Sirius Has No Choice but to Live in a Pub / You Can Share a Bed with a Prince Without Sharing a Pillow

"Hmm... what is this?"

Harry quickly grabbed Sirius's wrist, only to find that it was bound with two ugly black shackles!

"That's a warning ring, a device the Ministry of Magic uses to monitor wizards," Dumbledore explained softly. "I was forced to wear one before."

"What?!"

Upon hearing Dumbledore's words, Harry's face immediately darkened.

(P. S. I made a change in the middle; the main hall of the Ministry of Magic is on the eighth floor, not the Sanmiao. I made a mistake before.)

Chapter 268 Sirius Can Only Stay in Taverns

The warning ring on Sirius's wrist is a magical artifact that can monitor wizards in real time. Once worn, every spell a wizard casts is simultaneously recorded by the Ministry of Magic.

Furthermore, Dumbledore told Harry that these warning rings might even be able to pinpoint the exact location of a wizard!

In short, once Sirius wears it, all of his actions will be completely transparent to the Ministry of Magic.

"Hmph, taking money to do things, Fudge is really efficient."

Looking at the pair of dark warning rings, Harry couldn't help but laugh in exasperation.

It must be said that Cornelius Fudge is a basically competent politician. At least he is quite adept at using opportunistic tactics such as seizing benefits within the bounds of the rules and causing trouble for Harry.

"Harry, even if you can do it, I don't recommend that you take it off on your own." Seeing Harry's displeasure, Dumbledore quickly reminded him.

Of course, he was mostly saying these things to Sirius.

As the headmaster of Hogwarts, Dumbledore knew very well just how unruly and unruly Sirius was back then.

He could even imagine the grimace Sirius would make when the Auror in charge of escorting Sirius put the 'ring' on him.

"I know." Harry nodded solemnly, pondering how to change the subsequent plans in light of the current situation.

Dumbledore was right; no matter how ineffective the warning ring might be, Harry couldn't remove it without permission.

The Ministry of Magic is currently in a state of constantly looking for trouble with Sirius. Even if he does nothing, he might still be targeted, let alone if he goes against the grain.

Harry figured that if he actually did that, the Ministry of Magic would definitely classify Sirius as resisting arrest.

"Anyway, let's leave first."

Dumbledore escorted Harry and Sirius all the way to the Leaky Cauldron before leaving. According to him, he had to send a letter to Azkaban afterward, urging the prison doctor there to resign immediately.

In any case, Sirius was acquitted, and the prison doctor who had been specifically looking after him no longer needed to stay there and could now do some more promising work...

For example, becoming the professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts... to be honest, Harry didn't really think it was a good position.

Besides, you might as well continue using my teaching instead of hiring outsiders. I'd even accept it without pay! (shouting)

"Harry!" Upon seeing her sweetheart enter the cramped bar, the academically gifted girl rushed over immediately.

However, when she saw Sirius next to Harry, she suddenly slammed on the brakes and stopped awkwardly in place.

"Hello, I am... Hermione Granger, Harry's sister..."

In Harry's opinion, Hermione's anxious and uneasy demeanor was simply too adorable.

If this were in the Great Celestial Empire, she would look exactly like a young bride meeting her in-laws for the first time.

"I know you...son, I'm grateful to you, and equally grateful to your parents." Sirius's tone was earnest. "While we incompetent fellows were imprisoned in our own misery, you saved Harry and took good care of him, preventing him from having a miserable childhood. For that, I'm truly happy for Harry."

"Please don't say that!" Hermione exclaimed, blushing and waving her hands hastily. "Harry... he's always been a good person. Mom and Dad love him, and I... Anyway, we're all very happy that he's part of our family."

"So, Godfather, what are your plans next?"

Harry spoke up at the opportune moment, and at the same time took Hermione's hand in his, offering his support to the flustered little witch.

"As for me... before I go home, I absolutely must go to Godric's Hollow." Sirius's expression turned incredibly melancholic as he spoke of his next destination. "Your parents, who are also my closest friends... this arrogant fool of mine absolutely has to go back and see them..."

"I don't think you should be so bothered by it, because it wasn't your fault," Harry shook his head and advised. "Besides, I don't approve of you going to Godric's Hollow right now, and of course I don't approve of you going home either."

"Why?" Sirius asked, puzzled.

"Godric's Hollow, I must return there, just as I must return to your home, but neither now."

Harry explained earnestly, "Although you've been acquitted, you're still wearing a warning ring. Clearly, some people are still up to no good and want to cause you trouble again. Therefore, you'd better stay at the Leaky Cauldron for now, or temporarily move to Hogsmeade Village after I start school. In short, don't go home, and don't go to Godric's Hollow... Only when the warning ring is openly removed will you truly be free!"

"But the problem is, how am I supposed to know when I can take this damn bracelet off?!"

After hearing Harry explain the numerous restrictions, Sirius immediately began to shout impatiently.

He was the kind of person who was truly lawless and unrestrained. Now that he had finally seen the light of day again, Harry, as his godson, had set a whole bunch of rules for him, saying that this was not allowed and that was not allowed, which naturally made Sirius quite unhappy.

But there was nothing he could do about it; Harry had to keep an eye on him now.

Ever since Harry learned that Sirius hadn't run away or argued at the crime scene twelve years ago, but had just laughed, he had come to a complete realization: a man like his godfather was perfectly capable of going to great lengths for his friends and sacrificing his life for them, but if he didn't have a rational mind to keep him in check, he would definitely be the one to cause trouble in the end!

"Godfather, can you calm down?" Harry gently persuaded Sirius, whose temper was about to explode. "Think about it carefully. If Peter Pettigrew reappears and clashes with the Auror in charge of his capture, won't the Ministry of Magic have no reason to keep you on the warning ring?"

"Even if you say that, that Peter Pettigrew still..."

"He will definitely reappear," Harry interrupted Sirius calmly. "Believe me, Peter Pettigrew Peter will definitely reappear! And when he does, not only will your warning ring be deactivated, but certain people... will also be in big trouble!!"

"Harry, you... okay, I understand."

After much deliberation, Sirius realized he couldn't keep up with Harry's pace at all, and in the end, he reluctantly accepted the arrangement to stay temporarily in the pub.

He silently observed his godson, whose eyes were lowered and who seemed to be deep in thought. He felt that although Harry had a face almost identical to his deceased old friend, his expression was not as simple and straightforward as the other's; instead, it often gave off an air of incomprehension...

It's like a venomous snake poised to strike its prey!

Chapter 269 It's possible to share a bed with a prince but not the same pillow.

In the end, Sirius agreed to stay at the Leaky Cauldron. Harry left him some money for living expenses and asked the pub owner, Tom, to take good care of him before taking Hermione home with him.

During the time Harry spent back home, he began to meticulously plan when 'Peter Pettigrew' would appear next.

He's currently facing a minor but significant problem... Since Peter Pettigrew only has one fingernail, Harry doesn't have many Polyjuice Potion left to use.

Harry could easily make a public appearance like before, or even take down a few troublesome dark wizards in Knockturn Alley, but he was worried that his transformation duration wouldn't be long enough for a sudden, unexpected battle with Auror.

However conflicted he may be, this is something he needs to think about after the start of the semester.

The long summer vacation is coming to an end, and the Hogwarts owls have delivered a list of items needed for the new school year... and they've delivered three of them!

Two sets of third-grade materials, one set of first-grade materials...

In addition, around the same time as the owl, a certain unassuming and polite eleven-year-old boy was also delivered to Harry's house.

"Mr. Granger. and Mrs. Granger, I'm so sorry to bother you." The prince greeted the Granger family politely. "I am William, my full name is..."

"Stop, Your Highness, just tell me your name now." Harry quickly waved his hand, stopping Prince William's attempt at a formal self-introduction.

Are you kidding me? Writing out the full names of the Britain Royal Family is just padding the word count, isn't it?

"Uh... okay, I'm Wales Henry Potter, you can just call me Will."

Well, Wales is the title of the Crown Prince and his wife, and Henry Potter is the official name of the young prince... Prince William, by using this pseudonym, is carrying the whole family on his shoulders.

"Alright, Will, right? I hope you get used to civilian life quickly," Harry said with a smile to the prince who had changed his name. "But from tonight until school starts, you might have to sleep with me for the next few days."

In fact, the Mr. and Mrs. Granger had considered moving house or changing its layout in preparation for the prince's visit.

However, after being persuaded by Harry, they quickly abandoned these unrealistic ideas.

The children living with relatives have no say at all, and besides, William... oh, now it should be Will. He only comes a few times a year, so why bother?

Of course, Harry actually wanted to sleep in the same room as Hermione, but he knew without a doubt that the Mr. and Mrs. Granger would never agree to that.

Left with no other choice, he could only go and sleep with Will.

Anyway, an eleven-year-old is still much younger Filch...

"Diagon Alley, Hogwarts... it's like a dream." Despite sharing a bed late at night, Will stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought, showing no signs of sleepiness whatsoever.

"Harry, when you found out you were going to Hogwarts, were you as excited as I am now?" And not only did he stay up, he kept asking Harry all sorts of questions.

"Ah, I'm quite excited."

Yeah, Harry was so excited he almost cursed out loud. Look how happy he was!

"I thought so too!" Seeing Harry chime in, Will seemed even more talkative. "Magic... I thought that kind of power only existed in novels and television. I never imagined that a magical world actually existed, and that there were wizards like you and Hermione!"

"You'll get a basic understanding of the magical world and wizards when we go to Diagon Alley tomorrow," Harry replied casually. "But... if you don't go to sleep now, you won't be able to get up tomorrow morning."

"I... I want to too..." Will said, looking embarrassed. "But I'm just too excited to sleep."

"If you can't sleep, just count sheep."

What is counting sheep?

"You do not know?!"

Well, after asking around, Harry discovered that Will actually didn't know about counting sheep as a hypnotic trick.

So, in order to ensure he could get a good night's sleep, Harry decisively taught Will the counting technique for sheep—the key was to move slowly and steadily, and to imagine the sheep jumping over the bar one by one.

"Hmm... seems to work." A moment later, Will's voice became sleepy and nasal. "Harry, this method works so well, why don't you..."

Before he could finish speaking, his voice shifted to even breathing.

Very good, it seems this tactic is indeed effective against the Britain.

As for why Harry didn't count sheep?

That's because this method only works for English speakers.

For a time traveler like Harry, who is used to thinking in China, counting sheep would be nothing short of torture.

Don't believe me? Look, there's a sheep, two sheep, Happy Sheep, Boiling Sheep, Little Fat Sheep, sesame sauce with enoki mushrooms... and then he got hungry~

Therefore, when China people have insomnia, they have to count "dumplings" based on similar-sounding words to fall asleep quickly.

One dumpling, two dumplings, three... Damn, now I'm even hungrier after counting them all.

The next morning, the two who had shared a bed the night before arrived at the restaurant one after the other. When Hermione saw that Will looked energetic while Harry had dark circles under his eyes, a look of scrutiny appeared on her face.

Did those two perform on a TV show last night?

"Miss Granger, please don't conjure up those far-fetched and indescribable things." Harry rolled his eyes in exasperation.

Last night, on a whim, I tried counting sheep and dumplings, and ended up being hungry half the night. Harry doesn't know who to complain to now.

After breakfast, Ha and He took Will, who was dressed like an ordinary neighborhood boy, to the Leaky Cauldron.

When they arrived, Sirius wasn't in his room, but Tom from the tavern told Harry that Sirius had been giving advance notice before going out these past few days, saying that if Harry came to Diagon Alley, he should go back to Sirius's room and wait for him after he finished his business.

Tom also mentioned that Sirius has a friend who now lives in the Leaky Cauldron, and they've been hanging out together these past few days.

"It seems there's something to discuss. I'll come back to him after I've finished shopping."

After being reminded by Tom, the three went to the backyard of the Leaky Cauldron, Harry used a coded signal to knock on the brick wall in front of them.

"Will, welcome to Diagon Alley!"

"Wow! Is this the world of wizards? This is so interesting!!"

Looking at Will, who was looking around with boundless curiosity about everything, Harry suddenly felt as if time had turned back two years.

It was the same time before the start of the school year, and they both set off from Granger family, but now Harry has replaced Hagrid as Will's guide, and Will's behavior is exactly the same as Hermione's back then.

Another similar thing is that Harry and Hermione had already prepared most of Will's textbooks for his main subjects in advance.

After all, with their current connections at Hogwarts, borrowing first-year textbooks from top students like Cedric Diggory or Penelope would be no problem at all.

"Let's go buy the books first. It'll help Will catch up on his textbooks, and we've added a lot of new classes this year, so we need to buy quite a few books too." After thinking for a moment, Harry decided to go to Flourish and Blotts first.

"Yes, there are quite a few books I need to buy."

Well, although both Hermione and Harry wanted to buy "a lot", the types of books they wanted to buy were quite different.

The academically gifted girl was looking for textbooks for her five elective courses, while Harry needed to buy books that would help him with his upcoming dual teaching assistant career.