Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 175 The Raiders
Deep within the cold fortress, in a dimly lit, enclosed room.

The candle burned silently, its flame suppressed by an icy chill, leaving only a tiny, bean-sized glimmer, flickering as if about to go out at any moment. Melted wax dripped down the copper candlestick, illuminating a cloaked figure slowly approaching.

In the cramped cell, Bellatrix hung her head, wrapped her arms around her knees, curled up, and murmured in a dreamlike voice.

"He will definitely come back, he definitely will... and then you will all die."

The Dementor's figure was somewhat blurry, its cloak like a thin black veil, its face indistinct, and the shape of any facial features indistinguishable.

It approached Bellatrix, its chest expanding, its neck tilting back slightly, and it sniffed lightly while making a sucking sound from its throat.

Bellatrix's pupils shrank to pinpoints, her body suddenly stiffened, her movements froze, and she let out a choked sob, as if her soul had been forcibly ripped from her body.

Something indescribable was extracted from the soul, turning into wisps of silvery-white mist that overflowed from the mouth and nose and was absorbed by the Dementors.

"Uh... ha..."

She was breathing intermittently and rapidly, her voice hoarse, making it impossible to tell whether she was suffering intense pain or had completely lost consciousness.

Cold sweat seeped from his pores, sliding down his pale forehead, washing away the dirt and dust on the surface, making his thin bones stand out even more, revealing the pale skin underneath, like bleached parchment.

At first, she still tried to struggle, scratching at the air haphazardly, her fingernails occasionally scraping against the walls and floor, making a chilling rustling sound. Before long, her body began to relax; her body twitched a few times, the spasms gradually diminishing, until finally she collapsed limply to the ground.

Bellatrix's eyes gradually became vacant, her expression blank, leaving only an empty shell in the cell.

"Behave yourself! Don't torture the prisoner to death!"

As the Auror standing outside the door sternly urged the Dementors to leave, he bent down to check Bellatrix's condition, confirming she was still alive, and then tossed a piece of chocolate to the unconscious witch.

The cell door closed again, and the lock clicked shut.

The cool mist gradually thinned, and the candlelight flickered and grew stronger, its orange glow warming the room and casting shadowy patterns.

The mouse's silhouette was reflected on the rock wall. As the candlelight flickered, in the blink of an eye, the mouse transformed into a short, stout wizard, stealthily approaching the unconscious witch.

Seeing the witch lying on the ground in such a miserable state, Peter felt only relief. Luckily, he had come up with the idea of ​​faking his death to escape back then. Luckily, he had framed Sirius Black. Luckily, Sirius Black was a fool.

"Mrs. Lestrange, Mrs. Lestrange?"

Peter called out in a high-pitched, shrill voice.

The wretched witch collapsed to the ground, her pupils still dilated and unfocused, completely unconscious.

"Bellatrix, Bellatrix?"

A flicker of emotion appeared in the witch's eyes, and her hazy consciousness seemed to be coalescing.

Peter breathed a sigh of relief. Right now, the mad witch was powerless to resist or cry for help.

He unscrewed the glass bottle hanging around her neck, carefully pried open her mouth, dripped two drops of the colorless and odorless transparent potion, and then pointed his wand at her chest:

[Recover quickly]

Bellatrix's pupils remained unfocused, her gaze was listless, and her cheeks were slack.

Peter crouched down in front of her, watching her expression, but dared not look her in the eye: "Can you hear me?"

The witch's eyelids fluttered a few times, and she answered in a low voice, "I...I can hear you."

“Okay, okay…” Peter was somewhat delighted, taking a deep breath with trembling hands. “Now tell me, where is the key to your Gringotts underground vault hidden? And how do I open it?”

The witch replied in a cold, emotionless tone: "The key to the old Lestrange house, the cabinet on the second floor... or my wand."

"Great! Great!"

Once we successfully obtain the information the professor needs, we can leave Azkaban immediately!

Peter trembled with excitement: "As long as I can use the Animagus to escape the Apparition Zone and contact that professor using the Ouroboros Mark... I'll be free from now on!"

He carefully tucked the unscrewed glass medicine bottle away, wiped away the footprints he had left in the cell, and prepared with great joy to leave and embark on a difficult but hopeful escape journey. Just as Peter was about to transform back into a rat and leave, he saw the witch lying on the ground and suddenly stopped.

"The medicine hasn't worn off yet, so let's not waste it..."

Peter glanced at Bellatrix, squatted down, and many memories flashed through his mind. After thinking for a long time, he asked in a trembling voice, "What exactly happened on Halloween Eve 12 years ago?"

"The Dark Lord went to Godric's Hollow alone. He learned of the Potters' sanctuary, but for some reason, he refused to take us with him. He went to hunt down the Potters alone, and then we lost contact."

"Lie down..."

Peter still couldn't pronounce the name, so he took another deep breath, a strange glint in his eyes. "The Dark Lord, is he dead?"

Bellatrix's eyelids fluttered, and a look of reverence appeared on her face: "No, he won't die, he can't die! The great dark magic has long since adopted methods to prevent death. He is more powerful than any wizard, and he has proven his boundless magic!"

"Will he come back?" Peter opened his mouth, his voice hoarse.

Bellatrix's smile deepened, as if she were envisioning her most beautiful dream: "Of course! One day he will come back and wipe out all those who oppose him, punishing all those who betrayed him!"

"..."

Peter felt a deep chill and left the room in a panic.

……

Deep within the fortress, in a prison cell, the dim room was illuminated by flickering candlelight.

Sirius Black slumped helplessly against the wall, his back to the cold, icy rock face and his front to the Dementors whose souls were frozen. Despair spread through the cramped room.

The creature's face was completely hidden under its hood, its entire body shrouded in a cloak, with only its two hands exposed. They were pale with a grayish tinge, and the shriveled skin clung to its bones, resembling a corpse rotting in water.

The Dementor lay before him, its face still obscured. A long, slow, trembling breath escaped its hood from its mouth and nose. Sirius felt a chill run through his body; his breath seemed to freeze in his lungs. This chill penetrated his skin, flowing through his bloodstream, as if he were being plunged into the deep sea.

His eyes rolled upwards, revealing cloudy whites, and the sound of surging waves filled his ears. Some distant memories surged from the depths of his mind, flashing through his mind like a slideshow.

Moonlight streamed down overhead, and as far as the eye could see, the Forbidden Forest and the castle were pitch black. There were no teachers or students, no annoying parents, only the stuttering willow on the shack, the old furniture in the screaming shack, and four animals in the attic that leaped out of the window and ran freely through the forest until dawn.

"Pointy fork, crescent-shaped face, big feet..."

Those beautiful memories resurfaced, along with that carefree joy, which became food for the Dementors.

The image freezes on a rat, a chilling cold spreads, freezing memories, sharp ice thorns pierce the heart, and intense pain causes the body to convulse uncontrollably.

Sirius regained consciousness for a few seconds, staring blankly at the monster before him, but his body was unable to move; he could only lie on his back, breathing in the freezing cold air.

When consciousness is clouded, vision also becomes blurry. Out of the corner of her eye, she catches a glimpse of an Auror standing at the door, and vaguely sees a toeless rat scurrying past behind him.

"Wormtail..."

……

Remus Lupin was a very talented wizard who showed magical talent at a very young age. He was interested in mischievous spirits, boggons, and other strange creatures. Coincidentally, his father was also an expert in this field, so his future looked bright.

Lyle Lupin, the father, works at the Ministry of Magic. Although he is not highly regarded, he earns a good salary, which is more than enough to support a family of three. Hope Howell, the mother, is a Muggle, but she is gentle, kind, and very patient.

He had a happy childhood with a loving family and a comfortable living environment.

This continued until the eve of his fifth birthday.

Because his father, Lyle, identified the werewolf Greyback at the Ministry of Magic, Greyback harbored resentment towards him. One quiet night, Greyback forcibly opened the bedroom window and attacked Remus, who was fast asleep.

From that moment on, Remus was a werewolf through and through.

The Lupin family moved from town to village, from village to village, but the perceptive wizard hat always noticed something unusual about their new neighbors; the little boy always looked particularly haggard around the new moon. To hide their werewolf identities, the Lupins were very cautious, leaving immediately whenever they heard any strange rumors about the boy.

The life of constant wandering had a huge impact on Remus's personality. For fear that the little boy would let something slip, he could not play with other children his age and always stayed at home, gradually becoming withdrawn and silent.

On the eve of his eleventh birthday, an uninvited guest came to his house. Even though many years had passed, Remus still remembered the way Headmaster Dumbledore sat by the fireplace talking, eating muffins, and playing with Goblin stones with him. A disgusting, sticky liquid sprayed onto the muffins, like rotten jam.

“I don’t think Remus has any reason not to go to school, because I’ve already set up a safe place for him to transform, and the professors will provide assistance…”

Dumbledore said this.

At Hogwarts, Remus endured much hardship and criticism, but he also made several friends and graduated successfully.

Then came the First Wizarding War.

Voldemort's downfall was a cause for celebration for everyone else, but Remus was the only one who couldn't laugh, because on the day the war ended, he lost all his friends.

Having lost several of his closest friends, his former comrades-in-arms have all returned to their family lives, and his mother has also passed away. Although his father is willing to accept him, Remus does not want to disturb his father's peaceful retirement life and embarks on his own journey of wandering alone.

Remus had to leave before his neighbors and colleagues noticed the pattern of his illness during the full moon, so he couldn't stay in one place for long and could only find temporary jobs to make ends meet.

It was evening in Yorkshire.

Remus carried the paper bag and walked quickly across the path. In the thawing snow, the wind outside was like a cold knife, stinging his skin.

The bag contained dinner for the coming week: a few loaves of black bread, a half-price jar of jam nearing its expiration date, and a can of fish.

He wouldn't normally be so extravagant; the canned fish was his reward to himself. Today he took on three jobs, and after get off work he even helped the store manager clean up the owl droppings, earning an extra 3 silver coins.

Remus stopped in front of his rented cottage, exhaling a few breaths of hot air. Holding the paper bag in one hand and reaching for his keys in the other, he was about to open the door when he saw his neighbor open the window. A bald, bearded wizard leaned out and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Remus, Remus, come over for a drink! We've saved up enough to buy a mirror, and Lisa's made a pot of beef stew!"

"No need, I have to get up early tomorrow!" Remus gave an apologetic smile.

This wizard is a permanent resident here. Both he and his wife are wizards, but they have a Squib child who has to be sent to Muggle school to learn how to adapt to Muggle society. For middle-aged people without Muggle status or education, working and earning Muggle currency under the restrictions of the Secret Service Act is not an easy task.

Their family wasn't wealthy either.

Remus looked up at the sky, his eyes filled with melancholy. But there was an even more important reason: tonight was the night of the full moon.

"Ok."

The bald wizard sighed, seemingly sensing his predicament, and did not extend the invitation further.

Remus lowered his head and continued opening the door, hearing the sound of a video announcement coming from the neighbor's TV.

Prophet News: "The Anti-Werewolf Act, drafted by Senior Deputy Minister Dolores Umbridge, has been officially released and its provisions have come into effect. It mainly includes the following aspects—"

"First, restricting employment opportunities: The bill prohibits werewolves from holding any position in the Ministry of Magic or other important institutions. For wizarding businesses and shops, employers are required to verify the werewolf status of their employees and prohibit werewolves from engaging in the following professions..."

"Second, mandatory registration and monitoring. The bill requires all werewolves to register with the Ministry of Magic, recording their true identity, address and conversion cycle. Neighbors and relatives must provide statements of knowledge."

"Third, restrictions on residence and freedom of movement. The bill explicitly states that werewolves may not reside in wizarding communities such as Diagon Alley, Godric's Hollow, Theoverton, and Hogsmeade, nor may they reside near Hogwarts School of Wounds and St. Mungo's Hospital. In order to ensure public safety, they must go to designated locations for quarantine during the full moon."

"Fourth, the criminal penalties are more severe. The bill states that werewolves will be subject to more severe penalties for any crime they commit, and the Department of Law Enforcement has the right to preventively detain werewolves who pose a potential threat."

"..."

Remus paused, went inside, and gently closed the door with his foot.

Keep the wind, snow, and noise out.

(End of this chapter)