0285 A Fair exchange

A short distance away, the trio were spared the brunt of the chaos. As the blinding light began to wane, they witnessed the convergence of the two Marauder's Maps into a singular entity, a fusion of magical cartography that left only one map in its wake.

High above, Bryan observed the scene with a mixture of astonishment and curiosity. How many maps had merged into one? Two, or perhaps three? He pondered the implications of such a phenomenon—would a wizard encountering their temporal original self during time travel be subject to a similar, bizarre fate?

Hmmm

A muffled cry of anguish pierced the silence of the forest, drawing everyone's attention to the inner depths of the forest.

Snape, who was vigilant and wary of Sirius trying to escape, halted abruptly. And pointed his wand towards the source of the disturbance.

Meanwhile, the others were still reeling from the aftershocks of the map's explosive union.

"Are you all right, Ron, Hermione?" Harry's voice was laced with concern as he scrambled to his feet and rushed to aid his friends.

"Ow, my bum hurts!" Ron lamented, massaging his buttocks with a grimace. "Can someone tell me what the hell is going on? Harry, did you know there were actually two of these Marauder maps?"

"Fred and George never mentioned this to me," Harry replied, his gaze fixed on the parchment beneath Snape's feet, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

"Don't be silly, you two," Hermione chided softly, her brow furrowed in concentration as she too studied the parchment. Unnoticed by the others, her hand brushed against the small funnel concealed beneath her shirt, her expression growing increasingly grave.

Sirius and Lupin, battered but ok, limped back to the group. They noticed Snape's vigilant posture and looked around with confusion, squinting their eyes.

As experienced wizards who had come through the war, their attention had been drawn to other things earlier, but now they couldn't fail to notice the chilling aura creeping in from all directions like mist.

"Severus—" Lupin began, plucking a damp leaf from his cheek before extending a hand towards Snape, "I need to get my wand back, I assume you don't mind, right?"

"You three, come over here!" Hagrid's booming voice cut through the tension, beckoning Harry and his friends who were still confused. "Now is not the time to dawdle!"

"What's going on, Hagrid?" The trio exchanged bewildered glances, their voices overlapping in confusion. As they drew nearer, Hagrid deftly maneuvered Malfoy under his arm, corralling the three students behind him while reclaiming his crossbow from Hermione.

"We've been ambushed," Sirius said with a serious expression. Snape didn't hand him his wand, so he had to face the chaotic darkness with his bare hands.

Harry cast a sidelong glance at Sirius, but didn't say anything. Sirius was still not on his list of trusted individuals.

In that moment, Hagrid positioned Malfoy within the protective circle formed by the adult wizards. Harry and Ron, with evident distaste, secured Malfoy's arms, ensuring he would not fall down.

"Who is attacking us, Hagrid?" 

The tense and intense atmosphere made Hermione's face turn pale. Her voice trembled as she asked, "Could it be the Centaurs--"

"I'm afraid not, Miss Granger--" Lupin said with a bitter face, "They are much more dangerous and evil creatures than Centaurs--"

As his words hung in the air, a gust of wind swept through the clearing, sending a cascade of leaves fluttering to the ground.

A mocking voice suddenly echoed through the desolate Forbidden Forest,

"it's quite ironic to hear such an evaluation from your mouth--"

In the dim moonlight, a man with messy beard and disgusting yellow teeth, exuding a bloody smell, slowly appeared.

"My friend, Remus!"

'Professor Lupin's friend?'

Harry was taken aback for a moment, his heart pounding against his chest as he instinctively wanted to look at Lupin for answers. But as his gaze moved up, he accidentally caught a glimpse of Ron and Hermione's expressions. They both had frozen expressions, their faces pale as if they had seen a ghost, their eyes wide with a mix of fear and disbelief.

"What's going on? Do you guys know this guy?" Harry's voice was barely above a whisper, yet it carried the weight of the tension that filled the room.

"He's Greyback, the leader of the werewolves. I saw his wanted poster in the Daily Prophet," Hermione's voice trembled, just like her body.

'So, he's a notorious criminal?' Harry instinctively thought, but from Ron's fearful expression, it seemed that it wasn't that simple.

"Don't tell me you don't know Greyback, Harry," Ron said in a hushed voice, his words barely audible. He lowered his head and didn't even dare to look at the man, as if the very sight of him could bring about a curse.

"Greyback is particularly brutal. He prefers to prey on underage children, not to devour them, but to turn them into his kind by biting. He expands his power in this way." The words spilled from Ron's lips, each one heavy with the gravity of the situation.

Harry hesitated, the implications of Ron's words sinking in. 'Turned into a werewolf?'

A chill rose from his stomach to his forehead, a cold sweat breaking out across his brow. In an instant, Harry's forehead started to sweat, his mind racing with the horrific possibilities. He couldn't imagine what would happen if he were to be turned into a werewolf. The Dursleys would definitely kick him out, and he would be left to wander, an outcast from both the wizarding and Muggle worlds.

"As Ron said," Professor Lupin said bitterly, his voice laced with a pain that went beyond physical wounds, "that's how I became a werewolf." His back was turned to them, as if he couldn't bear to face the reality of his past being laid bare for all to see.

"What do you want, Greyback!" Hagrid roared angrily, his voice booming through the hall like thunder. "Are you planning to wage war against both Hogwarts and the centaurs? You know, if you dare to do that, Dumbledore won't let you off!"

"Oh, why would you think that?" Greyback's voice sounded smooth, but his eyes remained cold, devoid of any warmth or humanity. "We've been very sensible, haven't we, Hagrid? For all these years, we haven't harmed those foolish children who sneak into the Forbidden Forest, and we haven't provoked those centaurs. Werewolves have always been good neighbors, haven't we?" His words dripped with sarcasm, a twisted smile playing on his lips.

Looking at the pretentious Greyback, Lupin took a deep breath, steeling himself for the confrontation. "Then what is your purpose for appearing here tonight, Greyback?" he asked with a cold face, his voice steady despite the anger simmering beneath the surface.

"Those who betray their own kind are not qualified to talk to me," Greyback sneered contemptuously, glancing at Lupin with disdain. His eyes with vertical pupils revealed a malicious intent.

"Tell us your purpose, Greyback," Snape said in a low and dangerous tone. Even Harry and the others could hear the danger in his voice, a warning of the storm that was brewing.

"These years, you've been living well under Dumbledore's protection, Severus–" Greyback seemed to be completely unaware of the hostility in Snape's questioning tone. He smirked deliberately.

"And we've been hiding and evading the pursuit of the Ministry of Magic, barely surviving. Why didn't you think of helping out an old friend, Severus? After all, we used to work together–"

Harry couldn't help but glare at Snape with disgust. 

There were rumors in school that Snape used to be one of Voldemort's followers, and now, those rumors seemed to be confirmed.

Being surrounded by a large group of werewolves, it was impossible not to be nervous, especially since Harry and the others were here. If any of these young wizards were harmed tonight, it was not hard to imagine the backlash Dumbledore and Hogwarts would face. 

"Either state your purpose clearly or get lost, Greyback!" 

Hagrid roared in a low voice, and his appearance as a twelve-foot-tall giant was indeed intimidating. Greyback slightly adjusted his posture and coldly smiled, seeming unfazed by the threat.

"An old friend wrote us a letter, saying that tonight we would meet someone we have been longing to see–"

'Was Greyback also looking for Black?' That was the first thought that came to Harry's mind, but then he realized it was wrong. The person who wrote the letter was definitely not well-intentioned.

"Maybe it's Scabbers–" Hermione whispered softly, her voice barely audible over the sound of her own heartbeat.

At this point, the situation had developed beyond what young wizards could intervene in. Harry and the others could only quietly wait and see how things unfolded.

Greyback's voice sliced through the stillness, cold and sharp as a blade of ice. "But I think we've been deceived,"

"I searched the area with my fellow werewolves, but we didn't find the person we wanted to kill. Instead, we stumbled upon this… spectacle," he sneered, his eyes gleaming with a cruel amusement.

Lupin, his face a mask of restrained fury, opened his mouth to retort, but Greyback's attention had already shifted, his predatory gaze locking onto Sirius with a calculating intensity.

"Perhaps this is fate's own charity," Greyback mused aloud, a twisted smile playing upon his lips. "You know, the life of a werewolf is full of hardships, and the chance to claim fifty thousand Galleons does not come often."

Sirius hesitated for a moment, then his eyes showed a hint of hostility.

"Werewolves have no desire to be at odds with Hogwarts, Hagrid," Greyback continued, his voice a sinister lullaby as he gestured covertly to his hidden pack. His finger, aglow with an eerie silver light, pointed accusingly at Sirius and Remus.

"Hand over Black and this traitor to us, and then you can take the others and leave, Hagrid."

Upon hearing this request, Snape's eyes flickered. He glanced at the two people named by Greyback and a mocking smile appeared on his face.

"A fair exchange, I believe," Snape purred. "What say you, gentlemen? Will you demonstrate the valor and selflessness befitting your reputations?"

Harry was certain that Lupin and Sirius would reject such an outrageous demand. Yet, to his astonishment, after they exchanged glances, Lupin actually said with a serious face,

"If we agree to your terms, will you truly let the others go, Greyback?"

"Professor Lupin!" Hermione's exclamation was a mix of shock and disbelief, her voice reverting to the formal address out of sheer reflex.

"You can't negotiate with werewolves. They're not trustworthy. Oh, Sorry, I meant—these particular werewolves are not very trustworthy."

Perhaps because Hermione started calling him "Professor" again, Remus looked pleased. He smiled gently and said,

"You don't understand the gravity of the situation, Miss Granger."

"No, Remus!" Hagrid also said roughly. "Professor Dumbledore wouldn't agree with your decision, we must all return to Hogwarts!"

Not only were Harry and the others shocked by Remus's decision, but Snape was too. When he heard that Remus and Sirius were truly willing to stay behind, the satisfaction on his face disappeared, and his expression turned very ugly.

"So, what is your decision?" 

Greyback admired his metallic hand in the crimson moonlight, sounding a bit impatient. Truth be told, he wished none of them could escape tonight, but even werewolves have enemies they dare not provoke. If he really did that, he would probably have to move his entire pack out of Europe.

"Hagrid, we must prioritize the safety of Harry and the others," Lupin stated, his voice resolute.

"No!" Harry shouted vehemently. He realized that if they really left Lupin and Sirius behind, they would be in great danger. "If we're going, we must all go back together!"

"You're as brave as your father, Harry."

Sirius sniffed and said sentimentally,

"But what Remus said is right. You kids can't handle this group of werewolves."

Sirius and Remus's decision made Hagrid hesitate as well. He knew the gravity of the situation, but at the same time, he also knew that if he left Remus behind, the werewolves would definitely not let him off easily. And Sirius would surely be killed, and his body would be handed over to the Ministry of Magic for a reward. The Ministry of Magic would prefer Sirius to die as a criminal rather than as a wrongly accused hero.

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