As Wentworth and Dumbledore conversed, Lupin greeted Professor McGonagall before making his way to Snape's side, speaking softly:
"Severus, it's been a long time."
Snape turned his head away, completely ignoring Lupin.
Seeing this, Lupin didn't seem offended. Instead, he simply smiled and said:
"Thank you for the Wolfsbane Potion."
Only then did Snape turn back, his face expressionless as he replied:
"No need to thank me. Your excellent student has already paid enough Galleons."
Lupin glanced back at Wentworth, nodding with a smile before beginning, "Back when we were at school, we…"
However, before Lupin could finish his sentence, Snape coldly interrupted him:
"I have no interest in revisiting the past."
At Snape's words, Lupin merely sighed and nodded in resignation.
At that moment, Dumbledore turned back and gave the two of them a brief glance before signaling for everyone to depart.
Lupin walked into a narrow alley in Hogsmeade and, within moments, disappeared from sight.
Dumbledore led Wentworth toward Hogwarts, with Professor McGonagall and Snape following closely behind—subtly positioning themselves in a protective formation around Wentworth.
As seasoned witches and wizards, they instinctively took precautions, wary of any sudden attack on Wentworth should their guard slip even for a moment.
As they passed by the Hog's Head Inn, Wentworth cast a glance inside. The pub remained as lively as ever, with the usual rowdy crowd. The goblins from Gringotts, however, had long since slumped over their table, fast asleep.
Then, Wentworth locked eyes with a veiled witch sitting inside the pub. He gave a slight nod before following Dumbledore's steps out of Hogsmeade.
Moments later, figures began emerging from various hidden corners of Hogsmeade. It was unclear where they had been concealed, but they now gathered rapidly at the entrance of the Hog's Head.
From within the pub, several wizards stepped out. Among them, the veiled witch slowly removed her covering—revealing herself as Rosier.
Facing the gathered witches and wizards before her, Rosier spoke sharply:
"Seal off Hogsmeade immediately. No one is to leave! I want every witch and wizard in this village identified and accounted for. If anyone dares attempt escape—better to kill the wrong person than to let the right one slip away!"
At her command, the assembled wizards dispersed, spreading out across the village.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore, who had been leading Wentworth toward Hogwarts, suddenly halted, sensing something. He turned to look back toward Hogsmeade.
Seeing his reaction, both Snape and McGonagall exchanged puzzled glances before following Dumbledore's gaze. What they saw left them stunned.
A shimmering, translucent barrier had risen over Hogsmeade, enclosing the entire village.
McGonagall and Snape instinctively turned to Wentworth, only to find him staring at the scene with his mouth agape in surprise.
Dumbledore then spoke with a faint smile:
"Wentworth, don't you think this might be a bit excessive?"
Hearing this, Wentworth quickly wiped the corner of his mouth, dropping his shocked expression as he replied:
"Headmaster Dumbledore, this is merely a precaution. If anyone in their desperation tried to flee into Hogwarts, they might endanger my dear classmates. I would be heartbroken if anything were to happen to them."
Dumbledore merely nodded, neither approving nor objecting.
Professor McGonagall, however, voiced her concern: "Won't this attract the attention of the Aurors from the Ministry?"
This time, before Wentworth could respond, Dumbledore interjected:
"In recent years, several fugitive wizards have taken refuge in Hogsmeade. This may be an opportunity to clean up the village—for the safety of our students."
At this, McGonagall fell silent, though worry still clouded her face.
Meanwhile, chaos erupted within Hogsmeade. However, as Abernathy used the Sonorus Charm to declare that the Alliance was only hunting its enemies and had no intention of waging war on Hogsmeade, most of the village's residents ceased resisting. Realizing they were outmatched and that they weren't the primary targets, many chose to wait and observe.
The Alliance, for its part, maintained a certain restraint during their search. They neither damaged the village nor committed senseless killings.
Of course, not everyone submitted willingly. Some wizards chose to fight back.
Carrow and other Alliance members patrolled the village, swiftly reinforcing any location where resistance arose. They had no interest in negotiating.
Whenever the Alliance identified a suspicious individual, those who cooperated were "escorted" to Abernathy, where they were given a few drops of Veritaserum.
As for those who refused to comply, the approach was far more brutal—Cruciatus first, then Legilimency. Some of the more cautious Alliance wizards even followed up with the Imperius Curse.
Despite the sheer number of witches and wizards in Hogsmeade, they were disorganized and stood little chance against the well-coordinated Alliance.
Before long, the entire village had fallen under their control.
Yet, even after an exhaustive search well into the night, Rosier and her followers found nothing beyond a few dark wizards already wanted by the Ministry.
At the same time, just outside the village, the first wave of Ministry Aurors—led by Rufus Scrimgeour—had arrived.
However, due to the large-scale defensive magic the Alliance had cast around Hogsmeade in advance, the Aurors found themselves unable to enter for the time being.
Even so, with more Aurors arriving by the minute, it was only a matter of time before the Ministry broke through the barrier.
Realizing the situation, Rosier exchanged a glance with Abernathy. Left with no choice, they decided to withdraw.
As the Alliance began retreating in groups, the defensive magic surrounding Hogsmeade finally collapsed. Scrimgeour, leading his Aurors, stormed into the village—only to find that the Alliance had already vanished without a trace.
Soon after, Cornelius Fudge arrived, fashionably late as always. His first order of business? Instructing Scrimgeour to warn the residents of Hogsmeade:
"Tonight's events are to remain strictly confidential. Anyone caught leaking information—especially to the press—will be charged with spreading malicious rumors and sent straight to Azkaban!"
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