Hogwarts Study Panel

Chapter 340, Page 339: Facing Voldemort
Lupin stared at the parchment, where the words of Mr. Moonface, Mr. Fork, Mr. Bigfoot, and Mr. Wormtail shone brightly.

A strange, enigmatic expression flickered across his face, before being replaced by a deep emotion.

He had experienced too much that day, and sometimes he felt that the appearance of the little wizard was like a surprising accident.

Grimm's Bookstore...maybe being the store manager here for life wouldn't be bad.

"An interesting map, what is its purpose?"

Lupin asked with a smile.

Now it was Sheen's turn to have a strange expression. Although he could understand, hearing those words from Mr. Moonface was still a bit...

"Yes, it can help us find some secret passages. It will also display the names and locations of everyone at Hogwarts..."

As the young wizard explained the contents, Lupin nodded and smiled.

Finally, with the parchment tucked away, Sheen's figure gradually faded into the distance.

Lupin looked outside, and a figure became clearer and clearer in the wind and snow.

"Mr. Lupin."

It's Justin.

"Mr. Finley."

Lupin was somewhat surprised.

The returning blond wizard's robes were covered in snowflakes.

“Sheen is the smartest among us, and he trusts you… He’s always been very trusting of people.”

However, I want you to know that trust is a choice, a courage, and a... irreplaceable resource.

After saying that, Justin turned and left.

He didn't know much about werewolves; he learned almost entirely from today's cramming.

But he knew perfectly well how easily those pitiful yet terrifying creatures, like werewolves, could fall into darkness.

Perhaps only Sheen would have no reason to believe that this wizard named Lupin was the bright moon rising in the night.

……

Three Brooms Bar.

Sheen waited quietly for Justin, who said he was going to buy some candy, but he didn't head in the direction of the Honey Duke's mansion.

On the greasy table sat two glasses of butterbeer overflowing with white foam. Speaking of which, the Three Broomsticks had a feature that young wizards loved—they sold butterbeer to them.

This is also due to the tradition formed by the poor water quality in Britain.

The bar was crowded these days, and Sheen huddled in a corner, trying to make himself easily overlooked.

His reason for doing so was simple: the dear Professor Flitwick was fast asleep in a dimly lit place.

Sheen silently finished his butterbeer, feeling himself warm up, and began to think about Lupin—

Peter Pettigrew is still hiding beside Ron, while Sirius Black, who has imprisoned himself for twelve years, remains withered and emaciated...

Sheen pondered silently, and his plan became clearer and clearer.

However, before that, perhaps I could learn some spells from Mr. Lupin—such as the Guardian Spell.

After a while, the doorbell rang. Sheen saw Justin's face, which was red from the cold. Justin was about to speak when he saw Sheen shake his head.

He glanced around the bar and his eyes widened in surprise.

This is...Professor Flitwick?

They were right under the professor's nose...

The two left in a hurry. Before leaving, Sheen quietly transformed a blanket and covered the professor with it.

After they left, the drunken Professor Flitwick seemed to wake up, a smile playing on his lips.

The founder of Grimm's Books is still a bit of a mystery.

Hogwarts Castle seems to have fallen into a deep sleep.

Only one window was still lit.

Minerva McGonagall walked into the room, covered in snow, and into the warmth of the fireplace, where the white, fluffy, chestnut-like snowflakes slowly melted.

From the moment the Chamber of Secrets was discovered, she became fully aware that the young wizard was not as law-abiding as he appeared, and that the rules he had always followed were meaningless when he decided to do something.

It's both infuriating and frustrating.

Perhaps Marcus is right, the child resembles her...when she was younger.

On Minerva McGonagall's desktop was an Animagus registration form.

She placed the form inside the drawer, her brows furrowing, and finally let out a deep sigh.

It's been dragging on for ages since this summer vacation started...

One day at the end of November.

The grounds outside the castle were still covered with a thick layer of snow, and fine water droplets condensed on the windows of the greenhouse, so Sheen couldn't see what was happening outside while he was taking herb class.

Today's Ravenclaw schedule is not very long: only one Herbalism class, one Transfiguration class, and one Herbalism class.

Gryffindor, on the other hand, faced a much tougher challenge, as they had to endure two consecutive Potions classes and a Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

Harry and Ron felt like they were dying all day. After Potions class, they were dazed and pale, just like when Sheen first met Lupin.

"Does it really work, Harry?"

Ron walked wearily up to the fourth floor, forcing himself to ask Harry a question.

“That’s the problem, Ron. If this continues, we’ll die before Lockhart.”

Harry lost thirty points in one day, and to be honest, he had never heard of anyone losing that many points simply for attending class.

The points they earned by facing Tom Riddle in the secret room were significantly reduced.

The two walked hurriedly to the center of the fourth-floor corridor, and finally knelt down in front of a black cat statue.

"Help me, Mr. Black Cat, Professor Snape is going crazy with all the points he's deducting..."

Harry wore a pained expression, yet remained incredibly devout.

"Yes, deduct five points for placing the glass rod in the crucible, and deduct five points for placing the glass on the table without preheating..."

Ron seemed to recall some unforgettable scene, and his head was still spinning.

"Look, that's the secret to Mr. Potter's ability to see the castle cat in his dreams!"

Hannah excitedly addressed the group of young wizards.

Harry and Ron immediately bowed upon arrival, their devotion truly surprising the wizards.

Ginny stared at Harry's profile, and after a while, she joined the group.

When Sheen passed by with the potion in his hand, he could only see a group of young wizards worshipping around the statue, as if they were performing some strange ritual.

He quickly walked away, and even the joy of his soul transforming and reaching the [Expert] level diminished considerably.

The Castle Cat Club is now the largest club at Hogwarts.

The club originally had a limited number of members, but Headmaster Dumbledore would approve any expansion application the Castle Cat Club would submit, which fueled the young wizards' enthusiasm.

If this cannot prove the important existence of the Great Castle Spirit Cat, then what can prove it?
Sheehan, having gained a better understanding of Dumbledore's tendency to watch the spectacle, turned a corner, and the map of the plan floated up.

The map above suddenly disappeared completely, replaced by a foggy portrait, with a red exclamation mark appearing around the character "Harry".

Sheen knew that the plan had been progressing steadily, and today was the day he would face Voldemort's... fragile soul.

(End of this chapter)