Monday of exam week.
Professor McGonagall notified all the professors to assemble in the Great Hall at eight in the morning.
After breakfast in the office, Douglas and Lupin went to the Great Hall together.
Snape was saying something to Professor Sprout. Seeing the two arrive together, he frowned slightly and glared at Lupin, making no attempt to hide his disgust.
Then he walked over to Douglas and sneered in a low voice:
"I keep advising you to stay away from him, but you never seem to listen.
The Wolfsbane Potion may work well, but I assume you've heard about that damned Black being a werewolf? How do you think he became one?"
With that, Snape swept his robes aside and headed straight toward Dumbledore.
Douglas gave Snape a surprised look, then glanced at Lupin, who was smiling bitterly beside him.
"Is that rumor really so convincing? The Ministry believes it, your former friends believe it, and the person who hates you most believes it too."
Lupin sighed and said:
"That's how people view werewolves in real life. But the reality does bear it out. Quite a few werewolves have hurt their friends and relatives.
If they hadn't used their Animagus forms every time they approached me, perhaps they would have become werewolves too."
Just then, a high, shrill voice suddenly rang out:
"Professor Holmes, long time no see. The esteemed Minister for Magic asked me to convey his regards."
Hearing that familiar voice, Douglas felt goosebumps rise all over his body.
He turned and saw Umbridge emerge from behind a group of Wizarding Examinations Authority employees.
She forced an unpleasantly sweet smile at him.
Douglas took a deep breath, immediately plastered on a fake smile, and replied loudly:
"Aha, Minister Umbridge! It certainly has been a while."
Quite a