Hogwarts: I Am Such a Model Wizard

Chapter 487: Every Glass is an Elixir of Euphoria

With Dumbledore’s help, Sirius finally rose to his feet and slowly made his way toward the door.

As the retrial concluded, word of what had happened spread through the Ministry like wildfire. By the time Sirius emerged from Trial Chamber 3, the corridor was packed with people, all watching him, applauding.

Sirius wasn’t even sure how he managed to walk down the long corridor and into the elevator, through the lobby, which was also filled with people clapping for him. It felt as though minutes had passed, or perhaps hours, and when he finally became aware again, he was standing on the bustling streets of London, surrounded by strangers and free at last.

He lifted his arms to the sky and simply stood there, soaking in the feeling, oblivious to the puzzled glances of passersby.

Behind him, Dumbledore and Kyle took their time following. Kyle was mulling over whether he should stop by Diagon Alley for some shopping, but when he glanced up, he noticed Dumbledore looking at him with a strange expression. There was a fleeting look of apology mixed with pity, but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

Seeing Dumbledore’s usual gentle smile, Kyle brushed off the moment, figuring he was just a little lightheaded from the dim, stuffy courtroom. After all, Dumbledore had done so much to secure Sirius Black’s acquittal—what could he possibly feel sorry for?

Kyle looked again toward Sirius, who was still standing with his arms outstretched, as though he could remain that way forever if no one urged him to move. At that moment, a man in a suit, mistaking Sirius’s stance for some kind of performance art, hurriedly dropped a coin onto the step in front of him before scurrying away.

A few minutes later, an owl flew overhead, and suddenly, Dumbledore had a copy of The Daily Prophet in his hands. He sat down on a nearby bench like an elderly gentleman enjoying a peaceful stroll and unfolded the paper.

The headline on the front page read in bold print:

“Sirius Black: Traitor or Tragic Hero?”

Below it were two photos: one was his infamous wanted poster, and the other showed him in the courtroom, surrounded by people applauding.

The article painted Sirius as a tragic figure who had endured twelve years of darkness to avenge his friend.

“When did they take that photo?” Kyle asked, surprised. “I don’t remember anyone bringing a camera into the courtroom…”

“Clearly someone did, though we didn’t notice,” Dumbledore replied with a chuckle. “These reporters are remarkably clever. Once, someone even published a photo of me as a child in a duel, claiming it was proof of my ‘lifetime of deception’… If I could, I’d buy that photo myself.”

“Enough of that,” he said, standing up and brushing off his robes. “Let’s head to Diagon Alley. I’m rather in the mood for hazelnut and peanut ice cream.”

Sirius opened his eyes just then, lowered his aching arms, took in a few deep breaths of London air, and then turned to join them, walking toward the Leaky Cauldron.

After taking a few steps, Sirius turned back, bent down, and picked up the coin from the ground, carefully wiping the dust off of it.

“This is a Muggle coin, isn’t it?”

Kyle leaned over for a look. “Seven-sided… yes, that’s a fifty pence piece. In Gringotts, it’d be worth about two Sickles.”

“I’ll keep it as a souvenir,” Sirius said with a smile, tucking the coin into his pocket.

The three of them continued on to the Leaky Cauldron. The lively noise inside immediately fell silent when Dumbledore, leading the way, pushed open the door. Every pair of eyes turned to Sirius. Someone began clapping, and soon, a few people approached to welcome Sirius back with hugs.

“Oh, Black…” said Tom, the barkeep, coming over with a large glass of Butterbeer. “Hope you’ll forgive me for keeping your wanted poster up. This one’s on the house.”

“Thanks, Tom,” said Sirius, accepting the glass and draining it in one gulp. He had tasted many Butterbeers before, including those Lupin had snuck him over the past few months, but none had ever tasted as sweet as this one.

“Now that,” he said, licking his lips, “was fantastic. Tom, I suspect you added a dash of Elixir to Induce Euphoria…”

Tom chuckled. “From now on, every drink’ll taste like Elixir to Induce Euphoria.”

The room broke out in laughter. After thanking the crowd and politely declining more offers to drink, Sirius followed Kyle and Dumbledore out the back entrance to Diagon Alley.

“How does it feel?” Kyle asked.

“It couldn’t get better than this,” Sirius replied, grinning. “Tom said he’d buy me drinks for a month. I’m coming back tomorrow and staying all day—can’t wait to see the look on his face.”

Kyle grinned, choosing not to say more. Sirius didn’t seem to realize just yet that he was currently the talk of the town. His presence alone would bring crowds to the Leaky Cauldron, and old Tom would be thrilled with the business. It was a win-win situation.

They rounded a corner and stepped onto the main street of Diagon Alley. Sirius, looking like a first-year before the start of term, wanted to explore every shop. Before long, his arms were laden with gifts from shopkeepers who insisted he accept them free of charge.

Thanks to Sirius’s popularity, both Kyle and Dumbledore found themselves with complimentary hazelnut and peanut ice creams as well.

Their first stop was Madam Malkin’s, where Sirius received a brand-new set of robes. Next was Ollivander’s, where he purchased a new wand for fifteen Galleons. (New Hogwarts students typically paid seven Galleons, so perhaps his wand had been given the full retail price—or perhaps new students got theirs at cost.)

As they passed Quality Quidditch Supplies, Sirius offered to buy Kyle a Firebolt as a thank-you gift.

“Don’t be modest,” Sirius said, patting his chest. “It’s just a few Galleons. I got Harry one—it’s no big deal.”

But Kyle politely declined. “No, really. I wouldn’t be able to use it anyway.”

With no Quidditch season at Hogwarts this year, Kyle had little need for a Firebolt. Besides, who knew if a newer model might be released next year? He could always wait.

The three of them spent the afternoon visiting nearly every shop on the street… well, almost every shop. Flourish and Blotts remained untouched. It seemed that Sirius had cast a Banishing Charm on the bookstore in his mind; he didn’t pause or even glance at it as he jogged past. The shopkeeper, who had been standing in the doorway with a stack of books to gift Sirius, could only watch as he hurried away.