The Gryffindor common room was in a state of disarray. Despite the chaos, the Weasley twins were adamant about continuing the celebration. Professor McGonagall, looking quite displeased, shut the door with a forceful thud. She had initially thought the uproar was a result of Gryffindor's victory over Ravenclaw. While she shared in the joy, she believed that maintaining order within the school was paramount.
Percy Weasley found himself at the center of criticism. Many argued that he should have enforced order in the common room instead of allegedly using his position as Head Boy to sanction the ongoing festivities. "I didn't approve, Professor!" Percy protested, visibly upset and swelling with indignation like a pufferfish under threat. "I was on the verge of sending everyone to bed when Ron claimed he had a nightmare."
"It wasn't a nightmare!" Ron interjected, unable to tolerate the misrepresentation of his experience. "Professor, I woke up to find Sirius Black standing by my bed, wielding a knife!" His voice trembled with fear, and a hint of resentment towards Percy for belittling his ordeal was evident.
Professor McGonagall looked at him with a mix of surprise and skepticism, as if she were addressing a child awakened from a bad dream. "Don't make a fool of yourself, Weasley," she chided, pointing towards the portrait hole. "How could he possibly have gotten through there?"
"Ask him!" Ron insisted, confident in what he had seen. He gestured towards Sir Cadogan's portrait. "Ask him if he saw anything!"
Despite her reservations, Professor McGonagall approached the portrait and inquired, "Sir Cadogan, did you permit a man to enter Gryffindor Tower just now?"
Sir Cadogan responded with a booming voice, filled with a sense of grandeur. "Of course, my honorable lady! I diligently followed the protocols of gatekeeping, as befits a knight of my standing." His declaration resonated through the common room, lending credence to Ron's claim.
"You did what?" Professor McGonagall was aghast. "Was this intentional or an accident?"
"He had the password!" Sir Cadogan announced proudly. "A week's worth of passwords, my lady! He read them from a note!"
Intentional, then. Professor McGonagall's expression turned to one of disbelief and anger as she quickly returned to the common room, her face pale. "Who," she demanded, her voice shaking, "is the complete fool who wrote down this week's passwords and carelessly discarded them?"
As her question hung in the air, two individuals visibly paled. Neville Longbottom, trembling, raised his hand and whispered, "I'm sorry, Professor. I... I can't seem to remember the passwords." He looked as though he wished the ground would swallow him whole, his body shaking with fear.
Professor McGonagall fixed Neville with a stern gaze, frustrated by his forgetfulness. She decided to postpone dealing with him, as the immediate priority was to search the castle for Sirius Black.
In the crowd, Hermione Granger clutched her book tightly, her eyes wide with disbelief and shock. She, too, had written down the passwords, having given the note to John.
Meanwhile, John was preoccupied with the Marauder's Map, tracking a moving dot that represented Sirius Black. "This guy is incredibly fast," he mused, finding it difficult to keep up despite his regular physical training. "We both have two legs; how can he be so much faster?"
Activating his enchanted shoes, John's speed surged. The staircases had previously hindered his pace, but now on flat ground, he had no such constraints. His speed increased dramatically, and he quickly closed the distance between himself and the moving dot.
After navigating a spiral staircase, John opted for a daring leap to the bottom. Upon landing, a gentle, magical force cushioned his fall—a protective enchantment of Hogwarts designed to prevent injuries from falls. John was hot on the heels of Sirius Black, their chase weaving through the corridors of Hogwarts with the familiarity of seasoned players in this game of cat and mouse. As John neared the exit, a large black dog burst through the doors of Hogwarts, its form blurring into an afterimage as it raced into the night. Behind them, Filch, the caretaker, stumbled in his pursuit, humorously wishing the onlookers an early New Year as he mixed up his left foot with his right. He watched the fading afterimage with a sense of desperation, questioning if age had finally caught up with him, rendering him unable to keep pace with the youth of today.
Unaware of Filch's futile chase, John had eyes only for Sirius. He knew that continuing this pursuit would take him beyond the boundaries mapped by the Marauder's Map, but he didn't hesitate. Activating the stored energy in his meteor shoes, a brilliant light emanated from them, propelling him forward at an astonishing speed, leaving nothing but a fleeting afterimage in his wake.
Ahead, the large black dog began to slow, its movements betraying exhaustion. Its black, fluffy coat and bear-like appearance were unmistakable—it was Sirius Black. Without a second thought, John increased his speed and, with a ten-meter gap closing rapidly, he leaped forward. The force of his jump was so great it left a crater in the ground, reminiscent of a superhero in action. As he flew through the air, a powerful kick aimed directly at the dog's midsection, John thought, "First, neutralize the threat!"
Meanwhile, Sirius Black, unaware of the imminent danger, was focused on evading capture. No one knew the castle's secret passages better than him, and he used this knowledge to navigate towards the Forbidden Forest, where he had established a hideout with the help of new allies. However, his recent indulgence in dog food had left him out of shape, and he found himself tiring quickly. Just as he decided to slow down, a familiar scent caught his attention, but before he could identify it, a forceful kick sent him flying. The impact was so severe that Sirius was sure he had broken bones. He tumbled across the ground, finally coming to a halt against the railing at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Sirius struggled to his feet, coughing up blood and fragments of his spleen, staring in disbelief at John, who had skidded to a stop, leaving deep gouges in the earth. "What kind of wizard resorts to physical violence? Where's your wand? Your magic?" Sirius thought, dazed from the blow. Despite the severe pain, his Animagus resilience allowed him to stand, albeit shakily.
John, surprised by Sirius's ability to withstand such a kick, prepared for another confrontation. Drawing his wand, he faced Sirius with a cold determination. "Sirius Black, reveal yourself or I'll force you to," he demanded.
After a moment of silence, under John's unwavering gaze, Sirius transformed. The large black dog morphed into the true form of Sirius Black, revealing a man who, despite his gaunt appearance and pallid skin, bore the unmistakable signs of a powerful wizard. His transformation was so seamless that John could detect the subtle magic at work, a testament to Sirius's skill.
The standoff between them was tense, each assessing the other, ready for what would come next in this unexpected encounter. John observed the man before him, who bore a striking, albeit unkempt, resemblance to Snape. Covered in grime and oil, it was evident that personal hygiene, including the use of shampoo, had long been abandoned. Sirius Black, upon noticing John's Slytherin uniform, offered a grim smile, revealing a set of yellowed teeth. The sight was unsettling, and the odor of his breath suggested it had been ages since he last brushed his teeth.
"John Wick," Sirius addressed him, his voice raspy. He rested a hand on his gaunt left side, coughing up blood—a clear sign of his deteriorating health. Despite his condition, Sirius's demeanor was defiant.
John assessed Sirius with a critical eye. "Seems you're in no shape to run now," he remarked dryly.
Sirius's smile widened, though it did little to mask his grimace. "You're a formidable wizard, I'll give you that," he conceded, his eyes gleaming with a mix of respect and challenge. "But don't make the mistake of underestimating an adult wizard."
With that, Sirius produced a wand and aimed it at John. John's brow furrowed in confusion and suspicion. Where had Sirius acquired the wand? And why did it look eerily familiar? It dawned on him then—Sirius hailed from a family notorious for their thievery.
John, however, was not one to be caught off guard. Believing in the advantage of striking first, he acted without hesitation. A burst of white light emanated from his wand, meeting the spell cast by Sirius. The two engaged in a fierce duel on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, their spells illuminating the darkened woods with flashes of light and energy.
The battle was intense, with each wizard demonstrating skill and determination. John, despite his youth, matched Sirius blow for blow, proving that age and experience were not the only factors in a wizard's prowess. As the duel progressed, it became clear that this was not just a test of magical ability, but a clash of wills and ideologies.
_________
If you are tired of reading I also have this converted to an audio novel on my youtube
https://www.youtube.com/@NovelAudioForge/featured
Direct Link to playlist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_Hg-qsW4rM&list=PLKskshYG-OcPTR4-Nw7IWFEBZm07D8pBV&ab_channel=NovelAudioForge