The four of them settled by the fireplace, kneeling on the floor.
"Good evening, Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione!" Sirius greeted them with a smile. "You all look well."
"We're fine!" Harry responded quickly. "Sirius, where are you?"
"I'm at 12 Grimmauld Place, in the old Black family house," Sirius replied. "It's a safe location, so don't worry about anyone spotting us or overhearing our conversation. But enough about me, tell me what you've observed."
Harry and Ron recounted Karkaroff's unusual behavior that morning. Hermione hesitated but then shared the events from last weekend, including Moody's break-in at Snape's office. Evan added a few additional details.
"So, Moody secretly searched Snape's office at night?" Sirius inquired, showing interest.
"Yes, but it was because Keresys was trying to acquire Gillyweed and set a trap for the young Barty Crouch," Evan explained.
Since Sirius was already involved, Evan decided to use this opportunity to share some information with him. He wanted to inquire about the Ministry of Magic's efforts to track down Death Eaters, the progress of the vampire explorations in the ruins left by the Ancient Warlocks, and any updates on Barty Crouch's situation as an Auror.
However, Evan had kept Barty Crouch Jr.'s true identity and the details of the impersonation of Moody from Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They were unaware of the Unbreakable Vow and had no experience with such a situation. Evan had discussed this with Dumbledore, and they both agreed to keep it a secret for now. Revealing the truth to Harry and Ron could lead to unintended consequences, especially if Barty Crouch Jr. discovered their knowledge.
Sirius had limited information about these matters and could assist Evan in understanding the current situation. Evan also hoped that Sirius, in his capacity as an Auror, might need their help in confronting Voldemort. However, he was cautious about revealing too much, as he didn't want Sirius to rush to Hogwarts out of concern.
"You don't know Moody!" Sirius commented. "The Mad-Eye Man would search every teacher's office when he entered Hogwarts. Moody is someone who trusts very few people, and given his experiences, it's not surprising. But, to be fair to Moody, he never killed an innocent person when he could avoid it. He always brought people back alive when possible, and while he could be rough, he never stooped to the level of a Death Eater."
"So, Snape might actually be up to something!" Harry added. "That's why Moody..."
"It's hard to say," Sirius replied thoughtfully. "I didn't finish my sentence because what you experienced was unusual. From what I know of Mad-Eye Moody, if he were to search Snape's office again, he wouldn't do it so discreetly."
"Yeah, he openly searched Snape's office the day before yesterday in front of everyone; we all saw Snape's reaction..." Harry continued. "But I believe Moody must have been looking for something; he probably suspected Snape was involved in something unsavory."
"Harry, we should trust Snape; Dumbledore trusts him as well!" Hermione interjected.
"Wait a moment, Hermione!" Ron said impatiently. "I know Dumbledore is brilliant and all, but that doesn't mean a really cunning dark wizard can't deceive him."
"Then why did Snape save Harry's life during our first year? Why didn't he just let Harry die?" Hermione countered rhetorically.
"I don't know, maybe he thought Dumbledore would kick him out."
"I think both of you have valid points," Sirius remarked, looking thoughtfully at Ron and Hermione. "To be honest, I've been wondering why Dumbledore hired Snape ever since I heard he was teaching here last year. Snape has always had a fascination with the Dark Arts and was quite notorious for it at school. He was a greasy, sly, and cunning student who knew more spells than half the seventh-year students combined. He was also associated with a Slytherin group that has since become almost exclusively Death Eaters."
Sirius began listing the names of several Death Eaters who had been imprisoned or killed, providing information about their fates.
"Rozier and Wilkes were killed by Aurors a year before Voldemort's fall. Mr. and Mrs. Slytherin are imprisoned in Azkaban. Everly managed to evade imprisonment by claiming he was under the influence of a soul-stealing spell, rendering his actions involuntary. He is still at large, and..." Sirius continued to name several Death Eaters imprisoned in Azkaban, concluding, "Though Snape was never officially accused of being a Death Eater, that doesn't mean much. Many evaded capture, and Snape was cunning and resourceful enough to clear his name completely."
"Plus, there's Karkaroff!" Harry reminded Sirius. "You mentioned that he was a Death Eater too."
"Yes, Karkaroff is indeed a Death Eater," Sirius acknowledged, looking slightly perplexed. "But I'm also unsure about what he showed Snape on his arm. It's quite strange, but if Karkaroff is acting so anxious and seeking out Snape for information..."
He fixed a serious gaze on all four of them before letting out a sigh.
"Hermione is right; Dumbledore trusts Snape, and sometimes Dumbledore places trust in individuals when others might not. But I find it hard to believe that Dumbledore would have allowed Snape to teach at Hogwarts if he had ever truly worked for Voldemort."
A brief silence followed as Sirius continued to observe them all, eventually turning his gaze toward Evan.
"Evan, have you discovered anything else?" he asked softly, noticing that Evan had been quiet.
"Considering that Karkaroff and Snape are both former Death Eaters with shared history, it's not entirely unusual for them to communicate, especially given the current circumstances," Evan began. Then he shifted the conversation towards the Ministry of Magic. "Is there any news from the Ministry of Magic? I've heard that Mr. Barty Crouch is unwell."
"Yes, it has raised alarm at the Ministry, and everyone is aware of it," Sirius confirmed. "It's quite strange; Crouch suddenly claimed to be too ill to come to work. There were no prior indications of his illness, and instead of going to St. Mungo's Hospital, he's been isolating himself at home, at least from what we can observe externally. Only Percy Weasley still receives his instructions..."
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"I asked Percy about it, and he told me that Mr. Crouch was working too hard and is currently recuperating at home. He mentioned that owls would periodically deliver instructions to him, and Percy showed me letters written in Crouch's own handwriting as proof," Sirius explained. "However, it doesn't necessarily mean anything, as Percy hasn't actually seen Mr. Crouch in person."
"I'd say Percy's infatuated with Crouch; he'd love to give him more work," Ron commented dismissively.
"Yeah, Percy's not the only one in the department who's happy that Crouch suddenly fell ill and couldn't come to work," Sirius added. "For all I know, Fudge might view it as a good thing too, as he won't have to consult Crouch on every matter."
Crouch's disappearance had disrupted the fragile power balance within the Ministry of Magic. Fudge would now have complete control over the Ministry without needing Crouch's input, and no one would dare to oppose him. This was far from a positive development, and Evan suspected that Fudge might attempt to diminish Dumbledore's influence next. Fudge desired unchecked power and aimed to suppress anyone or anything that contradicted him. Such a power struggle was exactly what Voldemort wanted to see at this point. As long as internal chaos reigned, the enemy had not yet initiated an external attack – a preferable situation for Voldemort.
The conversation continued for a while, during which Sirius shared that he had been occupied with the Albany Forest Death Incident. He mentioned that he would soon head to Albany, where the Ministry of Magic of Europe and the International Confederation of Wizards had dispatched personnel. He clarified that the outcome of this matter was unrelated to Voldemort and largely hinged on the vampires.
When Evan inquired about the progress of the vampire hunt, Sirius explained that the Ministry of Magic had not made any advancements. Even the vampires that had appeared in the ancient ruins some time ago had disappeared without a trace. They might have achieved their objectives or retreated to more concealed relics, either way, an unsettling development. Evan had his concerns regarding these vampires, particularly since he had learned from Keresys that they didn't all obey his orders. Vampires who ultimately served Voldemort posed a greater threat than typical Death Eaters.
"Well, it's one in the morning; you four should head back to bed," Sirius suggested as he looked into the flames. "If you encounter anything unusual or if your scar hurts again, and the situation becomes unmanageable, don't hesitate to go to Dumbledore. He's the one person in the castle you can trust for help."
It was evident that Sirius also had doubts about Moody, given the unusual behavior he had observed that night.
"I understand," Harry said, maintaining eye contact with Sirius for a moment longer before he and his friends made their way back to their respective bedrooms to sleep. About ten minutes later, Evan quietly returned.
Sirius was waiting for him in the flames, wearing a knowing smile. The ensuing conversation held a lot more significance, with Evan sharing valuable information. Unsurprisingly, after learning the details, Sirius nearly jumped out of the fireplace. Evan had to reveal Dumbledore's plan as well, which helped calm Sirius down momentarily. They both agreed that Sirius would attend the second Quidditch match with Evan to thwart Voldemort's plans.
Despite being aware of the existence of Horcruxes, Evan refrained from mentioning that Harry himself was one. Revealing this information to Sirius would likely be uncontrollable. The current situation was delicate, and Evan had gathered all the allies he could before the start of the second Quidditch match.
In the following days, the school remained relatively calm, with no new gossip reports from Rita Skeeter. Fake Moody, the young Barty Crouch, gradually toned down his erratic behavior. As the time for the second match approached, anticipation grew among the students.
One exciting development was Hagrid's introduction of a new magical creature. He had informed his class that he was done with unicorns and now waited outside his hut with unfamiliar cardboard boxes at his feet. The students were eager to see what creature he would reveal.
"Please, please, not a Blast-Ended Skrewt!" Colin muttered, a sense of dread washing over him.
Gabrielle, on the other hand, had a different perspective. She found Hagrid's lessons fascinating and didn't share Colin's concerns. She was likely the only student who looked forward to Hagrid's classes.
Unfortunately, Hagrid hadn't fully recovered from the incident with Madame Maxime. He rarely ventured near Beauxbatons' carriage or appeared at the same time as Madame Maxime. Harry had even witnessed Hagrid vigorously digging in front of his hut not too long ago. Madame Maxime had approached him, seemingly wanting to talk, but Hagrid, with his shovel, had remained uncommunicative. She eventually returned to her carriage.
The incident had taken a toll on Hagrid, affecting his demeanor toward the Beauxbatons students. However, Gabrielle's angelic charm seemed to break through. Hagrid hadn't intended to engage with her initially but ended up introducing the new magical creatures in the cardboard boxes to her.
The creatures were fluffy and black, with long noses and flat front paws resembling shovels. They were quite peculiar and blinked curiously at the class when they heard students approaching.
"These are Nifflers!" Hagrid announced. "You usually find 'em in mines, they're attracted to shiny stuff."
Evan had seen illustrations of these magical creatures before but hadn't expected them to be so adorable. In his opinion, Sniffers seemed to exist purely because they were cute.
The girls were drawn to them, much like they had been when encountering a unicorn. The atmosphere was harmonious until one of the Nifflers unexpectedly jumped up and attempted to bite a watch off a student's wrist, disrupting the tranquility.