In the distance, Hogsmeade village; close at hand, Hogwarts castle.
After that cold, piercing voice rang out across the landscape like a trumpet of doom, lights in the buildings throughout the area began to flicker on one after another like stars igniting, creating a constellation of worried windows.
Harry could feel the floor beneath his feet trembling, vibrating through his shoes.
This wasn't caused by any explosion or magical blast, but rather by hundreds and thousands of young witches and wizards, along with the teaching staff and various castle residents, hastily leaving their beds in alarm. They were rushing downstairs in a thundering herd, desperate to understand what was happening.
It was Professor Watson doing this!
There was absolutely no doubt about it in Harry's mind. Whether it was that magnificent, breathtaking golden sea of flames, so vast it covered acres of forest or that soul-chilling, icy voice that had delivered the ultimatum, both were more than enough for Harry to recognize who was making such a tremendous commotion in the Forbidden Forest.
But how could this be?! What could possibly have provoked this?
Harry's heart pounded in frantic rhythm with the surging sea of fire floating terribly in the sky above the forest.
He had never seen Professor Watson lose his temper to such an extreme extent—so much so that he'd apparently forgotten to control the impact of his magic, actually disturbing both Hogwarts and up to Hogsmeade.
Whoosh!
With a fierce howling of wind that Harry could feel even inside the castle, the massive sea of flames in his vision suddenly vanished without any warning, extinguishing as if it had never been.
However, its tremendous heat had evaporated all the accumulated rainwater throughout the Forbidden Forest in an instant, forming spectacular sunset-colored fire clouds above the lush forest canopy.
The scorching heat carried by the wind, rushing through the open windows, even made Harry, still crouched in the third-floor corridor squint forcibly against the blast of hot air. It was like opening an oven door.
The rumbling from upstairs grew more intense, more chaotic. Harry knew this meant his classmates had already dressed hastily and were bursting out of their common rooms to investigate the disturbance, pouring into the corridors. He could even hear Filch's frantic, high-pitched shouting echoing through the castle, probably trying to enforce order!
Harry knew he had to move, had to get downstairs!
He yanked off his Invisibility Cloak in one swift motion—with so many students already out of bed, flooding the corridors, there was nothing left to hide. The concealment was useless now.
Then, running at the fastest speed of his life, he reached the end of the corridor. He leaped down to the landing between the third and second floors in two great bounds, and swept past the second-floor platform like the wind,.
The instant he reached the Entrance Hall, bursting through from the stairs, Harry couldn't wait to rush out of the castle toward the Forbidden Forest. But the three figures standing before the massive bronze doors made him halt abruptly, skidding slightly on the marble floor.
His expression was filled with alarm and confusion.
"Ah, I knew you'd be the fastest down here, Harry!"
Hearing the commotion of Harry's arrival, Sirius turned his head to look at Harry jumping down from the final stairs. He revealed a teasing smile, clearly amused by something.
"Sirius, how are you—how did you get here so fast?"
Before Harry could properly express his joy at seeing his godfather, could ask the dozens of questions bubbling up, the calm gaze from Professor Dumbledore dressed oddly in purple nightrobes decorated with stars made Harry's words catch awkwardly in his throat.
He suddenly remembered he was supposed to be in bed, not racing through the castle.
"Oh, Professor Dumbledore. I, um, just got up to use the bathroom, so I was a bit quick getting down here. That's all."
The excuse sounded pitifully weak even to his own ears.
"Indeed—"
Professor Dumbledore's voice remained docile, revealing nothing, though his blue eyes twinkled knowingly behind his spectacles.
"The truth is clearly so—"
Then Dumbledore turned his head away with the slightest smile, no longer paying attention to Harry or his clear lie. However, the audible snort of laughter from an old man standing beside Dumbledore about the same height as the headmaster, with a similarly graying beard and blue eyes, left the red-faced Harry confused and embarrassed.
Who was this stranger who found his discomfort so amusing?
"That's Aberforth Dumbledore, Harry."
Sirius walked over with an easy smile, draping his arm around Harry's shoulder in a familiar, loving motion.
"He usually runs the Hog's Head pub in Hogsmeade. I'm sure you've seen him before, probably serving drinks."
Harry blinked rapidly, his mind working. He immediately realized who the old man was—he had seen him! But his name was Aberforth Dumbledore, which meant—well, it was obvious!
Dumbledore actually had a brother!
Harry was quite shocked by this revelation, so much so that he momentarily forgot to ask the more pressing question: why Sirius had come to Hogwarts in the dead of night to meet with Professor Dumbledore.
The second person to reach the Entrance Hall after Harry was the Potions professor Harry didn't like.
He'd rushed up from the Slytherin dungeons deep underground, the vigorous running left Snape noticeably drenched in sweat. His pale face was flushed with exertion. But what Harry found quite admirable, despite his dislike for the man, was that even in such an unexpected situation, Snape was still wearing his formal black robes, buttoned up tightly to his throat as always.
His appearance was impeccable.
The moment Snape's dark eyes met with Sirius's gray ones, both men's faces immediately turned cold, and hostile. The temperature in the hall seemed to drop.
But what was reassuring was that the two bitter enemies didn't immediately break into verbal conflict or draw wands. Snape simply looked away with effort, his jaw turned tight, and strode over to Dumbledore's side.
"Is it Bryan out there?"
Though phrased as a question, Severus spoke with complete certainty, gazing toward the Forbidden Forest shrouded in those supernatural fire clouds. His expression was grave, deeply concerned.
"Clearly so—"
Dumbledore glanced at Severus with understanding and said calmly, his voice carrying reassurance.
"No need to worry, Severus. Bryan is no longer that young, impulsive wizard from years ago when you first knew him. Nothing in this world can pose a life-threatening danger to him now. He's already on his way back to the castle."
Harry followed Dumbledore's gaze and saw a lantern emerge from Hagrid's hut in the distance, a small point of light. Then it stopped at the very edge of the Forbidden Forest, as if the bearer was conversing with someone hidden in the shadows.
Clang!
On both sides of the Entrance Hall, the doors leading to the dungeons were rudely shoved open from within with tremendous force. Almost simultaneously, in a chaotic rush, a large group of Slytherins led by a pale-faced Draco Malfoy and Hufflepuffs led by Cedric Diggory rushed up from the dungeons.
Meanwhile, Harry also spotted his Gryffindor housemates gathering on the second-floor platform above, pressing against the railings. He noticed Ron and Hermione's surprised expressions when they saw him already standing beside Sirius in the Entrance Hall. How had he gotten down so fast?
"What's happening, Albus? What on earth is going on out there? Who is Bryan fighting? Could it be—!"
Professor McGonagall's flustered, unusually shrill voice drowned out the students' buzzing discussions and speculation. She pushed past the students blocking her path in front of her, struggling determinedly to squeeze down the crowded stairs.
"No need to worry at all, Minerva. Nothing terrible has happened. I believe Professor Watson was simply trying to eliminate some safety hazards for us in the forest, and accidentally disturbed our rest in the process."
Dumbledore's clear voice resounded throughout the Entrance Hall and carried into the Great Hall out there, meant to be heard by everyone.
"Oh, 'eliminating safety hazards'... 'accidentally disturbed us'."
Fred said softly to his twin, his voice dripping with skepticism.
"Do you believe that explanation, brother?"
"I don't—not for a second—" George replied, shaking his head. "Do you?"
"Me neither—" Fred wrinkled his nose dramatically. "What sensible person would believe that?"
The two brothers exchanged knowing glances and then high-fived with a sharp slap, grinning.
Aside from Hermione rolling her eyes at Fred and George's performance, all the other students within hearing distance who'd heard their whispered exchange chuckled quietly, sharing looks. However, when Professor Dumbledore's calm yet sharp gaze swept over them like a searchlight, everyone immediately fell silent, suddenly finding the floor fascinating.
"What happened, Albus? What was that?"
The same question again, this time from the Beauxbatons headmistress. Madame Maxime ran across the wet grounds with remarkable speed for someone her size. She was calling out from a distance, though her voice carried over clearly.
What startled Harry was that Fleur Delacour, dressed in sky-blue silk pajamas that seemed impractical for an emergency, also looked quite anxious as she followed close behind Madame Maxime.
Meanwhile, out on the Black Lake, the Durmstrang ship had lit up like a beacon. Harry could see a large group assembling on deck and moving toward Hogwarts.
"All is well, Madame—"
Dumbledore said in that steady, reassuring voice that was capable of putting even the most anxious minds at ease.
"Bryan will explain the specific situation to us shortly, I'm certain. Now—"
Dumbledore turned to look at the students almost entirely gathered in the hall now, those hundreds of young faces staring back expectantly.
"Minerva, Severus, would you please have all students return to their dormitories to rest? They must get adequate rest to face tomorrow's classes with clear minds. There's nothing more to see here tonight."
Without hesitation or argument, Professor McGonagall immediately called out to the Head Boy and Girl and the prefects from each house, her voice was ringing with authority. Amid a chorus of disappointed grumbling and protests, the young wizards were herded back upstairs like reluctant sheep, craning their necks for a last look.
Snape merely cast a single, meaningful glance at Draco and the other Slytherin students, and they obediently retreated without protest, recognizing that look. They knew better than to argue.
The crowd receded like a tide pulling back from the shore, flowing up the staircases. The professors who'd arrived later began consciously helping to maintain order, ensuring there would be no dangerous stampede in the narrow passages.
"Aberforth—"
Dumbledore turned his attention to his brother, his voice took on a more private tone.
"I believe the villagers of Hogsmeade are currently in a state of confusion and considerable unease. Could I trouble you to return and help calm them? Your presence would be reassuring."
Aberforth merely looked at Professor Dumbledore with displeasure, his expression was sour. But under that calm yet resolute gaze, he said nothing in response. He simply turned and strode toward the school gates without farewell, his footsteps seemed heavy with some unspoken resentment.
"Dumbledore!"
Sirius waved his hand and said with an easy smile.
"Now that you understand the situation, I'll be leaving shortly. I should get back before I'm missed. Before I go, could I have a quick word with Harry? It won't interfere with his rest. Just a few minutes."
A very loud, deliberate cough suddenly came from upstairs. Harry recognized it immediately as Hermione's voice.
"Oh, and Ron and Hermione too, of course. I trust you won't mind, will you... Minerva?"
Sirius looked at Professor McGonagall with a charming smile, turning his considerable charisma on her.
Professor McGonagall glared sternly at Sirius with disapproval, her lips were pressed thin. Then, clearly deciding this wasn't a battle worth fighting at midnight, she went to direct the students' orderly withdrawal, clapping her hands for attention.
"Come on, let's have a chat over here, somewhere private—"
Sirius put one arm around Harry's shoulder in a familiar way and waved with the other hand to Ron and Hermione, who were moving against the flow of students. He led the three of them away from the crowds to the first-floor corridor of the Great Hall, where they'd have some privacy.
At the same time, out at the forest's edge, Bryan bid farewell to the flustered Hagrid, patted his shoulder reassuringly, then turned and walked toward the castle.
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