The Return to Hogwarts

"Don't you understand yet!"

Harry's face turned pale, and he suddenly became very agitated.

"How could a dog change its size? Ron, have you ever heard of such a magical creature? Unless, it's not a dog at all, it's in disguise!"

You mean, Harry?

Ron didn't quite understand, but Hermione immediately covered her mouth, her clear yellow eyes filled with terror.

"Professor McGonagall mentioned Animagus in class?!"

A silence fell suddenly, but was quickly broken.

"At this point in time, who would go to great lengths to disguise themselves as a dog and enter Hogwarts?"

Harry's emerald eyes blazed with fury as he spoke decisively.

Sirius Black!

Chapter 291 Rocking Car

2023-05-14

After Ha shouted the name in an almost roaring voice, the reactions of the others varied.

Hermione covered her mouth, fear showing on her fair face, but her bright eyes kept gleaming as if she were assessing the likelihood of Harry's theory. Ron, on the other hand, was terrified and stammered...

"But...this can't be right, there are Dementors guarding the school gate."

“There couldn’t possibly be more Dementors at the school gates than in Azkaban, could there?” Harry said sternly. “But Black still managed to escape from there!”

“I think you might be a little too nervous, Harry—”

Hagrid then chimed in, "Black is an Animagus? Oh, and with all due respect, Harry, I probably know Black a little better than you think. When he entered Hogwarts, I had already been the game keeper for thirty years, and I thwarted countless attempts by him and his friends to sneak into the Forbidden Forest."

"Just tell me straight, Hagrid—"

Harry no longer wanted to hide it; he straightened his face and said directly,

"Black's friend is my father, right? And Professor Lupin and Peter Pettigrew, who died at Black's hands while trying to avenge my parents. It was his betrayal that led to my parents' deaths at Voldemort's hands."

In the middle of the night, amidst the howling cold wind, the sudden appearance of the words 'Voldemort' sent a shiver down their spines.

"Since Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban six months ago, he has been trying to get close to me. He wants to kill me to avenge Voldemort."

"Where did you hear all this, Harry?"

Hagrid stared in disbelief, his mouth agape as if he could swallow a dragon egg. He looked at Harry with confusion, then glanced at the silent Hermione and Ron, his voice finally hardening.

"Don't tell me it's Remus. I know him; he's not a gossip."

Hagrid's question made Harry hesitate, but after a moment, the anger and hatred he felt when he first heard the news returned to his heart.

“I overheard your conversation last semester at the Three Broomsticks pub, the time you met with the Minister of Magic.”

"But."

“There’s a secret passage in the school that Filch doesn’t know about, which leads directly to Hogsmeade.”

As Harry spoke, Ron frantically winked at him, but Harry ignored him. Seeing Hagrid's surprised expression, he felt a strange, triumphant thrill. He was the one who should know everything, yet Hagrid, Professor Lupin, Professor Blaine, and even Headmaster Dumbledore all kept it a secret from him. Of course, he knew they were doing it for his own good, afraid he'd do something foolish, but...

Did he even notice that the couple who died tragically at Voldemort's hands twelve years ago were his parents?

"Oh my God!"

Hagrid's voice was filled with anger; he was behaving exactly as Harry had expected.

"You knew perfectly well that Blake was still on the run, yet you..."

Hagrid slapped his forehead hard before he came to his senses.

"It's so late, why are the three of you on campus? Harry, even if it's to celebrate today's victory, I think you've gone too far!"

Hagrid's face was already grim enough. If they told Hagrid that they had come out because of a rat, it might make Hagrid revert to his wild nature. So even Harry, who was still angry, didn't say anything.

“Back to the castle, right now. I’ll talk to you properly about the secret passage and Hogsmeade tomorrow!”

Hagrid said angrily,

“I’m bringing Malfoy back now. That foolish boy, sneaking into the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night with a flying broom. He probably doesn’t know what happened to those little guys who did the same thing last time!”

As Hagrid rushed into the house, Hermione pleaded with Harry in a low voice.

“Go back, Harry. Think about what happened in Professor Blaine’s office. Besides, we’re not even sure it was Black.”

"But--"

This series of events left Ron somewhat confused. He pointed at the Forbidden Forest and said, bewildered,

"Banban and Malfoy".

"Are you going to put Harry in Black's sight because of Scabbers?!"

Hermione said with a stern face.

At this moment, Hagrid, holding his hunting bow and with the tattered pink umbrella tucked under his arm, saw that Harry and his two companions were still standing there motionless. Uncharacteristically, he adopted a professorial air and roared.

"Get back here right now, Harry, and you two too, or I'll make you three go to solitary confinement!"

Harry really did turn around and slowly walked back, while Hermione and Ron both looked surprised, as they both thought Harry wouldn't give in.

Hagrid, seeing this, didn't think much of it and nodded in satisfaction. He immediately turned and ran towards the Forbidden Forest, but after only two steps, he suddenly stopped because he realized a serious problem.

He didn't know what that troublemaker in Slytherin was up to, but Hagrid saw that Malfoy was carrying a flying broom, and the dog chasing him didn't look slow either. How was he going to catch up with them?

If he relies solely on his two legs, by the time he finds Malfoy, that kid might already be torn to pieces!

"Why isn't there a flying broomstick for giants to ride on?" Hagrid thought indignantly.

It's not that there aren't tools that can speed things up, but Hagrid once swore he would never use that thing again. However, now that a student's life may be in danger, Hagrid has no other choice.

He strode to the east wall of the house, fumbled around for a bit, and then ripped open the wooden cover that was covered with a layer of dust and weeds. Looking at the motorcycle, now completely white, Hagrid's breathing quickened.

"I hope you can still move—"

Hagrid grunted, grabbed one of the motorcycle's handlebars, and lifted the barely visible motorcycle up like a chick. A flash of dark blue electricity shot from the tip of the pink, tattered umbrella, instantly sweeping away the dust on the motorcycle.

Hagrid tossed the umbrella and hunting bow into the sidecar and began studying the jumbled buttons that controlled the motorcycle. He hadn't touched it in years and had almost forgotten how to make it work.

Fortunately, luck was on Hagrid's side. He pressed a switch, and immediately the motorcycle's exhaust pipe emitted a thick plume of smoke and a wheezing roar. But when Hagrid turned the handlebars, the motorcycle's roar suddenly became louder, like a roaring fire dragon!

"Where did you get this thing from?"

“I got it from Black,” Hagrid said happily.

“You probably don’t remember, Harry, but you’ve ridden in this. Twelve years ago, when I was on Professor Dumbledore’s orders to take you from Godric’s Hollow to your Muggle relatives’ house, this was the thing I used. You were just a little kid back then, and I could lift you up with one hand!”

"cool!"

Another respectful voice said,

"My dad's modified Muggle car is nowhere near as good as this."

"Heh, Arthur--"

Hagrid chuckled as he adjusted the motorcycle's rearview mirror, but his smile froze when he saw the three little guys standing behind the motorcycle in the mirror.

"I do seem to have some recollection of this."

Harry, with a thoughtful expression on his face, climbed into the sidecar and squeezed next to Hagrid. Because Hagrid was big enough to fit only one person on the motorcycle, he had to make room for either Ron or Hermione.

After a standoff, Hermione tossed the Invisibility Cloak to Harry, then clumsily climbed into the sidecar and sat down close to him, holding Hagrid's umbrella and hunting bow in her arms.

Ron, looking excited, grabbed the creases in Hagrid's coat and sat down.

"You three!"

Hagrid finally roared in fury.

"So you've decided to ignore what I said, haven't you!"

Chapter 292 Old Acquaintance

2023-05-15

Faced with Hagrid's fury, Harry remained unyielding, staring directly into Hagrid's eyes with a defiant expression.

“We just want to help you find Malfoy, Hagrid.”

"Oh, come on, Harry!"

Hagrid mercilessly exposed Harry's true thoughts.

“You already know those things, so you want to seek revenge on Black? In my opinion, you're completely delusional. I've never heard of that despicable traitor being an Animagus. If that were the case, Remus would definitely know, and he wouldn't keep it from Professor Dumbledore!”

"Since that's the case—"

Harry quickly replied, "Then what are you worried about?"

"Ha, what am I still worried about?"

Hagrid was exasperated by Harry's stubbornness; his black, beetle-like eyes blazed with fury. Just as he was about to say something, Hermione spoke crisply.

“Malfoy may be in danger, Hagrid, you should bring him back right away.”