118 Chapter 118: Chaotic Situation

Professor Sherlock Forester, professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, apparated effortlessly into the bustling magical expanse of Diagon Alley. A week earlier, word had reached him, that the famous Harry Potter was currently living in the Leaky Cauldron. After an exchange of letters he had heard directly from Harry what happened that fateful day.

After collecting a wand from the esteemed craftsman Ollivander, Sherlock sauntered towards the Leaky Cauldron, eager to visit Harry who had been residing there for almost an entire month now.

"...Honestly, I thought they were going to sack me," Harry mused, his voice laced with incredibility. "Never thought Minister Fudge would just go: 'Well, Harry, you blew your aunt up like a balloon, but we're not giving you the boot, in fact you won't face any punishment at all.'"

Looking contemplative, Harry drew his lips into a thin line and continued. "I saw him as a sensible bloke, so I asked him to sign my Hogsmeade permission slip, he says, 'Better stay nice 'n safe in Hogwarts,' and refused. Stingy fellow!"

Sherlock had never crossed paths with Cornelius Fudge in the entire span of his stay in the magical world. However, tales about the man's cautious political nature had reached his ears from various corners of their world.

Fudge, he knew, was a shrewd minister, whose every action seemed intricately calculated, always measured against its possible implications on his seat of power. A perfect example being his measured inaction over Harry's illegal use of magic on a Muggle.

With the news of Sirius Black's daring escape from Azkaban sending ripples of fear across the magical community, all wizarding eyes were on Harry. Everyone was concerned about his safety, and Sherlock knew, any harm to Harry would now cast a daunting shadow over Fudge's tenure as the Minister for Magic.

"Sounds quite the unfortunate night you chose to run away," Sherlock interjected, his voice strained. "I was away or else I would've taken you in."

He didn't scold Harry for attacking his relative. He knew, to reach such an extreme precipice, Harry must have been frustrated beyond belief. Had he acted out any sooner, Sherlock doubted it would have ended well. He didn't utter a word of reprimand about Harry's decision to flee.

"'s alright, Professor," Harry countered, shaking his head. "Spent a good few weeks at Leaky Cauldron, especially now that Ron's family and Hermione are also staying here. Tomorrow, we're all going to Platform 9¾ together."

After engaging in a brief conversation with Harry, Arthur Weasley invited Sherlock to a quiet corner of the Leaky Cauldron's spacious main hall to engage in a private chat.

"Kingsley mentioned you've changed quite a bit after a year as a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts," Mr. Weasley said, his tone a mixture of surprise and something else Sherlock couldn't quite decipher.

"Molly and I...well we were beside ourselves with worry during last term's incident at Hogwarts," Mr. Weasley conveyed earnestly.

A knowing smile graced Sherlock's lips as he responded, "Although it was quite a dangerous process, I think having in the end its outcome is a good thing. At least, I understand some things now that I was confused about before."

"Aye, we are all relieved that you think so positively. In fact, we have eagerly anticipated this day," Mr. Weasley nodded, looking satisfied.

Their conversation about Sherlock's experiences at Hogwarts was short-lived, with Mr. Weasley soon changing the topic to a more grave matter.

"I reckon you know all about Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban," he said, his voice suddenly heavy.

Sherlock nodded in response. "In July, while Harry and I were traveling through France, I received a missive from The Ministry. They wanted Harry immediately back in his aunt's house, it was then that the dots started connecting. Sirius Black had broken out of Azkaban specifically to seek Harry and exact revenge for his fallen Dark Lord."

Lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, Mr. Weasley continued, "This situation is more nuanced than you can imagine, Sherlock. You must keep a close watch on Harry at Hogwarts. We can't afford to let him embark on a quest to find Black."

Sherlock's face curled into a frown, sprouting questions.

Seeing Mr. Weasley casting a cautious glance around the room to ensure no prying ears were privy to their sensitive conversation, he knew the upcoming details would be of utmost secrecy.

Mr. Weasley's face wore a deep-seated look of sorrow, as he began the tale. "Before the tragedy that befell the Potters, Sirius Black was James's, that is Harry's father's, closest friend. He was even asked to become Harry's godfather when he was born."

At this revelation, Sherlock froze, holding his breath as he absorbed Mr. Weasley's words.

"There was a prophecy doing the rounds back then, about a hero who would defeat the Dark Lord. Dumbledore seemed to think it was about Harry, so he suggested that the Potters take refuge in someone they trust."

"And they did. James and a few good friends of his had enacted the Fidelius Charm, a powerful concealment enchantment, trusting one individual with the location of their hideout. If the secret keeper didn't divulge this information, even if the Potters were right under the Dark Lord's twitching nose, he wouldn't be able to locate them."

"Anyone who knew James was certain that his secret keeper would be his best friend, Sirius Black. It was the obvious choice," Mr. Weasley continued.

"What happened next was beyond horrible, the Dark Lord discovered the Potters' safe house, leading to the murder of James and Lily Potter. Now think about that, the only possible explanation was that Sirius Black, the one person whom James trusted the most, betrayed him and his family."

"That same day another friend of the Potters, Peter Pettigrew, confronted Black, holding him responsible for James's demise. In response, Black used a massively destructive blasting curse that, quite literally, blew up Pettigrew, leaving nothing but a finger behind. The explosion even caused multiple Muggle casualties!"

"Ultimately, Sirius Black was apprehended. In front of the Wizengamot, during his trial, he didn't challenge any of the accusations levied against him. The charges stuck, resulting in a lifetime of imprisonment and torture in Azkaban."

Listening to the story, Sherlock finally comprehended why it was crucial to keep Harry in check, and prevent him from going after Black on his own.

If Harry learned about this part of his past, knowing him, he'd undoubtedly seek out Black to avenge his parents.

Mr. Weasley's face tightened, as he instructed solemnly, "As much as possible, keep a vigilant watch over Harry at the school. There's a good chance Black will provoke Harry into seeking him out on his own, to make it easier to murder him too.."

Sherlock nodded seriously, promising, "I fully understand, Arthur. I swear, I'll do everything in my power to protect Harry, and prevent him from embarking on any dangerous missions."

"Thank you, Sherlock, we can breathe easier knowing you're looking out for him," Mr. Weasley said, his face mirroring the immense relief that filled him.

Sherlock idled at the Leaky Cauldron for a while longer, engaging in a discussion about the present tumultuous times in the wizarding world with Mr. Weasley. After which, he took his leave and retreated to his home.

Sherlock didn't fully accept Mr. Weasley's tale about Sirius Black. Having a predilection for deciphering puzzles, he felt the tale had more hidden layers to it. Like for instance, he wasn't convinced that the individual who changed into a rat and disappeared was indeed Black. He didn't have concrete proof for any of this, but he felt it would make for a terrible story if the best friend of Harry's father betrayed him and just ended up escaping without punishment, there had to be a good twist somewhere in the plot.

In light of these contemplations, he deemed it wise to continue bolstering his strength. In addition to the haul of fifty wands he'd procured from Ollivander's, Sherlock also purchased a pouch enchanted with a potent Untraceable Extension Charm to store his repository of wands.

The same evening, he took a trip back to the spot where he had previously explored the explosive power of the blasting curse. Here, he haphazardly cast the fifty-one wands into the air, attempting to control each of them with his command over magic.

However, managing such a massive number of wands wasn't a task Sherlock could master in a single go. The skill called for careful manipulation and thus, hours of dedicated practice, to ensure precise control over each individual wand.

As it stood, when he tried to manipulate a single wand amidst the fifty-one, it felt quite sluggish, and he was only able to control clusters of four or five wands at once. The mastery of controlling each wand individually required tireless practice and absolute precision.

Switching gears, he tested out casting spells, such as the Petrificus Totalus curse and the Stupefy spell. As suspected, he didn't come across any obstacles in performing them successfully.

But, there was a catch. Only one kind of magic could be performed at a given time by the fifty-one wands.

Despite this setback, Sherlock had embarked on the project to see if casting multiple spells at once was attainable because he knew, if indeed possible, he would become an entity whose power could sweep across the magical world and sway it to his favor. A wizard who could wield so many wands simultaneously was equivalent to an entire army of wizards.

Nevertheless, there were spells like the Patronus Charm and the blasting curse that Sherlock didn't dare risk trying. If all fifty-one wands were activated at once, the uproar would be colossal. He predicted that nearby muggles might misinterpret the noise to be indicative of another world war.

Only after ascertaining that he could control a single wand at a time and use each spell successfully, could he be confident of no issues with adding the other fifty wands.

Satisfied with the progress of his trial, Sherlock returned home to spend the remainder of his holiday there. Upon sunrise, he packed a few essential items and clothes, and apparated straight into Hogsmeade.

He chose to land in the alley where he had previously returned from the Apparation class.

Emerging from the alley and onto the streets of Hogsmeade, Sherlock noticed a peculiar silence blanketing the surroundings. A sense of unease crept over him. For a place known to be the only wizarding village in all of Britain, the avenues, even when devoid of Hogwarts students, were typically brimming with tourists.

Now, however, the scenario was different. The main road of Hogsmeade looked abandoned and eerily ghost-like, and Sherlock struggled to spot even a single soul in sight.

As he knitted his brows, contemplating the peculiar scene before him, a trio of Aurors emerged and spotted Sherlock.

"Sorry, sir, we'll have to ask you to stay put so we can conduct a security check," one Auror informed Sherlock, wand at the ready, in case the need for a defensive spell arose.

Sherlock conceded, offering his full cooperation.

"We need your identification and reasons for being in Hogsmeade."

"My name's Sherlock Forester, Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts. I'm on my way from Hogsmeade to the school," Sherlock responded matter-of-factly.

One Auror, who seemed to be leading the group, scrutinized Sherlock's face intently before breaking into recognization.

"Yea, I think I've seen you in the papers before, Mr. Forester. You're free to go of course, but travel as swiftly as you can and try not to linger here for too long," the Auror captain advised.

Undeterred by a mere checkpoint, but confused, Sherlock asked, "What's going on?"

The Auror captain didn't hide any particulars. "There was an attack last night. Mr. Johnson, who owns the Quill and Ink shop, was assaulted. It's a chaotic situation, and coupled with the recent events involving Black, Hogsmeade is essentially under martial law. Dementors will be stationed here soon. They want to capture Black here. With everything going on right now, if it's not necessary, you'd best avoid this place until it all settles down."

Rubbing his head in annoyance, the captain gestured to his team to prepare to proceed on their patrol, just as Sherlock posed another question.

"Did the victim exhibit any signs of having been kissed by a Dementor?"

Immediately, the trio of Aurors stopped in their tracks, and the captain turned around, his face grave and suspicious, to lock eyes with Sherlock.

"Now how would you know how Mr. Johnson d-" he started, but was cut short by Sherlock's revelation.

"Don't fret, I have been aiding Kingsley Shacklebolt from your department with similar cases previously."

A flicker of recognition crossed the Auror captain's face, as he began explaining the grim situation on hand.

"But wasn't it said that this case would be taken over by the three wizards from Germany? Why are there still ongoing attacks?" Sherlock asked.

Knowing that he was aware of some inside information, the Auror captain shook his head helplessly and complained.

"Sure, the case was indeed handed over to those three wizards from Germany and they did have a bit of skill. Predicted an incident near Hogwarts and they were right. But that's the problem - it still happened anyway, their prophecy had no impact. And now we are the idiots that have to deal with the consequences. Director Scrimgeour even went as far as issuing a final warning to those German wizards to apprehend the culprit before another attack, or we would bring this grievance up with the German Minister of Magic."

Listening to this, Sherlock could sense the desperation that Scrimgeour must be grappling with.

They were running out of leads on the domestic front, with an array of manpower dedicated to capturing Black. Even in case of more attacks, he couldn't send those three German Aurors packing as they had no replacement for the case.

The British Auror force was fighting an uphill battle, and Scrimgeour was certainly under tremendous pressure.