strictlysupreme Chapter 268 Intrusion and Investigation
Chapter 268 Intrusion and Investigation
Chapter 268 Intrusion and Investigation (5.4K) (2/2)
The large black dog moved silently through the castle's quiet corridors and secluded stairwells, like a flowing shadow.
He followed Lynch's route meticulously, perfectly avoiding any possible spying.
Finally, he arrived near the familiar entrance to the Gryffindor Tower, where the portrait of the Fat Lady hung.
After confirming that no one was around, he quickly retreated into the shadows of a recessed niche.
With a faint sound of deformation, the huge black dog disappeared, and Sirius Black, tall and thin with a gaunt face but no longer sickly and haggard, reappeared.
Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately rolled around on the ground several times, instantly covering his once clean robe with dust and stains.
Then, he vigorously rubbed his dusty hands on his face and neck, leaving clear stains, and roughly messed up his half-long black hair, letting it fall freely and cover most of his face.
This "self-defilement" was done quite deliberately; any experienced wizard or wary creature could see that the traces were unnatural.
However, for portraiture artists with limited discernment who rely more on fixed formulas and appearances for judgment, the filthy, hair-covered face and shifty eyes behind the hair already perfectly matched their imagination of a "disheveled fugitive".
Finally, his gaze fell upon a standing, authentic medieval suit of armor near the niche.
The armored figure held a decorative broadsword in his hand; though unsharpened, it still gleamed coldly in the torchlight.
Sirius stepped forward and, without the slightest hesitation, gently took the sword from the metal fingers.
The heavy metal feels cold and reassuring in your hand.
He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, took a deep breath, stepped out of the shadows, and walked straight toward the portrait guarding the entrance.
"Password?" The plump woman asked warily, looking at the uninvited guest who had suddenly appeared, dressed in rags, holding a sword, with most of his face hidden under his dirty hair.
Sirius Black stopped in front of the portrait, raised his head, and looked directly at the plump lady through her falling hair. His voice was hoarse and low, carrying a dangerous aura: "I'm sorry, madam, I'm afraid there is no password."
The Hogwarts Halloween dinner came to a close amidst laughter and joy. The students left the Great Hall reluctantly and returned to their common rooms.
However, when the Gryffindor students arrived noisily at the tower entrance, the sight before them silenced them instantly, followed by terrified screams and chaotic chatter.
The familiar portrait of the fat lady was brutally torn apart, leaving several grotesque rips on the canvas, while the fat lady herself in the frame had long since disappeared.
The news spread quickly.
Professor McGonagall arrived at the scene with a tense expression and hurried steps. Behind her was Principal Dumbledore, whose steps were still steady, but whose gaze behind his half-moon spectacles was unusually sharp.
"Quiet! Everyone back off!" Professor McGonagall shouted sternly at the gathered students, her face turning extremely grim as she carefully examined the damaged portrait.
Just then, Peeves' annoying, chuckling voice came from above the armor: "It's Black! It's Sirius Black! He's got a sword and looks menacing! The Fat Lady is terrified and ran to hide in that painting of the forest on the fifth floor! Peeves saw it all clearly!"
Upon hearing this, Dumbledore's usual gentle smile vanished.
Without the slightest hesitation, he drew the Elder Wand and gracefully waved it.
A phoenix, composed entirely of blazing silver light, instantly took flight from the tip of the wand. It let out a faint, clear cry, then transformed into several streaks of light, shooting swiftly in different directions of the castle to deliver the headmaster's urgent message.
"Professor McGonagall," Dumbledore's voice was steady and powerful, "please lead all the Gryffindor students back to the Great Hall immediately."
Professor McGonagall immediately turned and commanded the still-shaken students in an unquestionable tone: "All Gryffindor students, come with me! Immediately! Back to the Great Hall!"
Shortly after Professor McGonagall and her students left, a series of hurried and angry footsteps echoed down the corridor.
Snape swept in like a black whirlwind, his black robes billowing behind him, his face horribly grim, his lips pressed into a thin, bloodless line.
Those dark eyes churned with undisguised hatred and a fierce glint, as if some deep-seated grudge was about to be avenged.
Sirius Black, one of the accomplices in Lily's death, his name itself is like rubbing salt into his never-healing wound.
"Dumbledore!" Snape's voice was sharp with suppressed rage. He barely glanced at the destroyed portrait, his gaze fixed on the headmaster. "He's in the castle! Black! We must begin the search immediately, leaving no stone unturned! We cannot let him escape again!" He instinctively gripped his wand in his sleeve, as if his enemy were right before him.
However, Dumbledore did not immediately respond to Snape's urgent request.
His gaze passed over the agitated Potions professor and landed on a shadowy pillar a short distance away. He spoke calmly, "Professor Lynch, do you have any suggestions regarding the current situation?"
Snape was startled, and only then did he realize Lynch's presence by following Dumbledore's gaze.
The other person had been standing there silently without him noticing, as if they had blended into the surrounding shadows; he hadn't even noticed them before.
Lynch took a half-step forward, emerging from the shadows. His voice was as calm as ever, a stark contrast to Snape's agitation: "Instead of launching a potentially futile large-scale search immediately, I think we should first check the Gryffindor common room." His gaze swept over the torn portrait. "Black went to great lengths to break in here; his target is clearly inside the tower. Seeing what he's actually done might be more valuable than aimlessly chasing a shadow that may have already vanished."
"He's probably still hiding somewhere!" Snape immediately retorted, his tone vehement. "Wasting time checking the scene will only give him more breathing room! We must act immediately—"
Just then, a crow silently fluttered its wings and landed lightly on Lynch's shoulder.
Lynch raised his hand, his fingertips lightly brushing against the raven's feathers, interrupting Snape: "The moment I received the news, my eyes" had already conducted a preliminary search within the castle. Severus, unfortunately, Sirius Black is no longer within the sphere of influence of Hogwarts."
Snape's words came to an abrupt halt. He stared intently at Lynch, his lips moving as if he wanted to raise a question, but seeing that Dumbledore did not object and the raven on Lynch's shoulder that seemed to see through everything, he ultimately swallowed back the question that was about to burst out of his mouth. He only let out an extremely suppressed, resentful snort from his nose, his face becoming even more unpleasant.
Dumbledore spoke up at the opportune moment, making the decision: "Then let's see what traces Black left behind of his visit. Severus, please join us."
They carefully moved aside the damaged frame of the Fat Lady painting and entered the Gryffindor common room one by one through the gap.
Surprisingly, everything inside the common room seemed normal. The warm fire was still crackling in the fireplace, and the cushioned chairs were arranged somewhat haphazardly, clearly left behind by students rushing off to the Halloween dinner, but there were no signs of fighting or vandalism.
The festive ribbons were still hanging, completely out of place with the tense atmosphere.
Just then, a noise came from the entrance of the portrait, and Professor McGonagall climbed back in with a serious expression.
She strode up to Dumbledore and reported quickly but clearly: "Professor Dumbledore, all the students are safely gathered in the Great Hall, and the heads of the houses and Filch are on guard. I've put Percy Weasley in charge of maintaining order for now."
"Very well, Professor McGonagall, thank you for your hard work." Dumbledore nodded, then said, "Now, please show us what Black has been doing here. His objective seems quite clear."
Professor McGonagall's face paled even further, and she said without hesitation, "His target must be Mr. Potter!"
Her voice was filled with worry: "Let's go to Mr. Potter's dormitory first!"
Professor McGonagall led the three through the common room and headed straight for the stairs to the boys' dormitory, heading without hesitation towards Harry's bedroom.
Reaching the door, Professor McGonagall took a deep breath and flung it open. A strange smell, a mixture of drifting feathers and billowing dust, wafted out.
The sight before them made everyone gasp. The entire dormitory looked as if it had been ravaged by a raging beast; not a single item was intact, and not a single corner was spared.
Harry's four-poster bed suffered the most concentrated wrath—one bedpost collapsed, the hanging curtains were torn into shreds by a sharp blade and hung haphazardly; the mattress was ripped open, exposing the filling; the feather pillow was completely shredded, white feathers covered the bed and the surrounding floor like snowflakes, and some were even slowly drifting down into the air; the bedside table was overturned, and its contents were scattered all over the floor.
But it wasn't just Harry's bed that suffered; every bed in the dormitory was affected—Neville Longbottom's canopy was ripped down, Seamus Finnigan's bedside table drawer was pulled out, its contents scattered all over the floor, and Dean Thomas's Quidditch poster on the wall was torn to shreds. Ron Weasley's bed was equally a mess, with sheets pulled to the floor, his old pillow with the Chadley Cannons logo torn open, and feathers mixed with down from the other beds, almost covering the entire floor.
Not a single item remained in its original place in the entire room, and not a single corner was kept tidy.
This was no longer a precise strike against a specific person, but rather a cathartic, manic act of chaos and destruction.
Lynch's gaze swept calmly over every detail, while the crow on his shoulder tilted its head quietly.
Professor McGonagall covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes filled with shock and lingering fear.
Snape surveyed the scene of devastation, his dark eyes flashing with a cold light, his thin lips twisted into an almost cruel arc.
His deep, sarcastic voice broke the heavy silence in the room, each word seemingly soaked in venom: "Obviously incompetent rage. Apparently, our 'honorable' guest, upon discovering that his little target was not sleeping peacefully in bed, could only vent his typical, out-of-control Blake-esque fury on these defenseless inanimate objects."
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His words were filled with contempt for Blake himself, as if the chaos before him was yet another testament to the character flaws of the man he so vehemently despised.
Dumbledore did not directly respond to Snape's comments.
His deep gaze swept over the mess one last time, and he calmly issued the order: "Protect the scene. Do not move anything. Professor McGonagall, immediately send someone to notify the Ministry of Magic and inform Fudge of everything that happened here. Hogwarts needs their official intervention."
He paused slightly: "Also, make it clear to Cornelius that if he deems it necessary to send Dementors into the castle to assist in the investigation..." His tone became more serious when he mentioned Dementors. "6..."
Therefore, they must, and can only, follow the strictly designated route under Hagrid's guidance. From the castle gates directly to the entrance to the Gryffindor Tower, there must be no deviation. Hagrid will ensure they stay away from all areas where students gather, especially the Great Hall. The safety of every student must be absolutely guaranteed; no accidents are permitted.
He turned to everyone present and continued, "Until the Ministry of Magic arrives, we need to ensure the safety and tranquility of all students in the Great Hall. Tonight, the castle will be on high alert."
Dumbledore then led Professor McGonagall, Lynch, and Snape back to the Great Hall, which was brightly lit but filled with an unsettling atmosphere.
He stepped onto the podium and, with his distinctive, calm yet penetrating voice, soothed the restless students, announcing the decision that, for security reasons, all students would spend the night in the auditorium.
He used his wand to conjure up a large number of sleeping bags and pillows, and the professors began to organize students from various colleges to settle in designated areas.
Although Lynch had made it clear that Sirius Black was not within the castle grounds, Snape, after helping to arrange the Slytherin students, turned and left the Great Hall with a gloomy face and without saying a word.
He gripped his wand tightly, his black robes billowing behind him, clearly intending to conduct a thorough search himself, leaving no stone unturned in his search for the possibility of capturing his childhood enemy.
The auditorium gradually quieted down, with only whispers and the sound of sleeping bags rubbing together.
About half an hour later, some noise came from the castle gate.
Professor McGonagall entered with several travel-worn wizards.
Surprisingly, the tall, grey-haired mane with eagle-like eyes at the head of the group was none other than Rufus Scrimgeour, the Auror's Chief of Staff.
Upon receiving the urgent message from Hogwarts, Scrimgeour, who was at the Ministry of Magic in London, immediately realized the seriousness of the situation. He made a decisive move and rushed directly to Hogsmeade's temporary office via the Floo Network. Without stopping for a moment, he personally led a team of elite Aurors to the castle at top speed.
Without any pleasantries, Scrimgeour went straight to Dumbledore, who was waiting there, and said in a deep, direct voice, "Headmaster Dumbledore, I am aware of the situation. Where is it? I need to see it immediately."
His self-glow quickly swept over Lynch and several deans behind Dumbledore, he nodded slightly, his attention completely focused on the crisis before him.
Dumbledore was not surprised by Scrimgeour's personal arrival and efficiency. He stepped aside and gestured for him to come in: "This way, Mr. Scrimgeour. The scene has been secured as required."
He then led Scrimgeour and his men, along with Lynch and several heads, back toward the Gryffindor Tower.
As Dumbledore led Scrimgeour and his party toward Gryffindor Tower once more, Lynch quietly followed at the back of the group, his expression as calm as ever, even more aloof than usual.
He already knew the outcome.
Before accompanying the group into the Gryffindor common room for the first time, he had already received information that Sirius and Reggie had completed their mission and evacuated safely.
Therefore, the serious and meticulous on-site review led by the Ministry of Magic was nothing more than a play performed according to a script to him, and he was the only audience member and director.
He watched as Scrimgeour meticulously examined the torn portrait of the Fat Lady, observing how the Auror office director's sharp eyes, like searchlights, swept over every deliberately created mess of the dormitory after entering, recording the traces of madness left by the "fugitive."
Scrimgeour's questioning was precise and direct, focusing primarily on the methods of sabotage, possible clues left behind, and Black's possible infiltration and escape routes.
Dumbledore and several deans provided what they knew, and Professor McGonagall's tone still carried lingering fear and anger.
When Scrimgeour's sharp gaze fell upon Lynch, inquiring about the castle search, Lynch responded with his usual composure. He succinctly recounted his search of key areas of the castle after the incident, emphasizing the conclusion reached using specific detection magic—Black had fled swiftly after creating the chaos and was currently not within the castle's boundaries.
When confronted with Scrimgeour's questioning, he readily admitted that he could not determine the specific escape route, and then handed over the initiative for further investigation to the Ministry of Magic.
Watching the Ministry of Magic officials bustling about before him, Lynch remained completely unmoved.
All this chaos is merely a necessary part of his plan.
Scringer's seriousness, the professors' deep concern, and the students' fear and anxiety were all, in his eyes, necessary factors to push the situation in the predetermined direction.
What he was concerned with was never where Black was at that moment, but rather how much of a ripple this meticulously planned "invasion" would ultimately create within the Ministry of Magic and in public opinion, and how many people's attention and actions would be drawn in the direction he desired.
Scrimgeour acted swiftly and decisively. After confirming that no further immediate clues could be found at the scene, he immediately turned to another crucial task—verifying the safety of the personnel. He demanded that Dumbledore provide the exact locations and headcount results of all professors and students on campus.
Just as Professor McGonagall was confirming the information of the people in the school as required, a series of hurried and angry footsteps came from the corridor.
Snape reappeared like a black ghost, his black robes billowing as he moved quickly, his face even more somber than when he left, and his tightly pursed lips indicating that his search had yielded nothing.
Soon, all the messages Scrimgeour requested were relayed by the Ghost and compiled.
Professor McGonagall, representing the university, confirmed: "All students have been counted, no one is absent, and they are all gathered in the Great Hall, under the supervision of several deans and Mr. Filch, the castle caretaker. The remaining faculty and staff are the few present here."
Scrimgeour's sharp gaze, like a searchlight, slowly swept over every faculty and staff member present.
He had clearly done his homework before coming and was well aware of the current composition of Hogwarts' faculty and staff.
His gaze lingered on the headmasters and Lynch before suddenly fixing on them. He asked in a deep voice, "I remember Hogwarts has a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor this year, Remus Lupin. Where is he now? Why isn't he here?"