Sirius Black's escape is like a sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of most residents in the magical world, causing great trouble to their daily work and life. For Harry, this feeling is particularly profound.
During the first week of school, after Sirius Black escaped from the Ministry of Magic once again, Hermione, who had been at odds with Ron for some time over the Snapes' matter, kept reminding him not to take any daring actions. Even Hagrid prohibited him from going to see him after dark.
The wind and rain outside were still raging, but the ceiling of the Great Hall was indeed a pristine sky filled with stars. Harry turned over in his mind, and he felt no fear, on the contrary, he felt a sense of relief that boots finally touched the ground in mid-air.
Hermione was giving everyone a talk about why Sirius Black couldn't get into Hogwarts by Apparition or Floo. Percy, Ron's brother and the new president of the Prefects this year, was hurrying past rows of sleeping bags and telling the chattering wizards to shut up and go to sleep.
The professors were all busy searching the castle, and every hour, one professor would hurry back to the Great Hall to make sure nothing untoward had occurred.
At ten o'clock in the evening, Professor Flitwick, who had checked the Lavender Lady dormitory, returned to the Great Hall to ensure that everything was still safe. However, after confirming the security here, Professor Flitwick did not leave immediately but ran to a group of Ravenclaw students and squatted down to speak to a little wizard.
Curious, Harry slightly tilted his head to look over there. After a few glances, he found that it was a Ravenclaw girl who was crying softly out of fright. Professor Flitwick's purpose of coming down was to comfort her.
The young witch looked older than they were, with a gentle Eastern face, and she was very beautiful. So, Harry raised his head even higher and looked at her for a few more seconds...
The professors were coming and going in the Great Hall, but they had not seen Professor Lupin yet... During their meeting during the day, Professor Lupin told Harry that he would not be attending the Halloween banquet and would be spending the holiday with a friend at Hogsmeade, but logically, Professor Lupin should have returned by now.
Another short time later, Dumbledore, who had also gone to check the castle, entered with a serious expression. His stern gaze circled around the room, and when he spotted Percy patrolling near Harry and the others, he quickly approached.
"Professor, have you found any clues?" Percy asked in a low voice.
"None, what's the situation here?"
"Everything is normal, sir," Percy replied eagerly.
As Dumbledore and Percy were exchanging some information, the Great Hall doors creaked open, and Snape, with a face as cold as iron, hurriedly arrived, bringing news that they had found nothing as well.
"Have you considered, Professor Dumbledore, how he managed to get in?"
Percy was sent away, and Harry, pretending to be asleep with his head turned to one side, looked as if he was pressed against the pillow, but in reality, it was floating. Hermione, Ron, Dean and others were basically in the same situation.
Professor Snape's expression was as sinister as usual, but there was a flicker of fire in those dark, dark eyes.
"There are many possibilities, but each one can't be examined, Severus," Dumbledore's voice was very deep, he looked down upon Snape with a stern expression and said without any emotion.
"If you have any clever ideas, I would be delighted to hear them."
The flame in Snape's eyes dimmed instantly, replaced by deep resentment.
"It is indeed a rather trivial insight, Professor Dumbledore. And, before the school opened, when you decided to hire that person, I also candidly told you about this possibility. Now, it seems that my guess has been confirmed, is that correct?"
Dumbledore glanced at the sleeping small guys on the floor, and the deep blue eyes behind his half-moon glasses conveyed a strict warning.
"Let me be blunt, Severus, I don't see any connection between the current situation and the possibility you mentioned before."
Dumbledore's tone clearly indicated that he hoped this topic would finally be put to rest, but it didn't work, and Snape became even more incensed.
The sallow cheeks swelled red within a few breaths, Snape's thin lips were tensed, the anger that surrounded him made Harry, several seats away, feel his skin prickle.
"Exactly tonight!"
Snape bit his teeth and said angrily,
"He came in just after Sirius left, do you think that's just a coincidence, Dumbledore?"
The atmosphere became very tense. Many young wizards twisted their bodies in nervousness, and Snape's demeanor even made some wizards who were eavesdropping secretly worry that he might pull out his wand and fight with Professor Dumbledore right there in the Great Hall.
"He went to spend Halloween with his friends, huh?"
Snape was pressing on relentlessly.
"Did you ask who his friends were, Dumbledore? I would say, it must be an old friend!"
It was strange. Despite Snape's pressing questions, Dumbledore did not order him to stop, and instead, an unusual light shone in his eyes. His silver eyebrows moved slightly as if he were thinking something.
"If you really want to know, Severus--"
After a long time, Dumbledore's brow relaxed as he suddenly realized that the intrusion of Sirius Black into Hogwarts Castle was a very good opportunity.
"We might as well go and take a look now. I think Sirius Black wouldn't spend much time in the castle, anyway."
Snape's eyebrows suddenly scrunched up, he stared at Dumbledore in shock and suspicion, suddenly a bit confused about what this was again.
"Come along, Severus, Fawkes will give us a ride."
Once he made up his mind, Dumbledore became formidable. He gave a command to the professor who had just come down from the dormitories and threw a sentence at Snape before striding up the stairs with great agility.
...
Worrying Professor McGonagall went to the side where the Slytherin students were sleeping, and Harry, who had been holding back his emotions for a while, turned around quickly. His emerald eyes were full of confusion.
"Harry!"
Ron, like a Floppy the Muggle, snuggled up and Hagrid kicked Neville, who was reluctant to give up his seat.
"Snape is suspecting that Professor Lupin helped Black, aren't you? But how can that be, what evidence does he have to think that!"
Ron's quick blinking eyes were enough to show his surprise.
Although the relationship with Ron hadn't improved much, Hermione was still impatiently giving her opinion after hearing that.
"It's obvious, Ron, from their conversation, we can know that Professor Lupin knows Black... That's not a strange thing. If Professor Lupin is about the same age as Black, then they might have studied together at Hogwarts. Professor Snape was probably also at school back then; they all knew each other!"
"Thank you, I almost didn't realize that!"
Ron glared at Hermione, saying rudely.
"But what does that prove, Hermione?"
Although a little uneasy about the fact that Lupin and Black, the bad guy, had been classmates, Harry couldn't help but defend Lupin. He spoke in a low voice.
"Even Hagrid was a classmate of Voldemort!"
"But the key is,"
Hermione didn't look at Ron's challenging eyes, she solemnly addressed Harry,
"We can know from Professor Snape's words that Black and Professor Lupin were likely good friends in the past, but later... I guess it's probably because Black turned to the Dark Side, and Professor Lupin left him... But because of this, Professor Snape doesn't trust Professor Lupin."
"That's what Snape should do, go back to his dormitory and take a good look in the mirror," Harry couldn't help but mock, "Maybe he was closer to Voldemort than Black ever was!"
It had been two months since the start of the school year, and everyone could see what kind of person Professor Lupin was compared to the unpleasant Snape. Most young wizards believed that Snape was just making a fuss, that he was jealous of Professor Lupin's position and that no one would actually believe that Professor Lupin was a traitor who helped Black enter Hogwarts.
"But--"
Having ended the discussion, Harry faced the mysterious starry sky and muttered to himself, audible only to him.
"What exactly did Professor Lupin go to see?"
