Hogwarts: A Chinese-Style Professor

Chapter 204 Dreams Under the Stars (Part 2)

Sirius and his two companions practically fled the old house in a disheveled state—where they discovered...

Even after the heavy door slammed shut behind them, Kreacher's heart-wrenching cries continued to echo from inside.

"The locket—! Young Master Regulus's locket—!!!"

Kreacher, like a mad beast, frantically scratched at the floor, his cloudy eyes now filled with bloodshot veins and desperate tears, his voice clearly penetrating the doorway.

"Master—! Master Sirius—! Please! Give it back to Kreacher! Give it back to Kreacher!! It belongs to Master Regulus—it was left for Kreacher by the master—!"

His voice no longer carried the feigned resentment, but was a mixture of pleading and despair.

The sounds of impact, "thump, thump, thump!" continued, each impact accompanied by muffled, broken pleas.

"Please, Kreacher, you were wrong. Kreacher shouldn't have talked back to the young master. Please give it back to me."

The three people outside the door could clearly hear the chilling screams and the sound of the door being banged on.

Harry and Ron turned pale instantly—the despair and pain in Kreacher's voice were so real that it completely wiped away the excitement they had just felt during their adventure.

“He…he sounds like he’s going crazy,” Ron said, trembling, clutching his collar.

I said—why don't we give the things back to him?

Harry felt his heart clench and offered his suggestion.

"Don't listen to him! He's acting! That old man is a master at playing the victim to gain sympathy!"

Sirius's voice was resolute.

"He really thinks this thing is his? House-elves don't own any things. I am the owner of this house, and everything in it belongs to me."

"It's already a favor I've shown him by allowing this old, crazy house-elf who only causes me trouble to stay in the house."

His words sounded unusually cold.

Ron shrank back, and Harry pursed his lips, saying nothing—if they were closer, perhaps he would have tried to persuade him further.

But now, he has just reunited with his godfather, and they are still getting to know each other. Sirius is clearly a straightforward person—thinking of Kreacher's strange demeanor and the unkempt state of the house.

Compared to Professor Levi's house-elf Barton, that house-elf certainly looked far too insane.

The three ran away from number 12 Grimmauld Place until they could no longer hear any sound.

The London night was filled with the sounds of carriages and people, and the cool night breeze brushed against their faces, slightly dispelling the shadows in their hearts.

In any case, this expedition was quite unique, and he and Ron had nothing to complain about.

What pleased Harry even more was that they didn't seem to have spent much time, and if they hurried, he might still be able to make it to the Duel Club event on Saturday afternoon.

After a brief period of unpleasantness, Sirius quickly put his bad mood behind him.

I took the two boys for a walk around Diagon Alley and bought Harry and Ron Florin's Chocolate Nut Sundae ice cream—Harry had never tasted such delicious ice cream before, and it almost robbed him of his mind.

After Sirius realized what was going on, he led them back around and let Harry eat to his heart's content.

The three of them spent the night together at the Leaky Cauldron inn—Sirius used a spell that turned the rooftop into a starry sky, and Harry and Ron were so captivated that they completely forgot about the unpleasant events of the day.

Three figures lay side by side on the soft carpet, appearing exceptionally serene under the starlight.

“Hey, speaking of which,” Sirius turned to the side, propping his head up on his elbow, and looked at the two boys. “What do you want to do in the future? Whenever you want, say—after you graduate from Hogwarts.”

Harry was enjoying the warmth of being with his godfather and friends when the question startled him slightly.

He has hardly ever seriously considered his future.

"I haven't really thought it through yet."

Ron touched his nose somewhat embarrassedly.

After spending a day with him, he thought Sirius Black was a pretty cool guy—if he could, he really wished he had a godfather like him.

“Not having thought it through doesn’t mean you already have an idea, Ron—speak up.”

Sirius encouraged and urged him on.

Harry turned to look at him, his eyes shining.

"Well—in the past, I might have thought it would be great to join the Ministry of Magic, like my dad, but to be honest..."

He lowered his voice, as if afraid of being overheard by someone in the distance.

"After experiencing so much, especially seeing Professor Levi's dueling performance, I think maybe becoming a powerful wizard would be even cooler? Of course, it would be even better if I could join the Chadli Cannons and play Quidditch!"

"You can do it—Ron, you absolutely can! As long as you sign up, I believe you'll definitely be selected this year—I've seen your hard work and excellence!"

In this warm and wonderful atmosphere, saying some mushy things is perfectly acceptable—or rather, it's just right.

“Really? Harry? You really think I can do it? I think I’m pretty bad. You see, you and Hermione have such good records in the Duel Club, and I’m the only one who came in last.”

Ron seemed somewhat insecure, and even a little self-deprecating.

“When Professor Levy took office, you and Hermione quickly followed his instructions to learn, but I procrastinated and didn’t do my homework properly, and I spent my precious time playing wizard chess—so it’s only right that I’m not as good as the others.”

"What nonsense are you spouting, kid!"

Sirius Black leaped over Harry and slapped Ron on the arm.

"No time is wasted—not even time that seems like entertainment or leisure."

He sat up straight, his gaze sweeping between Harry and Ron.

"Back then, James, Remus, and I didn't spend all our time in the library either."

We explored the castle, studied prank spells, and even went on nighttime expeditions—experiences that taught us to be adaptable, trust each other, and remain calm in unexpected situations—and sometimes, a simple prank spell was more useful than a sophisticated one.

"Uh—I don't think that's the case."

In the past, Ron might have actually been persuaded by Sirius.

However, he had seen Professor Levi demonstrate his skills—simple incantations can indeed sometimes have unique and wonderful uses.

However, a wizard who can make even simple spells look amazing, when using advanced spells—the celestial phenomena and power they evoke are simply divine intervention.

Ron didn't think he could get any effect with those prank spells in front of Professor Levi—nobody could.

Harry vaguely shared this sentiment—under Levy's educational philosophy, they valued daily accumulation, a solid foundation, and the power and composure that knowledge brought. But he forced himself to forget these things and encouraged Ron:
"Have you forgotten how we first-year students dealt with the giant chessboard formation? If you hadn't decided to 'sacrifice' yourself, we wouldn't have made it at all!"
And during the last dueling club event, you stopped Malfoy's wand at the last moment with your "Grinning Whoosh"—the timing was perfect! Didn't Professor Levy also say that adaptability and determination in actual combat are more important than perfect theory?

Ron's cheeks flushed as he listened to their conversation.

"Stop talking about me—let's talk about you too, Harry. What are you planning to do?"

"I--?"

Harry froze.

He quickly changed the subject, looking at his godfather, Sirius Black.

Sirius Black – what were your dreams when you were young?

"Me? Aha—there are plenty."

Sirius opened his arms.

"Actually, I wasn't particularly interested in anything at the time—because everything seemed easy for me—"

When he said this, Ron and Harry looked a little tense.

"Become a professional Quidditch Seeker, or an adventurer, writing books about magical creatures and relics around the world—or open an alchemy workshop and collaborate with your father's business."

His tone carried a hint of nostalgia, but then quickly became carefree.

"But now my dreams are much simpler."

I'll make up for what needs to be made up, and then I'll watch you—Harry—grow up safely and do whatever you want.

If I could, I'd love to open a joke shop with your dad; he'd definitely love it. Okay, now let's talk about you. What are you planning to do in the future? Have you thought about it? Whatever it is, I'll support you.”

Harry then realized that his godfather had seen through the essence of his hesitation: he truly didn't know what his dream was.

Harry gazed at the vast starry sky above and remained silent for a moment.

He thought of his parents and how they had sacrificed themselves to fight Voldemort.

He thought of the fate represented by the scar on his forehead, and he also thought of Hogwarts, his only home, where the people he wanted to protect were.

And there was that figure who once stood before him, towering and upright even in the face of the dangerous serpent monster.

He took a deep breath, gradually solidifying his resolve, “I want to become an Auror.”

"I want to fight against dark magic, just like my parents did, and protect those who are persecuted and threatened by dark wizards."

I don't want to see anyone else lose their family because of Voldemort or someone like him.

"You will become the greatest Auror of all time, I bet you!"

Sirius clapped his hands and looked at him.

Ron excitedly chimed in:

"Yeah, Harry! We can sign up together! Although I might not be as good..."

His voice gradually faded away.

“Hey Ron,” Harry put his arm around his shoulder, “don’t forget you took down a troll in your first year!”
You have plenty of courage, and your wizard chess skills surpass those of most adult wizards I know, which demonstrates your strategic thinking—qualities highly valued by Aurors.

"Let's work together from now on—Sirius, do you know how to become an Auror?"

"Hmm—that's not easy. At the very least, you have to pass at least five mandatory NEWT courses with grades no lower than E, including Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Potions, Herbalism, and Transfiguration."

He wanted to emphasize how difficult the NEWT exam is—often only the top 0-2 students in a class participate in it.

In 'difficult' circumstances, it's not impossible for zero people to apply for a certain academic year—after all, the full name of this exam is the Ultimate Wizard Exam.

But when he thought about how ten students had achieved six 'O' grades this year, Sirius suddenly realized that this was nothing compared to the two boys beside him.

Sure enough, after Harry and Ron heard the request, Harry's expression didn't change much; in fact, his eyes brightened even more.

Ron stuck out his tongue, but he was also full of determination.

Just looking at them filled Sirius with joy. Levi, what an amazing guy.

What exactly did he do at Hogwarts that caused such a big change in the students in just one year?
No, I need to build a good relationship with him and get him to give my godson some special treatment!
The following afternoon, Sirius Black brought Harry and Ron back to Hogwarts safely—he had originally planned to play with the two children until Sunday afternoon before returning home.

But he could also tell that Harry had something on his mind—considering the boy's hard work during the summer, it was clear that he wanted to go back to his ascetic study routine.
Sirius, while feeling helpless, was also relieved and naturally wouldn't delay him any longer.

Anyway, there will be plenty of time for adventures in the future—what he needs to do is find more fun and explore with his godson.

"Then you guys go back and check on the situation first. I have something to do—see you later."

After giving his instructions to the two, Sirius transformed into a large black dog, carrying the locket in his mouth, and ran ahead towards Li Wei's office.

“Animagus—it’s amazing magic—Harry, do you think we can learn it someday? I wonder what my Animagus will be—I hope it’s not a mouse.”

Ron hugged himself and shivered—last night was the only day this week he hadn't had a nightmare.

For the past two days, he kept dreaming of Peter's ugly face—the thought that the rat might turn into a human and watch him while he slept made Ron wake up in a panic, covered in cold sweat.

"Most definitely!"

Harry's eyes were resolute.

But soon, his flustered explanation rang out again.

“I mean—we’ll definitely learn Animagus—as for its form, I’m guessing it might be a handsome white horse? Don’t you like Wizard Chess?”

"If that's the case, then it's not bad."

Ron imagined his transformed animal—something that would suit him better than the big black dog or Professor McGonagall's cat.

"And what about you? What do you think my Animagus is?"

“That’s easy to guess, man. I bet it’s the same as your father’s—Sirius said you and your father are exactly alike—why don’t we just ask him?”

"No—maybe not. I want to keep the mystery."

The two brothers, arm in arm, climbed the castle stairs together.

This year will definitely be a year full of hope.

(End of this chapter)