Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban was unquestionably a major event throughout the Wizarding World of the United Kingdom.
For one thing, there was his identity as a diehard supporter of Voldemort. Even after Voldemort's downfall, he had brutally killed more than ten people.
For another, there was his ability: he had actually escaped from Azkaban, a place no one had ever escaped from before. In fact, even now, the Ministry of Magic still did not know how he had done it.
As for Black's current whereabouts, no one had the slightest idea. For a time, this left the entire British Wizarding World on edge, with everyone fearing for their own safety.
But there were exceptions.
On September 1, the young wizards aboard the Hogwarts Express departing from London's King's Cross Station were almost entirely unaffected by anything to do with Black.
After a whole holiday apart, the youngsters were positively animated when they met again. They all seemed to have endless things to say, recounting what they had seen and heard over the holidays.
By comparison, although Sirius Black's situation could not be called completely unrelated to them, it really did not affect them all that much.
Harry, Ron, and the others easily slipped into this atmosphere.
The nervousness they had picked up from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's anxiety eased considerably under their friends' influence.
The only one still dwelling on it a little was Harry. After all, the fact that Sirius Black seemed to have been a good friend of his father's really was a little hard for him to accept.
"Harry, promise me you won't go looking for Black." Just before they boarded the train, Mrs. Weasley had taken hold of Harry and said this in an extremely serious tone.
Harry had been rather bewildered. Why on earth