"Black is in Hogwarts!?"
Snape looked directly at Melvin, his eyes full of probing inquiry.
"I'm still not clear on the specifics right now." Melvin watched the Phoenix Patronus depart. "Dumbledore's message said as much. I came here to Remus's office with you, so I don't know any more than you do."
"The most urgent thing is to hurry to the gathering point…" Lupin reminded them from the side.
"Merlin's beard…" Snape's voice was squeezed out between his lips, the rest of the words unintelligible, but his eyes flashed with an unprecedented cold light, burning with fury and deep-seated resentment.
Harry, however, didn't find this sight unpleasant; the hatred surging inside him was equal to, if not greater than, Snape's.
After the two professors swiftly left the room, Harry looked back as the door was about to close. He suddenly remembered something: the Phoenix Patronus had only notified Professor Levent and Snape, and hadn't mentioned Professor Lupin. Lupin also didn't seem to be going to the staff meeting.
If he hadn't known the news, fine, but now that he did, why was he still sitting calmly behind his desk?
Harry couldn't figure it out, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. Pulling his Invisibility Cloak tightly around him, he slipped into the shadows, carefully lightening his steps, and silently followed right behind the two professors.
"Squeak—"
"Bang!"
The door to the Defense Against the Dark Arts office locked shut, completely separating the room from the corridor.
All the torchlight and candlelight had been extinguished, leaving only a single beam of moonlight slanting through the window, falling upon the chair behind the desk. A fine-tipped wolf-hair quill gleamed in the lunar light, looking like luxurious velvet robes.
The silhouette of a gaunt, silver wolf sat in the chair, its eyes flickering with a faint, dark glow. Its bushy tail drooped listlessly, touching the floor by the chair's leg. Its sharp claws pressed against its chest, trying to stifle the painful throbbing of its heart as the transformation approached.
It watched the closed door, its gaze profoundly deep.
The Gryffindor Tower, located in the southwest of the castle, is a warm and cozy antique-style building. The ground floor houses the Common Room, which boasts a ceiling nearly twenty feet high. It is decorated primarily in scarlet and gold, spacious but not vast, with armchairs and round tables lining the perimeter and long sofas in the center. The outer walls have stained-glass windows that allow a view of the starry sky, and the main hall is covered with soft, plush carpet.
Marble pillars support the simple staircases, which lead separately to the boys' and girls' dormitories.
Girls can enter the boys' dormitories, but the reverse is not true; any boy who breaks the rule and steps onto the upper stairs will instantly trigger a slide mechanism and fall down in a heap.
The portrait hole entrance on the eighth floor is guarded by the Fat Lady, and a correct password is required to enter the Tower.
Footsteps sounded as Melvin and Snape approached side-by-side. They saw the silver-haired and bearded Dumbledore standing at the half-open portrait hole, his brow furrowed. He was wearing a sky-blue nightgown adorned with patterns of stars and moons.
"Severus, Melvin, you've arrived." Dumbledore looked up.
"We happened to be having a late-night chat together when we received your message," Melvin greeted him with a raised hand. "We rushed over immediately upon receiving the news."
The torchlight on the wall suddenly flickered, as if an invisible night breeze had swept through. Harry, wrapped in his Invisibility Cloak, cautiously moved past the professors and reached the tense portrait hole. A few awakened students were also nearby, their expressions showing a mix of shock and unbelievable anger.
Percy Weasley was at the forefront, with students from various years—all Gryffindors.
"Too bad Ron's a heavy sleeper, and Hermione isn't here," Harry thought, looking up. His eyes met Dumbledore's brilliant blue gaze.
The Headmaster could see through the Invisibility Cloak. Harry pressed his lips together, knowing he couldn't reveal himself in front of Snape right now. He'd have to explain to the Headmaster later, after everything was over.
"Hee hee…"
Peeves the Poltergeist was hanging upside down from the ceiling, chuckling softly at their appearance. His nose twitched, as if he'd smelled Harry, but he covered his mouth and didn't give him away. Perhaps he was deterred by the Headmaster's presence and didn't dare to cause trouble or deliberately shout frightful jokes.
Dumbledore seemed to have been the first to get the news. He instructed the students not to panic and authorized Percy to avoid waking up more people, quickly bringing the situation under control. The situation didn't seem too dire.
"No need to worry. No one was hurt. We'll wait for Minerva and the others to arrive before discussing the specifics."
As more footsteps sounded, the other Heads of House arrived one after another, most of them in pajamas. Only Professor McGonagall, who had been up late dealing with school affairs, was still wearing her black robes. Her lips were tightly pressed into a straight line, and her breath was slightly trembling with anger.
The professors simultaneously surveyed the entrance to the Tower.
The portrait had been maliciously damaged. Small pieces of canvas were torn and scattered everywhere on the ground, and the large canvas had been completely ripped from its frame. The stone wall bore some subtle marks, looking like sharp fingernails, or perhaps claws.
The Fat Lady was huddled in a neighboring portrait frame in the corridor, sobbing into her hands, while Sir Cadogan whispered comforting words nearby.
Dumbledore's face was grim. "On my way back to my office from the kitchens, I ran into Peeves. He told me there was a 'naughty child' running around the castle. At first, I thought it was just a student out after hours, and then I received a plea for help from Sir Cadogan, who said the Fat Lady had been attacked."
"Was it Sirius Black?" Professor Sprout asked in alarm.
Dumbledore nodded slightly. "Peeves saw him at the time."
The wizards present looked up, focusing their gaze on the poltergeist in the corner of the wall, seeking more information.
Peeves still wore a smirk. His philosophy of mischief differed from that of the Weasley twins; he didn't want to bring joy to others, only to hear screams. Seeing the anxious and dispirited wizards, he couldn't suppress his urge to laugh and jeer.
"Yes, Head of the Prefects, I saw it all."
Peeves noticed Dumbledore's expression was displeased, and he somewhat reined in his mocking, giggling demeanor, though his raspy voice still held a strange cadence. "This is how it went: Sirius Black wanted to get in. He tried several passwords—'Dragon Head,' 'Honeybird,' 'Gnome,' and 'Poop-head' or something. Oh, that last one wasn't a password; that was just him yelling in a rage."
Having foreknowledge of the truth, Melvin appeared less tense. He wasn't bothered by Black's break-in or the attack, nor was he worried about the students' safety. Instead, he was quite interested in the Poltergeist.
The creature didn't exist when the four Founders established the school. It was born later, drawing from the emotions of generations of teachers and students. It has no formal academic classification; it is similar to a ghost but possesses a physical body, is indestructible, and immune to various magical attacks.
It has gradually become the resident disruptive ghost of Hogwarts.
Peeves is part of Hogwarts, yet he is not governed by the Headmaster. Not every Headmaster has been respected by Peeves. Dumbledore's authority comes from his own power, not his position as Headmaster.
Countless teachers and students have tried to drive Peeves out of the castle, putting in a concerted effort and making many preparations, but every time has ended in failure.
This conflict has lasted for centuries. The last and most intense was in 1876, when Peeves completely defeated the teachers and students of the time, forcing the school to suspend classes for three days. He then compelled the Headmistress at the time, Eupraxia Mole, to sign an agreement establishing Peeves's special privileges.
"He called the Fat Lady stiff, and said she was blind, letting in the wrong person but stopping the right one."
No one paid attention to his playful jests; they just stared straight at him. Peeves pretended to shrink his neck. "The Fat Lady certainly wouldn't let him in. The ill-tempered fellow immediately got angry, and then…"
He spread his hands. "Then you all know what happened."
Harry stood behind Percy, pondering the deep meaning of that statement. Black thought he should be allowed in. Who, then, was the person who shouldn't have been let in? Surely it couldn't be a student?
The wizards present were thinking along similar lines. Professor McGonagall continued to scrutinize Peeves, suspecting he was withholding some facts.
Under Professor McGonagall's stern and sharp gaze, Peeves shrank his neck, hugged the ceiling, retreated two steps, and grumbled as he hid in the shadows where the torchlight couldn't reach.
The next Headmistress is another witch I can't mess with; she feels even scarier than Dumbledore.
"Sir Cadogan, who was tending to his ponies nearby, saw him launch the attack and immediately came to tell me," Dumbledore said gravely. "He had already left by the time I arrived, and then I notified all of you to come here."
"We cannot sit idly by…" Professor McGonagall sounded anxious. "What if he goes to attack the students in other Houses!"
Flitwick and Sprout also looked worried upon hearing this. Only Snape remained relatively calm, approaching the portrait hole to carefully examine the subtle marks.
"He was a Gryffindor student and cannot break into the dormitories of other Houses."
Dumbledore looked up at the group of students. Since the children's safety was at stake, he couldn't act unilaterally. "Minerva, Filius, Pomona, and Severus, you are to return to your respective House dormitories immediately. Notify your Prefects to stand guard and ensure the students' safety. I will organize the other professors to conduct a thorough search…"
The orders were laid out in an orderly fashion, faintly revealing the air of a Head of the Order of the Phoenix about the old wizard. "The Head Boy and Head Girl, organize the Prefects. If you encounter any problems, immediately notify a professor via a ghost or a portrait."
Finally, he sighed. "For the children who are still asleep, try not to wake them. Let them rest well."
The torches in the corridors were relit, illuminating the castle brightly. The Heads of House remained in their Houses, and the elective class professors were roused to patrol the Main Tower, the Owlery, the North Tower, the Astronomy Tower, and various hidden corners over and over again.
Tonight was a full moon, and the moonlight cutting through the clouds was very bright. Oil lamps held in hand passed through the corridors like fireflies moving through treetops. If the patrolling wizards slowed their pace a bit more, the night would be much calmer.
"Melvin…"
Dumbledore moved with a long stride, his actions appearing unhurried but surprisingly fast.
"Don't worry, everything will be fine." Melvin was patrolling the Astronomy Tower with the Headmaster, putting in minimal effort and seeming rather nonchalant. "When I received your message, we happened to be in Remus's office, discussing that incident from years ago. We found there are many suspicious points in the entire process…"
Melvin relayed some of their doubts.
Peter Pettigrew might not be dead, and Sirius Black might not have been the betrayer. Everything had happened too quickly, and the truth was hidden behind a thick fog. They were not firsthand witnesses and couldn't see clearly.
"Black ran into Hagrid holding baby Harry that night in Godric's Hollow. He had a chance to attack, as Hagrid wasn't his match, but he didn't…
"Black has been out of prison for half a year now. From Privet Drive to Diagon Alley, from the Hogwarts Express to Hogsmeade, he's had many opportunities to attack Harry, but Harry is fine. Perhaps this Godfather's intention is not to harm his Godson."
They reached the open-air platform of the Tower, where students usually conducted their astronomy classes. The moonlight and starlight illuminated the castle exterior. From here, they could gaze at the Black Lake and the Forbidden Forest. The Whomping Willow on the grounds was swaying its branches slightly, its leaves sparse.
"…"
Dumbledore looked at Melvin, the micro-lights twinkling in his brilliant blue eyes. He asked thoughtfully, "Can I trust you, Melvin?"
"Of course," Melvin nodded slightly.
The next morning.
The Gryffindor students, having slept soundly all night, were stunned to learn that the password for the night was "Flibbertigibbet," and only then did they realize that the Fat Lady's portrait had been replaced. Sir Cadogan, accompanied by his plump little horse, was now standing guard.
Confused, the students arrived in the Great Hall and surrounded a tired-looking Percy, who had deep black circles under his eyes, only then learning about the events of the previous night.
The news spread rapidly, circulating among the four long tables in a very short time, giving rise to all sorts of speculation. There were different theories in every House about how Sirius Black had entered the castle, each more outlandish than the last.
Hannah from Hufflepuff claimed Black could transform into a blooming shrub. Luna from Ravenclaw believed he rode in on a beam of moonlight. Others debated a Black Lake pipe theory or a broom-riding through the window hypothesis…
"If you had actually read Hogwarts: A History, you wouldn't be spreading these rumors," Hermione said, giving her two friends a sideways glance as they discussed. "The castle is protected by powerful counter-enchantments. Whether it's Disillusionment Charms, brooms, Transfiguration, or anything else, nothing can get in unless it steps directly through the main entrance hall."
"What about an Invisibility Cloak? I was wearing mine last night and listened to the professors' conversation."
"An Invisibility Cloak wouldn't…" Hermione suddenly raised her voice. "You were out after hours in your Invisibility Cloak, and you were eavesdropping on the professors' conversation!"
Harry quickly looked around to make sure no one had noticed their loud whispering, and then began to recount the details of the previous night: the three professors' suspicions about the truth, Black's sudden attack, and Professor Lupin's absence from the patrol.
"I'm so glad I wasn't in the dormitory at the time, hiding in the office and listening. I didn't run into Black…" Harry sounded somewhat relieved.
Hermione, for once, didn't scold him for breaking school rules and nodded in agreement. "You were lucky at Hogsmeade, too. We were all chasing Crookshanks, otherwise that black dog might have attacked you."
Ron suddenly lost his appetite. He put down his knife and fork, hugging his pet Scabbers in his arms and trembling.
"Black's target isn't you, why are you scared?"
"But I was the one attacked at Hogsmeade," Ron whimpered weakly. "And this time Black attacked at night, and Harry wasn't in the dormitory, but I was, and I was sleeping soundly! I have a feeling that these bad omens might be predictions for me. Harry is always lucky; I'm the one who's always in danger."
"…"
Hermione and Harry couldn't help but fall into contemplation.