Chapter 366: No Games in Class
Chapter 366: No Games in Class
"Hormones?"
Harry had heard this term on TV, and in his mind, hormones were always associated with sex, so Harry blushed immediately.
Vold seemed lost in thought. "No wonder..."
Seeing that the other two didn't quite understand, he explained, "In Muggle studies, hormones are referred to as the source of life in the human body. All aspects of human physiology and psychology—growth, development, health, emotions, desires—are related to hormones."
"It's said that supplementing hormones can slow down aging, prolong life, maintain vitality, and preserve youth. When hormone secretion decreases, organs will decline and age, and the spirit will become listless and low. So, in recent years, Muggles have been paying more and more attention to hormone research."
"Moreover, even a slight change in hormone concentration can have a significant impact, even completely altering physiological and psychological states."
Harry listened with a mix of understanding and confusion. "So... those people injected something like 'Lycanthropy Hormones' into Lupin, which forced him to become a werewolf?"
Vold nodded slightly. "I think their research on werewolves must be very advanced, so they were able to extract the corresponding hormone substance from the werewolf's body."
Human experimentation was undoubtedly a cruel topic, but fortunately, Harry's experience was not enough for him to make such a rich association.
However, Lupin's hand on the blanket trembled slightly, and he clenched it involuntarily.
"I have a werewolf friend," he said in a slightly hoarse voice. "Someone paid him to participate in an experiment... He's been missing for several months now."
Harry was stunned.
Vold lifted his eyes and glanced at Lupin without saying a word.
He knew Lupin was talking about Will, and Vold had no intention of revealing the truth.
Lupin, having emerged from his most difficult days, didn't just enjoy his newfound freedom but also tried to help those who were once in the same situation as him.
However, the person he helped and considered a friend didn't appreciate him. Instead, they resented and hated him for not sinking into the same mire as them—just hearing about this made one feel nauseous.
In comparison, Vold felt that it was better to let Lupin believe that Will was still the Will he knew, just unfortunate to have been murdered.
...
Back in the dormitory, Vold pondered for a long time before opening the Companion Ledger.
He contacted Claire.
【Venal: Are you there?】
Previously, Vold had seen Claire's photo among a few vampires, and he had assumed she might also be out of contact. To his surprise, soon after he sent the message, Claire replied.
【Claire: Yes, I'm here. Mr. Venal, is there something you need from me?】
【Venal: Regarding the blood sample you sent earlier, we didn't find any abnormalities, but we now have a new research direction. I hope you can send me another sample, preferably blood taken right after your transformation.】
Claire responded very positively:
【Claire: I understand. After the next full moon, I'll send you the collected blood.】
Vold put down his quill, took out a bag of Galleons from the wardrobe space, and looked at Eva, who was sitting on the shelf next to him.
This girl had just flown over from Gray's house yesterday, bringing Vold a scarf knitted by his mother.
"Eva," Vold said, "give this bag of money to Claire and check on her condition. See if there are any strange werewolves or vampires around her."
As Vold spoke, he placed a gem-like badge around the owl's neck.
This was his latest creation, a Flowing Mirror, the size of a fingernail, easily concealed within a transparent gem casing.
Eva extended her claws, grabbing the purse, and hooted solemnly twice.
"Be careful," Ved said, feeding her a few strips of jerky before seeing the owl fly out the window and disappear in an instant.
He closed the window, and with a flick of his wand, a mirror quickly unfolded and stood upright against the wall like a television.
"Phil," Ved whispered.
There was a snap, and a house elf holding a rag appeared in the room, speaking softly, "Ved Gray, please give your instructions. Phil is happy to help Ved Gray."
"Can you watch this mirror for me while I'm in class tomorrow?" Ved asked.
"Okay..." Phil hesitated and asked, "Just watch?"
Ved explained, "If a young girl appears inside, please notify me immediately. If I can't come, I hope you can record everything that happens next."
Ordinary mirrors don't have recording functions, but this was not a problem for Ved.
"Okay." Phil spoke in a soft voice, "Phil will definitely do it carefully."
Ved felt relieved.
House elves are generally very dedicated, but Phil was one of the most meticulous ones.
The next day was the Defense Against the Dark Arts class.
Professor Abigail no longer engaged in one-on-one duels with students this semester.
She had learned a game called "Maifa" from a wizard friend in Russia and was enthusiastically using it as a teaching method.
She claimed,
"In a real battle, you don't need fancy techniques. You just need to react faster than others and then end the fight with your most familiar methods!"
At the beginning of the class, Professor Abigail started distributing identity cards to the students—
The most powerful but least numerous Aurors.
Ordinary villagers without magical abilities, who could only hide and run.
Civil wizards with some counterattacking abilities.
Werewolves who would attack anyone and were contagious.
There were four identities, each with specified abilities, positions, and areas of activity. Students had to act according to their identities, and it was like a real-life version of Werewolf.
The students chased, attacked, and counterattacked each other, creating a lively scene. Each Defense Against the Dark Arts class felt like a small-scale encounter.
The first time Ved participated in this game, he was an Auror, and he eliminated all the werewolves in a few minutes. After that, he could only get the Villager identity card.
However, Ved usually stayed near the professor, practicing magic or reading, and no werewolf would come to attack this "ordinary villager."
During today's class, Professor Abigail didn't pay attention to the students' game but instead approached Ved.
"Gray, can your automaton pet be made to resemble a magical creature?" Professor Abigail asked.
"It's possible, but it would only look similar in appearance. Automatons don't have the abilities of magical creatures," Ved replied.
"That's fine. I might need a few Red Hats, Hinky Punks, Grindylows... and preferably vampires and werewolves, life-sized. The school will purchase them at market prices," Professor Abigail said, but she didn't seem very pleased.
"What's wrong?" Ved asked.
Professor Abigail sighed, "Oh..."
She complained, "Professor McGonagall told me not to just play games with the students. She wants me to teach more things that will be on the OWLS exam. According to the curriculum, you should be learning about these magical creatures..."
(End of Chapter)
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