Hermione: I'm Numb

After Defense Against the Dark Arts was Herbology Class class. The little Witch, who had received Professor Lupin's affirmation, was somewhat absent-minded throughout the class, and even forgot to answer Professor Sprout's question. As soon as class ended, Hermione dragged Loren towards the Castle.

"Loren, since the Wolfsbane Potion can keep the professor sane while he transforms, why are we still going to the Shrieking Shack?" Hermione asked as they ran.

"Hmm..." Loren was silent for a moment, "Because this Wolfsbane Potion is an improved version, and I brewed it myself."

Hermione slowed her pace and looked at him in surprise. "Huh?"

"Don't worry, nothing will happen. We're going to the Shrieking Shack as a precaution." Loren pulled her forward.

The two jogged into the Entrance Hall and continued up to the Third Floor. When they arrived at the Defence Against the Dark Arts office, Hermione took a short breath and knocked on the wooden door.

Thump thump thump—

"Please come in," Professor Lupin's gentle voice came from inside.

Loren and Hermione pushed open the door and entered. It was a very simply decorated, even shabby, office. Most of the bookshelves were empty, and there were no decorations on the desk, but there were several water tanks in the corner, containing Kappa, Red Cap, Hinkypunk... several kinds of little monsters they had learned about.

Professor Lupin appeared to be reading a letter. When he saw the two of them come in, he placed a page of paper on the table and said with a smile, "Miss Granger, Mr. Morgan, please have a seat."

"Good afternoon, Professor Lupin." Hermione nodded and sat down at the desk somewhat awkwardly, her eyes constantly glancing towards the corner of the wall, trying to spot any monsters she hadn't seen before.

Loren noticed the letter on the table. Usually, when someone is interrupted while reading a letter, they will place the letter face down. Although the letter on the table was also placed face down, there was a sentence on the back. It was very concise, and Loren saw it at a glance: All is well. I wish you well too.

"I don't recall Defense Against the Dark Arts assigning any homework, Miss Granger. Let's keep the classes a little mysterious from now on." Lupin noticed the little Witch's gaze, chuckled, and got up to go to the corner, covering all the glass boxes with cloth.

Hermione's initial awkwardness melted away with those words, and she nodded shyly, "Okay, Professor."

"You've arrived earlier than I expected..." Lupin poured some crumbly biscuit-like stuff into the box, seemingly feeding the little monsters. "I thought you wouldn't come until after dinner."

Hermione explained, "It was Loren who said we can't wait until it gets dark to come over; nobody knows when the moon will rise."

Loren shrugged. "What can I do? Some people were already eager to get started in Herbology Class."

Hermione glared at him.

Lupin smiled. "Have you had dinner?"

"We brought enough food," Loren replied.

After Lupin finished feeding the animals, he clapped his hands, looked at the sky outside, and said, "Let's go, it's about time."

On an autumn evening, outside Hogwarts Castle, on the path leading to the Whomping Willow.

Herbology Class ended early, and the young wizards returned to the Castle early as well, so Loren and the others didn't encounter anyone else along the way. Crossing a large expanse of lush green grass in front of the Castle gate, and walking along the path between the Greenhouse and the vegetable garden, the weeds growing along the roadside were vibrant and full of life, showing no signs of autumn's desolation, with bare stones scattered across the ground.

The jungle is full of evergreen trees, with no signs of withering or yellowing.

The weather was cloudy, and even as evening approached, there was no golden glow to be seen. Only when gazing at the horizon could one vaguely discern a hazy yellow hue through layers of clouds.

Professor Lupin led the way, followed by Loren and Hermione.

After passing the Greenhouse, a huge willow tree with outstretched and strange branches could be seen standing alone in the center of a field. Its leaves were somewhat withered and had yellow edges.

"That's the Whomping Willow," Lupin turned around and saw the two young wizards staring at him expectantly. He smiled. "I wonder if you've figured it out yet. The Secret Passages under the Whomping Willow leads directly to the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade."

"So the residents of Hogsmeade have a rumor that the Shrieking Shack haunted?" Hermione's eyes lit up.

Looking at the swaying Whomping Willow, Loren thought it was just like the rumors that Grandpa Bates had killed people back then – someone deliberately spread the word to keep people away.

"This can't be attributed to me. Even though I graduated and left school many years ago, the residents of Hogsmeade still say that the Shrieking Shack is haunted. Maybe it really is haunted?"

Lupin made a joke. He skillfully approached the Whomping Willow," tiptoed forward, and without disturbing the Whomping Willow, nimbly pressed on the knot on the trunk.

In an instant, the Whomping Willow seemed to have been tickled, shaking violently and shivering several times.

"Stay close!" Lupin called out and disappeared into a hole among the tree roots.

Loren and Hermione followed. Inside the cave entrance, there was a sloping earthen slope, leading down to a very low tunnel.

Professor Lupin walked ahead with a stoop, the tip of his wand emitting a soft glow. "This tree was planted by Headmaster Dumbledore the year I arrived at Hogwarts. When I was a student, one of the most popular games among Gryffindor students was trying to touch the trunk of the Whomping Willow."

"Later, a boy named David Gergean was beaten up so badly he almost lost an eye, and the school forbade us from going near it anymore..."

When Lupin spoke of these past events, his eyes were filled with nostalgia, and his voice unconsciously became softer than usual. The echoes reverberated through the tunnel, sounding somewhat ethereal.

"So, Professor, did Headmaster Dumbledore know you were Werewolf a long time ago?" Hermione asked breathlessly from behind.

"Yes," Lupin replied. "Ever since I contracted Werewolf Disease, my parents have tried everything to reverse this unbearable fact, but to no avail. The day we received our Hogwarts acceptance letter, we were both happy and sad. We both thought I wouldn't be able to go to Hogwarts ... You know, no parent wants their child to have a Werewolf classmate."

"Until Headmaster Dumbledore arrived... he ordered the planting of this Whomping Willow so that I would have a place to hide when I transform during a full moon."

The three of them continued forward along the tunnel, as if there was no end in sight. In the enclosed space, they had no idea how far they had gone.

"Then... what about Wormtail and the others, and what about the Marauder's Map?" Hermione asked cautiously, a question she had wanted to ask for a long time.

"Wormtail..." Upon hearing this name, Lupin paused for a moment, thought for a while, and then continued, "They are friends I made after entering the school, and also my roommates. Miss Granger, Mr. Morgan, you know, if you disappear for one day every month... well, perhaps because you are too weak and need to go to the Hospital Wing to recuperate for a few days, even the biggest secret cannot be kept hidden forever."

roommate?

Loren and Hermione exchanged a glance and fell silent.

Meanwhile, in the Gryffindor Common Room.

Ron stared at the homework questions on the parchment, trying to find the answers between the lines, but the lighting in the lounge was poor, and he couldn't figure it out even after his eyes started to water.

Rubbing his eyes, Ron yelled at Harry beside him, "Question: If Hinkypunk is in front and Kappa is behind, how would you fight them without your wand?"

Harry frowned, thought about it seriously for a moment, and answered uncertainly, "Give them a good punch in the nose?"

"Oh, that's what I thought too." Ron sighed helplessly, "But that's probably not the right answer."

"That's strange. Why are you so enthusiastic about doing your homework today? Don't you usually leave it until the weekend and just refer to what Loren and Hermione have already done?"

"I want to practice Quidditch this weekend, and I also want to learn the Patronus Charm with you."

"At this point, we should find a professional..." Harry started looking around, but couldn't find the person he was looking for. "Where are Loren and Hermione?"

"She ran off as soon as Herbology Class ended, and I didn't see her at dinner either. She's probably hiding somewhere on a date." Ron waved his hand. "Don't bother looking for her. I asked Lavender, and she hasn't seen Hermione either."

"Damn it!" Harry said through gritted teeth, "How enviable!"

"Mmm..." Ron nodded, then suddenly realized something was wrong. "Hmm?"

"They discovered my little secret when I was in second grade..."

In the narrow, low tunnel, the soft glow of the Lumos illuminated the path ahead. Lupin, in a gentle voice, slowly recounted the story of the previous generation from twenty years ago.

"But they didn't reject me because of this; instead, they jokingly called it my fuzzy little quirk. They spent three years learning Animagus so that they could keep me company on the night of the full moon."

"James ' Animagus is a stag, so his nickname is ' Prongs,' Sirius Black is ' Padfoot,' Peter is ' Wormtail.' My time at Hogwarts was the happiest and most carefree time of my life..."

The tunnel began to slope upwards, and Loren and Hermione started to struggle as they climbed. After a while, they rounded a bend, and Professor Lupin and the glow of the Lumos disappeared.

Emerging from the cave, they found themselves in a bright and spacious room.

The room was a mess, covered in a thick layer of dust, with peeling wallpaper, stains all over the floor, and the few pieces of furniture that were scattered around had all been smashed. The windows were boarded up tightly, covered with dense claw marks, making it look eerie and creepy.

Lupin turned to them and gracefully tipped his hat. "Welcome to the Shrieking Shack, the most famous haunted house in the Wizarding World."

He shrugged. "Even though there are no ghosts here, not even a single phantom."

"Professor, did you used to spend your transformation nights here?" Loren asked, as he and Hermione craned their necks and peered around the dilapidated Shrieking Shack.

The claw marks on the wooden board hinted at the pain Lupin had endured, reminding him of his Grandpa Bates. Before Lupin started school, his Grandpa Bates had also locked himself in Cave to spend the nights of the full moon, his sharp claws leaving one claw mark after another on the stone wall.

"Actually, it's not as bad as you think." Lupin led the two to the right, where they saw a wooden door.

Behind the door was a dimly lit Entrance Hall. Going up the rickety staircase along the Entrance Hall wall, there was a spacious bedroom with a four-poster bed, just like in the bedroom, covered with dusty curtains.

"Roar--"

Just then, Lupin suddenly frowned and took a few steps back, holding onto the bedpost. He seemed to freeze, his limbs began to tremble, and a low breathing sound came from his throat.

"The transformation has begun!" Loren whispered.

The two young wizards pulled out their wands and retreated outside the room. Hermione gripped Loren's arm tightly, and Loren's fingers began to go numb.

After a series of low, suppressed exhalations, Lupin's head began to elongate and become pointed from his mouth, his waist arched, his body lengthened, and gray-black hair grew all over his body, his fingers curled into sharp claws.

Just as Loren and Hermione's hair stood on end and their muscles tensed in anticipation, Lupin the Werewolf suddenly coughed twice, spitting out a few wolf hairs. He turned his wolf head and looked past the two young wizards toward the stairwell:

"Come out, Professor Snape! I can smell the stench of your unwashed hair!"

"Professor Snape!"

Loren and Hermione exclaimed in unison, turning to look at the stairwell at the same time.

"At least I don't smell like an animal."

A cold, mocking voice came from the shadows at the top of the stairs. A ripple spread through the transparent space, and Snape's figure emerged from the ripple, his wand pressed against his chest, having just dispelled the Disillusionment Charm.

"Professor, what brings you here?" Loren scratched his head. He hadn't looked back in the tunnel or into the Shrieking Shack, otherwise he would have definitely discovered Professor Snape's Magic Power.

Snape glanced at him, but didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked at another open space and said, "Come out too, Headmaster. I know you can hear me."

Loren was even more surprised this time.

That shouldn't be the case. If Dumbledore were here, he would definitely be able to see that kind of Magic Power radiance, like a little sun.

Before Snape could finish speaking, a brilliant golden flame suddenly rose beside the four-poster bed. After the feather-like flame dissipated, Dumbledore, dressed in blue pajamas, appeared in the spot.

Behind his crescent-shaped glasses were a pair of deep blue eyes. Dumbledore blinked, his eyes innocent. "I just came downstairs to get a cup of Hot Cocoa."

Hermione stared blankly at the headmaster, opened her mouth as if to say something but couldn't get the words out.

She was numb; even if the other professors suddenly appeared now, she wouldn't be surprised.

I thought it was just a night outing for three people...

Loren looked at the white-bearded old headmaster meaningfully, then clicked his tongue and shook his head.

That cunning old fellow, in order to avoid being seen, actually listened remotely; if Snape hadn't exposed him...

Snape then answered Loren's question in a calm voice, "I've come to see if your Wolfsbane Potion is effective, lest you die under the claws of some beast."

Werewolf Lupin spread out his paws, looked around and felt them for a moment, and said gently, "In fact, the potion that Loren brewed is much better than the one you sent me during the holidays. I feel more awake and my body feels much lighter."