Chapter 293: Warning
Chapter 293: Warning
Harry finally understood what Ron meant by "squeezing out of a rubber tube." He felt that this description was a bit of an understatement, as pressure surged from all sides, his eardrums issuing strong warnings, and his chest felt as if it were encased in several iron bands, making it impossible to breathe.
In reality, the sweat on his body should have soaked through his clothes.
Not only Harry, but Ron and Hermione also struggled to cope. After enduring it twice, they decided to back out. Harry asked, "If we can't adapt, will we keep getting stuck at this stage?"
"If you can't even adapt to the sensation of apparition, it's even harder to expect you to maintain focus and channel magic", Professor Hup reassured them. "You're still young, so there's no need to rush."
Common Room.
The three of them opened their eyes simultaneously. "Pretty cool, right?" Harry said.
Ron laughed and said, "More than cool, it's amazing!" He put one hand on his forehead and struck a strange pose. "I'm just a country bumpkin."
Harry laughed heartily, while Hermione looked utterly confused.
"Gentlemen, is this the latest joke?"
"Oh, Hermione, it's a line from Adventures of Young Wizard Mick. Whenever Mick sees something he doesn't recognize, he says this..."
Hermione shrugged and dryly said, "How fascinating."
Days passed, and Felix successfully added the alarm charm to the Marauder's Map. The rest was up to time, letting it work its magic.
When Harry handed in his apparition essay and the mysterious book to Felix, he was surprised to realize that a month had already passed.
Entering March, the weather became clearer. From the castle, one could see the distinct green of the Forbidden Forest, though the wind had also picked up, stinging their faces. Each time owls appeared in the Great Hall, their feathers were ruffled, making these diligent little creatures irritable. If you couldn't remove the letters quickly and offer them some owl treats, they would angrily peck at your hand.
Felix completed his portrait and sent it to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. For him, the most time-consuming part wasn't injecting the memories but casting multiple protective charms.
If anyone dared to cast a Stunning Spell on his portraits, they would find a huge 'surprise' waiting for them. Initially, Felix hadn't thought much about it, but the more he visited the Black Family Manor to read books, the more this concern naturally arose.
This was the first time he had delved so deeply into a Pureblood noble family. Almost every two or three steps revealed traces of magic. He saw the place as a buried relic, now unearthed, and the stories he heard from Mundungus, true or false, added a unique charm.
Felix also clarified one thing: Kreacher had recognized him from the start. The unpleasant, shrill scream he heard when he first tried to break into the Black Family Manor belonged to the old House-elf.
"What can Kreacher do? When he discovers someone trying to break in, he can only activate the house's defensive magic."
...
Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place.
"You knew about this place all along!" Sirius Black exclaimed in surprise.
"I told you, I received some help from the Black family", Felix said with a smile.
"Who told you that?" Sirius Black pressed, "Wait—Phineas Nigellus Black, my great-great-grandfather! You asked me where his portraits were placed!"
He said sarcastically, "His portraits are far more reasonable than he was when alive. Did something go wrong when the memories were infused?"
Felix said softly, "He hopes I will spare you, the last descendant of the Black family—right under Dumbledore's nose, even though you were the most notorious fugitive from Azkaban at the time."
"..."
"Though you still are", he added.
Sirius Black looked at him speechlessly, then said resentfully, "Thanks for the reminder. You make me feel like an ungrateful jerk, but if you knew the kind of life I had as a kid... Never mind, I'll go keep an eye on the Marauder's Map."
"The Marauder's Map has an alarm spell; it doesn't need anyone watching it."
"Then I'll go tidy up the room!" he said angrily.
Felix stopped provoking him and his expression turned serious, "Getting back to the matter at hand, I wanted to tell you not to come to my office, and I won't be coming here either. People from the Ministry of Magic have arrived."
Sirius Black was taken aback, "The Ministry of Magic? At Hogwarts, why?"
"Because of you", Felix said, "There's no more brazen fugitive than you. The Ministry of Magic has set up a dragnet, but you still brazenly appeared at Hogwarts, less than three hundred steps from the castle gates."
"Dumbledore's previous reasons for keeping you here have been overturned. The school is no longer safe. Parents are sending him letters one after another, and he had no choice but to compromise... Now, the abandoned classroom next to Filch's office has been converted into a temporary Ministry of Magic outpost."
Sirius Black said awkwardly, "I didn't think about it that much. I found two wands on a Dark Wizard in Knockturn Alley, along with some smuggled Polyjuice Potion, and the plan just came together."
Felix shook his head, stretched out his arms, and said, "Marauder's Map, come here!" A stack of parchment flew to him. He turned and walked into the fireplace, "I'm taking the map. Also, I don't know if I have the right to advise you, but life is like a chess game. You make a move, and you have to allow others to respond."
His figure disappeared in the green flames.
Sirius Black stared at the fireplace, muttering, "Chess? Do you think I can't play?"
"Kreacher!" he called out loudly.
"Bang!"
An old, ugly House-elf appeared. Kreacher bowed deeply, pressing his nose to the ground, "Respectful wastrel, what do you need?"
Sirius Black's eyelids twitched, and he said through gritted teeth, "I'm going out for a bit. You keep cleaning the house. I don't care where you put the junk, but don't let me see it, or I'll throw it all out."
"Mr. Felix strongly advises against you going out. If he finds out..."
"Kreacher! Who is your master?" Sirius Black said angrily, "Maybe I should give you to him!"
Kreacher muttered under his breath, but his voice was just loud enough for Sirius to hear, "Old Kreacher has served the noble Black family for generations. If you insist, I prefer Miss Narcissa."
Sirius Black was so angry that his nose nearly twisted. He stormed out.
"Where are you going?"
"To a Muggle neighborhood! To learn chess! Go ahead and tell on me!"
(End of Chapter)
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