"Sirius Black!" Hermione gasped. Her mind was in complete chaos. She couldn't understand how a black dog she had rescued out of kindness could suddenly transform into a notorious and heinous criminal, a face she had seen countless times in the newspapers.
"Animagus!" Just as she was bewildered, the word suddenly flashed in Hermione's mind, and she suddenly understood: Sirius Black was an Animagus, just like Peter Pettigrew. She had personally released a criminal from a cage!
The advantages of age and gender were insignificant. She wouldn't stand a chance against this dark wizard. She even suspected that if she raised her wand, the man would swiftly disarm her. A dark wizard who had experienced countless life-and-death battles possessed too much combat experience.
However, at this moment, she was even more perplexed. Why was Sirius Black locked in a cage, and in a Slytherin student's dormitory? Had a student caught him by accident?
Did that student know Sirius Black's true identity?
Hermione had no idea.
She even came to a terrifying conclusion, one she didn't dare to dwell on: Sirius Black was using this method to get close to Harry.
A dark wizard was ruthless to others and even more ruthless to himself, using such means to even arouse sympathy and reduce suspicion. Perhaps a Slytherin student had already been controlled by his Imperius Curse, allowing Black to quietly wait for an opportunity like today.
If the righteous Harry encountered such a situation, he would definitely intervene, and then Black would succeed.
Just like now.
She was facing this vicious criminal alone. The gaunt, disheveled man was staring intently at her, his eyes in their deep sockets filled with excitement.
"You may kill me, but your ultimate goal will not succeed. Your master will never return. Give up on that idea," Hermione said, her voice trembling, her whole body shivering. The threat of death brought tears to her eyes. She couldn't imagine how her parents would feel if they heard about her death, their daughter dying from a curse? Hermione even had a distracted thought: if only the Ministry of Magic could erase her parents' memories after she died, so they wouldn't be heartbroken.
A terrible, joyless laugh suddenly erupted from Black's mouth, as if he had heard an extremely funny joke.
Hermione's heart grew colder.
This was a complete madman. The Dementors of Azkaban might not have turned him into a living corpse, but they had made him a lunatic.
Look, this person wouldn't have any psychological burden before killing someone; on the contrary, he would feel extreme pleasure. Perhaps he thought that killing her would bring him closer to his plan?
"I must say, you should continue to trust your pet," Black suddenly said in his hoarse voice, his smile fading.
"Crookshanks?" Hermione didn't react for a moment, somewhat blank, and then remembered that Crookshanks had led her here today, but the current situation didn't allow her to think further.
"You have a good pet," Black said, and then held Crookshanks in his bird-like claw hands. Crookshanks didn't resist at all, as if Black was his master.
"Let him go!" Hermione shouted sharply.
"Oh, your master is jealous, so be it." Hearing this, Black put Crookshanks back on the ground, and then the big cat ran back to his master's side, meowing.
"We can talk, the owner of this cat, oh no, should be Crookshanks' owner," Black said amicably.
"Go to hell, you filthy Death Eater! I feel disgusted even saying another word to you. You want to find Harry through me? That's impossible! I'd rather die!" Hermione's eyes were filled with determination again. She could guess what the man in front of her wanted to do. Killing her was useless to him; capturing her and then luring Harry out was a simple and effective plan. Harry would definitely take the bait, given his nature.
"If he had had this awareness back then, how great would that have been, to die for a friend, what a glorious death," Black's eyes welled up, thinking of the past.
"That sentence is a joke coming from your mouth," Hermione said with a sneer, somewhat puzzled, but not afraid to provoke the man in front of her.
It could also be said that she was deliberately provoking the man, hoping Black would give her a quick death, so she wouldn't be used as a bargaining chip and threaten her friends.
"Yes, a joke." Black sighed, his tone full of powerlessness.
"It really is a joke." Black repeated once. "But, if I said I was innocent, could you trust me?" Black looked at Hermione intently.
"Innocent?" Hermione frowned involuntarily, finding it somewhat amusing. A wizard who betrayed his friends, killed more than a dozen Muggles, and joined Voldemort was innocent?
Then maybe Merlin was a girl too.
Afterward, Black seemed to think that he couldn't convince the girl in front of him with just a few words, shook his head and said: "That's right, words are not enough, I can't make you trust me, so for convenience, it seems that I still have to wrong you, Harry's friend." Black's eyes were piercingly sharp.
Black didn't have his wand with him, but he stared at Hermione and still chanted: "Stupefy..."
"Wait," Hermione said, she wanted to make her last effort, maybe she could use this excuse to buy some time, the longer the time, the more beneficial it would be for her, and the more likely she would be discovered by the students returning from watching the Quidditch match.
"You just believe a stranger's words like that? Unfortunately, even if you can convince yourself, you can't even convince me. If Harry's friend is only this capable, then it's better to be unconscious, so as not to disrupt my plan." Black immediately denied himself, he really couldn't produce any evidence now.
"I will believe every word, every term, every sentence you say." Hermione said calmly, "But the premise is that you have to drink this potion." Hermione then took out a clear bottle from her pocket and shook it in front of Black.
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