Two professors?
Maurise thought it was actually quite a brilliant arrangement. It certainly explained why Dumbledore had been in such high spirits recently. The Defense Against the Dark Arts position for the upcoming school year had finally been secured.
The only lingering question was whether Sirius Black and this mystery retired Auror could actually survive the entire year and suppress the nasty curse Voldemort had placed on the position.
---
Today was the final day of the term.
As night fell, the Great Hall of Hogwarts was brightly illuminated, and the much-anticipated Leaving Feast commenced right on schedule.
Following traditional Hogwarts custom, the grand decorations within the Great Hall were entirely dictated by whichever House had secured the coveted House Cup.
This year, the hall was completely draped in striking shades of blue and bronze. Massive, deep blue banners cascaded down from the enchanted ceiling, each bearing the image of a majestic eagle with its wings subtly shifting and fluttering as if ready to take flight at any moment.
"...And so, the winner of this year's House Cup is... Ravenclaw!"
Accompanying Dumbledore's grand announcement, every single student at the Ravenclaw table erupted into wild, ecstatic applause.
Maurise clapped along with them, maintaining a remarkably calm demeanor.
In truth, this glorious victory was entirely thanks to him. Because he had successfully captured both Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew, Dumbledore had generously awarded him a staggering one hundred and fifty House points. This massive influx of points had instantly propelled Ravenclaw from third place straight to first.
While the Ravenclaws cheered and celebrated wildly, the Slytherin students at the adjacent table were shooting intensely bitter glares directly at Maurise.
If it had not been for Maurise's last-minute point dump, Slytherin would have easily claimed the championship this year. But there was nothing they could do. Who else could possibly claim to have captured the most notorious fugitive in Britain? The points were undeniably well-deserved. Even though it was incredibly frustrating, they had no choice but to begrudgingly accept their defeat.
As the applause slowly died down, Dumbledore returned to the staff table and began conversing quietly with Professor Flitwick.
Maurise withdrew his gaze and looked down at the parchment resting on his plate. It was his final exam report card. He had scored perfect, or near-perfect, marks in every single subject. Barring any highly unforeseen circumstances, he was undoubtedly first in his year once again.
"Quiet down, quiet down please."
Dumbledore's voice echoed through the hall once more, and the chatter gradually subsided. "Finally, before we begin our feast, there is one last matter to address."
He paused, his eyes sweeping across the sea of students before finally landing squarely on the Ravenclaw table. Or, more accurately, directly on Maurise.
"Maurise Black," he spoke clearly. "For your exceptional courage and skill in apprehending a dangerous fugitive hidden within the school, Hogwarts has decided to award you the Special Award for Services to the School."
"Please come up and receive your trophy."
Maurise froze in genuine surprise. They were actually making it this formal?
He stood up and, under the collective gaze of every student and professor in the hall, walked calmly to the front.
Professor Flitwick hurried over to him, carefully carrying a gleaming golden trophy, his small frame trembling with sheer excitement.
"Thank you," Maurise bowed slightly as he accepted the heavy trophy.
Another round of applause thundered through the Great Hall. This time, even a scattered smattering of polite clapping drifted over from the Slytherin table. Maurise offered a casual wave to the crowd. Even though there was absolutely no substantial monetary reward attached to it, the feeling... was not bad at all.
---
The Leaving Feast concluded smoothly.
The very next day, summer vacation officially began.
Maurise navigated his Ship in a Bottle to a secluded, hidden spot on the outskirts of Hogsmeade and dropped anchor.
Because of the annoying tracking charm placed on the ship's figurehead, he could not simply sail around freely without alerting the Ministry. However, since he currently had no grand travel plans for this particular holiday, it did not really matter. Or rather, he genuinely did not care about the badge at all. If he truly needed to move the ship, a simple tracking charm would never be enough to stop him.
Having secured his mobile home, Maurise returned to Hogsmeade Station and boarded the Hogwarts Express alongside the rest of the student body.
The scarlet steam engine arrived precisely on time at King's Cross Station. Maurise followed the bustling crowd off the train, passed seamlessly through the barrier at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, and entered the chaotic main concourse of King's Cross.
Suitcase in hand, he strolled casually through the station hall until he found a quiet, entirely deserted corridor.
Once he was absolutely certain no one was watching, he pulled the Concealment Stone from his pocket, gripped it tightly, and activated Apparition.
With a faint pop that barely disturbed the air, Maurise vanished without a single trace.
When his feet touched solid ground once more, he was standing directly at the gloomy entrance of Knockturn Alley.
He glanced down at the stone in his hand. The intricate runes etched onto its surface had completely faded, their magical energy entirely depleted.
"How incredibly inconvenient..." Maurise muttered under his breath.
Underage wizards being strictly forbidden from using magic outside of school... which completely moronic bureaucrat had actually come up with that absurd law?
Just as he was about to step further into the alley, a voice hissed from directly behind him.
"Are you lost, dearie?"
The voice was grating and terribly hoarse.
Maurise turned his head to find an exceptionally ugly old hag standing there. She was holding a tray filled with what appeared to be human fingernails.
Hmm... he felt an odd sense of deja vu. Had he seen her somewhere before?
Ah, right. Was this not the exact same hag Harry had bumped into when he accidentally flooed into Knockturn Alley? Maurise silently congratulated himself on his excellent memory. The last time they met, he had casually tossed a few Curses her way and knocked her out cold in seconds.
Seeing Maurise remain silent, the hag's cloudy eyes darted around shiftily before she forced a terrifying, jagged smile onto her face.
"This is no place for a little wizard like you," she croaked. "Come with me, dearie. I will show you the way out."
Maurise firmly decided he would let the old hag taste his Curses once again.
But right at that moment...
"Maurise! Over here!"
A familiar voice called out from behind him.
Maurise turned to see his former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor striding quickly toward him.
"Professor Lupin?" Maurise asked in mild confusion. "What are you doing here?"
Upon seeing an adult wizard approach, the old hag immediately spat violently onto the cobblestones.
"Rotten luck," she hissed viciously. She spun around and scurried deep into the shadows of Knockturn Alley with a speed that entirely belied her frail appearance.
Remaining completely unbothered, Maurise silently planted the seed of an Agony Curse on her retreating back. It would trigger in exactly ten minutes.
"I should be the one asking you that question," Lupin said as he reached Maurise, frowning deeply as he scanned their unsavory surroundings. "Knockturn Alley is absolutely no place for a student. And please, just call me Lupin. I have already resigned, remember?"
Maurise shrugged casually. "I have a friend who lives around here. I am just visiting."
Lupin clearly looked highly skeptical of that explanation.
"Furthermore, Lupin," Maurise added smoothly. "Even if you had not intervened, I could have easily handled that old hag myself. You know perfectly well what I am capable of."
Lupin fell entirely silent for a moment.
It was true. He really had absolutely no need to worry about Maurise's safety. Sirius had already informed him in vivid detail just how unfathomably powerful this particular student truly was.
"Very well," Lupin relented. "Just be careful, Maurise. I must be going now." He seemed to be in quite a rush.
"Goodbye," Maurise waved a hand.
Oddly enough, the two of them ended up walking in the exact same direction.
A few minutes later, they both came to a halt simultaneously right in front of Frick's shop.
Lupin stared at the dilapidated storefront, then turned his head to look at Maurise with an incredibly strange expression. He spoke first. "Do not tell me this 'friend' of yours is Frick?"
Maurise nodded. "Oh, yes. That is him."
Judging by the look on his face, it seemed Lupin was also quite familiar with Frick.