Practical Lesson, Transfiguration Master?

Aaron ate lunch absentmindedly, not even noticing how many people had sat down beside him.

"What did Professor Snape say to you?" Draco asked curiously.

"You’d probably be very excited if you knew." Aaron gave a wry smile. "By the way, what is Sirius Black’s relationship with Harry Potter’s parents?"

"Huh?" Draco looked rather surprised. "You really don’t know?"

"Should I?" Aaron countered. "Mr. Lucius may often share current events from the Magic World with you, but my parents are rarely home."

"I see!" Draco suddenly understood. He then cautiously looked around, only lowering his voice after confirming that no one else was nearby. "I know because my mother is Sirius Black’s cousin. When Sirius escaped from Azkaban some time ago, my mother was terrified. That was when I learned what Sirius had actually done."

"He killed thirteen Muggles. Everyone knows that." Aaron said impatiently.

"That’s not the point." Draco said seriously. "The reason Harry Potter’s parents were killed by Voldemort was because… Sirius Black leaked their location."

Aaron’s pupils contracted. "So Sirius Black was indirectly responsible for Harry’s parents’ deaths."

"You could say that." Draco shrugged. "Now that Sirius Black has escaped Azkaban and appeared near Hogwarts, his target is obviously Harry Potter."

Hearing this, Aaron frowned.

Something about it felt wrong, but he could not put his finger on it.

"Draco, you can’t tell Harry Potter about this." Aaron looked at him solemnly.

"Why?"

"Because if he learns the truth, he might try everything he can to get revenge on Sirius."

"No way!" Draco laughed dismissively. "Is he really that stupid?"

Sirius is far stronger than him. Going after him for revenge would be suicide, and with Dementors guarding Hogwarts, he cannot even leave the castle."

"He is that stupid. Tell him to go after Voldemort…"

"Don’t say that name." Draco shifted uneasily.

"Fine!

Tell him to go after Voldemort, and he might not dare. But Sirius is different.

If he learns the truth, he’ll definitely risk everything to fight Sirius. He might even use himself as bait."

Gulp!

Draco could not help swallowing, a lingering fear rising in his heart.

He had provoked Harry Potter in Potions Class only because he thought Harry Potter would not dare do anything. But if Harry Potter really went after Sirius for revenge, Draco would bear some responsibility for it. At the very least, his conscience would never let him get over it.

"I understand. I promise I won’t tell him."

"I know you don’t like him, but this is serious."

"I know what matters. I’m not about to joke around with his life."

Aaron nodded, quite satisfied with Draco’s attitude.

He turned his gaze to Crabbe and Goyle beside Draco and asked with a smile, "What about you two? Can you promise me?"

The two exchanged a glance, then nodded together.

"Wait." Draco suddenly thought of something. "We may not say anything, but what if he learns about it some other way?"

"As long as your conscience is clear, why worry so much?" Aaron said indifferently. It was already good enough if they could keep their mouths shut. If someone else wanted to get themselves killed, there was nothing they could do to stop them.

The afternoon sky seemed to have grown rather gloomy.

With a heavy heart, Aaron brought his Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook into the Potions Professor’s office.

"You’re right on time." Snape said approvingly.

"Professor, I still hope you’ll reconsider carefully.

You’re colleagues, after all. Can’t you sit down and talk through whatever misunderstandings you had?"

"Aaron, you’re still too young." Snape patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly, "One day, you’ll realize that some things are worth remembering for a lifetime. And I believe Lupin feels the same way."

Aaron’s lips twitched slightly. If he had not needed Snape to shield him from Dumbledore’s pressure, he would never have done something that harmed others without benefiting himself.

"Follow me."

Snape led the way with high spirits, but he did not head toward the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

"Where are we going?"

"The staff room." Snape said mysteriously. "He only applied to the headmaster yesterday."

The two arrived at the spacious room fifteen minutes early. Snape pulled over a chair and sat down. "Put away your textbook. We need to act natural."

Aaron chuckled and shook his head, tossing his Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook to Abei. It skillfully stuffed the book into its pocket.

"See that cabinet?" Snape pointed at a wardrobe at the back of the room. "There’s a Boggart inside. Lupin will probably use it for a practical lesson."

"Really?" Aaron became interested. "It seems this Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor does have some skill!"

"Hmph!" Snape snorted disdainfully. "It’s just showmanship. If I were the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, I would never waste class time like this."

"Do you know what a Boggart is?"

"The book mentioned it. Some say it is the greatest Transfiguration master."

"That’s not wrong. It turns into whatever you fear most, so you’d best be mentally prepared."

Aaron raised an eyebrow and quietly considered what he feared.

But after thinking for a while, he unexpectedly found that he could not come up with an answer.

Voldemort, ruled out. He had killed Voldemort several times.

His parents, ruled out. He had never been afraid of them.

A packed class schedule? That was not right either. He was dissatisfied with such an arrangement, but since it concerned his future development, he would not refuse it.

"I’m actually rather curious now."

"Your curiosity will soon be satisfied." Snape said solemnly. "Do not disappoint me, or else, regarding Dumbledore…"

"Professor, when did you start liking to threaten people?" Aaron curled his lips speechlessly. "Besides, I don’t like dealing with the headmaster, but it isn’t because I’m afraid. It’s because I feel like I’ll get the short end of the stick. That feeling is especially real.

But what I didn’t expect was that you would make me feel the same way now."

Snape’s face twitched faintly. He was too guilty to meet Aaron’s eyes, but quickly composed himself. "Sometimes feelings can deceive you."

At that moment, the staff room door suddenly opened, and the third-year Gryffindors filed in.

Professor Snape inconspicuously shifted into a more comfortable yet casual sitting posture, though the mockery in his eyes was barely concealed.

Professor Lupin was the last to enter the staff room. He was not surprised to see Snape and calmly closed the door behind him.

"Lupin." Snape rose with a cold smile. "This is your first lesson. You don’t mind if I observe, do you?"

"Of course not. Watch if you want!" Lupin said unconcernedly. "My Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons are rather exciting."

Lupin placed emphasis on "my Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons," as though he knew full well that this was a position Snape had applied for many times without obtaining.

"Let’s hope you’ll still be here this time next year." Snape shot back without yielding. The Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor position seemed to be cursed; no one could last a full year before leaving for one reason or another.

The blades are out. Aaron secretly sighed. The grudge between Snape and Lupin seemed even deeper than he had imagined. Not a single curse word had been spoken, yet every sentence was filled with provocation and malice.

"That needn’t concern you." Lupin turned to the Gryffindors and led them before the old wardrobe.

Sensing people approaching, the wardrobe suddenly began to shake, frightening several students in the front row into retreating.

"Don’t worry, there’s a Boggart inside." Professor Lupin said gently, but the students still did not feel particularly safe.

Because when Lockhart had released those pixies last year, he had seemed even more confident than Lupin. But the result… was difficult to describe. It could even be called a complete mess.

"Can anyone tell me what a Boggart looks like?"

"No one knows." Hermione volunteered an answer. "Boggarts can transform. Whatever the person who sees them fears most, that is what they become, so they are…"

"So terrifying." Professor Lupin picked up. "Very correct. Five points to Gryffindor.

Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces. Wardrobes, cupboards, even beneath beds can serve as their hiding places.

Their ability is far too bizarre. If you cannot deal with one, it can be very troublesome. Even moving house may not help.

The Boggart in this cabinet does not currently have a specific form, but once I let it out, it will become what each of us fears most.

However, we possess one enormous advantage that can leave it at a loss.

Harry, do you know what that advantage is?"

Harry froze for a moment, not understanding why Professor Lupin had called on him.

But he could barely guess the answer and said uncertainly, "Because there are so many of us, it won’t know what to turn into."

"That’s right. Five points to Gryffindor." Lupin raised an eyebrow at Snape and continued, "That is one way to deal with a Boggart: travel in pairs, because it cannot deal with two people at once."

"Tch!" Snape curled his lips disdainfully.

"What is it, Professor?" Aaron asked in confusion. "Was there something wrong with what Professor Lupin said?"

"Nothing wrong, but he gave too many points. If it were me, one point would be enough."

Aaron pressed his lips together, doing his best to suppress the urge to laugh.

One point? That really was an extravagant hope.

As far as he remembered, Professor Snape had never given Harry Potter even half a point. Instead, for various reasons, he constantly found fault with him and deducted points in every possible way.

If Hermione Granger had not earned those points back in other classes, Gryffindor’s score at the end of every term would have been utterly miserable.