A day at Hogwarts.

Chapter 632 Is it her?

Just when Harry thought he could get away with it, Frank shook his head.

He said with certainty, "In fact, we did consider this direction at first, but the investigation showed that there was conclusive evidence from witnesses that Charles Smith was not in the UK at the time of the incident, and he had a perfect alibi."

Frank paused, his gaze sharpening as if it could pierce through to the heart, and said, "I heard that you once inadvertently revealed to someone that you knew the perpetrator was a woman?"

The atmosphere in the private room froze instantly, and the warmth of the relaxed chat vanished completely.

This is exactly what Harry regrets most: he accidentally let slip the perpetrator's gender, which instantly narrowed down the scope of the investigation.

He was anxiously thinking, and cold sweat was almost breaking out.

We can't let Hermione take the blame, no one would believe that. It's better to say that Charles did it after he turned into a girl.

Seeing his fluctuating expression, stammering, and nervous demeanor, Frank changed his approach, speaking in a gentler tone: "You should know her, right?"

His gaze was fixed intently on Harry's eyes.

Harry felt immense pressure. His lips moved, he hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded with great difficulty, which was considered his tacit agreement.

He cannot lie completely about this issue.

Frank then asked again, his tone steady but relentlessly pressing, "Do you see her often?"

Harry shook his head, answering faster this time because it was true: "Not common."

He did indeed only stay with Aunt Penny during the summer holidays; he rarely saw her at school.

Frank gradually came to a realization; this information was crucial.

This suggests that the other party is likely not a student or staff member of Hogwarts, but a witch from outside the school with extensive social connections, which greatly narrows down the scope of the investigation.

He leaned forward slightly, his tone becoming extremely sincere, even tinged with a hint of heaviness, and said, "Harry, you know that we and Snape can never stand together."

"I think you are well aware of this."

His voice carried a subtle, genuine emotion stemming from deep past trauma.

Harry nodded solemnly, his expression serious.

He knew all too well that it was Snape who leaked the prophecy to Voldemort, which directly led to the Longbottoms being tortured to madness by Bellatrix Lestrange and others. If Charles hadn't done everything he could to help them later, they would still be lying in the Permanent Curses Department of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries, living in a daze, barely remembering anyone—including their family.

He had also heard that, although Snape was now a member of the Order of the Phoenix, the Longbottoms almost avoided meeting him, fearing that they might lose their temper and start a fight during a meeting.

Harry himself was no different. If Ron and Hermione hadn't tried so hard to dissuade him and analyze the pros and cons before school started, he probably would have pulled out his wand and confronted Snape at the opening banquet.

Frank took a deep breath, his gaze honest and eager, and continued, "So, Harry, I really hope you can tell me who that person is, or give me some clues."

"This is not about assigning blame; on the contrary, it's about preventing the investigation from going astray and avoiding accidentally uncovering her, which could make things irreversible and put us in a passive position."

Frank carefully observed Harry's changing expressions and, seeing that he was still struggling, considerately added in a softer voice, "Of course, if you feel uncomfortable saying your name directly, you can give me a hint."

He worried that Harry might have made some unbreakable magical vow with the woman, making it impossible to reveal her name directly.

Harry fell into a long silence; the only sound in the box was their breathing.

He was torn between two conflicting thoughts: protect Aunt Petunia, or trust the old friend of his father who had a blood feud with Snape?

The case is currently being handled by the Longbottoms, which explains the slow and “friendly” progress of the investigation, leaving plenty of room for maneuver.

What if the Ministry of Magic's higher-ups lose patience, deem them inefficient, and replace the investigators? Will Petunia still be safe and sound then?

What will happen to the Dursleys?
For another reason, Harry would be happy to let his family take a vacation in Azkaban.

But this time, Snape's house was blown up, so it's different.

He looked up, his gaze fixed on Frank, and with a final, earnest look of certainty, asked, "You really... won't arrest her, no matter... who she is?"

Frank met his gaze and answered resolutely, each word clear and forceful: "I swear on the honor of the Longbottom family, I will never."

"My goal is to take control of the situation and protect those who might be involved, not to arrest people."

Harry hesitated for a moment, as if he had made a huge decision, then leaned forward and said in a very low voice, almost as a whisper, "I suspect... this... might have been done by... Dudley's... mother."

Frank was visibly taken aback; the name was quite unfamiliar to him.

He quickly searched his mind for the name "Dali," but couldn't come up with anything. It was clearly not a well-known family in the magical world.

However, with these two key pieces of information, that was enough for him.

He chatted with Harry for a while, deliberately talking about light topics to ease the tense atmosphere that had almost broken down.

Frank then hurriedly said goodbye and left the private room, eager to find out who this "Dali" and his mother really were. He pushed open the door of the private room with a heavy heart, walked into the corridor, his mind still rapidly processing the clues he had just gathered, wondering where to begin.

Just then, he bumped into a familiar figure—Sirius Black was striding towards him, his face bearing his usual slightly unruly and smug expression.

"Frank!" Sirius greeted him warmly. "Why are you all alone?"

"I had something to do today," Frank replied instinctively, then lowered his voice and asked, "Blake, you're just in time."

"Do you know a man named 'Dali' and his mother?"

He knew Blake had a wide circle of friends and might know this person.

Sirius's expression instantly became somewhat complicated, a mixture of disgust, helplessness, and a hint of speechlessness.

"Dullie?" He snorted, his tone filled with undisguised contempt. "That's Harry's Muggle aunt and uncle's precious son, Harry's cousin, a spoiled, fat little brat."

He paused, then continued, "As for the little rascal's mother, Petunia Dursley, she is Harry's aunt and Lily's older sister."

"Lily's sister?!" Frank exclaimed in shock, his face turning deathly pale as if struck by an invisible curse.

He had been to 3 Privet Drive and knew that Harry's aunt and uncle lived across the street, but he didn't know the names of their children.

Now, all his reasoning and speculations were completely overturned at this moment, and recombined in an even more astonishing and terrifying way.

Frank grabbed Sirius's arm with such force that Blake frowned.

"It's not convenient to talk here," Frank's voice was hoarse with urgency. "Go to your private room, now!"

We must talk!

Sirius was startled by Frank's violent reaction and pale face, and immediately realized that this was no ordinary situation.

He didn't ask any more questions, but simply nodded solemnly and turned to lead Frank quickly toward the Black family's private room at the Dancing Grass restaurant.

Upon entering the well-soundproofed box decorated with ancient Black family crests, Sirius Black immediately locked the door behind him and turned around anxiously, asking, "What's going on? Why are you asking about the Dursleys? Is this related to Harry?"

Frank took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, but the turmoil in his heart was still hard to quell.

He lowered his voice, almost whispering, "Black, the Snape case, Harry accidentally let it slip before, he knows who did it, and he implied that the perpetrator was a woman."

Sirius's heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition enveloped him.

He pressed anxiously, "Any other clues?"

Frank's gaze sharpened as he became engrossed in his reasoning, his voice trembling slightly with excitement: "Just now, right next door, Harry hinted to me personally—it was 'Dullie's mother' who did it!"

"Don't you understand yet?"

"Dullie's mother is Penny, and Penny is Lily Potter's older sister!"

He paused for a moment, then uttered a conclusion that shocked even himself: "Notice that Ha used 'hints'!"

"He cannot or is unable to say that name directly!"

Why did they blow up Snape's house?

"The motivation is too strong!"

"Is it possible that Lily Potter didn't actually die?!"

"Blowing up Snape's house was her way of taking revenge on the past!"

"And Harry knew she was still alive; he used his aunt's name as a cover to protect his mother!"

Blake froze on the spot as if struck by lightning, all color draining from his face.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out; his eyes were filled with extreme shock.

“You…you mean…” Blake’s voice was so dry he could barely speak, “Lily…?”

When the Potters met their end, Black was so eager to settle scores with Peter that he subconsciously assumed Lily had been murdered and didn't bother to check carefully.

He later went directly to Azkaban, while Frank went to St. Mungo's Hospital; neither of them attended the Potters' funeral.

For wizards, faking death is not a difficult task.

The private room fell into a deathly silence, broken only by the heavy breathing of the two men.

(End of this chapter)