Chapter 794: The Plot Unfolds
Chapter 794: The Plot Unfolds
Everyone present turned their heads simultaneously to look at Snape, but the look in their eyes made him feel inexplicably agitated. However, this emotion didn't last long, as everyone soon averted their gazes, completely ignoring him.
"Hagrid, don't just stand there, go find Professor Dumbledore and inform him about what's happening here," Albert said as he turned his attention back to Hagrid, who was still standing there dumbfounded.
"Oh, alright, but what about...?" Hagrid hesitated, as he truly didn't know what to do at the moment. His rational mind told him that he should listen to Albert and go find Dumbledore, but he still felt uneasy about leaving Harry and the situation unresolved.
After a moment of hesitation, Hagrid suggested, "How about we all go to the headmaster's office to find Professor Dumbledore together?"
"If you want Professor Lupin to end up in Azkaban, I won't stop you." Albert turned back to Snape, who obviously hadn't brought any Wolfsbane Potion with him.
Without the Wolfsbane Potion, Lupin was extremely dangerous during the full moon, and Albert would never underestimate the threat of a werewolf, nor would he gamble with his future.
Noticing Hagrid's confused expression, Albert explained further, "Professor Lupin could transform into a werewolf at any moment now. If he were to turn into a werewolf inside the castle, you can imagine the consequences, even without me spelling it out."
Hagrid shuddered involuntarily, realizing how foolish his suggestion had been. If Professor Lupin were to transform into a werewolf and bite other students in the castle, the consequences would be unthinkable.
"I'll go find Professor Dumbledore right now," Hagrid said, and with that, he started running towards the castle.
"Professor Snape, have you come to a decision?" Albert turned his gaze back to Snape, who was still glaring at him with unfriendly eyes. With a shrug, Albert continued, "Never mind, we'll wait for Professor Dumbledore to arrive, and then we can contact the Ministry of Magic."
Without waiting for a response from Snape, Albert turned his attention back to the restrained Lupin and asked, "Now, tell us what you know. I'm sure Harry Potter here is eager to learn the truth behind all this."
"The truth?"
Snape snorted coldly and began walking towards the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, apparently intending to notify the Aurors stationed near Hogwarts.
He was well aware that this was a perfect opportunity to get Lupin and Black, and the chances of success would be much lower once Dumbledore arrived.
After Snape strode away, Lupin's mouth, which had been sealed shut, was freed once again.
In fact, Lupin still held his wand in his hand, but he hadn't tried to break free from the chains binding him. He knew that if he did so, he might end up like Black, lying unconscious on the ground. Albert would never allow a potential werewolf to threaten his safety; it was like having a ticking time bomb around.
"I was looking at that map in my office, trying to locate Peter through it," Lupin explained with a bitter smile.
"You know how to use it?" Harry asked, skeptical.
"He must be Mooney," George, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up.
"Yes, I'm Mooney, a nickname my friends gave me during my school days," Lupin said as he glanced at George, then turned his attention back to Albert. "I never expected that you would guess even this."
"I guessed it when I found out you were a werewolf," Albert said calmly.
"You still haven't explained how you knew..."
"I helped draw it," Lupin interrupted impatiently. "James thought we should leave something behind as a memento after graduation, so we created that Marauder's Map together."
"You drew it?" Harry was astonished.
"You, Ron, and Hermione might have sneaked out of the castle to visit Hagrid, and later, I saw Peter's name, which I had been searching for a long time, on the map in Hagrid's cabin. That's why I came out here," Lupin said with a bitter smile, realizing the foolish mistake he had made.
"However, I'm curious, Mr. Anderson and Mr. Weasley, how did you manage to hide from the Marauder's Map?" Professor Lupin looked at Albert with gratitude. With Albert here, he believed he wouldn't cause any more trouble for Dumbledore.
"We used this!" George pulled out the blocker that Albert had given him not long ago.
"What is this?" Lupin looked at Albert with confusion.
"The Marauder's Map is based on a Human-Revealing Spell. Blocking that spell isn't very difficult," Albert explained calmly.
"Why do you say that Black is innocent?"
Harry interrupted their conversation impatiently. He wanted to know the so-called truth, not waste time on meaningless topics.
"I saw the name 'Peter Pettigrew' on the map," Professor Lupin explained. "You may have heard that he was killed by Black, yet his name appears on the map, which is suspicious. The only explanation is that either it's a coincidence of names, or Peter is still alive. Harry, if Peter is alive, why would he pretend to be dead? What is he afraid of?"
"Evidence, I want evidence."
Harry had calmed down completely, thanks to Albert's presence. Otherwise, he felt that he might have rushed forward with his wand and killed the unconscious Black.
"Peter is Mr. Anderson's pet rat," Lupin said gently. "If you agree, I can use a spell to force an Animagus to return to human form. If it's just a rat, the spell won't harm it..."
"We can wait for Professor Dumbledore to arrive before we do that," Albert said, not refusing the suggestion. However, his expression froze as he noticed Lupin's silhouette changing. Lupin's body stiffened, and his limbs began to tremble.
Bathed in the moonlight, everyone present felt their bodies go numb as they witnessed Lupin's head elongate and his body transform. His shoulders hunched, fur sprouted from his face and hands, and his palms curled into claws.
A terrifying roar echoed through the sky above Hogwarts as the transformation into a werewolf seemed to be a painful process, causing even the chains binding Lupin to rattle violently.
"Oh my God!"
Hermione gasped and ran to Albert's side, feeling safe only next to him.
"Well, I thought we'd have to wait a bit longer!"
Albert waved his wand, and countless iron bars shot out of the ground, forming a massive birdcage that trapped Lupin within.
"Can that hold him temporarily?" George looked at the trapped Lupin with concern, still feeling uneasy. Witnessing the werewolf transformation firsthand had been a shocking experience for them all.
"Don't worry, it'll hold for now," Albert assured him. With another wave of his wand, a thick wall of earth rose from the ground, forming a sturdy prison around Lupin, effectively locking the werewolf in a small, dark room, and even muffling the wolf's howls.
"Why don't you try your Human Restoration Spell?" George couldn't help but ask.
"Let's wait for Professor Dumbledore. I'm not sure if the spell will be effective on a werewolf." Albert was playing it safe now; werewolves were extremely dangerous, and one could never be too careful.
Just then, Albert suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He turned his head towards the direction of the Forbidden Forest, and sure enough, at least a hundred Dementors were emerging from the darkness all around them.
The appearance of such a large number of Dementors caused the temperature to drop drastically, and thick fog began to form. The flora in the forest was not spared, as they froze and withered in the presence of the Dementors.
"Dementors! How did they get here?" George gasped, the icy feeling penetrating his bones and causing him to shudder.
"It has to be related to Snape." Albert shrugged, not too concerned as it was within his expectations.
"What the hell is Snape up to!" George raised his wand, intending to summon his Patronus before the Dementors got any closer.
However, George failed. The presence of the Dementors affected his ability to cast the spell.
"You keep an eye on Professor Lupin!" Albert instructed. "Potter, summon your Patronus. If you can't, then go back to the castle with Hermione to find Dumbledore."
"What about you?" Hermione asked worriedly.
"They can't do anything to me." Albert raised his wand and summoned his Patronus, a silver griffin, which emerged from the tip of his wand and circled above his head, dispelling the fear brought by the Dementors.
"There, I did it!"
George looked at the Patronus in relief and began directing it to circle around them, creating a protective barrier.
The griffin spread its wings and, under Albert's command, flew towards the advancing horde of Dementors. Its radiance grew brighter, forcing the Dementors back and causing them to scatter and eventually fade back into the darkness from which they came.
"They're finally gone!"
George breathed a sigh of relief, feeling like he could finally relax. Being surrounded by so many Dementors had been incredibly stressful.
"Don't let your guard down yet. There are definitely people nearby, and it's not just the Dementors." Albert narrowed his eyes, scanning their surroundings. He suspected that someone from the Ministry was lurking in the area.
Suddenly, they heard a thud as Harry, who had been swaying unsteadily, finally lost consciousness and collapsed. He was especially susceptible to the influence of Dementors, and facing such a large group had affected him more than the others. Hermione, too, was not faring well and was only just managing to stay conscious.
"Was the appearance of the Dementors intentional?" George asked, suspecting that someone from the Ministry was behind it. After all, they already knew that Sirius Black had been controlled, so there was no need to send so many Dementors.
"Definitely." Albert scoffed. "There's definitely something fishy going on between Snape and the Ministry, or maybe both of them are up to no good."
Not long after the Dementors had retreated, several figures emerged from the edge of the forest. Albert noticed that Snape was not among the four individuals.
"Who are you?"
Albert raised his wand and casually swished it through the air, conjuring a wall of fire that blocked the four figures from advancing any further.
"We're Aurors from the Ministry of Magic."
One of the male witches stepped forward and said, "We just received a message that someone had captured Black, and we were sent to take him into custody."
"Prove your identities." Albert demanded.
The leading male witch produced a Ministry identification document from his pocket and waved it at Albert before putting it away. "How is Black? He hasn't escaped, has he?"
"That guy's been hit with a Stunning Spell and is still unconscious." Albert remained vigilant and gave George a subtle signal to be ready for anything. "If you want to take Black away, pay me the bounty first."
"That's not how it works." The Auror frowned.
"So, you're going to welch on the deal? Was the bounty a fake offer from the start?" Albert's tone turned hostile.
"We need to follow the proper procedures before we can give you the bounty." The Auror was growing impatient. He raised his wand and extinguished the wall of fire, preparing to approach them.
"Stop!"
Albert didn't hesitate to give the command to attack as soon as the four Aurors crossed the line of fire.
One of the Aurors, who had been about to do something, was hit by a sudden burst of red light and fell unconscious. The others didn't even have time to react before they, too, collapsed to the ground.
"What are you doing?" Hermione exclaimed, shocked at Albert's actions.
"Snape isn't here." Albert remained calm. "So, these guys are most likely imposters. Even if they are genuine Ministry officials, they don't have good intentions. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been attacked by the Dementors."
Of course, the main reason was that they didn't intend to pay him, which Albert found utterly appalling.
The so-called "proper procedures" was just an excuse. Albert knew very well that his current title was still undergoing those very same "procedures."
For people who tried to renege on their promises, Albert had no sympathy. Moreover, their crossing of the fire wall indicated that they had something planned, so it was better to strike first and ask questions later.
(End of Chapter)
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