A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 223: Confrontation

A phoenix atop Dumbledore's shoulder let out a resounding cry.

"Go watch over Harry, but remain unseen," he said. Fawkes unfurled his wings, soaring into the air, his form vanishing abruptly.

"A truly extraordinary creature," exclaimed Felix Harp, "irresistibly endearing."

Dumbledore glanced at him. "Hagrid has been unusually joyful lately. He mentioned an old friend coming to stay temporarily. Do you know why, Felix Harp?"

Felix Harp looked around cautiously. "I'm not sure either, Headmaster... We haven't been in touch much lately."

Soon, the heads of the four houses and professors arrived. Professor McGonagall briefly explained the situation.

Snape was taken aback. "Black! Still as foolish as ever... How did he breach the Dementor's defenses?"

Felix Harp murmured, "Severus, he escaped from Azkaban. Do you really think a few Dementors would bother him? Frankly, they're repulsive and not very useful."

Currently, Dementors hadn't appeared on the school grounds. The only way students could see them was by passing Hagrid's cabin and walking up a long slope to glimpse the two guarding the entrance to the school.

However, if Hogwarts were scaled down to a certain proportion, one would find a significant number of Dementors congregating at its edges, including near the neighboring wizarding village, Hogsmeade.

This was why Felix Harp believed Luna's behavior wasn't safe. No one could guarantee that Dementors wouldn't suddenly emerge. Even though the Ministry of Magic would surely establish patrol areas, for young, emotionally charged students, Dementors were like a feast.

Dumbledore strongly opposed their presence within the school for this very reason. He believed the Ministry had little control over Dementors. Yet, he had to make some compromise and allow their presence outside the school.

Snape calmed down and subtly hinted to Dumbledore, "Headmaster Dumbledore, just the day before yesterday, the newspaper reported Black's trace in Diagon Alley. Today, he's outside the castle. It seems... to me, he couldn't have done this without help."

The professors present looked at Snape in astonishment, and Flitwick sharply exclaimed, "Are you suggesting Black has rallied some Death Eaters?"

Snape was caught off guard. That wasn't what he meant...

The professors started discussing fervently, almost instantly accepting Snape's 'idea'—or rather, what seemed to be the reasonable assumption.

The newspapers had already crowned Black the "top Death Eater beneath the mysterious figure," and with that label, it was odd not to find any allies.

"With his influence..."

"It's quite possible. We thought Black was alone, but he might have gathered quite a few dark wizards."

Quiet until now, Lupin suddenly spoke, "I don't think so, Xiao Tianlang—" He hesitated for a second or two, "Black is just an undercover agent. Even in the Death Eater circles, few know his true identity."

"Lupin, can I interpret this as you defending your dear friend?" Snape redirected his focus towards Lupin, deliberately emphasizing the word "dear friend."

"No, Severus," Lupin said calmly, "it's just a simple analysis." He looked at Dumbledore, "Perhaps when he returned to the Death Eaters as an infiltrator, he would have been welcomed and praised, but the issue is, he failed. His intel directly led to the disappearance of the mysterious figure. Would any Death Eaters still trust him?"

"Headmaster, from what I know of him, Black is undoubtedly a lone operator. Maybe... he did it to prove himself, like he did during his school years or in the times of war—every battle, he was at the forefront," Lupin summarized despondently. "He enjoys adventure, likes being a lone hero."

Snape's gaze turned cold, but he remained silent, retreating into the dark corner of the wall.

One professor offered their perspective, "But without help from Death Eaters, how could he cover hundreds of kilometers in just two days? Many have tried to follow his trail. The Ministry has put up a significant reward."

"Too many possibilities, Floo powder, Portkeys, broomsticks..."

"But they would leave traces. Black wouldn't dare expose himself!"

"Could it be Apparition? Some wizards can use it without a wand."

Flitwick was an authority on spells and he rejected this guess, "In theory, Apparition doesn't require a wand, but in practice, very few can manage it. It's far more difficult than you imagine and accidents are quite common. Besides, Apparition has many limitations, unless... unless he had a wand!"

"How could that be?"

"Stealing, robbing, if he saw an opportunity, nothing's impossible."

Dumbledore interrupted the discussion, "Everyone, let's search the castle thoroughly to ensure nothing is amiss."

In the end, the professors spent nearly half the night, and even when the sky was growing light, they hadn't found any issues.

The professors dispersed gradually. Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Snape, and Felix Harp gathered once more. Professor McGonagall reported the latest progress, Snape clearly had something to say, and Felix Harp had a small question that needed Dumbledore's answer.

"I've shown the portrait of Black to the Fat Lady for confirmation. She won't make a mistake," McGonagall said.

"Very good, Minerva," Dumbledore said. "Let's ensure that all the portraits in the castle remember Black's face, I mean... the communicative ones."

McGonagall nodded. Snape scoffed under his breath, and Dumbledore turned to him, "Severus, you seem to have something on your mind?"

Snape's words held no emotion, "Dumbledore, I think we're wasting our efforts. We discussed this before the school started—" He raised his head, his gaze descending from his hooked nose, "As long as there's a vulnerability in the castle, Black will find an opportunity."

McGonagall said sternly, "Are you suggesting there's a traitor at Hogwarts? That's impossible! Impossible, Severus."

Dumbledore spoke firmly, "Today's events prove there's no accomplice of Black within the school."

"But that's not definite, Headmaster," Snape's voice was low, and he quickly said, "Perhaps the mole was simply unaware of a mirror specifically designed to track Black. In fact," he flashed a sardonic smile, "I was kept in the dark as well, wasn't I?"

Felix Harp knew who he was talking about—Remus Lupin, Sirius Black's dear friend from school. A few hours ago, Snape had intentionally directed suspicion towards him, but Flitwick had steered it off course...

It seemed Dumbledore had warned Snape not to reveal Lupin's werewolf identity, as the professors and parents of students would explode—during the war, werewolves were a significant dark force under Voldemort.

...

After McGonagall and Snape left, Felix Harp raised his own question.

"You want to know how Dementors reproduce?" Dumbledore repeated the question he heard.

"Exactly, to my knowledge, the number of Dementors isn't large, around a hundred? From the information I encountered during my school years, their numbers haven't changed significantly over the past century," Felix Harp asked.

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