New Term

"Loren, Loren, are you listening?" Hermione waved her hand in front of Loren's eyes.

Loren snapped out of his reverie, his icy gaze instantly melting away. He shook his head at Hermione and chuckled, "It's nothing, I was just a little distracted."

"Oh, right, I need to use the restroom. I'll be right back." After saying that, Loren got up from his seat and quickly slipped out of the Great Hall.

Watching his figure slowly walk away, Hermione turned to look at Professor Black in the High Table. The little Witch's eyes were deep; she certainly didn't think she had just hallucinated.

The dinner proceeded in a joyful atmosphere, and among so many exciting events, Harry couldn't tell which was the most wonderful or the most amazing.

After the banquet, the Prefect led the young wizards from each house back to their respective Common Room.

As for whether they would have any celebrations later, the professors didn't ask any further questions. Professor McGonagall simply told Filch that the lights-out time would be postponed by an hour.

The Common Room of Gryffindor.

"Where's Harry? Where did Harry go?" George slapped Ron hard on the back, making a loud thud.

"We're going to celebrate! All night long! All night long!" Fred joined in, the two of them sounding like they were playing some kind of percussion instrument.

The three were surrounded by excited little wizards who couldn't wait to start their celebratory party.

To prevent his older brother from being accused of murdering him on the first night of the new school term, Ron, enduring the pain in his chest, shouted, "He went to see his godfather! Professor Black is his godfather!"

This answer sparked a murmur among the young wizards. With one less Champion in the group, they could only vent their frustration on the other Champion.

Angelina wrapped her long arms around Hermione and pulled her into her embrace. She then surrounded Hermione with a group of sparkling little Witch, separating Hermione from the boys and allowing Hermione to accept their questions and compliments.

Hermione was swept away by the crowd. She looked back and saw Loren saying something in the group of boys, seemingly drawing all the attention to Ron.

In the last moment before her vision was obscured, she saw Loren turn his head and give her a mischievous smile...

Meanwhile, Harry led Sirius Black Black to the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor's office with practiced ease. The House-elf had already tidied up; apart from the furniture and furnishings remaining unchanged, even the crevices in the corners had been carefully cleaned.

"This office looks so much better without Lockhart's photos and portraits!" Harry happily showed Black. "What do you think, Professor Black?"

"To be honest, this title sounds a bit strange. I guess it will take me a while to get used to it," Black laughed.

A House-elf emerged from the lounge, her voice high-pitched but equally joyful. "The room inside is very clean, Dobby has made your bed and unpacked your suitcase!"

Seeing the familiar House-elf, Harry's eyes widened, and he exclaimed, "Dobby! What are you doing here?"

"Sirius Black Black freed Dobby!" the House-elf exclaimed in a shrill, high-pitched voice. Dobby looked up at Harry, moonlight streaming in from the nearest window and illuminating his round eyes. "Sirius Black has Dobby Black!"

Harry was stunned. He turned to Black, pointed at Dobby, and asked, "What's going on here?"

"Oh, that's a long story..." Black raised an eyebrow and began to recount how he attended a banquet at the Malfoy Manor, bumped into Dobby, and eventually bought Dobby from Narcissa.

"That's not all!" Dobby proudly held up the shoulder strap of his vest. "Merciful Master Black gave Dobby a vest, and he set Dobby free!"

Seeing Harry's still somewhat puzzled look, Black explained, "The condition for House-elf to gain freedom is to receive something from its master, such as clothing. It doesn't necessarily have to be the master's clothing; anything given by the master will do."

Dobby pulled up the other strap of his vest at the opportune moment and bounced around in front of Harry to show off.

Black, seeing this, felt a pang of pain in his teeth. "That's not a vest at all, it's just a piece of cloth from the old house's garbage dump."

"So, now that I'm asking you about what happened before, you're not going to bang your head against the wall, are you?" Harry seized the opportunity and asked all his previous questions at once.

"... It started with Master Malfoy, who seemed to have put something on one of you. Then guests came and said there was a young wizard involved with Werewolf. They also mentioned the great Harry Potter, and that they wanted to harm Harry Potter. To warn Harry Potter, Dobby those things."

"Things?" Harry was puzzled. He remembered Voldemort mentioning the Horcrux Diary in the Chamber of Secrets of Chamber of Secrets, and that it had been destroyed by Loren.

So, Lucius Malfoy and Voldemort wanted to harm them, but their carefully prepared plan was destroyed by Loren long ago.

Harry was both amused and annoyed. He complained to Dobby, "You broke my arm in Quidditch Match because of information you didn't even know properly, and almost killed me?"

Dobby guiltily looked away.

"Promise me, Dobby, you won't try to protect me anymore," Harry said, still shaken.

A bright smile suddenly bloomed on the House-elf's ugly, reddish-brown face, revealing a mouthful of teeth.

"I've spoken to Dumbledore about Dobby. He's working in the Kitchen at Hogwarts now, Dumbledore pays him one Galleon a week," Black said, waving Dobby. "You can focus on your work at the school from now on. You don't need to come and take care of me."

Dobby slowly stepped back and nodded to the two of them. "Dobby will repay you. Dobby will use the money he earns to pay back Mr. Black!"

He clenched his slender fingers together, snapped them, and disappeared.

After the House-elf left, Black went around to the desk and sat down in the professor's seat.

Experiencing this perspective made Black feel incredibly awkward. He simply pulled out a chair and sat next to Harry, which finally made him feel comfortable.

Black shifted his position. "Don't let your guard down. Remember what he just said about Werewolf? We still don't know why Malfoy and his ilk are involved with Werewolf."

Harry shook his head dismissively. "Whatever the Werewolf want to do, this is a school, and Dumbledore is here."

Werewolf... school... Dumbledore...

Upon hearing these words, Black seemed somewhat dazed.

A year after his release, he still hasn't figured out how to face Moony. He acted too impulsively; there were clearly better ways to handle it—to ensure Wormtail Peter received the punishment he deserved, to ensure Harry received proper care, to ensure Lupin ...

In just two days, best friends turned on each other, betrayed each other, and killed one another. Three people died, one fled, and one went to prison. He couldn't bear to think about how Lupin had survived those days.

Harry fiddled with the trinkets on the table. Although he wasn't worried about his safety, he wanted to find out what Voldemort's minions and Werewolf were plotting.

There's no information about Werewolf at school, and the Defense Against the Dark Arts hasn't covered anything about Werewolf yet. However, I do seem to have some vague impressions of Werewolf.

"Werewolf ... Werewolf ..." Harry muttered, then suddenly exclaimed, "I remember now, it's Hermione! For a while she was reading the Daily Prophet, saying that the Ministry of Magic had passed a new Anti-Werewolf Law!"

He recalled, counting on his fingers, "It seemed that the bill would squeeze the living space of all Werewolf, making it impossible for them to find work to fill their stomachs... Hermione said that it was discrimination, and many gentle and kind Werewolf would be forced to do bad things."

As if he had heard some news, Black's expression turned anxious. "Anything else? Is there any other news?"

Harry shook his head; he'd heard all of this from Hermione.

Black's eyes flickered, and after a moment of silence, he asked hesitantly, "Harry, if—and I mean if—one day you and your best friend have a conflict, and you do something wrong that will have a big impact on your friend, would you take the initiative to go to him?"

Harry gave a blank "Ah": "I don't know. Loren and Hermione are always right. Ron and I don't get into conflicts with them. Ron and I do argue occasionally, but Loren and Hermione don't get involved in our stupid things, and then Ron and I make up the next day."

"That's nice..." Black's face showed a look of reminiscence. Through Harry's description, he seemed to see the former "Marauders" group.

The Prongs always does stupid things, the Moony with his fuzzy little quirks, and... thinking of that damned Wormtail, Black's face contorted in a grimace.

Harry glanced cautiously at Sirius Black, sensing something odd about his godfather. He tentatively asked, "Have you had a falling out with your friend?"

"Kid, don't ask questions you shouldn't." Black shook his head, clearing his mind of the jumbled thoughts. "You should go back to the Common Room; your friends might be waiting for you."

He stood up and escorted Harry to the office door. As he closed the door and returned, he noticed the full-length mirror he'd previously overlooked and muttered to Black, "This mirror is way too big."

At a certain angle, the mirror reflected the candlelight on the ceiling, making Black's eyes glaze over. He shook his head, disdainfully flipped the mirror over, and it looked much better now.

After preparing for tomorrow's first lesson, washing up, and changing into his pajamas, Black, exhausted from his journey, fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

"... hair tie..."

"... puff pastry..."

A faint hawking voice drifted from afar. Sirius Black opened his eyes and found himself in the center of an unfamiliar room.

A desk, a chair, a bookshelf... the room is furnished like an office. A suitcase sits in the corner. Most strangely, there is a huge mirror by the door, almost taller than a person.

Who on earth would use such a large mirror...? A strange thought flashed through Sirius Black's mind, and many images followed. He slowly remembered—he had come here to chase after Wormtail.

James and Lily had been hunted by Voldemort and his minions multiple times. For their safety, and also for the safety of his one-year-old godson, he secretly replaced the Secret Keeper with Wormtail Peter, while he himself openly attracted the Death Eater.

As a result, that Wormtail Peter betrayed his trust!

A surge of anger welled up inside Black. He kicked open the door and strode out.

As soon as I stepped outside, I saw the bakery across the street. A young couple was buying cream puffs with their son, and the shop assistant was chatting and laughing with them. Outside was a bustling Muggle street, with vendors selling odds and ends of handicrafts.

At a small bookstall by the roadside, a little boy with black hair and black eyes suddenly turned to look at him. There were only two books on a white animal fur in front of the boy, which looked very strange.

The little boy tilted his head, standing some distance away, but his voice sounded as if right next to him, "If we keep chasing, a tragedy will occur, and many people will die. The people here are all Muggle; they shouldn't be fighting here, should they?"

Sirius Black felt a little dizzy, and a vague sense of unease crept over him. A series of strange images flashed through his mind: the sound of explosions and flames, overturned floors, exposed sewer pipes, and wailing crowds...

It moved incredibly fast, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

The family of three who had bought their desserts at the bakery were strolling along the street, chatting and laughing. Ahead of them, Wormtail Peter's fleeing figure flashed past them, about to disappear from sight.

Sirius Black didn't have time to think. He gripped his wand tightly and chased after him. "Wormtail Peter! You will pay for your actions!"

The explosion burst into flames, like a monstrous wave, engulfing the entire street and burning everything to ashes.

In his hazy state, Sirius Black heard a crisp sound, like the cracking of ice on Black Lake, as if a crack was spreading along the glass.

In the void of a silvery mirror, he vaguely recalled his recent experience. He had forgotten many things and returned to the moment when he was chasing Wormtail Peter.

"Is it... a dream?"

Why would I have such a dream?

Is it because he thought of Lupin tonight and regretted his choice back then?

As for the innocent Muggle were caught in the crossfire... Sirius Black felt no remorse whatsoever. He thought he should perhaps write a letter to Lupin and have a proper chat about what happened back then...

The sound of shattering mirror rang out, Sirius Black opened his eyes again, finding himself in the center of an unfamiliar room.

Pushing open the door, he saw a boy with black hair and black eyes sitting on the side of the street, tilting his head to look at him with indifferent eyes and an ethereal voice. "... It shouldn't be here, should it?"

the next day.

The second-year wizards were full of anticipation for the new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor. After all, at least they were rid of that incompetent professor Lockhart, and Defense Against the Dark Arts would no longer be a sitcom.

The Protestantism, Black, looked somewhat listless, with bloodshot eyes and chapped, chapped lips, making him appear rather unwell.

Hermione scrutinized Professor Black. Although she had no evidence, a certain intuition told the little Witch that something was amiss.

Loren calmly looked at Black on the stage, his heart unmoved... He had no intention of torturing Black; if Black showed remorse, the illusion would be easily defeated.

But if he remains obstinate, the illusion will become his nightmare, forcing Black to make choices time and time again.

Black's voice was far more spirited than his appearance; he spoke with great enthusiasm and exuberance, "A young wizard told me that your Defense Against the Dark Arts started missing right here, so—"

He grabbed the silk cloth beside him and ripped it open, revealing a cage full of Cornish Pixies.

They were dark blue all over, about eight inches tall, with small, pointed faces. Their voices were very sharp and shrill, like many budgies arguing. As soon as the silk cloth was removed, they would start screeching, jumping up and down, shaking their cages, and making faces at the students.

Actually, when Lockhart first brought out these House-elf, the young wizards didn't think much of them. But after their experience of being tormented, things were different when they met again.

A suppressed scream erupted from the audience.

"Don't scream, it will provoke them," Black said humorously, trying to ease the students' stress.

Neville, who was standing in the front row, moved back after seeing what was in the cage. "I don't want to experience being hung from the ceiling again. Remember to protect me."

Seamus tiptoed to put his arm around his shoulder, adopting an older brotherly posture to comfort him, "Please, my friend, you've fought a python before, so show some Gryffindor courage."

"You've never been hung from the ceiling, so of course you're saying that," Neville muttered, taking a few more steps back.

Harry laughed and said, "Don't worry, Sirius Black is different from Lockhart. He's not a good-for-nothing."

Black pulled a Cornish Pixies from the cage, pointed his wand at it, and shouted, "Remember the special spell— Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"

The pale green light from the magic wand struck the House-elf, causing it to instantly curl up, its wings folding neatly against its back, making it look like an uneven ball.

"It actually works! I thought Lockhart made this spell up." Seamus was extremely surprised.

Black's gaze swept over the group of young wizards. "So, who wants to be the first?"

Harry raised his hand instantly, even faster Hermione ...

With Harry's demonstration, the young wizards felt much more at ease and took turns going up to cast spells on the House-elf. Even Neville succeeded.

The first Defense Against the Dark Arts ended quickly, and the students left the classroom in groups, eager to catch another exciting event—today was the day the Ministry of Magic was coming to investigate the Chamber of Secrets of Secrets.

Harry stayed behind to help Black clean up the mess.

"That was a wonderful lesson!" Harry clapped his hands as he tossed the last Cornish Pixies into its cage. Seeing Sirius Black's tired face, his tone lowered. "You don't look too good. Are you alright?"

Black licked his chapped lips and laughed heartily, "I don't know, maybe I just can't believe I've become a professor. I feel like I had a nightmare all night, but I can't remember what it was about."