The next day, after a night of howling blizzards, the snowstorm had finally died down a bit—but snowflakes still danced outside the windows.
The snow on the ground was nearly a foot deep, and anyone walking across it would sink in up to their ankle with every step.
That's how everyone trudged their way through the snowy grounds and arrived at the Hogsmeade Station outside the school.
The deep red Hogwarts Express was already waiting on the platform.
"Lee Jordan saved a compartment for us. We can ride together," Fred said with a grin when he spotted Harold on the platform. "We were looking for you anyway."
"Looking for me?" Harold asked. "What for?"
"What for?" George repeated in an exaggerated voice.
"Maybe you've forgotten something important," he continued, stepping up behind them. "Like our little business deal."
"Or maybe," Fred added, "you're planning to give us your share of the profits as a Christmas present?"
"I already prepared your Christmas gifts," Harold replied. "But didn't we agree to settle up once a month? It's not time yet."
"That's true…" George said. "But you forgot about the holiday break—none of us will be in school, and we won't be selling anything."
"Good point," Harold nodded.
When they reached Lee Jordan's compartment, Fred immediately handed Harold a heavy sack and dramatically turned away, shielding his eyes.
"Take it. Just take it. I can't bear to look at it anymore!"
"As you wish," Harold said with a grin, tucking the bag away. "Got any plans for the holiday?"
"Working on Instant Skive Sweets," George replied. "We've got a new idea. What if your tongue or teeth swell up huge?"
"Hm, not bad," Harold mused.
"We thought so too."
…
The group joked and played Exploding Snap for a while, and by the time the trolley witch arrived, it was already midday.
Harold insisted on treating everyone to lunch, buying each of them a large meal.
"Ollivander is our king!" the twins cheered, loud enough for the conductor to hear up front.
As evening neared, the train finally pulled into the station.
They stepped through the barrier at Platform 9¾ and into King's Cross Station.
The station bustled with crowds, but no one seemed to notice a group of people just walked out of a solid wall.
"Mum and Dad are here," Fred said, pointing toward the crowd.
Mrs. Weasley was easy to spot—plump and bustling—and Mr. Weasley's bright red hair stood out.
Percy and Ginny had already found them and were chatting nearby.
Harold walked up to greet them, and Mr. Weasley offered to give him a ride back to Diagon Alley.
"Don't worry, really—it's on the way," Mr. Weasley explained. "We pass Charing Cross Road to get home, and I borrowed a Ministry car—it's roomy, you won't have to squeeze."
The entrance to the Leaky Cauldron was right on Charing Cross Road, halfway between the Burrow and King's Cross.
Harold was about to agree, but then he glanced over at the wall they'd just emerged from—and spotted a large black dog sitting beside it.
A dog that size was impossible to miss. While Harold stood frozen, a King's Cross staff member had already walked over to shoo it away.
"Thank you for the offer, Mr. Weasley, but I've got something I need to take care of," Harold said quickly. "I won't be able to go with you."
"See you back at Hogwarts," he added, waving to Fred and George before hurrying into the crowd and making his way toward Platform 6.
"Sorry, sir—that's my dog," Harold said to the middle-aged staff member.
"Yours?" the man eyed him suspiciously.
"Yes," Harold nodded. Then he waved toward the dog. "Come on, you stupid mutt!"
The black dog shuffled over to him and flopped down at his feet.
The man looked convinced.
"Next time you bring him out in public, you'd better have a leash," he warned.
"I will, sir," Harold replied.
Finally, the staff member walked off, and by then the Weasleys had already left.
Harold and the dog exited the station together in silence.
Since Garrick wouldn't be back for a few more days, they had no choice but to take the Knight Bus.
By the time they arrived in Diagon Alley, night had fallen completely.
They even caused a bit of a commotion while passing through the Leaky Cauldron.
Mostly thanks to Sirius.
Large black dogs were among the most unwelcome sights in the magical world—and the Leaky Cauldron always had its share of odd customers.
As soon as they saw Harold walk in with a giant black dog, someone screamed, and chaos erupted—people ran about like headless chickens, shouting, "It's an omen! Run!"
The once-lively pub descended into instant mayhem.
Harold picked up the pace, jogging into the back courtyard, pulled out his wand, and tapped the third brick from the left above the trash bin. As the wall parted to reveal Diagon Alley, he hurried inside.
Not until they were inside the wand shop did Harold finally turn to look at the black dog crouching nearby.
"How did you follow me?"
The dog stood up and shifted back into his human form—a gaunt, shaggy-haired man with sunken eyes.
"I took the train, of course," Sirius said in his hoarse voice. "The Hogwarts Express… brings back memories. Back in the day, we used to call it the Hogwarts Depress—slow as anything."
"That's not what I meant," Harold interrupted. "Harry's staying at Hogwarts over Christmas, right? Shouldn't you be there with him?"
Sirius's voice cut off. He was silent for a long time before finally muttering, "He has friends. He doesn't need me."
Harold stared at him for a moment, then asked, "You didn't want to see the hate in his eyes, did you?"
Sirius didn't answer, but that was answer enough.
"What's the point?" Harold shook his head. "If he didn't know—"
"He'll find out eventually," Sirius said. "And he deserves to know."
"But you know it's not the real truth," Harold said.
"In a way, it is," Sirius replied. "It was my fault James and Lily died… I was the one who suggested switching Secret-Keepers at the last minute."
Sirius should've sounded distraught, but his voice was eerily calm. Only his eyes betrayed him—empty, hollow, fixed on nothing.
"So you came looking for me?" Harold still didn't get it. "You could've just stayed in the Forbidden Forest."
"If I'm anywhere near Hogwarts… I'll want to see Harry," Sirius said. "Here, at least, I'm far enough away that no matter how badly I want to, I can't just show up."
Well… that made sense.
"And how'd you get on the train?" Harold asked.
"Professor Sprout was the one supervising," Sirius said. "She didn't recognize my Animagus form. Probably just thought I was some student's pet."
…(End of Chapter)