The dead end fell instantly silent.
Only Harry, Ron, and Hermione remained, pressed against the cold wall, faces pale as they struggled to catch their breath.
Their wands were still trained on the spot where the old witch had vanished, hearts hammering so violently it felt as though they might burst from their chests.
What had just happened—swift as a lightning strike—was far too terrifying and unexpected.
The enormous black dog that had appeared and vanished in an instant, the witch's wretched state as she was dragged away… none of it was anything they could have imagined.
"Mer—Merlin's beard…" Ron's voice shook uncontrollably. "What… what was that thing?!"
"A… a huge black dog?" Hermione's voice still carried the tremor of lingering fear as she tried to piece it together. "Did it… did it save us? Or… was it attacking that old witch?"
Harry stared hard at the darkness at the mouth of the alley, his palms slick with cold sweat.
That black dog… for some reason, it filled him with an overwhelming sense of unease—far stronger than the fear the old witch had inspired.
Especially its eyes. They had looked almost human, and that unsettled him deeply.
"I don't know…" Harry said hoarsely. "This bait mission is over. Let's go."
They didn't dare linger a moment longer. They didn't even stop to search for the wand the witch had dropped.
Turning on their heels, they sprinted out of the dead end at full speed, racing toward the exit of Knockturn Alley without looking back, desperate to escape that nightmarish place as quickly as possible.
...
At the same time, at Hogwarts, in Sagres's office.
Sagres leaned back in his high-backed chair, his fingertips lightly tapping against the smooth surface of the desk.
Through Noctis's eyes, he clearly observed everything that had happened in Knockturn Alley.
He saw the trio moving forward with caution, saw the unsettling vendors lining the street, and watched as the old witch coaxed them into the dead end with her words.
He saw her turn hostile, saw the three draw their wands to confront her, saw Hermione's Petrificus Totalus miss its mark, and saw the witch's foul black mist stopped by Harry's Shield Charm.
Throughout it all, his expression never changed.
Then the enormous black dog lunged in, knocked the old witch to the ground, and dragged her away.
Sagres's eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly.
"Is that… a large magical canine?"
He murmured, his voice tinged with mild surprise, but more with analytical interest. "A stray from Knockturn Alley? Or… a magical beast altered by some Dark Wizard?"
He watched with interest the direction in which the black dog disappeared, as well as the fleeing figures of the three frightened students.
"Its aggression is quite impressive… saved me the trouble of intervening."
Sagres was not surprised that the three students had encountered danger again; that was the price of serving as "bait."
As long as their lives were not truly at risk, he preferred to observe how they would respond.
As for the black dog that had appeared so abruptly, in his view it was merely an unexpected variable in the chaotic ecosystem of Knockturn Alley—a slightly stronger "scavenger," nothing more.
His attention quickly returned to Harry and the others as he watched them flee from Knockturn Alley and blend into the comparatively safe crowd of Diagon Alley.
"Their reactions on the spot were acceptable, but their vigilance still needs improvement," Sagres assessed coolly.
"The bait is beginning to work. At the very least, the 'fish' in Knockturn Alley are starting to stir."
A trace of contemplation flickered through his eyes. He had no idea that, through the raven's perspective, he had just missed the most important "fish" of all.
…
…
After bursting out of Knockturn Alley in a state of lingering shock and merging into the brighter, safer crowd of Diagon Alley, Harry, Ron, and Hermione finally dared to slow down.
Their hearts were still pounding, and the image of the massive black dog leaping onto the old witch was etched deeply into their minds.
"What on earth was that thing?" Ron asked, his voice still shaking. He instinctively clutched his pocket, where Scabbers was trembling faintly.
"I don't know…" Harry's face was pale as he cautiously glanced back toward the entrance to Knockturn Alley, half-expecting the black dog to come charging out at any moment. "But it… it seemed to save us?"
"Save?" Hermione's voice was hoarse, still edged with fear. "It felt more like hunting to me. That old witch was its prey."
She recalled the cold, feral gleam that had flashed in the black dog's eyes. "So Knockturn Alley doesn't just have Dark Wizards… it also has Dark Dog-ards?"
Back at the Leaky Cauldron, the warm lights and lively chatter eased some of the chill clinging to them, though the fear lingering deep in their eyes was still unmistakable.
The Weasley children—Ginny, Fred, and George—were already eating in the main room, while Percy was alone upstairs in his room.
"Hey! Where've you been? Why do you look like you've been kissed by a Dementor?" Fred exclaimed theatrically.
"Don't ask," Ron groaned as he dropped into a chair, grabbed a goblet of pumpkin juice, and took a huge gulp. "Knockturn Alley… it's even scarier than Snape's Potions class!"
"Knockturn Alley?" Mr. Weasley came over carrying a large bag, his eyes widening. "Did I hear that right?"
"Uh, no, Mum, I misspoke!" Ron corrected himself at once. "I meant Diagon Alley."
The three of them didn't dare tell Mrs. Weasley the truth; it would worry her sick.
"Where's Noctis?" Ginny craned her neck to look around, but didn't see the raven.
Hermione sat quietly to the side, holding a cup of hot tea. Her gaze was distant, and her fingers unconsciously traced the rim of the cup.
Fred and George exchanged a look. Sensibly, they didn't press for answers, instead launching into an animated discussion about the "new products" they planned to develop for the coming school year.
Nearby, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley spoke in low voices about the tense situation caused by Black's escape.
Over the next few days, the trio nearly wore out the stones of Knockturn Alley, yet still found nothing at all.
It wasn't until the start of the Hogwarts term drew near that the bait tactic was officially declared a failure, leaving them no choice but to pack up and head back to school.
On September 1st, under the personal "escort" of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, everyone gathered their luggage and made their way to King's Cross Station.
"Haah.."
Standing before Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, gazing at the familiar deep-red Hogwarts Express, a tangle of emotions rose in their hearts.
…
During this time, Sagres was naturally not idle. He paid a visit to the Forbidden Forest, escorting the envoy sent by Ms. Snowy Owl to the secret clearing agreed upon with the Centaur tribe, and oversaw the exchange between the two sides.
The Centaur warriors carefully produced rare treasures from the outside world from their moonstone-inlaid leather pouches:
Several bundles of shimmering silverleaf grass that could only be harvested on nights of the full moon;
Several bottles of crystal-clear dew said to be condensed from Unicorn tears;
And a number of peculiar ore fragments that carried the traces of stellar trajectories, their surfaces glowing with a faint blue light.
There were also various precious ores and medicinal herbs.
In return, Ms. Snowy Owl's envoy brought supplies that were difficult for the tribe to acquire: several bundles of extraordinarily tough dragon sinew from the East; a set of gleaming, finely crafted metallurgical tools; and two large rolls of alchemical fur that could automatically regulate temperature.
There were also several books carefully wrapped in waterproof parchment.
Sagres's gaze swept over them, and he noticed titles such as Medieval European Wizard Feasts: One Hundred Lost Recipes and The Culinary Art of Magical Creatures, making the corner of his mouth twitch involuntarily.
Back within the warm, brightly lit stone walls of the castle, Sagres did not rest.
In the final days before term began, he paid visits to the various Heads of House and ultimately held a detailed discussion with Professor Dumbledore in the Headmaster's office.
He put forward an idea: establishing a reward system redeemable through "Duelling Points."
Each professor could provide a list of items or knowledge to be included as rewards, serving as incentives for students to work hard in the Duelling Club.
Snape's reaction, as expected, came wrapped in his usual sarcasm.
His black eyes stared at Sagres from beneath his greasy hair, as though accusing him of deliberately stirring up trouble.
Even so, he eventually tossed over a sheet of parchment filled with items written in his sharp, cold handwriting.
The list was packed with rare and unusual potion ingredients: mooncalf pituitary glands, highly concentrated venomous tentacula bile, and even a small vial labeled "use with caution" containing basilisk scale powder.
The latter half of the list featured advanced potion formulas, such as Potent Draught of Living Death (Improved) and Non-Standard Extraction Methods for Polyjuice Potion.
Scattered among them were several spells of his own development, their names anything but pleasant.
Professor Flitwick, by contrast, was clearly enthusiastic. His list contained the成果 of his many years of research: several rolls of meticulously prepared teaching manuscripts on advanced magic, complete with carefully drawn diagrams of wand movements alongside the text.
There was also a complete set of notes on advanced applications of basic spells such as the Levitation Charm and Expelliarmus.
For instance, how to make a levitated feather strike a target with precision, or how to give Expelliarmus a slight knockback effect—techniques he simply couldn't cover in depth within the limited time of regular classes.
Professor Sprout's list was the most varied.
It included rare or dangerous plant materials, such as mature Mandrake leaves that required special containers for preservation, and Venomous Tentacula seeds accompanied by detailed cultivation guides.
There were also several carefully nurtured young lily-of-the-valley plants from the greenhouses, which emitted pleasant, bell-like chimes, and even a small pouch of elf pollen said to enhance affinity with magical plants.
Professor McGonagall's list was equally substantial: several pages of detailed private notes on advanced Transfiguration, including precise analyses of performing multiple simultaneous Transfigurations on inanimate objects.
Even more striking was the inclusion of advanced human Transfiguration content, including detailed step-by-step guidance on becoming an Animagus, key points for maintaining stability, and a list of extremely rare and costly auxiliary materials required for each animal form, such as moonstone powder and specific preparation methods for Mandrake leaves.
While browsing, Sagres even joked about adding a few "school rule exemption vouchers," only to be firmly rejected by Professor McGonagall.
Not only that, she issued a stern warning. "Sagres, any form of condoning rule-breaking runs counter to Hogwarts' educational philosophy. I trust you understand this."
In the end, even Professor Dumbledore smiled and provided a list containing a few rare sweets and several interesting, uncommon books on the history of magic.
Sagres, however, felt the old man was rather stingy. Fawkes's tail feathers and tears were far more valuable than these items, yet Dumbledore clearly had no intention of offering any of them.
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