Chapter 848: The Omen of Doom

"Wizard, just as I said, from a distance..."

The house-elf Winky's voice was low.

Strangely, there wasn't a single wizard in his vicinity.

Then who was he talking to?

A passing witch cast a curious glance or two.

Before she could make anything out, the Winky leading the black dog had already left.

Sean watched Winky leave, and as he gazed at the gaunt, skeletal black dog, more things came to mind.

He needed to make a trip to the forests of Albania. Although the possibility of finding Voldemort was slim, Sean could verify more capabilities of the Soul Horcrux—such as attempting to forcibly pull Voldemort's soul into the dream realm.

Furthermore, he had already retrieved the Slytherin locket from the Black family home, and Sean could easily recall a hero hidden in the dust of history—Regulus Black.

Returning his remains to his brother, Sirius, was the respect Sean offered to this Slytherin hero.

Besides that, once the locket was destroyed, Sean would have to begin searching for traces of Nagini; he thought perhaps Sirius could be of some help.

Therefore, regardless of anything else, Sean decided to meet with Sirius once more.

While deep in thought, Sean watched Harry, who had just come back to his senses.

"Death omen..."

Harry muttered to himself, staring into the distance, his gaze aligned with Sean's; there, the black dog had vanished.

Harry thought of the black dog as big as a bear on the cover of the book, staring with a pair of glowing eyes... how could it be so similar to that black dog?

"That can't be a death omen."

Harry grumbled.

And the death omen, the black dog, had already appeared in Room 10 of the Leaky Cauldron.

In the dim room, the gaunt man pressed against the wall; even just a glance was enough to make him unable to control his surging emotions.

He opened his mouth but made no sound, simply letting tears slide down his skin-wrapped-bone cheeks.

"Why bother? Are all wizards as foolish as you..."

The house-elf Winky muttered something.

"If you knew everything, if your master possessed such powerful magic... you would know how foolish I am."

Black laughed miserably.

"No, wizard. Only Mr. Green is great. But I want to know, how did you escape from there? My master said that thing makes people lose their minds..."

The house-elf Winky suddenly developed a bit of interest in the man before him.

"You want to know?"

Black raised his bloodshot eyes.

"Sort of."

The house-elf Winky said honestly.

"It seems you don't know everything either, which is consistent with my usual understanding of such people.

I will tell you, but I also have a small question: how soon can I see your master again?"

Black's eyes flickered.

Those tears had been quietly wiped away; he had more important things to accomplish, and now, there was a wizard he knew nothing about, yet who was sufficiently powerful and mysterious, who might be able to help him.

"Hmph..."

The house-elf Winky sneered.

"A loyal servant doesn't fret...

Afternoon, at six o'clock in the afternoon, my master will be here."

The house-elf Winky suddenly changed his tone, seemingly because of the rippling mirror surface appearing before him.

Black recognized it as a magical object very similar to a two-way mirror, but a size smaller. He was certain it was a new type of alchemical creation he had never seen before.

"Now, can you tell me, how did you do it, wizard?"

The house-elf Winky asked.

"I don't even know how I did it myself,"

Having received his answer, Black said slowly,

"I think the only reason I didn't lose my mind was that I knew I was innocent.

That wasn't a happy thought, so the Dementors couldn't suck it out of my mind... but it kept me sane, knowing who I was...

It also allowed me to preserve my magic... so when things became... too unbearable... I could transform in my cell... into a dog.

You know, Dementors can't see..."

He swallowed a mouthful of saliva,

"Dementors, they approach people by sensing their emotions... when I turned into a dog, they might have sensed my emotions weren't—not very human, not very complex...

But, of course, they thought I was losing my mind like the other prisoners, so they didn't pay attention.

But I was very, very weak, without a wand, I had no hope of driving them away...

But later, when I saw that rat in the photo Fudge was holding... I realized that fellow was at Hogwarts, by Harry's side...

If word reached his ears that the Dark forces were rising again, that was the most suitable place for him to make his move..."

Black revealed a deep-seated hatred; he gritted his teeth,

"... Once he was sure he had an alliance, he would take action... to offer the last of the Potters to them.

If he could offer up Harry, who would dare say he had betrayed Voldemort? He would be welcomed as a hero...

So, I had to do something, because only I knew Peter was still alive..."

The house-elf Winky didn't quite understand human emotions, but he could clearly feel the hatred Sirius Black felt at this moment.

"It was like someone had lit a fire in my brain, and the Dementors couldn't extinguish it... it wasn't a happy thought... it was an obsession... but it gave me strength, kept my mind clear.

So, one night, when they opened the door to bring food in, I turned into a dog and slipped past...

They aren't very sensitive to animal emotions, so they were confused... I was very, very thin... thin enough to squeeze through the iron bars...

I swam back to the mainland in my dog form... headed north... I wanted to see him, but I was discovered by you."

Sirius's account was finished.

The room fell into silence until the door was pushed open with a creak.

"Mr. Black."

Sean walked in.

"Mr.... Green."

Sirius glanced at the clock; it was exactly six, without the slightest error.

"You wanted to see me?"

Sean said softly.

"Why... why are you helping me?"

Sirius asked the question that had been building up for a long time,

"Just because I'm innocent? There are so many wizards in the world who have suffered injustice..."

"Because our goals are the same, sir."

Sean said.

"What? Goals? Opposing the Dark Lord? Don't joke..."