The Hogwats Gaijin

The basket of food they had begged from Dobby in the kitchens was heavy and smelled overwhelmingly of roast chicken and fresh baking. Harry adjusted his grip on the wicker handle, trying not to slip on the damp stones. The path led them further and further away from the cosy shop windows of Hogsmeade, out towards the wild rocks and heather-covered moors.

‘I still think we did the wrong thing,’ Harry muttered, peering into the grey mist. ‘We could have asked Kieran to come. It feels like we’re hiding something from him.’

Ron, walking beside him and already on his second pumpkin pasty in ten minutes, snorted so loudly he scattered a flock of sparrows.

‘You must be joking, Harry! Bring Morgan to a meeting with an escaped convict? He’s obsessed with honour, rules and all that Japanese discipline. He sees Sirius and what then? Challenges him to a duel? Or hands him straight over to the Aurors because “that’s the proper thing to do”?’

Harry glanced at Hermione. She walked in silence, wrapped tightly in her warm scarf, looking thoughtful. A few days earlier she and Kieran had returned from the hospital wing, and although Hermione hadn’t said anything, Harry had noticed how their interactions had changed. The tension had disappeared; they had clearly made up, and that was good. But right now Hermione was on Ron’s side.

‘Ron’s right, Harry,’ she said quietly, not looking up. ‘Kieran… he wouldn’t tell anyone. But imagine Sirius’s reaction — he definitely wouldn’t be ready to see a stranger. We should at least talk to your godfather first.’

Harry sighed, acknowledging they were right, but the worm of guilt still gnawed at him. It felt wrong to keep something from someone who had become part of their group.

Ahead, at the foot of a rocky slope, a large shadow moved.

‘Look!’ Ron whispered, pointing.

A huge black dog, looking remarkably like a Grim, sat on a boulder, its shaggy tail dangling. Seeing the three of them, the dog gave a joyful bark, wagging its entire body, then leapt down and trotted towards them. It looked thin, its coat matted in places, but its eyes held a very human, mischievous intelligence.

The dog pushed its wet nose into Harry’s palm in greeting, then turned and wagged its tail, inviting them to follow it into a narrow cleft between the rocks.

Inside the cave it was dry but cold. It smelled of dust and an animal den. The moment they stepped into the shadows, the dog rose onto its hind legs; its silhouette blurred and stretched, and a second later Sirius Black stood before them.

He looked better than the last time they had seen him in the fire, but he was still alarmingly gaunt. His long hair was tied back in a tail, and his robes hung loosely on him. Still, the smile he gave his godson was warm and genuine.

‘Harry!’ Sirius stepped forward and pulled him into a tight, fatherly hug. He smelled of dog and old tobacco. ‘Good to see you in one piece. And you two as well,’ he added with a wink at Ron and Hermione.

Harry let out a breath of relief as the tension of the past few weeks eased.

‘I brought food,’ he said, holding out the basket. ‘Dobby went all out.’

Sirius’s eyes lit up with hungry delight. He immediately sat down on the stone floor, pulling the basket towards him.

‘Merlin bless house-elves,’ he muttered, pulling out a chicken leg. ‘Right, tell me everything. How did you manage to get yourself into this Tournament, Harry? I told you to keep your head down.’

Harry sat on a rock opposite him, feeling a slight pang of guilt.

‘I didn’t stick my head out, Sirius. Honestly. I didn’t put my name in. It just… happened.’

Sirius stopped chewing and looked at his godson intently. His face grew serious, almost hard in the dim light of the cave.

‘Things like this don’t just happen, Harry. Someone went to a lot of trouble. And I don’t like it one bit. Any suspects?’

‘We don’t know,’ Hermione cut in. ‘But Harry’s coping. He got through the first task with the dragon, and the second with the lake…’

‘Heard about that,’ Sirius’s face brightened again and he gave an approving hum. ‘Outflying a Hungarian Horntail — that’s impressive. James would have been proud. Well done, Prongslet.’

‘I had help,’ Harry admitted honestly. ‘Hermione taught me the spells, Ron… well, Ron provided moral support. And Kieran.’

‘Ah,’ Ron grunted through a mouthful of food. ‘Morgan’s basically our reserve Defence professor now. He works Harry so hard he can barely walk afterwards.’

Sirius froze with a piece of bread in his hand. His brows drew together.

‘Morgan?’ he repeated, and a cold, metallic edge crept into his voice. ‘Did you say Morgan? One of those Welsh Morgans?’

‘Yes,’ Harry said warily. ‘Kieran Kai Morgan. He transferred this year.’

Sirius slowly lowered the bread.

‘Have you all lost your minds?’ he growled, looking at them with the same expression Harry had seen on his wanted posters. ‘Getting involved with the Morgans? Harry, that’s an old, very dark family. During the first war they didn’t join Voldemort only because they considered him an upstart half-blood unworthy of their attention. Of all the people to trust, Prongslet…’

‘Don’t generalise, Sirius!’ Hermione suddenly snapped, her cheeks flushing with indignation. ‘Kieran isn’t like that. I’ve known him since we were children — we lived on the same street. His mother is a lovely woman, and he himself… he’s decent. Yes, he has a complicated past, but he’s on our side. He taught Harry defensive spells when no one else would help!’

Sirius shifted his gaze from Hermione to Harry, then to Ron. He was silent for several seconds, digesting what he had heard.

‘Known him since childhood, you say?’ he finally asked, calmer now, though the wariness remained. ‘Alright. Suppose that’s true. But I still want to have a look at him.’

‘He’s in Hogsmeade right now,’ Harry said. ‘We were planning to meet him at the Three Broomsticks after… after talking to you.’

‘Excellent,’ Sirius nodded. ‘I’ll walk with you. In Padfoot form, of course. I want to see this “reserve professor” of yours.’

‘Sirius, it’s dangerous,’ Harry began, but his godfather waved him off.

‘Dangerous is sitting in this cave without a decent pint of ale. I’ll be careful.’

They finished the rest of the meal. Sirius looked more cheerful and full; he even began humming something under his breath as he gathered up the crumbs. When they stood up to leave, Hermione suddenly stopped.

‘Sirius,’ she said, her voice tense. ‘I need… to consult you about a suspicion I have.’

Black immediately straightened, sensing a secret.

‘I’m listening.’

‘It’s about Professor Moody,’ Hermione said, nervously adjusting the strap of her bag. ‘I’ve noticed for a while now… he’s constantly drinking from his hip flask. He says he’s afraid of being poisoned. But once… he opened it near me… and the smell seemed far too familiar.’

She paused, looking at her friends.

‘I brewed Polyjuice Potion in second year,’ she said firmly. ‘And I remember that smell. It’s distinctive. You can’t mistake it.’

Silence fell in the cave. Ron’s mouth dropped open, and Harry frowned, trying to piece the facts together.

‘You think Moody isn’t Moody?’ Sirius asked incredulously, though an eager spark had lit in his eyes.

‘It’s a very serious accusation,’ Hermione shook her head. ‘And it sounds like madness. Moody is a legendary Auror. Who could possibly replace him? But that smell… it won’t leave me alone. I wanted to go to Dumbledore, but I have no proof. Only my nose and suspicions.’

Sirius rubbed his stubbled chin, pacing back and forth in the narrow cave.

‘If that’s true…’ he muttered. ‘It would explain how your name got into the Goblet, Harry. Someone inside the school. Someone people trust.’

He stopped and grinned slyly at Harry.

‘You know, Prongslet, you happen to have an Invisibility Cloak. And the Marauder’s Map.’

‘You’re suggesting we follow him?’ Harry asked.

‘I’m suggesting we search his office,’ Sirius smirked. ‘But the Cloak won’t help against his magical eye!’

‘True,’ Sirius agreed. ‘Breaking into Moody’s office while he’s there would be suicide. But the third task is coming up soon. The maze. Moody will be patrolling the perimeter like all the other teachers. His office will be empty.’

He looked meaningfully at Hermione.

‘If Harry lends you the Cloak…’

‘No!’ Harry exclaimed. ‘Hermione, you’re definitely not going alone!’

‘Harry, you need to focus on the maze,’ Hermione countered, though her fingers had gone white gripping her bag strap. ‘You can’t be in two places at once. And if Sirius is right and this is a trap… we need to know for certain.’

‘I trust you with anything, Hermione,’ Harry said earnestly, looking into her eyes. ‘The Cloak, the Map, my life. But I don’t want you risking yourself for me.’

‘There won’t be any risk if Moody isn’t in the castle,’ Sirius cut in. ‘The office will be empty. Hermione’s a clever witch — she’ll manage. She just needs to find reserves of the potion or ingredients. Then we can run to the professors.’

Hermione looked deeply thoughtful. She was biting her lip, weighing all the pros and cons, but Harry could see determination kindling in her eyes.

‘Alright,’ she finally sighed. ‘We’ll discuss the details later.’

Sirius, pleased to have planted the seed of another adventure, clapped his hands.

‘Splendid! Now let’s go. I’m dying for a pint and to have a look at this mysterious Morgan of yours who’s causing so much fuss. I promise I’ll be on my best behaviour and won’t bite him.’

He winked, and before anyone could object, he transformed back into the huge black dog, giving an impatient bark by the cave entrance.