Harry's Anger

Read up to 25 chapters ahead on Patreon - patreon.com/Dark_sym

-----

"You guys are here!"

The trio jumped, startled by the sudden voice behind them. They whirled around to find Neville, relief washing over them. But his following words sent a fresh wave of dread through them.

"Harry, Professor Ethan's looking for you!" Neville said.

They exchanged horrified glances.

"We know," Hermione managed.

After Neville left, the three quickly began to discuss.

"My God! Is Sirius coming for you?" Ron asked in horror.

"We have to find Dumbledore as soon as possible!" Hermione said anxiously, and the three set off for the headmaster's office.

It's a pity that Dumbledore wasn't in his office, and the gargoyle was guarding the headmaster's office door.

Even Harry, Ron, and Hermione searched through the names of all the candies they knew.

The dull gargoyle stubbornly said, "The password is wrong."

The three of them couldn't wait for Dumbledore, so they had to find another way to find other professors.

Finally, the three found Professor Lupin in the corridor.

Harry and Ron's eyes lit up, and they hurried to Professor Lupin.

Hermione glanced at Lupin hesitantly but finally gritted her teeth and ran towards Lupin.

The three of them explained to Lupin what was happening now, and Lupin was stunned momentarily.

In the end, Lupin finally got the whole picture from the fragmented expressions of the three people.

"Miss Granger, you are so smart," Lupin sighed, squinting at Hermione.

"Professor Lupin, can you take us to Professor Dumbledore?" Harry asked nervously.

"Dumbledore is not here at Hogwarts," Lupin said slowly, "but I can handle this, come with me."

"We're going there? Professor Lupin?" Ron asked hastily.

"To Ethan's office."

After Lupin said that, he strode towards Ethan's office.

Meanwhile, in Ethan's office, Sirius repeatedly smoothed the folds of the burgundy velvet suit Ethan had provided. The suit hung well on his gaunt frame, but nervous energy thrummed beneath the surface.

He'd been released from Azkaban, his health restored, and Ethan verified his identity. Now, he wanted to make an excellent first impression on his godson.

Sirius straightened the picture frame on Ethan's desk for the tenth time.

"What do you think, Ethan?" he asked for the umpteenth time, his voice trembling slightly.

"You look fine, Sirius," Ethan sighed, his patience wearing thin. Sirius had been asking the same question for hours.

"Right, right. So, what should I say first?" Sirius muttered, practicing a smile in the reflection of the tea tray.

Ethan groaned. "Just say 'hello,' Sirius. It's not complicated."

"Hello," Sirius muttered, then snapped back to Ethan.

"Right! But then what? Second sentence?"

"Something about being glad to finally see him," Ethan suggested, stifling another sigh.

"Glad to finally see you, Harry!" Sirius repeated a note of manic excitement in his voice. "What about the third sentence?"

"Just introduce yourself! For Merlin's beard, Sirius—" Ethan began but was cut off by Sirius.

"Introduce myself, of course!" Sirius exclaimed, oblivious to Ethan's exasperation.

"But how do I make it dramatic?"

Ethan reached his breaking point.

"Just don't cast a life-threatening curse; that would be fantastic!" he snapped.

"Honestly, Sirius, you're giving me a migraine."

Sirius glanced nervously at the door, and without Ethan reminding him, he rushed behind the curtain.

Ethan had the idea because he feared Harry would see Sirius when he opened the door.

A knot of apprehension tightened in Harry's stomach as they reached Ethan's office. He, Ron, and Hermione exchanged nervous glances, their wands clutched tightly in their sleeves. The last thing they needed was another "emergency," but the situation felt heavy with unspoken threats.

Professor Lupin rapped on the door, and with a deep breath, they entered. Unbeknownst to them, a lone figure emerged from the shadows in the nearby corridor. Snape, his customary sneer replaced by a twisted, almost gleeful expression, watched their movements with a predatory glint in his eyes. Years of humiliation were about to be avenged.

Inside the office, Ethan greeted them with a warm smile, starkly contrasting the turmoil within the students. Hermione, in particular, felt a wave of nausea wash over her.

Ethan, the source of her unwavering trust and security, now stood accused of betrayal. The very foundation of her world seemed to be crumbling.

Memories flooded her mind - Ethan's encouraging words, his unwavering support. The hero who saved her from the Dementors, the man she'd unknowingly come to hold a deep affection for. This couldn't be happening. It had to be a nightmare, a cruel hallucination.

But the sight of Sirius standing beside Ethan, their faces eerily similar, shattered the last vestiges of her hope. Fury battled with disbelief in Harry's chest. With his immense power, Ethan could have eliminated him at any time. Why risk exposure by harboring Sirius on campus?

A chilling thought wormed its way into his mind. Did his parents, like him, blindly trust Black? The image of Sirius's smiling face from the old photo album resurfaced, slowly morphing into Ethan's features. A wave of anger surged through Harry, threatening to spill over. He clenched his fists, the urge to lash out at the smiling traitor burning in his gut.