"Harry, before Black is caught, you are to stay in the Gryffindor common room every night and under no circumstances should you sneak out of the castle in the middle of the night to go and see Hagrid or to break into the Forbidden Forest," said Hermione sternly.
"You make it sound like we didn't even bring you along when we went to see Hagrid."
Ron gave Hermione a sidelong glance, slightly dissatisfied.
Harry did not interfere in Ron and Hermione's argument, though his gaze was only on the photograph in the Muggle newspaper. Yet, he could also sense several odd glances casting upon him; the owners of those eyes were all 'official children' like Ron, who already knew the purpose of Black's escape but had refrained from spreading the news at school due to warnings from their families.
"I know--" Harry broke the argument with a dejected voice.
Black's horror suddenly made Harry recall the place that Professor Bran took him to during the summer vacation. It made Harry know that the magical world was not only beautiful and wonderful, but also full of darkness and filth like the Muggle world.
"From now on, after dark, I'll try to stay inside the castle as much as possible."
Harry's behavior made Hermione satisfied, while Ron seemed to be very surprised by it. However, he knew that this was not a thing to be joked about. He simply shrugged innocently and didn't say anything, but focused on dealing with breakfast.
The first class of the morning for the third year was a Herbology lesson shared by Hufflepuff and Gryffindor.
Due to the conversation at breakfast, some time was lost, which led to Harry and his two friends having to run all the way to Professor Sprout's greenhouse.
On the grass in the school courtyard, the first-year students were learning under Mrs. Huggins' guidance how to control the flying broomsticks.
Watching the jumbled flying students at a height of ten feet above the ground, Harry couldn't help but recall his first encounter with a flying broom when he was in the first year. He had humiliated Malfoy in front of everyone and, as a result, had been invited to join the Gryffindor team by Professor McGonagall.
"Hoping Black can persuade Wood..."
The wonderful memories of the past made Harry feel a bit better. When Harry was only a few feet away from the greenhouse, he muttered under his breath.
"Harry!"
Just then, Ron, who had been acting as a bodyguard at Harry's side, suddenly stopped and shouted in the direction he was pointing.
"It's Hagrid... Oh, I have to see what's going on!"
After a very brief hesitation, Harry made up his mind. Looking around to make sure no one was watching him, he bent down and ran.
"You just promised us, Harry!"
Looking at the rapidly disappearing figure, Hermione angrily called out to Harry.
"It's daylight, Hermione, not night!" Harry said without looking back, just waving at her with his hand.
Ron shrugged his shoulders again, innocently, and ran after Harry. Hermione, angry and stamping her feet in place, glanced at the thin, long gold chain visible under her collar a moment later. Looking around furtively as though she were guilty, she hefted her bulging backpack and ran towards Hagrid's cottage as well.
................
Amortha pushed open the bedroom window, squinting his eyes at the morning cool breeze. The fatigue that hadn't slept for a whole night gradually left his body.
Although it was still early in the morning, the industrious villagers of Hogsmeade had already begun their day's work. From a few houses away, the sounds of footsteps and wooden wheels grinding on stone could be clearly heard from the main street.
The distant slopes were still veiled in a misty veil, but the fog began to dissipate rapidly under the glaring sun. A house standing on a gentle slope with a touch of sinister atmosphere emerged from the mist, partially visible. With his mind clearer, Amortha turned his gaze away and looked back at the half-blood giant sleeping in his bed, a look of helplessness in his eyes.
Last night, after escaping the Ministry of Magic and Dumbledore, Amorth returned to his temporary accommodation in Hogsmeade with a weary body. To his surprise, he found a heavily intoxicated Hagrid lying beside a trash bin in another alley. After bringing Hagrid back, Amorth temporarily concocted some sobering potion for him and, with some simple questions, managed to get a rough understanding of the situation.
"The gray eagle-headed horse-like creature...Draco that boy, did he forget all my advice from last semester? He should be lucky Buckbeak didn't aim for his neck--"
Perhaps due to the significant difference in physique between Hagrid, who possessed giant blood, and normal wizards, the potion Amortha concocted to sober him up couldn't completely restore his full alertness. Therefore, helplessly, he could only let Hagrid stay in his room for the night.
After fetching the Daily Prophet from the mailbox, Amorth returned to the narrow and dimly lit living room, flipping through the newspaper while eating alone.
"...Black was seriously injured and escaped, Rooster of the Elite Auror Office was heroically injured, currently resting in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries..."
Amorth spread raspberry jam generously over the soft, golden-brown slices of toast and rolled them into a tube, popping it into his mouth. As the rumbling stomach felt the fill of food, the comfortable feedback it provided allowed Amorth to let out a long sigh.
"Elite Auror Dolores?"
Amorth chewed on the bread while rolling his eyes, trying to recall when exactly he had injured this guy named Dolores the previous night.
Knock-knock-knock--
The sudden knocking sound outside the entrance hall snapped Amorth back to reality. With a penetrating gaze, he could see who it was through several walls. Amorth quickly walked over to open the door, staring at the smiling Remus Lupin, squinting his eyes, and calmly asking,
"Why, is there an emergency happening at the school... and how did you manage to find out where I live?"
Although still dressed in that washed-out, patched-up wizard's robe, Lupin's complexion had improved since a couple of weeks ago, which finally made him look more like an energetic middle-aged wizard than a beggar without a meal in sight.
"Don't be nervous, Amorth," Remus said gently.
"Everything's normal at the school, and Harry isn't around... Um, can't I come in to talk to you?"
"It's just that I was afraid you might think this place isn't proper enough--"
Knowing that Potter's father had been unfaithful to Snape, as well as that Remus used to be friends with James Potter, Amorth's tone was tinged with a hint of coldness. However, he turned around and walked back to the living room, greeting Remus and inviting him inside.
For the werewolf who had lived a life as muddy as mud for most of his life, the contempt and aversion from wizards were already a common occurrence. Amorth's slightly cold attitude did not cause any inconvenience to Remus. He just found it a bit strange that the last time they met, because of the five thousand gold Galleons, Amorth's attitude towards him was still very friendly...
As a werewolf, Remus showed a grace and etiquette that could be considered elegant for a nobleman. Entering the house, he paused at the junction of the hall and the living room, smiling as he watched Amorth continue eating, ŴŴŴ.
"Actually, it was Albus who told me you were staying here..."
"Oh, really? And did Headmaster Dumbledore show you any mercy and tell you how I came to know where you're living?"
Amorth was not the least bit surprised that Dumbledore could find out where he was staying. Hogsmeade was under his nose, and if he couldn't figure out such things, then Albus Dumbledore wasn't worthy of the fear so many people had for him.
"Rosmerta, the owner of Three Broomsticks, is a friend of Albus's--" Remus said gently.
Amorth rolled his eyes and nearly choked on the dough in his throat, which meant... as soon as he rented a house here, Albus Dumbledore had already figured out the rent for this house.
"In fact, I came here on Dumbledore's request," Remus said, pointing at the bedroom with his eyes. "He wants me to help bring Hagrid back to school..."
Amorth put down his fork, raised his eyebrows, and smiled faintly.
"Is that all?"
