On the Hogwarts Express.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who hadn't seen each other for a holiday, gathered in a compartment, sharing their summer experiences.
Ron glanced towards the front of the train and said to Hermione and Harry, "Have you noticed? They added another carriage in front of the Prefects' carriage. It should be the Professors' carriage."
"I arrived a bit early and saw Remus Lupin go into that carriage. He caused quite a stir on the platform when he arrived; many student parents asked for his autograph."
"You should call him Professor Lupin, Ron," Hermione said, "It seems he's definitely the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Class Professor."
"What I mean is," Ron said mysteriously, "Professor Lupin was doing so well as a television star, why would he want to become a Professor?"
"And... he's a Werewolf. What was Headmaster Dumbledore thinking, letting him be a Professor? Isn't he afraid of student parents causing a fuss?"
"Ron," Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron, saying impatiently, "If you paid more attention to the news, you'd know that Wolfsbane Potion has been invented for a whole year now."
"As long as Werewolves take Wolfsbane Potion on time, they can work normally. I think Principal considered this point, which is why he let him teach Defense Against the Dark Arts Class."
"Besides, we all met Professor Lupin on Harry's birthday last year. He seems like a very gentle person."
"Of course I know Professor Lupin is very gentle," Ron scratched his head, "I just feel that the Wizarding World has a lot of prejudice against Werewolves, and many student parents will complain about him teaching at Hogwarts."
"He finally accumulated a good reputation through television dramas. If some student parents cause trouble, his reputation will be ruined."
"No matter how you look at it, him teaching at Hogwarts isn't a very good choice."
Harry gently shook his head: "On my birthday this year, Professor Lupin told me that he had accepted Headmaster Dumbledore's request last year, so he specifically turned down all filming plans."
"He actually sacrificed a lot; after all, making television earns much more money than being a Professor."
"By the way, Harry," Hermione asked with curiosity, "Did you have a good birthday this year? What kind of special training did you do during the summer holiday?"
"My birthday was pretty good, thank you for your gifts. As for special training, at the beginning of the holiday, Professor Snape was teaching me how to brew Baruffio's Brain Elixir."
Before Harry finished speaking, Hermione shrieked, "Baruffio's Brain Elixir?!"
"I read in a book that it's a very advanced Potion that can improve a person's memory, but the brewing process is extremely difficult."
"It is said that only a Potion Master can brew this Potion."
"You're already learning Baruffio's Brain Elixir; oh my goodness, I'm so far behind you in Potion."
"I haven't perfectly succeeded yet," Harry waved his hands repeatedly, looking humble, "However, my Potion brewing skills have improved quite a lot."
"I can teach you the techniques I learned."
"The Baruffio's Brain Elixir brewed by Professor Snape was perfect. After drinking one dose of the Potion, my memory did improve quite a bit."
"Improve memory?" Ron's curiosity exploded. He looked at Harry, his face full of envy.
"Seriously, Harry, I've always suspected you and Professor Snape have some special relationship, otherwise why would he be so good to you?"
That's a Potion that can improve memory!
If possible, he'd really like to drink a dose too.
"Quick, tell me, what does it feel like after your memory improves?"
"It feels like, remembering things is indeed much faster. I can completely remember those complex Potion recipes after reading them twice."
"Of course, this Potion also has some side effects." Harry's expression gradually darkened.
The rain outside the window suddenly grew heavier. The car window was covered by rain, becoming hazy, just like Harry's mood.
"Things I don't want to remember also appear in my mind from time to time."
"For example, Sirius Black's wanted poster."
"Sirius?" Hermione's face was full of worry, "Harry, you said in your letter that Sirius was after you. What exactly happened? Can you tell me in detail?"
"He betrayed my parents, defected to You-Know-Who, and now he's out to kill me to curry favor with his master."
Hermione's face instantly became solemn, her brows tightly furrowed: "Harry, this is no small matter. You must be very careful. If you ask me, you'd best not even go to Hogsmeade until he's caught."
"I'm not afraid of him; I'd love for him to come find me," Harry said bitterly, "Professor Snape taught me a particularly powerful spell. I practiced desperately this summer just to catch him."
Ron gave a confident smile, patting Harry's shoulder and saying, "I support you. I believe you can definitely defeat him."
Hermione quickly interrupted Ron's optimism, her voice stern: "Ron, don't be foolish! Sirius Black is not an enemy that underage Wizard like us can deal with."
"Even the Muggle world is reporting his escape from prison, which is enough to show how dangerous he is."
"It's definitely not letting Harry fight alone," Ron argued, "We two will help him. If we encounter Sirius Black, the three of us will go together. Maybe we can directly knock Sirius Black down."
"You know, Harry has always received special training from Professor Swan. His strength is not comparable to ordinary students, and with the two of us assisting, Sirius Black definitely won't have a good time."
"At that time, we'll catch him and exchange him for a bounty from the Ministry of Magic. Wouldn't that be perfect?"
Hermione glared at Ron in dissatisfaction, as if glaring at an idiot.
Ron seemed oblivious to Hermione's gaze, lifting Harry's arm and saying to Hermione, "Harry is fully equipped. Look at his sleeve; even the buttons on it are protective items."
"Besides that, Harry also has many different alchemy protective items, such as a Basilisk skin vest that can resist most magic spells."
"I dare say, with this set of protective gear, even if he stood there and let Sirius Black hit him, it would take Black half a day."
"There's an old saying in the Wizarding World: Galleon is combat power."
As they argued, the train began to slow down. The sound of the wheels gradually disappeared, and the wind and rain hitting the windows became irritatingly loud.
Suddenly, the train stopped abruptly, and the sound of luggage falling from racks could be heard in the distance.
Immediately after, all the lights went out, and the compartment plunged into complete darkness.
Accompanied by a black shadow flying past the window, the rain on the window began to freeze, and the temperature in the compartment dropped sharply.
"Something's wrong, everyone be careful!" Harry felt a pang in his heart. He vigilantly drew his wand, dispelling the darkness in the compartment with Incendio.
"Get out your wands. I'll go see what happened."
Just then, the compartment's sliding door slowly opened, and a figure completely shrouded in a black cloak stood outside the door.
Seeing Harry standing, the figure began to inhale towards him.
In an instant, a bone-chilling cold swept over him, as if penetrating his skin and freezing his heart.
Enemy!
Must fight back!
Long-term training made Harry instinctively raise his wand.
He didn't hesitate, using the most powerful spell he had learned so far.
"Sectumsempra!"
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