As for what kind of agreement Remus Lupin and Severus Snape could reach with Dumbledore's mediation, Regulus Black didn't care. After all, from Regulus's perspective, Lupin had long owed an apology due to old and new grievances alike—he was just making amends for past bullying. If a simple apology could settle everything, that was an incredible bargain!
The only visible part of the agreement between the two seemed to be that Snape would take over as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for a few days each month, and during those lessons, he would teach all seven years about werewolves—how to identify them, beware of them, combat them, eliminate them, their habits, and their weaknesses. As long as it was related to werewolves, Snape taught it all, regardless of whether the student was a first-year or a soon-to-graduate seventh-year. Lengthy rolls of parchment awaited their reports.
Each time Professor Remus Lupin returned, he was left speechless and could only reduce some of the regular Defense Against the Dark Arts coursework to give the students more time to complete their werewolf assignments.
"Dear Father,Your son Draco greets you from Hogwarts. The newly arrived Professor Remus Lupin seems to have some issues. Many professors appear to be aware of his situation. Headmaster Dumbledore has been looking out for him, and my godfather, Professor Snape, is even brewing special potions for him. This new professor disappears for a few days every month, and during that time, my godfather substitutes for him—and all the class content is about werewolves. From my observations, I discovered that the potion godfather brews for this Professor Lupin is the Wolfsbane Potion, which helps werewolves retain their sanity during transformation. Clearly, this Professor Lupin is even more dangerous than the little beast that dared scratch my chick—he's a werewolf! And Dumbledore actually hired a werewolf as a professor.Many other students have the same suspicion—not just the foolish Gryffindors; even in Hufflepuff, some have guessed it, from what I know. Please advise me on how I should respond to any incidents that may follow.Love, your son Draco, who also loves our eternally beautiful mother."
Draco Malfoy's letter soon flew back to Malfoy Manor. After reading it, Lucius couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and smile. Clearly, his son had matured—no longer as impulsive as he had been in his first and second years.
"Lucius! You seem very pleased. Did Draco achieve some great result? But I thought Quidditch season hasn't started yet?"Narcissa Malfoy was flipping through a magazine featuring recent fashion trends—one recommended by Regulus Black.
"No, Quidditch hasn't started yet. This letter is from Draco, reporting something unusual he noticed at school and seeking help from the family."Lucius handed the letter to his beloved wife, finally drawing her attention away from the magazine.
Heaven knows how revealing those clothes in the magazine were—practically just scraps of fabric stitched together. And worst of all, those so-called fashion pieces were outrageously expensive. Why not just have the house-elves make them? Was there really any need to visit the boutiques personally?
"Since even Draco has figured out Remus Lupin's identity as a werewolf, Lucius, shouldn't you, as a school governor, send a Howler to Dumbledore and lodge a protest?"Narcissa still retained some of the rebellious flair from her younger days, tempting her husband to take more drastic action.
"No, in this matter, I need to follow Regulus Black's lead. I'll write to Draco and explain everything clearly."Lucius Malfoy, after all, had gone through his school years with his wife, and he already knew about Lupin's werewolf identity. Still, despite their constant rivalry with the old man, they trusted Dumbledore's ability to keep things under control.
The next day, Draco received a letter from his father:
"My dearest little dragon,Seeing your letter made me very happy. Clearly, you didn't act rashly or do anything inappropriate. You understood the importance of first communicating with your family and seeking a comprehensive understanding of the facts.Yes, Remus Lupin is a werewolf. Many of the school governors and students from his year, including some of today's prominent family members, are aware of this. But his condition wasn't something he was born with. It's said he was deliberately bitten by the leader of the werewolves during childhood. At that time, many wizarding families were being threatened by these filthy beasts. One of their most common tactics was to attack wizarding children and turn them into werewolves. This served two purposes—boosting their numbers and altering the wizarding community's view of werewolves. Some would grow to hate them even more; others, out of sympathy for the children, might stop seeing werewolves as monsters.It's a complex issue, and without studying the history of that time, it's difficult to understand all the layers involved. Since Dumbledore dared to hire a werewolf as a professor, he naturally has sufficient means of control. The days when you notice Professor Lupin is absent and Snape teaches instead are precisely when the werewolf side takes over. I believe he's definitely taking the Wolfsbane Potion your godfather brewed, hiding in some secluded place, waiting for the transformation to pass.Barring any unexpected developments, this situation will likely continue until the end of this term. Next year, you will have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Your job is to ensure that you're not the unexpected development. And one more thing: beware of the escaped Sirius Black. So stay at Hogwarts and don't wander off."
Draco Malfoy could hardly believe it when he received the letter—turns out many wizarding families had long known about Professor Remus Lupin's identity as a werewolf. Yet not a single one of the twelve school governors had objected to Dumbledore's appointment.
Even his father, Lucius Malfoy, had only spoken in a mildly disapproving tone, merely warning him to be cautious around the werewolf—saying it was more worthwhile to keep an eye on Sirius Black. Thinking about it, that made sense. After all, Dementors were patrolling the outskirts of Hogwarts every day. The entire school was beginning to feel more like a graveyard.
Who would want to leave? Even if the Slytherin common room was a bit chilly, the warmth from the fireplace was still far better than the icy aura those Dementors brought with them.
Draco felt a bit annoyed that his father was underestimating him. Bored, he looked around at his fellow Slytherins in the common room—this year, everyone seemed unusually well-behaved, all quietly studying there.
Miss Greengrass had now taken the place of Daphne Greengrass and Pansy Parkinson as Draco's regular companion. The other two had turned traitor—you'd probably find them by the mirror door on the eighth floor.
All in all, the news about Professor Remus Lupin being a werewolf was kept tightly under wraps among a select few who were in the know. People only paid extra attention during Professor Snape's substitute lessons, watching over those they cared about more closely to avoid any accidents.
Even though everything appeared normal on the surface, the atmosphere at Hogwarts remained eerie, as if some enormous beast was lurking beneath it all.
It was during this unsettling time that Regulus Black left Hogwarts and returned to Crimson Manor to continue filming his family's movie. A few of Dr. Allen's scenes still needed to be shot, and the entire crew was waiting to wrap up production.
Regulus Black arrived at Crimson Manor directly via the [station], accompanied by the manor's steward, Quirinus Quirrell. Previously, Quirrell had been busy managing affairs related to the Crimson Gem specialty shop, which had finally begun running smoothly. Now free, he was able to return to his so-called main job—as steward of Crimson Manor.
"Let me introduce you—this is my important assistant, Quirinus Quirrell! He's the steward of Crimson Manor and also serves as the sales manager for Crimson Gems."
Still wrapped in his signature turban, Quirinus Quirrell played the part of an Indian Buddhist.
Oddly enough, his eccentric appearance actually boosted gem sales significantly. Many wealthy ladies, enchanted by his adventurous tales, believed he had decided to become a Buddhist—specifically, one in the Indian tradition—after traveling through India.
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