Hogwarts: Legacy of the Necromancer

"Harry! Watch out, it's a trap! That black dog is an Animagus—he is the dog!"

As soon as Harry Potter and Hermione arrived upstairs, they saw Ron huddled in the corner, clutching Scabbers tightly in his hands.

The thick white dust on the floor recorded every visitor who had entered. Next to the marks where Ron had been dragged, the paw prints of a large dog stretched toward the open doorway.

A trail of dog prints suddenly transformed into human footprints.

The door was pushed open from the other side. A long-haired man in filthy, ragged clothes stood there, grinning idiotically.

Sirius had been recovering well under the care of Regulus Black. But after disobeying orders, running around the school, and even damaging the Fat Lady's portrait, Regulus finally threw this "stupid dog" into the Forbidden Forest to fend for himself.

Still, Regulus did cast the necessary spells on him—Sirius was always under some form of protection.

"You fool of a brother... your friend hasn't been in Hogwarts for a long time."

"What? You want to know where that coward went? Why should I tell you?"

"If you'd just followed my arrangements, revenge wouldn't be a problem. Revealing the truth wouldn't be a problem either. But did you listen? Would you ever listen...?!"

Their conversations recently had revolved around these three lines. Sirius had been in frequent contact with Regulus Black. With the restriction collar he wore, he could communicate with Regulus telepathically.

There was much Sirius couldn't do alone. However, he had a decent rapport with Hermione's flat-faced cat. Together—one dog, one cat—they relentlessly hunted Scabbers throughout Hogwarts, though ultimately, their efforts came up empty.

Scabbers had managed to escape Hogwarts by hiding in Hagrid's enormous body and overwhelming scent.

He even had a good drink inside one of Hagrid's milk pails, until just earlier, when Hagrid handed him over to Ron himself.

After Hermione went to speak with Regulus Black, Sirius had been summoned to his side.

"I know you never liked following my plans. Then tonight, you can do as you please. The rat is at the Whomping Willow."

As Regulus said this, he removed Sirius's collar.

At first, Sirius was puzzled. But then, he bolted off directly toward the Whomping Willow.

Before Hermione even arrived, Sirius, consumed by rage, had already spotted the rat in Ron's hands.

Skipping past the part where Ron was dragged, Sirius had indeed noticed Harry—but clearly, catching his enemy was more important at that moment.

Naturally, Sirius believed Harry wouldn't abandon his friends—just like James Potter.

Looking gaunt and ghost-like, Sirius stepped out, pale-faced, and upon seeing Harry, his emotions surged.

"Stop! What do you think you're doing?"

Hermione, who had pieced together part of Regulus Black's plan, quickly intervened. For a clever Ravenclaw like her, deducing some of Regulus's intentions was something to be proud of.

So, she knew of Sirius's existence, knew that Regulus was sheltering this Azkaban fugitive, and suspected he planned to use him for something more.

Drawing her vine wood wand, Hermione stood in front of Harry protectively, like a hen shielding her chicks.

"Heh! What am I doing? I'm going to kill him! Only one person needs to die tonight... just one will do."

A tiny butterfly effect—already, this line was different from the one in the movie.

High above, on the roof of the Shrieking Shack, Regulus Black quietly observed everything inside through spiritual awareness.

Upon hearing the exchange below, he couldn't help but curl his lips. As expected, my brother really is a dumb dog. Why can't you just speak clearly?!

"If someone has to die, it'll be you first!"

Harry shoved Hermione aside and lunged at Sirius. The two began to grapple—or more accurately, Harry began beating on Sirius. He clutched at Sirius's throat tightly, though with his small frame, strangling someone was a tall order.

Coming to his senses, Harry quickly drew his wand, aiming it at Sirius with trembling hands. After all, he had never killed anyone before.

"You're going to kill me, Harry?"

Sirius made no effort to resist. With a dazed smile and a look of relief, he awaited Harry's judgment.

His reaction was so obvious that even Harry noticed. This man—his parents' friend, classmate, comrade, and the one who supposedly betrayed them—stood before him offering no resistance at all.

This didn't match the Harry's expectations at all. He'd believed Sirius had escaped from Azkaban to kill him. But none of this was adding up.

Wasn't he supposed to be a deranged Death Eater? Why wasn't he fighting back?

Just hit me! Harry thought. If you would just hit me, I could attack without guilt and kill this traitor.

But the only sound he heard was Sirius's hollow laughter, leaving Harry completely at a loss.

Someone else had just entered the second floor of the Shrieking Shack.

"Disarm yourself!"

The one who had entered was Remus Lupin. As soon as he came in, he knocked Harry Potter's wand out of his hand and gave a slight nod, signaling Harry to step aside.

Hermione cautiously slipped her wand into the pocket of her trousers. Harry had already lost his wand, and if she lost hers too, they would completely lose control of the situation tonight.

"Oho! Oho! Sirius, you look absolutely wretched! The madness inside has finally shown on the outside."

Lupin's words referred to Animagus-transformed wizards, who were prone to being affected by their mental state.

If a person who is messy and dirty transforms, they often turn into a messy and dirty animal. Conversely, if they behave like a filthy animal during their transformation, that filth will reflect on them after they return to human form.

This kind of contamination is mutual. Most dangerous of all is the psychological pollution—after transforming into an animal, they are affected by animal instincts. Bloodlust, savagery, and heightened sensitivity can all have lingering effects on the Animagus's psyche.

From one glance at Sirius, Lupin could tell that he was not doing well—physically or mentally.

"You're intimately familiar with the madness within, aren't you?"

Though Lupin had his wand pointed at him, Sirius responded with a teasing tone, making it clear he hadn't lost his mind.

The two old friends stared at each other with a fiery intensity for a moment before Sirius was pulled to his feet, and the two of them embraced.

"I remember in quite a few fanfics, the wolf and the dog were paired together! Should I give them a little push too?"

On the rooftop, Regulus Black pondered the possibilities.

That moment of thought caused a pause inside the Shrieking Shack. The two older men instinctively let go of each other.

Harry was stunned. Hermione looked on in disbelief. Ron, equally bewildered, gave Scabbers a pinch.

"I found him."

"Found who?"

"He's right here, in this house."

"Who are you talking about?"

"We'll kill him now!"

"Wait, wait, wait! Explain first before you act."

Sirius was emotionally overwhelmed, while Lupin—who hadn't received the Marauder's Map—was still unaware that Peter Pettigrew was alive.

Regulus Black, watching from the rooftop, was a bit dumbfounded. Clearly, the Marauder's Map hadn't been handed over to Lupin yet!This detail had been overlooked. After all, once Harry had the map, whether or not he'd use it to track the rat was unpredictable.

Regulus quickly used a charm to send some information to Hermione.

"And to think I once trusted you, Professor Lupin! Who do you plan to kill—Harry, Ron, or me?"

Hermione gathered her courage and stepped forward. Having just received Regulus Black's message, she knew this question had to be addressed.

But with someone backing her from behind the scenes, Hermione still felt fairly composed.

"See? I'm just asking the same thing here."

At that moment, Lupin didn't dare let go of Sirius. Even he wasn't sure what his friend was thinking anymore.

"Peter Pettigrew! It's Peter Pettigrew! That traitor—I won't let you get away. You're not escaping tonight!"

Sirius leapt from Lupin's arms, furiously pointing toward the three children.

The three frightened kids were lined up, directly facing Sirius's overwhelming killing intent.

Even the rat, Scabbers, let out a terrified "squeak-squeak" in response.

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