Chapter 221. The Anomaly in the Forbidden Forest
Twenty minutes after Harry and the others were attacked by the Dementors, Adrian Wesson's voice came over the loudspeaker again:
"All students, attention please. Good news: the trouble has been sorted. You may now open your compartment doors and move about freely. Of course, no running up and down the corridor or using magic. Mind your own safety."
No sooner had the announcement ended than cheers rose from the next compartment—and the one beyond that.
Harry immediately slid open his compartment door and craned his neck to look out.
Sure enough, that black, devilish figure had vanished. Only two fellows who looked like Ministry employees were standing not far away.
Strangely enough, both of them looked rather pale.
The rest of the journey was much more pleasant.
The Weasley twins even came by halfway through; they talked over a stack of new Quidditch tactics with Harry and told him plenty about Percy, which helped him forget a little of the pain the Dementors had just brought back to him.
Of course, not everything went so smoothly.
For instance, that detestable Draco Malfoy suddenly paid them a visit.
Malfoy was the same as ever: skinny, with his usual disdainful look plastered across his face.
His two hangers-on were the same as well—looking a bit dim and a bit foolish. Only, they seemed to have got fatter over the summer. Harry thought that given another year they'd be catching up to Dudley's size.
Malfoy blocked the doorway with his two sidekicks and sneered at Ron and Hermione's summer holidays.
He said the Weasleys had come into a great many Galleons but hadn't bought Ron a new pet; as for Hermione, she'd enjoyed Muggle life and forgotten she was a witch—perhaps the Muggle world suited her better.
In truth, Harry didn't think any of that was worth a special trip from Malfoy to mock them.
It was all as ordinary as could be.
In the end, Malfoy left them with a parting shot, saying he'd give him a "surprise" once they were back at school.
As dusk deepened, the train finally slowed and pulled into Hogsmeade station.
Hagrid was, as ever, in charge of welcoming the first-years.
Lupin got off and hurried away, while Adrian Wesson remained on the platform to keep order.
"Wesson," Hagrid called to him, waving cheerily, "the students're all right, yeah?"
"Everything went smoothly."
Students clambered out of the train one after another, lugging all sorts of luggage and pets.
The platform quickly became crowded and noisy.
While the students were getting themselves sorted, Hagrid and Wesson began to chat idly.
"Good ter see yeh again, Wesson," Hagrid said, large as life. "Summer hols were dead borin'. I hadn' the foggiest what ter do. Oh, right, I used me spare time ter make a scarf—plannin' ter give it ter Harry at Christmas."
"Knitting a scarf in summer is really quite something, and Christmas is still a way off," Wesson asked casually. "What did you use to knit it?"
"Unicorn hair," Hagrid explained with a grin. "Some from the belly, an' a bit o' the tail—strong and warm."
Wesson fell silent for a moment.
He really should have guessed—Hagrid's materials were never ordinary.
Still, using unicorn hair to knit a scarf—he might be the first.
"By the way," Hagrid suddenly remembered something and lowered his voice to Wesson, "yeh go inter the Forbidden Forest a fair bit, don' yeh?"
Wesson looked a little puzzled. "Yes. I sometimes need wild plants. Has something happened?"
"Oh, I just wanted ter remind yeh—best take yer wand these days when yeh go inter the Forest, and keep yer guard up at all times," Hagrid said.
"Why?" Wesson looked slightly at a loss.
"There's reason enough," Hagrid said, glancing toward the students in the distance. "Seems there's somethin' wrong in the Forbidden Forest. A few nights ago I found some strange tracks in there—definitely made by someone. I asked the centaurs, but they said they hadn' felt any evil presence."
"What do you think it is?" Wesson asked, curious.
Hagrid leaned close to Wesson's ear and whispered, "Though it's not very likely ter be Sirius Black, we can't rule it out…"
At that moment Wesson noticed that the anger on Hagrid's face had become almost impossible to suppress.
He nodded, thoughtful.
If Black wanted to get into Hogwarts, it would be an easy matter.
There were countless secret passages into the school; the Dementors couldn't possibly know every one.
For Black, the Forbidden Forest was an excellent place to hide. And from the Forest it was a quick way to reach Hogwarts Castle.
"I didn' believe it at first—how could he get here so quick," Hagrid said earnestly, "but Dumbledore told me the Ministry seems ter have found traces of Black near Hogwarts—spotted by a Muggle. Maybe he's already moved inter the Forbidden Forest, could be…"
"Professor!"
A voice rang out from the crowd. Wesson and Hagrid looked over and saw Percy waving to them from among the students.
By now, all the students had disembarked.
Percy was voluntarily keeping order on the spot.
"We'll talk later."
Hagrid hurried toward the throng, shouting, "First-years—this way!"
Wesson also set about his own job—he had to direct the remaining students to the Thestral-drawn carriages.
Hogwarts kept a great many Thestrals and carriages—enough to haul all the students up to the castle in one go.
Wesson sat in the foremost carriage.
Beside him were this year's Head Boy and the Ravenclaw Prefect.
The Head Boy, of course, was Percy; the Ravenclaw Prefect was a girl named Penelope Clearwater.
Hmm. The two of them seemed to be in a relationship.
So Wesson quietly settled down beside them.
Honestly, it was rather amusing.
Percy sat bolt upright; Penelope looked awkward as well.
Perhaps everyone knew about their relationship and had deliberately left them a seat.
Unfortunately, Wesson had accidentally intruded.
In the delicate silence, the carriage passed through the gates of Hogwarts.
There were two much larger Dementors standing by the gates—the closest point Dumbledore had permitted them to approach.
As Wesson went by, the gaze of the two Dementors fixed straight on him—thick with wariness.
It seemed that even without using the Patronus Charm, they could feel a threat coming off him.
Before long, the line of carriages reached the castle's forecourt.
The first-years were probably still afloat on the lake.
Wesson began leading the students up the stone steps toward the castle.
This should have been another professor's job—but this year everyone had tacitly handed the task to Wesson.
Wesson, of course, didn't mind.
A few minutes later, all the students arrived at the doors of the Great Hall.
Professor McGonagall was waiting at the entrance.
"Professor Wesson," Professor McGonagall nodded to him, "take the students in, if you please."
Then she turned her gaze to the crowd. "Mr Harry Potter, would you step out for a moment, please?"
Like this story Leave a review ; it would really help me out a lot.
Want to Read Ahead in Advance?
Join my Patreon!
+75 Chapters
Support me in
Patreon.com/BestElysium