0227 Hello


    The room was a dismal sight, a testament to years of neglect and decay. The wallpaper was peeling off the walls, revealing patches of mold and cracks. The floor was stained with dirt, blood, and other unidentifiable substances. The furniture was broken and splintered, as if someone had vented their rage on it. The windows were boarded up with thick plywood, blocking any natural light or fresh air.


    Bryan hovered in mid-air, his eyes scanning the surroundings and then his eyes darkened.


    This was the Shrieking Shack - it only took Bryan a few seconds to realize. He had spent some time here, so there was no reason for him not to recognize it.


    Staring at the dark hole beneath his feet, Bryan rolled his eyes in disbelief. He had discovered this hole the first time he entered this haunted house, thinking it was created by a wild creature. But he never expected it to be a secret passage leading to Hogwarts.


    <em>''Who on earth had the time and boredom to dig this tunnel?!''</em> He wondered.


    <em>''Was it one of the founders of the school, or someter headmaster, or some mischievous student? And what was the purpose of this hidden route? To escape, to spy, to smuggle?''</em>


    He shook his head, dismissing the irrelevant questions.


    The fluorescent light from a streetmp outside reflected off the white snow, creating a faint and eerie glow that seeped through the gaps in the wooden boards and casting a faint glow on Bryan''s face. He couldn''t help but feel annoyed.


    There was no one in the house - he could sense that without even leaving the room. He had cast powerful protective and marking spells around the house, to ward off any intruders and to alert him of any activity. Unless Sirius ck, had somehow managed to break through his defenses and enter the house without his notice, which was highly unlikely.


    The room was filled with trash, and on the dusty floor, there were still clear footprints of cats and dogs, much clearer than the muddy footprints left near the Whomping Willow, the entrance to the tunnel. Bryan realized that the cat footprints belonged to Crookshanks, But the dog footprints were not left by Hagrid''s Fang, the boarhound that lived in the grounds of Hogwarts. They were left by the stray ck dog that he had seen roaming around here a few times.


    Bryan instinctively scratched his itchy head and chuckled.


    <em>''So, Crookshanks had brought that dog into Hogwarts for a walk? How amusing.''</em>


    Through his magical vision, he could see Crookshanks and therge ck dog cuddling together on the rotten sofa in the living room, apparently asleep.


    <em>''What a big dog, almost like a ck bear!''</em>


    When Bryan''s curious gaze fell on the sleepingrge ck dog, who seemed to be restless, he couldn''t help but be amazed.


    <em>''Could it be that this creature had magical bloodlines? Otherwise, how could one exin its abnormal magical energy and such a massive size?''</em>


    Bryan stood about ten feet away from the sofa, observing it with an interested look in his eyes, while scratching his increasingly itchy head.


    After some time, He decided to leave the sleeping pair alone. But since he was here, he might as well clean up the traces of his past experiments left inside. He did not want to leave any evidence or clues for anyone who might stumble upon this ce.


    The darkness enveloped the Shrieking Shack in silence, and the delicate snowkes, as they approached the house, seemed to be disturbed by something and quietly drifted away.


    Bryan'' scratching motion came to a halt, and his casual gaze, which had been exploring, suddenly revealed a deep and heavy pressure.


    <em>''Interesting.''</em>


    Gazing at the eyelids of the tremblingrge ck dog, Bryan'' mouth gradually curved into a self-mocking smile.


    <em>''Animagus?</em>


    <em>The Wizarding world truly had many talents.''</em>


    <strong>Godric''s Hollow:</strong>


    Late summer and early autumn, the night sky was a canvas of stars, shining brightly and beautifully on the earth. The warm breeze caressed theplex muddy roads in the vige, bringing a touch offort and peace to the hearts of every wizarding resident.


    <strong>Inside a white house:</strong>


    "I have to say, James, this child looks almost identical to you!"


    Sirius ck eximed, his voice full of affection. He was dressed in a brand new sky-blue robe, a gift from his birthday. His short hair was neatlybed and soft, a contrast to his usual messy and wild style. The dim candlelight softened his handsome but overly sharp features, making him look more gentle and friendly.


    He was looking at the crib, where little Harry, who had just turned one, was sucking on his fingers, his green eyes wide and curious. Sirius smiled warmly at him, and reached out to ruffle his jet-ck hair.


    "You have to grow up quickly, kid. Your dad and I are still waiting for you to inherit our great adventure career!" He said, half-jokingly and half-seriously.


    "Oh!"


    On the other side of the crib, Lily heard Sirius say this and her expression of affection disappeared. She stared at Sirius with a stern look.


    "This is exactly what I''ve been worried about, Sirius." She said, her voice firm and clear. "If possible, I hope Harry will be a brave wizard, but definitely not like you and James when you were at Hogwarts!"


    She remembered the countless times that Sirius and James had caused trouble at school, breaking rules, ying pranks, and fighting with Slytherins.


    "If you expect Harry to be a rule-abiding young wizard, dear…"


    A thin, messy-haired man with a mischievous smile walked out of the living room, holding a ss of firewhiskey in his hand. He gently rubbed Lily''s deep red hair and then wrapped his arm around her shoulder.


    "I bet you''ll be disappointed."


    "Yeah!?" Lily red at her husband and said, "With you and Sirius as his role models, I can probably imagine what Harry will be like in the future." She sighed and added, "If possible, I hope Remus can give him some positive guidance."


    "Don''t be fooled by Remus, Lily-" Siriusughed happily, his voice loud and cheerful. "He''s not as honest as you think?"


    Harry, who was sleeping soundly in the crib, whimpered and cried out. He had been disturbed by the loud voices of his father and godfather.


    Lily sent the two unreliable men to the kitchen with a stern look and hummed a luby gently. She picked up Harry and rocked him in her arms, soothing him with her love and warmth. After a while, when she walked into the kitchen, she found her husband and Sirius wearing serious expressions.


    "The situation is difficult recently-" Sirius said to Lily, who had just sat down, holding Harry in herp. He looked at her with a grave and concerned look. "I''m sure you''ve heard about what happened to the Longbottoms. Voldemort has targeted you, and he probably knows our n to protect you through the spy. So, we must ensure that everything goes perfectly."


    Lily immediately understood what Sirius was talking about. They had discussed this before.


    James fully supported Sirius''s suggestion because Peter was also a good friend they could trust with their lives. He had known Peter since their first year at Hogwarts, and he had always been loyal and helpful. He was not as brave or as smart as the others, but he had a good heart.


    "This is still risky, Sirius." Lily said worriedly, her eyes filled with fear and doubt. "If it were up to me, it would be more appropriate for Dumbledore to be our Secret-Keeper. It''s well known that Voldemort fears him the most."


    "Dumbledore is indeed reliable, but he already has so much to consider. We can''t rely on him for everything, can we?" James expressed his opinion.


    "That''s right," Sirius felt pleased with the unspoken understanding between him and James. He looked into Lily''s emerald eyes and said, "If Dumbledore''s guess is correct and there really is a traitor in the Order of the Phoenix, then Voldemort probably already knows that we don''t intend to make Dumbledore the Secret-Keeper. Among the remaining options, I am the most likely one, and Voldemort will most likely try to find me. But they can''t even dream that we will adjust the n and make Peter the Secret-Keeper, which is like having an extrayer of insurance."


    He did not tell them his real n, the n that he had made in his mind. He had decided to sacrifice himself, if necessary, to save his friends. He knew that Voldemort would stop at nothing to find and kill them, and he was prepared to face him. He hoped that if he were captured and killed by Voldemort, Dumbledore would receive the news, giving him ample time to move James and his family to a safer ce.


    In the flickering candlelight, Lily finally hesitated and nodded. She agreed to Sirius'' suggestion, hoping that he was right


    The scene shifted.


    The moon hanging in the sky was pale and cold, unable to prate the deep darkness of the night, shrouded in blood. The stars were dim and distant, unable to witness the horror and tragedy that unfolded below.


    Hagrid disappeared into the night on his motorcycle, and Sirius stood amidst the rubble on the second floor, looking at where Lily had fallen, letting out a heart-wrenching cry.


    A chill ran through him, and therge ck dog shivered, abruptly waking up from his slumber.


    Over the years, the image of James and Lily''s death had appeared countless times in his dreams, and even after twelve years, he still vividly remembered every detail.


    His thoughts remained hazy, and regret and pain tore at his soul like venomous snakes. He wished he had done things differently, that he had been a better friend, that he had saved his friends from their fate. Everything before him was blurry, and therge ck dog hung its head on its front paws, silently shedding tears in the midst of the thick darkness. He felt lonely and hopeless, and he longed for revenge.


    "What''s wrong, ck?" Bryan, who had been sitting for a while, waved his wand to dispel the illusion and looked at therge ck dog lying on the sofa, tears streaming down its face. He sneered and said, with a mocking tone.


    "Did you dream of your former master''s defeat?"


    <strong>*******************************</strong>


    <em>Author''s Note:</em>


    <em>Dear readers and patrons,</em>


    <em>I hope you are enjoying my story and thank you for your support. I have some important examsing up for the next 10 days, starting from tomorrow. I will update every day as before, but please bear with me if the update time iste sometimes. I appreciate your patience and understanding.</em>


    <em>Thank you for reading and stay tuned!</em>


    <em>Your author,</em>


    <em>FicFrenzy</em>