Fearless, Professor Lupin Is a Werewolf

Thorin Oakenshield stamped his feet in anger, flung the crown he was wearing heavily to the ground, and continued transforming.

This time, an elderly man with a kind and benevolent face appeared before Aaron. Everyone else looked curious and confused, including Professor Lupin and Professor Snape.

They could all sense the peaceful aura emanating from the old man. It was different from Dumbledore’s, but he still seemed absolutely trustworthy.

This old man was clearly a genuinely good person. There was nothing about him worth fearing.

Could he have been an elder in Aaron’s family who had already passed away? Perhaps seeing him would bring back some old memories.

Aaron secretly rolled his eyes.

Gandalf? Why didn’t you turn into Dumbledore instead?

"I’ll count to three. Change into something else.

With the responsibilities that old bastard forced on me, it would already be merciful of me not to slap him twice."

Gandalf’s eye twitched violently. Seemingly sensing the intense malice radiating from Aaron, he took a flustered step back.

As he retreated, his body gradually faded and became a rapidly spinning gray sphere.

A roar suddenly rang out. The sphere transformed into an enormous dragon, its cold vertical pupils carrying a humanlike mockery.

The students’ scalps tingled. Amid their excitement, they could not help trembling, while beads of cold sweat appeared on Lupin and Snape’s foreheads.

Why transform into that of all things? It had to become the most destructive creature in the Magic World.

Fortunately, it was only a Boggart. If it had been a real dragon, the two of them would have had a hard time dealing with one of that size together. Dumbledore would probably have needed to come himself to subdue it.

Aaron looked at the knockoff Smaug before him and raised an eyebrow.

It was only ten meters long, and the pressure it gave him was not even one-tenth of Smaug’s.

Then again, a Boggart’s transformation abilities had their limits. If it could perfectly imitate anything, it would be the strongest creature in the Magic World.

A white Magic Array appeared to Aaron’s right, and he took a Black Arrow from it.

It was one of the arrows that had killed Smaug. He had secretly kept it, and no one knew about it.

Aaron fixed his gaze on the wound in Smaug’s left chest. With a cold laugh, he charged forward.

He had been able to kill Smaug back then because of Bard’s godlike assistance. He had no helper now, but his opponent was only a fake dragon. He was confident he could handle it.

"Riddikulus." ×2.

Professor Snape and Professor Lupin cast the spell at the same time. The Boggart screamed, turned into bluish-green smoke, and darted into the cabinet, avoiding Aaron’s killing blow.

Aaron had no choice but to stop midway. "Um… Professor, are we continuing?"

"You don’t need to." Professor Lupin still felt lingering fear. "This lesson is meant to teach you how to deal with Boggarts, not how to overcome the fears in your hearts."

He did not dare let Aaron continue. The creatures the Boggart had transformed into based on Aaron’s fears had become more and more outrageous. If they were not careful, there might really be a classroom accident.

"Professor Snape." Aaron looked at him eagerly, the meaning obvious: I didn’t embarrass you, did I?

Snape’s mouth twitched, and he slowly nodded.

"Gaius, was that dragon… real?"

"How could it be?" Aaron lied with a perfectly straight face. "It was a birthday gift from my grandfather. He thought I was too timid, so he gave me a realistic toy model to help build my courage.

You… weren’t scared, were you?"

The Gryffindors looked at one another. They had thought it was real!

A dragon was far more thrilling than spiders, cobras, or severed hands.

Snape and Lupin exchanged a look. The former said nothing, while the latter stepped forward and coughed a few times.

"That concludes today’s lesson. Go to the back and collect your books.

Also, everyone performed very well today. Your homework is due next Monday: briefly summarize what a Boggart is. As for the word count… use your own judgment, but don’t be perfunctory."

The students left the staff room chatting and laughing. To them, this Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson had been particularly useful and exceptionally interesting.

Professor Lupin had also won Gryffindor’s unanimous approval. At the very least, compared to Gilderoy Lockhart, he was quite a good professor.

"Professor Lupin, it seems your class nearly had an accident," Snape said with a victor’s smile.

"But it was still a complete success." Lupin did not care. Explosions had occurred in Snape’s Potions Class before; compared to that, his Defense Against the Dark Arts class was much safer.

"Still stubborn. Do you think Harry Potter can deal with a Dementor?"

"That is why I stepped in front of him in time," Lupin said. "As for Dementors… I will teach him the Patronus Charm."

"What a responsible teacher," Snape said sarcastically.

Hearing that, Aaron silently mocked him in his heart.

He was certain Snape had also considered teaching Harry Potter that spell, but he could not bring himself to lower his pride.

Now that there was a ready-made tool to do it for him, he was probably delighted.

"Gaius, Slytherin doesn’t suit you," Lupin suddenly said. "If you’re willing, I can discuss transferring you to Gryffindor with Professor McGonagall."

"Lupin." Snape’s face instantly darkened. "Poaching a student right in front of the Slytherin Head of House, and a third-year Slytherin at that. Have you no shame?"

"It was only a suggestion. If he doesn’t want to, just pretend I said nothing," Professor Lupin hurriedly added.

Snape gave him a cold look, then left with Aaron.

"Professor." Walking down the corridor, Aaron hesitated before speaking. "What kind of person is Professor Lupin?"

"You’d do best to stay away from him." Snape’s words carried deeper meaning. "That is my advice to you."

"A werewolf?"

Snape stopped walking, turned to look at Aaron, and after a long silence, asked, "How did you know? When did you find out?"

Aaron picked up Abei. "On the train. It told me there was a beast living inside Professor Lupin’s body.

At the time, I thought he had dissociative identity disorder. But just now, the Boggart turned into a full moon in front of him… Normal people don’t seem likely to fear the moon, right?

A beast inside his body, fear of the moon. Other than a werewolf, I couldn’t think of anything else."

"Sharp observation." Snape looked slightly pleased. "I strongly opposed bringing a werewolf in as a professor, but the Headmaster agreed, so there was nothing I could do.

Still, you needn’t worry about the students’ safety. Before every full moon, I will deliver the Wolfsbane Potion to him."

"I suddenly feel a little sorry for him," Aaron said thoughtfully. "Werewolves have a low status in human society. No wonder his clothes and suitcase are so shabby."

"You’d best put away that little bit of sympathy," Snape warned sternly. "When he is human, he can retain some reason. But when he transforms into a wolf, he can tear even the people closest to him into pieces.

If you are unfortunate enough to encounter a werewolf on the night of a full moon, the correct thing to do is…"

"Run?"

"Running is only for when there is no other choice. The correct thing to do is kill him."

"Ah…"

Aaron was somewhat dumbfounded. He did not think Snape was wrong, but their current Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor was a werewolf.

It would be one thing if he did not know him, but striking lethally at a teacher was rather difficult.

"I should just stay hidden in the dormitory on full-moon nights," Aaron said. "Out of sight, out of mind. If I really can’t avoid him… then I’ll beat him half to death.

Break all four of his limbs, and he won’t be much of a threat."

Snape raised an eyebrow at that. "If you can do that… I have no objection."

"I have this. It really isn’t difficult." Aaron meaningfully pointed at Abei in his arms, and it proudly lifted its head.

Snape’s eye twitched. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then stopped.

He had nearly forgotten that Aaron kept a dragon. Werewolves were indeed vicious, but they were still nothing before a dragon.

Moreover, Aaron and his pet were practically inseparable. His safety was absolutely assured.

"Looks like I don’t need to worry about you."

After saying that, Snape walked onward by himself, but Aaron continued following him.

"You have nothing else to do. Go back and rest!"

"Uh… Professor, I have a few more questions."

"Speak."

"Is Sirius Black really here to kill Harry Potter?"

Snape frowned tightly. "Why are you asking that?"

"Nothing. I’m just curious. I always feel as though something is wrong, but I can’t explain what."

"Mind your own business," Snape said disdainfully. "Can you think of any other reason besides killing Harry Potter?

Sirius went through so much trouble to break out and come to Hogwarts. It couldn’t possibly be to revisit old places and reminisce about the past, could it?"

Aaron: …

That made so much sense that he had nothing to say.

"Anything else?"

"Mm… If Dumbledore wants to see me?"

"You are my student. Unless it is something especially important, I will either stop him for you or pass along his message," Snape said seriously.

Only then did Aaron feel relieved. He picked up Abei and headed toward the Slytherin common room.

After watching him walk away, Snape let out a long sigh, changed direction, and headed toward the castle’s eighth floor.

After ascending a spiral staircase, Snape entered through an oak door.

"You’re here, Severus." Dumbledore raised the teacup in his hand. "Would you like some honey tea?"

"No."

Snape walked to the Headmaster’s desk and sat expressionlessly in the chair opposite it.

Dumbledore shrugged and placed the teapot on the desk. "What did the Boggart transform into in front of him?"

"Something far more exaggerated than you imagined." Snape pondered for a moment. "Aaron does not seem to have anything he particularly fears. The Boggart transformed four times before him, but failed every time."

"What did it become?"

"Three completely different people, but he cursed all three of them away.

The fourth was a dragon. But instead of being afraid, he took up a weapon and charged at it.

If Lupin and I had not intervened in time, that Boggart might have been severely injured."

Snape explained patiently. Dumbledore fell silent for a long moment after listening. "It seems he is far more optimistic than I thought, and much stronger as well. In that regard, I am ashamed to admit that I cannot compare."