0176 Weird

Everything in the room was covered by an illusion magic, only a candlestick that was about to tumble from the wall was still emitting a dim but stable candlelight. The flickering light cast eerie shadows on the dusty furniture and the cracked walls. Bryan lifted the fur behind Crookshank's neck, fearing that his face would be ruined by the big cat's sharp claws.

"What are you doing here, Crookshanks, instead of staying with Hermione?" Bryan asked curiously, frowning.

When he heard this wizard who had met him once call out his and his master's names accurately, Crookshanks calmed down a bit. Looking around the gloomy room, he faced Bryan and tried to make an innocent look.

Meow meow– Crookshanks raised a front paw and gestured at Bryan twice, as if asking him a question.

"Are you asking me what I'm doing here?"

Bryan raised his eyebrows in surprise, impressed by the intelligence of this big yellow cat. He could tell that this cat was not an ordinary one, but he didn't know how much he could understand. After a brief hesitation, he put Crookshanks on the ground and shrugged his shoulders.

"I need a quiet place to do my magic research, as you can see, little guy, this place is very remote, no one bothers me. By the way, you haven't answered my question yet?"

Crookshanks moved his gaze away, raised his nose and sniffed around, then ran into the kitchen and jumped onto the counter with agility, meowing excitedly at an empty spot. He seemed to have found something interesting there.

"Sharp little guy–"

Bryan smiled warmly, he snapped his fingers, and then the space there faded away like a mirage, revealing a huge wooden cage that held several large rats. The rats squeaked in fear and tried to hide in the corners of the cage, but they couldn't escape Crookshanks hungry eyes.

"So–"

Bryan walked into the kitchen again, he chuckled softly and looked at Crookshanks who was lying on the cage with his two front paws, and turned his head anxiously and meowed impatiently. He wanted Bryan to open the cage and let him have a feast.

"You smelled the rats, so you came to find something to eat? Don't tell me you've wiped out all the rats in Hogwarts, and Ron's rat named Scabbers also fell into your stomach?"

Bryan teased playfully, knowing that Crookshanks had a history of chasing Ron's pet rat. Crookshanks blinked, lowered his head and avoided Bryan's gaze. 

"Alright," Bryan muttered, reaching into the cage and picking out the fattest field mouse, stuffing it into Crookshanks' mouth. He had raised these rats for his experiments, but he didn't mind sharing some with the cat.

"That's it, I have to go back to rest, you better hurry back to school."

Bryan said gently, patting Crookshanks' head. He was tired after a long time of research, and he wanted to sleep in his cozy bed. He also worried that Hermione would miss her cat, and that Crookshanks would get into trouble if he stayed here too long.

Crookshanks jumped off the counter, but he didn't leave right away, his eyes still pointed at the wooden cage, and after making a few whines, he ran to Bryan's feet and rubbed his head affectionately against his ankles.

This funny performance amused Bryan, he squatted down and gently rubbed Crookshanks' fluffy and soft ginger fur, and joked.

"Do you take this as a cafeteria, little guy–"

Crookshanks didn't make a sound, just looked at Bryan with longing and pleading eyes. He hoped that Bryan would let him come back again, and maybe give him more rats to eat.

Bryan scratched his itchy hair, pursed his lips and thought for a moment, he pushed the wooden cage on the kitchen counter into the dishes, and lowered his head and smiled warmly at Crookshanks.

"Okay, I'll leave the cage here. If you really can't find anything to eat, you can come here for a visit. But I suggest you better come when I'm here. When I leave, the warning spells around the house will work, and any living thing that comes in and out of here will alert me." 

Bryan warned, knowing that this place was not safe for anyone who didn't know the secrets. He had set up many protective wards and traps to prevent intruders from discovering his research, and he didn't want Crookshanks to get hurt by them. 

Meow– Crookshanks' eyes flashed, and he nodded his head under Bryan's gaze. 

'What a smart cat!' Bryan marveled at Crookshanks' cleverness again. He just casually mentioned it, and didn't expect a cat to understand him, but he didn't expect this cat to actually understand. 

"By the way–" Bryan suddenly whispered and instructed, "You better not lure Hermione and those adventurous little wizards here to explore–" 

Waving his wand to seal the door, he felt the cold mountain wind and the dazzling starlight that stung his eyes. He rubbed his sore eyes, and suddenly, a faint feeling of being watched came to his heart. 

"Who's there?" 

Bryan glared at a certain place down the hill, his eyes narrowed, and he shouted sharply. 

Under the clear moonlight, a black dog as big as a black bear sprang out like a bullet from behind a raised mound of earth half a mile away. His fur was shaggy and matted, and his eyes were glowing with a fierce light. As soon as he realized that he had been discovered, he turned and ran away without any hesitation, his speed was comparable to a cheetah. 

At the same time, Crookshanks, who had been staying peacefully in Bryan's arms, suddenly jumped to the ground, his yellow fur exploded, and he snarled at Bryan with his teeth and mouth, making a fierce gesture. 

Bryan scratched his suddenly itchy hair, and looked at Crookshanks strangely. "Did you make a good friend?" 

He joked, not understanding why the cat was acting so hostile. Crookshanks clamped his limbs on the ground like a guard dog, without any wavering, firmly blocking Bryan's front. Bryan shook his head and smiled, turned and walked towards the village, but after a few steps, he suddenly stopped, and looked at the direction where the big black dog escaped with doubt. 

"–Did I run into something weird?!"

More than a month had passed since Black's escape from the Ministry of Magic and the rumors of prophecy that the 'savior' Harry Potter might die had lost their market in Hogwarts, only Draco, who was still hanging around the castle with bandages all day, reminded the young wizards of the first week of school, Hagrid's disastrous Care of Magical Creatures lesson, where he had introduced a hippogriff named Buckbeak, who had injured Malfoy's arm, but this topic also quickly faded with the first Quidditch match of the new school year.

Meanwhile, the night was clear, under the supervision of Madam Hooch, the Gryffindor team members trained until almost ten o'clock, and then dragged their exhausted bodies back to the castle. They were preparing for their next match against Ravenclaw, and they wanted to improve their skills and teamwork. Harry, who was the seeker of the team, had flown very well, and had caught the snitch several times, earning the praise of his teammates and his captain, Oliver Wood. 

As expected, the Gryffindor common room was still lively at this time, and there were chattering discussions everywhere. 

"Can anyone tell me what happened?" 

The weather turned cold, and the fireplace welcomed them with warm flames. Harry walked to Hermione and Ron, who were lying on the wooden table next to the fireplace, completing the star track map of the astronomy class, and asked curiously. He wanted to know what they were talking about, and if there was any news that he had missed.

A minute later, Harry, who was very happy because of the very good training effect, collapsed on the chair, his face gloomy. He had learned that the reason why everyone was so excited was because they had received a notice from Professor McGonagall, that they could go to Hogsmeade for the weekend, if they had a signed permission form from their parents or guardians. This kind of interesting thing obviously had nothing to do with him whether Black was caught or not, since he knew that the Dursleys would never sign anything for him, and he didn't have any other relatives who could do it for him. 

Harry looked at the flickering flames with drooping eyelids, thinking listlessly. He wished that he could go to Hogsmeade with his friends, and see the magical shops and pubs, and have some fun. He felt that he was missing out on a lot of things, and that he was being treated unfairly. 

"Since the Ministry of Magic has found Black once," 

Hermione saw through Harry's thoughts, she pursed her lips and said, 

"then he will be caught soon, Harry, I dare say you will definitely be able to go with us next time." 

She tried to cheer him up, and to make him feel hopeful. 

"Next time who knows what will happen–" Ron glared unhappily at Hermione, "I think, Harry, you should go and ask McGonagall.....Ahem!... Professor McGonagall, she can't just let you, a third-year student, stay in the castle, right? And, if Black has any brains, he won't run to Hogsmeade and act rashly." 

He suggested eagerly, not agreeing with Hermione's cautious approach.

"Did you forget what Professor Lupin said, Ron?" 

Hermione argued, "Black is a madman, but since he can escape from Azkaban, it proves that he is a very cunning dark wizard. He will definitely choose a time that we think is impossible to attack Harry!"

However, Harry hesitated, because Ron and Hermione's words both made sense, he was not sure who to listen to. If it was in the second year, Harry thought he would most likely follow Ron's opinion, and try to sneak out of the castle and go to Hogsmeade, but some things he experienced during this period made him change a bit, Harry had to admit, Professor Watson's advice at the end of the summer vacation and Professor Lupin's warning before still made him a little cautious. 

'By the way, Professor Watson-' Harry blinked in surprise, his expression suddenly relaxed, Professor Watson told him that he would stay in Hogsmeade until Black was caught. 

Hogwarts was safe not because of the Dementors and those ancient magics and wards, but because Dumbledore was here, so by the same logic, Hogsmeade with Professor Watson must also be safe and nothing bad would happen right!?

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