Crucio would be given to him, and he wouldn't be able to run.
But Dumbledore would certainly not allow this, even if it was to catch Peter, clear Sirius's name, and reveal the truth of what happened that year.
"Alright, we'll do as you say."
After listening, Professor Lupin immediately decided to follow all of Ethan Adrien's arrangements.
The plan was already well-thought-out; he didn't need to use his brain at all.
"But not yet. If we tell Harry the truth prematurely, Harrywill inevitably show some flaws, which Peter Pettigrewmight notice."
"We should wait until the next Hogsmeade day, which is the day after tomorrow. On that morning, it will be suitable to tell Harry the truth."
"Have Harry step forward and lead Ron out of Hogwartsto Hogsmeade."
Ethan Adrien didn't believe in Harry's acting skills. After all, when he first learned that Sirius had killed his parents, his face was extremely ugly; he couldn't hide it at all.
If he could remain calm after knowing that the real culprit was Ron's rat, that would be truly strange.
He probably wouldn't have hesitated to grab his wandthat very night and go fight Ron's rat to the death.
"That's possible, but if I remember correctly, Ron hasn't gone to Hogsmeade twice."
Professor Lupin paid close attention to Harry, so he naturally knew some news about Harry's best friend, Ron.
"Mrs. Weasley signed for every child in their family except Ginny, so they all have the qualification to go to Hogsmeade. And given Ron's past behavior, it's impossible for him not to be interested in Hogsmeade, especially after he made a fortune using Snape's photo."
"The only possibility is that he was influenced by Peter. This will require Harry's help. As long as he can loudly announce in front of everyone that Harry will pay for all of Ron's expenses, whether it's Zonko's Joke Shop, Honeydukes, or Dervish and Banges, he will cover everything."
"As long as Harry says that, Ron won't be able to refuse. If he hasn't been controlled by Peter Pettigrew, then all is well."
"If he is controlled by Peter and refuses in front of all the young Wizards and even Dumbledore, this would be completely out of character for him, and it would likely attract Dumbledore's attention. Peter would definitely not make such a mistake."
"By then, whether Peter wants to or not, Ron will have to go."
"If only Ron goes to Hogsmeade, and Peter doesn't, we can also use the marauder's map to find Peter's location. On that day, there will be very few young Wizards at Hogwarts. After finding a reason to get rid of those young Wizards, we can also catch Peter Pettigrew within Hogwarts. I can have Hermione provide assistance with this."
If Peter wasn't with Ron, he would most likely be in the Gryffindor dormitory. If he ran across the grounds towards the Forbidden Forest, it would be even more convenient, but that's highly unlikely.
And with Peter not having a wand, Ethan didn't need to worry about Hermione's safety.
Even with a wand, Hermione could still protect herself.
Lupin, who had listened to everything with a stunned expression, nodded stiffly.
"I'll listen to you."
[Thanks to Boss TOM for the monthly ticket, thank you boss!]
Chapter 201: Baiting Harry
On Saturday, before breakfast, Ethan and Lupin met up.
Lupin had already moved Sirius inside Hogwarts, and now the two of them were in a disused classroom on the first floor.
After a brief discussion, Ethan sent a message to Harryusing the wizard mailbox.
Many young Wizards had a habit of checking their wizard mailbox on their bedside table after waking up in the morning, mainly to see if anyone had sent them messages the night before.
Ethan had, of course, added Harry as a friend, but they just hadn't had much contact on weekdays.
"Harry, there's no Quidditch practice today, where are you going so early?"
Ron, who had just finished washing up, watched Harryscurrying out in a hurry and asked curiously.
The reason he could wake up so early on a rest day was due to his biological clock.
On weekdays, on Saturdays and Sundays, Wood would arrive at the dormitories of the various GryffindorQuidditch team members very early, personally waking his team up with noise to attend the day's training.
There was no other way; this year was Wood's last year at Hogwarts, and he wanted to win a trophy for a perfect send-off.
After the last match against Slytherin, which they lost due to the Dementor's interference, Gryffindor only had one chance. If they lost again next time, they would be directly eliminated, and there wasn't much time left until the match.
So, during this period, Wood was exceptionally frantic, which also made the roommates of these Quidditch team members miserable.
But they couldn't say anything, they could only grit their teeth and accept it, after all, this was for the glory of Gryffindor, who would dare to object?
However, today was Hogsmeade Day, so there was no need for Quidditch practice, and there was still some time before breakfast and departure.
Ron had just been about to invite Harry to a game of Wizard chess, but before they could start, Harry was already leaving.
"Ethan sent me a message. He got two rockets last time. After giving one to Cho Chang, the extra one was useless, and he doesn't play Quidditch, so he asked me if I needed it. Of course, I have to go quickly. If he sells it to Slytherin, then we'll have no hope this year."
"You've also seen Cho Chang's rocket on the Ravenclawteam. It's really a huge help for Quidditch. I should have placed an order during the summer, and I definitely can't miss this chance now."
After hearing Ron's words, Harry quickly turned around and explained.
When he went to Diagon Alley to buy textbooks for this school year, he saw an exhibition of the rocket, but at the time, to save a bit, the nimbus 2001 was still very good, everyone was using this model, and he didn't want to be special, so he finally decided to give up.
But after witnessing Cho Chang's performance using the rocket in the training match after the Christmas holidays, Harry immediately discarded that idea.
Riding a nimbus 2001, he couldn't possibly compare; this school year was definitely a loss, at most he could contend for second place.
He wasn't short of a few thousand Galleons, why didn't he place an order back then?
Now that the opportunity to get a rocket was right in front of him, how could he give it up?
Because the last time he fell from the sky during the Dementor incident, he didn't experience the beating from the Whomping Willow as in the original story. Although he fell and ended up in the hospital wing, his flying broom was fine.
In this situation, Sirius naturally wouldn't send a rocket to Harry, so he was still using a nimbus 2001.
That's why Ethan used the rocket to lure Harry out.
"Then you go, I'll go to the Great Hall myself later!"
Ron didn't want to see Ethan, so he naturally wouldn't go with Harry.
Ron didn't suspect anything about this; among the young Wizards at Hogwarts, only a handful could afford a rocket, and Harry was one of them.
Finding Harry to sell the extra rocket was simply too normal.
"Ethan, where's the rocket!"
Running all the way to the entrance of the Great Hall, Harry, panting and leaning on his knees, asked anxiously.
Apparently, he was afraid that Ethan had contacted Malfoy at the same time as him. It was uncertain if Malfoyhad that many Galleons, but his father definitely did.
"I couldn't possibly bring it to the Great Hall, could I? It'd be too conspicuous. There would definitely be a lot of people watching, and even wanting to buy it."
Saying that, Ethan looked around, not seeing Ron.
"Ron, he didn't come with you?"
Ethan asked, feigning curiosity.
"No, he's still in the dormitory."
Harry didn't think much of it and answered casually.
His attention was still on the rocket.
"Alright, then follow me!"
Following behind Ethan, Harry's face was filled with excitement.
He hadn't contacted anyone else, so no one would compete with him for this rocket, but he was also wondering how new this rocket was and how its performance would be in his hands.
"It's right here, let's go in!"
This was a disused classroom in a corner on the first floor, filled with old desks, chairs, and benches.
Harry pushed the door open and walked straight in, but he quickly froze.
"Professor Lupin, why are you here?"
He had a very good relationship with Professor Lupin; he was like an elder who took special care of him.
But when did Ethan and Lupin become so close? He hadn't heard about it!
And that big black dog crouching beside Professor Lupin, it looked so familiar.
Was it the one he saw when he was still at his aunt's house, or was it just similar-looking?
Moreover, after Trelawney's prophecy, Harry was still a little afraid of black dogs, as they represented misfortune.
"Mainly, there's something I want to tell you now. For the specifics, let Professor Lupin explain it to you."
Ethan closed the large door and cast several spells before speaking to Harry.
At this point, Harry also realized that this might not be about the rocket, but he couldn't guess what it was.
He was sure it wouldn't be to harm him; Harry could guarantee that much.
"Harry, you know about Sirius, don't you?"
Lupin was also struggling with how to explain it so that Harry would accept it more easily.
A while ago, he had talked to Harry and knew how much Harry hated Sirius, who had caused his parents' deaths.
"I know, the culprit who betrayed my parents, leading to their deaths."
A hint of resentment flashed in Harry's eyes.
He first heard about it from the Weasleys' conversation, and later, the message at Hogwarts before Christmasconfirmed it.
"If I told you that it wasn't Sirius who betrayed your parents, would you believe me?"
"Professor Lupin, why would you say that?"
Harry's brows furrowed immediately. If it weren't Lupinwho was speaking to him now, someone who had taken great care of him and didn't like to joke around, Harrywould have started cursing directly.
Someone was still defending a person like Sirius?
"Let me explain this clearly to you. There was me, James, who is your father, Peter Pettigrew, a recipient of the Merlin Order First Class, and finally, Sirius. The four of us back then..."
Lupin also kept it short, mainly talking about the relationship between the four of them back at Hogwartsand their comradeship after graduation.
0 Requesting flowers
"I've heard a little about these things, but Sirius still betrayed my parents."
Harry's face was frank. He didn't know the specific relationship between the four, but the fact that Sirius and his father were good friends back then was known throughout Hogwarts.
"What I'm about to say is the main point. Peter didn't die back then; he had been living as an Animagus. Sirius only escaped from prison after discovering this, and his target wasn't you, but Peter."
"The Secret-Keeper back then wasn't Sirius. His target was too big, so it was changed to the inconspicuous Peter. It was Peter who betrayed James and caused all of this."
"And Sirius is the godfather your father chose for you, not your enemy."
Hearing Lupin say this, Harry froze on the spot.
"Is this true?"
Harry looked at Lupin with a bewildered expression, then at Ethan.
They had no reason to deceive him, but this outcome was very hard for him to believe.
Actually, it would be easy to prove; he could just ask Hagrid about Professor Lupin, his father, and Sirius, and it would be confirmed.
0 ....
But Harry's mind couldn't quite wrap around it right now.
"Adrian, take out the marauder's map. I'll prove it to Harry."
Lupin could only think of this one method now.
Taking the parchment, Lupin skillfully chanted the spell, then pointed his wand at the location of the Gryffindordormitory.
Harry followed Lupin's wand, and on it, clearly were the names Peter Pettigrew and Ron Weasley, their statuses overlapping.
Seeing Harry's puzzled expression, Lupin explained:
"This is the marauder's map. You see here, these are the nicknames of me, your father, and the other two back then. We made it together for easier nighttime excursions. It can show all the secret passages and names of people in Hogwarts."
Harry understood, but there was still one point he couldn't grasp.
"Why would Peter be with Ron?"
Upon seeing the name Peter Pettigrew, Harry already believed Lupin, but this point truly puzzled him.
"Peter's Animagus form is a rat. When he framed Siriusback then, he left behind a finger to fake his death and escape."
Hearing Lupin say this, Harry immediately reacted: "It's Scabbers!"
How could Harry not know about that rat with a missing claw?
"That's right, it's Ron's rat. And Sirius, you should transform back now."
When Lupin turned his gaze to the black dog, Harryimmediately looked over.
He had seen this scene before: Animagus transformation.
He hadn't expected this black dog to be Sirius. Then the black dog he saw before must have been this one. At the same time, Harry also realized that Sirius couldn't truly be here to kill him.
Otherwise, he would have acted when they met during the summer.
"Now, Sirius, you and Harry discuss the plan's arrangements."
Sirius at this moment was completely different from when Harry had seen him before. He wore a black Wizard robe, and his messy, matted hair was meticulously groomed. His face even seemed to have undergone special grooming; apart from being overly thin, he was definitely a handsome middle-aged man.
Clearly, Sirius had specifically prepared this outfit to leave a good impression on Harry.
[Thanks to Boss Snowman Under The Air Conditioner for the monthly ticket, thank you boss!]
Chapter 202: Ron, Caught in the Middle
"Ethan, I..."
"Just follow the plan later, don't worry, it'll be fine."
Ethan directly interrupted Harry. At this point, many people were probably already dining in the Great Hall, so the timing to go back was just right.
"Mm, I understand!"
Harry was still a little worried, afraid of messing things up.
He hated Peter, who had betrayed his parents, to the core.
As for Ron, he would just have to explain later.
However, the thought of Ron constantly showing concern for his enemy made Harry quite upset.
"As for the rocket, you should receive this gift before your next match."
Ethan believed Sirius would definitely not miss this opportunity to get closer to Harry.
As for the so-called pre-order period, what was that in the face of money?
As long as Sirius was willing to pay more, he could acquire a rocket in minutes.
"Didn't you say you didn't have a rocket anymore?"
Harry now knew that the rocket was just an excuse to lure him out; in reality, Ethan had only ordered one at the time.
However, even though he had been deceived, he still had to thank Ethan, for without him, he wouldn't even know who his enemy was.
"I don't have one, but Sirius can, just wait!"
Harry then remembered Sirius's identity; like him, he had inherited a family fortune.
The Black Family was more prominent than the PotterFamily, so his inheritance was probably much larger than Harry's.
Just now, Sirius seemed very concerned about him; they said he was the godfather his deceased father had found for him.
But would he really send a rocket?
It was worth five thousand Galleons, and Harry wasn't sure about it.
Soon, in the eyes of the other young Wizards, Harry and Ethan walked into the Great Hall, chatting and laughing.
Ethan went to the Ravenclaw long table, while Harryreturned to the Gryffindor long table, sitting directly beside Ron.
"Did you get the rocket?"
Ron asked curiously while eating smoked sausage.
The surrounding young Wizards also pricked up their ears; many of them had heard Harry and Ron's conversation in the dormitory.
They wanted to know if Harry could get the rocket and then lead Gryffindor to win the Quidditch championship.
"I got it, but it's still at his house and hasn't been brought here yet. Ethan originally intended to keep it as a collection, but now he doesn't want it. After we return from Hogsmeade, he'll mail his things home and have his family send the rocket by owl."
Harry tried his best to appear calm.
Fortunately, Ron's attention was mostly on the food, and he didn't pay much attention at the moment.
"Oh, I see!"
"Tell him to hurry up; there's a match next week."
Ron said without lifting his head.
"Okay, I know."
"I'm in a good mood today, Ron. Do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me? Buy whatever you want; I'll pay for everything, as a celebration of me getting the rocket."
Harry said this loudly, and the surrounding young Wizards all heard it, turning their heads to look at Ronone by one.
Many young Wizards were quite envious; why didn't they have such a generous friend?
Even Dumbledore at the Professor's table was drawn to it. When Harry was present, his attention was usually on Harry. Now Harry deliberately spoke loudly, making it difficult not to attract his attention.
If there was nothing to deal with, Dumbledore usually ate with the young Wizards of Hogwarts at the Professor's table, and this morning was no exception.
Hearing Harry say this, Ron's face changed on the spot; this move was unexpected!
He had originally made up his mind not to go.
Looking at the eyes of the surrounding young Wizards, and then at the gazes from Dumbledore, Snape, Lupin, and others at the Professor's table, Ron quickly lowered his head.
"Harry, I don't lack Galleons right now, you don't need to pay. I'll go with you another time, but not today."
Ron was still trying to salvage the situation.
"Ron, you only have so many Galleons. By the time you buy new textbooks and Wizard robes this year and next, you'll probably have spent it all. Maybe you'll even need to prepare formal wear later, and it might not be enough."
"I'm happy today, and I said I'd pay for you, so I will. You don't need to be frugal; I still have quite a lot of Galleons at Gringotts."
Just like before, Harry's voice was not soft, and it attracted even more attention.
At this moment, many young Wizards were planning to befriend Harry.
Thinking so much for a friend, I'm truly touched to tears!
Why isn't there such a person in my dormitory!
At the same time, the surrounding young Wizards also began to whisper, most of them praising Harry and envying Ron.
"Since you put it that way, then I'll go with you. I won't go easy on you then."
Ron's forehead was already starting to sweat; at this point, he couldn't refuse.
Unless there was a legitimate reason, but he spent every day either talking about Quidditch or playing Wizardchess, not even practicing spells. What kind of legitimate reason could he possibly have?
If he said he wasn't feeling well, he didn't dare go to Madam Pomfrey, so he could only bite the bullet and agree.
But it was just a trip to Hogsmeade; things hadn't gone that bad yet.
"Just buy whatever you want; speaking of which, this will be our first time going to Hogsmeade together."
Hearing Ron agree to go, Harry's face also showed a joyful expression.
This made the surrounding young Wizards secretly resent Ron one by one, wondering why this unlucky guy had such a good relationship with Harry.
Everything that followed was as usual; after breakfast, the young Wizards who were preparing to go to Hogsmeade gathered at the main entrance after a short wait.
There, Filch would confirm whether everyone going to Hogsmeade was of age and had their guardian's consent.
Once confirmed, Harry and Ron boarded the same Thestral carriage.
Ethan, using a Disillusionment Charm, stood at the main entrance, observing everything, while also holding the marauder's map to determine Peter's location.
After Peter and Ron got into the carriage, Ethan then sent a message to Lupin using his wizard mailbox, telling them to wait at the Shrieking Shack.
Then Ethan used Shadow Stealth, directly hiding in the Thestral's shadow.
At this moment, Ethan could feel the Thestral noticing him, but it didn't react, only looking at where Ethan was a few more times.
It seemed that the energy blocks he fed them when he went to the Forbidden Forest were not in vain. Although he also plucked the Thestral's tail hair, their relationship was well-established!
Harry and Ron, sitting in the carriage, didn't notice anything and continued to chat as usual.
Because of Ron, none of the other Gryffindor young Wizards chose this compartment.
This also led to only Harry and Ron being in the compartment until now.
On the other side, upon receiving Ethan's message, Lupinalso started to move with Sirius.
He directly put him in a box that had an Undetectable Extension Charm cast on it.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Hagrid!"
Hurrying to Hagrid's hut, Lupin began to pound heavily on the door...
He had originally planned to tell Hagrid during breakfast, but Hagrid did not come to the Professor's table for breakfast today.
As for the reason, Lupin knew that he must have patrolled the Forbidden Forest too late yesterday and didn't need to attend class today, and Hogsmeade held no attraction for him, so he slept in.
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
Bang!
Dog barks and the sound of something hitting the floor rang out consecutively, accompanied by a creak, and the heavy wooden door was pulled open. Hagrid, with half-closed eyes, looked at the person disturbing his sleep.
"Lupin, it's you! Is something wrong?"
Upon seeing that it was Lupin, Hagrid immediately invited Lupin into the house.
They had been good friends for many years. After Lupinreturned to Hogwarts as a Professor, he had visited Hagrid several times and also taught Hagrid some small tricks he had discovered for improving classroom atmosphere.
"I need a Thestral to go to Hogsmeade. The carriages there are already full of students, and I can't squeeze in."
"I finally earned a little money, and I plan to go there for a few drinks."
The Thestral carriages were naturally not full, but Hagridwould certainly not think of these things, so Lupin felt there was no problem in saying this.
To arrive at Hogsmeade before Harry and Ron, who were riding the Thestral carriage, some special means were required, such as Apparition by creatures like the Phoenix, or a Portkey.
Besides that, the only option left was riding Animals. Those that pulled carriages certainly weren't as fast as those that flew unburdened.
"Alright, wait for me to get ready, and I'll go find a Thestral with you."
Hagrid nodded, intending to wash his face and change his clothes.
He rarely refused his good friends, as long as it wasn't too excessive or asking about things that couldn't be discussed.
"No need, I need to hurry."
Lupin didn't have time to wait for Hagrid to get ready; the Thestral carriages would probably depart in a little while.
"Alright, I'll take you now. Honestly, do you have an appointment with someone in Hogsmeade?"
Walking along the road, Hagrid also became uncharacteristically gossipy.
After all, Lupin's impatient demeanor certainly meant something was urging him to go early. Considering Lupin's age now, it was possible he was using his opportunity as a Professor at Hogwarts to hook up with a Witch.
Now the two of them were meeting in a pub or tea house in Hogsmeade, otherwise, why would he be in such a hurry, not even having time to get himself ready?
"No!"
Lupin shook his head very firmly; he naturally understood what Hagrid meant.
Seeing Lupin deny it, Hagrid no longer insisted. He wasn't the type to press for answers, though he sometimes couldn't keep secrets.
Soon, Hagrid led Lupin to where the Thestrals were managed. Since Kelborn left, the Thestrals had been under his care.
Not all Thestrals were going to pull carriages this time, as only five grades were eligible to go to Hogsmeade.
And Hogwarts' Thestrals were enough to bring all seven grades of young Wizards back to Hogwarts from the station.
Soon, Hagrid found a very strong Thestral for Lupin. After stroking it twice, Hagrid patted the Thestral's rump.
The Thestral flapped its wings and took Lupin into the air. Although they were all free-range, Thestrals had been pulling carriages at Hogwarts for many years and occasionally acted as aerial mounts, so there were no problems this time.
Soon, it took Lupin to the outskirts of Hogsmeade. After dismounting, Lupin fed the Thestral the dried meat he had prepared in advance.
[Thanks to big boss donghua for the monthly ticket, thank you big boss!].
Chapter 203: Stalker Snape
On the path outside Hogsmeade, one Thestral carriage after another began to slow down.
Ethan left Ron and Harry's carriage when the Thestralpassed through a patch of trees' shadow.
He pulled out his wizard mailbox, which had unread messages. Upon checking, Lupin had indeed arrived first, just three minutes ago.
When the carriage stopped steadily by the path and Harry and Ron walked out of the Thestral carriage together, Ethan also approached them from behind.
It was as if Ethan had gotten off the carriage behind them.
Ron saw Ethan coming with them and frowned slightly, but didn't say anything more.
"Ethan, you've come at just the right time. Do you want to join us later? I'm paying."
Harry nodded slightly when he saw Ethan approach, then showed a joyful expression and said.
"Alright, I'm alone today too, so I'll go with you two."
Saying that, Ethan followed to Ron's left.
Ron, who had been looking down, looked at Harry in confusion, and then at Ethan.
At first, he thought Ethan was just coming to say hello and leave, but he wanted to go with them?
And Ethan wasn't short on money, possibly even richer than Harry, so why would he need Harry to pay?
Ethan wasn't someone who liked to take advantage of others!
How could he agree?
He didn't see any of the young Witches who usually surrounded him today. Something was off!
"Harry, where are we going?"
Ron, who had been wondering what was going on with Ethan and Harry today, hadn't paid close attention to the route.
Now, coming back to his senses, he realized this was not the way to Honeydukes or Zonko's Joke Shop.
"Let's go explore the Shrieking Shack first. It's a famous haunted house, and I've always wanted to see it. Before, it was always just me, and you never came to Hogsmeade, and Ethan was always with Hermione and them. Now that I have someone, I certainly can't miss it."
Harry explained with a forced smile on his face.
Arriving here, about to meet his enemy, Harry felt like he could barely hold himself back.
Ron also sensed that something was wrong. Go to the Shrieking Shack?
Why wasn't that mentioned before?
"Harry, I'm feeling a bit unwell today. I won't go to the Shrieking Shack. I'll just buy some chocolate at Honeydukes and then head back to Hogwarts."
Saying that, Ron prepared to retreat. Not even a dog would go to the Shrieking Shack.
"Ron, what are you panicking about?"
"Come in with us, and then Harry will pay for your purchases at Honeydukes."
Ethan directly blocked Ron's retreat. At this point, how could he possibly let him leave?
Looking at Ethan, who was blocking his way, Ronfrowned and looked towards Harry.
"That's right, Ron, you come in with us, and I'll pay for everything later."
Harry no longer cared about Ron's feelings. It had already come to this point; there was no possibility of backing down.
Ron was certain that coming to Hogsmeade today was a trap specifically aimed at him.
Harry definitely wouldn't have thought of all this. Recalling that Harry was called out by Ethan in the morning, and now Ethan was conveniently here, not with his girlfriends.
Undoubtedly, Ethan was behind all of this.
But he and Ethan didn't have any conflict now. What exactly was his intention?
After considering the possibility of escaping in front of Ethan.
"Then I'll go in with you."
There was no possibility, of course. Since it was specifically aimed at him, he certainly wouldn't be allowed to leave.
If he stubbornly refused to go, Ron didn't rule out Ethan using magic.
Rather than making a scene and putting Ethan on guard, it was better to find an opportunity later.
As Ethan and the others made their way to the Shrieking Shack, about one or two hundred meters behind them, a large bat hung behind them.
Every time Harry came to Hogsmeade, Snape would follow behind him, like a stalker.
This was also to protect Harry's safety.
Even now, Snape still believed Sirius was the one who betrayed Lily, and his escape this time was to kill Harry.
And when Harry went out, that was Sirius's greatest opportunity.
As a result, Snape even spent Christmas near Harry's aunt's house.
Now, Snape was using specially purchased Alchemytools to observe Harry's situation. Although he couldn't hear their conversation, by looking at their route, he knew where they were going.
Thinking of that place, Snape's face immediately darkened.
In his fifth year, Sirius had deliberately used Lupin's secret to lure him inside.
As soon as he entered, Lupin had already transformed into a Werewolf and attacked him. Facing a successfully transformed Werewolf, Snape at that time was clearly not his opponent, and he knew that being scratched or bitten would lead to infection and transformation into a new Werewolf. Therefore, he could only flee in a sorry state.
In the end, James saved him. Regardless of the reason, he did owe him a favor.
But at the same time, Snape truly hated Sirius and Lupinto his core.
Only second to James, who stole Lily, and the deep hatred he held for himself.
Ethan also noticed the tail behind him. There was nothing he could do. After learning the Super-Sensory Charm, his senses became sharper, and a distance of one or two hundred meters was no problem.
Moreover, he confirmed it was Snape through the magical reaction.
Regarding this, Ethan didn't want to expose him now, so he just let him hang back there.
Upon reaching the entrance of the Shrieking Shack, Harrydirectly pushed open the door and entered first without hesitation.
Ron hesitated for a moment before following behind Harry.
After Ethan entered last, he directly closed the door.
"Lumos!"
As the sound echoed in the darkness, a soft light illuminated the dim space inside the Shrieking Shack.
In front of Ethan and the two others were Lupin and Siriusin human form. Their attention was currently on Ron.
And when Ron saw the two of them appear at the same time, his whole body involuntarily trembled.
The worst-case scenario had indeed happened.
However, he should have thought of it earlier. If it weren't for these two, Ethan wouldn't have needed to orchestrate all of this.
And looking at Harry, he seemed to have known the situation for a long time.
But the necessary performance still needed to be given.
"Sirius!"
Ron's face showed fear and tension, and he drew his wand, pointing it directly at the two people opposite him.
"Professor Lupin, why is this?"
"Sirius is a wanted criminal by the Ministry of Magic, and he's the one who betrayed Harry's parents. Instead of reporting him to the Ministry of Magic, you brought him in front of Harry. What are you trying to do?"
"Ethan, why aren't you doing anything? Are you also with them?"
Ron spoke more and more excitedly, pulling Harry back, moving away from Ethan, and towards the door.
And he also looked warily at the other three people inside.
Being protected by Ron, Harry was quite touched. He didn't expect Ron to actively protect him instead of hiding behind him.
The slight annoyance he had about Ron constantly doting on Peter had now vanished without a trace.
He was acting this way because he was unaware of the truth.
Sirius naturally couldn't just watch Ron take Harry and run away, so he immediately took a few steps forward.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
A grayish-white spell shot from the tip of Ron's wand, aimed directly at Sirius's head.
The sudden change caused a flicker of panic in Sirius's eyes.
Having not experienced combat or used magic for more than ten years, he was rusty. At this moment, he didn't expect Ron to suddenly attack, leaving him so close to Ron without any defense.
Also, Sirius hadn't obtained a wand since his escape.
At the crucial moment, a red light arrived later but faster, directly colliding with the grayish-white spell on Sirius's face.
Boom!
The explosion from the spell collision directly enveloped Sirius's head. The power of both spells wasn't very strong, so the commotion caused was also quite small.
But even so, when Sirius walked out, his face was already pitch black, and his neat hair was singed and messy.
The contract hadn't been completed yet, so how could Ethan allow anything to happen to Sirius?
And Harry, at the first moment he reacted, grabbed Ron's wand-holding hand.
"Ron, Sirius isn't here to kill me. We've all misunderstood. The truth is..."
Seeing this, Sirius, although very annoyed, ultimately held back.
By the time Harry had explained everything to Ron, Siriushad already cleaned himself up.
"Ron, you understand now, Scabbers is still on you, right!"
After Harry finished explaining, he looked at Ron's pocket.
On the Thestral carriage, Harry had seen Scabbers peek out.
"He is!"
Ron's words were very difficult. If he could, he would have loved to say he wasn't, but now was clearly not the time to say that.
Under everyone's gaze, Ron reached into his pocket and pulled out Scabbers.
"Peter, do you still need to maintain your Animagus form even now?"
The moment he saw the rat, a sinister smile appeared on Sirius's lips.
He had seen it in his dreams countless nights, and now his wish was finally granted.
And Scabbers looked at Sirius with a terrified expression, struggling desperately, a human-like fear evident in its eyes.
"I'm giving it to you now. Whoever takes it, I don't want to touch such a dangerous fellow."
Ron, holding Scabbers, had a hint of fear in his eyes, glancing at Sirius and Lupin from time to time.
"Then I'll take it."
Sirius gave Scabbers a cruel smile and unceremoniously took Scabbers from Ron's hand.
If Ron had merely held it to prevent it from escaping, then in Sirius's hand, it was as if he wanted to crush it to death