They've all heard about Little Sirius, and they looked at Harry expectantly, wondering what would happen if Harry encountered this person who wanted to kill him.
"Need you even ask?" Ron said cheerfully. "I bet he wouldn't dare come after Harry—if he watched that Quidditch match, he'd definitely stay far away to avoid being burned to ashes by Harry!"
"Would he still dare to come to the Gryffindor common room?" The nearby Ravenclaw students chimed in. "I bet he didn't see that match, or else he wouldn't be so bold."
"Alright! Everyone quiet!" Percy's voice came in timely. "I'm the Head Boy, and now I announce that lights out in ten minutes. No talking, understood?"
"He's so annoying," Ron murmured to Harry. "See, always spoiling things. If he knew just how annoying he is, maybe he'd stop."
After all, he is the Head Boy, Ron," Harry whispered. "He's got to have some privileges, doesn't he?"
Ron shrugged and said nothing, agreeing with what Harry had just said.
Meanwhile, in the Forbidden Forest.
Little Sirius, whose coat was missing a large patch, sat in the Forbidden Forest, howling in pain.
Why is it that after so many years away from Hogwarts, the Gryffindor gatekeeper has changed?
If he had known that the gatekeeper now was a Sphinx, then he wouldn't have dared to provoke this trouble.
Goodness...
Little Sirius licked his wound, pondering...
It seems it's time to change the way to find that traitor!
But... how exactly should he do it? He was still muttering to himself.
"Black dog."
An ethereal voice rang beside him—it was Pabi.
Pabi had a food basket in her mouth, which she had snuck from Newt's tent.
"Have some food," she said. "What happened to you?"
She saw the wounds on Little Sirius.
"Oh, scratched by a tree," Little Sirius found an excuse, barking. "It's all my fault for not being careful; while running, I wasn't watching the path and got scraped by bark."
"That's how it is, you should be more careful." Pabi understood the dog language, replying quietly.
But she only understood roughly—that he got scraped by a tree.
This dog seems not very smart, she thought.
Harry was lying in his sleeping bag, unable to sleep, constantly thinking about Black—
This guy, why would he suddenly break into the Gryffindor common room?
Even as a fanatic follower of Voldemort, he wouldn't barge into a common room in broad daylight to kill a student, would he?
Just as he was thinking this, he heard the door sound, then open, followed by more footsteps.
"Headmaster?"
The greasy, drawn-out voice was very recognizable, and Harry immediately knew the speaker must be Professor Snape.
"The entire fourth floor has been checked, and he's not there. Fitch checked the main castle building, and there's nothing there either," Professor Snape said to Dumbledore.
"How about the Astronomy Tower? Has Professor Trelawney's room been checked? And the places where owls frequent—those are easy spots to hide something, Severus," Dumbledore said.
"All checked." Snape replied, but his mood was clearly not good, as if saying it through gritted teeth.
"Very well, Severus. I don't truly believe Black would linger," Professor Dumbledore said softly.
"As for how he got in, I think you should know, Headmaster," Professor Snape seemed to hint strongly, as if suspecting someone within the school had brought Little Sirius inside.
But possibly Snape hated this person very much, for Harry recognized Snape's tone when he got angry, just like now.
"Many people, Severus, but you must know—I don't believe your suspicion is correct."
Professor Dumbledore, being perceptive, naturally picked up on Snape's insinuation.
"Do you remember our conversation, Headmaster? Just—oh—before the term started?" Snape said meaningfully, barely opening his lips, resembling someone in extreme toothache from eating sweets.
"Of course, Severus," Dumbledore replied, his voice carrying a hint of warning.
"It seems—almost impossible—without internal help Black could only slip into this school," Snape's voice was greasy, yet very certain. "And I had warned you about this at that time, he and..."
"I don't believe anyone in this castle would help Black get in," Dumbledore interrupted Snape, sounding a bit displeased, as if Snape accused someone he trusted deeply.
"If Potter hadn't burned those Dementors to ash, perhaps Little Sirius would already be caught," Snape lowly said, glancing at Harry looking up at him. "Reckless Gryffindor, aren't you, Potter?"
"You wish those Dementors would suck the life out of me?" Harry suddenly retorted.
"Not sleeping, Gryffindor loses five points."
Snape seemed to suddenly feel much better, briskly leaving the hall, leaving Harry staring in disbelief at his departing figure.