Trouble?

Snape: "???"

He stared, completely dumbfounded, at Dumbledore, who was leading the applause, and Lupin, who had already entered the Great Hall.

Something was wrong. This was not what they had agreed on.

Dumbledore noticed Snape's astonished gaze as well and looked straight back at him without the slightest attempt to avoid it.

Looking into those aged, pure, innocent eyes, Snape almost wondered whether he had misunderstood him.

But he quickly came to his senses. He definitely had not misunderstood; the old bastard Dumbledore had deliberately left his words unfinished.

After all, they had lived under the same roof—first as student and teacher, then as colleagues. Who did not know who? That old man simply loved messing with people's heads to show off how clever he was.

Of course, perhaps Snape was judging Dumbledore a little too harshly on that last point, but at a time like this...

Dumbledore could not possibly be any worse. He deserved to be called that!

Lupin slowly made his way to the front of the Great Hall, bowed to the young wizards from the professors' table, then took the seat Dumbledore had left for him.

He even leaned forward, reaching past Dumbledore to give Snape a polite nod, trying to use that gesture of goodwill to break the ice between them.

But clearly, in Snape's eyes, this attempt at reconciliation...

Was naked provocation! Naked provocation! How dare he! How dared he?!

No, this man could not remain at Hogwarts. Lupin had ten flaws while he had ten strengths. Lupin was a werewolf, while he was not. Lupin was friends with the fugitive Sirius Black, while he was Sirius Black's enemy. Lupin had no high social standing, while he stood at the top of the pyramid. Lupin was not proficient in Potions, while he specialized