For Hogwarts Castle in September, the two-month-long quiet campus had finally ended its silence.
Returning students and new first-years brought back noise and youthful vitality.
For the students of Hogwarts this year, there were three main topics of discussion.
First, the changes in the former Head of House Slytherin, Potions Master, perennial occupant of the top spot on the Hogwarts Students' Most Hated Teachers list, Severus Snape, during this holiday, and the series of news he generated.
Most students had listened live to his speech during that trial, and many were willing to believe he was truly different from before.
But there were still a few students who felt that the Potions Master, who always wore a gloomy face and acted as if everyone owed him something, couldn't possibly change so completely.
Even if he was temporarily different, he would eventually revert to his old ways one day.
Second was the new Head of Slytherin House and Potions Master who replaced Severus after his departure, Horace Slughorn.
Many already knew he was a rather good-tempered, portly old man. Unlike the stereotypical, conservative Slytherin students, he didn't only value students' family backgrounds, and he still showed favoritism towards students who, despite poor origins, possessed exceptional talent and brilliance.
This meant the Gryffindor students, who had previously dreaded every Potions class, no longer had to worry about losing points inexplicably to some bat-like creature for stirring a potion one turn less.
Instead, it became rare in Potions class for Gryffindor students to receive generous praise and points from the Potions Master when they performed well.
This single change made everyone, whether they believed Severus had changed or not, agree that his act of bringing back such a normal Head of House and Potions Master was a very good thing!
Third, it concerned the students themselves.
Among this year's freshmen, two noticeable red-haired twins caused a huge commotion at the Sorting Ceremony, making the entire school remember their names on the very first day.
"George! No casting spells in the corridors! Mr. Filch has told me he's warned you many times, but you always manage to run away!"
Professor McGonagall's face was tense as she scolded the red-haired boy.
"And you've been at school for less than a month! Professor Flitwick shouldn't have taught you any proper spells yet! Waving your wands around will only cause damage!"
The boy spread his hands innocently.
"Professor, you've got the wrong person! The troublemaker Filch caught was George, but I'm Fred!"
By then, Professor McGonagall was already brandishing her wand.
"Gryffindor loses ten points! Don't play these games with me! I don't care if you're George or Fred, the mistakes you make are always together!"
Just as Professor McGonagall grabbed the collar of the boy, who could be either George or Fred, intending to drag him to Filch, the Hufflepuff house ghost, the Fat Friar, found her.
"Ah, Professor McGonagall, there you are. Dumbledore asked me to relay a message. He'd like you to come to the Headmaster's office when you have a moment. He has some matters to discuss with you."
While Professor McGonagall turned to speak with the Fat Friar, the red-haired boy seized the opportunity and scampered away.
Professor McGonagall didn't pursue him further. After all, whether it was George or Fred, they couldn't escape the school.
So, on this lesson-free morning, Professor McGonagall soon headed to the Headmaster's office.
When she arrived inside Dumbledore's office, she found it was already quite crowded!
"Severus?"
Upon seeing Severus and his companions, Professor McGonagall's eyes widened in surprise. She scanned the group.
She knew Remus and Harry, of course. Only Draco seemed unfamiliar, along with the unfamiliar black dog.
Since Severus rescued Nicolas Flamel in France, all traces of his whereabouts had vanished. Not just French reporters, but British newspapers too were speculating about where he had gone.
Severus had completely disappeared from public view for nearly a month, and now he suddenly appeared at Hogwarts!
"Good morning, Professor McGonagall," said Severus, who was eating some of Dumbledore's private stash of sweets.
Lupin also waved and greeted his old Head of House.
Harry, who had spent a couple of days at Hogwarts before, was somewhat familiar with this always stern professor.
As for Draco, of course, he didn't know her at all.
"I asked you to come because Severus was telling me about an experience he had outside. I thought you should hear it too, as you were their Head of House for four years and know them better than I do."
"Four people? Which four?" Professor McGonagall asked, frowning.
"The four Marauders."
Hearing this, Professor McGonagall was taken aback. She turned to look at Lupin, a significant fluctuation visible in her eyes.
"Those four... Those four now..."
Then, as if suddenly realizing something, her face turned rather grim.
"Is it about Sirius Black? Were Severus and the others found by Black, who escaped from prison, during their disappearance?"
Dumbledore nodded with a slight smile.
"You guessed correctly. They did meet Black. In fact, not only did they meet him, they brought him here. He's right in front of us now."
Professor McGonagall looked stunned. She scanned Severus, Lupin, and the two boys, Harry and Draco, once more. Finally, her gaze fixed sharply on the black dog!
Black didn't keep up the pretense any longer. The voice of the male announcer from Radio 3 sounded from his collar.
"Long time no see, Professor McGonagall."
Although she didn't understand why Sirius was maintaining the form of a dog and speaking through the collar, the situation itself made Professor McGonagall take a deep breath. She couldn't help but fire off a series of questions.
"What is going on? What exactly happened? Did you capture Black? And then turn him into a dog as punishment?"
"He's like you. Or rather, I only found out today that all three of the Marauders back then were like you, and they had all learned the highly difficult Transfiguration skill of Animagus."
Dumbledore remarked with feeling.
"They were indeed remarkably talented, and your teaching in Transfiguration was outstanding."
However, Professor McGonagall didn't show even a hint of a smile at Dumbledore's praise. Instead, her expression darkened.
"They learned to become Animagi illegally! They kept it secret and didn't register with the Ministry of Magic!"
Her sharp, angry, lioness-like gaze made both Lupin and the dog-formed Black avert their eyes guiltily, unable to meet her stare directly.
"No wonder! No wonder he could escape from Azkaban! No wonder so many Aurors searching day and night couldn't find a trace of him! So this is how my students use what I taught them! For criminal purposes!"
"I think you need to calm down a bit, Minerva," Dumbledore said softly. "The reason I called you here is so you can also understand the details of Sirius Black's crime. After Severus brought him back, he told me a rather astonishing story."
"Please, have a seat. Would you like a glass of lemon and honey soda? It always cheers me up when I'm feeling down."
Professor McGonagall sat down with a grim expression but declined Dumbledore's offer of lemon and honey soda, instead picking up a cup of tea to cool her temper.
Then, Dumbledore recounted to Professor McGonagall the story about Sirius that Severus had previously told him.
Professor McGonagall's expression changed as she listened: first surprise, then astonishment, and finally, it returned to anger.
"So Severus has used Veritaserum to verify that everything he said is true?" Professor McGonagall's eyes blazed with fury, her gaze fixed intently on the fidgeting Sirius on the floor.
This left Sirius feeling both frustrated and puzzled.
He had thought that upon hearing the truth, Professor McGonagall would be moved and remorseful, saying she had misunderstood him all along, leading to a touching reunion between teacher and student.
He never expected her to seem even angrier than before.
"That's correct, Professor McGonagall. I can indeed guarantee that the Veritaserum he took was absolutely effective," Severus said with a shrug.
Hearing Severus's confirmation, Professor McGonagall no longer held back. She launched into a furious tirade directed at Sirius.
"So you, for the sake of so-called guilt towards your friend, completely disregarded your godson who had lost his parents, and self-righteously hid in Azkaban for what you considered penance!"
"I have never seen anyone so selfish! Sirius Black! I always thought you and James Potter were the best of friends, but it turns out you never once thought of him! Never!"
Faced with Professor McGonagall's scolding and anger, Sirius, who had already been lectured by Severus face-to-face in Albania, could only hang his head in silence, unable to utter a single word in his defense.
"Alright, we are not here to determine who was right or wrong," Dumbledore said, attempting to soothe Professor McGonagall, though he clearly had no intention of letting Black off the hook entirely.
"I only hope you do not dwell on dreams and forget to live. Emotions are certainly important for wizards, but they are not our entirety."
Whether Sirius actually took these words to heart, of course, only he himself knew.
After explaining the matter concerning Sirius to Professor McGonagall, Dumbledore began to consider the problems they now faced.
"Through Veritaserum, we can certainly prove his innocence. However, the Ministry is not so straightforward. Testimony obtained through the use of Veritaserum without Ministry approval holds no legal weight in magical law."
As the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Dumbledore was clearly well-versed in the law.
"And given the habits of those officials, especially during this time when the Ministry's authority has been repeatedly challenged recently, without direct, concrete evidence that can be made public, they will have no motivation whatsoever to reopen this case."
Dumbledore's words caused a look of difficulty to appear on Lupin's face, and Harry also looked worried.
One wanted to clear his friend's name, while the other was concerned about his godfather and also wanted the truth about who betrayed his parents to come to light.
Sirius himself, however, said indifferently,
"Anyway, they can't catch me! There's no need to prove anything!"
"Do you want to hide for the rest of your life like this! To have Harry Potter never be able to tell anyone that he has a godfather!"
Professor McGonagall's reproachful tone made Sirius instinctively shrink back.
Even though he had been mischievous and unruly since his school days, his former Head of House still held a certain authority over him.
At this point, Severus interjected.
"Perhaps overturning the case isn't urgent right now. Who knows, an opportunity might present itself later?"
As he spoke, Dumbledore's gaze settled on him.
Severus didn't try to hide it. He smiled and blinked, and the perceptive Hogwarts Headmaster certainly noticed this.
"Very well, let's put that matter aside for now. As for the other issue you mentioned, about catching Gilderoy Lockhart stealing others' memories and then publishing books claiming those experiences as his own..."
Dumbledore relaxed into his chair and said to Severus,
"You want me to step in, to take him to the Ministry to turn himself in?"
Severus nodded.
"Yes. In Albania, he helped me with some things, and I promised him at the time that I wouldn't directly hand him over to the Aurors but would let him turn himself in. Having you involved in this matter might be better."
"That's certainly not a problem. As a member of the Wizengamot, I have a duty in such matters."
After discussing the key issues, they chatted for a while about the interesting experiences during their travels in France and Albania.
Then, Severus gave Lupin a look. Lupin understood immediately, stood up, and suggested to Sirius, Harry, and Draco that they go visit their old friend Hagrid at Hogwarts.
Professor McGonagall also left, as she had a fourth-year class to teach soon.
When only Severus and Dumbledore remained in the Headmaster's office, the atmosphere became somewhat somber. Even the portraits on the walls, who had been dozing, unconsciously slowed their breathing and pricked up their ears to listen carefully.
They all knew that the conversation between these two next would be of utmost importance.
"So, what kind of surprise have you brought me upon your return?" Dumbledore asked, an expectant expression on his face as he looked at Severus.
This time, Severus didn't take anything out. He simply said calmly,
"I've caught him."