Sunday in Hogsmeade was bathed in warm sunshine, golden light streaming through the windows and casting dappled shadows in the attic.
Wade slipped out of the Vanishing Cabinet, closed its door, and waited about ten more minutes before he heard a knocking sound from inside.
He opened the cabinet to find a breathless Harry appearing from within.
"Sorry, I'm late," Harry said, adjusting his crooked glasses. "Professor McGonagall stopped me unexpectedly. She said there were a few small issues with the essay I wrote last week."
Wade understood. "You got lazy and didn't check your sources when you wrote your paper?"
Harry grimaced. "Just that one time... It was late, and I was in a hurry to finish the homework, so I wrote the essay from memory. Who knew I'd misremember two points about the Experimental Transfiguration Ban Act."
"Well, next time you should remember to at least have Hermione check it for you after you're done," Wade said, pushing open the attic door.
The old door hinge let out a "creak," and soon footsteps were heard on the stairs, followed quickly by Sirius's appearance.
"Ha, my two Champions!" He spread his arms wide, a big smile on his face. "Come on! Remus baked a cake, and we've been waiting for you for ages!"
Harry habitually walked over and gave Sirius a warm hug, while Wade smiled and nodded. "Good afternoon, Sirius."
Lupin also poked his head up from the staircase, saying gently, "I thought you two would be here this morning! Was something delayed?"
"Is that even a question?" Sirius winked at his friend, teasing, "The Champions everyone in the Wizarding World is talking about—who knows how many pretty girls want to say hello to them!"
"We were helping Hagrid with a makeover; he seems to have fallen for the Beauxbatons Headmaster at first sight."
Harry earnestly explained, recounting everything they had done that morning.
"Hagrid?" Sirius laughed. "That guy finally realized he needs to find a girlfriend?"
"I saw a picture of Madame Maxime in the newspaper," Lupin said. "Her height should be about the same as Hagrid's, right?"
"That's right," Wade nodded. "And she's very graceful. Hagrid was completely smitten at first glance."
"That's wonderful news. They're probably in similar situations... It's not easy to find someone who can be your partner."
Lupin was genuinely happy for Hagrid; he always remembered the help Hagrid gave him after he was forced to become a Werewolf.
Downstairs in the living room, Lupin took a golden-brown cake out of the oven, and the aroma of cream and chestnuts immediately filled the air. Sirius, meanwhile, directed the teapot to pour everyone several cups of hot black tea.
Harry sat on the sofa, telling them about the selection ceremony and the Champions from each school:
"...Viktor, Seraphina, Papua—they all seem very powerful, and most of them are already adults."
"There's one younger than us, a student from Mahoutokoro. They say she's been studying Magic for six years and is very strong."
"Honestly, I still feel like I've been hit in the head by a Bludger, completely disoriented."
"Don't underestimate yourself, Harry, you're definitely talented!"
Sirius patted Harry's back hard, laughing. "Starting today, I'll be your opponent for dueling practice. I can also teach you a few Spells I invented when I was young—guaranteed to catch your opponents off guard!"
"Sirius, this is a formal competition, and it's being broadcast live throughout the Wizarding World." Lupin said helplessly. "It wouldn't be good if Harry publicly embarrassed his opponent."
"Remus, do you really think all I know are embarrassing prank Spells?" Sirius retorted, sounding offended.
"Alright, my mistake." Lupin raised his hands. "I should have known you wouldn't mess around when it comes to Harry."
"...Of course," Sirius said, a flash of guilt in his eyes.
"Harry, Wade, you need to be careful of the Durmstrang Headmaster, Igor Karkaroff."
Lupin said, while serving cake, "Remember? I told you about him before; he used to be a Death Eater, but he betrayed his comrades during his trial to gain his freedom."
"Everyone knows he was a Death Eater," Harry said gruffly. "So why is he still the Headmaster of Durmstrang?"
"That's Durmstrang; their attitude towards Dark Magic is different from ours."
Sirius raised an eyebrow. "And you can't be careless about the other teachers and students from that school either. Grindelwald was active there; his influence must have infiltrated it long ago. There might even be a few Alliance members among the Champions!"
Wade rubbed his nose and said, "Perhaps Dumbledore considered these issues, which is why he invited Professor Moody to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts?"
"Of course," Sirius said. "An old Auror's instincts are more reliable than a Sneakoscope. But you two also need to watch out for any unusual situations. Don't approach Durmstrang students casually, got it?"
"Got it."
Harry nodded, speared a piece of cake with his fork, and popped it into his mouth.
After dessert, Harry, wearing his Invisibility Cloak, and Wade, using a Disillusionment Charm, joined the other two outside the village in a clearing surrounded by ancient oak trees.
"Wade completed his first Animagus transformation here," Remus said, patting a large tree nearby with a touch of nostalgia. "We almost thought we'd lost him."
Harry had heard them talk about that experience and curiously asked Sirius, "Were you two like that back then? Forgetting who you were after transforming into an animal?"
"Not everyone found it so difficult. Wade rushed into it too quickly, which is why he ran into all sorts of problems."
Sirius explained, "We studied for several years before we started transforming, so James and I barely lost our self-awareness. Only Wormtail..."
He paused, his expression darkening for a moment, then he said in a relatively flat tone, "That guy just wanted to burrow into a hole after transforming. He only recovered with our help."
Harry didn't speak. After living with Sirius and Lupin, he finally had a home, and the imprint of his parents in his heart seemed to have faded a little.
Before, he used to envy the Dursleys' unconditional love for Dudley and yearned for parents he had no memory of. But now, he was also a loved child and could accept the fact of his parents' death with relative peace.
But he knew Sirius might never forget. Because they had experienced such intense emotions, the loss was so deeply painful and unforgettable.
While Harry was silent, Sirius quickly recovered himself.
He clapped his hands, his long black hair flying in the wind, and announced loudly, "Alright, kids! Ready for some Black-style Training?"
-----------
Machine Translation by: https:// randomtranslator.com/
Read ***+ original & fanfic translations in English, Español, Português, Deutsch, Français, or Русский
Or Translate for free at : https:// randomtranslator.com/translate
Join our Discord: https:// discord.com/invite/XXUR9nkjwa
-----------