Who let this Dementor into Hogwarts!

Chapter 223: Fudge: You have to pay more attention to that Cohen...

But not long after, several people came in with the Three Broomsticks, and it was obvious that they were not students.

Professors McGonagall and Flitwick came in first, followed by Hagrid and a fat man.

"It's the Minister of Magic!" whispered Ron, pushing Harry under the table.

"Quick, the Invisibility Cloak—"

Hermione urged, then used magic to move the Christmas tree to better hide any movement from their side.

Although they were hiding, the four of them still curiously moved closer to the tree, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation between the professors and the minister.

"What brings you here?" asked Rosmerta, the Three Brooms' manager. "Minister, you haven't been here for ages."

"What else could it be..." Fudge looked around, "but Sirius Black. There are rumors that he has come to Hogsmeade - we all know what he wants."

"Did you know that the Dementors have raided my bar twice?" said Madam Rosmerta indignantly. "They've scared away all my customers. It's bad for business, Minister..."

"Rosmerta, dear, I don't like them either," said Fudge awkwardly. "Especially now, I suspect they might be a little disloyal..."

"Disloyal?" Rosmerta raised her eyebrows.

"Can they really have such a quality as 'loyalty'?" Professor Flitwick asked sharply.

"Of course - they are still willing to protect everyone from more terrible threats... We all know what Black is capable of - but it must be said that our communication with them is only at a very elementary level..." Fudge said meaningfully.

"I thought Dementors couldn't communicate..." said Hagrid uneasily.

"That's true for wizards," Fudge said, rubbing his fingers. "But considering your situation at Hogwarts... I have to remind you that you have to pay more attention to that Corn Norton..."

"What's Coin got to do with any of that?" asked Hagrid, puzzled. "I mean, he's always been a pretty good kid..."

"I can't explain this publicly, but I have to say that after discussing it with old Barty, it's very likely that someone helped Sirius Black escape from prison—those Dementors might..."

"Ridiculous, I don't think my students would encourage Dementors to help a murderer escape from prison." Professor McGonagall said sharply and defensively, "This is an unfounded and malicious accusation. Cohen is only thirteen years old - and he has a very fulfilling life -"

"That's right." Professor Flitwick nodded. "If prejudice can spread to a thirteen-year-old student - maybe I will be imprisoned for the goblin rebellion?"

"Ah - I... Well, I seem to have been to prison..." Hagrid also wanted to help Cohen clear his name, but suddenly remembered that he seemed to have been imprisoned in Azkaban fifty years ago because of the Chamber of Secrets incident - although he was released on Dumbledore's bail not long after.

"Of course I'm not accusing..." Fudge wiped the sweat from his forehead - he could still be a little arrogant towards other people, but he couldn't be arrogant at all towards the professors at Hogwarts because he was also a student of Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick.

The feeling of oppression from teachers is lifelong.

"Why is it related to Coin?" Ron turned his head and asked Hermione and Coin in a low voice, puzzled. "Are you also a fugitive?"

"Yes, yes. I took seven days off during the summer vacation to commit crimes and was thrown into Azkaban," Cohen read. "Oh my god, it was horrible, so I ran away, and took Sirius Black with me."

A dry laugh escaped the air beside him, as if Harry hadn't suppressed it. "It sounds like the Minister is completely unsure about Sirius Black's whereabouts," Hermione said, changing the subject. "I'm beginning to wonder if the Ministry can still catch him."

"But ridiculous things can happen, don't they?" Madam Rosmerta recalled. "Come to think of it, you know what? I still find it hard to believe that of all the people who would join You-Know-Who's forces, the one I least expected was Sirius Black... I mean, I still remember him at Hogwarts..."

"You only know the surface," Fudge said gruffly. "He's done far more horrible things than killing those Muggles."

"What could be more horrible than killing so many innocent people?" Rosmerta asked curiously.

"You said you remembered him at Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall said softly. "Do you remember who his best friend was?"

"Of course I do." Rosmerta smiled. "Never seen them apart, did you? The few times they were here—oh, they made me laugh, like a double act, Sirius Black and James Potter!"

"Bang!"

Cohen heard the sound of a cup falling behind him, and Harry didn't catch it - understandable, after all, it was really sad to hear that his father's friend had joined Voldemort.

If this happened to Edward and that "Ministry of Magic office worker", "Edward's best friend", and "infatuated senior customer" Arnold...

Cohen didn't seem to feel anything, maybe because he didn't worship his "father" as much as Harry did...

The professors talked one after another about the past of Sirius Black and James Potter. This topic always sounded beautiful - a past of close friends.

Until Fudge said the "truth" that would make Harry's heart stop.

"At that time, James and Lily listened to Dumbledore's suggestion and chose to use the Fidelius Charm to protect their home," said Fudge.

"How does the spell work?" asked Madam Rosmerta.

"A highly complex spell," Professor Flitwick explained. "It magically conceals a secret within the soul of a living person. The secret is hidden within the heart of a chosen person—the Secret-Keeper—so that it can never be discovered..."

"But James and Lily were still found by the mysterious man?" Rosmerta's face darkened.

"As long as the Secret-Keeper doesn't reveal it, You-Know-Who will never be able to find them in his lifetime." Professor Flitwick said sadly, "James chose Black. He told Dumbledore that Black would rather die than tell where they are. It's very safe."

"Dumbledore wasn't entirely comfortable with it," said Professor McGonagall. "I remember him offering to be the Potters' Secret-Keeper himself."

Unsurprisingly, the topic turned to "Sirius Black's horrific betrayal." To be honest, this suspicion was even more true than the truth.

Cohen felt that Sirius and James must have been up to mischief, and that was why they wanted to play a trick on Voldemort by secretly replacing the Secret-Keeper.

People are not always rational, such as Sirius and James who said "I have a plan", and Harry after listening to the conversation between the professors.

"I'm going to kill him."

After leaving the Three Broomsticks, Harry gritted his teeth and said,
"I want to avenge my parents."

(End of this chapter)