Chapter 144

Harry instinctively turned toward the source of the noise: a large hole had blown open in one wall of Azkaban Castle, and Dementors flailed erratically through the air like deflated balloons, with faint sickly green light flickering within the black mist.

At the opening, the dust from the explosion and the Dementors' black mist gradually dispersed, revealing a figure in a long robe entering Harry's line of sight. From that distance, Harry could not make out his face—only a black robe and a bald head.

The bald wizard seemed to glance in their direction, then dissolved into a terrifying cloud of black smoke and shot away with a hiss, while the Dementors parted to let him pass.

After that terrifying Dark Wizard departed, other wizards began emerging one by one from the hole, helping each other down the steep cliffside, dragging out several small boats from a hidden cave, and then rowing toward the shore.

"It seems we've witnessed a horrific mass breakout from Azkaban," Jonny English whispered. "They're so calm, so orderly—it's likely the Aurors left behind and those sent to reinforce have already been killed."

Beneath the dim sky, thunder rumbled faintly within the clouds; the newly escaped Dementors instinctively flew back toward the prison. The dozen or so Dark Wizards on the sea laughed loudly, slapping their oars against the waves with abandon.

Harry had never seen Jonny look like this. Always, whether as Professor Doudou or Doctor Doudou, he had grinned, winked, worn amusing expressions—but now, witnessing the collapse of Azkaban's order as a top Auror, his face was grimly serious, and the once amusingly large nose no longer seemed funny at all.

"Neville? What were you about to say?" Zhang Qiu broke the silence.

"I didn't expect something like this to happen at this exact moment," Neville replied, his mood low. He spoke as calmly as he could, relaying the warning from the future Zhang Qiu: "The papers say Peter was captured—then let him be captured."

"But the Ministry can easily fabricate news, deceive the public, and salvage some public opinion," Zhang Qiu initially dismissed it, then suddenly realized something: "Wait—you're saying it was the future me who asked you to come?"

"Yes, more precisely—we both…" Neville suddenly clutched his chest. "Sorry, I've suddenly felt an inexplicable wave of anxiety. Maybe I can't tell you more."

"That means the future me has thought of another way to make up for lost progress," Zhang Qiu's tone returned to calm. "To be honest, you arrived just in time. I was moments away from attacking Mr. Jonny."

"And since the future me chose this path, it means there must be some way to recover the lost progress—even if third-year events deviated so far from Divination, I still have other options." She slowly closed her notebook. "Thank you for the reminder. I'll do my best to find it. And thank you, Mr. Jonny—in this dark age, people like you are rare and precious."

"I wish I were luckier," Zhang Qiu said. "Well then, may everyone have good fortune." Her body gradually faded and vanished—Harry knew she had moved on to her next destination.

"I also want to thank you, Mr. Jonny," Neville said. "I always thought only Harry and I would stand firm against Voldemort—but I forgot there are countless other just people in the world."

"No, this isn't about justice," Jonny murmured. "It's not right or wrong—only different sides. We're not on Harry's side. We're on the side of fate."

"Regardless, I'm deeply grateful for what you're doing now—or what you plan to do," Neville bowed to him. "Then I'll take my leave. May your journey be pleasant."

Fate, Harry thought silently. Perhaps fate wants me to defeat Voldemort.

I just don't know how much I'll have to pay for it in the script of fate.

"Bauer, take Peter to prison. I have other secret missions to carry out," Jonny woke his subordinate, breaking Harry's thoughts.

He patted Harry's shoulder to signal him to prepare, then Apparated to the vicinity of TARDIS.

"Neville seems to know something. Too bad TARDIS wasn't nearby—if it had been, I could've determined which time point he came from." Jonny swiftly shifted from Auror to Doctor, saying nothing about Azkaban's breakout.

"So our next stop is to continue watching Zhang Qiu's journey?" Harry, lost in thought, replied absently.

"Correct. And she didn't jump far—just to earlier that same day… the Three Broomsticks."

Harry's heart leapt—he feared running into his past self—but then he reasoned: if his past self noticed nothing, then this journey must still be safe.

Indeed, as he stepped out from the corner, preparing to enter the Three Broomsticks, he saw Lupin leading his past self out of the pub.

Cloaked in the Invisibility Cloak, Harry entered the bustling pub. Their joys and sorrows seemed unrelated to him. He calmly searched for Zhang Qiu—and soon spotted her.

She sat with Cui Ge's mother, speaking quietly.

"Oh, that's Chinese. Let me activate TARDIS's translation module," the Doctor said.

"... o, Ms. Cassandra, could you tell me again about Mr. Dak?" Zhang Qiu asked.

"Where should I begin?" Cassandra's face glowed with drunken flush. "I was a Muggle-born, curious about everything in the magical world—just the curriculum at the Magic Institute overwhelmed me. I was in third year, spending every class day in the library, until one day I met Dak in the library..."

"Wait a moment—could you elaborate on your background?"

"Just a Muggle-born. What's there to say?" Cassandra's tone carried a hint of shame.

"I just want to understand your Muggle life," Zhang Qiu tried to sound curious.

"My parents died early. I lived with my grandfather in an old house in Daban. He supported us both on a meager pension. Our most common meal was rice soaked in soup. I'd wait by the convenience store's door, begging for expired rice balls, adding hot water to make a meal—free of charge."

Harry found it hard to imagine—even during his time with the Dursleys—he'd never eaten expired food.

"Once a week, my grandfather would buy a block of tofu, drizzled with miso and soy sauce." At the mention of tofu, her face lit with longing—though Harry knew it was merely cheap plant protein.

"I remember, on my tenth birthday, my grandfather bought a small box of tuna for the first time ever. That was my happiest birthday—especially after eating the tuna, I received my acceptance letter from the Magic Institute."

"My grandfather didn't care whether I went to a Muggle school or a magical one—but the Magic Institute didn't charge tuition, and Muggle-borns got scholarships. He could use the money meant for my tuition to improve our living conditions."

"But I disappointed him... Wu..." Cassandra suddenly collapsed onto the table and wept.

"Dak was a heartless traitor—I've hated him for years—but I can't say it. Donald won't be happy..." She mumbled incoherently. Zhang Qiu frowned, puzzled, and patted Cassandra's back, whispering, "What are you saying?"

"She just spoke in the Yingzhou dialect. Zhang Qiu probably didn't understand," the Doctor glanced at the TARDIS disguised as a wardrobe.

"I dropped out of school in third year and returned home. When my grandfather saw I was pregnant, he had a stroke and was hospitalized." Cassandra sniffled, then continued. "Our savings were quickly spent. When he saw the medical bills, he chose to give up. One quiet night, he slipped away without a word."

Zhang Qiu frowned, lips moving as if to interrupt—but ultimately said nothing.

"I gave birth to Cui Ge alone in the old house. Perhaps magic improved my body—I had no complications during delivery. But to raise him, I was still young and had no milk..."

"Didn't you contact the local Women's Federation?" Zhang Qiu couldn't help interrupting.

"Women's Federation? We don't have one here. Only the mainland has Women's Federation." The single mother from Yingzhou voiced her condemnation of the cold capitalist society.

"Oh, classic one country, two systems," Zhang Qiu rubbed her forehead. "That must have been so hard for you."

"I cut up old bed sheets into diapers. I ate soy sauce mixed with rice every day, spending every coin on formula and baby food. I didn't understand anything then—I had to ask the staff at maternity stores for advice. I dared not say Cui Ge was my child—I told them he was my younger brother."

"Raising a child takes so much money and energy. I exchanged all my Galleons for yen, praying every day that Cui Ge wouldn't get sick. When he grew a little older and didn't need constant watching, I went back to work—picking up expired rice balls from convenience stores, or performing magic on the street—but the police often chased me away. I was only fourteen, thin and small—no one would hire me for odd jobs."

"When Cui Ge got older, I tried teaching him to speak and read—all things my grandfather taught me. Ah, I still remember the first time he called me 'Mom.' At that moment, I felt all my suffering had been worth it. As a child, Cui Ge was always sensible—he often went to the neighborhood grocery to watch TV. What was on? A superhero with a red head and bulbous eyes—he loved it."

"Before I knew it, I was an adult, and Cui Ge was about to start primary school. I thought I should save up for his tuition, so I took a job—that's when I learned Animagus transformation."

"A job? What kind of job requires Animagus transformation?" Zhang Qiu asked, puzzled.

"A brothel." She answered softly. "Without Animagus, an eighteen-year-old girl with no family couldn't survive in a place like that."