A certain broken Hogwarts

"Sirius! Sirius!"

Harry knelt beside Sirius, anxiously calling his name, his eyes red and swollen.

Sirius's face was deathly pale, half of his face was swollen and red, and a trace of blood clung to the corner of his mouth. His tightly closed eyes twitched slightly, and his body shuddered in pain.

Harry wiped his face and began chanting the healing spell Dumbledore had taught him. A soft white light emanated from the tip of the wand, falling on Sirius Black and quickly restoring his swollen cheeks to normal, adding a touch of color to his pale face.

"Harry! Owen! What happened?" Hermione came running down the stairs, wand in hand, hair wet, and clothes only buttoned up at the top, looking like she had just hurriedly put them on.

"My God! What is this...?" Looking at Sirius lying in the foyer, seemingly completely unconscious, she raised her hand to cover her mouth and looked at Owen, who was standing on the stairs looking down.

Colin Crevey also came down, panting, and looked at the scene before him helplessly.

Sirius Black opened his eyes amidst a fit of coughing. He gave Harry a wry smile, his body still trembling from the ordeal he had just endured.

"I'm alright, Harry." He tried to sit up, supporting himself with his arms, but collapsed back down.

"Don't move. Let me think... how should I call the doctor?" Harry hurriedly caught him.

"He's under a curse; he can't use his strength," Owen said calmly. He thought for a moment, then pointed his wand at Sirius's chest and uttered, "All curses end."

A dazzling golden light shone in the dimly lit hallway, causing everyone to squint. Sirius scrambled to his feet, staggered a couple of steps, and was helped up by Harry.

"Thank you, you saved us tonight." Sirius looked at Owen earnestly, the scrutiny and wariness in his eyes fading considerably.

Irving raised his eyelids to look at him, slowly shook his head, and placed his left hand on the stair railing.

"Did someone break in?" Hermione asked quickly, looking at them worriedly. "I was taking a shower when I heard something strange coming from downstairs. That portrait kept laughing, right? I called Colin to come down and check it out, but I never expected this..."

Colin opened his mouth, then stammered, "I thought this was normal... It's my first time staying at a wizard's house..."

"Thank goodness you didn't come over," Harry said, shaking his head. "That was dangerous. I don't know how she got in."

Sirius's face was extremely grim. He said in a hoarse voice, "Normally, it's very difficult for outsiders to get in. This place has been enchanted. Bellatrix was able to get in because this used to be her home... she's my cousin." As he said this, his expression turned cold and hateful.

He wiped his face, his brow furrowed deeply. "It was my oversight. I didn't expect someone could escape from Azkaban... How did she manage that?"

"An Azkaban fugitive?" Hermione exclaimed softly.

"Perhaps it's because of Peter Pettigrew. He was here just now and even blocked my spell for Bellatrix," Owen said in a gentle and calm tone.

He touched his lips with his finger, a hint of interest in his expression. He was also very curious about how they had escaped, especially since Peter Animagus's identity had already been exposed.

"Peter Pettigrew..." Sirius repeated slowly, as if he were slowly chewing on the name, his expression a mixture of hatred and deep disgust.

"Well, he's certainly very brave," he said sarcastically, cracking his knuckles.

"Sirius, calm down," Harry said.

"I'm calm, Harry." Sirius shook his head and said to the young wizards beside him, "Alright, the danger has passed for now. You should all go back and rest. I'll take you home first thing tomorrow morning..."

Before he could finish speaking, there was a series of urgent knocks on the door, which made the people inside tense up.

"Who is it?" Sirius pushed Harry behind him, picked up his wand, walked to the front door, and looked out through the small hole in the door.

"Auror." A deep male voice came from outside the door. "I am Kingsley Shackle, and they are my colleagues."

Sirius breathed a sigh of relief, but still remained vigilant as he opened the door a crack. Standing outside was a tall, dark-skinned wizard, flanked by two other wizards dressed in Auror uniforms.

Kingsley Shackleton presented his Auror identification, then spoke in a deep, slow voice: “We apologize for our late visit, but we felt it necessary to inform you of this news promptly. A riot broke out in Azkaban last night, and Bellatrix Lestrange and Peter Pettigrew escaped. We are concerned that you might become a target of their retaliation…”

"You're too late, they've already been here," Sirius said curtly as he fully opened the door.

The dark-skinned wizard raised an eyebrow, glanced at the group of young wizards in the hall, and asked in a deep voice, "May I know what happened?"

Sirius let them in, herded the young wizards upstairs, and then recounted what had happened.

"So, Bellatrix has his eye on you. You and Harry Potter..." Kingsley's tone remained calm and composed, but his expression had become much more serious. "Bellatrix is ​​an extremely dangerous and insane dark wizard, and Peter Pettigrew is very skilled at infiltration and intelligence gathering... Your situation is very dangerous. You'd better stay in a safe place for the time being."

"What I want to know is, how did they escape from that godforsaken place?" Sirius Black was impatient with this nonsense. "Don't tell me the Ministry of Magic didn't take any precautions against Peter Pettigrew's situation..."

Owen leaned against the railing of the second-floor stairwell, listening intently with great curiosity. He was very interested in the two men's escape plan. Harry and the others followed suit, standing in a row in front of the railing to eavesdrop.

"We put special shackles on his hands and feet to prevent him from transforming into an Animagus. His cell is also special; not even a beetle could fly out," Kingsley said calmly. "But everyone underestimated Peter Pettigrew's ruthlessness and his determination to escape..."

"I only just learned the whole story myself." Kingsley's face was expressionless. "During the two months he was imprisoned in Azkaban, Peter Pettigrew broke the bones in his hands and feet one by one, freeing himself from his shackles. The guards of Azkaban have no eyes; they didn't notice anything."

"He barely recovered from his injuries—though the bones in his hands and feet were somewhat dislocated—and then turned into a rat, crawled into the toilet, and escaped from the cell through the drainpipe." Kingsley tilted his head back slightly, his expression somewhat somber.

"That's normal. Death is more comfortable than staying in a place like that." Sirius seemed to be about to give a cold laugh, but he only twitched his lips. "I know Peter Pettigrew. He couldn't stay there no matter what. He either died or tried every possible way to escape."

Kingsley nodded slowly and continued, "Last night was the time when supplies were being transported to Azkaban. Peter Pettigrew sneaked onto a ship, intending to escape the island on the supply vessel, since he can't swim with his hands and feet..."

"However, the guards soon discovered that a serious offender was missing. Although they couldn't see him, they could smell that a cell was empty. The ship ultimately failed to leave the island."

"The guards began searching the entire island, including the ship. To escape the search, Peter Pettigrew had no choice but to flee back to the island, but he managed to steal a wand from the ship amidst the chaos."

"He couldn't Apparate on the island, so he hid there for hours until the Ministry of Magic's strikers arrived and joined the search, leaving him with less and less room to hide."

"Then he did something crazy." Kingsley paused for a moment before continuing, "He sneaked back into the prison and, while the guards were mostly searching for him outside, unlocked the doors of a large number of hardened criminals' cells."

"Although long prison sentences leave most serious offenders too weak to resist, there are always exceptions, and those are some of the most brutal and dangerous groups."

"Bellatrix Lestrange was one of them. She stole Peter Pettigrew's wand, and at his pleading, took it with her. Then, she and a group of hardened criminals took advantage of a moment of weakness in the defenses and escaped. They even managed to steal two wands from a lone striker..."

"They caused quite a commotion on the island, and several thugs were injured, but the riot was quickly quelled as the guards gathered. The escaped prisoners were all brought back, but Bellatrix took advantage of the chaos to jump into the sea and disappeared."

Kingsley looked at Sirius with a solemn expression and said, "It seems she Apparated after leaving the island and came straight here to find you as soon as she escaped the pursuit."

Sirius slammed his fist against the wall, his expression somber, and said, "I just want to know, what measures can the Ministry of Magic take to protect Harry?"

"I think the Ministry of Magic will hold a meeting to discuss this after dawn," Kingsley glanced at him. "But in reality, no measure is safe enough unless Harry hides where they can't find him. You know, Bellatrix is ​​incredibly audacious and reckless, ruthless and unscrupulous—think of the Longbottoms..."

His voice lowered as he walked towards the door: "I have to go back; I have a lot of work to do. If you need, those two will stay and keep watch for you tonight..."

The conversation faded into the distance and eventually disappeared. The young wizards leaning against the railing exchanged glances and silently turned into the second-floor corridor.

"He managed to escape from there; Peter Pettigrew is quite the escape artist," Owen thought to himself. That guy was a coward, but also incredibly ruthless.

Hermione kept taking quiet breaths: "Unbelievable, there's never been an escape from Azkaban before. They've got their eyes on you, Harry..." She bit her lip worriedly.

"You can come to me, I'll try my best to help." Colin made a boxing gesture and looked at Harry expectantly.

"Don't think too much, I'll be fine," Ha said firmly, as if reassuring himself. The events that had just transpired had indeed cast a heavy shadow over him. Bellatrix's rampant, sinister laugh still seemed vivid in his mind, and the feeling of helplessness and despair weighed heavily on his heart, making him uneasy.

"I'm not afraid," Harry told himself. He had even dealt with Voldemort, so why should he be afraid of his minions?

But what if she did what she did today to Sirius or one of his friends? The thought made Harry feel uneasy again.

"They won't be able to find Sirius and me this summer. Nobody knows where we live. Hogwarts will be safe after school starts..." Harry suddenly choked up, remembering that his two years at Hogwarts had been anything but safe.

"At least Dumbledore's there," he emphasized, trying to convince himself. He wouldn't be killed.

Harry looked at his friends, hoping to gain some confidence from them.

He saw Hermione nod in agreement, then he turned and met Owen's pitying gaze, as if he were already buried in a grave.

"What kind of look is that?" Harry said irritably.

Owen stared at him intently with his dark eyes for a moment, then blinked innocently and asked in a tone that was both teasing and serious, "Hmm, what kind of coffin do you like?"

Harry rolled his eyes, ignoring the guy, and told Hermione and Colin to go back and rest. He decided that he would go back and thoroughly study the notebooks Dumbledore had given him, so that he could become stronger as soon as possible.

After Hermione and Colin went upstairs, Harry crossed his arms and glared angrily at Owen, deliberately saying in a provocative tone, "Aren't you always fearless? Why are you acting like a coward today?"

Irving nodded seriously and said matter-of-factly, "Do you know what kind of people are the most dangerous to mess with?"

Before Harry could speak, he answered his own question: "A madman, especially a reckless madman who doesn't consider the consequences of his actions. Because you can hardly guess what he'll do next, and therefore can't prepare in advance."

"Think about it, an enemy like this is lurking in the shadows, eyeing you with predatory intent, willing to do anything to take your life. She doesn't care about killing innocent bystanders; she'd rather use those around you to torment and break you. You can't guess where she'll strike; you can only anxiously await the day the sword hanging over your head falls..."

Harry felt a dryness in his throat. He swallowed, his already heavy and uneasy mood intensifying. He stammered, "What would you do if you were in my shoes?"

Owen lowered his eyes, his pupils hidden in the shadows like deep black holes, a faint smile playing on his lips: "If it were me... I would set a trap targeting her weakness, turning the tables on her."

His smile suddenly took on a cold and sinister tone, but his voice remained clear and pleasant: "Then seize the opportunity to strike a fatal blow, so that she can never jump out and oppose me again."

Harry froze, inexplicably feeling a chill run down his spine from Owen's words. He rubbed his arms, seriously considering Owen's words, and couldn't help but nod, saying, "That makes sense. We have to catch her in one fell swoop. It's a pity she got away today..."

As for the opponent's weaknesses and how to set up the traps, his mind went completely blank. He was clearly not cut out for this.

Seeing Harry lost in thought, Owen casually wondered if he should stay away from the guy this school year to avoid getting caught in the crossfire or getting splattered with blood.

"Speaking of which, that Auror mentioned the Longbottoms earlier." Harry, no longer dwelling on it, changed the subject, asking about something else that concerned him, "What happened to them? What's their connection to Neville?"

"Well... it's best if Neville tells you himself, when he's willing to talk about it." Owen winked. Gossiping about other people's family affairs behind their backs is anything but polite.

"Alright." Harry nodded heavily, already having a guess in his mind. He knew Neville had been raised by his grandmother.

Just then, a soft footstep came from the stairs. Dobby, looking to be in a good mood, turned into the corridor, bowed deeply to Harry as he passed by the two of them, and cheerfully called out, "Happy birthday, Harry Potter!"

"Thanks, Dobby. Where did you go?" Harry asked.

"Harry Potter! Dobby's gone to prepare the ingredients for breakfast; the kitchen ran out of food at the party!" Dobby said in a high-pitched voice, completely unaware of what was happening in the house. "Now Dobby's going to tidy up the living room. Is there anything Harry Potter needs? Dobby'd be happy to help!"

"Uh, it's okay. Don't overwork yourself. Go back and rest early. You can clean up the living room during the day," Harry said.

"Harry Potter told Dobby to get some rest! Kind Harry Potter actually cares if Dobby is tired..." Dobby was instantly moved to tears. "Dobby isn't tired at all. It's an honor for Dobby to work for Harry Potter..."

Harry spent a long time offering words of comfort before finally, exhausted, seeing off the tearful, grateful house-elf.

Irving yawned, amused by their interaction. Just then, Sirius came upstairs, carrying a locket the size of an egg, its surface adorned with a magnificent "S" shape made of numerous small green gemstones.

Kreacher followed closely behind, his eyes fixed on the locket, as if it would disappear if he looked away even slightly.

"Harry, do you know how to destroy it?" Sirius frowned, clearly having already tried to destroy it without leaving any mark on the locket. "I've never seen anything like it before. Is this a dark magic artifact made by Voldemort?"

"Perhaps," Harry mumbled, deciding to keep Sirius from knowing about the Horcruxes for now. He was afraid Sirius would go looking for them, which was too dangerous with the Azkaban fugitives eyeing them.

"We can destroy it with the basilisk's venom..." Harry said, then remembered that he had left the ring coated with basilisk venom at school. He turned to look at Owen.

Irving lazily shrugged, indicating that he didn't have that thing on hand at the moment.

Harry hesitated for a moment, but ultimately didn't mention that the Fiendfyre curse could also destroy the locket. He didn't want Sirius to worry about it, nor did he want Owen to cast such an evil and terrible spell. Although Owen already knew how to use it, Harry felt it was always better for him to use less dark magic.

"Sigh, why can't these people just give me a break?" Harry thought worriedly, and suggested, "I don't have any basilisk venom here right now, let's deal with it another day."

Irving glanced at him sideways, but didn't expose his little scheme that he could see right through.

"Okay, then I'll keep it safe for now." Sirius said, about to stuff the locket into his pocket.

"Wait!" Harry quickly stopped Sirius's actions. He had witnessed the eerie and terrifying power of Horcruxes before, and although this locket looked harmless, he dared not risk Sirius's safety.

"Let's just leave it with Kreacher," Harry said after thinking for a moment. Since Kreacher has had this locket for so many years without any problems, it's better to let him keep it.

Kreacher looked up excitedly, his gaze softening considerably as he looked at Harry. Sirius raised an eyebrow and tossed the locket over noncommittally.

"I have some basilisk venom at home. Harry, you can come with me to get it after dawn," Owen said with a grin, a playful glint in his eyes. "Remember what I told you last year? I was going to give you a fun little pet."

Harry took a moment to realize what was happening, and his face immediately fell. (End of Chapter)