Chapter 123 Times Of Hardship

For the first time, Harry learned that Black used to be his father's best friend when he was alive.

So far, Dumbledore, Hagrid, Mr. Weasley, Cornelius Fudge... none of them ever mentioned the fact that Harry's parents had died because their best friend betrayed them.

Harry felt a surge of anger at the thought that his parents probably never believed until the end that it was indeed their best friend who betrayed them.

He tried to imagine how they must have felt. If ever Evan, Ron, or Hermione were to betray him with Voldemort, that would be the saddest way to die.

He felt distressed and shattered, wondering if his father had felt the same before dying.

He spent the rest of the afternoon in his empty room. He found the photo album that Hagrid had given him two years ago, filled with images of his mother and father as wizards. He sat on his bed, drew the curtains around him, and started flipping through the pages, searching, until...

He paused at a photo of his parents' wedding day. There was his father, beaming, with the messy black hair that Harry had inherited, sticking out in all directions. There was his mother, brimming with happiness, linked arm in arm with his dad. And there... that must be him. His godfather... Harry had never thought about it before.

If he hadn't known it was the same person, he would have never guessed it was Black in that old photograph. His face was not sunken and waxy, but handsome, filled with laughter.

Harry couldn't help but wonder if he was already working for Voldemort when that photo was taken. Was he already planning the deaths of the two people by his side? Did he realize he was facing twelve years in Azkaban, twelve years that would make him unrecognizable?

But those Dementors didn't affect him. Harry tried to etch the handsome smile from the photo into his mind.

Immediately after, he turned the page. He saw a photo of his father's graduation. There were four people in it.

Besides his father, a young Professor Lupin, and Black, who still had that smile on his face, there was a small, chubby, timid-looking boy hiding behind them. He somewhat resembled Neville Longbottom.

It must have been Peter Pettigrew, the wizard who was killed by Black.

Professor Lupin told him that after his father's death, only Peter Pettigrew followed Black everywhere. He wanted to avenge Harry's parents, but he was no match for Sirius. He paid the price with his life. After killing Harry's parents, he went on to kill Peter.

"Foul and loathsome traitor!" Harry clenched his fist.

A hatred unlike anything he had ever felt coursed through Harry like venom. He could see Black laughing at him through the darkness, as if someone had pasted the photo from the album over his eyes.

He watched, as if someone was showing him a movie, Sirius Black tearing Peter Pettigrew apart into pieces. He could hear a low, excited murmur. "It has happened, My Lord... the Potters have named me their Secret-Keeper," and then another voice arrived, laughing shrilly.

It was when the Dementors approached, he heard that laughter for the first time, Voldemort's laughter!

Harry knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to find Sirius Black. He wanted to avenge Peter Pettigrew and his parents.

Although Professor Lupin repeatedly warned him not to seek Black and promised that he wouldn't, the thought of Black's impunity made him almost sick to sit there and do nothing.

Harry made his decision secretly at that moment. But then, suddenly, he heard a loud noise coming from outside the Great Hall.

In a few moments, pale-faced people rushed in.

All were students who had just returned from Hogsmeade. They entered one by one, their faces devoid of the usual joy that accompanies their return from there. The expression on their faces made it clear that something terrible had happened.

Harry felt his heart in his throat. Could it be that Sirius Black had appeared in Hogsmeade?!

He saw Neville panting in front of him, his face contorted, a large scarf askew around his neck, a few bags of Honeydukes candies in hand, and even his cloak that he hadn't had time to take off. Harry quickly took hold of his shoulders.

"What happened?" Harry asked eagerly.

"It was a werewolf!" gasped Neville, trembling, and said, "There was a werewolf in Hogsmeade, and it attacked Evan and Hermione."

"What?!" Harry's heart sank to his stomach. Evan and Hermione faced a werewolf? He couldn't imagine what had happened next.

"How are they?" Harry looked into Neville's eyes. "Did something happen to them?"

"I don't know, Harry!" Neville was almost breathless. "I was in the hallway just now and saw the professors running with both of them towards the school infirmary. Hermione was still crying, but she seemed okay. But Evan was unconscious in Hagrid's arms. His robe was stained with blood."

Upon hearing Neville's words, Harry felt a chill throughout his body.

He no longer had time to think about Black. He should go to the school infirmary to check on Evan.

"Although Evan is very powerful, it is impossible for an underage wizard to defeat a werewolf. I hope his injuries are not severe."

As soon as Harry stood up, he saw the huge figure of Hagrid bursting into the Great Hall.

Hagrid's face was full of tears. Since receiving the letter from the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, telling him that Buckbeak could be executed, Harry had never seen Hagrid so sad.

He shouted his name and tried to reach him to ask about Evan and Hermione. But in vain, the whole Hall was in such disarray. Everyone was talking loudly about the werewolf attack in Hogsmeade.

Hagrid hurried towards the teachers' table and spoke with Dumbledore, who quickly got up and left. Everyone looked at him, expecting him to have some words to explain the current situation.

But he did not. Dumbledore only whispered a few words to Percy as he passed by. He then followed Hagrid and hastily left the Great Hall. It seemed he was headed towards the school infirmary.

"Silence!" When Dumbledore and Hagrid left, Percy immediately shouted. "As Head Boy, I can ensure the safety of everyone. Please believe me; no monster can enter the castle."

No one paid attention to him, and the chaos continued.

Suddenly, everyone noticed that there were no teachers in the Great Hall that night, and the Headmaster had followed Hagrid. Professor Sprout had gone home early to attend to some family matters. Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, Snape, and Lupin were not there. It was as if they had agreed to this beforehand. They had all disappeared.

With no teachers to maintain order, the heated discussions in the Great Hall were louder than ever. Percy could do nothing to control the scene.

However, a few minutes later, something happened. It immediately calmed them all, and everyone fell silent.