Harry Potter: I started checking in from Diagon Alley

Fudge arrived at Hogwarts early this morning with a group of Aurors, and then made an excuse not to leave.

Although Eric didn't want to see him, he stubbornly stayed in the castle.

No matter how much Professor McGonagall urged him, Fudge showed no intention of leaving. His excuse for staying was rather lame: he claimed that he wanted to stay and guide the Aurors in their work so that he could conduct a renewed search of Hogwarts.

Professor McGonagall had no choice but to prepare a temporary room for Fudge inside the castle for him to rest in.

“Alright, let’s go settle this matter,” Eric said with a smile.

After Eric finished speaking, Lupin and Sirius turned around in perfect unison, vanished from their spot with a snap, and Apparated away to their respective positions.

Eric, meanwhile, strolled toward the other side of the Forbidden Forest, toward Ron and Hagrid.

Before leaving, Lupin didn't forget to tie Tooth to a tree nearby. After drinking a potion, Tooth instantly fainted and fell asleep.

……

A few minutes later.

"Blake!? You traitor!"

A roar suddenly erupted from the once quiet forbidden forest, startling a flock of birds into flight.

Hagrid's face was flushed red with anger.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

The traitor Sirius Black was right in front of him right now.

The Centaurs' intelligence was accurate; there was indeed someone causing trouble in the Forbidden Forest, but Hagrid had no idea that this person would be Sirius Black.

More than a decade ago, on the night Harry's parents died, it was Hagrid who saw Sirius for the last time.

At the time, Hagrid had no idea that Sirius would later do such a thing; it was just a brief farewell.

Hagrid had regretted countless times why he hadn't stopped Sirius back then.

Unexpectedly, the two met again in the Forbidden Forest.

Sirius looked bewildered; clearly, he wasn't prepared to encounter patrols here.

Hagrid roared, a surge of anger rushing to his head. He reached behind him, grabbed the crossbow he always carried, and strode towards Sirius.

As a half-giant, Hagrid always trusted his weapon more than his wand.

Ron, pale-faced, cried out urgently, "Hagrid! No!"

However, Hagrid couldn't hear what Ron was saying at all.

To prevent Sirius from Apparating away, Hagrid fired a crossbow bolt at Sirius's location while running, a move that was exceptionally ruthless.

Sirius Black turned his head and barely dodged Hagrid's attack. He already had his wand in his hand and cast a spell at Hagrid's feet.

The branches and vines beneath Hagrid's feet rose rapidly and wrapped around his ankles.

Hagrid completely ignored this spell, which, according to common sense, could trap several adult wizards.

Enraged, Hagrid unleashed a terrifying burst of power, tearing the vines apart with a single, forceful movement.

Sirius bought himself precious time and turned to run.

Hagrid, of course, refused to let him go, and roared as he followed Sirius Black.

"Hagrid!" Ron shouted, but no one paid him any attention.

Hagrid and Sirius Black ran and chased each other, quickly disappearing from Ron's sight.

As Sirius and Hagrid ran off into the distance, Ron's face turned extremely grim.

Those two were too fast; even if he wanted to catch up, he couldn't.

Moreover, Ron only now realized that he had suddenly found himself isolated and helpless.

Now, all the creatures here, besides him, are the rats in his school uniform pockets.

He and Hagrid had ventured deep into the Forbidden Forest, where the terrain was incredibly complex and all looked the same. Without Hagrid's guidance, Ron wouldn't even know the way back.

Sirius's appearance made even the usually carefree Ron realize the seriousness of the problem.

Hagrid has already gone with Sirius, and as the only one who knows the truth, he must return to the castle immediately to deliver the message.

Given his abilities, he certainly couldn't be of much help to Haig at this point.

But the problem is, how do we get back?

Ron looked around, his mind filled with confusion.

Then he suddenly remembered that Hagrid had said that if there was danger, he should shoot red sparks into the sky.

Oh, and Eric is still in the Forbidden Forest!

Eric is powerful enough not to let him get into danger.

Even if Eric didn't notice his signal, there were centaur tribes in the Forbidden Forest who would likely be willing to escort Ron back to the castle.

Having made up his mind, Ron took out his wand and shot a beam of red sparks into the sky, then began to wait quietly.

Not long after, he heard footsteps nearby, and a familiar voice.

"Ron? Are you there?"

Ron responded with delight, "Eric! I'm here!"

A figure emerged from the woods, and Ron was almost moved to tears upon seeing Eric.

Unexpectedly, Eric received the signal as soon as he issued the warning.

Ron said urgently, "Eric! Black has appeared in the Forbidden Forest, and Hagrid has already gone after him. We need to go back and inform the other professors!"

Eric held out a hand to reassure Ron and said with a smile, "I know, don't rush, Ron, I still have some things to take care of."

"Hmm? What is it?" Ron asked.

Eric said, "Give me Scabbers first, Ron, if you'd like."

"Huh?" Ron asked, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Eric patiently repeated, "Give me Smack, and I'll explain later, but if you don't do it now, I can only apologize in advance."

Ron was taken aback; only then did he notice that Eric was holding a wand.

Moreover, Eric appeared just as he sent the signal, which seemed a bit too fast.

Ron's face turned deathly pale, and he said in a trembling voice, "What exactly do you want? Eric! Why are you bringing up Scabbers with me now?"

Ron, with his vivid imagination, asked, "Could it be... that you're actually Blake's accomplice? He's infiltrated the castle multiple times because you were helping him behind the scenes?"

Eric ignored Ron.

Ron was completely unresponsive, so Eric didn't bother trying to reason with him. Instead, he reached out to Ron with a smile and said, "Banban, come here. I know you can hear me. Your friends have come to save you."

Gregory's Flattery: Gain your most loyal friends!

In the school infirmary, the Gregory flattery that Eric personally fed to Peter took effect.

In Peter's eyes, Eric, who appeared before him at this moment, was his best friend.

Ron, on the other hand, was just a troublesome brat.

Ron was horrified to discover that, as Eric spoke, Scabbers actually crawled out of his pocket and scrambled toward Eric on all fours!

Chapter 134 Potion Reactor

Ron simply couldn't understand what Eric was saying.

After saying just one sentence, Banban actually obeyed and moved closer to Eric.

Ron shuddered; Eric's face now seemed utterly terrifying to him.

Eric's voice sounded ghostly and seductive.

At least that's how Banban sees it.

Ron grabbed Scabbers in his hand, his face contorted, and yelled, "What are you doing! Eric! Awooo!"

Scabbard, who was being held in Ron's hand, opened its mouth wide and bit Ron hard. Ron felt the pain and quickly shook off its grip.

Having broken free from Ron's control, Scabbers quickly crawled toward Eric.

Ron could only watch helplessly as Eric took Scabbers in his hand.

Eric waved his wand, and a branch suddenly extended from a tree next to Ron, restraining Ron's hands and pulling him up sharply, suspending him in the air.

Ron exclaimed, "Eric! What are you doing?"

Eric didn't answer him, but easily stepped forward, picked up Ron's wand that had fallen to the ground, and waved it again.

Several thin branches extended from the branches binding Ron, blocking his eyes and ears from both sides.

Ron began to struggle frantically.

Unfortunately, he no longer had a wand, and with the strength of a third-year student, he clearly couldn't break free from Eric's magic.

Ron was gradually shielded from all his senses, quietly feeling his world descend into darkness.

Before his ears were completely plugged, Ron heard Eric say, "Sorry, Ron."

Then Ron could neither hear nor see anything.

Eric, holding Banban in his hand, looked up at the sky and muttered to himself, "They should be here soon."

After saying that, Eric timed it, placed Scabbers on the ground, pointed his wand at it, and whispered a spell.

This is a spell I learned from Sirius and Lupin, used to counter the Animagus spell.

The next moment, the originally thin mouse's body suddenly began to swell up, and within a few seconds it transformed into a middle-aged wizard with a lewd appearance and an ugly expression.

It was Peter Pedirou.

Peter, now revealing his true colors, seemed to regain some of his senses, remaining in the position of a mouse crawling on the ground, his eyes darting around.

The effects of the Gregory's Flattery Potion are related to the mental strength of the person taking it. If one's willpower is exceptionally strong, it is possible to forcibly break free from the potion's effects.

In his rat form, Peter's willpower to resist was not entirely nonexistent, but it was practically zero.

Gregory's flattery is ineffective on animals and also ineffective on people with strong wills.