Chapter 261. Lupin's Change and the Courtyard at Night
At Hogwarts, the reversal in the Black affair set off a flurry of discussion.
In addition, with the Aurors withdrawn, Hogwarts returned to normal life, and students could resume their activities without worry.
On 26 January, nearly two weeks had passed.
Evening.
Inside Adrian Wesson's office.
"How's Black doing lately?" Wesson leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head and said to Lupin across from him, "Oh, and Peter—I've heard he's already been sent to Azkaban?"
Lupin sat in the armchair opposite Wesson, cradling a steaming cup of black tea—he had just come back from the Ministry of Magic.
The wan sunlight spilled across his face, making him look even more aged.
Even so, Lupin was in fairly good spirits.
"I went to see Black. He's still under supervision at the Ministry. Although they insist on a month of observation, at least he can move about freely now. He even wrote to me yesterday—said he's tidying up the old house at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place."
Lupin took a light sip of tea, a touch of coldness at the corner of his mouth. "As for Peter, he's been sent to Azkaban, awaiting the Dementors' final judgment—tomorrow."
Wesson nodded, but his attention snagged on the phrase "the old house at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place."
One of Voldemort's Horcruxes—Slytherin's locket—was being kept there at this moment.
Wesson had gone looking for it as well, but as with many wizards' homes, without the owner's permission he simply could not find the entrance to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place.
At that moment, the last sliver of sunlight slipped beneath the horizon, and the office dimmed at once.
"Ready, Lupin?" Wesson snapped his fingers, and several wall lamps lit of their own accord.
Lupin nodded and rose to his feet, his expression somewhat grave.
Tonight was the full moon. "Are you sure you want me to spend the full moon inside Hogwarts Castle?" Lupin asked nervously. "Maybe…"
"Don't worry," Wesson said airily, waving a hand. "We've tested this. You can control yourself now, can't you?"
"But—"
Lupin wanted to say more, but suddenly his body went rigid; there was not much time left.
Sensing what was coming, he immediately pulled from his pocket the third-edition Purification Potion Wesson had given him, twisted off the cap, and poured it down his throat.
"How does it feel?" Wesson leaned in, curious.
Lupin shook his head and set the empty vial on the desk. "Nothing at all."
Wesson flicked his hand; with a pop, the window flew open. The round moon hung at the edge of the sky, shedding its chill silver light.
"Wait—I can control it."
Lupin suddenly furrowed his brow; his pupils tightened sharply as the transformation began.
The next second, a werewolf stood in the middle of the office.
"I feel… a bit clearer," the werewolf Lupin rasped. "But apart from that, there's no difference."
"Let me see."
Wesson circled the werewolf Lupin a few times, then shook his head at last in regret. "Looks like the formula still needs adjusting. But I'm sure everything's moving in the right direction."
Lupin let out a long breath and sat back down. The wooden armrest protested under the weight of his wolf claws with a creaking groan.
"Be gentle with my chair, Lupin," Wesson said offhandedly.
"Oh—sorry." Lupin scratched his head awkwardly with a claw.
He had forgotten he could freely switch forms.
However, just as Lupin tried to change back into a human, an accident occurred.
His limbs and body returned to human shape, but his head remained snarling and lupine—he had become a monster with a wolf's head on a man's body!
"Just look at you, Lupin," Wesson said in surprise. "What else can you do?"
Lupin looked down at his human palms, then felt his still-furred wolf head and suddenly realised something.
"Wait—I think I can."
He closed his eyes.
In the next second, his right hand twisted and warped; a wolf's paw reappeared, while his head began slowly to recover—fangs retracting, fur receding—until his face returned to human.
It seemed this was Lupin's new change—he could control a partial werewolf transformation.
"Excellent," Wesson nodded, satisfied. "It looks like you've begun to master this power. We're accomplishing something unprecedented."
Lupin regarded his right claw with a complicated expression. Truth be told, he had never wanted to master such a power.
If he could, he would rather be rid of everything to do with being a werewolf.
Of course, reaching this state already felt like a stroke of luck.
Half an hour later, Lupin and Wesson went for a walk in the courtyard, to test Lupin's stability.
Though the sky was fully dark, curfew hadn't begun yet.
There were still a few scattered students in the courtyard—several familiar faces among them.
"Good evening, Professor Wesson, and Professor Lupin." Cedric Diggory stepped out from behind a column.
"Good evening, Cedric. What are you doing out here? It's already quite late."
As Wesson spoke, he noticed another person beside Cedric—Emily Blunt, a girl in his year.
She was an unassuming Hufflepuff.
Even so, Wesson had some impression of her, because the unicorns were particularly fond of her.
"Emily said she wanted to take a walk," Cedric said with a smile. "She said she's not in the best of spirits."
Wesson dipped his chin, his gaze resting on Emily's face for a moment before he smiled in understanding. "Of course. The courtyard at night is indeed good for clearing the mind. We won't disturb you."
A faint flush rose on Emily's cheeks. "We'll head back to the common room right away, Professor."
With that, she immediately tugged Cedric to leave.
Cedric looked puzzled as he was pulled away.
Seeing this, Wesson couldn't help but smile.
For an excellent, handsome student like Cedric, being popular with girls was only natural.
It seemed they had just ruined a lovely date.
Lupin, however, clearly did not care. He hadn't seemed very focused from the start, often tilting his head to gaze up at the moon.
"What is it?" Wesson asked. "Do you feel unwell?"
Lupin blinked, then shook his head with a sigh. "I just want to look at the moon a bit more. For me, there aren't many chances like this."
"All right—suit yourself. The moon won't affect anything."
As Wesson spoke, he communed with the Tree of Wisdom in his mind.
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