Crookshanks lazily stretched his furry body, curling up into a cozy round shape on the messy pile of dried grass. However, the temperature inside the dark and damp cave was too low, and the grass beneath him couldn't provide any warmth. He felt a chill run through his spine, making him shiver slightly.
Dumbledore still hadn't returned to Hogwarts.
This was the news brought by Crookshanks today. For the large black dog, this was undoubtedly good news. But when he thought about the powerful wizard currently occupying Hogwarts, the large black dog couldn't help but feel discouraged and hopeless.
On the day of Harry's match, he was hiding under the stands of the Quidditch pitch and witnessed firsthand the commotion caused by the young and mysterious wizard named Bryan Watson. It was a shocking and terrifying sight for the staff and students present, including himself.
Since the failed infiltration of Hogwarts, he had been looking for the right opportunity to try again. Originally, with Dumbledore away from the school and the Dementors no longer guarding the entrance, it was the perfect time to strike. However, that unpredictable and dangerous young wizard made him hesitate and refrain from taking any action.
It was only later that he learned that the young wizard was Bryan Watson, the Director of Student Safety Office appointed by Albus Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic. Dumbledore had set up this non-existent position specifically to target him. He had given Watson the authority to monitor and protect the students, as well as to capture and interrogate any intruders.
Dumbledore had basically handed Watson all the tools he needed to hunt him down and kill him. So, until he could figure out what kind of arrangements Watson had made to catch him, he didn't want to take any unnecessary risks. After all, the consequence of another failure could be death. He wasn't afraid of death, but at the very least, he wanted to kill that despicable traitor.
He had already planned that the next opportunity to strike would be during the Christmas holiday in two week's time. By then, the young wizards in the school would have left to spend the holiday with their families, and it was highly likely that the staff, including Bryan Watson, would also be away. According to the information he had gathered, Harry and the boy named Ron had spent their Christmas holidays at the school for the past few years. If Dumbledore also hadn't returned, it would be a rare opportunity to strike.
The night grew darker, and the biting cold wind rushed in through the narrow entrance of the cave. The already icy cave became even colder, as if it was a giant freezer. The large black dog, with frost on its fur and breath, thought to itself while shivering uncontrollably. He wished he had a warm blanket, or a fire, or anything that could make him feel less cold.
Meow– Seeing the large black dog shaking like a leaf, Crookshanks stretched its limbs and stood up, pointing with its gloomy and concerned eyes in a certain direction outside the cave.
'Go to the Shrieking Shack to escape the cold night?'
The large black dog understood Crookshanks' suggestion, but after a moment of hesitation, it refused the suggestion. The Shrieking Shack was now Bryan's experimental site, and he could return at any moment. Even though he was currently in his Animagus form and the chances of being recognized were slim, Black didn't want to risk a direct confrontation with him.
The large black dog whimpered and struggled to express its thoughts to Crookshanks, but Crookshanks still pointed to the Shrieking Shack with its gaze and meowed softly.
'The professor hadn't returned for two months, and he had probably forgotten about that place.'
'But there were still Aurors and Dementors patrolling the village, and if they rushed to the Shrieking Shack, the situation would be just as bad.'
The large black dog hesitated, but it took some effort to make Crookshanks understand what "Aurors" and "Dementors" represented.
'Those 'things' haven't been to that house—' Crookshanks' whiskers trembled, and its amber eyes shot out sharp light. The meaning expressed in the following meows made the large black dog's vigilance completely collapse:
'You will freeze to death if you stay here.'
Crookshanks was right. The large black dog knew that he couldn't survive another night in the cave.
|SCENE-BREAK|
After Bryan had meticulously checked every possible trace of Black passing through the secret passages in Hogwarts Castle, including the mirror on the fourth floor that led to a hidden corridor and the passage to Honeydukes' basement that Harry had used last time, it was already two o'clock in the middle of the night.
The moon was high in the sky, casting a pale and eerie light over the snow-covered grounds.
Creak-creak!
The snow on the Quidditch pitch, which had been cleared just yesterday morning by the diligent house elves, was now thick enough to reach Bryan's knees after more than ten hours of continuous snowfall. The world was like a frozen moment captured in a Muggle photograph, silent and cold like the surface of the moon. The only sound was the crunching of the snow under Bryan's boots as he walked towards the edge of the pitch.
On the edge of the Quidditch pitch, the magical Whomping Willow's branches were swaying wildly in the biting wind, as if trying to ward off any intruders. Bryan Watson stood outside its attack range, silently gazing at it with his keen and curious eyes. For some reason, he had a feeling that he would discover something here, something that would bring him closer to his elusive target.
Hogwarts, draped in a white cloak of snow, was in a deep sleep. The windows of the castle were dark and empty, except for a few flickering lights in the towers.
Hagrid's hut by the Forbidden Forest was also dark and silent, as the half-giant gamekeeper was probably snoring in his bed, unaware of Bryan's presence. Bryan took a deep breath and suddenly felt his lungs uncomfortable. The air was so cold that it felt like needles piercing his chest. The temperature of this winter reminded him of the winter when he was born into this world, in a remote and desolate place where magic was scarce and life was harsh.
Humm– An inconspicuous buzzing was quickly carried away by the howling wind. Bryan Watson waved his wand, and a magic shield the color of snow enveloped his body. It was a simple but effective charm that would protect him from the cold and the attacks of the Whomping Willow. He took a step into the attack range of the Whomping Willow, ready to face its wrath.
Like a dragon whose territory was being invaded, this ancient and precious magical plant suddenly became furious. Hundreds of branches whipped through the north wind like whips, making a crackling sound as they broke the ice and snow on their way. They aimed at Bryan with deadly accuracy, trying to hit him with all their might.
Snowflakes flew in all directions, creating a blizzard-like effect that obscured Bryan's vision.
The surface of the translucent magic shield was like a calm lake being hit by raindrops. Under the intense whipping, ripples appeared one after another, showing the impact of the branches. Bryan slowly pulled out his leg, which was deeply buried in the snow, and with each step, he braved the fierce attacks of the Whomping Willow, until he reached its sturdy roots.
Bryan's penetrating gaze had already broken through the layers of snow and the entangled vines, seeing through the hidden entrance beneath. With a light flick of his wand, the frozen snowflakes floated lightly, revealing the entrance of the tunnel. It was a small and round hole, barely big enough for a person to squeeze through. He crouched down and carefully observed the traces at the entrance.
The soil beneath the snowy layer was frozen solid, and the rough surface of the soil showed no footprints left by humans, but it was filled with the messy footprints of cats and dogs. They were of different sizes and shapes, indicating that they belonged to different breeds and individuals. Bryan recognized some of them, as he had seen them around the castle and the village.
"Hmm Crookshanks and Fang?" Bryan Watson murmured.
In the past couple of months, the only rainfall was during the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff match. After that, the temperature suddenly dropped, and there hadn't been any warm sunny days since then. This week, it had been snowing for several days. So, the footprints left at that time were fortunately preserved, and not erased by the weather.
Bryan estimated that they were made about a week ago, based on the depth and shape of the footprints. He also noticed that there were more footprints going into the tunnel than coming out, suggesting that some of the animals had stayed inside for a while, or had not come out at all.
Judging from the footprints alone, it seemed that Black didn't enter Hogwarts through this secret passage. However, Bryan still had doubts. Since Fang knew about the secret passage under the Whomping Willow, Hagrid must also know, but he hadn't mentioned it to him. In any case, he still had to go down and take a look.
Bryan stared at the dark cave entrance for a while, confirming that there was no movement below, then he lit his wand and conjured a gentle breeze to surround him, supporting him as he floated down slowly. He didn't want to make any noise, or disturb any possible traps or wards that might be set up in the tunnel. He wanted to be as stealthy and cautious as possible, as he didn't know what awaited him at the other end of the tunnel.
The entrance of the tunnel was a very smooth slope, and the ground of the tunnel was dry, without any accumulation of rain or snow. However, the problem was that the tunnel was too low. Bryan had to bend over to stand inside, and it seemed that this secret passage was not meant for wizards of normal height. It was more suitable for smaller creatures, such as cats and dogs, or perhaps children.
The dusty ground still only had footprints left by cats and dogs, without any traces of goblins or house elves. This disappointed Bryan Watson. He had hoped that he would find some clues or evidence that would link Black to the tunnel. But he found nothing, nothing but the footprints of animals that had nothing to do with him. So, after a brief moment of contemplation, he gave up the idea of walking step by step to the other end of the tunnel.
Huuu– A gloomy and silent shadow swiftly passed through the narrow and cramped tunnel, like a ghost in the night. Bryan observed the tunnel and the space above it with his unique magical vision, which allowed him to see beyond the normal spectrum of light. He found that the tunnel did indeed extend towards Hogsmeade, the wizarding village that was close to Hogwarts.
If he were to walk the distance of two to three miles, it would probably take a couple of hours, especially with the low ceiling and the uneven ground. But Bryan flew over in just a few minutes, Then, after a long and steep slope, He transformed back into his wizard form because the exit was approaching. He didn't want to be caught off guard by anything or anyone that might be waiting for him on the other side.
Disillusionment, Bubble-head, levitation-- Bryan applied a series of spells to himself, and then continued along the slope. After a few more minutes, he reached a sharp bend. The tunnel curved to the right, and he couldn't see what was beyond it. He took a deep breath and took a step forward.
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