Besides, this supposed "omen" wasn't exactly something you'd stumble across every day. With that reassuring thought, Harry completely relaxed.
Beyond the required school textbooks, Ethan picked up several intriguing extracurricular books: Goblin History! If You Time-Travelled to 1612, The Mysteries of Curses, Dangerous Transfiguration! That Year I Stepped on a "Flobberworm" and several others with equally questionable titles.
When Ethan brought this peculiar collection to the counter, the female clerk examined him with obvious suspicion. But seeing his pure, innocent face and those earnest cobalt-blue eyes, she immediately dismissed her doubts.
How could such an obviously upstanding young wizard use these books for anything improper?
Leaving the bookshop with their purchases, Harry elbowed Ethan playfully, "That clerk practically glued her eyes to you, Ethan."
"Mm, quite interesting," Ethan replied thoughtfully.
Harry stared at him: "..." I have the distinct feeling Ethan's thinking something highly inappropriate right now.
Just as they were debating whether to buy ice cream at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, a sudden chill shot up Harry's spine like ice water! Every hair on his body stood on end in primal warning.
He spun around abruptly!
In a nearby shadowed alley, a massive black dog nearly as tall as a full-grown man was staring directly at him with unnervingly intelligent grey eyes.
Black dog! The most ominous death omen! It really appeared!
Harry's heart skipped several beats as he cried out, "Ethan! That's a—"
Before he could finish the warning, from his peripheral vision he saw a pitch-black portal snap open as Ethan's entire figure leapt through in one fluid motion!
The next second, Ethan materialised directly above the massive black dog! His eyes sparkled with predatory excitement as he swung the chains from his waist like a seasoned hunter.
"Caught you, little doggy!" he shouted with far too much enthusiasm.
Like those demons from old cautionary tales used to frighten disobedient children.
Harry stood frozen with his mouth hanging open, momentarily unable to determine who was the real "omen" in this scenario.
CLANG! The chain struck cobblestone, narrowly missing as the black dog twisted aside with impressive agility. Four massive paws planted firmly, coarse fur bristling outward like steel needles.
"Grrrrr—" Grey eyes fixed on Ethan with obvious hostility, baring dangerous teeth and growling menacingly.
But the next second—
"Cerberus," Ethan called out casually.
"ROAR!" An even more massive, terrifying figure erupted from nowhere!
The three-headed beast landed with ground-shaking force, its weight and momentum cracking the pavement into spider-web patterns.
"Hurrrrr—" Three enormous heads looked down at the comparatively tiny black dog. Six orange vertical pupils glowed like demonic lanterns in the shadows, while saliva dripped in thick ropes from razor-sharp fangs.
The black dog's eyes went wide: "Woof???"
He stared up in complete shock at the three-headed monstrosity. Compared to them, he looked like a child's stuffed toy!
Wait—which of us is supposed to be the good guy here?!
With Cerberus's dramatic appearance, the entire street fell into stunned silence. Two seconds later, ear-splitting screams erupted from every direction!
"AHHHH, what kind of monster is that?!"
"Nobody warned me there'd be a special magical performance today!"
"Blast it, I just finished paying my mortgage!"
Only Harry, after his own two seconds of processing, calmly walked toward the nearby ice cream shop.
"I'll have a vanilla with chocolate sauce, butter biscuits, crushed hazelnuts, and whipped cream, please," he ordered smoothly.
Under proprietor Florean's amazed and somewhat bewildered gaze, Harry found an outdoor seat and settled in, watching the unfolding chaos while leisurely awaiting his delicious ice cream.
Don't ask. If you ask, I'm just used to this by now.
Back in the alley, Sirius Black desperately wanted to curse a blue streak. However, in his Animagus dog form, no matter how furious he became, he could only produce ineffective barking.
He'd only come to catch a glimpse of Harry from a distance—how had this absolute terror suddenly materialised?! What was with that three-headed nightmare?! Didn't the Ministry regulate these things anymore?!
Sirius felt like after rotting in Azkaban for over twelve years, the entire wizarding world had transformed beyond recognition during his imprisonment.
Forget it; just Apparate away. Still a fugitive, better not attract more attention.
Just as Sirius was preparing his escape, the black-haired youth—who frankly looked like he belonged in Azkaban far more than Sirius ever did—suddenly spoke in a disturbingly cheerful tone:
"I'll send Harry to that special training dimension soon. That'll really hone his spirit and body properly."
Sirius froze: "???"
"WOOF!" The black dog that had been preparing to flee suddenly became battle-ready!
Howling once with parental fury, he shot toward Ethan like black lightning incarnate!
Ethan's grin widened with satisfaction, "That's more like it."
If he runs now, who would open the Black family mansion for me? Who would help me master ancient magic and create brilliant fireworks for the entire world?
Ethan suddenly extended one finger, pointing at the charging black dog with casual confidence.
"Pin him down, Cerberus," he said softly.
BANG! A massive claw descended from above like a meteor strike, instantly shattering cobblestone, sending brick fragments flying in all directions!
However, it didn't successfully pin Sirius down. His figure moved like a phantom, leaving only a blurred afterimage in mid-air while his real body dodged Cerberus's devastating strike through pure instinct and years of combat experience.
In an instant, he reached Ethan's position!
Oh ho, so he does have some genuine skills, Ethan observed with appreciation. No wonder he could escape the supposedly impenetrable Azkaban fortress.
He nodded approvingly. But still far from enough.
"SCREECH!" A sharp, bone-chilling bird cry rang out!
Sirius's vision blurred before his chin slammed violently into the ground, making him see stars and taste blood.
Struggling to turn his head through the disorientation, he found himself face-to-face with a decaying bird skeleton. An empty black skull burning with ghostly blue flames, pressing him down with skeletal arms that felt disturbingly human-like.
Sirius stared in absolute confusion: "???"
Brother?! How did the wizarding world become like this?? The species diversity got way too rich during my absence!
"Hehe, give up struggling, little doggy," Ethan cooed mockingly.
Sirius's mind raced frantically. I don't understand what's happening, but I know one thing—if I don't escape immediately, this sinister brat will take me for biological modification experiments!
Damn it, strategic retreat for now!
"Stupefy!" A hoarse voice erupted from beneath the Death Bird's crushing weight.
Ethan tilted his head almost lazily, dodging the red spell that burst forth with surprising force. His eyes widened slightly with genuine respect.
Wandless magic! Impressive.
Taking advantage of Ethan's momentary dodge, an explosive crack echoed from beneath the skeletal bird.
Then from directly behind Ethan came a low, hoarse male voice—rough and rusty, like someone who hadn't spoken in years. Yet the cold, barely controlled madness within sent chills down the spine.
"Don't even think about hurting Harry. Next time I'll get serious, boy."
Pop! Another explosive Apparition sound.
Ethan spun around to find nothing behind him but empty air. Two consecutive Apparitions in rapid succession—a clean escape.
"Not bad for a core Order of the Phoenix member," Ethan muttered with grudging admiration. "Still has genuine skills after all those years."
Around him, dense magical barriers shimmered faintly where Sirius's spell had struck, dispersing harmlessly.
Ethan patted the four heads of both dog and bird affectionately before sending them back to wherever they came from. In open spaces like Diagon Alley, catching someone like Sirius was genuinely difficult. After all, Apparition was practically a cheat ability—allowing escape at the last possible moment every time.
"Do I have to catch him at Hogwarts, where Anti-Apparition wards exist?" Ethan mused aloud. "Hmm, don't want Dumbledore involved in this yet..."
"Is there anywhere with closed, narrow terrain that isn't under Dumbledore's direct supervision...?"
Suddenly, inspiration struck like lightning!
The Hogwarts Express!
Dementors would board to inspect passengers—the only convenient opportunity to infiltrate and board before actually reaching Hogwarts grounds. Sirius would definitely attempt to board that train!
"If I set up my trap in advance, Sirius will have absolutely nowhere to escape—capture guaranteed!" Ethan's eyes gleamed with predatory anticipation.
"I'll use the [Corner of Territory] that fell from the Necronomicon! Perfect closed environment, perfect trap!"
Sirius, look forward to our next meeting!
So when Ministry Aurors finally hurried to the scene several minutes later, they discovered the Ministry's most frequent offender—Ethan Vincent—standing casually amid the collapsed alley ruins, chuckling to himself with an expression that could only be described as "sinister plotting".
The Aurors exchanged deeply concerned glances among themselves.
"Is it too late to submit our resignation letters?" one muttered quietly.
The others nodded with grim understanding.