Big black dog?
Harry turned his head and, sure enough, saw a Big black dog running closely behind the shuttle bus not far away.
This wasn't the first time the three of them had seen this Big black dog; ever since late November, they would see him on the way to Hogsmeade New Town every time.
It was always like this: he would appear halfway, run with the shuttle bus for a while, and then completely leave before entering the New Town.
After so many times, it was hard not to notice him.
Since the three of them always rode the shuttle bus, they hadn't had any close contact with him so far.
As the shuttle bus continued forward, the Big black dog still followed closely.
The thick snow made his steps difficult, but he never gave up, always chasing the tracks of the vehicle.
Looking at the black shadow in the wind and snow, a wave of unease and heartache inexplicably rose in Harry's heart.
Why does he always appear here?
What exactly is he looking for?
In such cold weather, why is he still following the shuttle bus?
Suddenly, a strange impulse arose in Harry's heart; he wanted to get off the bus and see what was going on with this dog.
"Mr. Driver, please stop the car for a moment. I'd like to get off here."
"Student, we'll be in the New Town in two minutes. You won't get a refund if you get off here."
"It's okay, I'll get off here." Harry said without turning his head, staring at the Big black dog in the distance.
The shuttle bus stopped steadily, and as soon as the door opened, the three of them filed out.
A cold wind blew over, and Ron couldn't help but shiver violently.
"Oh my goodness, it's unbelievably cold," Ron complained, rubbing his hands for warmth, and then looked at Harry curiously, "Harry, why are you so concerned about that dog?"
Harry couldn't explain the strange feeling in his heart; he could only shake his head, his gaze still fixed on the Big black dog in the distance.
"I don't know, I just feel a sense of familiarity." As he spoke, he subconsciously waved at the black dog.
Ron rolled his eyes, his mouth twitching as he said, "Dude, don't bother. Stray dogs are usually very wary and won't approach people easily."
He gestured towards the dog's direction, "Let's not waste any more time. Let's hurry to Hogsmeade and get something to drink to warm up."
However, just as Ron finished speaking, the Big black dog suddenly wagged his tail and slowly trotted towards them.
Ron's eyes widened, looking at this unexpected scene in surprise.
"Ron," Hermione couldn't help but laugh, "It seems you were wrong this time. He's not afraid of people at all."
Harry's eyes lit up. Watching the dog run closer and closer, he suddenly felt an inexplicable urge. He couldn't wait to get closer to him.
However, when the Big black dog ran up to them, he ignored Harry and went straight past him, heading directly for Ron.
"Huh?" Ron took half a step back in surprise, but the Big black dog showed no hostility whatsoever. He just circled him, his tail wagging like a small fan, and his nose sniffing Ron all over, appearing extremely excited and affectionate.
Harry stood still, slightly stunned.
The sight before him made him feel a little disappointed. He had originally thought there was a special connection between him and this dog, but he didn't expect that it was Ron he truly liked.
"Hey, buddy, I didn't eat anything special!"
Ron looked at the black dog that had suddenly latched onto him, both amused and helpless, and gently pushed his head, but the dog continued to circle him, as if extremely interested in him.
"Harry, this dog seems more interested in Ron," Hermione said with a smile.
Harry could only smile helplessly. He didn't know that this overly friendly Big black dog in front of him was actually Sirius Black, whom he wanted to catch.
Ever since Sebastian drove him into the Forbidden Forest, Sirius had tried to sneak into Hogwarts countless times.
But each time ended in failure; as soon as he crossed the edge of the Forbidden Forest, two House-elves would appear and drive him back into the Forbidden Forest.
He hadn't thought of knocking out these troublesome little things with his wand, but these little things seemed to have been instructed by a master, and their positioning was very particular each time.
Sirius was not confident he could take down two House-elves at the same time.
In order not to alert the enemy, he could only give up the idea of sneaking into Hogwarts to catch the rat and instead wait outside the school.
As far as he knew, the youngest Weasley son was very fond of that rat and often carried it with him.
However, what made him frustrated was that the little guys nowadays were too lazy, even too lazy to walk.
Every time Harry and his friends left school, they would take the shuttle bus directly to Hogsmeade New Town, which made it impossible for Sirius to find an opportunity to approach the three of them.
After all, neither the Wizard form nor the Animagus black dog form was very welcome in Hogsmeade New Town.
So Sirius could only squat on the only road to Hogsmeade every weekend, and after seeing Harry and his friends appear, he would follow them to see if he could find any opportunities.
Merlin bless!
His actions finally attracted the attention of Harry and his friends, and now they even got off halfway and waved at him.
How exciting!
Sirius didn't bother to communicate much with Harry and went straight for Ron, wanting to use his keen sense of smell to find traces of the rat.
However, no matter how much he sniffed, he couldn't smell a trace of the rat.
None?
How could there be none!
Is it because Peter, that rat, doesn't want to come out because it's too cold?
But the smell on this little guy is too clean, as if he's never been in contact with a rat before.
Sirius circled Ron anxiously, and to outsiders, he certainly looked like he was fond of Ron.
"Ron, he really likes you," Harry couldn't help but say, "Do you want to consider taking him in as a pet?"
Take him in as a pet?
Sirius was stunned for a moment. He seemed to have heard this suggestion from Stinky Swan before, and he had been very tempted at the time.
But it's not too late now.
Thinking that after becoming Ron's pet, it would be easier for him to catch Peter, Sirius's tail wagged even faster, constantly rubbing against Ron's leg, putting on a fawning act.
Ron was very tempted by this suggestion.
Although this black dog was a little dirty now, he looked very majestic and extraordinary upon closer inspection.
Thinking of himself holding the black dog with his left hand and an owl with his right, Ron felt incredibly cool.
What's more, with this black dog around, Fred and George would definitely not dare to bully him anymore.
"But..." Ron's voice was full of hesitation, "Dogs aren't allowed in school."
"That is a problem," Hermione frowned, "To get a pet license, you need the Dean of the house to sign it. If Professor McGonagall doesn't agree, how can we get him a pet license?"
Hearing Professor McGonagall, Ron couldn't help but shrink his neck. After all, Professor McGonagall was known for her strictness, and she would definitely not agree to students keeping dogs at school.
Harry thought for a moment: "We can board him with Hagrid and ask Hagrid to take care of him. After all, Hagrid already has Fang, so keeping another dog shouldn't be a problem."
"We can get him a special pet license that limits his activity to the vicinity of Hagrid's hut."
"It's just that I don't know if Professor McGonagall will agree."
Hearing Harry's suggestion, Hermione's eyes lit up.
She also wanted Ron to take in this dog.
After all, the weather was really too cold, and if left unattended, she was worried that this dog wouldn't survive the winter.
"Harry, I have an idea."
"Getting a pet license requires the Dean's signature, but there's no rule that says we have to get Professor McGonagall's signature, right?"
"Why don't you go ask Professor Snape for help?"
"I think, for your sake, he will definitely be willing to help."
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