The Return to Hogwarts

Grevis tossed the report onto the table, composed himself in the reflection of the windowpane, regained his usual solemnity, and turned to walk toward the fireplace. But as he took a step, a hint of hesitation crossed his face. However, this hesitation didn't last long. After glancing at Kohler's face on the table, his eyes hardened, and he strode toward the fireplace.

He grabbed a handful of Floo Powder and threw it into the fireplace, which was now just embers.

In the shimmering green light, Grevis's clear voice called out.

"Detention cell".

Then, he stepped into the surging flames and disappeared.

The city's glittering neon lights blurred the thick darkness of the night.

Although it was late at night, almost every one of the towering buildings was still lit up. Muggles were working day and night in the steel giants they had created, striving for their own lives and the development of society. Their tireless efforts made even the cool night air feel urgent.

"This is incredible. I've never been to New York before, but I never imagined it would be so extraordinary!"

Sirius looked around, his expression one of undisguised astonishment.

"You won't find this many skyscrapers in London. The Muggles here are truly awe-inspiring."

The relentless travel between two continents had taken its toll on Amelia's otherwise slender face; the frequent and long-distance apparitions had pushed her to her limits. As Sirius marveled at the extraordinary grandeur of the city and London, the surrounding light and shadow began to swirl before Amelia's eyes, intensifying, and then—

"Oh!"

With lightning-fast reflexes, Sirius caught Amelia just as she was about to fall. He raised an eyebrow, his eyes filled with worry.

"what happened to you?"

"Thanks--"

Taking a few deep breaths, Amelia felt better as the breeze caressed her face. She nodded gratefully to Sirius.

“I’m just a little tired, it’s nothing serious, Mr. Black. Let’s hurry and see Amosta; he lives in this building right in front of us.”

Sirius was impressed by the resilience displayed by the unfamiliar girl beside him, but after glancing at Fox on his shoulder, he still asked with some curiosity,

"Since it's right in front of us, why don't we just Apparate into Amosta's room?"

"I hoo--"

Amelia tossed a strand of hair aside. Under the neon lights, her pale face revealed a soft and exquisite beauty that was unlike her usual cool demeanor, causing Sirius's heart to skip a beat.

“We are unaware of the situation, Mr. Blake,”

Amelia said,

"His room, or the surrounding area, I'm sure there are Aurors watching. If we suddenly show up there, we won't be able to explain ourselves. I can go see Amostella, because Grevis hasn't terminated the surveillance orders he gave me, but..."

Amelia looked at Sirius, her eyes blinking.

“Mr. Dumbledore said you have a way to hide yourself. If it’s the Disillusionment Charm, unless you are exceptionally skilled, I’m not sure if it can fool the Aurors watching nearby.”

"Oh, the Disillusionment Charm? I can certainly use it, but I wouldn't say I'm highly skilled at it, but—"

Sirius smiled and tilted his head.

"I have a much better way!"

Chapter 942 A Chance for Redemption

2024-05-28

After some persuasion, Amelia finally convinced the hotel security staff that the animal beside her was a large, gentle dog, not a black bear that had escaped from the zoo. However, the dog's enormous size still didn't completely reassure the handsome waiter.

“If you insist on taking it upstairs, ma’am, I must go with you; it is for your safety and the safety of the other guests.”

The handsome waiter said firmly.

Amelia gave Sirius a 'sorrowful' look, while Sirius, who had just confidently assured everyone outside the hotel that everything would be alright, was no longer so confident. He lowered his head and stared at the bright red down carpet with a bit of embarrassment.

"All right--"

Amelia pursed her lips, having nothing to say about the reasonable request from the unheard chicken waiter.

The elevator struggled to carry two people and an overweight dog to the upper floor. With a crisp announcement, the elevator doors opened, and Sirius Black was eager to rush out. This was seen as a danger signal by the Muggle waiter, who quickly grabbed Sirius Black's tail, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground!

"Hi!"

Amelia immediately and hastily stopped the somewhat agitated black dog, then nodded apologetically to the Muggle waiter.

"Sorry. It, well, has been locked up for too long and might be a little excited."

The good-natured waiter didn't mind; he stood up from the floor, adjusted his askew hat, and

"Oh, you don't need to apologize, ma'am. You just need to make sure your dog won't bite. Please come this way."

As if knowing he shouldn't cause any more trouble for others, Sirius suppressed the urge to run away and obediently stayed by Amelia's side.

Late at night, the only sounds in the empty corridor were Amelia, the Muggle waiter, and the heavy thumping of the black dog as they made their way to Amosta's room. Suddenly—

Click!

A door they had just passed suddenly opened, and a wizard with upturned eyebrows darted out. In the gap between the opening and closing of the door, Amelia noticed many familiar faces in the room.

"Amelia?"

Eriel stared in astonishment.

"Why are you here?"

"The task Mr. Grevis gave me is not over yet, is it?"

Amelia wasn't surprised to see her colleague here, she said expressionlessly.

"Oh, that's true—"

Eriel frowned, looking suspiciously at the large, snarling dog beside Amelia.

"You've started keeping a pet, Amelia. I think this dog probably doesn't have any special pedigree, right?"

When speaking to the Muggle, Errell used a more conciliatory approach. In reality, he wanted to confirm whether this enormous dog had some magical animal lineage.

"After you rudely broke into my house, my parents thought that our family seemed to need a little extra security, so they made me go to the Muggle pet market and buy it. I don't think that's a crime, right?"

"Oh, of course not, um."

Eriel was a little embarrassed, and also a little surprised by Amelia's sharp words. After stammering for a while, he shrugged and went back into the room.

"They belong to the Security Department, they are Aurors—"

Amelia turned to Sirius and said something, which made the Muggle waiter, who didn't understand what she was saying, raise an eyebrow in surprise.

"Having traveled such a long way, I imagine you haven't had time for dinner."

The door opened, and Sirius Black immediately darted into the room. He saw Amostella sitting behind his desk, holding a book, a calm and composed smile on his face as he looked towards the door. He nodded to the waiter.

"Please prepare some food for us."

The Muggle waiter bowed slightly, and after confirming that the big black dog showed no signs of going mad, he closed the door.

call--

The image of the big black dog distorted for a moment, and then Sirius's image appeared in the dim light.

“You don’t seem too surprised by my appearance, Amosta?”

Sirius strode over and gave Amostella, who had emerged from behind the desk, a hug. After carefully examining Amostella's calm and collected face, Sirius smiled with satisfaction.

"Oh, actually, I was indeed surprised for a moment when I sensed your and Fox's magic within the hotel's perimeter, but I think I figured out how quickly you went upstairs—"

Amosta's calm smile

"It's likely that Remus sent a message to Headmaster Dumbledore, saying that you were sent by Dumbledore?"

"Oh, nothing escapes your notice—"

Sirius Black chuckled, glancing around at the expensive Muggle brands on the shelves. He went over, grabbed a bottle of whiskey, poured himself half a glass, downed it in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and let out a satisfied sigh.

"What exactly happened? This brilliant little witch arrived at Hogwarts and told us the general situation. Dumbledore said, 'You should have some idea of ​​the situation, but do you know who took your wand?'"

"Please wait on this matter—"

Amusta was about to speak his mind, but realizing something, he frowned slightly and turned to look at Amelia, who had been standing silently in the room since entering.

"You went to Hogwarts in person?"

"Um"

The girl behind the door suddenly became as reserved as when they first met. She didn't dare look Amosta in the eye, staring down at the carpet.

"Remus believed it was necessary to inform Mr. Dumbledore of your situation as soon as possible, but he dared not fully trust the goblins, so he sent me on this journey."

Amosta scrutinized Amelia, whose gaze kept darting away, and fell silent. Amelia also remained silent, and the atmosphere in the room became somewhat strange.

So you see—

After a long pause, Amosta sighed.

"You already know everything?"

Amelia was startled by his words. She instinctively shook her head, but when her gaze met Amosta's deep, starry eyes, she couldn't lie. In the end, she bit her lip and nodded almost imperceptibly.

"My parents mentioned it to me—"

Amelia stammered, but a sudden, inexplicable surge of frustration exploded within her, making it impossible for her to suppress her doubts.

"Why did you hide all of this? You clearly guessed it the first time you met me, didn't you?"