A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 278: The Pursuit

At the edge of the Forbidden Forest...

Felix Harp spotted a young wizard desperately fleeing toward the Forbidden Forest. He raised his wand, gauging the distance, and with a flick of his wrist at the moment of impact, he cast a spell.

The young wizard, as if anticipating it, twisted his body and deftly avoided the curse, moving with an agility far beyond his apparent age.

"Sirius Black, perhaps we should have a little chat," Felix called out.

Step by step, Felix approached him. The effects of the Draught of Living Death that Black had ingested earlier were wearing off. His body began to change gradually, growing taller and broader, stretching and elongating.

Gasping for breath, stumbling forward, Black entered the forest. As he stepped within, it was as if a powerful blow struck him. He stiffened for a few seconds, then finally collapsed.

The transformation had begun.

Curling his body, he trembled all over. His skin erupted with tiny bubbles like hot molten wax. His fingers enlarged and thickened, the bony joints protruding as he clawed into the damp brown soil. His nails sunk into the earth.

Black let out a low roar. His shoulders broadened, and his loose robes expanded without tearing, despite the fact that there was no flesh on this man.

Felix waited in silence. It would take the others two to three minutes to arrive, providing him ample time.

The transformation concluded. Black lay sprawled on the ground, panting heavily. He seemed to have given up resistance. Hoarsely, he asked, "Who are you? So young, you must be"

Interrupting, Felix swiftly tapped the ring on his left hand. A broomstick materialized out of thin air, and Felix mounted it, soaring into the sky.

Beneath him spread a blurred expanse of brown and gray. He gripped the broom handle, ascending higher, fifty feet, a hundred feet. In the distance, he spotted a large black dog sprinting along a rugged path within the Forbidden Forest. Its speed was astonishing, resembling a wisp of black smoke.

However, spring had just returned, and the trees in the forest still bore sparse, brown branches. Leaves were scarce, incapable of shielding or obstructing the view. Thus, Felix had no trouble keeping up.

By a small stream, he caught up with Black. A fiery red beam struck the large black dog, sending it flying.

Stopping at a distance of six or seven meters, Felix declared, "Change back, transform into a human, Sirius Black."

The struggling black dog lifted its head to meet Felix's gaze. After a moment, the second transformation began, rapid yet peculiar. The body shrank, and a disheveled man emerged where the dog had been.

If he stayed still, he could easily be mistaken for a corpse, one that had suffered inhuman torturesdirty, tangled hair cascading to his elbows, neglected for a long time; his body coated in dirt, revealing a pale skin that clung to a face devoid of flesh.

Black chuckled softly, his eyes wolf-like. He rasped, "You're a student of Squibbler? Felix Harp... Quite the famous name. I've seen you on the cover of 'Wizarding Weekly.' Honestly, you're not as good-looking in person."

Calmly, Felix responded, "Though I have many questions for you, however"

He pointed his wand at Black, saying, "Purify!" Bubbles poured out of Black's mouth. He coughed and sputtered for a while before stopping.

Leaning down by the stream, Black casually examined his teeth. "Quite an inventive idea. We used this on Snivellus when we were young. James ended up with a scar on his face from it."

Felix Harp shook his head. "I've heard your story from many sources. The Sirius Black they speak of is handsome, recklessly wild, with a touch of elegance in his casualness. But looking at you now"

With a wave of his wand, Felix conjured a whirlpool-like vortex from the stream, completely swallowing Black.

Black's eyes widened, and he managed to utter, "Rat" before being silenced by the rushing water. He choked on the water instead.

The currents flowed around him. After about a dozen seconds, a murky whirlpool threw a muddy mess back into the stream. Cleansed from the ordeal, he looked much improved though still thin as a skeleton, a faint shadow of his younger self still visible.

Suspended in the air, Black tilted his head, surprised. "You don't want to kill me?"

"Why should I? As I've said, I have much to discuss with youyour betrayal, your escapeoh, the latter is quite evident, Animagus. It's all too clear."

"Take me to Dumbledore! I'll confess everything without holding back."

"Why not tell me now? I'm quite curious. However, there are questions not suitable for a public settinglike the feuds between Severus and the Potters, or some of Voldemort's secrets."

"Ha! Are you planning to sell me to the Ministry or gift me to Squibbler? You must be his favorite student, to be trusted with these secrets..." Black mocked, just as a sudden gust of wind picked up, causing his body to tremble uncontrollably.

"I dislike the way you address me. If you persist in provoking me" Felix gestured with his wand and raised an eyebrow, "you'll surely regret it."

Black shrugged nonchalantly. "Torture? To someone who's spent twelve years in Azkaban? Everything you do only makes me feel alive"

Though shivering from the cold, he kept his eyes fixed on Felix.

Felix's wand pointed at Black's chest, and steam billowed forth, drying him in an instant.

Black landed on the ground, testing his limbs. He looked at Felix with puzzled suspicion. "Aren't you afraid I might escape? Why not bind me?"

"You could consider it an act of goodwill, for the sake of our forthcoming conversation," Felix replied.

Black's sunken eyes stared at him, and he grinned wryly. "I'm starting to like you, butI still can't trust you. You're too close to Snape."

Felix noticed his expression had eased. Tentatively, he asked, "Does it matter whether you trust me or not? Do you have any choice?"

"Of course, never underestimate anyone. Go back and tell Dumbledore that kidthe one in the same year as Harry, from the Weasley familyhis pet rat is an Animagus." Black spoke, unaware of the news of Pettigrew's disappearance.

"An Animagus?" Felix repeated.

"Yes, he's Peter Pettigrew. He didn't diedamn it! I thought he was dead!" Black suddenly erupted with anger, cursing wildly. After a while, he struggled to regain his composure. "Sorry you had to witness that. But I've suppressed it for too long."

"I suppose you want to say that Pettigrew is the traitor? Despite your role as Secret Keeper?" Felix said.

"Not meit was an exchange! He and I, we switched! He became the Secret Keeper! Dumbledore will understand. Once we catch Pettigrew, everything will be revealed."

"I believe it's best for you to tell Dumbledore these things in person," Felix said.

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