Sirius Must Not Escape from Prison / The Chosen Prison Doctor Was Originally Supposed to Be a Professor...

After learning about Peter Pettigrew Peter's Animagus form, the biggest mystery of the whole incident was finally solved.

When Sirius was cornered, he detonated the entire street with his wand, cutting off one of his fingers and throwing it into the wreckage. He then Animagus Transformation and became a rat, escaping through the blown-up sewers and framing Sirius for all the blame.

Harry was certain that Peter Pettigrew could do it, because skilled Animagus Transformation didn't require a wand, and Peter Pettigrew had already mastered Transfiguration while still in school.

"Granger ...I must admit, that's quite brilliant reasoning."

Barty Crouch watched in amazement as Harry calmly analyzed the entire case. He truly hadn't expected that a mere thirteen-year-old could recreate the events of the case so vividly, as if he were actually there.

While some of this was indeed speculative, Crouch had to admit that Harry's reasoning was entirely plausible.

However, he still harbored one fundamental doubt. "Granger, everything you've reasoned requires a crucial premise: Sirius Black must be innocent! And that's clearly difficult to prove right now."

"But we can change the charge from certain to suspicion, Mr. Crouch," Harry immediately countered. "On the night of the incident in 1981, my godfather also went to Godric's Hollow and met Rubeus Hagrid, the Hogwarts Game Guard, who was also ordered to come to the ruins of my house... I've heard that this is one of the main pieces of evidence used to convict Sirius?"

"That's right," Dumbledore hadn't said much until now, interjected. "It was after I heard about the tragedy that I sent Hagrid to the Potter family to help. Hagrid pulled Harry, who was only a little over a year old at the time, out of the ruins, and at the same time met Sirius, who generously gave Hagrid his flying motorcycle to help Hagrid quickly get Harry to the Dursley family."

"Mr. Crouch, that's the problem," Harry continued his analysis. "Let's consider this: how brutal and monstrous must a criminal be to commit the heinous murder of thirteen people? There were no other wizards present in Godric's Hollow at the time, and Hagrid, the Half-blood- Giant, had already been expelled from Hogwarts in his third year; he didn't even have a wand. Given the circumstances, why didn't Sirius kill me and Hagrid together, instead of leaving a witness to cause trouble?!"

"This..." After this debate, Barty Crouch was speechless.

As the former head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Barty Crouch, though tough and even somewhat headstrong, was ultimately far more professional than the laymen at Wizengamot when it came to criminal investigations and case handling.

After hearing what Harry said, he realized that if Sirius, he wouldn't have made completely different choices in the face of two similar situations.

If he could so brutally murder Peter Pettigrew and a group of Muggle when Peter first met, why did he spare Hagrid and baby Harry at the crime scene the night before?

Barty Crouch was unaware that Hagrid actually possessed a wand, so in his view, Peter Pettigrew was far more difficult to kill than Hagrid. Therefore, Sirius's decision to let Hagrid go was indeed contradictory.

"Well... Mr. Granger, you've completely convinced me." Crouch bowed his head approvingly at Harry. "I admit I was too hasty before, throwing Sirius into Azkaban without trial. He was only a suspect. Also... Albus certainly has a good student; your sharp mind is unparalleled among teenagers."

"Thank you for the compliment," Harry replied politely, though he was actually quite dismissive of Crouch's praise.

Is this level of reasoning truly unique?

Don't joke around~

If this were Harry's past life, someone who had read a bit of Kindaichi or Detective Conan could easily make this level of deduction.

Ultimately, it's because high-level wizards are a bunch of emotional lunatics. Those Wizengamot, those bunch of idiots who only know how to raise their hands to vote, what do they know about logical reasoning and criminal psychology?

"So, the most crucial thing to do right now is to find Peter Pettigrew Peter, who's still at large." After summarizing all the clues, Harry concluded the case, "We're looking for a man around thirty-three years old who's missing a finger, or... possibly a disabled rat."

"Peter Pettigrew Peter... that's right! I absolutely have to find that bastard, I'll kill him myself to make Potter and Lily pay for their lives!!"

Hearing his enemy's name again, and learning from Harry that the enemy might still be alive, Sirius could no longer contain his emotions and roared excitedly in prison.

"Um... Mr. Crouch, I'd like to ask, does the Ministry of Magic have a conditional bail system for suspects Azkaban, similar to that in the ordinary world?" Seeing Sirius's expression, Harry asked Crouch a strange question with some hesitation.

"Conditional bail...what's that?" Barty Crouch was completely baffled by the term Harry was using.

However, he still gave Harry the answer he needed, "All prisoners held in Azkaban will not be released in any way unless they perform good deeds or are proven innocent... even when we know perfectly well that they are innocent."

To be honest, Harry really wanted to curse at that answer.

"Fine, forget I asked." Harry rolled his eyes in exasperation and chose to skip the topic.

Damn, the Ministry of Magic doesn't even have a bail system, and they're even using the "I know I was wrong, but you have no evidence, so I can't change my ways" approach?

This is absolutely infuriating!

The Britain conditional bail system was established as early as 1976 with the guiding principle of 'allowing bail is the rule, detention is the exception'. Unexpectedly, 20 years later in the Wizarding World, Azkaban is still a one-off deal.

"Harry, are you worried that Sirius will escape from prison?"

Upon hearing Dumbledore's words, Crouch and Sirius were both shocked, while Harry wore a wry smile.

"Yes...you saw it too, my godfather is too emotional, and I'm worried he might do something impulsive and foolish." Harry's words were directed at Dumbledore, but his eyes remained fixed on Sirius's face. "I know he's innocent, so of course I don't want him to stay here, but I also don't want him to try to escape for any reason, because that would only make his situation more dangerous! In short, please don't act impulsively for my sake, because that would also make me worry...and feel guilty!"

"Harry ..." Sirius's voice was hoarse and choked with emotion. He had truly felt Harry's care and respect as his godson.

Moreover, he discovered that Harry was indeed quite astute, managing to guess his intention to escape from prison.

If he could, he really wanted to hug the child in front of him, but these damned fences had locked him here!

"On this matter, I can offer some assistance within my capabilities."

At that moment, Barty Crouch suddenly spoke up...

(P. S. It's fine to be blunt, but Sirius must leave Azkaban in a legitimate way; the protagonist won't let him escape.)

Chapter 220 The chosen prison doctor was originally destined to be a professor.

Harry and Dumbledore ended their visit later that day and left Azkaban together.

Harry was indeed quite disappointed that the trip didn't directly get Sirius out of prison, but it was the best outcome possible at the moment.

Barty Crouch eventually promised Harry that he would hand over the audio evidence Harry had recorded in front of him to Wizengamot, admitting his wrongful judgment and requesting that Sirius be moved to a different cell.

To be fair, Harry really appreciates his willingness to admit and correct his mistakes, especially since his career at the Ministry of Magic has been severely damaged because his son, Barty Crouch Jr. Crouch., is a veteran Death Eater.

If the misjudgment of Sirius's case is definitively established, Barty Crouch will likely be further marginalized, and his political career may truly be over.

However, while Harry acknowledged his actions, he didn't feel any sympathy for him, since Harry was the one who had made the mistake first.

Returning to the issue of prisons, Azkaban's prisons are of course divided into levels, since not all wizards are sentenced to life imprisonment.

For example, minor offenders who abuse magic, commit burglary, or engage in small-scale smuggling will have much better prison conditions, and Dementor will not torment them as often.

Even so, Harry was still very worried.

Having dealt with those insatiable Dementor, Harry had absolutely no trust in them, and he was certain that what had happened in the prison had made them hold a Dementor.

So, after they're gone, they might very well go and torment Sirius for no reason.

Fortunately, Dumbledore stepped in and helped resolve the problem.

"After that, I will ask Mr. Crouch to help arrange for a prison doctor to be stationed in Sirius's cell, to help him with his health and take care of his daily needs."

"The resident prison doctor?" Dumbledore's words puzzled Harry greatly.

As far as he knew, there were no resident prison doctors in Azkaban.

Criminals sentenced to life imprisonment will never receive medical treatment. If they die from illness, the Dementor will at most dig a hole and bury them behind the prison.

For prisoners like Gilderoy Lockhart, who were imprisoned previously and had short sentences and fell ill, the Ministry of Magic would periodically send them to St Mungo's's for some doctors to provide cursory treatment.

Harry also heard that the healers at St Mungo's's least favorite job was to go to Azkaban to treat prisoners.

So... how could Dumbledore possibly find a prison doctor willing to be stationed permanently in Azkaban?

Moreover, this prison doctor is supposed to be Sirius's personal protector, so he'd at least need to have mastered the Patronus Charm... What powerful wizard would be willing to lower themselves to do something like that?!

"Admittedly, treating the illnesses of these criminals in Azkaban has always been a problem plaguing the Ministry of Magic. Even if they lowered the requirements to just a little bit of medical magic, no one would be willing to apply," Dumbledore said softly. "But it cannot be denied that there are indeed some wizards in this world who, for some regrettable reason, are forced to do work far below their abilities. Moreover, if the person to be protected is Sirius, some people should be quite happy to accept this job."

"Some people..." Dumbledore's words gave Harry a hint of speculation.

Could it be that... the prison doctor Dumbledore considered was also a friend of his father?

"But if Sirius's name isn't cleared quickly, I might have to hire a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," Dumbledore said, shrugging with feigned helplessness. "And we might not be able to find one, so Severus and you students might have to continue teaching in his place."

"The prison doctor you've chosen is the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for next year?" Hearing Dumbledore say this, Harry became even more curious.

"Anyway, your burden has become heavier again, Harry." Dumbledore, but simply patted Harry's shoulder gently before parting. "Finding Peter Pettigrew Peter, who has been hiding for twelve years, is no easy task."

"Headmaster, I heard that Peter Pettigrew's finger was eventually sent to his mother?" Seeing this, Harry stopped dwelling on the prison doctor's identity and instead asked a question that was inconvenient to ask in Barty Crouch's presence.

"Harry, do you remember what Sirius said earlier... Peter Pettigrew Peter moved out of his original residence because he felt guilty. That was the only time he moved besides coming to Hogwarts. Also..." Dumbledore looked at Harry intently for a long time before finally whispering, "Be careful."

After saying that, he used Apparition to leave the spot.

Harry, however, was absolutely certain that Dumbledore had guessed his thoughts!

He was just telling himself that Peter Pettigrew's mother should still be living in the original house, and that his severed finger was probably still there.

Barty Crouch never mentioned the severed finger again, which suggests that while the Ministry of Magic might not mind investigating Peter Pettigrew, it also wouldn't provide him with any further information.

Therefore, Harry had to find out the address of Peter Pettigrew's old house himself, and he had indeed come up with a way to investigate: to check Peter Pettigrew's birth record in the Book of Admittance.

If I could find Peter Pettigrew's finger, then I could do many things.

Back home, Harry briefly explained Sirius's situation to Hermione. After learning that Harry's godfather was indeed innocent, the studious girl was naturally quite happy for her little brother.

Of course, Harry also emphasized to Hermione again that even if Sirius was ultimately acquitted, he would absolutely not leave the Granger family... and he repeatedly stressed this in a way that his parents couldn't see.

In short, with Sirius's matter settled, Harry and Hermione's Easter holiday has officially come to an end.

For them, and for all the students, the final semester of the year began under a bright and sunny sky.

There are no more Chamber on campus, and there are no more monsters that threaten our lives... Of course, there are still monsters, and a lot of them, but they're really safe here.

The only remaining shadow hanging over schools so far is probably the final exams, which have not been canceled.

But that's only eight weeks from now, and it won't affect the students' current mood.

And so, in the midst of a peaceful campus, Hogwarts' caretaker, Argus Filch, 'happily' raised his broom at someone.

"You wretched little bastard, you actually got Mrs. Norris pregnant?! I'll break all five of your legs!!"

On the first afternoon after the start of the final semester, all the students in the Great Hall heard Mr. Filch's incredibly warm greeting.

Chapter 221 The conquest of the Forbidden Forest has finally begun.

To be honest, Filch felt like his lungs were about to explode with anger.

Harry had already been quite upset that Mrs. Norris had quietly run away before the Easter holidays, but when he returned to school, he actually brought back a 'pig'!

Mrs. Norris was at least two sizes bigger than before, and Hermione's ugly cat Crookshanks, was always snuggling up to her. If Filch still didn't know what was going on, he really should go see St Mungo's's.

So in fact, Filch was cursing and chasing Crookshanks all along, and Harry just happened to be carrying Crookshanks.

Hmm... ' Harry Granger got Mrs. Norris pregnant, Filch threatened to break his five legs'—this rumor spread like wildfire among students' social media feeds as soon as the semester started.

That's why Hogwarts doesn't have a school newspaper or similar publication; otherwise, Harry would definitely be on the front page right now!

"Mr. Filch, we've already fought and argued, shouldn't you calm down now?" Inside the doorman's hut, Harry earnestly tried to persuade the livid Filch. "What's done is done, I think we should both look forward... Think about it, maybe Mrs. Norris will give birth to many beautiful Miss Mrs. Norris!"

"Hmph, so it's not your cat who's at a disadvantage!" Filch turned his head away indignantly, only to see Crookshanks fawning over him on the ground. He immediately closed his eyes in anger. "Besides, look at that cat, what kind of good-looking thing could it possibly produce?!"

"Hey, that's not right," Harry quickly retorted. "Our Crookshanks may not be photogenic, but at least it's smart. Besides, it's a mix of Kneazle and a Persian cat, Mrs. Norris is a mix of Kneazle and a Maine Coon. Bloodline-wise, they're a perfect match, a powerful combination!"

To be honest, although Harry kept speaking up for Crookshanks, he was actually just as worried as Filch.

If the kittens look more like their mother, that's fine. But if they inherit the Crookshanks' round face and bowlegs, then the adorable little kittens won't be so cute!

"Stop talking nonsense to me." Filch rolled his eyes at Harry and Mrs. Norris simultaneously, though the anger on his face did begin to subside.

He probably came to terms with it and realized that he had no choice but to accept the fact that Mrs. Norris had become a mother.

In the following days, Filch acted like any grandfather who doesn't mean what he says, constantly criticizing Hach and the two cats, while taking great care of Mrs. Norris. He not only personally fed and watered her every day, but also had Crookshanks take over the night patrols, afraid that his cat might get hurt in the slightest.

He even went so far as to beg Kettleburn to get him basic books on raising Kneazle, and domestic cats, and spent his days researching them. You could say he was treating Mrs. Norris like his own pregnant daughter.

Thanks to his help, Harry was finally free from the constant juggling of studying, attending classes, and taking care of the cat.

Coincidentally, the time for another important event has also arrived.

After the Easter holidays, the Weather Charm in Harry's suitcase had completely lost its effectiveness, and the Fantastic Beasts inside no longer had a suitable habitat.

And from now on, their habitat will no longer be suitcases, but...

Hogwarts Forbidden Forest!

One night after school started, while his roommates Filch and Mrs. Norris were already fast asleep, Harry's suitcase was brightly lit.

All the Fantastic Beasts living in the suitcase gathered in front of the studio.

Bowtruckle, Mooncalf, Graphorn, Occamy, and even the dangerous Swooping Evil and Nundu all held their breath, quietly awaiting Harry's decision.

"Now that the Weather Charm is gone, I plan to release you into the Forbidden Forest in batches starting tonight... Of course, there are some things I need to say beforehand: the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts is quite dangerous, especially with the Centaur; I'm sure there will be a fierce conflict with them!"