The moment the mysterious robed wizards vanished from sight, Harry Potter's legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground. His pale face made it clear how deeply shaken he was.
First had come the escaped convict from Azkaban. Then there was Lockhart, who for some reason had hidden his true power while behaving like a lunatic.
And finally, the silent, black-robed wizards who cast the Unforgivable Curses without hesitation.
Whether it was the strange aura surrounding Sirius Black, the inexplicable strength Lockhart had shown, or the unsettling presence of those wizards—Harry felt that simply still being alive counted as luck. Not far away, Ron Weasley had a broken leg and had just lost his longtime pet rat, Scabbers.
No... that wasn't Scabbers. It was Peter Pettigrew.
The thought of all the time Ron had spent doting on that rat made Harry's stomach twist with disgust.
Speaking of Ron...
"Ron, are you alright? Can you move?"
"I'm fine... but what do we do now? Hermione's gone somewhere."
While replying, Ron cast a wary glance toward Lockhart.
That look made Harry instinctively tighten his grip on his wand and turn to watch Lockhart, who seemed lost in thought.
He had almost forgotten Lockhart was still there—but he hadn't forgotten the man's unnerving behavior earlier.
"Oh?"
Noticing the fear still written on the faces of Harry and Ron, Lockhart lowered his wand and gave a mocking shrug.
"Is this how you treat your professor? How hurtful~"
"Who... who are you? The Professor Lockhart I know isn't like this!"
"Not like this? Ahahahaha."
Harry, convinced he'd seen through the man's disguise, spoke with certainty—words that seemed to amuse Lockhart even more.
Weak in power, but remarkably good at entertaining others...
"A fine thought," Lockhart said lightly. "But never trust a wizard's appearance at face value—especially... a powerful one."
"...."
"This will be your final lesson from me as a professor. Remember it well, Mr. Potter."
"Wait!!"
"I've no intention of sticking around to chat with Aurors, so... until next time~"
Ignoring the warning in Harry's voice, Lockhart turned and vanished into the forest.
Only Sirius Black—now quietly weeping—and the bewildered Harry and Ron remained behind.
As for Draco and the others who had been there all along, no one had noticed them.
When everyone else was gone, the group exchanged silent looks with one another, an awkward tension hanging in the air.
Hermione, especially, who had dragged Draco along, felt as though she'd done nothing but stand by and watch everything happen.
She couldn't help but think—perhaps if she'd stayed put and never used the Time-Turner to return to the past, nothing would have changed anyway...
No.
Setting aside what had already happened, there were too many unanswered questions.
'Peter Pettigrew... wasn't he supposed to be dead? How did he become the Weasleys' pet rat? What was the "inside story" Sirius Black mentioned? Did it have to do with that "traitor"? And how did those wizards who took Pettigrew know he was here?'
A flood of questions filled Hermione's mind. There were so many things she wanted to ask.
As the saying goes—when in doubt, ask Draco.
Without hesitation, Hermione turned her expectant gaze toward Draco, who was still deep in thought beside her.
For reasons she couldn't explain, she just felt certain he had the answers she wanted.
But Draco didn't seem inclined to share them.
Shaking his head, he said quietly, "Now's not the time for that. We need to get out of here—fast."
"Huh? Is it really okay to leave Harry and the others here alone? Sirius Black might not look threatening now, but what if those wizards suddenly come back?"
"If we don't leave now, it'll be too late. Don't forget what you've done—do you need me to remind you?"
Looking at Draco's irritated expression and Pansy's puzzled face beside him, Hermione suddenly remembered something and pressed the Time-Turner hanging from her neck.
Compared to Harry Potter and the others, who were temporarily safe, she was the one who most needed to stay hidden.
If she were discovered, she might end up in Azkaban alongside Sirius Black, who was still twitching on the ground.
The thought of Professor McGonagall getting dragged into this made her panic even more.
Realizing that, Hermione nodded quickly, her flustered movements making her look like a startled little rabbit...
But just as Draco began to lead the two girls backward, a sudden string of loud cracks exploded through the air.
"Don't move. Breathe quietly. Don't say a word."
Before they could react, Draco pressed both Hermione and Pansy's heads down, forcing them low to the ground.
The rough motion made both girls glare at him in embarrassment, but when they caught sight of what was happening ahead, their eyes went wide, and they covered their mouths to stifle their gasps.
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
The air twisted and split apart with a sharp series of pops as several figures Apparated into the clearing.
All of them wore matching brown coats and black hats, wands raised and ready.
It was obvious at a glance who these late arrivals were.
The Auror Office of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Ministry of Magic.
And leading them—Rufus Scrimgeour.
"Secure the perimeter and lock down the scene. Identify all casualties and confirm the identities of everyone present."
"Yes, sir!"
"Yes, sir!"
Without giving Harry Potter a chance to speak, the cold-faced Aurors immediately forced him to the ground. Even Ron Weasley, with his broken leg, was restrained in the same way.
As for Sirius Black, still reeling from the Cruciatus Curse, he was far beyond understanding anything happening around him...
...
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