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Chapter 125: The Captured Sirius Black
Chapter 125: The Captured Sirius Black
At the Three Broomsticks, by the window.
Sherlock and Silke were seated there, each with a warm cup of black tea in front of them, and a plate of cookies in the center of the table.
On the other side of the window, the rain continued to pour down, showing no signs of letting up.
Silke sipped her black tea in small, frequent mouthfuls, remaining silent. Sherlock, on the other hand, stared out the window at the rain dripping from the eaves, lost in thought.
Silke had decided not to return to the castle. As Dumbledore's appointed monitor, Sherlock couldn't go back alone, especially since he only had four classes a week and was quite free at the moment. Sitting in the pub, enjoying afternoon tea and watching the rain was quite pleasant.
However, the silence was starting to feel a bit too heavy.
Sherlock had to break the ice.
"Where are your two companions? I remember one is named Henry, and the other is Harry."
Silke had specifically requested that her black tea be served with a layer of tea leaves at the bottom. As she drank the last few sips, the tea became quite bitter. Even though he couldn't see her face, Sherlock could tell from her frequent, small sips that she wasn't particularly enjoying the taste, but she still finished the cup.
"They're staying at the inn."
Sherlock propped his chin on his hand, watching Silke as she began to focus on the tea leaves at the bottom of her cup, preparing to read them. He didn't interrupt, instead shifting his gaze from the window to her. This was the first time he had seen a Seer perform a full divination.
It looked rather unremarkable, with nothing particularly special about it. She just stared at the tea leaves, as if trying to see something in the tiny, water-soaked leaves.
However, this particular divination session seemed to be going poorly. Silke maintained this position for a full half-hour without any reaction.
By the time the rain began to taper off and the sky grew darker, approaching evening, Silke let out a barely audible sigh and stood up from her chair.
Sherlock followed suit, shrugging as he said, "Today wasn't too bad, even if we didn't find anything. It was a good chance to relax."
As he stood, he accidentally bumped the table, causing it to wobble and the tea leaves in the cup to shift.
Silke, who had just stood up, suddenly froze. She stared at the tea leaves that had changed position, and it seemed as though she saw a large black dog in them!
She looked up abruptly and said to Sherlock with great seriousness, "When you talk like that, you should do it more often!"
Then she turned and quickly walked out of the pub.
Sherlock realized she must have made a discovery, so he didn't mind her somewhat impolite comment and followed her out of the Three Broomsticks.
The rain had just stopped, and the air was still damp and chilly. Silke's pace was quick, her black boots splashing through puddles and splattering mud on the hem of her robe, but she paid no attention.
Sherlock hurried after her.
"What are you looking for?"
"A dog, a large black dog."
Sherlock was taken aback. He remembered the large black dog he had seen on his first day in Hogsmeade, near the dumpster in an alley.
He grabbed Silke's arm.
"I know where that dog is."
They arrived at a secluded alley.
It seemed to be a place where the town's residents disposed of their garbage. There were five metal trash cans, and in the shadowy corner behind them, a large black dog was lying down.
The dog appeared to be sleeping. Sherlock and Silke didn't get too close but stood a distance away, watching it.
"So what's special about this dog?" Sherlock asked, puzzled.
Silke, with her blind eyes, stared at the black dog, her voice once again calm and clear.
"It will lead us to some clues."
Sherlock slowly drew his wand.
"Alright, maybe your divination is correct, but first, we need to make sure it doesn't run away."
Sirius Black, who had spent the night checking the old secret passages to see if they were still usable, was now exhausted.
During the days of being pursued by Dementors and Ministry of Magic Aurors, he hadn't had a single good night's sleep or a hot meal.
This afternoon, a sudden downpour had forced Sirius Black to huddle under a damp eave, trying to get some rest and recover his strength for the night.
He had confirmed that most of the secret passages were still intact, so he planned to wait for an opportunity to sneak into Hogwarts and finally catch that damned traitor, tearing him to shreds!
In his drowsy state, he dreamed of catching Peter, torturing him with the cruelest methods, and forcing him to explain why he had betrayed James.
However, just then, a sense of danger crept into his mind!
Sirius Black jolted awake, opening his eyes to find himself surrounded by an iron cage that was slowly closing in!
His heart tightened, and he instinctively thought his disguise had been discovered!
He used his limbs to leap up, trying to escape from the cage before it was fully formed.
But Sherlock was even faster!
The Transfiguration quickly completed its final steps, sealing the cage completely just as Sirius Black jumped up!
Trapped inside the iron cage, Sirius Black's eyes filled with despair.
If he were captured this time, the Ministry of Magic would most likely not send him back to Azkaban but instead give him a Dementor's Kiss.
Sirius Black was not afraid of death; what he feared was that after he died, no one would know Peter's true nature. Peter had been hiding as a rat near Harry Potter for years. Who knew what he might do in the future?
After successfully capturing the large black dog, Sherlock and Silke approached the cage, staring at the despondent Sirius Black inside.
Sherlock stroked his chin.
"This dog is indeed different; it even shows human-like expressions. It reminds me of Hagrid's Fluffy. Although his dog was a bit timid, it was also very smart."
Sirius Black, who had been in utter despair, was jolted back to reality by Sherlock's words!
He noticed that Sherlock and Silke were not dressed like Aurors from the Ministry of Magic. He remembered seeing Sherlock a few days ago when he first arrived in Hogsmeade, and he knew that Sherlock was a professor at Hogwarts!
So, he hadn't been discovered?
There was still a chance to continue his escape?
Realizing this, Sirius Black felt a glimmer of hope!
He wagged his tail and stuck out his tongue, trying to act like an ordinary dog.
Sherlock, looking at the black dog that had just been so bitter and desperate but now showed such a fawning expression, nodded and said,
"It's very smart. We need to be careful and make sure it doesn't escape."
Sirius Black's face froze, his tongue halfway out, unsure whether to retract it or keep wagging his tail.
Silke, ignoring Sherlock's playful interaction with the smart black dog, stared at Sirius Black with her unseen eyes.
"Two nights ago, did you notice anything unusual in this town?"
The witch, whose face was half-hidden by a hood, gave Sirius Black a peculiar feeling.
Though she wasn't looking at him with her eyes, he felt as if she was seeing through him, leaving no secrets.
At the same time, her question reminded him of the night he arrived in Hogsmeade, when the stationery shop owner was killed, and he had seen something strange.
Sirius Black knew that a murder had recently taken place in Hogsmeade, but he had his own problems to deal with and had no energy to care about others' lives.
But today, it seemed he was caught because of this incident.
Understanding what they wanted from him, Sirius Black felt a sense of relief. As long as his identity wasn't discovered, he could accept it.
He wagged his tail even more enthusiastically, indicating that he could lead them to a place.
Unable to communicate verbally, Sherlock and Silke couldn't understand what he was trying to convey just by wagging his tail. However, Sherlock knew he needed to let the black dog move freely.
He tapped the iron cage with his wand, causing it to shrink rapidly into numerous ropes that bound Sirius Black tightly. Sherlock then held the end of the leash.
This cautious approach made Sirius Black, who had been considering a chance to escape, completely give up and obediently led the way.
Sherlock held the leash, Silke followed by his side, and Sirius Black led them to another bar in Hogsmeade.
The Hog's Head.
An old, dirty bar with a surly bartender and a far cry from the charming Madam Rosmerta at the Three Broomsticks.
However, the Hog's Head was a place where all sorts of shady characters gathered. You could meet Wizards who lived on the fringes here, and it was often the site of illegal transactions.
Sirius Black did not lead Sherlock and Silke into the bar but instead turned a corner to the back yard.
The yard was a mess, with old, broken barrels scattered everywhere and discarded tables and chairs strewn about.
Sirius Black stopped here. That night, he had seen something strange disappear in this spot.
Sherlock and Silke searched the area and soon found a few withered straws in a corner!
(End of Chapter)
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