Invitation

Professor McGonagall's speech filled the entire school with a festive atmosphere after breakfast.

As a result, during the morning Defence Against the Dark Arts class, most of the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students whispered among themselves. No one paid attention to Professor Lockhart demonstrating with Miss Melinda Bobbin how to subdue a Werewolf barehanded.

"Like this, grab the Werewolf's right claw... Beautiful form, Miss Bobbin..." Professor Lockhart explained loudly from the podium.

"I never thought Slytherin's monster would be a giant snake. It's terrifying!" Behind Jon, Eloise Midgen was speaking quietly with Zacharias Smith. "Hogwarts won't have anything this terrifying happen again, will it...?"

"Absolutely not!" Zacharias said confidently. "I can't imagine there being any creature more terrifying than a giant snake in this school!"

Jon secretly stuck out his tongue in front of them and turned his attention back to his copy of Wanderings with Werewolves.

More than ten minutes later, the dull and tedious Defence Against the Dark Arts class finally ended.

Once Professor Lockhart dismissed them and the students filed out, Jon Hart deliberately slowed down and remained behind alone before walking toward the podium.

"What is it, Jon?" Gilderoy Lockhart's voice was light, and he seemed to be in a fairly good mood.

"Yes, Professor Lockhart." Jon spoke calmly. "While reading the section on Werewolves in Wanderings with Werewolves just now, I ran into a small problem... I didn't quite understand the magical principle behind silver being able to restrain Werewolves!"

"Oh, is that so?" Professor Lockhart blinked.

"So... I was hoping to borrow two related books from the Library. Unfortunately, they both happen to be in the Restricted Section." As he spoke, Jon handed over the note in his hand.

He was using the same trick again, but Lockhart was not as careless as last time. He actually lowered his head and looked at the note.

"Under the Moon Shadow, by Morka Treford. Good heavens, why does that author's name sound a little familiar?" Professor Lockhart muttered to himself. "And Summon the Joy Within You... Good heavens, it's actually a book about Dementors. No wonder it's in the Restricted Section..."

Jon had come prepared and replied without any panic, "Yes, Mr. Scamander mentioned in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them that Werewolves and Dementors might have a certain familial relationship, so I wanted to learn about Dementors' traits and draw a little from them."

"Is that so... No, I mean, I already knew that!" Professor Lockhart paused, then hurriedly said, "Jon, don't casually tell others that you're studying spells related to Dementors. It might make certain people at the Ministry of Magic think you have malicious intentions..."

Jon froze for a moment, then nodded.

"Of course, as a teacher, I certainly won't stop my best student from thirsting for and exploring knowledge!" Professor Lockhart took out an enormous peacock-feather quill and scribbled boldly on the note.

"Thank you, Professor!"

After leaving the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, Jon immediately went to the Library.

This time, however, Mrs. Pince was far less accommodating than before.

She took the note and examined it over and over. She held it close to the lamp, trying to find signs of forgery. Needless to say, she failed... Ten minutes later, Mrs. Pince returned with two very large, very old books.

"These are the two," she said coldly.

"Thank you, ma'am!"

Jon carefully put both books into his bag before leaving as if nothing had happened.

Since the Basilisk was dead, even though there were still more than four months left in his first-year term, it was time for him to prepare for the "accident" that would occur at Hogwarts in his second year.

Just as he had expected, the Patronus Charm had been classified as a "forbidden spell" by the Ministry of Magic. After all, Dementors were still employees of the Ministry... They could hardly allow lawbreakers to casually master a spell capable of fighting these "civil servants."

Books about Werewolves were easy to find, but most of them dealt with how to fight and kill them... When it came to a "moderate" Werewolf like Lupin, Jon felt there was no need to go to such lengths. Lupin would not bite people at random under normal circumstances anyway. All he needed to remember was not to go wandering about on the night of a full moon.

Out of professional habit, he was more concerned with the physiological differences between Werewolves and Muggles, as well as the pathogenic mechanism of the Lycanthropy pathogen... Books on that subject were much harder to find, and he had gone to considerable trouble before locating one in the Restricted Section.

Second year—for The Trio of Saviors, third year—could be said to be the most peaceful year Hogwarts would have for the next several years.

Although Black was infamous now, he was not actually a bad person and posed no real threat. Jon did not have a tragic past like Harry Potter's, so he would not draw much interest from the Dementors. Unless Peter was driven into a corner, he was merely a harmless little rat...

And breaking the situation that year would be very simple. Find an opportunity, use Polyjuice Potion to turn into Neville Longbottom, go to the entrance of the Gryffindor common room, and tell someone he had forgotten the password. Once inside, shoot Peter dead. Done! There would be no need to play through the rest of the plot. Without Peter, Voldemort would have no reason to work himself to death reviving through The Goblet of Fire...

But that method still carried certain risks. For one, Peter was an adult wizard who had received some of Voldemort's personal teachings. His combat ability was certainly beyond that of a second-year student... Besides, even a rabbit would bite when driven into a corner, let alone a rat.

More importantly... how would the later plot proceed?

Even if Peter never imagined that Neville Longbottom, with his honest face and thick brows, would suddenly pull out a gun and blow his head off... Would Voldemort truly not return after Peter died?

Impossible. That bastard Voldemort had six and a half Horcruxes. His return was inevitable...

After thinking it over repeatedly, Jon decided... that rather than wait for Voldemort to return by some unknown means and bring unknown consequences, it would be better to sit back and let the original plot unfold. Once The Boy Who Lived took him out, Jon could keep his head down on the sidelines and quietly make a fortune.

With that, he skipped toward the Hufflepuff common room.

As he descended the stairs to the castle's first floor, he ran into a young girl with golden curls.

"Mr. Hart..." The girl stopped and spoke softly.

"What is it?" Jon asked coldly. "Miss Greengrass."

"Um... Professor Snape said he'll be waiting for you in his office at a quarter past one this afternoon... He invited you for afternoon tea." Miss Daphne Greengrass reminded him.

Thanks to readers Peach Blossoms Scattering Moon and Global Cold Weather for their tips.