Heavy snow fell across the grounds. Everything lay beneath a blanket of silver and white. Deep footprints extended in the opposite direction from the retreating crowd, cutting through the thick snow toward the village's outskirts.
Ethan and the three students moved deliberately against the flow, pursuing the Aurors and the hovering Dementors overhead, heading straight for the Shrieking Shack.
Until they crossed the wooden fence, a pitch-black building appeared before them—the notorious Shrieking Shack, decrepit and foreboding.
"I heard the Shrieking Shack is the most haunted building in Britain! They say screams come from it all the time!" Ron said excitedly.
Distracted by the adventure, he temporarily forgot about rat Scabbers. Hermione pointed urgently. "Look! All those Aurors surround the Shrieking Shack! Sirius must be nearby!"
"We can't let the Aurors see us, or we won't be able to explain anything!" She blinked expectantly at Ethan—the only one present who could cast invisibility charms effectively.
Moments later, their footprints mysteriously vanished in the snow. Ethan spoke with complete seriousness. "Actually, I could simply release Cerberus—then the Aurors wouldn't care about Sirius Black at all."
"Oh, my dear Ethan, I don't want to enter Azkaban this early," Hermione said sweetly, shooting him a meaningful look.
Approaching the Shrieking Shack, the three students barely dared breathe—anxious about Aurors discovering them and nervous about Sirius suddenly emerging from the darkness. This contrasted sharply with Ethan's calm demeanor, his hands relaxed in his pockets as he leisurely observed every detail of their surroundings.
The nearby Aurors were discussing heatedly: "This Shack really is odd. Doors and windows are completely boarded and warded. Can't enter from outside... Do you think Sirius used secret passages?"
Suddenly, they shouted in alarm: "Who's there?!" The golden shrike flew out dramatically—its wings gleaming magnificently in the weak winter sunlight.
The Aurors relaxed visibly, laughing with relief. "Just a bird—scared us half to death... Seeing a golden bird means good luck today."
They didn't notice the group crouched behind nearby snow-covered bushes. Ethan held his breath, watching the shrike fly directly into the Shrieking Shack. Simultaneously, he detected familiar magical signatures moving inside the house—multiple presences converging.
The Shrieking Shack again. The center of all confusion among various forces in the original timeline. Now everything converges here, trying to forcefully 'conclude' things?
But unfortunately, I won't let mere fate constrain me.
Since the exterior was completely sealed against magical intrusion, Ethan simply opened a door directly through the wall, avoiding the watchful Aurors entirely. The four tumbled inside smoothly, like dumplings sliding into a pot.
Ethan squeezed in the middle, sighing dramatically. "Four people is too cramped in invisibility—I'm interfering with you all." The three quietly climbed up, maintaining slightly greater distance than before.
Suddenly, Ethan paused, his cobalt eyes fixed on the empty space behind them where a faint shadow seemed to follow. His lips slowly curved upward. A tail followed us...
Auror Dawlish hadn't been in good mental condition lately. As the Auror assigned to Hogwarts, he initially held grand ambitions of capturing Sirius quickly and earning Fudge's praise. But months passed—nearly Christmas now—without finding any trace of the escaped prisoner.
Following Fudge's orders, Dawlish had tracked Ethan relentlessly, trying desperately to dig up evidence of wrongdoing. His first attempt ended with him regaining consciousness inside a toilet. The second time, he watched Ethan enter a black door that shouldn't exist, only to get smashed directly into the hospital wing by the Whomping Willow's violent response.
Ethan, Ethan, Ethan!!!
This name haunted his dreams like a curse, causing endless suffering and frustration. That cursed brat dared mock a Ministry Auror! Just wait—I'll catch evidence of you doing something wrong and destroy you!
Gritting his teeth, with dark circles under his eyes and gaunt features from stress, Dawlish stood among colleagues discussing Sirius's whereabouts when his gaze suddenly froze. There—on a distant wall—a pitch-black door identical to the ones Ethan had created.
Dawlish's heart stopped momentarily. Did that brat come here? Such perfect timing with Sirius appearing? Unable to resist the opportunity, he approached the black doorway and stepped inside.
Ethan's group removed the invisibility charms and cautiously explored the chaotic interior. Peeling wallpaper bore vicious scratches, overturned broken furniture lay scattered everywhere—as if ravaged by massive, violent predators.
Hermione frowned deeply. "This doesn't look like typical poltergeist damage..."
"Werewolf," Ethan said flatly.
"Ha—Hogwarts doesn't have werewolves—" Hermione started confidently, then noticed Harry's expression and stopped mid-sentence.
Harry remained silent, knowing better than anyone that Hogwarts not only had a werewolf but one who taught Defense Against the Dark Arts classes.
Ethan searched methodically for the golden shrike's location, then suddenly sensed familiar magical responses ahead. He turned toward the consuming darkness—
"Expelliarmus!"
A hoarse growl erupted! The three students' wands flew spinning through the air, landing in the hand of a figure emerging from darkness—Sirius Black's gaunt, scarred hand.
Ethan remained perfectly calm, his wand still held steadily. He looked directly at Sirius's revealed form. The prisoner briefly met Ethan's eyes before determinedly shifting his gaze to Ron's body, desperately searching for Scabbers—the rat he'd pursued relentlessly.
The death of his closest friend James, had tortured Sirius daily for years. Sirius grinned wickedly, revealing his fangs; his eyes were wild with madness and burning hatred. He spoke slowly, his voice carrying genuine menace:
"Didn't expect meeting you... But convenient, saving me the trouble of searching."
"People imprisoned me for murder..." His laugh was terrifying. "Now I'll commit it."