Chapter 133
As daylight began to fade from the sky, the students and everyone at Hogwarts prepared for sleep.
The Great Hall was vast, providing ample space for everyone to rest comfortably.
Dumbledore and Snape walked together across the large hall, speaking in low voices so as not to wake any of the students.
Dumbledore asked, "Have the grounds been fully secured? Have you seen Sirius Black?"
Snape replied in a low voice as well, "Yes, everything is in order. We just wait for him to be trapped inside the school. I doubt he can escape since he is still within the castle."
Dumbledore paused briefly, then took a few steps forward and said, "I fear Hogwarts is no longer as safe as it once was. This incident may cause more families to demand the removal of their children from the school."
Snape remained silent, saying nothing in return.
Albert lay on his bed, his eyes still refusing to yield to sleep. Thoughts churned in his mind.
He murmured internally, "The last time I saw my father in the forest, I told him not to enter the school before clearing his name. But what is this now? Why did he disregard what I told him? Is this a sign meant for me? But if it were a sign, he would have left a trace meant only for me, like what happened with the door to my family's house…"
While Albert pondered, he was momentarily distracted by the sound of heavy snoring beside him Ron was asleep nearby.
Albert turned to the right and saw Ron's mouth open, producing loud snores.
Gently, Albert adjusted Ron's pillow back to its proper place to prevent him from snoring again.
After a long while, Albert finally surrendered to sleep, exhausted from his thoughts.
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The next day
The students prepared once again for the trip to Hogsmeade village. The Hogwarts administration had informed them that this would be the last trip to Hogsmeade for the year.
Excited, the students readied themselves for another enjoyable and memorable outing.
Harry sat on one of the stairs in a room near the meeting point with Professor McGonagall, looking out the window with sadness, cloaked in the Invisibility Cloak that had been passed down in the Potter family.
He longed to join his friends Ron and Hermione and have a good time with them.
Suddenly, he felt a hand touch his shoulder. Despite wearing the Invisibility Cloak, someone had somehow found him.
Harry turned around to discover Fred and George Weasley smiling at him. Fred said, "Come on, Harry! Take off the cloak. We saw you through the foot that wasn't covered by it."
Harry realized how the twins had discovered him.
He felt extremely anxious, not wanting anyone to know he had been preparing to sneak into Hogsmeade under the cloak, ensuring that no one would see him wandering the village.
He instructed Fred and George not to tell anyone about this.
Fred reassured him, "Don't worry! We came to you because we noticed you were upset about missing the trip. We found a way to help you join without anyone spotting you in Hogsmeade."
Harry smiled broadly, realizing that even with the cloak, it was only a matter of time before he would be discovered if he encountered a cautious wizard like Professor McGonagall or Professor Snape.