Chapter 347: The Werewolf on a Non-Full Moon
Chapter 347: The Werewolf on a Non-Full Moon
"Well done, Hagrid!" Professor Kettleburn cheered, waving his fists. "That's it! Hit its waist! Break its back! Hit its nose! Smash its head!"
The Weasley twins stared at the usually gentle and lovable old man with widened eyes, feeling like they barely recognized their professor anymore.
But Hagrid didn't follow any of his instructions. Instead, he grabbed the werewolf by the tail and held down its furry head, seemingly unsure what to do next.
The werewolf whined and howled, its claws scratching against the stone pavement.
"Oh dear! You soft-hearted little rascal!"
Professor Kettleburn patted George's back anxiously. "Take me over there! I'll finish off that beast!"
George wasn't afraid; he carried Professor Kettleburn on his back and ran towards the werewolf, with Fred quickly following.
The elderly professor raised his wand.
"Wait, Professor," Hagrid quickly stopped him. "This is—"
A flash of fire suddenly interrupted Hagrid's words.
Dumbledore, still in his pajamas and pointed hat, suddenly appeared on the streets of Hogsmeade. The Phoenix Fox flashed and then disappeared from its original spot.
Dumbledore observed Hagrid, the restrained werewolf, and the surrounding situation. "Well done, Hagrid, Severus. Is anyone injured?"
Hagrid carefully recalled and shook his head.
"How come?" Professor Kettleburn asked irritably. "Aren't you injured?"
Hagrid wiped his face with the back of his hand, brushing off dirt and blood. "It's nothing. Norbert made it worse before. Dumbledore, this werewolf..."
Dumbledore raised his palm to stop him from continuing and said, "Take him to the Three Broomsticks and wait for me—"
"Okay." Hagrid agreed.
He lifted the werewolf into the air, perfectly avoiding any injury from its claws or teeth. However, the werewolf seemed displeased and struggled, letting out angry roars.
Hagrid treated this level of resistance like his hunting dog's playful antics. He gently comforted it, "Don't worry, I'll put you down once you're back to normal."
"Roar!"
The werewolf wasn't appeased and continued to roar angrily.
When Hagrid arrived at the Three Broomsticks, he saw the gray-robed owner, who was still wearing his robe on this hot summer day, standing outside, looking around. Upon seeing Hagrid holding the struggling werewolf, the owner's face turned as pale as if he had eaten something foul.
"I..." Hagrid stammered, explaining his purpose, "Dumbledore asked me to wait for him here..."
The gray-haired wizard looked even angrier. "Don't bring that thing into my inn. You'll scare away all my customers!"
"Oh..."
Hagrid thought about it and agreed. Since he was waiting for Dumbledore, he stood next to the Three Broomsticks, holding the werewolf, creating a rather peculiar sight.
Werewolf: "Awooo!"
Innkeeper Aberforth: "..."
"Forget it, come in." Aberforth said helplessly, "Such a smart man, how did he end up with such a dimwit?"
...
As Hagrid left, Dumbledore called out again, "Severus!"
"What is it?" Professor Kettleburn said alertly. "I'm no longer a professor at the school, and you have no right to criticize my actions!"
"I'm not here to criticize you," Dumbledore said calmly. "Please help me send these two Weasley gentlemen back to school. It's not safe for them to wander outside tonight."
Although Professor Kettleburn was left with only one arm and half a leg, Dumbledore showed no signs of consideration for his disability when he sent him to fetch the Weasley twins.
Professor Kettleburn didn't seem to mind either, grumbling, "This is fine—good thing Millicent isn't here."
He waved his wand, and a flattened wheelchair tumbled out from somewhere, rolling to a stop in front of the old man.
Professor Kettleburn tapped the wheelchair with his wand to restore it, then said, "Let me down, child."
George didn't say a word and placed Professor Kettleburn back into the wheelchair. Fred also pulled the blanket caught in the armrest and covered the old professor's knees.
"Let's go, kind children," said Kettleburn.
The wheelchair started moving, and Fred was a bit reluctant to leave, but with Dumbledore present, they chose to be well-behaved.
George took the initiative to push the wheelchair, and after walking for a distance, he turned back and saw some shop owners from the village had gathered around Dumbledore, and the headmaster was speaking to them gently.
"Professor, what happened? Can werewolves transform on nights other than the full moon?"
This evening, the moon was in its last quarter, only a half-circle. Moreover, the moon hadn't even risen yet!
"I say I don't know, do you believe me?"
Kettleburn, equally puzzled, said, "I was watching the stream at home when a crazed werewolf burst in, and then Hagrid—that reckless fellow flattened my wheelchair. I almost got bitten by the werewolf!"
"So... to find out what happened, we need to ask Professor Hagrid," Fred nodded, summarizing.
"Exactly!" Kettleburn added, "Of course, Dumbledore arrived last, but he must know something."
...
"Don't look at me like that, I don't know how this happened."
Facing Aberforth's questioning, Dumbledore calmly said, "If you give me time to examine it, I might be able to give you an answer."
"Hmph!" Aberforth snorted through his nose, angrily saying, "Better take them away quickly! I don't want to be involved in this trouble at all! Haven't I had enough trouble with this boy?"
He lifted the dirty curtain and stormed out.
Dumbledore paused at the door before entering.
Most of the customers at the Three Broomsticks had run away after seeing the werewolf, and the remaining two or three were also driven out by Aberforth. Now, only a few people were left in the shop.
Hagrid had tied up the werewolf to prevent it from scratching him, and he even wrapped the werewolf's claws with a towel.
Dumbledore waved his wand to make the werewolf fall asleep, then said, "Tell me what happened, Hagrid."
"Professor, I don't know how this happened..."
Hagrid looked dazed, "I was just having a drink with Lupin at the Three Broomsticks, discussing teaching matters..."
"We were fine when we parted ways, and then after a short while... just a brief moment... I swear it was only two minutes... then I heard screams..."
"Don't be nervous, Hagrid, it's not your fault."
Dumbledore used his wand to part the werewolf's dense gray fur, his expression turning serious.
A broken metal syringe was hidden within the fur, and one wouldn't notice it unless they looked closely.
(End of Chapter)
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