Harry ran to the end of Privet Drive, turned onto Magnolia Crescent, and then disappeared into the alley he had walked countless times.
There were no streetlights in the alley, and the high walls on both sides cast heavy shadows. He ran forward in the dark, relying on his memory. The wheels of his suitcase bounced and clattered in the uneven cobblestones.
Hedwig let out a low cry from inside the cage.
Harry ran out of the alley and finally stopped at the side of a slightly wider street.
He bent over, his hands supporting his knees, panting heavily. The night wind blew his hair plastered to his forehead, and sweat streamed down his face.
After resting for a while, he straightened up, picked up his suitcase and cage, and began to walk briskly along the street.
He didn't know where to go now, but he decided to leave Privet Drive first.
Meanwhile, in the Headmaster's Office at Hogwarts Castle, the flames in the fireplace flickered gently.
Dumbledore sat in his high-backed chair, his fingers interlaced on the table, his silver beard hanging down to his chest, and his blue eyes behind his Half-moon Spectacles calmly watching the short, stout figure pacing back and forth in front of him.
Fudge was wearing a deep purple-red robe with the Ministry of Magic's gold badge pinned to the collar, but the clothes looked a bit wrinkled on him, clearly indicating that he hadn't had time to tidy himself up before rushing over.
" Albus," Fudge stopped, one hand on the edge of the table, his expression a mixture of difficulty and a forced determination.
"I know you don't like this arrangement, but it's absolutely necessary for Dementor to be deployed at Hogwarts."
He placed a document he was holding in his other hand on the table and tapped his finger on the title line. " Sirius Black, did you read today's Daily Prophet?"
"I've seen it," said Dumbledore.
"He escaped." Fudge's voice lowered. "From Azkaban... no one has ever escaped alive from that place, never. But he did."
He started pacing again, his boots making a dull thud on the thick carpet.
" Albus, you know what I'm facing. It's the followers of the You-Know-Who, a dozen lives lost, an entire street blown to rubble... and now he's escaped."
Fudge paused, took a deep breath, and said, " Black's target is very likely Harry Potter."
He walked to the chair opposite Dumbledore, but instead of sitting down, he placed his hands on the back of the chair and leaned forward.
"That's why I decided to deploy Dementor around Hogwarts. They are the guards of Azkaban, and they know best how to catch escaped criminals."
Dumbledore looked up at Fudge, his blue eyes remaining calm.
" Cornelius," he said softly, "Don't forget, Black escaped from Azkaban, which was guarded by a horde of Dementor."
Fudge's expression changed slightly.
"They watched over him for twelve years," Dumbledore said calmly.
"For the past twelve years, he's spent every day with Dementor. He knows Dementor better than anyone, and he knows better than anyone how to avoid them."
"He escaped from Azkaban, and now you think you can catch him with these Dementor?"
Fudge opened his mouth, his gaze shifting from Dumbledore's face to the flickering flames in the fireplace.
"I know," he finally spoke, his voice much lower than before, "You're right."
"If I knew where Black was, I would never have used Dementor."
"I'll send Auror directly. If one team isn't enough, I'll send two. If two teams aren't enough, I'll bring the entire Auror Office over."
He reclined in his chair, straightened up, and put his hands in his robe pockets. "But the problem is, we have no idea where he is."
"He disappeared into the ocean like a drop of water, without a trace or clue. I can't possibly send the entire Auror Office out for 24-hour patrols, can I?"
"That would require far too many people; the Ministry of Magic simply doesn't have the staffing for that."
"So you chose the Dementor," Dumbledore said.
"I chose the Dementor," Fudge repeated, his tone carrying an uneasy acknowledgment.
"At least they don't need to sleep or rest; they can keep a constant watch on any threat and keep circling the boundaries of Hogwarts."
He paused, then added, "And they have a special sensitivity to emotions; other things can't capture Black, but Dementor might."
Dumbledore gently shook his head.
"You don't believe me?" Fudge asked.
"I think it's unlikely," Dumbledore said frankly.
Fudge looked rather unhappy; he was clearly not satisfied with the answer, but he also knew he had no better solution.
"Anyway," Fudge picked up the document from the table, folded it, and stuffed it into his pocket.
" The Dementor have already set off and will be in position at the Hogwarts border first thing tomorrow morning."
"So you're just here to let me know?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.
"Of course not," Fudge, clearly flustered. "I just... there's been a lot of trouble at Hogwarts before, you know."
" Death Eaters are invading, Basilisk are attacking students... Even with increased defenses and measures, the results are not good."
"And now that a serious offender has escaped, it's difficult for us to expect Hogwarts to set up its own defenses... You know, it's not very effective..."
Dumbledore paused for a moment before saying, "You should at least make sure they're outside the castle grounds."
"Of course." Fudge nodded quickly. "I won't let them near the students. They'll only patrol the border and won't enter the castle area."
He walked to the fireplace and took a pinch of Floo Powder from the small porcelain bottle on the mantel.
" Albus," he turned around, the firelight illuminating his face and making his wrinkles stand out, "I know you don't approve, but this is the best I can think of."
"Perhaps," Dumbledore said.
Fudge looked at him, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just nodded.
He sprinkled Floo Powder into the flames, and green flames suddenly shot up.
" The Ministry of Magic," he stated his destination clearly, and then went inside.
The green flames engulfed his figure, and the fireplace regained its orange-red glow.
Dumbledore sat quietly in his chair, watching the fireplace. Fawkes flew down from his perch and landed on his shoulder, gently nuzzling his ear with his beak.
"I know," Dumbledore whispered to the phoenix, "You don't like them either."
He looked up and gazed through the window at the distant Black Lake illuminated by the moonlight.
The lake was calm, with only the gentle ripples created by a light breeze.
But there was a deep thoughtfulness in Dumbledore's blue eyes.
" Sirius...?" He murmured the name, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible, "... Why did you escape at this time?"
Fawkes let out a low growl.