Chapter 576: The Pig's Head Pub
Chapter 576: The Pig's Head Pub
Today marked the final event of the Triwizard Tournament, a centuries-old competition that had captivated the hearts of many. Even the shop owners of Hogsmeade had rushed to the school to witness the spectacle, leaving the village unusually quiet.
Just a few minutes ago, two pieces of news had shattered this tranquility, one after the other. First, it was Harry's disappearance, followed by the vanishing of the Champions right before everyone's eyes.
Consequently, this place became a focal point for inspection, but only for those professors who were privy to the truth.
For most people, they had no idea what had transpired, and even upon witnessing Kyle's disappearance, they merely assumed it was another arrangement by the judges.
Inside the Pig's Head Pub, Sirius stood with his wand, confronting the owner in an agitated state.
Lupin was also present, showing no intention of stopping Sirius, but instead, he was lifting the hoods of the bar patrons one by one, inspecting their identities.
The patrons cooperated, none daring to resist... But then again, who would dare defy a seven or eight-foot-tall, robust werewolf?
Yes, today was the full moon.
Lupin, having just finished his Wolfsbane Potion, was resting in the Shrieking Shack when he learned from Sirius about Harry and Kyle's sudden disappearance.
He couldn't sit still and joined Sirius in searching for Harry.
Despite his transformation into a werewolf, the Wolfsbane Potion kept his mind clear and lucid.
For decades, this was the first time Lupin didn't resent his werewolf identity.
The irritable patrons in the pub initially had no intention of cooperating with the inspection, and some even attempted to attack Sirius.
However, when Lupin entered, they all quieted down, sheathing their wands and willingly complying with the inspection, behaving more obediently than the students at school.
The only one who remained displeased was the owner, a quirky old man with a tall, slender build and long grayish-white hair and beard.
He held a dirty cup in his hand, standing there and confronting Sirius.
"Get out! The person you're looking for isn't here."
"That's not certain," Sirius said, unmoved. "Everyone knows that the best place to hide in Hogsmeade is the Pig's Head Pub."
The owner was infuriated and unleashed a torrent of curses at Sirius.
But he merely moved his mouth, showing no intention of stopping Lupin, and even as he cursed, he wiped the cup in his hand.
Sirius furrowed his brows, unsure if it was the cloth or something else, but he felt like the cup was getting dirtier and dirtier.
No wonder the professors at school said it was fine to visit the Pig's Head Pub, but it was best to bring your own cup.
"Smash!"
As Sirius was thinking, he suddenly heard a crisp explosion from outside.
The sound clearly echoed into the Pig's Head Pub.
Sirius instantly became alert, and at the same time, Lupin turned his head and twitched his nose.
The next moment, he couldn't wait to finish checking the remaining people and rushed out of the bar.
They weren't the first to arrive; when Sirius burst out of the pub, he saw Professor Moody standing with his back to them in front of the Shrieking Shack.
"Stupefy!"
A red light struck Lupin without deviation, sending him flying backward.
"Wait, Professor Moody..." Sirius hurriedly called out, "He's Remus Lupin!"
Upon hearing the voice, Professor Moody slightly raised the hand holding his wand, causing his second spell to deviate slightly and land on the empty ground next to the werewolf, blasting a five-foot-wide crater.
Sirius was drenched in cold sweat, unable to imagine what would have happened if the Blasting Curse had landed on Lupin just now.
Even as a werewolf, he probably couldn't withstand it.
"Lupin?" Professor Moody turned around.
"Yes," Sirius nodded, "Thanks to Dumbledore's help, the Hogsmeade villagers have agreed to let him stay here."
"He's taken the Wolfsbane Potion, and this time he's here to help find Harry and Kyle."
"I see." Professor Moody nodded and put away his wand. "Werewolves have a keen sense of smell, which is indeed very helpful in finding people, but we don't need it now."
His blue magical eye retreated to the back.
Sirius also saw that Kyle and Harry were standing behind Professor Moody.
Or rather, Kyle was standing there, while Harry was lying on the ground, looking like he was about to throw up, and his legs seemed to be injured as well.
"Thank goodness, you're back!" Sirius, no longer concerned about the unconscious Lupin, hurried over.
"What happened to you, what's going on!"
"That's what I want to know too." Professor Moody said.
"Voldemort, he's back." Kyle didn't hesitate and spoke directly.
Just a few words, but the surrounding atmosphere became so tense that one could hear a pin drop.
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"That's impossible... it can't be, he's dead!" Sirius seemed unable to believe it, stammering.
Because on that day, James and Lily had died, and he would never forget it.
Professor Moody, rarely silent, said nothing.
"I don't want to believe it either, but it's true." Kyle shook his head, "In fact, Dumbledore is fighting him right now, and it's because of this that we were able to come back..."
"Did you really see him?"
At this moment, Snape also emerged from the shadows, his face unusually pale, grabbing Kyle's shoulder, "Are you sure, did you see the Dark Lord with your own eyes?"
"I'm sure, Professor." Kyle said.
As he spoke, he could feel Snape's hand tremble violently.
"He's really back..." Snape muttered.
After a while, the others gradually accepted this statement... or rather, temporarily accepted it.
After all, Voldemort was dead, and the entire magical world knew it.
Even knowing that Kyle wouldn't lie about this, they couldn't fully believe it in a short time.
What's even harder to believe is that Kyle and Harry managed to escape from Voldemort's grasp. They knew that Dumbledore had been suddenly taken away by a phoenix just minutes after Kyle disappeared.
Harry had been taken away even earlier, before the competition started.
What happened during that time...
Sirius felt a chill down his spine and couldn't help but walk forward to help Harry up.
At this moment, Professor McGonagall also ran over.
"Merlin's beard, what happened?"
So, Kyle repeated what he had just said.
Professor McGonagall stood there, her mouth trembling, but unlike the others, she quickly believed this statement.
"Oh my, the Dark Lord..." She looked at Kyle and Harry, finally resting her gaze on Harry's leg, "I'm so glad to see you alive, I'll take you to the Hospital Wing."
"I'm fine, Professor McGonagall." Kyle shook his head, saying, "You can take Harry first."
"No!"
Professor McGonagall was unmoved and insisted on sending both of them to the Hospital Wing.
(End of Chapter)
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