Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 283 You're not kidding me, are you?

They parted ways at the statue of the wizard Falco Elsaren. Snape continued his pursuit, following the trail of blood on the ground, while Lupin struggled to move forward, moving slowly and falling far behind.

Lupin watched Snape's robes trailing behind him as he hurried away, feeling that the moonlight tonight was particularly cold and clear, and the shadows along the way swayed constantly, giving one a sense of uncertainty.

The silence after lights out was quickly dissipating, and the corridor was gradually becoming noisy as ghosts and wizard portraits from all over the school rushed over. They crowded into the frames, chattering amongst themselves, and illusory spirits moved between the walls, making the chase even more urgent.

The raiders knew the secret passages hidden within the castle: behind the statue of the sycophant Gregory, behind the tapestry next to the Charms classroom, behind the full-length mirror on the fourth floor, and beneath the trapdoor of the abandoned classroom on the third floor…

But those places are all downstairs.

Lupin knew that Sirius's escape route was being blocked little by little, and he couldn't find a way out. He actually wanted to find a quiet place to sit down and have a good talk with Sirius, but reality wouldn't give them that opportunity.

Nick, who is almost headless, is rambling about Sirius's school days, how he was always naughty and broke the rules. Principal Black's portrait also appears in the frame, loudly rebuking Sirius for betraying his friends and being inferior to Regulus.

Lupin strode down the corridor and heard Principal Black's angry outburst: "It's not shameful for a descendant of a pureblood family to become a Death Eater who supports purebloods, but betraying a friend should result in being expelled from the family."

Instead of following the direction of the bloodstains, he walked along the corridor to the stairwell.

One of the passages is controlled by Flitwick and Professor Sprout, while the other passage is still unclear. If Hagrid and Melvin are delayed or temporarily leave, Sirius might still have a chance.

Lupin walked through the semi-open passageway and stood in front of the stairwell. He saw the burly figure blocking the passage, and his breathing slowed slightly. Hagrid was standing guard there.

"Remus, you're here?"

Hagrid's deep voice echoed in the night, "Nick, who was almost headless, told me about your battle. The final knockback spell that decided the outcome was clean and beautiful. Don't worry, Black can't escape. Toothpaste and Mrs. Lorris have already gone after him."

……

“Ha…ha…”

The black dog was very fast, but it was panting and trying to cool itself off.

In addition, the wound on his front leg kept throbbing, and warm blood was flowing out of the wound. He felt his vision going black in waves, his mind began to become sluggish, and his strength was being rapidly depleted.

Sirius didn't think about going to the stairwell; instead, he wandered along the corridor.

Further ahead is the principal's office. The two oak doors are tightly locked, and the monster stone sculptures piled up at the entrance are a bit scary. After hesitating for a moment, I passed through the principal's office. To avoid the ghosts and portraits, I could only use the narrow gaps and dim shadows to cover myself.

Sirius Black continued his escape, quickly shaking off the ghosts. As for Snape, his footsteps hadn't been heard for a long time.

There was a gap behind the wizard statue, covered in dust, so narrow that it was impossible to step on it. But Sirius Black skillfully leaped from the base of the statue, like a nimble hunting dog. The blood flowing from his wounds was spilled into the gap, but it was quickly absorbed by the dust, leaving almost no trace.

He circled around several times, closing the path left by the bloodstains, so that even if Snape followed the gaps, he couldn't pinpoint his location.

Hiding in an abandoned classroom, he grabbed a handful of dust and applied it to his wound, then tore off strips of cloth and wrapped them tightly. Although the blood was still flowing, it would take some time for it to seep out, thus giving him a chance to completely escape the pursuit.

As long as you hide and wait for them to lower their guard, you can find an opportunity to go downstairs and leave.

"hiss……"

Sirius Black had a bead of sweat on his forehead and was seeing stars from the pain. "Damn snotty-nosed devil, this is definitely dark magic."

"Meow!"

Suddenly, a shrill meow came from outside the door, followed by the sound of cats scratching at the wooden door.

The admin's cat?
Sirius sat in the abandoned classroom, his straight back suddenly hunched over, his face swallowed by shadows, feeling both ridiculous and embarrassed, like a dog trapped in a cage.

Torches and candles lit up the entire floor, and the ghosts and portraits were gradually approaching. Snape might have been held back by his cleverness, but it wouldn't be long before they caught up with him, guided by Mrs. Lorris.

Then you will be handed over to the Auror and receive a Dementor's kiss.

Sirius was thinking about the foreseeable future, about James and Remus.

During their duel, Remus suddenly intervened. He understood that Remus was actually offering help, giving him a chance to break free from the entanglement, instead of being trapped in the stalemate, gradually having his stamina worn down by Snape, accumulating injuries, and ultimately being captured like prey.

Remus's face was full of conflict as he cast the spell, just like when he saw them bullying Snotty back in school. But in the end, he still stood on the side of the Raiders; he was still willing to believe in himself.

Sirius sat on the cold classroom floor, feeling the blood seeping out of his arm, turning from warm to cold, and his whole body gradually sinking into a chill.

Now, he finally felt a little comforted.

At this moment, the scratching at the door outside became more urgent.

"Meow……"

"Meow!"

Two different meows followed, neither of them pleasant to hear; one was shrill and the other hoarse.

"It's Crook Mountain!"

Sirius's eyes lit up. "Krook Hill, help me stall Mrs. Lorris. I'll find another place to hide. There's still a chance!"

With the crisis resolved, Sirius listened to the fading meows and realized that Lady Luck had been dozing off, which was why he hadn't been able to tear the bug's tail apart. Now that he was awake, his good fortune continued.

After a brief rest, his heart began to race again, and he squeezed vitality out of his chilled body. He grabbed a handful of dust and applied it to his wound. The pain made his mind even clearer, and he transformed into a large black dog once more, disappearing into the shadows and darting out of the classroom.

Running increases blood flow and intensifies the pain in the wound.

Hopefully, they can completely escape the pursuit before losing consciousness from blood loss.

……

The candlelight and torches flickered simultaneously, and the two cats stared at each other, baring their claws and teeth almost at the same time.

The cat with the yellowish-brown face arched its back high, its fluffy fur standing up like needles, while the thin cat with dark gray fur lowered its head and hissed warningly from its throat.

Two cats slowly circled the aisle, their faint growls gradually making the atmosphere heavy.

The moment their eyes met, the two cats leaped up almost simultaneously, their sharp teeth and claws gleaming coldly. One was a cat of raccoon lineage, the other a cat raised by a keeper. One could almost foresee the sight of blood splattering and the cats' fur stained with blood.

But an even more imposing figure suddenly leaped out from the side.

The heavy dog ​​paws interrupted the two cats' attack, and the leaping pounce brought an irresistible weight, pinning the two cats down and pressing them firmly to the ground.

Crookshank and Mrs. Lorris looked on with a human-like disbelief as they struggled to lift their heads. A grayish-white baby snake was wrapped around Tooth's neck, and his two forelimbs were pressed against their bellies without extending his paws. Just like his owner, his weight alone was enough to make the two cats unable to resist.

Mrs. Lorris was clearly unconvinced and let out a shrill scream:
"Meow!"

It was as if he was shouting to see the headmaster, and opposite him was the Sinful Cat of Hogwarts, who helped Black sneak into the castle to murder the students!

“Meow…” Crookshan retorted, his neck stiff.

Ya Ya tilted its head, looking at the baby snake with a puzzled expression.

"His-"

The snake flicked its long, forked tongue out and retracted. Yulm muttered a few words into the dog's ear, then slowly turned to look at the two cats. The snake's face was expressionless, behaving in a very professional manner, much like its owner.

The young snake hesitated for a moment, then tried to open its mouth and made a soft, meowing sound, similar to a cat's meow.

"Meow……"

Crook Hill violated school rules, and its owner will be punished accordingly.

Is a cat meowing coming from the snake's mouth?
Both cats simultaneously showed expressions of terror.

……

In the quiet corridor, Sirius held his breath and ran with his head down, not daring to stop.

A dog's keen hearing and sense of smell can pinpoint the location of its pursuers. It can detect many familiar scents, including those of the four deans, numerous elective professors, and Hagrid, the gamekeeper. It must keep its distance and not stop now; it must find a safe place.

My vision started to go black again. I could no longer pant and gasp for breath. The bleeding wounds were consuming my body heat.

If I keep running, I'll faint.

Sirius's heart stirred slightly. The professors' scent had faded considerably, and the distance was now far enough. He thought that perhaps the pursuers had been shaken off, and he could find a gap behind a statue or a pile of junk in an abandoned classroom to hide.

He stopped to catch his breath, squeezing out the last vestiges of reason from his dazed mind, and barely managed to discern directions through his blurry, double-image vision.

Looking around, the corridors of Hogwarts all looked pretty much the same. There were almost no picture frames on the walls, only a tapestry depicting Barnabas and several trolls in kilts, leaning together, the noise of the night not disturbing their sleep.

"Surely no one will come looking for us in such a remote place?"

Sirius thought to himself, "It looks like the pursuers have been shaken off, and even the keeper's cat has been held back by Crookshanks."

He leaned against the wall and walked forward. The short distance became even more difficult to breathe. His mind was a complete mess, and he could hear nothing but his own heartbeat.

He clutched the strip of cloth wrapped around his arm and moved slowly down the dimly lit corridor. The wound was clearly shallow and short, yet it showed no signs of healing. What vicious dark magic! What despicable snot-nosed devil! Why did Dumbledore keep such Death Eaters in the school?

Suddenly, the view went dark, and a figure stood in the corridor ahead.

"Who's chasing us so closely?"

Sirius was utterly desperate. He propped himself up, his body weak, and looked up at the wizard in front of him.

He suddenly froze. In his blurry, double vision, he saw not any of the familiar professors, but a young wizard standing several dozen feet away.

The man looked only slightly older than a seventh-grade student, around twenty years old. He was handsome, with deep, dark eyes, but his expression was a half-smile. He wore a trench coat that was clearly made by a Muggle, and his noble air was similar to that of pure-blood wizards.

Equally annoying.

Melvin's gaze shifted downwards to his arm, where blood seeped through the strips of cloth, staining the entire arm red.

"Have I seen you before, the wizard who wanted to eat dog meat after the Hogwarts Express?" Sirius asked vaguely, his voice weak.

“You should start thinking about finding a suitable shelter now.” Melvin shook his head; this man’s vitality and willpower were equally tenacious.

"Shelter..."

"A warm and comfortable room, a room that no one else can find..."

Melvin was speaking normally, but to Sirius, the voice sounded distant and ethereal, causing his stagnant thoughts to wander and conjure up a specific room in his mind.

"I happen to know such a place."

"How to go?"

"Keep walking forward, then turn around and keep walking... turn around again... turn around, and you'll arrive."

Sirius had stopped thinking and blindly followed the voice's guidance, pacing back and forth in front of the tapestry until he stopped in his tracks, only then belatedly realizing what was happening.

"Are you playing me?" he asked hesitantly.

His last syllable was muffled, and a door painted with old paint appeared on the empty wall. It looked old and familiar. Just a few minutes ago, there was nothing there—no picture frames, no torches, let alone a door.

"It's very safe inside."

Sirius Black slowly walked toward the door, brushing past Melvin, who carried the sour stench of a homeless man and the metallic smell of blood.

Melvin suddenly called out to him, and under his puzzled gaze, pulled out a white porcelain bottle and tossed it into his hand:
"The potion left by Lady Hufflepuff can remove the power of dark magic. It should be able to stop the bleeding. Clean the wound before using it to avoid infection."

Sirius silently took it, then approached the wall, opened the door, and went into the Room of Requirement.

Behind the wooden door was a fairly spacious room, brightly lit, warm with a fireplace, and filled with the scent of shampoo. The solid wood floorboards creaked underfoot, just like the bedroom I remembered.

Godric's Hollow, the Potter family home.

After graduating, he broke ties with his parents and, when he was homeless, stayed there.

……

The outline of the old wooden door gradually blurred and blended into the castle wall, its color fading away until it disappeared completely in a few seconds, leaving no trace.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, how many more secrets about the castle are you keeping from me?"

In front of the Barnabas tapestry, Professor McGonagall appeared, her tone unusually resentful, "There's a Room of Requirement hidden on the eighth floor of the school. You'd rather tell Melvin, who's been teaching there for two years, than keep it a secret from the vice-principal who's worked with you for decades?"

“I didn’t tell Melvin this; he discovered it himself, Minerva. It’s a rule at Hogwarts that everyone has to explore the castle’s secrets on their own,” Dumbledore said with a smile.

Professor McGonagall glanced at Melvin beside her, who shrugged.

No offense intended, but a professor who has taught elective courses for two years knows the school better than a vice principal who has taught for decades.

"..."

Professor McGonagall was silent for a moment. "Sirius Black, that boy... do you believe he's been framed? What was he trying to do by sneaking into the castle?"

"Be patient, we will know the answer."

(End of this chapter)