"Oh my God, a werewolf?!"
"There's a werewolf inside Hogwarts?"
"That's terrifying! There's something that dangerous in the school!"
Fudge's words sparked panic. The students around him immediately erupted into an uproar, and their reaction was the strongest—which was only natural. Most of them had no idea Lupin was a werewolf, especially the younger students.
Besides, most Hogwarts students were still immature, and this was exactly the sort of thing that could cause panic. Coming from Fudge, it sounded all the more credible. Plenty of people called him a fool of a minister, but to the young wizards, he still represented the authority of the Ministry of Magic.
"Don't panic! Stay calm! Minister Fudge came to Hogwarts to deal with this!" Umbridge shouted. "Now that the minister is here, Hogwarts will be at peace! Now that the minister is here, you'll be safe!"
Dumbledore's face darkened. "Cornelius, this is hardly the right way to handle things. You'll cause panic throughout the school."
Fudge kept smiling. "Albus, don't worry. Once we catch the werewolf, everyone will feel safe again. Their panic certainly won't last until tomorrow. Besides, I've already identified the werewolf."
Umbridge immediately chimed in. "Exactly, Headmaster Dumbledore. What matters now is catching the werewolf. We can't let him stay in the school any longer. Every second we allow that werewolf to remain here is another second we fail the students.
"Since the wise and capable Minister Fudge already knows who the werewolf is, why don't we restrain him at once? Minister, I think everyone wants to know who that werewolf is. Please tell us!"
The Hogwarts professors glared at Umbridge, but she merely tossed her head smugly.
The students around them craned their necks, eager to learn who the werewolf was.
In the crowd, Harry and the others had