Through the enchanted mirror, they watched as Percy Weasley stepped forward to address the gathering crowd.
"Regarding Professor Lupin's condition," he announced, "I hope all students will keep this confidential. There's no need to cause panic among your classmates."
Harry Potter added earnestly, "Whether or not Professor Lupin is a werewolf is still uncertain. Even if he is, he wouldn't be teaching at Hogwarts without Professor Dumbledore's approval. He's friends with Professor Holmes, and he hasn't harmed a single person these past months..."
George and Fred Weasley piped up, voices loud and cheerful, "Who cares if Professor Lupin is a werewolf? Doesn't matter to us!"
"But is this whole incident finally over?" Fred grinned. "When do we get our rewards?"
Ron chimed in, eyes sparkling, "I can't wait to see Malfoy's face when he hears about this!"
Laughter rippled through the group, the tension dissolving as the twins shifted the conversation toward lighter matters.
Up in the Headmaster's Office, Severus Snape watched their discussion with a frigid expression, as if mentally noting everyone present for future reference.
Dumbledore smiled, the twinkle in his eye undimmed. "Back in the day, Dawlish scored 'Outstanding' in all his O.W.L.s. But even the best have their little flaws. Clearly, Kingsley knows his teammates well."
At that, both Douglas Holmes and Snape instantly understood: Kingsley Shacklebolt was one of Dumbledore's own.
Douglas had only instructed Percy to stun Peter Pettigrew before the Aurors arrived—just enough to give him a chance to wake up during transport, not enough to truly harm him. As long as Sirius kept silent, almost no one would realize that Dementors had little effect on Animagi. Douglas had always planned for Peter to escape Azkaban using that advantage.
Dumbledore was aware of this plan, but Douglas hadn't expected him to have Kingsley lend a hand. Still, Kingsley's assistance had been flawless—under those circumstances, the only real mistake had been Dawlish's, not his.
Snape eyed the magical radar in Douglas's hand. "And what's your next move?"
Douglas tucked the radar away. "We wait. Peter's now wanted and has nowhere to run—he'll likely try to find his master. Not that it's really his choice. As long as he's anywhere in Britain, I can track him..."
Snape scoffed, voice sharp, "You really think that useless coward will find the Dark Lord? Tell me where he is!"
Seeing the look on Snape's face, Dumbledore suddenly realized why Douglas had put the magical radar away so quickly.
Douglas shook his head, which only made Snape bristle. "Then why did you ask me to stay?" Snape demanded.
Douglas blinked. "Actually, I didn't ask you to stay. You just happened not to leave! Don't you need to check on your Slytherins?"
Snape's face darkened. He shot Douglas a murderous glare, swept his robes with a dramatic flourish, and stalked out of the office.
As the door slammed shut, Dumbledore's expression grew serious. "Are you truly certain Peter will find Tom?"
Douglas gave a helpless shrug. "I could have said yes before today, but now I'm not so sure. Peter seems to think I kept my position because Voldemort is truly gone. As long as we can convince him the Dark Lord is still alive, he'll go looking for him himself."
He pulled out the magical radar again. It showed Peter had just left the Shrieking Shack—likely worried about the Marauder's Map, and thus fleeing as quickly as possible.
—
In the Great Hall, every student still at Hogwarts had gathered. The house-elves had brought out lunch early, and the hall buzzed with speculation.
"Weren't the professors just at the Ministry?"
"Did something happen at the Ministry of Magic?"
"I saw Aurors—one of them was the Head of the Auror Office!"
"Maybe Black broke in?"
A senior student cleared his throat. "You'll know soon enough. But I can tell you this—Black was framed. And you'll never guess who the real culprit is!"
Older students stood guard at every entrance and window, while the castle's ghosts were dispatched to patrol every nook and cranny, searching for a rat with a missing toe.
At the podium, Professor McGonagall amplified her voice with a Sonorus charm. "Silence! I have important news that concerns the safety of every one of you, so listen closely.
A Dark wizard has infiltrated Hogwarts. Years ago, he used his wand to cause an explosion that killed twelve Muggles and sent an innocent man to Azkaban. This individual is extremely dangerous—please keep your wands with you at all times..."
She quickly summarized the truth about Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black, sending a wave of shocked whispers through the hall.
Members of the Charon Detective Society who had taken part in the incident spread out among their House tables (all but Slytherin), retelling the story in vivid detail.
As Professor McGonagall finished, Professor Trelawney suddenly sat bolt upright at the staff table, her eyes glazed and mouth agape.
Professor Septima Vector, sitting beside her, immediately called out to the far end of the table. "Madam Pomfrey, quick—come see to Sybill! Sybill?"
All eyes turned to the Divination professor. Before anyone could intervene, Trelawney's eyes rolled, and she began to speak in a harsh, otherworldly voice:
"The Dark Lord lies alone, friendless, abandoned by his followers. His servant breaks free of twelve years' chains, driven to seek out his master. The Dark Lord will rise again, with his servant's aid, stronger than before..."
She was abruptly shaken awake by the crowd pressing around her.
Blinking in confusion, Trelawney looked at the faces peering down at her as Madam Pomfrey examined her. "Eh? Madam Pomfrey, what's the matter? Sorry, I must have spent too long gazing into the future last night—I'm just a bit tired today..."
The staff exchanged uneasy glances. "Sybill, you don't remember what you just said?" Madam Pomfrey asked gently.
Trelawney shook her head, then brushed aside the cluster of staff, grabbing the bottle in front of her. "You're blocking the Inner Eye," she muttered. "I can't see the future clearly with all of you crowding me..."
Her words drew exasperated frowns, and the staff slowly drifted away.
—
For the next two hours, over twenty Aurors from the Ministry of Magic combed Hogwarts from top to bottom, but found nothing.
Scrimgeour remained convinced that with Dementors stationed around the grounds, Peter couldn't possibly have escaped. Some suspected he'd fled into the Forbidden Forest, and planned to send still more searchers.
At last, Douglas quietly slipped a note to Professor McGonagall, who then led the Aurors to the passage beneath the Whomping Willow.
Following the tunnel to the Shrieking Shack, they found fresh rat prints—enough to convince the Aurors, who finally left Hogwarts.
Seizing the moment, Professor McGonagall promptly destroyed both the Shrieking Shack, which had stood for over twenty years, and the passage beneath the Whomping Willow, ensuring no one could ever use that route to enter Hogwarts again.
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