bioinnovel Chapter 226 The Hogwarts Girl's Dream
Chapter 226 The Hogwarts Girl's Dream
Chapter 226 The Hogwarts Girl's Dream
The next morning, the students having lunch in the auditorium chattered and shared what they had seen and heard the night before.
The Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students vividly described the scene that unfolded on the field: a series of loud explosions, towering flames, and a dense, dark mass of people.
The Hufflepuff students were stunned. They hadn't heard the strange noises from last night in the common room, which was underground, and didn't know that something had happened at the school again.
However, Hufflepuff students shared what they witnessed this morning.
The dungeons and corridors beneath the castle are filled with Ministry of Magic employees, all of whom look very serious and even question passing students.
Since they had not received any notification or explanation from any professor, the students had no idea what had happened and could only guess based on what they saw and heard.
Some say Sirius Black may have escaped again; if he could escape from the heavily guarded Azkaban, he could certainly escape from Hogwarts as well.
Some people say that although Sirius Black successfully escaped from the prison, he did not go far and was quickly caught again, otherwise how could the loud noise and fire on the ground be explained?
It must be said that Hogwarts students have rich imaginations, and their guesses are quite close to the truth; there were indeed prisoners who attempted to escape from the school last night.
However, the person who tried to escape was not Sirius Black, but Peter Pettigrew, who was completely unfamiliar to the students.
Just as the students were discussing this, a loud footstep came from outside the auditorium, abruptly ending everyone's guessing and discussion.
Some students put down their cutlery and mustered their courage to leave the auditorium, wanting to find out what was going on outside.
Then, the students who came out of the Great Hall saw this scene: a neat line of Ministry of Magic employees emerged from the castle’s underground, with strikers and law enforcement officers lined up on either side of the aisle.
The students who had just left the Great Hall, filled with curiosity and eager to see what was going on, were all stopped by the Ministry of Magic personnel.
They had to return to the auditorium.
Before long, a group of Aurors escorted prisoners out of the passageway beneath the marble staircase, with two tall Aurors supporting the prisoners on either side.
As the procession carrying the prisoners passed the entrance to the auditorium, the students were surprised to find that the prisoner under heavy guard was not Sirius Black, whom they had seen before, but a short, timid-looking stranger.
Who is that person?
Where did Sirius go?
These two questions lingered in the students' minds and then spread throughout the auditorium.
Apart from Harry, Ron, and Hermione, no other student knew what happened last night, nor did any student know Peter.
Even some of the professors were kept in the dark; they only knew that the Ministry of Magic had been hunting down a criminal the night before, but they didn't know who the so-called criminal was.
A huge question lingered in the students' minds, and they thought of Belvina and her Muggle Studies class, hoping that the beautiful and kind-hearted Black could clear up their doubts.
As a result, the Muggle Research Classroom was once again filled with students rushing over, many of whom had skipped class just to satisfy their curiosity.
Unfortunately, although Belvina conducted the Q&A session as usual, she did not answer any questions about Sirius Black.
She said, "Regarding Sirius Black and what happened at school yesterday, please refer to the Ministry of Magic's official announcements. Please do not speculate wildly, and do not let it affect your studies."
Disappointment, deep disappointment—the students' disappointment with Professor Black was palpable.
You weren't like this before. Where did the Professor Black who used to be so open and honest go?
Belvina had no intention of satisfying the students' curiosity, because the whole thing was too complicated to explain, involving Voldemort and the Death Eaters, and the incompetence of the Ministry of Magic.
Belvina is still a humble working woman, and she doesn't want to be talked to by her boss. Anyway, the students' curiosity will soon be satisfied through other means.
That evening, an owl flapped its wings and flew into the auditorium, dropping copies of the Evening Prophet's Report in front of the students, finally answering their questions.
The Evening Prophet wrote as follows:
"According to sources, the Ministry of Magic has successfully apprehended Sirius Black, but there seem to be doubts about the murder Black committed thirteen years ago. Minister Cornelius Fudge has decided to reopen the case."
It is reported that Sirius Black, after being arrested, was temporarily detained at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. That night, someone broke into the temporary detention location in the early hours of the morning with the intention of attacking Black.
The attacker, Peter Pettigrew, was captured on the spot by the Ministry of Magic. Peter Pettigrew was the victim of the horrific massacre thirteen years ago, and the only wizard among the thirteen dead.
Therefore, Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge is determined to reopen the investigation into the horrific murder case from thirteen years ago and give the public the truth.
Time was running out, and the auditorium was in an uproar. The Evening Prophet’s report was so horrifying that the students almost thought they were watching The Quibbler.
Thirteen years ago, Sirius Black was sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban for murdering Peter Pettigrew and others.
Thirteen years later, the Evening Prophet told everyone that Peter Pettigrew was not dead at all, and was even going to attack Black, a wanted criminal of the Ministry of Magic.
Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew, who is the real villain? Has the Ministry of Magic made another wrong judgment?
Barnabas, the editor-in-chief of the Prophet's newspaper, was certain that his surname was Goofe, not Lovegood.
The discussions in the hall never stopped. Some people angrily criticized the Ministry of Magic for its incompetence, some accused Fudge and other officials of being lazy and incompetent, and others sympathized with Little Star's unfortunate plight.
Before anyone knew it, Belvina had gained a bunch of young wives, because the newspaper published photos of Sirius Black in his youth. The young Sirius was handsome, dashing, and exuded an innate air of nobility. It wasn't just a saying that the Black family was known for producing beauties.
Based on an old photograph from more than ten years ago, the "murderer" Sirius Black suddenly became the dream of the Hogwarts girls, completely forgetting how much they feared him just yesterday.
At the faculty seating area, Bassheda, holding a newspaper, secretly nudged Belvina with her elbow.
She said, "Now you don't have to worry anymore. Even after twelve years in prison, your brother's charm is still as strong as ever."
Sirius Black was extremely popular during his school days, but he seemed oblivious to it, and coupled with some inappropriate behavior, many girls gradually distanced themselves from him.
More than a decade later, the once incredibly handsome young man has become a weathered middle-aged man, but Sirius Black's charm has only increased, making him a heartthrob once again, leaving young girls completely mesmerized.
"Come on, these girls liked Lockhart yesterday, Sirius today, who knows who they'll like tomorrow?" Belvina said. "Besides, they're too young."
"No, I'm a man, I understand men better," Paul Bernard suddenly interjected. "Men all like young men."
For the past six months, Paul Bernard has been busy working on new alchemical creations and rarely appears in public except for attending classes and eating.
"But she's so young! Too young for her." Belvina raised her chin.
A group of little girls were secretly watching Belvina, seemingly trying to find in Professor Black the charm of Sirius in his youth.
"She's definitely too young; she'd be rich enough to be a daughter." Bernard had to admit, "Harry Potter is already fourteen."
Sirius Black was born in 1959 and will soon turn 35.
When Orion Black was 35, Sirius Black was already old enough to run errands, and Regulus was already frolicking in Grimmauld Place. Not to mention Black's fastest legend, Signas.
Sirius Black, at 35, had no children or grandchildren, and was all alone.
"It feels like just yesterday I first met Potter at Hogwarts, and now almost three years have passed," Bernard remarked. "Time really flies."
"If you can't speak properly, then shut your mouth."
Even food can't shut you up.
Her remarks instantly angered Belvina and Bassheda. Just because the two of them could discuss age with each other didn't mean that others could discuss age and time with them.
The two witches have blatantly displayed double standards, practically wearing it on their faces.
"By the way, is Sirius going to stay at school indefinitely?" Bassheda asked in a low voice, "until the Ministry of Magic summons him to court."
"Yes, he's staying at the school," Belvina said. "I tried to persuade him to go back to Grimmauld Place or to Fertile Soil to recuperate, but he chose to stay at the school."
Paul Bernard chimed in again, saying, "Perhaps they're reluctant to part with Professor Lupin; after all, they haven't seen each other in a long time, and they must have a lot to say."
Belvina raised her head and looked at the empty seat at the other end of the faculty section, where Lupin's seat was located.
"It's not just because of Remus, it's also because of Harry," Belvina said. "We might see Harry walking his dog on the field every day from now on."
Neither Bassheda nor Bernard asked why Sirius Black didn't appear beside Harry in human form.
With the old case from thirteen years ago just reopened, it's best for Sirius, who's still at Hogwarts, to stay out of the public eye as much as possible; keeping a low profile won't hurt.
Lupin's absence from the Great Hall is likely due to this reason. At this moment, Lupin and Sirius should be having dinner together.
"Won't the Ministry of Magic leak Remus's information?" Bassheda asked worriedly. "If the parents find out about his situation, it'll be terrible. The school board will be flooded with complaint letters again."
The Hogwarts faculty all knew that Lupin was a werewolf, and some faculty members did not understand Dumbledore's decision, not understanding why he insisted on hiring a werewolf as a teacher.
Dumbledore went to great lengths to convince everyone that Lupin was reliable and would not attack the students.
"I'm not worried about the Ministry of Magic being too talkative; neither Dexter nor Felix are talkative people."
Belvina glanced at Snape at the other end of the faculty seating area and continued, "Fortresses often crumble from within, and I have no doubt that Severus might accidentally say something."
For example, teach third-grade students about werewolves in advance and have them write a paper about werewolves.
Snape's hints, and Lupin's incredibly punctual onset of illness that women envied, were all reminders to the students that their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Remus Lupin, was a werewolf.
"Hopefully Remus can hold on until at least the end of the school year," Bassheda sighed. "He's a good man."