Snape's hand trembled violently, and he almost spilled the medicine he had just prepared.
"You mean... Sirius Black!"
His expression remained indifferent, but his trembling voice betrayed his true feelings.
Professor McGonagall knew what Sirius meant to Snape.
It wasn't just because of the bullying he had suffered at school.
More importantly... Lily's death!
If Sirius hadn't betrayed them, Lily and James wouldn't have been exposed!
It's even less likely that he would die at Voldemort's hands!
"Severus, calm down."
"Sirius escaped from prison for Harry's sake, so our first priority is Harry's safety."
"I know…" Snape tried to calm himself down.
Although he already knew about Sirius's prison break, he would still feel involuntarily angry every time he heard news about him.
It took Snape quite a while to return to normal.
"Let's go, Albus is still waiting for us in his office."
The two arrived at the principal's office.
Dumbledore was sitting in the chair in front of his desk, waiting.
Upon seeing the two enter, he greeted them in a tired voice.
"You've arrived."
"You've found Sirius's location?"
Snape had barely stepped inside, not even having time to catch his breath, when he asked the question.
"Not yet, but I think he must be near St. Mungo's Hospital."
"During this period, we need to increase our protection for Harry."
Professor McGonagall and Snape nodded, waiting for Dumbledore to continue.
If it were just this little thing, Dumbledore wouldn't have called both of them over at the same time.
"I have found a way to treat Harry and Ron."
"Severus needs to prepare some potions to complement this."
"I also need to go to the Ministry of Magic; I may need to stay there for a while."
"The Ministry of Magic is really going to..."
Professor McGonagall was incredulous. Before she could finish speaking, Dumbledore raised his hand.
"It was my own choice. For the sake of Hogwarts' reputation, and to give an explanation to the parents of those injured young wizards, I had to accept the investigation."
"Hmph!" Snape sneered, looking at Dumbledore with mockery, but said nothing.
"Minerva will temporarily handle Hogwarts affairs while I am away."
"Filius and Pomona, you two should communicate well."
Compared to Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick, Dumbledore clearly trusted Professor McGonagall and Snape, who were members of the Order of the Phoenix, more.
Turning to Snape, he said, "Severus, I'll write down Harry's treatment plan for you later."
"While I'm at the Ministry of Magic, I'll leave Harry and Ron in your care."
"What do you plan to do with Sirius?" Snape wasn't just concerned about Harry.
And Sirius!
His hatred for Sirius was even greater than that for Harry's father, James Potter!
Even though James had bullied him at school and stolen his beloved, at least James had protected her with his life!
He was a thousand times better than Sirius, who was so despicable as to be a traitor!
Dumbledore hesitated for a moment: "Under no circumstances should we let him lay a hand on Harry at St. Mungo's Hospital."
"Understood!"
That's exactly what Snape was waiting to hear!
"No matter what" plus "absolutely not" equals the seal being broken!
To become Voldemort's right-hand man, Snape's mastery of dark magic had already reached a level unimaginable to ordinary people.
Given Sirius's current condition, if he were to run into Snape, he wouldn't be able to escape.
It's only because Snape is kind-hearted that he can die a quick and painless death!
Dumbledore certainly understood the meaning behind Snape's words, but he didn't even ask.
Professor McGonagall, on the other hand, seemed to want to say something, opening her mouth several times, but finally letting out a sigh.
...
Curfew time, Slytherin dormitory.
Argus waited quietly until everyone was asleep.
Armed with the Marauder's Map, he traveled through the castle's secret passage to Hogsmeade Village.
Then, he Apparated back to the outside of Acolytes' Manor.
Today was Friday. Since there were no classes or club activities over the weekend, he would have enough time to arrange some things.
Inside the manor, several unexpected people appeared before him.
"Minister Fudge, it's been a long time."
Argus was surprised for a moment, but immediately put on an elegant smile.
Fudge was clearly surprised that Argus would come back so late at night, and hurriedly went up to greet him.
"Mr. Grindelwald, I never expected to see you at this time."
"Hello, Mr. Grindelwald!" Umbridge approached obsequiously and greeted Argus.
Today, the Acolytes had become a behemoth in the British wizarding world, not only possessing immense power but also collaborating with numerous pure-blood families.
Meanwhile, the Galleons they contributed to the Ministry of Magic each month accounted for more than one-third of the Ministry's total revenue.
For someone like her who was used to flattery, a big shot of this caliber would be someone she'd practically worship.
Umbridge's eagerness to make her presence known made Fudge blush.
They were officials from the Ministry of Magic, yet they had no regard for their image whatsoever!
What would outsiders think of the Ministry of Magic if they saw this?
Argus noticed Fudge's displeasure and gave Alan Mitchell a look.
Alan Mitchell immediately understood what Argus meant and stepped forward with a smile, saying, "Good evening, Mr. Grindelwald."
He was polite yet maintained the demeanor befitting a member of the Ministry of Magic.
He was met with a look of admiration from Fudge.
"Minister Fudge, you're all here at the perfect time. I have some important information to share with you," Argus said after inviting everyone to sit down.
"What information?"
"Dumbledore has secretly returned to Hogwarts today!"
"Dumbledore is back!" Fudge's eyes widened.
"It was bound to happen sooner or later." Argus had anticipated Fudge's reaction.
After all, Dumbledore had been keeping Fudge in check for so long, so Fudge might have the guts to do something underhanded behind Dumbledore's back.
If it really came down to a head-on confrontation, they would still feel a bit apprehensive.
"If nothing unexpected happens, he will go to the Ministry of Magic tomorrow, and it will probably become common knowledge."
"The Ministry of Magic had better prepare in advance."
Fudge picked up the cup in front of him and took a sip, feeling dejected.
Before they could even get to the bottom of Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban, Dumbledore was already up to something.
For a moment he didn't know what to do, so he could only look to Argus for help.
"Mr. Grindelwald, how much do you know about Azkaban?"
"You mean Sirius Black escaped from prison?"
"That's right. To this day, we still don't understand how he escaped from Azkaban right under the noses of the Dementors."
"Does that matter?" Argus asked casually.
"Once we catch Sirius, we can find out how he escaped from prison."
"But...but the Ministry of Magic can't even find a trace of Sirius Black..."
"Minister Fudge, do you remember Sirius's unusual behavior before his escape from prison?"
Fudge's mind raced, and his eyes suddenly lit up: "Harry!"
"He was frantically shouting Harry's name before his escape!"
A smile appeared on Argus's face.
"That's right! No matter how he escaped, his ultimate target is Harry at St. Mungo's Hospital. As long as we keep an eye on him, Sirius will naturally come to us."
"However, the Ministry of Magic needs to act quickly, and we are not the only ones who have thought of this."
"I estimate that Dumbledore will send someone to St. Mungo's Hospital before tonight."
"If he finds Sirius first, the Ministry of Magic will probably have to pay a huge price."