harry's request

Lupin settled into his seat and smiled, asking, "What's the matter? What are you discussing?"

"Ah, our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is here, Sirius's loyal partner and close friend," Snape remarked sarcastically.

"Sirius?" Lupin's expression darkened. This topic was indeed very painful for him.

"Alright, enough of that," Professor McGonagall intervened.

Snape, however, was unwilling to let Lupin off the hook and sneered, "How does it feel to be betrayed by a friend, Lupin?"

Several other professors frowned slightly. They all knew that Lupin, Sirius, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew were once close friends. In the end, Sirius betrayed them, the Potters died, and Pettigrew was also killed by Sirius, or so it was believed. Sirius unexpectedly escaped after being imprisoned in Azkaban for more than ten years.

Snape's words were clearly rubbing salt into Lupin's wounds.

Though Snape had deep conflicts with Lupin and James in the past, time had changed. After so many years, and now being fellow professors at Hogwarts, why dwell on past grievances?

Ciaran understood why Snape harbored such animosity towards Lupin. During their school days, a prank by Sirius nearly led to Snape's demise at the hands of Lupin in his werewolf form. Snape had harbored no less animosity towards Lupin than towards James and Sirius.

"It's a dreadful feeling, Severus. I doubt you'd want to experience it," Lupin said softly.

Snape's expression grew increasingly grim, and he stood up, leaving the auditorium.

Ciaran secretly smirked. Was Snape's anger stemming from not having such a close friend?

Several professors stood up as well, and Ciaran observed Lupin's saddened expression. Despite knowing the truth behind it and Sirius being holed up in Fremont Manor, it was unfortunate that Pettigrew's true identity hadn't been exposed yet, which could have exonerated Sirius. It would have been the perfect moment for clarity.

He stepped out of the Great Hall and suddenly bumped into Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Ron and Hermione were trying to lift Harry's spirits.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Ciaran inquired.

Harry took a deep breath.

"Professor, my aunt and uncle... um, they forgot to sign my form – the Hogsmeade permission form," Harry said slowly.

"And?" Ciaran raised his eyebrows, guessing Harry's intention.

"Professor, could you – I mean, if you think it's okay – could you sign my Hogsmeade permission form? That way, Professor McGonagall would give me permission to go to Hogsmeade on weekends," Harry said nervously.

Having inflated Aunt Marge during summer vacation, he had run away from home and was eventually sent to the Leaky Cauldron by the Knight Bus. Naturally, no one had signed the Hogsmeade permission form for him.

Hogsmeade was the only wizarding village in England. The entire town was full of wizards, with many interesting shops and attractions that appealed to young wizards.

Students in their third year at Hogwarts and above were sometimes allowed to visit Hogsmeade Village on weekends to indulge in their favorite activities or foods. Harry had been eagerly anticipating this opportunity for a long time, but due to his Muggle guardians, Uncle Vernon, not signing the form, he had been barred from leaving the school grounds and could only listen helplessly to the excited chatter of his peers.

"I'm not your legal guardian, Harry."

"But, Professor, my aunt and uncle are Muggles, and they don't understand Hogwarts forms," Harry explained, with Ron nodding in agreement. "If you could just..."

"Professor McGonagall is primarily responsible for this matter. You should approach her, Harry," Ciaran advised. He recalled this scenario from the original timeline, where Harry sought Professor McGonagall's assistance, to no avail.

Harry looked awkward. "I've already asked Professor McGonagall, and she said the form must be signed before she can grant permission."

"That's correct, Harry. It's protocol," Ciaran smiled faintly. "Professor McGonagall handles these matters. Since she's made her stance clear, I can't sign it for you. I'm not your legal guardian."

"I'm sorry, Harry, but truthfully, there's nothing particularly enticing about Hogsmeade. Whether you go or not doesn't make much of a difference," Ciaran remarked before heading up the stairs.

"It doesn't make a difference? Easy for him to say," Ron scoffed. "He's been there so many times; of course, he finds it boring."

Harry felt equally frustrated. He had never once set foot in Hogsmeade, so how could he claim it didn't matter whether he went or not?

"I agree with Professors McGonagall and Frémont, Harry," Hermione chimed in. "With Sirius in hiding, it's best for you to stay put."

The 'it's for your own good' expression on Hermione's face only served to further infuriate Ron, who spat out a few unpleasant remarks, earning him an equally irate response from Hermione. The two of them bickered in the classroom before quieting down temporarily, as the rest of the class excitedly discussed plans for their upcoming visit to Hogsmeade Village.

Harry could only listen.

"Don't feel too disheartened, Harry. There's still the Halloween party," Ron tried to cheer Harry up, "Remember, that's happening on Halloween night."

The day the school scheduled for their visit to Hogsmeade coincided with the start of Halloween. That night promised to be a lively and festive Halloween celebration.

"Yeah, that does sound great," Harry perked up slightly, though a lingering sense of gloom persisted. He left the second half of his sentence unspoken.

"It would've been even better if I could go to Hogsmeade and attend the Halloween party!"

This discontent would haunt Harry until the Halloween party, which he hoped would help alleviate the regret of missing out on Hogsmeade.

...

"I really want to sign Harry's Hogsmeade permission form. As his godfather and guardian, I have every right," Sirius's disheveled head appeared in the green fireplace, having overheard Ciaran discussing Harry's request earlier.

"You'd better not," Ciaran advised. "If a wanted criminal openly signs the permission form, it'll cause quite a stir."

"I understand," Sirius nodded, aware of his precarious situation. Only Ciaran believed in his innocence; everyone else saw him as the traitor who betrayed the Potters. He dared not show his face in public.

"I do want to see Harry on Halloween, though. What do you think, Xia Ran?" Sirius asked eagerly, willing to give it a shot.

Rolling her eyes, Ciaran replied, "Forget it. Your wanted posters are everywhere. If Harry sees you, he'll likely draw his wand and challenge you to a duel."

"Most of the students and teachers will be out of Hogwarts that day. Besides, I know Hogwarts well. If there are no objections, I could just observe Harry from a distance without revealing myself," Sirius argued.

Naturally, Ciaran disagreed.