Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 305 Return to reality
In the boundless space, the campfire burned quietly on the terrace, reflecting off the young wizard's face and making it glow red. The exhausted adult wizard also slowly recovered, and as his depleted magic power returned, his pale face gradually regained its color.

Peter squatted outside, basking in the warmth of the campfire, and obediently ate his bread.

Ron tended the campfire, muttering about the rampaging Fiendfire, and brandishing his wand as if he were manipulating Fiendfire, when in reality he was just adding a few wisps of ordinary flame.

Melvin stopped the conversation between the teacher and students, and began to sip his butterbeer and look around at the strange space. The others didn't want to talk for a moment, and the only sounds in the open air were the burning flames and the popping of beer bubbles.

The surroundings were shrouded in mist, and the area around the campfire fell silent. Sirius looked at the stray sparks, then at Harry, and felt as if he were dreaming.

I wonder how long this beautiful dream will last, and whether I will be caught and imprisoned on that deserted island in the North Sea after I wake up.

“I never thought I’d get to talk to you again, Harry,” Sirius murmured.

Harry was silent for a few seconds, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him: "I didn't expect that either."

"After twelve years in Azkaban, those memories are hazy and blurry, even more so than dreams. I can hardly remember how I did it."

Sirius Black slowed his speech: "When I really couldn't bear it anymore, I would transform in my cell and become a dog... I still haven't lost my mind, perhaps because I don't have any pleasant thoughts in my head, only regret and hatred, so the Dementors didn't suck my soul out, allowing me to keep my mind clear, to know who I am, and to unconsciously preserve my magic."

“I thought I would stay in a half-awake state, passing the time like this until I died in Azkaban, to see James and Lily, and to confess to them in person. But I saw the news about the Shadow Mirror, and I saw the rats lurking around you.”

Ron, who was tending the campfire, suddenly froze in place, Peter paused in his bread-eating, and Snape glanced at them.

"You don't need to blame yourself so much, Sirius. You didn't kill them," Harry whispered, trying to comfort him.

Sirius continued his recollection: "Fortunately, I was very thin back then, thin enough to slip through the gaps in the fence. As a dog, I swam across the North Sea back to the mainland, wandered all the way back to London, and even went to Privet Road. I heard a lot about you in Diagon Alley, and I was happy to hear that you had run away from home to protect your parents."

A nostalgic look appeared in his eyes: "I've seen you play Quidditch, you flew just as well as your father, Harry."

Harry's mind flashed back to the images of those black dogs, and a warmth filled his heart: "I've seen them many times, and to be honest, it's a little scary. Trelawney said you're a harbinger of death."

A few soft laughs came from around the campfire, lightening the atmosphere.

"After arriving at Hogwarts, I always hid in the Shrieking Shack and the Forbidden Forest. When I was alone, I couldn't help but think about my experiences over the years."

Sirius Black took a bite of bread, crumbs falling into his beard: "Actually, I'm not a proper Gryffindor. I only have false courage, I don't dare to take real responsibility. Facing my parents who uphold the pure-blood ideology, I didn't dare to argue with them, so I ran away from the Black family..."

"Faced with the heavy responsibility of keeping secrets, I dare not shoulder the safety of your family, so I transferred it to Peter and chose to escape."

"After that, I dared not face Dumbledore, dared not face you in your swaddling clothes, so I went to chase after Peter alone."

“After being captured by the Aurors, I dared not face their gaze, dared not face the trial, so I gave up the appeal and used atonement as an excuse to hide in Azkaban.”

“Sometimes I wonder if I’m afraid to face James and Lily, which is why I’ve been living on all these years and don’t want to die.”

Snape and Lupin lowered their heads, watching the campfire burn quietly, remaining silent.

Sirius Black may not be the only one who feels guilty, avoids facing reality, and is afraid to confront his situation.

Harry looked into Sirius's iron-grey eyes, his face unshaven and disheveled, looking like a stray dog, and his voice was hoarse: "Don't say that..."

Sirius stuffed the bread into his mouth, chewed it twice, swallowed it, and wiped his mouth. "Snape, I've thought it through. When we get back to reality, take Peter and me with you. Whether you hand us over to Dumbledore or directly to the Aurors, I have no complaints. It's my responsibility!"

“Hmm…” Snape responded faintly.

Harry was startled and turned to look at Snape. Snape's thin face remained expressionless, his eyes devoid of any emotion. Harry immediately felt uneasy.

"Xiao Tian—"

“Listen! Harry…”

Sirius Black abruptly interrupted, staring intently into Harry's green eyes, as if trying to etch them into his mind, or perhaps looking through those green eyes at his parents:
“I know he seems hostile towards us, which is understandable; he has his reasons, but he is trustworthy.”

"Let me tell you..."

Lupin took over the conversation and calmly began to recount: "Sirius once played a joke on him that almost cost him his life. When we were in school, Severus was in the same grade as us and he would always notice my unusual behavior. Starting from the third grade, he became particularly interested in where I went every month."

"One moonlit evening, Snape saw Madam Pomfrey and I walking across the field together. She led me to the Whomping Willow to transform. Sirius told Severus about the tunnels beneath the Whomping Willow and tricked him into going in, which he did..."

Sirius scratched his head, turned to look at Snape, met a pair of deep, dark eyes, and then silently turned back.

"The situation was extremely critical. I had lost my mind. If he had gone to the house, he would have encountered a crazed werewolf. Fortunately, James stopped him and risked his life to pull him back."

Lupin paused briefly: "This is what Dumbledore once told you: Severus owes a life, and he must repay that life, so he will protect you, protect you at the cost of his own life."

A slight ripple finally appeared in Snape's eyes.

Sirius licked the cream off his lips. What he really wanted to mention was the Patronus. For some reason, Remus had kept the Patronus a secret.

He hesitated for a moment, then didn't say anything more: "In short, you can trust Professor Snape just as you trust Dumbledore."

Harry and the others focused their attention on Snape, whose eyelids were lowered and whose emotions were unreadable.

Peter glanced at Melvin twice, not daring to make a sound, his shifty eyes darting around.

"Alright, Hermione, take out the Time-Turner. We should head back."

The conversation ended abruptly, and Hermione, still half-asleep, took off the necklace and handed it over: "But Professor... we don't know how many times we should spin around?"

"No need to bother..."

Melvin took the time-tamper, had everyone hold one end of the chain, and then whispered:

"Show me the way."

……

The sky was dim, at the top of the astronomical tower.

Snape stood on the snow-swept terrace, glancing at the two men behind him before staring down at the black marks left by the extinguished campfire. To his left and right were two raiders, one tall and thin, the other short and stout. Sirius Black, still looking disheveled, gazed absently at the Forbidden Forest and Black Lake in the distance, his expression somewhat dazed. Peter Pettigrew, head bowed, remained silent, lost in thought.

Once a Death Eater, a hypocrite who escaped trial, Snape returned to reality and was momentarily disoriented.

When he drank the Polyjuice Potion and rode away from the castle on his broomstick in the afternoon, his eyes burned with the flames of revenge. He was thinking about torturing Sirius's soul after capturing him, making him wish he were dead. After going around in circles for a long time, perhaps his anger had been burned away with the Fiery Flame, and now, facing Peter, he was too lazy to torture him.

Upon closer examination, Voldemort was the murderer of Lily, but there were many more accomplices behind him.

Sirius Black transferred the Secret Keeper, Peter Pettigrew leaked the secret... but ultimately, it was Severus Snape who leaked the prophecy, which made Voldemort target them.

When Lily questioned him in the spacetime rift, he used Occlumency to avoid the question. Boggart could easily isolate himself, but he could not isolate his own heart.

With his sins so heavy, what right did he have to torment others on Lily's behalf?

“I suddenly remembered something,” Sirius said beside him.

After explaining everything to Harry, Sirius felt relieved and relaxed, speaking in a light tone, no longer the bitter and resentful person he used to be.

Regardless of the Ministry of Magic's verdict, at least his godson will no longer hold a grudge against him, his old friends will no longer misunderstand him, and the stigma of betrayal has been cleared.

As for the opinions of other wizards?
Whatever, it doesn't matter.

"Speak your mind." Snape's tone remained nonchalant.

"Is that broom still intact? And did you return the Firebolt I bought to Harry?" Sirius asked seriously.

Snape ignored him and walked downstairs on his own.

"You two hide in the underground classroom first. I will have the kitchen send two Christmas dinners over. After they return to the correct anchor point and the dinner is over, and time has completed its loop, I will bring Dumbledore to see you."

Sirius persisted: "What about the Firebolts? Explain yourself, they cost several thousand Galleons, they're very expensive."

"..."

Peter kept his head down and dared not utter a sound, following cautiously behind. Although he was not bound and his magic power had mostly recovered, he had no intention of running away on his own.

In his youth, Snape was a Death Eater. Now he's a madman who's an expert in dark magic and potions. He's cruel, ruthless, cunning, and like a venomous snake that will devour anyone who dares to bite him. He's even capable of impersonating Harry. Who knows what the consequences will be if you anger him?
And then there's Sirius Black, the crazy, mad dog. The last few times he sneaked into Hogwarts, we wanted to tear him to pieces, but now we're willing to hand him over.

The Dementors still had an effect on him during his imprisonment in Azkaban.

"Most importantly, the young professor hasn't yet stated his position..."

Peter Pettigrew gripped the crook of his arm, unable to suppress his inner turmoil.

What exactly does Mr. Levent want to do?
Should we really hand him over to clear Sirius's name?
He didn't believe that Mr. Levent wasn't such a kind-hearted person, skilled in dark magic, adept at stirring up desires, manipulating people's hearts, and plotting to steal the Lestrange family's treasury.

Boggart's visions proved that Levent had surpassed Voldemort and become Peter's deepest fear. Having witnessed the incredible power of the two snakes flying through the air, Peter was utterly terrified and preferred to spend the rest of his life hiding in Azkaban rather than provoke Levent.

Rats in the gutter are masters of self-preservation; even if it means barely surviving, living is better than dying.

At least there's a delicious Christmas dinner tonight.

Peter grinned, revealing a few shrunken, yellow teeth, looking just like a mouse stealing food.

……

"Professor, did you make some improvements? The Pointing Charm can actually pinpoint time!" Hermione stood blankly at the entrance to the tunnel under the roots of the Willow Tree, clutching the Time-Turner that had been restored to its original state, and didn't come back to her senses for a long time.

The taboo disaster of the time-tamper is exemplified by the witch Eloise, who was unable to accurately locate the time anchor and met a tragic end. Had she known this beforehand, perhaps the poor witch wouldn't have blindly tried to travel between the past and the future, ultimately being trapped for five centuries and dying of old age.

But the little witch also knew that many of Professor Levent's spells were unique, and the effects he cast were completely different from those of other wizards.

For example, the Bubble Charm, the Guardian Charm, the Fiend Charm, and the Blue Flame that soothes animals...

“Professor, when did you come to see us?” Hermione asked.

"Eleven o'clock."

"Eleven o'clock!?" Hermione exclaimed in surprise.

“Yes, you and I returned to reality at the same time, which means you lost an hour of your lives out of thin air. Add to that the hours you were trapped, and you've aged half a day,” Melvin added.

Harry and Ron exchanged a glance, then grinned nonchalantly. The thirteen-year-olds didn't care about a few hours of their lives; they even thought the adventure was well worth it.

Lupin, on the other hand, was used to it. In any case, he was prematurely aged. He was in his early thirties but looked like he was in his forties or fifties. It was only a few hours, and a couple more gray hairs wouldn't be noticeable.

The group bid farewell to the Willow Tree and headed back towards the castle.

The Bowtruckle watched them leave with a menacing grin, the Willow waved its branches in farewell, and the wizard's hard-soled boots crunched on the snow, leaving a trail of footprints.

Hermione was silent for a moment, then suddenly looked up at Melvin:

“Professor, I’ve made up my mind. I’ll go back and tell Professor McGonagall that I’m going to return the Time-Turner.”

"Oh, what about your elective courses then?"

Hermione had made up her mind and had already planned out her course schedule: "Muggle studies are now a compulsory course, so there won't be any time conflicts. I'll drop Divination. If it's just ancient runes, arithmetic divination, and protecting magical creatures, I should be able to manage."

"I can help you communicate with other elective course professors to make appropriate adjustments. Perhaps you won't have to attend all classes, and the basic coursework can be waived. As long as you complete the paper on time and take the exam, you can still receive a certificate."

Melvin said with a smile, "This is normal preferential treatment that Muggle universities give to good students. Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall should not mind Hogwarts making some attempts at improvement."

“Professor!” Hermione exclaimed happily.

Harry was green with envy; he also wanted to be exempt from some of his homework.

(End of this chapter)