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Chapter 386: Meeting with Sirius Black
Chapter 386: Meeting with Sirius Black
Above Hogwarts, Ivan, transformed into an Owl, was flapping his wings and flying swiftly out of the castle.
The Dementors scattered around the school occasionally soared through the air but paid no attention to this peculiar Owl.
The Ministry of Magic had given them the order to capture an escaped wizard, not to chase some flying animal.
Besides, the number of Owls entering and exiting the castle every day was too high for the Dementors to notice one.
This made Ivan's actions much easier. After a brief flight, the Whomping Willow standing near the lake came into view. From a distance, Ivan could see a large black dog quietly crouching beside the tree trunk.
As Ivan approached, the black dog noticed the grayish-white Owl in the sky.
Having seen Ivan's Animagus form before, it recognized him instantly, its face showing a human-like expression of happiness. It barked softly a couple of times and then crawled into a large hole under the Whomping Willow, gesturing for Ivan to follow.
Ivan nodded and flapped his wings to follow.
Inside the large hole was a long, deep tunnel that stretched forward continuously.
At the end of the tunnel was a messy, seemingly abandoned room. The walls were pitted and the white wallpaper was peeling off. The floor was covered in stains, and the furniture was broken, showing signs of having been damaged or gnawed by something.
Before Ivan could examine the room closely, Sirius Black, who had already transformed back into human form, walked over.
"Hals! Looks like you didn't keep me waiting too long", Sirius joked.
"You know, I had a lot on my plate at the start of the term, so I couldn't find the time to come see you", Ivan explained, feeling a bit guilty for making Sirius wait for nearly a month.
Fortunately, Sirius didn't mind this too much. After his casual joke, he turned serious. "Alright, let's not talk about that! Last time we were in a rush, and there were some things I didn't get to tell you! I bet you wouldn't guess who I saw in Knockturn Alley!"
"My mother, Esia, right?" Ivan guessed.
"You know?" Sirius was taken aback, his expression filled with surprise. He had intended to surprise Ivan with this news.
To confirm it, he almost got beaten up by a group of unknown werewolves. Luckily, his Animagus form was fast enough to escape before they could corner him.
At the same time, Sirius noticed that Ivan seemed much more peaceful today compared to a few months ago, with no trace of the gloom that used to cloud his face.
"I told you before, I have a way", Ivan said simply, without going into further detail.
Sirius looked at him intently. He had heard Ivan say this before, but at the time, he thought it was just self-comforting words, so he didn't pay much attention.
But now, it seemed that Ivan had indeed managed to do the impossible—bring the dead back to life!
Sirius was baffled. Before starting school, Ivan had been so gloomy that the expression couldn't have been faked.
It was this fact that, combined with the confessions of the four black-robed wizards, led Sirius to confirm that Esia was dead.
So, after Ivan went to Hogwarts for classes, Sirius continued to investigate the cause of Esia's death. During one of his investigations, he unexpectedly saw Esia herself.
If it weren't for the fact that Esia's appearance hadn't changed much over the past decade, he would have almost thought he had mistaken her for someone else.
Sirius Black was very eager to ask Ivan how he managed to rescue someone who was presumed dead within a month.
After all, Ivan's attitude just now clearly indicated that Esia's "resurrection" was related to him.
But seeing Ivan's closed-mouthed and unwilling demeanor, Sirius hesitated and didn't press further.
Ivan took the opportunity to change the subject and began inquiring about Esia's current situation. He really wanted to know what had happened in Knockturn Alley after he left and how Esia and Fren were doing.
"Your mother looks well, and your family's magic shop reopened not long after you left", Sirius briefly told Ivan.
He didn't know much himself. After learning that Esia was still alive, Sirius had impatiently slipped away to Hogwarts to find Ivan and explain the situation, but he never got a chance to contact him.
Then, Sirius suddenly remembered something and added, "By the way, do you remember the Borgin and Burkes shop we searched? The sign was recently taken down, and it seems to have a new owner!"
"Do you know who the new owner is?" Ivan's mind raced, and he asked.
"I don't know the person well, but the sign is quite interesting. It's called 'St. Mungo's Hospital.'"
At this point, Sirius was quite speechless. It was the first time he had seen someone boldly hang a sign with just the name 'St. Mungo's Hospital' without the 'for Magical Maladies and Injuries' part, and the person didn't seem to worry about getting into trouble.
"Dugot!" Ivan instantly guessed who the new owner was and said through gritted teeth.
If he remembered correctly, that old man had told him three months ago that Borgin and Burkes was being watched by many troublesome individuals, and he should stay away from it.
He never expected the bastard to take action himself.
"What's wrong? Is that person one of your enemies?" Sirius, seeing Ivan's angry expression, was quite curious.
"No, nothing, just got tricked!" Ivan shook his head and quickly adjusted his mood.
Borgin and Burkes had a prime location and was a hub in Knockturn Alley. It was better for Dugot to get it than for it to be taken over by someone else.
Besides, he had accidentally blown up Dugot's house earlier, so he couldn't really go demanding an explanation.
Sirius raised an eyebrow, not knowing the full story, and moved on. "Since that's the case, let's talk about Peter! I remember you told me that if I helped you with your mother, Esia, you would bring Peter to me!"
"Of course, that's what I said. But now there's a small complication. I can hand over that rat anytime, but clearing your name and allowing you to live openly in the magical world is a bit more difficult!" Ivan said with a sigh.
(End of Chapter)
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