Hogwarts: I am Snape

Chapter 124 Why hasn't the sun set yet today?
After saying goodbye to the principal, the two walked out of the office, and the oak door closed gently behind them.

Silence descended once more.

Upon entering the foyer, Lupin suddenly asked, "Why are you helping me?"

“Because I like furry things.” Snape paused slightly and smiled at Lupin.

Lupin looked at him in astonishment, his grey-green eyes wide open.

“Of course not like that!” Seeing Lupin’s suddenly frozen expression, Snape quickly added, “Get those thoughts out of your head, my orientation is straighter than light!”

Lupin's expression shifted from shock to confusion, and finally to a soft chuckle.

“Alright, Severus. Anyway… thank you for the potion.” He hesitated for a moment, seemingly considering whether to extend his hand, but ultimately refrained. “See you later.”

“Show me the change in you, Remus,” Snape said, turning and striding toward the castle gates. “Don’t expect me to be this kind forever.”

Stepping out of the castle, a summer breeze greets you, carrying the unique scents of earth and grass.

As Snape walked toward the Forbidden Forest, he touched the inside pocket of his robes. Two doses of wolfsbane potion lay there quietly.

"Severus."

Just then, a shrill voice came from behind him, interrupting his steps. He turned around and saw Peter Pettigrew running towards him from the direction of the castle.

"What is it?" Snape asked coldly.

Little Starflint flinched, as if Snape had lashed him with a whip.

“I…I just wanted to ask,” he panted, his round eyes darting around anxiously, “can I join your Isshin Society?”

Snape raised an eyebrow, blinked slowly, and processed the absurd request.

"Why, Wormtail?" he asked sarcastically, a cold smile twisting his lips. "Because I'm stronger than your friends now? Tell me, what can your joining me bring?"

“I…” Pettigrew’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and sweat glistened in the sunlight on his forehead. “I thought you would accept anyone to join…”

"Do your friends know?" Snape suddenly changed the subject, his eyes fixed on Pettigrew's face.

“No,” Little Pettigrew answered quickly, then, as if realizing he had let something slip, added, “I mean… I haven’t told them yet.”

Snape took a step forward, looking down at the diminutive Gryffindor.

“In theory, we would accept any level of minor wizard or witch,” he said slowly, looking at the flame burning in Pettigrew’s eyes. “But—I’m sorry, Wormtail, you’re not included.”

"Why?" Pettigrew looked up, his face a mixture of confusion and hurt.

"Why?" Snape repeated with a sneer. "How could you ask such a question, Wormtail?"
"Then let me ask you, are you willing to tell me all of Potter and Black's secrets and help me deal with them?"

“No,” Little Star said, taking two steps back as if burned, “I will not betray them.”

"You won't betray your friends?" Snape's voice suddenly became unusually gentle. "Oh, yes, you just want my protection, don't you? Although I am more powerful than your friends now, I have not threatened you, much less killed you."

“I don’t know—what are you talking about, Severus—” Pettigrew muttered, his eyes darting around. “If you don’t want me to join, then so be it…” He turned to leave, but stopped, glancing cautiously at Snape. “You…you’re not going to tell James and the others, are you?”

“That’s your internal business,” Snape said. “Goodbye.”

Little Pettigrew then turned and walked towards the castle.

Snape stood there, speaking to the hastily departing figure, "Peter, remember what you said today. I hope you can truly keep your word and not betray your friends."

The evening breeze carried his words to Little Pettigrew's ears. He barely paused, only his shoulders stiffened almost imperceptibly, before he quickened his pace and ran towards the castle.

Snape shook his head and turned to continue walking toward the Forbidden Forest.

The edge of the Forbidden Forest was now almost within reach. The tall trees cast long shadows, as if welcoming his arrival. Snape stepped into the shadows and immediately felt a pleasant coolness creep up his spine.

About ten minutes after venturing into the Forbidden Forest, Snape felt a certain restraint on his body released—he had left Hogwarts' anti-Apparition range.

Without hesitation, he spun around and disappeared from the spot with a soft pop.

The next moment, he appeared in a clearing deep within the Forbidden Forest. It was still some distance from the werewolf camp. He straightened his robes, which had been wrinkled by Apparition, and headed towards the camp.

Unlike the ruins I left behind, the werewolf camp is now completely transformed.

A tall wooden fence enclosed a safe area, with several makeshift watchtowers standing in key positions. Snape's lips unconsciously curled into a smile—Lica had done even better than he had expected.

Two werewolves on the watchtower are chatting.

"Why hasn't the sun set yet?" a young werewolf asked, nervously scratching his hairy arm.

“Yes,” another older man echoed him, “It’s usually already dark by this time, it’s really strange.”

Upon hearing Snape's footsteps, the two werewolves immediately became alert. The younger werewolf raised a rough wooden bow, aiming an arrow in the direction from which the sound came.

"Who is it?" he asked sharply, his voice shrill with tension.

Before Snape could answer, the older werewolf had already reached out and pressed down on his companion's weapon.

“Put him down quickly,” he said, squinting at the visitor in the shadows of the fence. “This is our most distinguished friend.” Then he called out to the outside of the fence, “Please wait a moment, Mr. Snape, I’ll be right down.”

Snape watched as the older werewolf nimbly climbed down from the watchtower.

Before long, he arrived at the entrance to the camp, opened the heavy wooden door, and bowed respectfully to Snape.

“You’ve finally arrived, Mr. Snape,” he said, his voice trembling with excitement. “I didn’t even have a chance to thank you for your help last time.”

"Who are you?" Snape sized up the werewolf with his scarred face.

“I’m the wounded man you saved last time,” the werewolf said, gesturing to his abdomen with his hand. “Here, do you remember? A long gash, you’re the one who healed it.”

“I remember you,” Snape nodded with a smile. “You’re the dying werewolf. What’s your name?”

“Kyle Kaufman,” the werewolf grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth, “By the way, you must be here to see Rika, right?”

At this moment, the young werewolf also climbed down from the tower and came to the wooden door.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Snape,” he said, rubbing his hands together. “I didn’t see you last time.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Snape said. “You’ve done very well. Don’t let your guard down.” The young werewolf nodded quickly.

“Ellen,” Kyle turned to him, “go and call the chief—oh no,” he changed his mind, “I’ll just take you inside, Mr. Snape, and show you our new home.”

He gestured warmly in invitation. Snape stepped into the camp, and the sight before him made his eyes widen slightly—except for a collapsed cabin and a torn tent remaining in the center as souvenirs, the entire camp was a scene of prosperity.

Several brand-new wooden houses were arranged in an orderly manner, and a bonfire was burning in the central open space, where several werewolves were chasing and playing.

The most striking feature is the large stone house next to the ruins in the center of the camp.

Seeing Snape's curious look, Kyle explained, "Thank you for your wand, Mr. Snape. We're much better off than before."

“This is all thanks to you,” he said, waving his bow and arrow and pointing to the fence at the edge of the camp. “Rika did it bit by bit with her shapeshifting magic.”

“This stone house,” Kyle said, pointing to the sturdy building, his eyes gleaming with gratitude, “is for us to stay in before the full moon. How wonderful, that way we don’t have to worry about making a mess of the house.”

“Don’t mention it,” Snape chuckled. “This time I’ve brought you some other good stuff.”

“Thank you so much,” Kyle said with delight, his eyes lighting up. “This way, Lika is treating some volunteers.”

He quickly led Snape to a tent on the other side of the camp.

Along the way, werewolves kept greeting Snape—men, women, young, and old. Snape didn't recognize many of their faces, only a few seemed vaguely familiar. He nodded repeatedly, responding to their warm greetings.

Although Kyle told the werewolves that "Mr. Snape has important business with Chief Lyca," they still wanted to shake his hand. One young girl even handed him a bouquet of wildflowers.

“It’s alright, it’s alright,” Snape said with a radiant smile, taking the initiative to greet and shake hands with everyone. His voice was much warmer than it usually was at school. “I’m relieved to see that you’re all doing well. Things will only get better.”

As he spoke, he pulled a pile of supplies from his bag—medicine, food, wine, and even a few packets of candy. These were originally his own reserves, but at this moment, he was very happy to share them with these werewolves.

Finally, they arrived outside the tent.

“Rika,” Kyle cleared his throat, stepped forward, pulled back the tent flap, and called out, “We have a distinguished guest.”

"What's wrong, Uncle Kyle? It's a bit noisy outside." A clear female voice came from inside the tent.

“Look who this is,” Kyle said mysteriously.

After Snape entered the tent, he wisely closed the curtain and stood guard outside.

Inside the tent, Lika was checking on the condition of two volunteers. With her back to the entrance, she held a wand and chanted healing spells on the wounds on their hands.

Hearing the noise, Rika turned her head—her two pointed wolf ears perked up alertly, and her amber eyes lit up the moment she saw Snape.

"Mr. Snape!" she exclaimed, immediately putting down her work to greet him.

Lika looked much better than when they last met; her chestnut-brown hair was no longer dry and frizzy, but smooth and shiny. The only thing that remained unchanged was the blood-red canine tooth necklace, still hanging on her fair chest, swaying gently with her movements.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her expression of surprise lasting only a moment before turning to guilt. "I'm sorry... I haven't succeeded in the werewolf transformation experiment yet. Organizing the camp took me too much time..."

“No rush,” Snape waved his hand. “Of course you have the right to live a good life.” His gaze swept over the injured volunteers—who were looking at him with awe. “Besides, it hasn’t been long yet, and I don’t expect you to succeed so quickly.”

“However,” he said, reaching inside his robe to retrieve a crystal vial containing wolfsbane, “I have another piece of good news for you this time.”

"What is this?" Rika asked, her nose twitching slightly as if trying to smell the ingredients of the potion.

“Wolfsbane potion, two doses,” Snape replied, handing her the bottle. “It keeps werewolves conscious while they are in shapeshifting.”

“This is what you mentioned last time—” Rika’s voice suddenly lowered, though her eyes never left the medicine bottle.

“Yes,” Snape frowned, “what are you waiting for, Lyca? Here you go.”

“But this is too precious,” Rika hesitated, her fingers nervously curling and unfolding at her side, “We…”

"What's wrong?" Snape's voice deliberately carried a hint of impatience. "Didn't you swear last time that you would obey my orders? What, you can't even follow such a simple command?"

Rika took a deep breath and finally accepted the potion.

“Thank you, Mr. Snape,” she said softly. “I don’t know how I can ever repay your kindness…”

“Don’t worry about it too much,” Snape’s expression softened. “This is the first time we’ve made Wolfsbane Potion. Try it and see how it works. Start today and drink it for seven days straight, until the night of the full moon. Remember, no sugar.” He paused. “Later, I’ll have Dobby—the house-elf you met before—deliver the potion.”

"Aren't you coming anymore?" Rika's voice suddenly lowered, her ears twitching nervously.

“He probably won’t come,” Snape said. “If you need anything, you can tell Dobby, and he’ll contact me.”

"Would you like to visit this camp?" Lika asked eagerly. "It was made possible with the help of the wand you gave me."

“No need,” Snape waved his hand. “Kyle has already given me a general overview.”

“Okay,” Rika lowered her head, her pointed ears drooping, “Would you like to have a meal before you go? We just hunted a deer…”

“I’ve already eaten,” Snape said, patting his belly. “No need, you guys eat.”

“Okay…” Lika said softly. Suddenly, as if she remembered something, she rushed to a wooden box next to the tent and carefully took out a long, soft, and smooth tuft of white fur.

She ran back to Snape and presented it to him with both hands.

“Mr. Snape,” she said, her eyes sparkling, “this is for you. It’s a unicorn’s tail hair, plucked from its tail. They sometimes get caught on branches in the woods, and we can collect them.”

Snape took the tuft of hair that shimmered with a pearly sheen and put it in his inner pocket.

“Thank you, Lika,” he said sincerely. “This thing is worth a lot of money.”

“No, we should thank you.” Rika blushed, her tail swaying gently behind her.

"Alright, I have to go," Snape said, glancing at the time.

“I’ll see you out,” Rika said immediately. She pulled back the curtain and let Snape leave the tent first.

The setting sun cast its warm glow over the campsite. The werewolves gathered in twos and threes around the campfire to prepare dinner.

Rika followed Snape all the way to the outside of the camp, still looking reluctant to part.

"That's enough for now, goodbye." Snape waved and turned to walk into the shadows of the bushes.

After taking a few steps, he looked back—Lika was still standing at the camp entrance.

He raised his hand and waved again before disappearing into the shadows of the trees.

　Thanks to Zhang Yu Bu Xian Yu, Long362935, Zhu Ye Hui Fei, Lao Na... Xiu Yu Ta, Lu He Lu He 1982, and a plain-looking student for their monthly votes.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)