The Whomping Willow Was Burned Down by an Uninvited Guest / Snape Will Definitely Give His Full Support ...

However, he was filled with an uncontrollable rage!

The Ministry of Magic... they're incredibly ungrateful, allowing Dementor to brazenly enter the school?!

(P. S. Adding an image of a Patronus)

Chapter 360 The Whomping Willow Was Burned Down by Uninvited Guests

Hermione's stunning appearance as the Patronus Griffin startled over a hundred Dementor during the Quidditch Match, causing them to vanish without a trace.

Of course, they didn't die; they were just driven away.

One of the most important characteristics that makes Dementor known as one of the most evil and terrifying beings is that they cannot be killed by any known means...

After all, these non-existent creatures can't even be considered 'alive,' let alone 'dead.'

Inside the Quidditch arena, the young wizards, still shaken, looked up from the stands. With Hermione's Patronus protecting them, they weren't too affected and even had the energy to whisper among themselves.

However, the teams that were just in the middle of the match had a rather unfortunate experience. They were the first to encounter the Dementor, and many of them had already fallen off their brooms before Hermione's Patronus was activated.

Fortunately, the Hogwarts teachers reacted quickly. Professor Flitwick immediately turned the ground beneath the arena into a mud pit, and Dumbledore and several other heads of the house cast Slowing Charm and Levitation Charm, ensuring that no one was injured in the end.

The outcome of the match is already decided... Ginny caught the Golden Snitch, Gryffindor won.

Without a doubt, she had become the new focus of attention after Hermione.

The Super Broomstick Firebolt once again proved its worth. At this moment, Ginny was definitely the one who flew the highest and most steadily in the arena, even more relaxed than Madam Hooch, who was the referee!

The Firebolt she rode, and all the metal fittings on her broom were meticulously crafted by Goblin artisans and imbued with excellent braking magic, enabling them to autonomously handle various unexpected situations.

So when the Dementor wreaked havoc on the field, even though Ginny was terrified just like the other contestants, the Firebolt still kept her firmly on her broom and ultimately helped her catch the Golden Snitch.

However, while the young wizards present might cheer for the victor after calming down a bit, Harry would definitely not be able to smile.

Because once the vanguard of the Dementor is defeated, the enemy's true plot will begin to unfold.

"Godfather... From this moment forward, remember this above all else: you are Professor Lupin! In your clothes, your appearance, and most importantly, your temperament!!"

Harry looked at Sirius with a serious expression. His lips moved slightly, but no sound came out. Yet, to Sirius, it sounded like a thunderclap.

"I understand!" Sirius nodded emphatically, clearly understanding that it was time for him to step in and protect his old friend.

"Eat another Polyjuice Chocolate right now, and then..."

Harry was giving Sirius instructions when suddenly a thick cloud of smoke filled the Hogwarts playground in the distance, and flames even shot into the sky!

In an instant, countless students began to discuss the matter, and the entire competition venue descended into chaos.

"Ignore them, take your medicine now." However, Harry remained unmoved and immediately woke up Sirius, who wanted to watch the commotion, watching him eat a round chocolate bean.

Those were specially modified Polyjuice Potion pills by Harry. They were made by compressing and condensing Polyjuice Potion containing Lupin's hair using his ability to control the water element, and then coating it with a layer of chocolate. They were actually somewhat similar to liqueur-filled chocolates.

However, this single candy-sized piece is enough to keep Sirius in his transformation for a full twelve hours!

Moreover, the smell of chocolate masked the fact that no one else could detect that he had just drunk the Polyjuice Potion, making it easy to dispose of even if he was searched.

"Silence, everyone!" Dumbledore Sonorus instantly silenced the noise. "Now, all students, remain in the competition area. Madam Hooch, please stay here for now. The rest of the instructors, come with me to see what has happened."

"Go... Professor Lupin ~"

Harry nodded to Sirius, who was about to leave. Whether his plan could be successfully implemented depended on today's start!

Leaving aside the students left behind at the Quidditch pitch, when Dumbledore and his teachers rushed back to the schoolyard, they found a group of uninvited guests setting fire to the ground.

Several Auror wielding wands were controlling the fire, while Fudge, dressed in a respectable manner, watched smugly, accompanied by Umbridge and the Malfoy family patriarch. Meanwhile, the decades-old Whomping Willow on the edge of the Forbidden Forest... had been completely reduced to ashes by the flames formed by the spell!

"Stop!" Dumbledore, his face contorted with rage, unleashed a spray of water, extinguishing the flames before turning a grim gaze to Fudge. "First the Dementor, then the Whomping Willow... Fudge, what exactly is the Ministry of Magic trying to do?!"

"We're here to investigate the case and arrest the criminals, of course," Umbridge chimed in, sounding every bit the Fudge's spokesperson. "We sent out the Dementor to catch the criminals that Hogwarts has been protecting. As for burning the Whomping Willow, it's because...there's a secret passage underneath that allows criminals to operate in the shadows!"

As she spoke, she even raised her wand and unleashed a Scourgify to sweep away the pile of ashes behind Dumbledore, completely ignoring the mouths and noses of everyone present, and directly blew away all the 'remains' left behind by the Whomping Willow.

Such a rare tree, which had grown for decades, was now reduced to ashes in a single day, which inevitably caused many Hogwarts teachers to glare angrily at Umbridge.

The most furious of them all was Sirius, who was disguised as Lupin. The Whomping Willow held too many memories for the Marauders, and he now wished he could immediately use his Animagus Transformation to become a hound and bite the pink toad's neck off!

However, Umbridge completely ignored the angry stares of the crowd and instead looked at Dumbledore provocatively. "Dumbledore, now you have nothing to say, right? The entrance to the secret passage is indeed under the Whomping Willow!"

Indeed, after the Whomping Willow was burned down, the secret passage leading to the Shrieking Shack was no longer obstructed, so Dumbledore did not choose to argue with Umbridge.

Even when she smugly sent her men into the secret passage to search, Dumbledore remained completely silent.

He seemed to completely ignore Umbridge, only coldly staring at Fudge: "Fudge, you've caused quite a stir these days!"

"I had no choice, Dumbledore," Fudge said with a helpless expression. "Hogwarts has been such a turmoil lately. First, Peter Pettigrew Peter infiltrated the school and used the Malfoy family children to threaten Lucius; then we received intelligence that Hogwarts is harboring a Werewolf criminal who's been committing heinous crimes..."

"Cornelius Fudge ...I don't recall Hogwarts ever harboring a Werewolf criminal!" Dumbledore righteously rebuked Fudge's slander, his eyes blazing with anger.

"What do you mean it's gone?" With the Malfoy family backing him up, Fudge was clearly not afraid of Dumbledore's threat.

He removed his top hat and pointed at Lupin among the instructors, confidently declaring, "According to our intelligence, Remus Lupin is a notorious Werewolf, and he has orchestrated several heinous attacks during the recent full moons!!"

Chapter 361 The Severus Snape will absolutely provide full assistance.

Lupin is a Werewolf, a fact known to many at Hogwarts.

For example, Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey, the head nurse, as well as the heads of the Four Houses.

Therefore, when Fudge revealed Lupin's identity, these people in the know did not show the same doubt or shock as the other younger teachers; instead, they were clearly flustered.

Secrets can't stay hidden forever; they'll all eventually be exposed...

However, there are always exceptions. Dumbledore remained calm and composed, and this was not a feigned composure, but rather a genuine sense of confidence.

"Fudge, I advise you to watch your words... Even as Minister of Ministry of Magic, you are still responsible if you casually slander a Hogwarts professor."

Dumbledore retorted calmly, his gaze meeting the other's without flinching. "I don't know where you heard these rumors, but I can vouch for you, Remus is absolutely a genuine human, never a Werewolf!!"

This retort was resounding and powerful. Caught off guard, Fudge was momentarily at a loss for words and could only instinctively look at the instigator beside him, Lucius Malfoy.

Although Dumbledore denied it categorically, the instructors who knew the truth remained extremely worried...

Remus Lupin isn't Werewolf?

Tonight is the night of the full moon; this lie is so easily exposed.

Furthermore, Dumbledore's behavior aroused a hint of doubt in Snape, who had been observing from the sidelines.

Something's not right. How could Dumbledore so categorically deny Lupin's identity?

Unless... he received prior warning that today's events would ultimately end without serious harm!

The person present now is that stupid dog, not Lupin. Granger and his men couldn't have leaked this information, and he himself had never mentioned it. So, it must have been Lupin who told Dumbledore.

But... why?

Shouldn't he be well aware that Granger and Dumbledore had already begun to deteriorate, so why did he leak Granger's plans to the other party?

Having figured all this out, how should one choose...?

Suddenly, Snape found himself in a dilemma.

Logically, he should have informed Harry of these discoveries as soon as possible, as he always had, but now that Lupin was involved, he couldn't help but feel conflicted.

Remus Lupin was a former Marauders, a close friend of the despised James Potter, and was definitely on Granger's side, as well as one of his most trusted men.

Looking at himself, he was a former Death Eater and the one who betrayed the Prophecy back then. Even if he went out of his way to remind Granger, would that kid really believe the 'bad things' he had told Remus?

Unfortunately, Harry was unaware of Snape's thoughts, otherwise he would have thought...

The Severus Snape is now somewhat self-deprecating.

So, after glancing briefly at the restless 'Lupin,' Snape closed Snape eyes and ultimately chose to delay.

Ultimately, we need to deal with the immediate issues first.

"Dumbledore, I also want to advise you not to speak so confidently!" Seeing Fudge easily defeated, Lucius decided to take matters into his own hands. "Remus Lupin is a Werewolf, and not only did you harbor a Werewolf in the school, you even allowed him to enroll despite the safety of the students. Weren't the Whomping Willow and the haunted Shrieking Shack all elaborate schemes you devised to make him transform?"

As he spoke, a sinister smile gradually appeared on Lucius's face; he was equally confident at this moment.

He had been waiting for this full moon night ever since he received another letter from someone.

Lupin is Werewolf, and Dumbledore covered for him at school—that person told Lucius everything clearly. Therefore, apart from the fabricated accusation of 'committing a crime during the full moon,' the rest of the evidence is irrefutable!

Hmph, Dumbledore, keep being stubborn. Wait until the moon rises tonight, and see if you can still hold out like this!

"Heh, the cost of spreading rumors is so low these days. You can slander someone with just a few words, right?" At this moment, 'Lupin', the person involved, finally spoke up.

He shrugged, seemingly helplessly, but the patches all over his body, even the scars on his face, all conveyed a clear sense of disdain.

"Calling me Werewolf, and accusing me of attacking others under the full moon? That's utter nonsense! Or... are you planning to throw me in Azkaban without trial, just like you did with Black? Then I'll really have to see just how fair the Ministry of Magic is~"

"Lupin, no matter how you try to deny it, it's useless. You are definitely a Werewolf!" Lucius shook his head contemptuously, seemingly disdainful of Lupin's futile, death throes. "Even if you deny it now, it doesn't matter, but don't forget... Poppy Pomfrey from the Hospital Wing. She's the one who takes you to transform every full moon night; she knows your situation inside and out. Oh, and Severus Snape too. Back in your school days, you almost bit him to death!"

"Really... But I don't remember anything like that at all~" Sirius answered seemingly casually, but the look in his eyes as he looked at Snape already contained extreme vigilance.

Harry advised him to trust Snape, saying that the man would definitely do his best to help, but given the hatred between the two, how could he so easily gamble the key to success or failure on Snape?!

"I don't recall anything like that," Snape said, his eyes slightly open and his expressionless face. "But I'm quite glad he wasn't a Werewolf, or he might have really killed me. And if the headmaster really was protecting Lupin as you say, he probably wouldn't care whether I live or die."

Snape's words sounded cold at first, but upon closer examination, they were full of resentment. He seemed to be replying to Lucius, but in reality, he was criticizing Sirius and Dumbledore, those two unkind guys.

"Hmph, you rumor-mongers, you heard that, didn't you?" Upon hearing Snape's words, Sirius instinctively straightened his back, and the anxiety that had been hanging over him finally subsided.

Snape's willingness to help surprised him, but it truly helped him through his biggest ordeal.

However, Sirius couldn't help but mentally complain about Snape's obviously sarcastic attitude.

Hmph, that Snivellus using this as an excuse to get revenge; he's utterly wicked!

"It's been too long, I don't remember anymore. Besides, since I entered Hogwarts, I've treated countless students, and I haven't paid any special attention to them, let alone knew anything about Werewolf."

The ever-shrewd Madam Pomfrey had already realized what was going on and immediately followed Snape's lead, deflecting all the blame.

"You... you're protecting criminals!!"

Upon hearing this, Lucius became increasingly exasperated. He had all the evidence in his hands, yet the seemingly insurmountable situation had stalled here. This feeling was so frustrating it was almost suffocating.

"Whether I'm a criminal or not isn't up to you to decide, unless you can provide concrete evidence... to prove that I am a Werewolf!"

Sirius scoffed at Lucius, glancing at him calmly, but a hint of amusement suddenly flickered in his eyes.

"Or... is the evidence you've been clamoring about obtained from some shady rats?"

Chapter 362 Both the Malfoy father and son were extremely angry.

The argument on the Hogwarts playground eventually fizzled out.

This wasn't because Lucius and the Ministry of Magic, those flies, had any conscience left, but because they realized that the more they argued, the less they had the upper hand.

Especially after Lupin began to question the source of the Ministry of Magic's evidence and subtly implied that Lucius and Peter Pettigrew were colluding, even someone as oblivious as Fudge knew they couldn't continue arguing on the playground.

Since we're on Hogwarts' turf right now, even if Fudge has a 'legitimate' reason this time, if he really stirs up that little saga between Lucius and Peter Pettigrew, it'll probably be hard to get out of this mess in the end.

However, having finally gotten this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Lucius was absolutely not going to give it up. So, after some arguing, he secretly instructed Fudge to take 'Lupin' to the Great Hall and keep him under guard.

Didn't you say you weren't Werewolf? Well then, let's wait until the full moon tonight and see if you can withstand the public execution of your transformation!

Lucius's plan was sound. After all, if Lupin really did turn into a werewolf in the Great Hall, it would cause a huge uproar throughout Hogwarts, and Dumbledore would also be doomed for protecting the Werewolf.

Little did he know, his plan was exactly what Harry wanted.

The reason Harry didn't reveal the plan to too many people was because he needed Sirius to try to draw the enemy's attention.

In such a situation, the more well-meaning people who help 'Lupin' give false testimony, the greater the chance that the matter will be exposed.

Because Lucius will definitely keep a close eye on these people, and if he manages to arrest them and take them to the Ministry of Magic for interrogation, things could get really bad.

So for support roles, Harry only needs one super reliable Severus Snape.

As for Sirius, Harry had complete confidence in him, because the enemy certainly couldn't do anything to him.