The branches of the Whomping Willow swayed gently in the breeze.
Lupin walked up to the tree and gently tapped a knot on the trunk with his wand.
The Whomping Willow fell silent instantly.
He slipped sideways into the secret passage beside the tree and walked forward.
The secret passage was long and dark, with only the sound of his footsteps echoing.
Lupin walked very slowly.
It wasn't because he was tired, it was because he was thinking.
Thinking about that strange student.
Morris Black.
In just the third grade, he had already mastered the Patronus Charm, possessed exceptional Potions skills, and showed no fear even after learning of his Werewolf identity.
In every respect, the other party is not simple.
Are students these days all this amazing?
Lupin didn't notice that something wriggled in the shadows behind him.
Before long, they arrived at the end of the secret passage— the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade.
Lupin climbed out of the Trapdoor, dusted off his robe, and looked around.
This is a dilapidated room, covered in dust and cobwebs. The wallpaper is mostly peeling off, and there are several deep scratches on the floor, left from his student days.
Lupin silently walked to the relatively clean sofa in the corner, sat down, closed his eyes, and waited quietly.
Outside the window, the moon slowly rises.
Moonlight streamed in through the cracks in the nailed-up window, casting pale streaks of light on the floor.
Lupin's body began to contort, his muscles swelled, and his hair grew wildly.
He collapsed to the floor, curled up in a ball, and let out inhuman roars.
Finally, a pair of wolf eyes, gleaming with a cold light, slowly opened in the darkness.
At this moment, Lupin had completely transformed into his wolf form.
However, because he had taken the Wolfsbane Potion beforehand, he was still relatively conscious.
Lupin paced around the room; he could feel the bloodthirsty instinct, but not to the point of losing control.
Compared to the past, this feeling is somewhat acceptable.
He shook his head, lay down in the center of the room, and closed his eyes.
The long night has only just begun.
"Wow, that's truly amazing."
Suddenly, a voice rang out.
Lupin shuddered in fright and suddenly opened his eyes.
He sprang to his feet, instinctively arching his back, letting out a low growl as he stared intently in the direction the sound was coming from.
In the darkness, on the sofa where he had been sitting, there was a familiar figure.
It was Morris Black.
The other person was leisurely crossing their legs, one hand resting on the sofa armrest, and the other holding a red jar.
Lupin's mind went almost blank for a moment.
How is that possible?
How did he get in? When did he get in?
"Want a Coke?" Morris shook the can in his hand. " Muggle drink."
Lupin suddenly felt an urge to tear the other person apart, but he was completely able to control it.
The Wolfsbane Potion was so effective that he could still think calmly.
This is really good news; at least he doesn't have to worry about hurting the other person.
But... what is cola?
Seeing that he didn't react, Morris opened the jar on his own, and the sound of bubbles bubbling was particularly clear in the quiet room.
"Professor," he asked after taking a sip of his cola, "Can you think now? Can you speak?"
Lupin nodded, but only let out a low sob.
"You can understand, but you can't speak?" Morris asked again.
He said this and took another sip of his soda.
Lupin stood there, unsure how to react.
He's now in the state of a beast.
A real, dangerous, biting wild beast.
But the child in front of me wasn't flustered at all, acting as if he were at home.
What kind of bizarre situation is this?
Morris tossed the empty can aside and walked over to Lupin.
Lupin instinctively took a step back, then another, until his back hit the cold wall.
He cornered himself against the wall, hunched over, and made a low, warning sound, signaling Morris to stay away from him.
Morris stopped in front of him and tilted his head.
"Don't worry," he said, "You've drunk the Wolfsbane Potion now, you won't suddenly attack me."
Lupin was stunned.
You should be the one who's worried!
This is no time for jokes!
Lupin screamed inwardly, but only a rapid roar came out of his throat.
"Let me see your claws, Professor."
Morris chuckled, slowly walked forward, and directly grasped Lupin's forepaw.
"!!?"
Lupin dared not move at all, for fear of hurting his opponent.
"Hmm," Morris examined the claw from all angles, "Very sharp nails, its lethality must be terrifying."
Lupin completely gave up thinking and let the third-year student manipulate his paws as if they were a well-behaved pet dog.
Morris nodded with satisfaction. "Professor, I need some things from you. You wouldn't mind, would you?"
Lupin quickly shook his head.
So you don't mind?
Morris happily misinterpreted what the other person meant.
So, in the time that followed, Lupin generously contributed half a bottle of blood, some saliva, a few pieces of fingernails, and quite a bit of hair.
After gathering the materials, Morris sat back on the sofa, cast a Lumos Charm, and began reading.
Lupin lay quietly on the ground, his eyes fixed on Morris, lost in thought.
Gradually, dawn broke.
Lupin's body returned to human form.
He lay on the ground, panting heavily.
Morris closed the book, stood up, and stretched.
"Professor," he stepped forward and helped Lupin up, "Are you alright?"
Lupin gave a weary smile, his first words being, " Morris, your actions are too dangerous."
Morris waved his hand dismissively, "I know what I'm doing."
A sense of proportion?
Does it really exist?
Lupin rubbed his temples. "I don't think so."
"As you can see, my Wolfsbane Potion is perfectly fine," Morris continued. "And even if you do lose your mind, I'm confident I can control the situation."
Lupin looked up at the third-year student and asked, "Do you know how dangerous Werewolf are?"
Seeing that the other party didn't believe him, Morris shrugged. "Perhaps we can have a match next time; you can't beat me."
"There won't be a next time." Lupin sighed. "Let's go back to the original question: why did you follow me in the first place?"
Morris shook the bottle of wolf blood in his hand and said, "I just want to take some material from you for research."
Lupin looked at the small vial containing his blood, his expression helpless. "You could have told me beforehand."
"Oh, really?" Morris's eyes lit up, and he said happily, "Could you draw some more blood from me next time you transform?"
Lupin opened his mouth as if to say something, but swallowed the words back.