Harry Potter: The Bard of Hogwarts

Time flowed by like water.

Christmas of the third school year arrived as expected.

On the morning after leaving the Greek story, Ino was woken up by a rhythmic tapping sound.

Opening his eyes, he saw the second-floor window crowded with owls.

Snowy owls, horned owls, eagle owls... about ten different kinds of owls.

He also saw his pet, the little owl rented from the owl post office for 50 pounds and lent to Hermione.

Sensing its owner's gaze, the little owl puffed up proudly among the crowd of owls, acting as if it were coming home rather than delivering a letter.

However, this behavior led to it being ostracized by the other owls, especially Harry's Hedwig, who nudged it aside.

Watching the interaction of the little messengers outside the window, Ino waved his wand, causing the second-floor window to open automatically.

With a series of hoots, all the owls flew in, dropped their packages, and left one by one.

Before he could deal with the scattered packages, a slight touch on his finger made him look down.

As a standard horned owl, the little one wasn't large, but it was undoubtedly adorable.

Its big, cute eyes stared at him unblinkingly, making it irresistibly charming.

Staring into those eyes, Ino quickly gave in.

"Wait here, I'll get you some food! Hermione has almost turned you into a ball, and yet you still want to eat..."

Candy, ham, cheese, nuts... A large pile of food was dumped onto the table.

While the little owl enjoyed its buffet, Ino began unwrapping the gifts.

Unlike before, since many friends now knew his address in Hogsmeade, no one sent gifts to Hogwarts anymore.

"A Draco commemorative golden snitch! A Weasley family knitted sweater..."

Ino unwrapped the gifts while listing their types.

Beside him, a floating quill seriously recorded everything on a piece of parchment.

Maybe it was his nature, but he never liked taking advantage of others, especially friends.

So, he meticulously recorded everything, planning to return gifts of equivalent value.

As for missed deliveries, owls might be late, but with Fide's help, he never worried about delays. As long as he bought the gifts, Fide could deliver them all in no time.

Sometimes, Fide's package would even arrive before the owls that had just delivered gifts could return.

After a brief classification and inventory, Ino headed downstairs with the written parchment.

Taking advantage of the quiet morning at Zonko's Joke Shop and Honeydukes, he planned to buy all the return gifts at once, freeing up time to visit the Black Family Manor.

Some matters had to be dealt with sooner or later.

...

Number 12 Grimmauld Place.

As the green flames rose from the living room fireplace, Sirius immediately stood up beside it.

He knew from the letter who was coming this time. Catching Peter and clearing his name was all thanks to this person.

As the flames from the Floo powder faded, Ino stepped out of the fireplace and saw Sirius right in front of him.

Environment can indeed change a person. In just half a year, Sirius had gone from being emaciated to looking healthy and rosy.

"Welcome! Ino, can I call you that? Actually, I wanted to meet you right after we caught Peter, but I was still a fugitive then..."

Sirius extended his right hand, speaking warmly.

"Of course, Mr. Black," Ino responded with a smile.

"Call me Sirius! Harry often talks about you. Honestly, you remind me of a young Dumbledore."

Sirius spoke quickly, as if he had a lot to say.

Ino did not interrupt but quietly listened to the middle-aged man's chatter.

"Oh, I'm just talking on and on…" Sirius smacked his forehead. "Kreacher, bring some refreshments!"

Sirius instinctively gave the order, but as soon as he did, he regretted it.

Knowing the boy was from a Muggle orphanage, he feared Kreacher's typical derogatory remarks.

But as the house-elf appeared in the living room, Sirius knew it was too late.

Just as he was thinking of how to explain, Kreacher bowed deeply to Ino.

"Honored guest! Noble and pure bloodline! Your presence graces the Black family."

Unlike Sirius's disbelief, Ino looked at Kreacher with interest.

It wasn't the flattery that intrigued him but the sense of a Horcrux on Kreacher.

It seemed that prolonged exposure to the Slytherin locket had subtly affected him, possibly explaining his erratic behavior in the original story.

After bowing, Kreacher disappeared, leaving a starkly different set of refreshments on the table.

Ino's side had a variety of exquisite candies and hot tea, while Sirius only had half a cup of water and a half-eaten biscuit.

Even someone as carefree as Sirius felt extreme embarrassment at this treatment.

He felt like he was the guest and an unwelcome one at that.

But the awkwardness didn't last long as a familiar name caught his attention.

"Sirius, there's something you need to know about your brother, Regulus Black…"

Ino spoke directly about Regulus's story and his purpose in coming.

"…So, I need to take and destroy the item left by the Dark Lord."

...

The Black Family Manor.

After hearing about Regulus, Sirius was visibly emotional, trying hard to hide his tears.

Ino understood the bonds of family, so he gave Sirius some quiet time to process everything.

The spacious living room fell silent.

After a while, Sirius spoke hoarsely, "I appreciate everything you've done, but I want Dumbledore to know about this. It's not that I don't trust you..."

"Then you can write to him now," Ino interrupted coldly.

The deep-rooted house rivalry was evident; if he were a Gryffindor, Sirius wouldn't hesitate.

"Never mind, I'll get Professor Dumbledore for you!" Ino glanced at the conflicted Sirius and ordered into the air, "Fide! Go fetch him."