The ominous sign wasn't something you stumbled upon every day.
Harry's mind raced, but he quickly forced himself to relax, brushing off the creeping unease.
Beyond the usual school textbooks, Ethan had picked up a few extracurricular reads at Flourish and Blotts: A History of Goblins: Time-Traveling to 1612, The Mysteries of Curses, and Dangerous Transfiguration: The Year I Stepped on a Flobberworm. When he brought the stack to the counter, the shop assistant eyed him warily. But one look at his charming, boyish face—handsome in a way that seemed almost too perfect—melted her suspicions. How could a young wizard with such an innocent smile possibly be up to no good?
As they left the bookstore, Harry nudged Ethan with a grin. "Mate, that shop assistant couldn't take her eyes off you, Ethan~"
Ethan's lips curled into a sly smirk. "Hmm, most intriguing."
Harry blinked, suddenly uneasy. Ethan's tone had that unsettling edge again, like he was plotting something downright diabolical behind that dazzling smile.
They were just debating whether to swing by Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour when a sudden chill shot up Harry's spine, making every hair stand on end. He whipped around, heart pounding, and froze. In the shadows of a nearby alley, a massive black dog—nearly as tall as a man—stared at him with unblinking, steely gray eyes.
A Grim! The ultimate omen of death!
Harry's breath caught. "Ethan, that's a—"
Before he could finish, a pitch-black door materialized out of nowhere. Ethan's figure blurred, and in a heartbeat, he vaulted through it, reappearing in midair above the hulking dog. His eyes gleamed with predatory excitement, like a wolf sizing up its prey. With a theatrical flourish, he swung the chain at his waist, cackling, "Got you, little doggy!"
Harry's jaw dropped. It was like watching the Black Mountain Demon from childhood bedtime stories—equal parts terrifying and absurdly theatrical. For a moment, he wasn't sure who was the real "ominous sign" here.
Clang!
The chain smashed into the cobblestones, but the black dog twisted with uncanny agility, dodging the blow. Its paws braced against the ground, coarse mane bristling like steel needles.
"Grrrr—" it growled, baring its fangs, its gray eyes locked on Ethan with a chilling intensity.
But Ethan wasn't fazed. "Hellhound," he said, his voice dripping with glee.
ROAR!
A massive, three-headed beast erupted into existence, landing with a thunderous thud that cracked the pavement. Six glowing orange eyes burned like lanterns, and ropes of drool dripped from its jagged fangs.
The black dog froze, its head tilting up in shock. Compared to this monstrosity, it looked like a child's plush toy. Its bewildered "Woof???" seemed to scream, Wait, which one of us is supposed to be the bad guy here?!
The street fell deathly silent. Then, chaos erupted.
"What in Merlin's name is that thing?!"
"Is this some kind of unannounced Diagon Alley spectacle?!"
"I just paid off my mortgage, for crying out loud!"
Harry, unfazed, strolled toward Florean Fortescue's. "One jumbo ice cream, please—vanilla, chocolate sauce, butter biscuits, and crushed nuts," he ordered smoothly, settling into an outdoor seat with a perfect view of the chaos. He'd seen Ethan pull stunts like this before. Might as well enjoy the show with a treat.
In the alley, Sirius Black—trapped in his Animagus form—wanted nothing more than to let loose a string of curses. But all he could manage was a frustrated bark. He'd only come to check on Harry, so how had he ended up facing some deranged, Khorne-worshipping lunatic and his three-headed monstrosity? What was wrong with the wizarding world these days?
Forget it, Sirius thought. Time to Apparate out of this madness.
He was still a wanted fugitive, after all. Drawing attention was the last thing he needed.
But before he could make his move, Ethan's voice cut through the air, dripping with menace. "In a bit, I'll send Harry to the Warp for a proper brawl. It'll toughen him up—mind and body."
Sirius's ears perked up. The Warp? Hurt Harry?
"ROAR!" The black dog's hesitation vanished. With a surge of fury, he charged at Ethan like a bolt of black lightning, all thoughts of escape forgotten.
Ethan's grin widened. "That's more like it."
If Sirius bolted, who'd open the Black family's ancestral home for him? Who'd help him refine ancient magic for his grand, world-shaking fireworks display?
Ethan pointed a finger at the charging dog. "Hold him down, Cerberus."
Bang!
A massive paw slammed down, shattering the cobblestones and sending debris flying. But Sirius was too quick, his form blurring into a phantom-like afterimage as he dodged the strike. In an instant, he lunged straight for Ethan.
Impressive, Ethan thought, nodding approvingly. No wonder this dog had slipped out of Azkaban's iron grip. But it wasn't enough.
SCREECH!
A piercing cry split the air. Sirius's vision blurred as a skeletal, bird-like creature with a decaying frame and eerie blue flames in its hollow skull swooped down. Its long, humanoid arms pinned him to the ground with terrifying strength.
Sirius's mind reeled. What in the name of Merlin is this?! The wizarding world's gone completely mad!
Ethan sauntered closer, chuckling darkly. "Give up, little doggy~"
Sirius's heart sank. If he didn't escape now, this unhinged kid might drag him off for some twisted biological experiment.
"Stupefy!" A hoarse, desperate bark carried the spell. A red jet of light shot from beneath the skeletal bird's grip.
Ethan tilted his head, effortlessly dodging the wandless spell. His eyes widened slightly. Wandless magic? Not bad.
In that split second, an explosion rocked the alley. The skeletal bird staggered, and a low, gravelly voice growled from behind Ethan:
"Don't you dare touch Harry. Next time, I won't hold back, kid."
The voice was strange, rusty, as if it hadn't been used in years, but it carried a chilling edge of madness.
Snap!
Another explosion, and Sirius was gone, Apparating away in a flash.
Ethan turned, finding nothing but empty air. "As expected of a Phoenix Order veteran," he muttered, a hint of admiration in his voice. His magic barrier shimmered subtly around him, undisturbed.
He patted Cerberus's three heads and the skeletal bird, dismissing them with a wave. Catching Sirius in an open space is tricky, he mused. Apparition's a nightmare to counter.
Hogwarts was too restrictive, with Dumbledore's watchful eyes everywhere. But then, inspiration struck like a Bludger to the head.
The Hogwarts Express!
Dementors had boarded it before, and it was the perfect place to corner Sirius. A confined, narrow space with no easy escape. "If I set up the [Territory] from the Necronomicon in advance, he'll be trapped like a Niffler in a Gringotts vault!"
Ethan's sinister cackle echoed through the ruined alley as the Aurors arrived, their wands drawn. They froze, staring at Ethan Vincent—Ministry of Magic regular and notorious troublemaker—laughing like a villain from a Muggle comic.
One Auror sighed heavily. Is it too late to resign?