The reason for Jane Yu's sour mood was simple.
Sirius Black, in his human form, had appeared in the Gryffindor stands.
He was waving a small Gryffindor flag, standing behind a banner that read "Gryffindor for the Win," cheering wildly for his godson Harry's performance on the field. His shouts even drowned out the voice of the commentator, Lee Jordan, who held the microphone.
Although his human appearance was undeniably handsome, the mere thought of her own past humiliation made Jane's anger flare up.
Beside her, Penelope was nervously fixated on the performance of the Ravenclaw team but still noticed Jane's unusual demeanor.
"Yu, what's wrong?"
The Ravenclaw prefect, who had been working on a thesis about the utility of video games, had been spending a lot of time with Jane since Christmas.
Not only had she taken care of Jane's assignments, but she had also secured front-row seats for the Quidditch match.
"It's nothing," Jane replied, shifting her gaze from the Gryffindor stands to the players on the field. "Your Seeker is pretty good."
It was only during today's match that she realized Ravenclaw had an Asian player, which made her feel a sense of kinship.
The Seeker flew skillfully, but unfortunately, her broomstick was still a Comet 260, a far cry from Harry's state-of-the-art equipment.
"Oh, absolutely!" Penelope beamed at the compliment. "Her name is Cho Chang. I hope she performs well today—I bet ten Galleons with Percy on this!"
As she spoke, she cast a provocative glance toward her boyfriend in the Gryffindor stands.
But alas, the outcome of this match was destined to disappoint her.
Gryffindor initially took an 80-0 lead. Although Ravenclaw managed to score three consecutive goals, reclaiming 30 points, Harry, with his superior flying skills, Firebolt broomstick, protagonist aura, and the watchful eyes of his godfather, predictably caught the Golden Snitch, securing Gryffindor's victory.
"Oh no—Ravenclaw won't win the Quidditch Cup this year!" Penelope groaned, looking as if she wanted to bury her head in the ground. Her boyfriend, Percy Weasley, chose this moment to rub salt in the wound by squeezing over and gloating, "I won ten Galleons!"
His attempt to show off to his girlfriend earned him nothing but a cold glare and an eye-roll from Penelope. Perhaps this was a case of winning the Galleons but losing the girl.
Watching the couple bicker and inadvertently shipping their relationship, Jane nearly burst out laughing.
Amid the lively atmosphere, Harry and his godfather pushed through the crowd to stand before her.
They looked spirited and full of smiles, the air around them brimming with happiness.
"Hi, Yu! Uh... we just wanted to thank you!" Harry said.
Jane's smile vanished, her entire demeanor becoming tense and guarded.
It seemed that Snape's potion wasn't potent enough, emboldening Sirius Black to show his face in front of her again!
And as if summoned by mere thought, Severus Snape appeared before the trio the very next second, having been keeping a close eye on the situation.
He hadn't originally planned to attend a match unrelated to Slytherin, but after hearing Dumbledore "casually" mention that Sirius would be in the stands, he deemed it necessary to take some precautionary measures.
The moment the two men locked eyes, old grudges resurfaced, and they immediately began hurling insults at each other.
If not for the presence of the crowd, they might have drawn their wands on the spot, hexing each other into oblivion.
Fortunately, Dumbledore arrived in time to put a stop to it.
...
Inside the Headmaster's office.
Sirius was tightly restrained by Dumbledore.
He still retained some canine tendencies, baring his teeth and looking as though he wanted to lunge at Snape.
"You vile, greasy bat—" he spat at Snape's robes, his face contorted. "Ugly freak, dungeon bat... lackey... henchman..."
His shame prevented him from voicing his grievances in front of everyone. Concerned about his dignity, he refrained from openly accusing Snape of his underhanded actions, resorting instead to every insult he could muster.
Snape's wand tip sparked with fire as he sneered, letting out a loud "hmph" through his nose. His sharp tongue remained as venomous as ever:
"Some people have been dogs for so long that they've forgotten how to act human."
"If being a dog makes him comfortable, then he should fulfill his duties as a house pet and rid himself of certain unnecessary functions."
Harry, already aware of the potions and curses Snape had inflicted on Sirius, shuddered at the thought of those methods. Knowing that Snape was the reason he had been delayed in reuniting with his beloved godfather for nearly two months, he naturally sided with Sirius:
"Don't insult my godfather! You know exactly what vile things you've done!"
To his surprise, Jane countered him with a blank expression:
"No, I think Professor Snape's actions were correct and justified."
Harry looked utterly crestfallen, his lips pressed together as his emerald eyes stared stubbornly at her.
Sirius was equally shocked. He struggled against his restraints, nearly breaking free from Dumbledore's grip:
"Yu? What did you say? Why are you defending this greasy bat?"
"Did he threaten you? Poison you? Curse you?"
At these words, Snape shot him a death glare and coldly said, "Shut up, Black."
He then turned his piercing gaze to Harry and said, enunciating each word:
"Potter, I won't let you stand here and speak with such a misguided understanding of your godfather."
"Let me tell you what your godfather has done."
"Sirius Black, a man in his thirties, hid in the Slytherin girls' dormitory in his dog form for several weeks."
"During that time, he had a thirteen-year-old witch groom him, bathe him, and feed him. Even after being discovered, he showed no remorse and acted as if he had every right."
Harry was dumbfounded, his eyes widening to twice their normal size.
"This... Sirius... is this what you meant by 'adoption'?"
He asked in disbelief, unconsciously taking two steps away from Sirius.
No matter how he looked at it, this was too much!
Even though he wanted to defend his godfather emotionally, his rational mind sided with Snape.
Especially since the other party involved was Jane! How could Sirius have done such a thing?
His emotional balance shifted entirely.
Sirius, now abandoned by his godson, continued to protest, muttering about "master-pet relationships" and "just raising a dog," but received nothing but disdainful looks from everyone.
He even transformed into a dog on the spot, performing tricks like shaking hands, beckoning, and rolling over. However, this only made everyone cover their eyes in embarrassment, and no one believed him.
"Let me explain—"
Sirius barked a few times and helplessly extended his right paw, but he gradually realized the gravity of his actions.
He lowered his head in guilt and unease.
After a moment, however, his energy returned as he remembered Harry mentioning that Jane was an orphan.
His eyes lit up as he thought of a way to make amends. After all, the Black family was wealthy enough to support another child!
"Yu, would you like to live with Harry and me?"
The moment he said this, Sirius felt the temperature around him plummet, as if he had been thrown back into the dementor-filled Azkaban.
Turning his head, he was horrified to see Dumbledore smiling at him with a "nuclear kindness."
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