Chapter 177: Werewolf

Snape and Lupin's duel has been in discussion for over a week.

During this time, both Snape and Lupin have become the center of attention, and some brave students have even asked them for dueling techniques.

However, Snape has a cold expression on his face and has deducted points from those curious young wizards a few times, so everyone becomes more obedient.

On the other hand, Professor Lupin welcomed all questions related to dueling and answered them with dedication.

When he hears the students tell how Arthur explained their duel to them, he can't help but admire how accurate Arthur's explanations are.

...

One morning, Arthur went to the Great Hall to eat and saw Cho and Luna huddled together, speaking softly.

"What are you up to?"

Arthur's voice startled the two of them, and they handed him the newspaper.

"Shocking! A magician thief has appeared in the magical world, and five wizard families at Hogsmeade have been robbed."

"The thief turns out to be a pervert? Let's hear what Mrs. Lutsen has to say."

After reading the headline, Arthur had a bad feeling. He then looked through the article.

"According to the Daily Prophet, there have recently been regular theft incidents in the village of Hogsmeade. All of them were carried out by one person, and five families have already filed complaints with the Ministry of Magic."

"Surprisingly, the stolen items are not particularly valuable; they are mostly common objects. The Gustav family only lost a turkey, which was supposed to be their dinner that night."

"However, according to the latest information from Madam Lutsen, the thief seems to be a pervert. Mrs. Lutsen claims that the thief was peeping outside her door while she was showering."

"At the moment, we still don't have specific information about the thief, only a photograph of his back that was obtained accidentally."

As Arthur continued reading, a short and chubby figure that looked very greasy was imprinted on the page.

It was none other than Peter Pettigrew's shape.

Arthur didn't expect Sirius to make a move so quickly.

It had only been less than a month, and he had already caught the attention of the Daily Prophet.

But what's with this pervert?

Could it be that Sirius had been in Azkaban for too long, reached middle age, and had nowhere to release his energy, eventually leading to...

"Arthur? Arthur?"

Cho called Arthur several times before he snapped back to reality.

"Oh, I was lost in thought just now. I didn't expect there to be a thief in Hogsmeade. We should be more careful next time we go out."

"It's not that, I wanted you to read another article, it's about Lockhart."

Arthur finally realized that Cho and Luna weren't looking at the theft news. He turned his attention to the corner where the article was.

"Lockhart was promoted to Deputy Director of the Ministry of Magic's Law Enforcement Department."

He's become so capable?

Arthur was a bit surprised.

Alia had mentioned in her letters that Lohart would be promoted soon. But Arthur didn't expect him to jump to such a high position all at once.

It was like a rocket jump.

After all, the Magical Law Enforcement Department was the most powerful branch of the Ministry of Magic.

The Minister of Magic usually chooses the Director of the Law Enforcement Department or the Undersecretary as their successor.

"I didn't expect Lockhart to become so powerful after leaving Hogwarts,"

Cho couldn't help but sigh beside him.

Arthur had told her some things about Lockhart before, and she knew that Lockhart was already under Arthur's command.

And in just a few months, one of Arthur's subordinates had reached such a high position.

Compared to outsiders, Cho, whose parents both worked in the Ministry of Magic, knew better the worth of such a position.

After finishing breakfast, Arthur made his way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

Hermione saved him a spot next to Harry and Neville.

"Weird, why isn't Professor Lupin here yet?"

Harry wondered. Lupin usually arrives early, but today he hadn't shown up even when class was about to start.

As the bell rang, a figure entered the room, but it wasn't Lupin. It was Snape. Everyone was stunned to see Snape.

Ignoring everyone's gaze, Snape announced, "Professor Lupin isn't feeling well today, so I will be replacing him for the class."

"Now, turn to page three hundred sixty-eight in your textbooks. Today, we will be studying... werewolves."

Unable to resist, Harry stood up.

"Professor, we've already studied Boggarts and Red Caps. We should be-"

"Silence, Potter. Gryffindor loses ten points,"

Snape interrupted him and sneered.

"I have no expectations for Lupin's teaching capabilities. It's hard to imagine third-year students like you learning to handle these childish creatures."

Snape stared at Harry, his eyes fixed on him until Harry looked away.

Then Snape continued, "This is my classroom, and I will teach you the knowledge I believe you most need to learn."

After saying this, Snape paid no more attention to Harry and began the lesson.

However, Hermione looked at Snape thoughtfully, then glanced at Arthur, who was bored flipping through his book.

"I strongly suspect that Snape attacked Professor Lockhart. You know, he's dreamed of that position for a long time,"

After class, Harry complained to Arthur.

"Harry, you should know the mistakes you made in your first year. Besides, Snape doesn't need to attack Lupin in order to win,"

Arthur replied, thinking about whether he should meet with Sirius Black. He casually shut down Harry's complaint.

On the other hand, Hermione remained silent, which puzzled Harry.

"Hermione, what's up with you today? I noticed you were daydreaming during class." Harry asked.

"Huh?"

Hermione snapped out of her thoughts and quickly answered, "It's nothing. I was just thinking about how to write the essay Professor McGonagall assigned."

As soon as Harry heard that, he fell silent. As a poor student, he didn't want to discuss essays with Hermione.

On their way to Transfiguration class, Hermione slowed down her speed and pulled Arthur aside, leaving a distance between them and Harry.

She grabbed Arthur's sleeve and quietly asked, "Arthur, is Professor Lupin a werewolf?"

...

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