As more and more incorrect possibilities were eliminated, Sirius grew increasingly tense.
He could not let this continue. Once every reasonable option had been crossed off, the boy would definitely realize something was wrong. He had to escape immediately!
Without hesitation, Sirius scribbled the word Goodbye in the dirt, swiftly turned around, and bolted, disappearing rapidly into the cover of darkness.
Cinder turned its head toward Maurise and let out an inquiring squawk.
'Should I chase him?'
Maurise shook his head gently. "Let him go. We still do not know his exact identity. It would not be wise to provoke him unnecessarily."
Cinder tilted its head, seemingly agreeing with its master's logic.
Tin remained crouched on the side, his feline brain still reeling in absolute confusion. Being a highly intelligent cat, he had more or less figured out the situation.
His newly recruited lackey... was a wizard? And that very same wizard had eaten his premium pet food! The man had practically wolfed it down, clearly savoring every bite.
Tin suddenly felt a profound sense of betrayal. The human heart was truly incomprehensible... No, wait, the dog's heart was truly incomprehensible.
Naturally, Maurise was completely unaware of his pet's inner turmoil. He was far more preoccupied with deducing the identity of the mysterious Animagus. He was genuinely curious.
The number of staff members at Hogwarts was neither large nor small. Since the man had confirmed he was a professor, the pool of suspects was significantly narrowed down. Eliminating the female professors, those whose physical statures did not match, and those who clearly lacked the skill to become an Animagus...
He mentally went through the entire roster and found that none of them fit the bill.
Then, Maurise suddenly smiled. He thought of a very specific, unique name: the escaped convict from Azkaban.
Thinking back carefully, he had never seen this massive black dog around the castle during his first two years. Such a conspicuous animal could not possibly have lived here the whole time without leaving a single trace. Therefore, it had to be a stray that had only arrived recently.
Furthermore, during Halloween, the Fat Lady's portrait had been viciously attacked, leaving behind enormous claw marks that clearly belonged to a wild beast. That was undeniably a piece of solid evidence.
The stranger's identity was practically confirmed: Sirius Black.
"Ah, I actually got fooled," Maurise murmured, shaking his head. He should have realized it much sooner.
It was too late to do anything about it now unless that black dog willingly ran back to them. However, numerous questions still lingered in his mind.
Why was Sirius Black here? Why on earth did he become Tin's lackey? And why did he want to enter the Ship in a Bottle?
Maurise fell into deep thought. It was completely incomprehensible. He supposed he would only find out the answers once the man was actually caught.
---
The next day, Maurise reported everything he had seen and heard to Professor McGonagall.
"Are you telling me," Professor McGonagall began, her expression looking terrifyingly severe, "that you encountered an Animagus by the Black Lake, and you suspect it is Sirius Black?"
"Yes, Professor. Unless there is someone else at Hogwarts capable of an Animagus transformation," Maurise replied calmly.
"You are not joking about this?"
"Of course not." Maurise took a seat across from her, offering a faint smile. "When have I ever lied to you, Professor?"
To him, informing a professor was the most logical course of action. It was also his way of contributing to Hogwarts' safety.
Professor McGonagall stood up, her face growing even graver. "What did this Animagus look like? I need you to describe it in explicit detail."
"A very large black dog," Maurise answered thoughtfully. "Do you have any parchment? I can draw it for you."
It was time to put his drawing skills to use again.
Professor McGonagall pulled a sheet of parchment from her drawer and handed him a quill. Maurise took it and began sketching with rapid, precise strokes. A few minutes later, an incredibly lifelike portrait of the giant black dog appeared on the parchment.
Professor McGonagall picked it up, examining the drawing intently for several seconds.
"Come with me," she instructed firmly. "We are going to see the Headmaster."
---
Dumbledore seemed to have already deduced that Sirius Black was an Animagus. He did not say much on the matter, merely instructing Professor McGonagall to post the drawing of the dog on the notice boards so that all students and staff could remain vigilant.
Maurise did not think this was a particularly good idea. If it were up to him, he would have preferred to act covertly, waiting for the perfect opportunity to capture the man in one fell swoop. However, he was not the Headmaster. It was not his place to dictate how things should be handled. He had already done everything he could.
After leaving the Headmaster's office, Maurise headed straight for the Quidditch pitch. The weather was bright and sunny, though the March breeze still carried a slight chill. The pitch was not far from the castle, only a ten-minute walk away.
From a distance, he could see several figures soaring through the air. They were wearing red robes; the Gryffindor Quidditch team was holding a practice session. Harry Potter was undeniably the most eye-catching player among them. Riding his new Firebolt, his speed was visibly a league above everyone else's.
Before long, the Weasley twins spotted Maurise in the stands and flew down to meet him.
"What brings you here?" Fred asked. He knew Maurise well enough to know the boy would not come all this way just to watch a Gryffindor practice session for no reason.
Just as Maurise was about to answer, another figure swooped down. It was Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor team captain.
"Stop slacking off, Fred!" Wood bellowed. "We still have two more practice drills to run! Oh, hello, Maurise. I did not see you there."
"We have to practice five times a week now," George whispered into Maurise's ear. "It is absolute madness."
Maurise turned to Wood. "Could you call Harry over for a moment? I have something I need him to test. Do not worry, it will not take up much of your time."
Wood cast him a highly suspicious look but eventually nodded. He turned back toward the pitch and roared, "Harry! Come over here!"
Harry, who had been busy chasing a practice Snitch, paused for a moment before executing a sharp dive, landing perfectly near the edge of the stands. His flying skills were truly impeccable.
"What is it?" he asked, looking at Maurise with a hint of confusion.
Instead of answering, Maurise popped open the suitcase he had brought with him and pulled out a long object covered in a thick cloth.
"What is that?" Harry leaned in curiously. The shape was incredibly familiar.
Sure enough, when Maurise pulled the cloth away, a flying broomstick was revealed. However, it was a model Harry had never seen before. Its design was somewhat reminiscent of a Firebolt, but it was far more streamlined. It lacked any complex or flashy accessories, and its entire body gleamed in a pale, silvery hue.
"Help me test this out, Harry," Maurise said, handing the broom over. "I guarantee it is even faster than a Firebolt."
Harry took the broom, completely stunned. Faster than a Firebolt? That was a massive claim, not something to be said lightly.
"Are you sure?" he asked doubtfully.
"Just try it, and you will see," Maurise replied, taking a step back.
By now, everyone else on the pitch had been drawn over by the commotion. The Gryffindor players landed near the stands, forming a tight circle and craning their necks to examine the oddly colored broomstick in Harry's hands.
Harry mounted the broom, gripped the handle tightly, and hovered into the air. But as soon as he was a few feet off the ground, his expression turned rather peculiar.
"Err..." He shifted his body awkwardly. "My bum is feeling a bit uncomfortable. It is not very ergonomic."
The surrounding crowd erupted into good-natured laughter.
"I will take that feedback into account," Maurise noted calmly. "Just give it a test flight. You will be pleasantly surprised."
Without any further hesitation, Harry kicked off the ground. He shot into the sky like a bullet, moving so unbelievably fast that everyone present could not help but gasp in sheer astonishment.