Harry Potter: The Golden Viper

0276 Preparations and Leaving

The matter of the little black dog was just a small incident for Harry and his friends. They had no idea that the dog was actually Sirius Black. Tomorrow was the first day of school, and most of their classmates had returned to Hogwarts. The castle was buzzing with excitement and anticipation, as the students prepared for the new term. Harry was especially eager to start the Quidditch season, and finally use his own Firebolt. Even if Black stormed into the castle at this time, it couldn't spoil his good mood.

After handing Crookshanks over to Fang, the three of them turned and walked towards the castle. Little Sirius, who was scared by Harry, finally breathed a sigh of relief. He tilted his head to avoid Fang's tongue, and looked at the Forbidden Forest, where distant howls occasionally sounded. His gray eyes showed the excitement of regaining his freedom.

He didn't notice that, a panoramic telescope the same color as the air hovered in the sky above Hagrid's vegetable garden. Seeing Harry return to the castle and Sirius rushing into the Forbidden Forest, the panoramic telescope circled in the air like an eagle for two rounds, and finally, it soared sharply towards the West Tower. 

The clouds rolled and the moon rose and set. In the dark castle, the bright candlelight shone through the windows, along with the laughter and joy that lingered in the campus, making the deep night bright. The students and the teachers had gathered in the Great Hall to celebrate the start of the new term. 

Tonight, it was the first night since Halloween last term that all the students and the teachers gathered in the Great Hall to celebrate. Dumbledore still hadn't returned, and if someone wanted to sneak into the castle, it was a perfect opportunity for Sirius.

Peter sat early on the live map, showing no interest in the crowded castle filled with names. His vigilant gaze only patrolled around the perimeter of the map. But until the little wizards left the hall one by one, and the lights in the dormitories went out one by one, he still had no gain.

'Could it be that Sirius really gave up on revenge?'

In the quiet night, Peter stared at the full moon hanging high in the sky, his eyes also showing a hint of confusion. 

'No, it couldn't be like this!'

But after a moment, Peter said to himself in his mind. He shook his head, and dismissed his doubts. 

He knew what kind of person Sirius was, and someone like him would never give up easily in the face of difficulties. The more likely situation in the current circumstances was that twelve years of imprisonment had made Sirius more patient, no longer as impulsive and reckless as before.

And this change in Sirius was undoubtedly dangerous for him.

Peter sighed, throwing away those 'naive' fantasies from his mind, and lowered his head to continue examining the map. 

Flich was pacing in the corridor on the second floor, Snape left Remus's office, and was heading to the Slytherin's dungeon from the entrance hall. Professor McGonagall was walking from the staff washroom to her office, and Hagrid and Fang, who were patrolling in the courtyard, were also preparing to return to the hut.

Peter's gaze followed Hagrid and his dog back to the hut, and then he turned his head to look towards the direction of the school gate. But suddenly, a name that appeared behind the hut made Peter's body tremble, and a gleam of light burst out of his small black eyes!

Third Floor of the castle, Student Safety Office

Leaning on the back of the chair, Bryan stared at the wall opposite, where hundreds of small screens spliced out the only picture. His mouth curled up, showing a slight smile.

 "So, what are you going to do, Peter?" 

<<<<<<<<<<*Scenebreak*>>>>>>>>>>

Perhaps it was because of the excitement and anticipation that had built up during the Christmas holiday, or perhaps it was because of the looming Quidditch match that would determine the fate of the two rival houses. In any case, before anyone could fully recover from the festive season, the first Saturday of the new term had arrived, and today was the day of the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw match.

The weather today was unusually mild for January. There was no gusty wind, and the sky was clear and dry. The sun shone brightly, casting a golden glow over the snow-covered grounds. Early in the morning, when the first rays of dawn jumped into the castle through the doors and windows, leaving lively shadows on the floor of the Great Hall, the professors were already seated at the staff table.

They were the witnesses of the upcoming match.

Professor McGonagall was usually very composed, but today she seemed a bit distracted. While sipping a bowl of pumpkin soup with a silver spoon, her gaze wandered towards the staircase in the entrance hall, not even noticing when the soup spilled onto the table. She was anxiously waiting for the Gryffindor team to show up.

Several colleagues at the staff table noticed Professor McGonagall's distraction, but no one found it strange because they all knew the importance of this match for Gryffindor.

"No need to worry, Minerva," Professor Lupin smiled gently, his eyes still showing dark circles from his recent transformation, "Gryffindor's team is very strong, and Harry now has a brand new broom. In my opinion, they have a great chance of winning."

 "Why doesn't anyone want to give the Ravenclaw team a Firebolt?" Professor Flitwick sounded a bit disappointed, as Remus's words implied that Ravenclaw was doomed to lose today.

"Cedric's team is also one of the strongest team of Hufflepuff in recent years, but I don't think they have much chance of winning," Professor Sprout said with a hint of melancholy. She glanced at Professor Snape, who was silent on the side. 

"Speaking of which, Severus, Slytherin has won the Quidditch championship for seven years in a row," Professor McGonagall said with a tense face. It was clear that she had been resentful about this for a long time, but had never expressed it.

The professors were all smart individuals, and they could all hear the resentment in Professor McGonagall's tone. After hearing this number, Snape felt a little embarrassed and was about to say something, but at that moment, Bryan walked over from the Slytherin table, casually glancing at Draco Malfoy as he passed by.

Bryan usually sat next to Professor Snape, and when he sat down to enjoy his breakfast, he noticed that everyone's gaze was focused on him. Bryan blinked his eyelashes and smiled casually.

"What's wrong, everyone? Is there something wrong with me?"

"Why are you dressed like that?" Snape squinted at Bryan, who was wearing black trousers and a brown jacket, completely in Muggle attire.

 "Oh, it's like this," Bryan seemed completely unaware that his attire stood out among the robes of the staff table. He blinked and looked at Professor McGonagall, slightly raising his voice so that everyone at the long table, including the young wizards who were watching him, could hear.

"I received a letter last night, um… it's an urgent matter. I have to go to London today. But don't worry, Professor McGonagall, if things go well, I should be able to make it back for breakfast tomorrow."

"You're leaving, Bryan?" Professor McGonagall immediately frowned. She pursed her lips and pondered for a few seconds, looking troubled. But in the end, she spoke up.

"While it is your right to come and go from Hogwarts at any time, Bryan, don't you think you should consider it carefully? I mean, you surely know what day it is today. If those creatures guarding the gate lose control again…"

She said cautiously, trying to dissuade Bryan from leaving. Last time during the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff match, the Dementors had collectively lost control due to hunger, almost causing serious consequences. Professor McGonagall still had lingering fears about it.

"No need to worry, Professor McGonagall. I believe the Ministry of Magic and the Dementors know the serious consequences of trespassing on the campus without permission."

This reply obviously did not satisfy Professor McGonagall, but she couldn't say anything because, as she had just said, it was Bryan's right.

There was a slight awkwardness at the staff table. Bryan happily lowered his head to cut a sausage, while Snape and Lupin stared at him with suspicion. They also noticed that their respective points of interest were focused on Bryan, so after their eyes met briefly in the air, they withdrew their gazes. 

Just then, there was a burst of enthusiastic cheers from the entrance hall. The professors at the table looked up and saw the Gryffindor team, dressed in crimson robes, finally making a dazzling entrance amidst the anticipation of the crowd. They were followed by a swarm of supporters, waving banners and scarves in the Gryffindor colors.

Perhaps to boost morale, Wood had intentionally placed Harry at the forefront and exposed the prominent Firebolt emblem. And indeed, it had an extraordinary effect. Four tables simultaneously made a crashing sound as chairs were overturned. The students gasped and exclaimed, admiring the sleek and shiny broom that Harry was holding.

"You never mentioned that Harry had a Firebolt before I made a bet with you with ten Galleons!" Penelope's voice sounded desperate amidst the noisy crowd as she shouted excitedly at Percy. 

"Believe me, Penelope," Percy said awkwardly, "I only found out about it recently…" He tried to explain, feeling a bit guilty.

Compared to the warm welcome received by the Gryffindor team, the treatment of the Ravenclaw team, led by Captain Davies and Seeker Cho Chang, was much more unfair. When they appeared in the Great Hall, hardly anyone noticed their arrival. They were dressed in blue robes, and they looked nervous and tense.

"I have to cheer them up. It's too early to lose confidence now!" Professor Flitwick couldn't sit still. He jumped off his tall stool and hurried across the hall to speak to the Ravenclaw team. He was the head of Ravenclaw house, and he still had high hopes for his team.

His departure seemed like a signal, and the professors all left the table, some going upstairs, bypassing the students, while Professor McGonagall and Madam Hooch squeezed through the crowd of young wizards, trying to get closer to Harry.

"What are you going to London for, and who wrote you the letter?" Snape asked directly with a serious face, taking advantage of most people's attention being on Harry and the Firebolt. He had been waiting for a chance to question Bryan, and he seized it.

"Lucius Malfoy," Bryan pursed his lips and smiled, "The letter said he found clues about the people who threatened him before and asked for my help in dealing with it." 

Bryan spoke without any concealment. After a moment of silence, he took out a key from his pocket and threw it to Snape.

"This is the key to my office. I'll trouble you to keep an eye on it while I'm away, in case someone needs help and can't find me and gets anxious…" 

Bryan's words clearly had a hidden meaning, and Snape couldn't figure out what he was planning. After a moment of silence, he hesitated and said,

"In London, huh?" He asked, inquiring about it. 

"Don't worry, it's not a big deal," Bryan wiped his mouth with a napkin and said casually. 

Snape knew that Bryan didn't want to delve into this topic. He sighed inwardly and left his seat.

"What about our friend?" Lupin, who had been watching for a while, came to Bryan and asked, "I haven't been feeling well these days, and I've been busy with classes. Is he okay at your place?"

Bryan glanced at Lupin and roughly judged his condition from his complexion. His eyes looked strange, and after a moment of silence, he said,

"He's had enough of staying at my place and doesn't want to bother you, so he's been staying in the Forbidden Forest these days. He's been with Crookshanks at night, you know, that cat of Hermione's. Hagrid made a little nest for it. Don't worry about him, Lupin. I think you should go back to your office and rest." He said calmly, trying to reassure Lupin. 

"That's what I planned..." Lupin smiled helplessly, "But at least I have to wait until Harry's match is over. We can't guarantee that those Dementors won't cause any problems, especially when you're not at the school, Bryan. I have to keep an eye on things."

"That's true..." Bryan smiled mysteriously, "Well then, good luck to you, Remus."

After saying this, Bryan didn't give Lupin a chance to ask further questions. He stood up and hurried out of the Great Hall, Under Remus's puzzled gaze and Malfoy's dull eyes, he walked out of the castle, and his figure disappeared in the golden morning light.

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