HP: Those Years Sleeping with the Half-Blood Prince

Lily was very happy to receive a positive reply. She chatted for a few more minutes about her OWLs course selection plans before Mary and the others called her away.

Severus watched her departing figure, the oatmeal warming up as he picked up a spoon.

"What's wrong?" Ian said casually, spreading a thick layer of raspberry jam on his bread. "Are you worried Lily thinks you're getting too close to dark magic?"

Severus paused for a moment. "She'll worry, but not... like everyone else."

"Indeed." Ian took a bite of bread and mumbled, "Lily Evans judges people based on the person themselves."

He swallowed his food and took a sip of milk. "However, you are indeed not close to dark magic. You are just studying the principles of things that some people define as dark magic. There is a fundamental difference. Dumbledore has even given you a reading list."

"I know," Severus said.

Sometimes, the boundaries aren't so clear, especially in the eyes of others, but he didn't say anything more.

……

During a Hogsmeade weekend in February, they met up with Lily and her group at the Three Brooms.

The atmosphere was more relaxed than I had imagined.

Mary and Marlene were a little reserved at first, but they were quickly amused by Kevin’s exaggerated Quidditch stories and Aris’s unexpected and accurate witty remarks.

Lily and Severus chatted about their Potions class papers, while Ian effortlessly took over all the topics, occasionally discussing the difficulties of Defense Against the Dark Arts with Lily.

After three butterbeers, Kevin and Marlene started arguing about which team's Seeker was more handsome.

As I left, a light snow began to fall.

Lily wrapped her scarf tighter around herself and smiled at Severus, saying, "I had a great day today, Severus. Come out more often, don't always stay in the lab."

She looked at Ian again, winked, and said, "Keep an eye on him."

"I guarantee I'll complete the mission." Ian lazily raised his hand.

On the way back to the castle, Kevin and Aris walked ahead, arguing quietly about something.

Ian and Severus lagged a few steps behind.

The snow wasn't heavy; it melted quickly after landing on my shoulders.

"Lily is fine," Ian suddenly said.

"Um."

"She's the kind of person... who makes you feel that there are still bright corners in this world." Ian's voice was calm.

Severus turned his head to look at him. Ian's profile was somewhat blurred in the snowy light, and there seemed to be a hint of a smile on his lips, but not quite.

"You too," Severus said, his voice so low it was almost drowned out by the footsteps.

Ian paused almost imperceptibly, but didn't reply. He simply raised his hand and brushed a snowflake from Severus's hair.

"Let's go, curfew is almost here."

The touch of his fingers brushing against his forehead was light, carrying the coolness of the outdoors, yet it made Severus's ears feel slightly warm.

The snow was getting heavier, and students were scattered in twos and threes on the main road back to the castle. However, they turned onto a side road, intending to go back around from behind the greenhouse.

This road was even more secluded, with only a few dim oil lamps swaying in the wind and snow along the way.

As Kevin passed the Screaming Shack, he shrank back. "I heard this place is haunted; you can always hear screams in the middle of the night."

"It's just the sound of the wind blowing through the cracks due to the building's aging structure," Aris said calmly, but his pace quickened unconsciously.

Just then, a mournful howl came from deep within the shed.

That wasn't the sound of the wind.

Everyone stopped in their tracks.

"Merlin..." Kevin exclaimed in a low voice, his wand already halfway out.

"Back off," Ian said in a low voice.

They slowly moved backward, their eyes fixed on the trembling house.

There was another impact, as if something heavy had hit the wall.

Immediately afterwards, they saw several shadows dart into the screaming shed.

A black dog, a stag, and a small creature that was indistinct.

"That's..." Aris's voice was filled with disbelief.

"Animagus," Severus whispered, his eyes fixed on the three animals, "illegal Animagus."

The howling inside intensified.

"Let's get out of here first."

Ian acted swiftly, grabbing Severus's arm and tugging at Kevin, who was still staring blankly in the direction of the shed.

The four did not speak, and quickly left via another path, only slowing down when they returned to the castle.

"Those three just now..." Kevin lowered his voice, his eyes wide open, "...were..."

Aris put his finger to his lips, signaling him to shut up.

Back in his dorm, Kevin closed the door, made sure it was locked, and then blurted out what he'd been holding back all the way: "My God, Animagus, isn't that an incredibly complicated transfiguration? Professor McGonagall has strictly forbidden practicing it in private! And there were three of them! Did you see them? A big black dog, a deer, and a little one... what's that? A mouse?"

He paced excitedly around the bed, "They ran into the screaming shed! What's in there? That noise just now..."

"Quiet down, Kevin." Aris had already sat down, his expression relatively calm, but his fingers were unconsciously tapping on his knees. "Illegal Animagus... looks like a big problem."

Ian leaned against the table, looking at Severus: "What do you think?"

Severus had already taken off his snow-covered robe, his brow furrowed: "Their form is very stable, they're not novices, and they clearly know there's something in the Screaming Shack, they went there because of that howl."

“The students,” Ian continued, “their magical aura doesn’t resemble that of adult wizards.”

"A student?" Kevin gasped. "Which college? What are they practicing this for? Just for nighttime outings?"

"It's not just about nighttime wanderings," Aris said with certainty. "Illegal Animagus requires extremely high talent in Transfiguration and... a great deal of determination. The process is extremely painful and dangerous. Without a strong motivation, no one will attempt it."

"What's your motive?" Kevin pressed.

Severus and Ian exchanged a glance.

"Hide your identity," Severus said slowly, "to do things... that are inconvenient to do in human form."

"For example, exploring a forbidden area with mysterious rumors?" Ian interjected, his voice lowering, "and a place that's haunted precisely on the fifteenth of every month."

The room fell silent for a moment.

"You mean, there are werewolves in the screaming shack?" Kevin's voice also lowered. "Then why did they turn into animals and go in? Are they crazy?"

"They might not be crazy," Aris mused. "Maybe they want to confirm something, or... help with something."

"Help a werewolf?" Kevin's eyes widened. "How is that possible! That's a level XXXXX dangerous creature!"

"It might not be about helping the werewolves themselves." Severus walked to the window, looking at the dark night outside. "Perhaps it's about helping people troubled by werewolves."

Ian recalled seeing Fenrir Greyback in the Forbidden Forest, as well as the two black-robed wizards.

"The Ministry of Magic has recently intensified its monitoring of unusual werewolf gatherings. If there are indeed werewolf activities near Hogwarts, and some students have noticed them..."