Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 297 Back to the Past
Midway through the dinner, the twins swiped a jug of eggnog from Hagrid. Several students who stayed at school gathered around, and Ron pulled Harry over to ask for two glasses. The teacups that used to hold apple juice were replaced with eggnog, which still smelled sweet.

Hermione sat silently at the long table, only taking a few plates of food from in front of her and chewing and tasting them quietly. Her mind was clearly not on the annual Christmas dinner. Her face was tense, and her fair eyebrows were slightly furrowed.

After two glasses of eggnog, Harry suddenly snapped out of the party. He had noticed Hermione's unusual behavior; she had mysteriously disappeared for several hours that afternoon and was distracted during dinner that evening.

"Are you still thinking about Snape?" Harry asked in a low voice, tilting his head.

"Compound decoction!"

Hermione repeated the name, and she recounted what she had seen that afternoon: "I saw him disguised as you, leaving the castle with a broom, and he never came back..."

"boom……"

The glasses of the guests of honor clinked together.

Hagrid tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp. Trelawney was already drunk and passed out on the table. The other professors were all well-behaved, at most their cheeks were flushed, but they did not lose their minds. They told jokes from all races and regions, and the laughter was particularly hearty.

"Has anyone left the school this afternoon?" Dumbledore asked with a smile.

"Kingsley Shackle, the Auror captain of the Department of Law Enforcement, is the black Auror we fought against the Death Eaters with before. He is stationed in Hogsmeade. This afternoon he wrote to remind us that he had observed someone leaving the school on a broomstick from a distance. It was too far away to tell whether it was a professor or a student."

Professor McGonagall explained, "Before the dinner began, I checked the list of students staying on campus, and everyone was present; no one went out."

"Riding a broomstick?" Professor Sprout asked.

“Perhaps it was another wizard passing by, but today is Christmas, everyone is at home celebrating. It’s very unlikely that someone riding a broomstick to Hogwarts isn’t one of our students or teachers,” Professor Flitwick said in a shrill voice.

"If it's not a student staying on campus, then it can only be one of the professors?" Professor Sprout asked again.

"No need to investigate and find out who it is, right? Maybe it's some professor reminiscing about their childhood, taking advantage of the relaxed and cheerful holiday atmosphere to ride a broomstick around for a bit?" Melvin had already guessed when he spoke, and a slight smile unconsciously crept into his voice.

"Remembering childhood?" Snape turned to stare at Melvin, his gaze slightly cold.

Melvin pretended not to see it, but he didn't expect Snape to still remember flying lessons from his early years and to still be able to ride a flying broom.

He glanced at the trio at the Gryffindor table, secretly observing Snape, then suddenly detained Harry and Ron, confiscated the Firebolt, and rode out of the school—he must have gone to find Sirius.

I wonder if I succeeded?
I'll check it out with the live map later.

"You'd better mind your own business. Don't drink too much eggnog, or you might get lost in the stairwell and not be able to find your way back to the office," Snape said pointedly.

……

George and Fred somehow produced some whiskey and coaxed Percy into drinking it. Ron's belly was already round, and he didn't want to move, so he turned to listen to Harry and Hermione's conversation.

Candles floated in the air, twelve Christmas trees were being arranged, and fairies played soft music. Harry vaguely caught a glimpse of a figure flashing past the door, but didn't pay much attention, his mind filled with Hermione's narration.

He knew perfectly well that this was a clue pointing to the truth. Snape wouldn't do anything inexplicable. After disguising himself and leaving on a broomstick, he must have met someone. It could be the culprit who murdered his parents, or the wealthy man who anonymously gifted him the Firebolt.

“Sirius Black, or someone else, Snape must have found something!” Ron said with absolute certainty.

Harry couldn't contain his curiosity any longer and downed the rest of his eggnog to bolster his courage: "We have to find out!"

Hermione continued to sort through the current clues: "Snape didn't pass through the school gates after leaving the school. He returned to the castle from somewhere else. It wasn't the locked fireplace, nor could it be a Portkey or Apparition. It could only be a secret passage."

“But where’s the entrance?” Ron asked, scratching the back of his neck.

Harry suddenly remembered something. He glanced quickly at the head table and lowered his voice, saying, "There might be a clue on my Firebolt. After Snape returned it to me, I found a twig in the fork at the end—a Willow branch..."

Hermione looked at him with surprise and delight.

"It must be near the Willow Tree!"

The three of them could no longer sit still and immediately got up and set off.

“Hey, where are you going? The dinner isn’t over yet! There are liqueur-filled chocolates in the desserts, and we’re planning to collect them to help out!” George stopped them, smelling of eggnog.

“We’re full and we’re leaving now… We’ll help you open the chocolates when we get back tonight,” Harry said without looking up.

His heart was burning with passion, and even if there was dragon meat in the later dishes of the banquet, he didn't want to stay and taste it. This was the perfect opportunity. Snape was too busy to care about anything else at the banquet, and maybe if they found the secret passage, they could find Sirius Black, who was tied up.

He grabbed Ron's sleeve and hurried him out, secretly praying that Hagrid could get Snape drunk, buying them enough time.

I quietly slipped out of the auditorium, passed through the foyer, and came outside.

Stepping out of the castle, the three shivered; the temperature of the snowy night outside made their faces sting. However, the thought of about to uncover the truth warmed their hearts, and they huddled together, trekking towards the Willow Tree.

Harry and Ron knew the area well; a year ago, they had driven their car down from the sky and nearly crashed into the old tree.

He ran quickly without feeling cold, muttering incoherently. He couldn't remember what he was saying, about his parents' deaths, about betrayal, and about the fire crossbow that he wasn't the first to ride.

“If the broom was a gift from Black, if it was to help him forgive himself…” Harry couldn’t quite explain his feelings.

Just as they were about to reach the roots of the willow tree, a silver light suddenly appeared ahead, and a person holding a magic wand stood in the light, their face obscured.

"Harry, Ron, Hermione, what are you doing here?"

The three of them suddenly stopped in their tracks, somewhat incredulous. Harry looked up and opened his mouth: "Professor Lupin?!"

……

Touching the knot, the volatile Whomping Willow instantly became gentle and quiet. Hiding in the tree hole formed by the twisted roots of the Whomping Willow, the waving strips of paper blocked the wind and snow, and Hermione concisely recounted what she had seen and heard during the day.

Having recounted the story to others three times in a row, I had become very familiar with the script. I skipped over all the unimportant details and only talked about the key points, explaining the whole story in less than five minutes.

Harry and Ron looked at the knot on the tree root. By now, the branches of the Whomping Willow were no longer flailing violently, and the wind and snow were kept out. The Bowtruckle clung to the treetop, watching them warily.

Lupin had already put down his wand, extinguished the Illumination Charm, and instead used a few blue flames for illumination. Through the silken, smooth light, he seemed to see the entangled feud between the Marauders and Snape, a feud that had lasted half a lifetime. Their mutual animosity during their student days, their diverging paths after graduation—the Order of the Phoenix versus the Death Eaters… The Wizarding Wars ended, but things didn't truly conclude. James and Pettigrew perished, Sirius Black went to prison and began wandering, while Snape returned to Hogwarts to teach.

More than a decade later, he now drinks the wolfsbane potion brewed by Snape every month.

Back in his student days, if someone had told him about his current situation, even if it was Dumbledore himself, he would have just taken it as a boring joke.

“This tunnel leads to the Screaming Shack. I just came back from there. There are indeed some traces, but Sirius isn’t there.” Lupin paused for a few seconds, concealing the fact that there were werewolves.

Harry and the others didn't ask for details; they were more concerned about Black.

Hermione felt somewhat disappointed; all the clues had just gone cold. "Snape's behavior is so strange. He won't reveal anything. Could he have killed Black?"

Lu Ping was startled and stood frozen in place, the words echoing in his mind.

Snape killed Black...

"Probably not, Snape isn't exactly a saint..." Ron's voice trailed off, not understanding why they were looking at him so strangely.

“If it were Black, Snape might actually harbor that kind of hatred,” Lupin said slowly.

“I don’t understand… Even if Black was Voldemort’s henchman, Snape was a Death Eater himself, so why would he hate him?” Ron said, puzzled.

"Fool! Have you forgotten? Snape had a crush on Harry's mother. Black betrayed them and leaked the secret, causing Harry's parents' deaths. How could Snape not hate Black? How can this not be a blood feud? If Black falls into his hands, he will make that person suffer unimaginable torment!"

Hermione pursed her lips: "Potential Master, Death Eater proficient in dark magic, think of Bellatrix, think of Neville's parents, Black's fate will only be more tragic."

Harry plopped down on the ground, staring blankly at the castle in the distance, his expression and mood quite strange.

He had disliked Snape ever since he entered Hogwarts, but hearing that Black might have been tortured and died a miserable death at his hands... he couldn't quite explain the feeling.

Lupin gripped his wand tightly, staring intently at the night sky: "No, there are still many unanswered questions about what happened that night. Sirius can't die!"

“Black…no trial…no ill will toward Harry…sent a Firebolt…No body found…might still be alive?”

Hermione racked her brains, trying to figure out: "How did he escape from Azkaban... Why did he escape this year... Why can't the Aurors and Dementors find him?"

She vaguely sensed something, but it remained unclear. The truth seemed to be hidden in a blizzard, dark and cold, and she could never find the buried truth.

She couldn't help but ask, "Professor, may I go and take a look over at the shed?"

"It's Animagus."

Lupin slowly revealed the truth: the shed was covered with paw marks and dog paw prints, and it was no longer possible to hide it. "We were very good friends back then. We studied Animagus together. James, Pettigrew, and Sirius all succeeded. They could transform into animals anytime, anywhere to evade search. The black dog that Harry often saw was Sirius."

Harry looked up abruptly, staring at him incredulously: "You knew all along!?"

“No…I…I had a vague idea when he attacked Ron.” Lupin’s explanation was weak and feeble. “He didn’t seem to have any ill intentions towards you. His injuries were minor, and he didn’t steal your wand, so I kept it from you.”

Ron stared at him blankly, as if he were seeing the professor all over again.

Lupin closed his eyes in anguish, unable to meet their gazes. He asked weakly, "Hermione, do you think Sirius can evade Snape?"

"The chances are slim," Hermione shook her head.

Lu Ping's lips moved, but he couldn't say anything.

"If it were really as you say, that Sirius Black would not harm Harry and that he had good intentions towards him, then he would never be wary of Snape disguised as Harry, and would even actively approach Snape if he saw Snape in danger."

Hermione spoke faster: "Black doesn't have a wand. Snape probably already noticed the Animagus and planned to attack him when he got close. Given Snape's dueling prowess, there wouldn't be any surprises."

The male wizards present all had their heads down, overwhelmed with information and their minds were in turmoil, almost blank.

“Black may be dead, or he may not be…” Hermione turned her head, feeling her head spinning, as if influenced by the eggnog. “There is still a chance, we still have time to get closer to the truth of what happened back then.”

"What are you talking about, Hermione?" Harry and Ron were completely baffled.

Only Lupin knew a little about the inside story, and his face was full of disbelief: "You mean, time..."

"Time Converter".

Hermione pulled a delicate gold necklace from her collar, from which hung a gold timer. She explained in a low voice, “I’ve taken all the courses, and there are a lot of scheduling conflicts, so Professor McGonagall got this time-twister for me. That’s why I can take several courses at the same time, understand?”

Ron stared in disbelief, while Lupin's eyes gleamed with hope.

"In principle, it shouldn't be used for anything other than studying... However, Professor Levent told me that time is not only meaningful when reading and writing papers, but can also be used for rest. When I don't have enough free time, I will occasionally use it."

"So those strange things the professor said during tutoring were actually a reminder to you!"

Harry's eyes widened as he suddenly remembered that Hermione often looked exhausted in the two months before school started, with dark circles under her eyes, which only improved later.

"Yes."

“We can go back a few hours and figure out what Snape did, and whether Black is still alive…”

Hermione took off her gold chain and wrapped it around everyone's wrists: "If the plan goes smoothly, perhaps we can even find out the truth about Halloween in Godric's Hollow thirteen years ago!"

"Hopefully I can make it."

Hermione estimated the time and turned the timer back five times, which was the converter's limit.

The dark tree hollow disappeared, the outlines of everything in front of me became blurred, the falling snowflakes seemed to condense into a ball, like soft clouds or rippling waves, and I was enveloped by visual blurring, tinnitus and other sensory distortions.

They are going back to the past.

(End of this chapter)