Headmaster's Office

"Chilled lemon juice!"

Following Jon's command, the large, ugly stone statue lazily moved aside and made way.

Jon took a deep breath and calmed his emotions. This was his first visit to the Headmaster's office.

Passing through a spiral staircase at the back and pulling open the lion-eagle-headed knocker on the door, he was greeted by a spacious circular room.

The walls were adorned with portraits of former Headmasters and Headmistresses, both men and women. Most of them appeared to have their eyes closed, pretending to be asleep, but Jon had a feeling that many of them were secretly observing him.

"Good afternoon!" Albus Dumbledore raised his head, and his pale blue eyes blinked at Jon.

"Good afternoon, Professor..." Jon hesitantly replied, taking a step forward.

He had no choice. Due to what he had written in the letter to Mrs. Amelia Bones, he now had to inform Dumbledore about Sirius Black.

"Professor, I have something important to tell you!" Jon mustered up his courage, trying to convey fear and panic in his tone. "Sirius Black! A few hours ago, I saw him through a telescope. He was there, near the Whomping Willow by the Hogsmeade Lake..."

Dumbledore raised a finger to interrupt Jon.

"Jon, perhaps you need to calm down first and listen to me," Dumbledore said gently, still chewing on a strand of cockroaches. "Would you like some? They taste quite good!"

Without saying a word, Dumbledore dropped a handful of them.

Although they appeared slightly disgusting, they were actually made of chocolate with a generous amount of sugar added, making them sweet and even a bit greasy. This ruled out the possibility of Veritaserum being involved, as it would fail when taken together with sugar.

"Some are too sweet!" he said softly.

"No, I think it's just right!" Dumbledore retorted, putting the last strand into his mouth.

Then Dumbledore glanced at a portrait on the wall and said, "Based on the information I have gathered so far, Sirius Black may not be as cruel and vicious as the Ministry of Magic claims."

Jon tried to appear surprised.

"I have some special sources of information, Jon!" Dumbledore calmly explained. "For instance, I was at Privet Drive, and I received information from an informant who told me that Sirius Black was seen there one day at the end of July last year. He happened to be there when young Harry left his uncle and aunt's house due to an incident and appeared on the road."

"I was quite worried at the time!" Dumbledore paused and continued. "I quickly contacted Kingsley and asked him to send the Knight Bus to take Harry to a safe location... But what surprised me was that Harry remained unharmed and waited until the Knight Bus arrived, and Black did not appear in front of him at all."

"Does this prove his innocence?" Jon asked in a low voice. "What if he didn't harm anyone..."

"This is enough to make me suspicious!" Dumbledore nodded and continued, "In recent years, I believe I have been quite accurate in my judgment of people. I don't think Black is the kind of deranged person... and..."

"Yes, I can vouch for that!" a voice from the portrait exclaimed, startling Jon. "My great-grandson may have betrayed his family and blood, but he would never betray his friends or indiscriminately kill the innocent!"

On the talking portrait was a middle-aged wizard with curly hair and a receding hairline. He appeared very excited.

"Calm down, Phineas!" Dumbledore intervened, and a wizard pretending to be asleep quickly approached and used his wand to silence Phineas Black, preventing him from making any noise.

"That's why I specifically hired Remus Lupin, a friend of Black's from their youth, to teach at Hogwarts!" Dumbledore said with a smile. "It was quite a challenging process to convince Minerva, Philius, Severus, and the others to accept a werewolf as their colleague."

"Werewolf?" Jon raised his voice in surprise.

"I believe Severus has dropped enough hints. You should have figured out Remus's true identity..." Dumbledore gave Jon a deep look.

"Yes, Professor..." Jon quickly lowered his head. "I just didn't want to consider the worst-case scenario!"

"Let's go, let's go!" Dumbledore suggested. "I may need your assistance."

"Where are we going?"

"Hagrid's cabin!"

...

As they exited the office, Jon suddenly felt Dumbledore patting his shoulder.

Instantly, a sensation of coldness spread throughout his body.

Jon lowered his head and realized that his body and arms had become ethereal, blending with the surroundings.

"It's a Disillusionment Charm!" Dumbledore explained with a smile. "It's a spell that makes us invisible to others. Our mission requires utmost secrecy."

Following Dumbledore out of the castle, Jon passed by many familiar faces, yet no one noticed his presence. It was evident that Dumbledore's Disillusionment Charm was not easily penetrated.

They walked through the greenhouse, passed by the edge of the Hogsmeade Lake, and finally circumvented the Whomping Willow... Eventually, they arrived at the back entrance of Hagrid's cabin, concealed behind a thick-trunked oak tree.

In front of them, Buckbeak, the hippogriff, was secured in the pumpkin patch.

Jon couldn't help but furrow his brow. If he remembered correctly, this was the spot where Harry and Hermione had hidden after using the Time-Turner.

He glanced at his own invisible state, protected by the Disillusionment Charm. Even if Harry and Hermione were to approach, they wouldn't notice him. It seemed that Hagrid already had guests! Dumbledore remarked to himself.

Jon strained his ears and heard voices coming from the cabin—voices that were all too familiar: Hermione, Harry, and Ron.

"It's Harry and his friends!" Dumbledore frowned, seemingly deep in thought.

"Connelly, come over here!" a very familiar voice called from a distance.

Jon's face suddenly changed, and he gazed into the distance... Minister of Magic Fudge wearing a plaid cloak, executioner McNeill holding a large axe, two Ministry witnesses... and another Albus Dumbledore!

The five of them approached Hagrid's cabin slowly.

Jon looked at the distant Dumbledore with a mix of horror and glanced at the one beside him.

"What's happening... Professor..." he couldn't help but ask, his voice trembling.