章 152: 0151 Old Classmates

Bryan did not raise his hands above his head, or even make a vigilant posture, but twitched his mouth, turned his back to the person behind him, and politely asked,

"Excuse me, noble lady, what law did I break?"

His voice was calm and composed, as if he was not bothered by the sudden intrusion.

"Oh, don't you know?"

The voice still maintained a serious tone, but it sounded like it was suppressing a smile,

"Don't you know, sir, that the Auror office has obtained the approval of the Magical Transportation Department and Minister Fudge to impose traffic control in Hogsmeade. Anyone who comes to Hogsmeade village without prior application by apparition, floo network or portkey is not allowed. You made a big mistake, sir!"

She spoke with a mock authority, as if she was reading from a script. She was trying to sound like a strict law enforcer, but her voice betrayed her amusement.

"But the Ministry's press conferences and the Daily Prophet have not reported anything about this recently."

Bryan pursed his lips and smiled. He knew that the voice belonged to an old friend of his, who liked to tease him. He decided to play along with her joke.

"We posted a notice on the bulletin board at the Diagon alley and the entrance of village gate. It's your problem that you didn't see it, sir, not the Ministry's fault!"

Bryan had already heard the laughter of the person behind him. Before he could say anything, the person behind him had completely given up pretending and laughed out loud,

"For your kind of disregard for the law, Bryan Watson, I think you need to be severely punished. Hmm, I have an idea. How about a term of detention?"

Bryan also laughed. He turned around and looked at the person behind him and joked,

"You want me to be in detention? Of course, no problem, Tonks, as long as someone accompanies me."

He saw a young woman with a round face and bright eyes standing behind him. She was wearing a black robe with a silver badge that identified her as an Auror. Her hair was changing colors rapidly, from pink to blue to green to purple, reflecting her mood.

The morning Hogsmeade village was bathed in the cool sunlight like water. Most of the local residents had not left home yet. There were not many pedestrians on the commercial street where Bryan and Tonks shook hands with a smile.

They walked into the empty Three Broomsticks pub, where they were greeted by the charming landlady Mrs. Rosmerta. She walked over and put down a glass of syrup soda and a cup of green tea from the tray. She nodded her head and walked away tactfully.

"Some things are unspoken secrets,"

Tonks fiddled with her slightly dull violet hair and changed them to the same color as the ripe wheat in autumn. She looked at Bryan curiously and said enthusiastically,

"You know, Bryan, the Daily Prophet said that boy and his friends got that Basilisk from Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets, but everyone in the department knows that it was you who pulled those kids out of the snake's mouth. But few people in the department know where you came from. Many people are asking around about your background!"

She leaned forward and lowered her voice, as if she was sharing a juicy gossip.

"Did you tell them who I am?" Bryan smiled and didn't seem to mind. He knew that Tonks was one of the few people who knew his 'true' identity.

"I know you don't like to attract attention, Bryan–" Tonks said proudly, "There's a nasty woman named Umbridge who's been asking a lot of young people in the department about you. She also came to me, but I didn't say a word."

She made a face and stuck out her tongue, showing her dislike for Umbridge.

"Much appreciated–"

Umbridge was the senior undersecretary of the Ministry of Magic. She was said to be Fudge's right-hand man and trusted by Fudge very much. Bryan guessed that this woman probably wanted to recruit some young wizards who were good at their skills but not well-known for Fudge.

In case one day Fudge and Dumbledore had a falling out. Some of the people in the Ministry were more loyal to power, some were neutralists, and quite a few were Dumbledore's obedient 'students'. If one day Dumbledore called for action, it was hard to say who they would listen to! Bryan frowned slightly at the thought of this possibility. He hoped that it would never happen.

"By the way," Bryan looked at Tonks's black robe worn by Aurors on missions, his eyes flickered for a moment, "You became an Auror? That's a very good job. Among our graduates that year, except for Bill Weasley who met all the requirements for Auror recruitment, everyone else's grades seemed to be unqualified?"

"I was specially recruited," Tonks raised her nose and said proudly, "You know, Bryan, I'm a Metamorphmagus. I have a natural talent for hiding and disguising. Of course, being an Auror is not an easy job. I'm still an 'intern'. By the way, Bryan, what have you been doing these years under a false name? I mean, before you returned to Hogwarts as an 'investigator' earlier this year?"

Tonks asked with curiosity and admiration.

"Freelancer–" Bryan picked up the tea cup and smiled, "I aim to help some people who are in trouble solve their current predicaments."

"That doesn't sound like a serious job–" Tonks asked suspiciously.

"Yeah," Bryan nodded, his tone serious, "Aurors are our enemies."

He said it as a joke, but there was a hint of truth in it.

A carriage full of oak barrels stopped outside the pub. The landlady picked up a fancy money bag and hurriedly pushed the door to pick up the goods. In the pub, there were only Bryan and Tonks left. They sat at a corner table, away from the windows and the fireplace. They wanted some privacy and quietness for their conversation. Bryan leaned back in his chair with a smile on his face. Tonks across from him was talking enthusiastically about her exciting Auror career.

"It was so close, Bryan" Tonks held up a finger and gestured, "I swear, it was so close that we caught those dark wizards who smuggled artifacts. Before that operation, Kingsley told me privately that if I could perform brilliantly in the arrest operation, he would be willing to go to Mr. Scrimgeour to apply for shortening my internship period on my behalf. It's a pity that the damn dark wizard who popped out of nowhere ruined everything. He made me lie in St. Mungo's for half a month. The Auror office also lost two months' bonus because of this. I was planning to use that money to buy myself a broom!"

She spoke with passion and frustration, recalling the details of the mission that went wrong..

Bryan didn't know what to say, so he just kept smiling.

Tonks, who clenched her teeth, drank the syrup soda in her glass. She seemed to be still angry and wanted to find the landlady for a more stimulating drink. She looked up and found that there was no one in the shop, so she slammed the glass on the table. She cursed under her breath and looked around for Mrs. Rosmerta. She wanted to order something stronger than soda, something that could drown her sorrows and make her forget her failures.

"By the way!"

Looking at the calm Bryan, compared to herself who was excited by meeting an old classmate after many years, Bryan Watson had been very graceful and calm except for the moment when they met - Tonks was not surprised by Bryan's performance. Back in school, this Slytherin wizard who seemed indifferent to everything was like this.

He was always cool and collected, never showing much emotion or interest in anything. He was smart and talented, but he kept a low profile and avoided trouble.

"By the way, Bryan, why are you here in Hogsmeade? I heard you're no longer working at Hogwarts?" Tonks changed the topic and asked casually.

Bryan knew that the Ministry probably arranged Tonks here to watch Black. He certainly wouldn't tell her that he actually came here for the same purpose,

"You know, Tonks,"

Bryan looked out of the window at the row of old houses with chimneys smoking white smoke next to the street, "I returned to Hogwarts earlier this year. Of course, I also came to this village and found that I liked the living environment here very much. Hmm. It reminded me of many good memories of studying at Hogwarts. So, after careful consideration for a while, I decided to stay here for a while. I came here this time hoping to find a rental house in the village–"

He lied smoothly and convincingly, making up a plausible reason for his presence in Hogsmeade. He pretended to be nostalgic and sentimental about his school days, hoping to divert Tonks' attention from his real motives.

According to Bryan's understanding of Tonks, she would make a few jokes when she heard him say 'good memories of studying'. For example, 'Good memories, do you mean being locked up in Professor Snape's office for a term?' or something like that.

But to his surprise, this good-natured girl did not behave like that, but instead became serious and solemn, with solemnity in her eyes,

"You want to settle in Hogsmeade, at this time?"

"If it were any other time, there would be no problem, Bryan,"

Tonks became serious when she talked about business. She glanced at the landlady outside bargaining and lowered her voice to warn Bryan, "But now, this is not a peaceful place!"

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章 153: 0152 Secrets

Bryan knew what Tonks meant by 'not peaceful'. He was well aware of the gossip culture that pervaded the British Ministry of Magic. Most of the employees there had graduated from Hogwarts, and they still retained the old habit of their school days. As long as they learned a juicy secret, they couldn't wait to share it with everyone they knew. Therefore, the shocking news that Sirius Black, the notorious mass murderer and Death Eater, had escaped from Azkaban to kill Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, was something that almost everyone who had anything to do with the Ministry of Magic knew, even though the Daily Prophet had not reported it yet.

Fudge, the Minister of Magic, had entrusted him to look after Harry during the summer vacation. Mr. Weasley, who worked in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, obviously knew about it in advance, but for Tonks, who was a rookie Auror and still had to 'practice for two and a half years', she apparently didn't have as many connections as Mr. Weasley, otherwise she wouldn't have said that to him.

Bryan didn't pretend to be confused, because he also wanted to hear from Tonks what progress the Aurors had made in capturing Black. He leaned forward and lowered his voice, as if he was afraid of being overheard by someone.

"If you mean Black," he said cautiously. "I already know he might cause some trouble, but I don't think the Ministry needs to worry too much. After all–"

He pointed to the direction of Hogwarts outside the window and imitated Harry's expression when he mentioned Dumbledore. He tried to sound confident and reassuring.

"Our headmaster is not a simple man!"

"Oh, you already know?" Tonks asked, her voice slightly disappointed. She had been ready to spill the 'secret' to Bryan, but now she realized that he was not as clueless as she had thought. She muttered a few words under her breath, but didn't seem too surprised. Apparently, she also had some understanding of the Ministry's leaky nature.

"–That's not necessarily true, Bryan. Dumbledore has his blind spots too, right? Otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed Black to be the Potter's Secret-Keeper!"

The bar suddenly became very quiet. Tonks looked at Bryan with confusion when she didn't get a response. To her surprise, she saw a stunned and astonished handsome face staring back at her.

"Oh, you don't know this!" Tonks exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "You haven't heard of this?"

Bryan slowly closed his mouth and hesitated to nod. He felt like he had just been hit by a stunning spell.

Whoosh! Tonks' golden hair turned pink in an instant, and a blush appeared on her pale heart-shaped cheeks. In her black eyes that stared at Bryan, there was a bright light of excitement.

"Oh, of course you don't. This is a top secret. Even in the Ministry, only a few senior officials know about it. Of course, we Aurors often know some secrets that are not known to others because of our work needs, but Bryan, I can't tell outsiders. This is top secret–"

"Since that's the case," Bryan interrupted her politely.

"But you're not an ordinary wizard, are you?" Tonks leaned in closer, ignoring his words. "You have the Order of Merlin. By the way, that's really amazing, Bryan. Except for dying in the line of duty, I don't see any chance of getting an Order of Merlin in my lifetime. That was because you helped Dumbledore solve that annoying Chamber of Secrets of Slytherin last year. I dare say he must trust you very much!"

'Maybe' Bryan thought so, but when he spoke, he said–"Yes, I am Dumbledore's most trusted person!" He hoped that his lie would make Tonks stop talking nonsense.

"Since that's the case!" Tonks glanced at the door and made sure no one came in before saying enthusiastically, "It doesn't matter if I tell you then. Dumbledore will tell you sooner or later anyway!"

'He will?' Bryan thought again. He doubted that Dumbledore would ever tell him such a sensitive information.

"This is a bit complicated, Bryan. I have something important to do and can't tell you in detail. Basically, it's like this: The boy's parents are James and Lily Potter. They were friends with Black when they were at Hogwarts. Back then, when Voldemort was hunting them down mercilessly, Dumbledore suggested using the Fidelius Charm to hide their location and act as their Secret-Keeper himself. But the Potters disagreed. They thought Black was more trustworthy than anyone else."

Bryan's expression changed subtly. He felt a chill run down his spine.

"So you're saying that after Black became the Potters' Secret-Keeper, he betrayed them and joined Voldemort?"

"That's exactly what happened, Bryan!"

Tonks said solemnly.

"Everyone knows what happened next. Voldemort found the Potters and killed them in cold blood. And just when he was about to kill little Potter, the baby who was destined to be his nemesis, somehow his magic failed and he died. Or so it seemed. Some people even think he was severely injured and fled in disgrace, hiding in the shadows for years.

Anyway, that despicable Black lost everything overnight. He couldn't believe that Voldemort, the Dark Lord he worshipped and followed, would be defeated by a mere infant. When the news came out, he ran to the Potter's house to confirm the situation with his own eyes. When he found out that it was true, that his friends were dead and their son had survived, he chose to run away to avoid trial.

But then Black was caught up by another friend of the Potters, a short and chubby guy named Peter. Peter had been loyal to the Potters until the end, and he had probably suspected Black's betrayal. He cornered Black on a crowded Muggle street and tried to avenge the Potters. Oh, he was a hero, but he was no match for Black. He was killed by a powerful dark magic spell by Black, along with thirteen innocent Muggles who happened to be there. The hero's mother only got a finger of her son and an Order of Merlin First Class in exchange for his life. And Black"

Ding dong– Mrs. Rosmerta, who had finished checking the goods, pushed open the door of her pub. A few local residents used magic to control oak barrels and floated them into the shop. They followed the landlady and wanted to send these aged wines to the underground cellar.

Tonks was not really a silly girl. She didn't tell Bryan these things just because they had 'worked together'. She really thought that Bryan, who had been nominated by the Minister of Magic himself for an Order of Merlin Second Class, was 'one of us'. When she saw strangers breaking into their private conversation space, she closed her mouth vigilantly.

'Potters and Dwarf Peter'

While Tonks was on guard against those villagers, Bryan narrowed his eyes and his expression became inscrutable.

Lupin's words suddenly popped into Bryan' mind, making his breath lighter.

'He killed three of my friends. Very good friends. I have to kill him myself.'

So that's the truth. Bryan tapped his fingers on the table lightly, feeling enlightened. No wonder Lupin hated Black so much that he even asked Bryan to hand him over to him if he really caught him. So it seems that if it weren't for Black's betrayal, Harry's parents, James and Lily Potter, might not have died. Although it was Voldemort who killed them with his killing curse, in fact, Harry's real enemy was Black.

'Potter must not know about this, right?'

Bryan had this question in his mind, but soon he thought of the answer.

From what he knew about Potter, if he knew that his parents died because of their closest friend's betrayal, he would probably drop out of school and run out to 'hunt down' Black. He would not care about the danger or the consequences. He would only want revenge.

But that man really deserves to die.

Bryan's eyes with a hint of purple became deeper. Dumbledore has always been the eternal flame in the hearts of those wizards who fight against Voldemort, but the Potters would rather let Black be their secret-keeper than Dumbledore. You can imagine how much they trust this friend, and you can also imagine how much they regret when they fall!

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