Chapter 245
Chapter 245
The pain reminded Black of being beaten by more than a dozen wooden rods not long ago. Had that day not begun with a Banishing Charm too?
His eyes widened. The unfamiliar young wizard before him had a build rather like the faceless figure who had thrashed him with those little wooden rods.
“A pleasure to meet you, Mr Black,” Suer said first as Black raised his canine eyes to inspect him.
A pleasure to meet him?
Black froze, nodded his dog’s head and turned to look at the astonishingly bushy-haired girl beside Suer. Pain stabbed through his body, making him draw a sharp breath.
“This is Hermione Granger.”
“H-hello.” Hermione nodded, a trace of nervousness in her voice.
Black tried to answer, but the only sound that emerged into the room was a single bark.
“Woof…”
An unfortunate oversight. He had forgotten he was still in his Animagus form.
Black fell silent in embarrassment. Under Hermione’s astonished gaze, he began changing back.
Loose wizard’s robes hung from his body. His face was gaunt, his cheekbones high, his eyes clouded and his tangled hair dripping wet. He looked exactly like a vagrant who had begged on the streets for years.
“Hss…” Black sucked in a pained breath and struggled to rise from the shattered floor. “Hello… hss… I’m Sirius Black. You may call me Sirius.”
Suer nodded calmly. Hermione remained behind him and said nothing.
Silence abruptly filled the room.
After a long while, Black broke it and looked at Suer. “Er… and you are?”
“Suer Bones Ellison. That is my full name,” Suer answered evenly.
“Bones?” Black considered the surname. “You’re a Hufflepuff?”
“Yes.” Suer nodded.
“Haven’t I seen you before?” Black asked suddenly after a moment’s silence.
“Professor Dumbledore told me you were here, Mr Black.” Suer displayed an appropriate degree of surprise. “Have we met before?”
Trying to trick me into admitting it? Not a chance.
Suer laughed smugly inside.
“No.” Black sounded frustrated. “You merely seem familiar, as though I’ve seen you somewhere.”
“Very well, Mr Black. I am certain this is our first meeting.”
“Never mind that. You said Dumbledore sent you…” Black rubbed his hands and asked hopefully, “Does that mean…”
“Professor Dumbledore wishes to see you.” Suer nodded. “Tonight.”
“You should be able to reach the Headmaster’s office without being seen. The password is Bursting Caterpillar.”
Black hesitated. Then he remembered that damned rat. Anger flashed in his eyes, and he nodded through clenched teeth, cold murderous intent beneath his hoarse voice.
“I’ll be there.”
“Then that settles it, Mr Black. I have other matters to attend to. Goodbye.”
Suer took Hermione’s hand and made ready to leave, then stopped as another thought occurred to him.
He removed a long box wrapped in cloth from his bag and tossed it over.
Black caught it awkwardly and opened the lid. Several old but largely intact wands lay inside.
“A wizard should not be without a wand,” Suer said. “I don’t know which one will suit you best. These are the most complete wands I could find in the castle.”
“Something is better than nothing.”
…
Unfortunately, the Shrieking Shack was completely sealed from within. Suer’s plan to take Hermione into Hogsmeade for a relaxing visit immediately came to nothing.
After leaving Black to choose a wand, Suer led Hermione back to the castle through the tunnel.
Hermione was desperately curious and wanted to ask what all this meant before they had even emerged.
“Wait until we reach the usual place. I’ll tell you everything I know.”
“All right.” Hermione nodded obediently.
Inside the Room of Requirement, a cauldron bubbled steadily. Hermione added new ingredients in strict accordance with the formula, stirred several times, brushed off her hands and sat beside Suer.
Suer had originally intended to ask the room for somewhere suitable to tell a story, but Hermione refused. The potion meant to assist her Animagus transformation needed fresh ingredients and further brewing, so they chose this room instead.
“One more week and the potion will be ready.” Hermione tossed aside the glass stirring rod, anticipation in her voice. “Then I only need to wait for a thunderstorm before I can complete the Animagus transformation.”
“Now, what is going on with Sirius Black?”
“It is a long story. Where would you like me to begin?” Suer smiled and crooked a finger at her.
Hermione blushed, rolled her eyes prettily and shuffled closer. She still left some space between them.
Suer shamelessly closed the distance.
“Oh, stop moving!” Hermione flushed and caught the hand he had been sneaking towards her beneath their robes. After a moment’s hesitation, she placed it on her lap and kept hold of it.
“Now tell me. What happened?”
Untroubled that his little scheme had been discovered, Suer turned his hand and enclosed Hermione’s within his palm. Small, soft and warm — he would not have exchanged that feeling for immortality.
“I can tell you, but you must not tell Harry. At least, not today.”
Hermione nodded. An instant later, several questions tumbled from her lips.
“I promise, but why can’t I tell Harry?”
“Why not today?”
“Can I tell him tomorrow?”
“Do you want to hear the story or not?” Suer helplessly squeezed her hand.
“All right, all right. No more questions. Tell me.” Hermione giggled and urged him on.
“Let me think where to begin.” Suer closed his eyes for a moment before speaking.
“We should start with Harry’s parents. Harry’s father, Sirius, Professor Lupin and a boy named Peter Pettigrew were inseparable friends when they studied at Hogwarts.”
“Professor Lupin?” Hermione interrupted at once.
“Yes, this year’s Defence Against the Dark Arts professor.” Suer nodded and continued. “After graduation, Harry’s parents married and had Harry. Not long afterwards, Voldemort entered their home and killed them. You know that part.”
Hermione nodded. “What happened next? What does it have to do with Sirius?”
“Patience. I’m getting there.” Suer’s fingers brushed lightly across her hand. “Do you know the Fidelius Charm?”
“I’ve read about it in the library.” Hermione tilted her head. “It is a spell used to keep secrets, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” Suer nodded. “The Fidelius Charm is extremely complex. It conceals a secret through magic within the soul of a witness bound by the covenant — the Secret Keeper.”
“Unless the Secret Keeper voluntarily reveals it, no one can circumvent the charm and discover what has been hidden.”