Elsewhere, after leaving the History of Magic classroom, Harold didn't rush back to the common room. Instead, he transformed into a cat in a quiet, empty corner and slipped out of the castle, heading straight for the Whomping Willow.
Thanks to his feline agility, Harold easily reached the trunk and leapt into a hidden opening.
Beyond the opening lay a narrow, deep passageway. Had Harold come in his normal form, he'd have had to constantly dodge protruding stones, risking a nasty bump to the head with any misstep.
Thankfully, he was a cat now—none of that mattered. He simply ran ahead.
Soon, the tunnel sloped upward and turned a corner, and Harold spotted a faint glow at the far end—a small exit.
Harold darted through the gap—
"Who's there!" a sharp voice rang out.
Sirius Black sprang from an armchair, but when he saw a cat come in, he sighed in relief.
"I didn't expect you to visit me at this hour, Harold," Sirius said. "You know, sneaking around after hours breaks school rules."
"Did I hear that right? You're lecturing me about breaking rules?" Harold reverted to his usual form. "Are you under the Imperius Curse or something?"
"Then you'd better run fast," Sirius grinned. "The Dementors might be along any minute now to grab me—and my little accomplice."
Apparently, he thought that was hilarious. He burst into laughter.
"That would be perfect, actually. I came looking for a Dementor," Harold said.
Sirius's laughter died instantly. He stared at Harold, stunned. "I must've misheard. Did you say… you're here to look for a Dementor? Not to check in on me because you were worried I'd be bored and lonely?"
"You…" Harold opened his mouth, paused, then amended, "Fine, that's part of it. But I do have something else I need. I'm looking for a lone Dementor, and I figured you'd know where to find one."
"You need something… that requires finding one of those monsters?" Sirius's voice rose. "Harold, they won't care that you're a Hogwarts student—they will hurt you."
"If they did care, I'd feel bad asking to borrow one," Harold said lightly.
"So what exactly are you trying to do?"
"I'm learning the Patronus Charm," Harold explained. "Professor Lupin says I've got the incantation down, but I need a more effective way to practice. And there's nothing more effective than facing a real Dementor, right?"
"Lupin told you to do this?" Sirius's voice spiked. "He sent you to find a Dementor?"
"No. This was my idea."
"I'm telling you, don't," Sirius said firmly, shaking his head. "You have no idea how terrifying they are. They—wait, what is that?"
Sirius trailed off mid-sentence, eyes fixed on the black, tattered cloak in Harold's hands.
"That… that's what I think it is, isn't it? A Dementor's cloak?"
"Exactly," Harold said. "Let's just say no one understands Dementors better than I do. You don't need to worry."
"But… how?" Sirius was still processing. "How did you even get that?"
"You gave it to me," Harold said calmly.
"Me?" Sirius jabbed a finger at his own chest and then shook his head. "Look, I'm flattered you trust me that much, but I can't kill Dementors. I can't even take their cloaks. Honestly, the best I can manage these days is not running away when I see one."
He sounded bitter, but that fear had been drilled into him during twelve years in Azkaban. It was instinct now.
"You don't need to do anything," Harold said. "I just need you to show yourself in Hogsmeade sometime tomorrow. Just briefly. Make sure someone sees you."
"What?" Sirius blinked. "Why?"
"Because that way, if a Dementor goes missing, it'll make perfect sense," Harold explained. "Sirius Black spotted in Hogsmeade. A dutiful Dementor gives chase—only to be destroyed by the vicious Black. Sounds pretty plausible, right?"
"Not even a little!" Sirius snapped.
What was he supposed to do, pay a Dementor to die?
"Doesn't have to be logical. It just needs to sound good to the Ministry," Harold said.
"I still don't get it," Sirius rubbed his forehead. "You just want to practice the Patronus Charm. Why go this far? Why eliminate a Dementor?"
"That's only one reason," Harold replied. "The other is—I need something that can improve wand quality."
"Wands?" Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're using Dementors as wand cores now."
"Not as cores. But they're useful," Harold said vaguely. He didn't bother to explain. If he did, Sirius would pester him for hours.
"Just tell me if there's a lone Dementor nearby. In exchange, I'll sneak you into the Quidditch stadium for the next Gryffindor match."
"There's one behind Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop," Sirius said without hesitation. "There's a path into the woods, and only one Dementor patrols it. The other Dementors can't see it because of the angles."
"And?" Harold prompted.
"Also the back door of the Hog's Head," Sirius added. "Plenty of shady wizards hang around there. A Dementor always watches that place, but it's right on the edge of Hogsmeade, so that one's pretty isolated."
"Knew you'd know," Harold grinned.
"You've got to do your homework," Sirius shrugged.
"Alright then. Don't forget to make your little cameo tomorrow," Harold reminded him. "Just be seen—don't actually get caught."
"Obviously," Sirius nodded. He looked up again—Harold was already gone, transformed into a cat and leaping up the stairs, out the window in a blur.
Sirius hesitated for just a moment, then turned into a dog and gave chase.
No matter what Harold said, there was no way he was letting him go face a Dementor alone—not even as a cat.
Outside, Sirius guessed Harold would be heading for the Dementor behind the Hog's Head. It was farther and therefore safer. Without a second thought, he bolted left.
But Harold actually chose the one behind Madam Puddifoot's.
Sure, the Hog's Head seemed safer—but its owner was Aberforth Dumbledore. If Harold got spotted, that wouldn't be good. Aberforth probably wouldn't rat him out to the Ministry—or even to his brother—but it was still a risk.
Better to go with the tea shop.
Harold picked up his pace.
By now, all the shops in Hogsmeade had closed. The streets were empty—save for a few eerie Dementors drifting silently through the mist.
Fortunately, they barely noticed a black cat darting through the shadows. Under cover of night, Harold slipped past them with ease.
A few minutes later, a brilliant flash of bright blue streaked across the sky above Hogsmeade—but just as quickly, it vanished.
Lights flickered on in some of the closed shops—shopkeepers peeking out, startled—but with Dementors outside, none dared step out.
The Dementors moved toward the light's source… and found nothing.
No spell. No wizard. No Dementor.
Only silence.
…
(End of Chapter)