Hogwarts’ John Wick

128: Lupin’s Discovery and Attack

Harry returned to the Gryffindor common room, but Colin's relentless questioning made him decide to leave.

He didn't dare tell Colin that he couldn't go out because he didn't have the signed permission form.

"What's wrong, Harry?"

Professor Lupin, looking pale and unwell, encountered Harry and invited him into his office.

With a smile, Professor Lupin asked if Harry would like some tea.

Harry, feeling a bit out of it, responded absentmindedly.

They started chatting, and the topic of their first class came up.

Harry was puzzled as to why Lupin didn't let him face the Boggart.

"I naturally assumed that if the Boggart faced you, it would turn into Voldemort," Lupin explained.

Harry suddenly understood; Lupin must have been worried that Voldemort's appearance would scare the other students.

Harry clarified that while Voldemort was the first thing that came to his mind, the Dementors appeared afterward.

Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door—Snape. He stared at Lupin, as if challenging him with his gaze, before producing a dark, murky potion.

Harry even thought that Snape was trying to harm Lupin.

"It's nothing, I just have a condition," Lupin explained to Harry, and only then did Harry reluctantly believe him.

However, the Wolfsbane Potion Snape brewed was terribly bitter, making Lupin's face twist in pain.

Lupin had worked at Johnny Silverhand's specialty shop, where he had managed to stockpile quite a bit of Wolfsbane Potion. But before leaving, he felt pity for the werewolf community and gave away several bottles.

Now he only had two left, and he had no choice but to seek help from Dumbledore, who instructed Snape to make more Wolfsbane Potion for him.

Harry watched as Lupin took a sip, half expecting him to keel over from poison. Luckily, that didn't happen.

"Well then, I'll go look for John." Seeing how much Lupin was suffering, Harry thought it best to leave.

Hearing John's name, Lupin curiously asked, "John Wick? Didn't he go to Hogsmeade?"

"I saw him return, but I don't know where he went, Professor," Harry said, glancing outside, unsure of John's whereabouts.

Lupin pondered for a moment. It seemed like one of the students had returned.

He raised his hand in the air but stopped short of patting Harry's head, instead opting to tap his shoulder.

"Perhaps John Wick has his own matters to attend to," he said, gazing into Harry's eyes.

They were just too similar—just like Lily's eyes.

In a daze, Lupin felt as if he had traveled back to his student days, back to that smart, beautiful, and brave witch.

Lily Evans.

As Harry left, Lupin shook his head, feeling a deep melancholy upon seeing the son of an old friend.

The Marauders, once a group of four—two dead, one a traitor, leaving only him behind.

Lupin sighed, a complex expression crossing his face as he thought of Sirius Black.

James and Sirius—the two pranksters of the group. Their bond was the closest of all.

No matter how many sleepless nights Lupin spent thinking about it, he couldn't fathom why Sirius had betrayed them.

"I hope I never see you again," he muttered, clenching his fists as an unnatural flush appeared on his pale face.

That evening, the students returned from their trip, but Lupin noticed that John Wick was nowhere to be seen throughout the entire feast.

When the feast ended, Lupin headed back to his office.

On the way, he ran into John.

John, by now, had grown accustomed to returning from the chamber after the feasts ended, often avoiding running into other students.

Upon seeing Lupin, John instinctively said, "Good evening, Rem—Professor Lupin."

John almost let it slip, having gotten used to calling Lupin by his first name, Remus, but he quickly caught himself.

Lupin paused, looking at John with a hint of suspicion in his eyes, but he still smiled and said, "John, it's a pity you missed the feast."

"Thanks for your concern. I was studying earlier and lost track of time," John replied, his tone impeccable as he absentmindedly rubbed the spot where he usually wore his ring.

"I'm heading there now. Hopefully, there's still some food left," John shrugged, bidding Lupin farewell.

Lupin stared at John's retreating figure, his pupils shrinking.

That motion—rubbing the ring—it reminded him of someone.

He stood there, mumbling to himself, "A coincidence?"

...

After hastily grabbing a bite to eat from the kitchen, John returned to the Slytherin common room. Students were streaming back in, excitedly discussing their trip to Hogsmeade.

Daphne stormed up to John, demanding, "Why did you come back?"

"Something came up," John replied nonchalantly as he sat down and pulled out a bag of Cockroach Clusters, offering it to Heinrich, who was lounging on the sofa. "Want some?"

Heinrich glanced at the pile of cockroach-shaped candy in silence. Though he didn't say anything, John could easily tell that his face was screaming a firm no.

"Alright, it's actually not that bad," John said casually, putting the Cockroach Clusters away.

Meeting Heinrich's gaze, John asked indifferently, "Do you need help with something?"

Heinrich's pale face lit up with a fervor as he suppressed his voice, "I want to get stronger."

John said that the Constellation society would help each other and share power. 

John looked at his pale yet handsome face and smiled.

"Ambition is never a bad thing. I'll make sure you get stronger."

Standing up, John added, "Come find me anytime."

Behind him, Heinrich gave a slight bow as a gesture of respect.

...

John had planned to finally get a good night's sleep, but something forced him out of his cozy bed.

Sirius Black had arrived.

The news spread like wildfire, quickly infecting the entire school with fear and panic.

Headmaster Dumbledore ordered all students to gather in the Great Hall, and John was no exception.

He had just succeeded in performing a soul separation spell and was utterly exhausted, barely able to keep his eyes open.

Called into the Great Hall, John could barely keep his eyes open.

His casual demeanor made it seem like he had anticipated all of this.

Harry noticed and felt a bit puzzled by John's nonchalance.

Meanwhile, the Gryffindor students were discussing the recent events with others.

The Fat Lady had been attacked. Sirius Black had tried to force his way in, and when he failed, he slashed the painting.

The professors had gone to search the entire school, and Percy was put in charge of maintaining order.

Magically conjured sleeping bags were handed out, and John immediately crawled into one in the corner.

All he needed was two hours, and he'd be as good as new.

Nearby, John overheard conversations.

"Do you think Black is still in the castle?" Hermione asked, clearly worried.

"Dumbledore seems to think so," Ron replied.

The rustling sound of the trio getting into their sleeping bags filled the air.

"Good thing he tried tonight when we weren't in the tower," Hermione said, still shaken by the thought of what could've happened if it had been the night before.

"I think he's been on the run so long he's lost track of time," Ron muttered, his own exhaustion evident after a day full of activities.

Hearing this, Harry's mind raced. He considered a possibility.

Perhaps Sirius Black had chosen this particular time on purpose.

Other students were still speculating about how Sirius had managed to enter Hogwarts. Some said it was through Transfiguration; others suggested he had clung to the roof of the Hogwarts Express.

Harry didn't think any of these theories made sense. It was more likely that someone had helped Sirius from the inside.

Opening a door from within would certainly be faster than forcing it open from the outside.

With these thoughts swirling in his head, Harry soon felt his own eyelids growing heavy. After closing his eyes for a while, he was startled by a creaking sound.

The door had opened. It was Dumbledore, accompanied by Snape and Percy.

They were talking—well, it was mostly Dumbledore and Snape, while Percy trailed behind silently.

One of Snape's remarks made Harry perk up and listen closely.

"Have you considered how he got in, Professor?" Snape suddenly asked.

"Many ideas, Severus, but none of them seem plausible," Dumbledore replied, casting a glance at Snape.

Snape shifted slightly and said in a low, suggestive voice, "Do you remember our conversation, Headmaster? The one just before... just before the start of term?"

"I remember, Severus," Dumbledore said, his tone carrying a hint of warning.

"Sirius Black breaking into the school without inside help seems... impossible," Snape drawled, stretching out his words. "I have expressed my concerns, especially when you..."

"I do not believe there is anyone within this castle who would aid Black in getting inside," Dumbledore concluded firmly, cutting off any further discussion.

Realizing he couldn't sway Dumbledore, Snape remained silent.

Dumbledore continued, "I need to inform the Dementors now. I promised them that once we finished our search, we would let them know."

Gathering the students together wasn't just to guard against Sirius Black; more importantly, it was to ensure the students didn't encounter the Dementors.

Several Dementors had gone missing recently, and both the Ministry of Magic and the Dementors themselves were eager to search the grounds. If it were up to Dumbledore, he wouldn't let them in at all.

Hearing all of this, the trio—Harry, Ron, and Hermione—found it impossible to sleep, while John was still soundly asleep nearby.

_________

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