Hogwarts' Golden Glory

"If you have evidence, present it in court, instead of making false accusations here."

Lucius said coldly.

They then turned and left with Draco.

"Let's go, kids. At least they don't even have the chance to test drive the Lightcycle 2001."

"You guys go ahead, I'll buy some things and then come over."

Lucius nodded and left.

And Kane did indeed have something to buy.

Just after Lucius and his companion left.

An unexpected person appeared at the entrance of Flourish and Blotts bookstore.

A tall, thin man strode in.

His long black hair was casually tied back, and his gray eyes gleamed with an untamed light.

Several scars were faintly visible beneath the expensive dragon-skin robe—this was Sirius Black after his acquittal, now able to walk openly in the sunlight.

"Sirius!" Harry exclaimed excitedly and ran towards him immediately.

But Sirius suddenly stopped in his tracks.

His gaze passed over Harry and landed on Kane Malfoy, who was standing in the Spellbook section.

For a fleeting moment, Harry saw a complex expression flash across his godfather's face—a mixture of anger and helplessness.

"Malfoy." Sirius nodded stiffly, his voice sounding like it was being squeezed out from between his teeth.

Kane nodded curtly: "Mr. Black."

His gaze lingered on Sirius's robes for a second. "So Gringotts has finally unfrozen your vaults?"

You should know that the goblins of Gringotts actually tried to take over all of Black's property in Gringotts after he was imprisoned.

Unfortunately, Sirius Black eventually returned.

"But my old house is gone forever," Sirius replied sarcastically.

Harry then remembered that the Black family's ancestral home now belonged to Kane.

After all, it was a deal between Sirius Black and Kane.

Kane's lips curled into a slight smile: "Kreacher likes me very much as his new master. He says that finally someone appreciates the pure traditions of the Black family."

Sirius's face twitched, and Harry knew it was a sign that he was about to get angry.

"Sirius," Harry quickly interjected, "what brings you here?"

"Of course I came to find you."

Sirius withdrew his gaze, and his expression immediately softened when he turned to Harry.

"I have something important to discuss. That's why I had to come in person."

"We can find a quiet corner at the Leaky Cauldron."

Sirius continued speaking, but his eyes glanced at Kane, clearly indicating that he was telling him to leave.

Kane tactfully picked up the book he had chosen: "I wish you a pleasant conversation."

He nodded to Harry, then walked away gracefully, deliberately slowing his pace as he passed Sirius Black.

"By the way, Mr. Blake, your mother's portrait was rather noisy, so I had to cast a spell. She's much quieter now."

Sirius's expression looked like he'd been punched in the chest.

Only after Kane left the bookstore did he let out a long sigh: "Merlin's beard, every time I see that kid I want to curse him."

"But he did get you out of prison..." Harry said cautiously.

Sirius didn't answer, but instead greeted the Weasleys.

He said to Harry, "Let's go, we need to talk."

In a corner of the Leaky Cauldron bar, the foam of butterbeer slowly melted on the glass.

Sirius used his wand to cast a soundproofing spell around them.

"Three days ago, Remus and I caught a werewolf on the Scottish border."

He lowered his voice, his gray eyes becoming unusually sharp. "Not an ordinary werewolf—Fenrir Greyback's second-in-command."

Harry's fingers unconsciously tightened around the cup: "Fenrir Greyback? You mean that one..."

"A pervert who specifically bites children." Sirius nodded grimly. "Anyway, we used some... special methods to pry some interesting information out of him."

Harry would recall Snape's threat to him in Potions class, and it wouldn't be hard to imagine what the so-called "special means" were.

"Voldemort is plotting an attack on the students of Hogwarts," Sirius's voice was almost a whisper, "and you are the primary target, Harry."

The noise in the bar seemed to fade away suddenly, and Harry could only hear the rapid pounding of his own heart.

He swallowed hard. "Why? Dumbledore said Voldemort can't come back now!"

"It's not him! There's a monster at the school!"

Sirius Black tapped his fingers on the table. "That werewolf mentioned that Voldemort left a monster at the school! If we release the monster, we can wipe out the entire Hogwarts!"

Harry felt a chill run down his spine: "Does Dumbledore know?"

"Of course." Sirius took a big gulp of beer.

"But he has concerns. After all, it was just a werewolf who said it, and Dumbledore knows Hogwarts better than we do. So he doesn't plan to close the school."

"And I want to ask you, are you going to take a leave of absence this semester?"

Harry paused for a moment. "Do you think I should... take a break from school?"

Sirius looked him over carefully: "I want you to consider this option. We can arrange for you to go abroad, to Evamonia or..."

"No." Harry looked up, his green eyes gleaming with determination. "I won't run away. If Voldemort really plans to attack Hogwarts, then I should stay."

"I knew you'd say that." Sirius's lips curled into a slight smile. "You're just like your father, Harry. James never knew what it meant to back down."

"It's not just because I'm brave." Harry shook his head. "I trust Dumbledore. If the school is in danger, he'll protect everyone."

Sirius's expression became complicated: "Dumbledore is indeed powerful, but he's not a god, Harry! That werewolf mentioned that Voldemort has 'eyes and ears' in the school—we suspect that some professors have been put under the Imperius Curse, or worse, have voluntarily joined him."

Harry immediately thought of Snape, but he wisely kept quiet.

"I'll be careful," he finally promised, "but I can't abandon Hogwarts because of a vague threat. That...that's my home."

Sirius's eyes seemed to moisten for a moment.

He reached out and ruffled Harry's hair roughly. "I knew I couldn't persuade you. So..."

He took a letter out of his pocket.

"So, I now have a new identity! This semester I will be attending Hogwarts as a Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching assistant!"

"What?!" Harry jumped up from his chair, spilling his butterbeer onto the old wooden table in the Leaky Cauldron.

Amber-colored liquid dripped down the edge of the table.

His green eyes were wide open, and the eyebrows below the scar almost flew into his messy black hair.

"You're coming to Hogwarts? To be a professor? Really?"

Sirius laughed and waved his wand to clean up the spilled drink: "Not a professor, an assistant. Lockhart is the official Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher; I'm his assistant."

He proudly waved the letter in his hand, which bore the Hogwarts wax seal. "The invitation was sent by Dumbledore this morning."