Hanson wasn't the only one at the security checkpoint; there were a few other wizards nearby as well. Hearing Hanson's words, they all rushed over to shake Harry's hand.
"After being at school for so long, I'd almost forgotten that Harry has fans across the entire British wizarding world."
Wade sighed and turned to Lupin. "We won't be late, will we?"
Lupin shared the same concern. He pushed his way through the crowd and finally managed to pull Harry out.
"Please make way, gentlemen! We have business to attend to—please step aside…"
Harry straightened his askew glasses and asked, "Mr. Hanson, could you perform the security check for us now?"
"Of course, of course."
Hanson used a thin golden rod to scan each of them from top to bottom, much like a metal detector at an airport.
He then asked Harry to place his wand on a brass machine resembling a set of scales. After a moment, the machine printed out a narrow strip of paper.
"Eleven inches, holly wood, phoenix feather core, in use for one year—is that correct?" Hanson asked.
"Yes," Harry replied. He glanced at the gathering crowd and felt like an animal on display at the zoo.
The wizards around him beamed at him with friendly smiles.
Hanson also smiled and said, "It's well-maintained. Mr. Ollivander would be very pleased to see it in such good condition."
He handed Harry back his wand and pinned the slip of paper onto a small brass peg.
When it was Lupin and Wade's turn, Hanson's demeanor became strictly professional.
"Cypress, unicorn hair, ten and a quarter inches, in use for twenty-one years?"
"That's correct," Lupin confirmed.
"Poplar wood, unicorn hair, twelve inches, in use for one year…" Hanson glanced at Wade and asked, "Are you in Hufflepuff? I'm a Hufflepuff alumnus myself."
"No," Wade replied. "I'm in Ravenclaw."
Hanson's friendly smile immediately vanished. But as soon as he turned back to look at Harry, his face lit up with enthusiasm again.
"Mr. Potter, where are you headed? I'd be happy to guide you."
"No need, Hanson—they're with me!"
Arthur Weasley suddenly appeared, pushing his way through the crowd. Putting an arm around Harry's shoulder, he led the three of them toward a large open golden door.
"You're a bit late, Lupin," Mr. Weasley said.
"Sorry, Arthur, the Ministry folks were a little too enthusiastic," Lupin replied, and then smoothed down his rumpled clothes from the earlier crowd and guided Wade forward.
A flock of colorful paper airplanes whooshed past them, fluttering like a group of birds.
They passed through the golden doors and entered the elevator hall, where at least twenty elevators stood, with a small crowd of people waiting.
"Hey, Arthur," someone greeted Mr. Weasley, "How's work been lately?"
Mr. Weasley nodded. "All good, except for a Muggle who almost had his nose bitten off by his own cup."
The group approached an elevator, and Mr. Weasley pressed the down button.
"Dumbledore is already here," he said quietly to Lupin. "And there are a lot of foreign reporters… Fudge initially wanted to hold the trial in Courtroom Ten, but with all the press, he had to switch to Courtroom Three…"
Lupin seemed familiar with both locations, as he sighed in relief and said, "That's better…"
"They asked me to remind you… stay calm, alright? Whatever happens in the courtroom, those who lose their temper always end up losing…" Mr. Weasley advised.
"I understand." Lupin clenched his hand briefly but remained calm. "Disturbing the court would get us thrown out, and I definitely won't let that happen."
"That's good," Mr. Weasley looked somewhat relieved.
Wade and Harry looked at Lupin together.
Since they had known him, Lupin had always seemed composed and rational. Professor McGonagall occasionally lost her temper with students, but Lupin's steadiness was almost uncanny.
But to others, though, Lupin seemed like someone who might flip a table at the slightest provocation.
Harry thought it was because of how close he was to those involved.
Wade, on the other hand, thought… he'd once assumed that among the Marauder, Lupin was the one roped into mischief by his friends back in the day, but others seemed to see him differently…
The elevator soon arrived. This text is hosted at novel·fıre·net
They rode it down to the underground floors. Then they descended down the stairs. The rough walls were lined with torches and the air was cold and damp.
"We're here—Courtroom Three."
Mr. Weasley announced, pushing open a heavy black door.
It was clear that the courtroom had been fitted with many extra torches and floating magical candles, making the entire hall brightly illuminated.
On both sides were rows of seats that rose gradually higher, nearly all of them filled. Almost everyone was talking, creating a loud buzz of conversation in the room.
In the front row, there were about a dozen reporters, with heavy cameras hanging around their necks, and some were furiously scribbling notes.
One stood out—a woman with jewel-encrusted glasses and golden curls. She wore a neon pink dress, which looked completely out of place in the dark courtroom.
The other reporters kept their distance from her, as if both wary and disdainful.
When Wade and the others entered, their arrival went almost unnoticed. Mr. Weasley led them up a narrow staircase along the side to the very top row, where they found a few empty seats and sat down.
Soon after, someone else took a seat next to them. As he sat, the wooden chair creaked loudly.
Wade glanced over and saw that the man beside him looked quite intimidating. He had long, messy grayish hair, a face covered in scars, and a mouth twisted into an uneven grimace.
His eye on Wade's side was peculiar—it darted around constantly like a restless needle, then suddenly turned in Wade's direction.
The abrupt movement startled Wade.
The wizard chuckled and, in a raspy voice, asked, "Mind if I sit next to you, kid?"
Even using the politest tone, he still sounded like he was issuing a threat.
Harry's eyes widened, and his whole body stiffened—he probably thought this was some kind of dangerous Dark wizard.
In the Umbrella Room, he had heard about the time Theo mentioned almost being kidnapped with his brother, later rescued by a stranger.
Wade looked at the wizard and said, "Of course not, please sit."
"Brave one, aren't you," the wizard muttered. His blue eye swiveled over to examine Harry, lingering on his scar for a moment before falling silent.
"Good morning, Moody," Lupin greeted him, breaking the silence. "I didn't expect to see you here."
"Just because I'm retired doesn't mean I'm deaf and blind, right?"
Moody took a long swig from a curved flask and said, "Besides, Sirius was once my comrade."
"I want to see for myself if he's truly innocent or if he's managed to fool you all naive guys with some clever trick!"
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⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +144 Chapters & 2 Chapters/Day
⭐MCU: Druid's Adventures (MCUDA)(⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 460
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