Over Hogwarts, Ivan, in his owl form, flapped his wings and sped away from the castle.
The Dementors scattered around the school occasionally swooped through the air, oblivious to the owl.
Because they were ordered by the Ministry of Magic to catch an escaped wizard, not some flying animal…
Not to mention there were so many owls going in and out of the castle every day that no Dementor would notice…
This made Ivan's movements much more convenient. Within a few moments of flight, the Whomping Willow was in sight, and in the distance, Ivan could see a large black dog crouched silently beside the tree.
As Ivan approached, the black dog noticed the grey-white owl in the sky.
Having seen Ivan in his human form before, it immediately recognised him. Its face lit up and it growled in a low voice. It then crawled into a large hole under the Whomping Willow and gestured for Ivan to follow it.
Ivan nodded and flapped his wings to follow.
Inside the cave was a very deep, very long tunnel that went on forever…
At the end of the passage was a room that appeared to have been disused. The walls were pitted, the white wallpaper peeling, the brick floor stained, the furniture broken, signs of damage and gnawing…
Before Ivan could take a closer look, Sirius appeared in his human form.
'Hales! Guess you didn't keep me waiting this time…' Sirius teased.
"You know, I had a lot on my plate at the beginning of the school year, and I couldn't find the time to see you…" Ivan explained, embarrassed that he had kept Sirius waiting for almost a month.
Fortunately, Sirius didn't seem to care about this, and after a bit of teasing, he became serious. "Well, enough about that! Last time, time was of the essence, and there were things I didn't get a chance to tell you! I bet you can't imagine who I saw in Knockturn Alley!"
"It's my mother, Alicia, isn't it?" Ivan guessed.
"You do?" Sirius was taken aback, his expression one of surprise. He had intended to tell Ivan as a pleasant surprise.
He was nearly beaten to a pulp by a pack of werewolves that appeared out of nowhere, but he managed to escape in his Animagus form.
At the same time, Sirius noted that Ivan was much more peaceful today than he had been a few months ago, his face devoid of gloom.
"I told you I'd find a way…" Yvonne said, not bothering to explain.
Sirius gave him a long, hard look. He did hear Ivan say something like that, but at the time, he thought they were just words of comfort, so he didn't mind…
They did not expect Ivan to be able to bring the dead back to life!
Sirius couldn't figure it out. During the first few months of school, Ivan was always so gloomy, and there was no way he was faking it!
It was on this basis, combined with the confessions of the four black-robed wizards, that Sirius was able to confirm that Alicia was dead.
Thus, when Ivan went to Hogwarts to attend classes, he continued to investigate the cause of Asia's death in private.
If not for the fact that Alicia's appearance had not changed much over the past decade, he would have thought he had the wrong person…
Sirius wanted to ask Ivan how he managed to save a man he believed to be dead within a month.
After all, Ivan's attitude earlier undoubtedly implied that he had something to do with Alicia's "resurrection."
However, seeing Ivan's reluctance to speak further, Sirius hesitated for a moment before deciding not to pursue the matter.
Ivan changed the subject to talk to Sirius about Alicia's current situation, as he wanted to know what had happened in Knockturn Alley after he left and what had happened to her and Fran.
'Your mother seemed well, and your family's wizarding shop reopened shortly after you left…' Sirius said briefly to Ivan.
He didn't know much more than that, and when he found out that Alicia was still alive, Sirius eagerly sneaked off to Hogwarts to explain the situation to Ivan, but Ivan didn't come to him…
Sirius then remembered something and said, "By the way, do you remember the Borgin and Burkes shop we searched? The sign had recently been taken off and the owner had changed!"
"Do you know who the new boss is?" Yvonne asked.
"I'm not familiar with that person, but the signboard is quite interesting. It's called St Mungo's Hospital for Magic…"
Sirius was left speechless. This was the first time he had ever seen a hospital with a sign that said St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
When Ivan heard the name of the sign, he instantly guessed who the new boss was. "Duggart!" he said through gritted teeth.
If he remembered correctly, the old man had told him three months ago that Borgin and Burkes was being watched by a lot of difficult people and that it would be best if he didn't get ideas about it.
Who would have thought that this bastard would do it himself…
'What's the matter? Is that man one of your enemies?' Sirius was intrigued by Ivan's anger.
"No, it's nothing," Ivan said, shaking his head. "I was just tricked."
The location of Borgin and Burkes was good, and it served as a halfway house for Knockturn Alley, so it was better to be taken by Doggett than by anyone else.
Besides, he had accidentally blown up Doggett's house, so it would not be wise to go after him…
Sirius raised his eyebrows and, oblivious to the situation, skipped the subject, saying, "In that case, let's talk about Peter!
I remember you telling me that you would bring Peter to me if I helped you with your mother, Alicia!"
"Of course, I'm not wrong," Ivan said. "It's just that we're in a bit of trouble now… I can give you the rat any time I want, but it's going to be hard to clear your name and live openly in the wizarding world."