With a whoosh, the flames that had dwindled in Dumbledore's office fireplace flared up again. The next moment, several figures stepped out of the fireplace.
Leading the way was Cornelius Fudge, wearing a small green hat.
Harry now knew why he wore a hat: it was to hide his pitiful bald patch. Still, considering that he was dealing with official business this late at night, the bald patch seemed perfectly understandable.
Behind him walked a man and a woman.
The woman was very tall. Professor McGonagall was already considered rather tall for a woman, but she stood a good deal taller than Professor McGonagall, and a head taller than Fudge beside her.
Her broad shoulders made her admittedly slender frame look wide. Her somewhat square face gave her a very stern appearance, and her short gray hair, gray eyes, and monocle gave her an imposing air.
Harry noticed how piercing her gaze was. From the moment she entered the room, it had rested on Black and the werewolf Lupin beside her.
On Fudge's other side stood a man who, though not particularly tall, gave the impression of being powerfully built. Perhaps it was because of his thick hair, which resembled a lion's mane.
It was not just his hair; his expression was like a lion's too. Behind his gold-rimmed glasses was another pair of exceptionally sharp eyes. He seemed to have a slight limp, yet his movements still looked very nimble.
Behind the three of them, two Dementors also emerged from the fireplace.
Dementors could actually travel through fireplaces?
Harry's eyes widened.
Those were definitely Dementors! From the moment they appeared, the temperature in the room dropped rapidly, while a sense of discomfort rising from deep within settled over Harry and his two friends.
Hermione and Ron both wore plainly