Sirius's Sudden Departure

The Weasley family were the best place in Harry's eyes.

Harry, who grew up under the strict upbringing of his Aunt Petunia, actually disliked the house that looked luxurious and tidy.

The Weasley family, with its illogical and unconventional architecture, became Harry's favorite at first sight.

Ten minutes ago, Ron said, looking down through the windshield, "That's the main road. We'll be there in ten minutes... At least we'll still make it for dinner..."

Sirius lowered the car a little, revealing a dark pattern of fields and clusters of trees.

"Harry, this is Autry- Ottery St Catchpole. Our home is a little outside the village."

"There are also some wizards living around here," Ron quickly explained.

"Is that your house?" Harry asked, pointing to a house.

It was an utterly bizarre house standing under the blue sky, like a giant black pillar, with a ghostly moon hanging in the afternoon sky behind it.

The only house that's so non- Muggle is Ron's house.

"No, that's the home of Xenophilius Lovegood, the Quibbler editor, who's crazy, and I heard his daughter is too."

"How could that be our home? Who else but the Lovegood family would live in a place like that? It looks like a big wagon!" Ron complained.

"Ron, are you sure? It doesn't look like a car at all," Draco said, frowning as he looked at the round building.

"I'm talking about the rook in chess," Ron said. "To you, it's the castle."

"What about that? Is that your house?" Harry asked, pointing to a crooked house after flying for a while.

Although it was impolite to think that way, Harry thought it used to be a large pigsty made of stones, and then rooms were added here and there, making it several stories high, crooked and twisted, as if it were built with magic.

There are four or five chimneys on the red roof, and a sign sticks out at an angle in front of the house that reads "The Burrow".

There were some high-top leather boots and a Scabbers crucible lying next to the gate.

Several plump, brown chickens were pecking at food in the yard.

Harry understood as soon as he saw the words "The Burrow" that this place might really be Ron's house.

Although Harry liked everything here, based on his understanding of Ron, he figured he was going to get depressed again.

"Yeah, not so good, is it?" Ron fidgeted, as if someone had placed nails all over his chair.

Just then, the car jolted slightly and touched the ground, interrupting Harry's words.

They landed next to a dilapidated garage surrounded by a small yard, and Harry said, "No, I like it."

Ron looked skeptical; he felt Harry's words lacked persuasiveness in the context of the surrounding environment.

At that moment, hurried footsteps and heavy breathing came from the courtyard.

He was a thin man, balding, with only a tuft of fiery red hair standing stubbornly around him, like a fence blown down by the wind.

Even his whole appearance seemed to have been blown by the wind; he was wearing a green robe, like a meadow battered by a storm.

Even if Harry had never met him before, he knew that this must be Ron's father.

"Does it fly well, kids? Sirius?" Arthur gasped, forcing himself to utter a few words.

"Very good, Arthur." Sirius nodded with a smile, then turned to Harry and said, "I have to leave for a while, I'll come back to pick you up in a few days."

"Arthur, take good care of them. Tell Molly Weasley not to prepare my meals." The words had barely left his lips when, accompanied by a crackling sound, Sirius disappeared from the spot.

"Children, and Harry too!"

"I didn't even have time to say hello last time."

"It's so good to see you! Ron has told me so many stories about you!" Mr. Arthur Weasley greeted the children warmly, then asked in a low voice, "What happened while Sirius was picking you up?"

"According to the original plan, I remember that the three of you were supposed to go to Sirius's place after dinner."

"Molly Weasley has been trying to persuade you to stay for a few days, but Sirius has always disagreed."

"Why did he change his mind? And he even kept Kreacher with him?"

"Hello, Kreacher," said Mr. Weasley.

However, Kreacher bulged his gray eyes and remained silent.

"Dad! We just got out of the car, and the first thing you asked was how the car flew?" Ron didn't answer, but instead mocked his father for ignoring them.

"Shut up, Ron! How can you compare yourself to Mr. Weasley's great cause?" Draco said, glancing eagerly at Mr. Weasley as if seeking some encouragement from him.

Mr. Weasley looked like he had a headache, as if all the hair he had left was about to fall out.

He still feels that Draco is mocking him.

If he hadn't missed the same mocking smile that Lucius Malfoy had on Draco's face, he would have already—even if he had, there was nothing he could do, Draco was still a child.

"Sirius is probably going to Hogwarts; it's related to the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor," Harry replied when the three of them had quieted down for a while.

"I knew it. He still hasn't given up on that idea." Mr. Weasley had a knowing look on his face. "He's been trying to get this position for himself or for Lupin."

"Lupin?"

"Who is that? Dad?"

"He seems to be a friend of my dad's. We heard about him in Professor McGonagall's office before. Your memories are terrible," Draco, Ron, and Harry said separately.

"Yes, Harry, you're right."

Sirius also knew that position was cursed.

"He suggested that he and Lupin take the position together, teaching the first and second semesters respectively."

"But Dumbledore refused him, saying there were better options. I remember Lucius Malfoy also inquired about this matter. Draco, didn't you know?" Mr. Weasley's eyes gleamed with recollection.

"I don't know," Draco said.

Then he exchanged a glance with Harry and Ron.

Yes, no wonder Sirius failed. How could they possibly compete with You-Know-Who?

Moreover, this position is a fast-moving consumer good. Sirius and Lupin are, after all, Dumbledore's own people. Why would he let them fall into this trap?

Not far away, another set of footsteps could be heard.

Mr. Weasley immediately straightened his back, and it was obvious to the naked eye that he was different from before.

"Arthur, have you forgotten our family's clock?"

"I'm not blind. I can see very clearly that both your and Ron's names refer to 'home.'" It was Mrs. Weasley.

Judging by her appearance alone, she was a kind and gentle lady.

But even the most imaginative person could not have imagined that Mrs. Weasley —such a plump, kind-looking woman—would resemble a tiger with its teeth bared.

"Aha, although Sirius did the work, while he was getting his motorcycle's registration done, he also made your beat-up bike 'legal'."

"But that's no excuse for you to linger here so long!"

"You know, the meal is ready!" Mrs. Weasley said in a chillingly low voice.