The Easter Surprise Arrives Early / A Prison Visit Requires an Official Escort

"Harry, why don't you try on the uniform?" Harry was pondering the royal family's intentions and his own future, but Hermione had already hurriedly unfolded the uniform and kept gesturing to it on Harry's shoulders.

"Okay~" Harry shook his head helplessly and took the uniform and put it on.

Hermione has a slight thing for uniforms, something Harry only found out later.

One of the most important reasons why she admired Lockhart even more after meeting him in person during the first two semesters of second grade was that he always wore a different suit and dress.

"Hmm... it looks... okay, right? Mom and Dad, what do you think?"

The academically gifted girl circled Harry several times, but ended up blushing uncontrollably. She could only manage a half-hearted comment before lowering her head and calling for her parents to come and save the day.

"The clothes are very nice, but the main thing is that Harry looks quite dashing; he really does have the air of a noble knight."

Upon seeing Harry in his uniform, Mr. Granger showered him with praise.

Thanks to years of training, thirteen-year-old Harry has a very well-proportioned physique, and paired with this sharply tailored uniform, he is absolutely handsome, even by Mr. Granger's male standards.

"Um?"

However, Mrs. Granger didn't seem to pay much attention to Harry. Instead, she kept glancing back and forth between Harry and Hermione, her face always showing a thoughtful expression.

Her daughter seemed to have started to dress herself up lately, and a couple of days ago she suddenly pestered her to get her front teeth straightened. Considering her daughter's recent "covering her face and walking away" incident... through these clues, Mrs. Granger suddenly felt that she had discovered something extraordinary.

These two kids are really pulling strings behind their parents' backs; do they think no one can tell?

"This is a really nice outfit, Harry. I'll iron it for you later, and you can take it to school with you."

Mrs. Granger smiled and straightened Harry's collar, glancing back at him with a hint of sarcasm. "You'd better make sure to wear it a few more times at school!"

"Hmm..." Upon hearing this, Hermione, who was in the corner of the living room, immediately lowered her head even further.

This made Harry, who witnessed this scene, deeply agree with what his adoptive mother and future mother-in-law had said.

He really should have taken the garment to Hogwarts, and before that, he should have gone to Diagon Alley to find a top-notch tailor to have it altered to fit his size.

In short, since someone enjoys watching it, let her watch as much as she wants!

Chapter 215 The Easter Surprise Arrives Early

For Harry, the Easter holiday was paradoxically both short and long.

With less than twenty days of vacation, he was busy taking care of his pregnant cat, handling Royal Family affairs, and completing a lot of coursework, so he could say that every day was very fulfilling.

But as time flew by, Harry always felt a sense of dread, especially during the last few days, which seemed like they would never end.

Easter break... If he can just get through these few days, he can go to Azkaban and see his godfather, who has been imprisoned for twelve years...

"Harry, there's a letter for you, sent by owl." Mrs. Granger handed Harry a letter while she was busy in her room waiting for sunset.

"The principal's letter? This... why is it tomorrow?!"

After reading the brief text in the letter several times, Harry finally had to admit with a sigh of relief that he must have misunderstood it.

Dumbledore had roughly set the time with him after Easter, but Harry mistakenly interpreted Albus Dumbledore's meaning as after the Easter holidays...

Easter this year is on April 11th, and Hogwarts will reopen on April 19th... As we all know, the poor working class in Britain only gets four days off for Easter.

Therefore, with the holiday almost over, the officials of the Ministry of Magic are already back at work.

Dumbledore must have already taken care of the necessary procedures for visiting me in prison, which is why he asked me to meet him at the Leaky Cauldron tomorrow night!

So, does that mean I'll be able to see Sirius Black tomorrow?!

For Harry, this unexpectedly early meeting was a rare and delightful surprise.

What is the truth behind the betrayal of his parents? And is the prisoner who has been held in Azkaban for twelve years a relative or an enemy...?

We should know the outcome of these matters by tomorrow.

The next evening after dinner, Hermione saw Harry off at the door with a worried expression.

"Harry, are you sure you don't want me to come along?"

Ever since learning who Harry was going to meet, Hermione has been very worried... She can't help but worry whether Sirius is a good guy or a bad guy.

Harry said the other person might be innocent, but that was just speculation. If he really did have malicious intentions towards Harry might be in danger if he wasn't careful.

Even assuming the other party is truly innocent, Harry would absolutely help him overturn the verdict.

Will he encounter any other difficulties during this process?

And, if his godfather is indeed acquitted in the future, will Harry continue to stay here...?

"Hmm..." Just as the girl was feeling anxious and uncertain, she suddenly felt something warm fall on her forehead.

"Don't overthink things that haven't happened," Harry whispered in Hermione's ear, holding her tightly. "Just stay home and wait for me to come back."

He knew, of course, what Hermione was worried about, but there was absolutely no need for it.

Sirius's identity and where Harry will end up are two completely different things.

"At first, I thought my only enemy was Voldemort, but as I continued to fight him, I gradually discovered more secrets." Harry gently stroked Hermione's hair at the back of her neck, seemingly trying to reassure her. "As a son, finding out the cause of my parents' death is something I must do, but... my heart is with you, the Granger family are my home, and that will never change!"

"Harry... go and come back soon."

Hearing Harry's promise, Hermione had no more hesitation. She buried her head in Harry's neck and whispered her love, like a wife saying goodbye to her husband.

"Cough cough~"

A soft cough suddenly broke the silence of the night, startling Hermione who was watching Harry leave. Turning around, she found her parents had returned without her noticing, and were looking at her with smiles on their faces.

"What... Dad, Mom, why are you out again?"

Hermione was not only incredibly embarrassed, but also extremely anxious. Had her parents seen her and Harry being so intimate?

"We were wondering why it took you so long to deliver it, so we came back to check on you."

Mrs. Granger's face was beaming with a smile; in the thirteen years since her daughter's birth, she had never seen her daughter show such a shy expression.

In some ways, Harry really does have a knack for things.

"Well, it's Harry after all, so it's okay if it takes a little longer to deliver it."

Mr. Granger, who had also noticed something amiss, spoke with a hint of amusement.

Of course, Mr. Granger was a little jealous that his little cabbage had been trampled before it even fully grew, but Harry was indeed impeccable in his eyes, so he only had a small amount of resentment.

"What... what nonsense are you talking about? Anyway, I'm going back to my room now, I'm not talking to you anymore!"

After being teased by her parents, Hermione could only run back into the house in a panic, while inwardly grumbling about Harry who had just left.

If it weren't for his inappropriate touching, how could his parents have seen it?

He ended up running off by himself, leaving me behind to deal with my parents.

Sigh, I don't know if my parents were just joking, or if they really caught me red-handed...

On a cool night, a studious girl was at home, muttering to herself, hoping for someone's return... But the person she was waiting for had already quietly arrived in the Charing Cross Road area of London and pushed open a dilapidated, narrow door.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting, Principal."

Inside the Leaky Cauldron, Harry easily spotted Dumbledore sitting alone in a corner.

In fact, Dumbledore is quite easy to recognize, since there aren't many people in a bar who don't order alcohol but instead eat honey candy and drink chilled lemonade.

This is why wizards can use magic to clean their teeth; otherwise, given the headmaster's sweet tooth, he could definitely afford to patronize the Granger family's dental clinic.

"I didn't have to wait long. I can finally have a quiet drink." Dumbledore smiled and stood up. "I was going to suggest you have something to drink too, but you must be getting impatient, right?"

"Yes."

There's nothing wrong with admitting that; Harry has been looking forward to almost an entire vacation.

"Then come with me, Harry, hold on tight to my arm."

The two arrived at the backyard of the Leaky Cauldron, where Dumbledore offered his arm to Harry.

"Okay." Knowing that the other party was going to Apparition with him, Harry quickly and obediently shook hands.

Dumbledore didn't delay any longer. As magic surged, Harry immediately felt everything go black.

The surrounding space seemed to transform into thick walls, pressing down on him from all sides. The suffocation in his chest made him feel nauseous and want to S.P.E.W., but Harry was so uncomfortable that he couldn't even open his mouth.

Fortunately, this pain only lasted a short time. After a dizzying sensation, his body finally stopped feeling the pain.

"Huff... huff..."

Harry gasped for breath, trying to fill his lungs with fresh air; for a moment, he even felt as if he had been flushed down the toilet by Myrtle again.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Dumbledore asked with concern. "It's always a bit uncomfortable the first time Side-Along Apparition."

"I'm fine... So, we've arrived, right?"

Harry looked up suddenly and found himself and Dumbledore on a deserted island in the middle of the sea.

Before them stood a sinister castle, as eerie as a ghost town...

Azkaban!

Chapter 216 Visiting prisoners requires the accompaniment of an official.

Azkaban, the most notorious prison in the Britain Wizarding World, was built on an unmarkable island in the middle of the North Sea and is said to hold many of the most vicious Wizarding World criminals.

When Harry actually arrived, he found that the prison was far worse than he had imagined.

The island is surrounded by an endless ocean, with icy, bone-chilling waves roaring incessantly; in the sky, many shadowy black mists float faintly, almost completely obscuring the starlight, making the castle appear even more eerie under the night sky.

As Harry got closer to the castle, he would involuntarily feel a chill run through his body, and his mood seemed to begin to darken.

"Cheer up, Harry... This is the effect of the Dementor. Try to think about something happy."

Dumbledore gently comforted Harry, while simultaneously drawing his wand and, after circling it in the air, summoning a silver-white, agile phoenix.

It was only about the size of a fledgling, perched lightly on Dumbledore's shoulder, constantly radiating a dazzling light.

Bathed in that light, Harry immediately felt much better.

"Patronus Charm..."

Harry was naturally familiar with the magic Dumbledore used.

The Patronus Charm is widely considered one of the most profound forms of magic, and only a few wizards can barely master it after rigorous training. Those like Dumbledore, who can summon a physical Patronus, are extremely rare.

The spirit of Andros, who is currently instructing Harry in his Wandless Magic training, was most skilled in the Patronus Charm during his lifetime, and could even summon Patronus comparable in size to Giant.

This ancient and mysterious spell is currently the only known magic capable of driving away Ground Bat and Dementor.

The former is a terrifying creature that devours sleeping wizards without leaving a trace; while the latter is the most feared guard in Azkaban prison!

They always lurk in the darkest and filthiest places, eager to absorb all of humanity's beautiful feelings and happy memories, and may even steal a person's soul, leaving only a lifeless shell...

"Let's go, Harry. Our friend who's supposed to lead the way should be here by now." Dumbledore withdrew his Patronus aura and led Harry to the gates of Azkaban Castle.

There, someone was already waiting for them.

He was a male wizard in his fifties, with a short, neatly trimmed mustache; his back was ramrod straight, making his movements appear somewhat stiff... He seemed to be a serious, rigid, and meticulous wizard.

"Albus, you're late." Harry was right; the wizard immediately turned to his magic pocket watch with a stern face as soon as he saw them.

"Don't be so strict, Barty. Besides, I was only a few minutes late." Dumbledore laughed nonchalantly, pushing Harry towards him. "Harry, this gentleman before you is Barty Mr. Crouch, the Minister of Department of International Magical Cooperation at the Ministry of Magic. Thanks to his help, we had the opportunity to visit him in Azkaban."

"Hello, Mr. Crouch, thank you very much for your help." Harry nodded politely in greeting.

Security in Azkaban seems to be very tight; even visiting the prison requires a Ministry of Magic official to accompany him personally. Harry should be grateful for their willingness to help.

"You don't need to thank me, son. On the contrary, I should apologize to you first." Mr. Crouch shook his head with a stern face. "I have also seen the fingerprint evidence you submitted. I personally agree with Albus that it is indeed an excellent method for accurately identifying criminals. It's just a pity that I am no longer the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, otherwise I would definitely have forced this evidence to pass in the Wizengamot court!"

"Well... anyway, thank you for speaking up for me."

Mr. Crouch's serious tone caused Harry's face to stiffen.

So this guy used to be the head of the Wizarding World's police force, the leader of all the Auror. No wonder he has such a serious and tough personality.

"I'm just saying what needs to be said. Also..." Mr. Crouch paused, then looked seriously into Harry's eyes, "That vicious criminal, Sirius Black, he was imprisoned in Azkaban by me personally, so I'm curious why you want to see him."

"What did you say?" Harry's expression hardened upon hearing this, and his eyes instantly turned cold.

Based on the information he had gathered, Sirius was imprisoned without trial, so was it Barty Crouch who orchestrated that?