I, Hogwarts Second Time Around.

Chapter 165 I will not let you slander my brother Blake!

"I don't believe anyone in this castle would help Blake get in."

Although Dumbledore tried his best to persuade Snape not to be hostile to Lupin anymore.

However, the painful memories of the past have not diminished at all with the passing years; on the contrary, the hatred has only deepened with the passage of time.

Here, Professor Dumbledore reproaches himself once again.

Just as he had focused all his attention on Gellert and neglected Tom's education, thus allowing Tom to become the new Dark Lord.

Snape's relationship with the Marauders was also due to his busy fight against Voldemort, which led to his neglect of them.

He's always like that!

Doing one good deed can cause another thing to go in a bad direction.

Back then, he had actually noticed the feud between Snape and Sirius long ago.

But—just like the endless rivalry between these two colleges.

He simply viewed it as healthy competition among the junior wizards.

They didn't take those things to heart.

It wasn't until Snape discovered the truth about Lupin the werewolf and nearly lost his life that he realized the four children's "competition" had gone a bit too far.

But by then it was already too late.

The hatred between them had become irreconcilable.

Just like now.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Well—my mom (crossed out) and grandpa told me since I was little that it's wrong to talk badly about people behind their backs."

Owen and Professor Lupin moved closer, and at that moment, the headmaster and Snape also noticed them.

"Were you eavesdropping on our conversation?" Snape's gaze shifted between the two men before finally settling on Lupin with a look of hatred.

"I don't think the word 'steal' is used very cleverly. Look~ I have ears, look~" As he spoke, Owen opened his big gray eyes and gestured to his exquisite ears.

"Shut up, Sanchez!" Snape turned his gaze to Owen. "I have to warn you first, don't hang out with those unreliable, dangerous people."

"Danger? You mean Professor Lupin?" Owen glanced at Lupin beside him, who had a calm expression, and then said, "The professor looks kind and approachable. I don't see any danger."

"You didn't know his true colors back then!" Snape said with disgust. "When you know the truth, you'll understand how foolish your excuses are!"

"Alright, Severus," Dumbledore interrupted. "Owen, go and tell the Hufflepuff students to come to the Great Hall."

"Yes, Professor, no problem!"

After saying that, Owen walked toward the spiral staircase. When he was about to step onto the stone steps, he turned around and saw Dumbledore, Snape, and Lupin still standing there, talking about something.

About ten minutes later.

The young wizards from the four academies gathered in the Great Hall.

Owen even went to the library to remind Hermione, who was having a mental breakdown, to head to the Great Hall.

During this process, he withdrew his research project.

Looking at Hermione, who was full of questions, confused, blank-eyed, and dumbfounded, Owen sighed and shook his head.

I told you long ago that someone who didn't even graduate high school shouldn't meddle in graduate students' assignments, but you wouldn't listen.

Now look what's happened!

You must be feeling discouraged!

---

Inside the hall, the young wizards chatted amongst themselves, completely bewildered.

The chattering didn't stop until Dumbledore came in.

Irving had initially thought the old headmaster might be going to tell the students about Azkaban.

Since Sirius discovered the prison was empty, the Ministry of Magic must have known about it as well.

Given Fudge's personality, he probably arrived at Hogwarts without even having time to put on his night pants. He'd be begging Dumbledore, tears streaming down his face, for advice on what to do!

But the truth is, the old headmaster was just reminding the young wizards that the perimeter around the castle had been reduced a bit.

The number of Dementors may need to increase further.

This left the young wizard somewhat puzzled, firstly because Dumbledore disliked the Ministry of Magic's influence extending into Hogwarts.

Besides, it's something like a Dementor.

The train attack is still fresh in our minds!

Why is it that the number of monsters has increased instead of decreased?

Besides, there's no need to gather everyone in the auditorium for something like this!

Why don't the deans just announce it in the lounge?

"Strange!" Owen stroked his chin, his gaze falling on Dumbledore.

The Ministry of Magic probably can't suppress something this big.

After all, the escape of Sirius Black had already caused chaos throughout the British wizarding world. Now, the entire Azkaban is empty.

Wouldn't the magical world just explode on the spot?

The escaped dark wizards are no saints; their misdeeds will surely cause a serious impact on the British magical world.

It is estimated that the Daily Prophet will publish the news tomorrow.

This is Irving's guess.

After the gathering in the auditorium.

He watched as the old principal and a group of professors left through a small door next to the podium.

Even Wenda, who is rarely seen, is among them.

Uh—that's really weird!

Hogwarts monster!

The Ministry of Magic is a monster!

Dumbledore is even stranger!

Was he actually Grindelwald in disguise?

Every time Wenda and the principal appeared together, Owen had this feeling of déjà vu!

And it's getting stronger and stronger!

In the days that followed.

The widespread chaos that Irving predicted did not materialize.

He didn't even see any news about Azkaban in the newspapers.

It's like someone bought him a trending topic.

The various reports about him continued for almost a month.

Interview letters from various newspapers and magazines began arriving at Hogwarts.

Due to Dumbledore's insistence, no journalist was allowed to enter the castle.

However, they could still conduct interviews through correspondence.

One month!

Even Kyrie Irving, the king of trash talk, has run out of witty remarks to share. Those interviews are practically writing down everything he ate that day.

Finally, after October.

Newspapers began reporting attacks on wizards.

He's finally off the trending topics list!

Phew~~~ Trending topics are like a walled city; those outside want to get in, and those inside want to get out.

Thinking the depth charge was about to go off, Irving even subscribed to the Daily Prophet for a month.

But all the incidents involving attacks on wizards.

The newspapers only gave it a cursory, understated mention.

It's like some kind of urban legend!

If there were any news that couldn't be suppressed, or any serious magical incidents, they would pin the blame on Sirius Black.

He has now become the Ministry of Magic's go-to dumping ground; any crime for which no culprit can be found could fall on his head.

In mid-September, Irving sent Lucius a letter.

He was reminded that it was time to "invest" in the next Minister of Magic.

Given the current situation, he speculated that the former hardliner Barty Crouch might be making a comeback.

Of course, the possibility that Barty Crouch Jr. colluded with Death Eaters and, out of filial piety, killed his own father cannot be ruled out.

However, objectively speaking, there is a very high possibility that Batty Crouch will make a comeback.

Regardless of the final outcome, Fudge's term has already begun its countdown.

Irving estimates he won't make it through Christmas this year.

After all, it's Britain!

Resigning on Christmas Day is a tradition.

------

With Halloween approaching, everyone at school is talking about Sirius Black.

The focus of the discussion was on how evil and cruel he was.

The outcry against him even surpassed that against Voldemort for a time.

Everyone has always believed that Harry's godfather is the most evil dark wizard in the world.

Irving, of course, wouldn't stand idly by and watch Blake's reputation continue to be tarnished by these little brats.

Then—on a rainy night, he staged a scene where he was attacked by Black and Sirius Black infiltrated Hogwarts.

Overall, the results are excellent!

For a whole week, no young wizard dared to publicly "slander" Black. They were all afraid that the "dark wizard" hiding in the shadows was right beside them, and if he "heard" their "accusations," he would surely become enraged and attack them.

However, although it didn't happen in public, the discussion didn't end there; instead, it became increasingly outrageous.

For example, Owen heard several versions of the story of Sirius Black sneaking into Hogwarts that morning. In their accounts, Black could become invisible, disguise himself, walk through walls, hide in shadows, and transform into other things, among other abilities.

He's even more powerful than Voldemort.

Even that silly boy Justin swore that he personally witnessed Blake transform into a cluster of irises.

Susan, that silly girl, chimed in, saying she saw it too.

Subsequently, with Irving's loving care, both of them admitted that they might have just misread the image.

Perhaps Shiro was catching mice in the grass.

Besides the increasingly outlandish rumors, many other things inside the castle have changed.

For example, they seemed to have returned to the same level of vigilance as last year, with young wizards forbidden from wandering around the castle alone, getting out of bed at night, or going into the surrounding forest.

It's estimated that they will be banned from leaving the castle soon, just like last year.

"Aba abababa~~~"

On Friday of the second-to-last week of October, Irving came out of the second greenhouse.

He went to great lengths, almost performing the legendary story of the Imperial Uncle's three visits to Zhuge Liang's thatched cottage for Professor Sprout, pleading and begging until his throat was practically burning, before she finally agreed to lend him three new varieties of biting cabbage for his experiments.

To verify his hypothesis, Irving spent almost all of his spare time experimenting with those three biting cabbages.

After a busy week, the results were remarkable!

Guess what?

Oh dear, four plants died.

The extra plant was stolen by him.

Professor Sprout nearly fainted from anger, but because Owen had always held a good image in her mind, and because he had won honors for Hufflepuff this year, she simply changed the locks on both greenhouses, moved into the second greenhouse, and didn't pursue the matter further.

He had just begged the professor to give him a few plants for his experiments, but Professor Sprout kicked him out.

"What are you doing there? You're not trying to steal money from the donation box, are you?"

As Owen passed by the gate, he was surprised to find Ron standing in front of the statue of Godric Gryffindor, seemingly muttering something.

He immediately ran over alertly.

"Are you out of your mind? You dare steal your family founder's offerings? Be careful, he might make sure you don't graduate!"

"What are you saying!" Ron clenched his fists tightly, his expression ferocious, as if someone had dissected the dead rat right in front of him.

Yes, ever since Ron lost his beloved little mouse, he's been increasingly turning towards becoming a dark wizard.

He sees everyone who steals his mice as a murderer!

The group of people were speechless.

Who would be so bored as to steal your mice for no reason?

"Snape actually made me clean Salazar Slytherin's statue, and I wasn't allowed to use magic!" He turned back angrily to glare at another statue diagonally opposite Godric Gryffindor. "Merlin's beard! Why doesn't Merlin appear and let Black show up in Snape's office? That way he could be a hero, at least for a moment, a hero who takes care of that old bat for us!"

"?"

What an ingenious punishment method!

I've learned something!

If you ever get annoyed with a young Slytherin wizard, just make him clean Godric Gryffindor's statue.

"I remember you Gryffindors had Defense Against the Dark Arts class with Slytherin this morning, didn't you?" he then asked.

"Good question!" Ron snorted. "Guess who I saw in Defense Against the Dark Arts class this morning?"

Snape!

Do you think this is a tragedy?

Do not!

The real tragedy is that I have to see him again this afternoon!

Because this afternoon is Potions class with the Slytherins! Merlin's beard! What an unlucky year!

"Snape? He's back to being the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor again?" Owen was taken aback, then immediately thought of Professor Lupin's period.

"It's okay, at least half of your wish will come true."

"What?" Ron asked, frowning.

"Don't you know? Of course, being a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts brings misfortune. Substituting once or twice is fine, but in the long run, the professor of that course will definitely lose their life!"

"I'm not kidding, Owen. Professor Lupin didn't come to class. It must be Snape's doing. Do you remember Hermione saying a few days ago that she saw him preparing a potion for Professor Lupin? He must have put something in that potion!" Ron stared intently into his eyes and said gloomily.

"Um—I'm more curious, why did Hermione see Snape mixing potions for Lupin? Good grief, she's got an addiction to stealing Snape's treasures!"

"What? Stealing?!" Ron was startled.

He stared at Irving in astonishment.

I was greatly alarmed!

Did Irving know about Hermione brewing the Compound Elixir last year?

Just then, Harry popped his head out from in front of the Great Hall, holding a black, greasy mop, which Filch probably used to clean the toilets.

Irving guessed.

Hermione followed behind him, a basin of water floating beside her.

She looked relaxed and at ease, her levitation spell becoming more and more proficient.

Sure enough, after giving up on understanding the title of her experiment, she was reborn!

"I just happened to see it! Don't slander me!" Hermione placed the basin of water at Ron's feet and said in a serious tone.

"And Ron! No matter how wicked Snape was, he would never poison any other professor."

"How is that impossible? It's not fatal. He's a Potions Master. Controlling the dosage, like making Professor Lupin unable to get out of bed in the morning, is incredibly easy for him," Ron shouted. "He's always wanted to teach this course. Let's see what he does in class, spending half the class criticizing Professor Lupin's teaching methods, and then using the other half to ask us some random question."

"Werewolf!"

Ron continued his accusation: "Snape kept asking us how to identify werewolves, as if he had been attacked by one himself, much like Quirrell in his first year saying he was attacked by a vampire. And Hermione clearly knew the answer, but he wouldn't let her answer, constantly pressing Harry and making trouble for him. I couldn't take it anymore, so I asked him if he didn't want to know the answer, why did he keep asking us?"

"Then."

"And then you came to clean the statue?" Irving joked.

Ron, however, seemed oblivious to Owen's mocking gaze. He turned to Godric's statue, clasped his hands together, and continued to make a wish: "Black appears in Snape's office, Black appears in Snape's office, Black appears in Snape's office."

"."

"At least Snape taught us some useful things." Hermione, however, had a different opinion. "Look at Quirrell and Lockhart in the first year; at least Snape had real skills."

"Oh! Thank you, Hermione, thank you for remembering that Lockhart is a good-for-nothing with no real skills." Ron, who had been in a berserk state since throwing the mouse, sneered and retorted.

"..." The little witch's eyes narrowed instantly, her expression turning hostile. "Are you looking for a beating?"

Hermione, who had mastered her magic (spellcasting without a staff), wouldn't tolerate him.

As the intensifying power struggle within Hogwarts intensifies, everyone gradually becomes increasingly irritable.

"Heh!" Ron gave a weak snort, then fell silent.

He silently took the mop from Harry's hand, picked up the basin of water at his feet, and walked toward the statue that he loathed.

"That guy! It's just a rat! I don't know what's gotten into him, it's been two months already." Hermione glared at Ron's retreating figure before returning to the topic of werewolves: "I'm planning to study werewolf transformations. They should be somewhat similar to Animagus. My Transfiguration has hit a bottleneck. Professor McGonagall said that I can't understand the advanced knowledge right now."

As she spoke, she glanced at Owen.

He continued, "But I plan to study on my own for a while first."

"Hermione, are you going to find a werewolf to study?" Harry asked, his eyes wide.

What he really wanted to say was, "Can you please stop pushing me? Irving alone is already making me very anxious, and now you're going to continue."

What angered Harry even more was that Owen simply refused to tell him about his relationship with Sirius.

He clearly knows everything.

If he weren't outmatched by Irving, he would have already—

Harry's gaze dimmed slightly as he looked at Owen.

—I thought we were friends.

"Of course I'm not that stupid!" Hermione rolled her eyes at Harry, then the pages of her book flipped rapidly on their own. She pointed to a passage on a certain page and said, "I need to distinguish between werewolves and ordinary wizards first."

"Mmm--I feel weak every month, and my body is covered in self-inflicted wounds. I transform during the full moon, and the transformation lasts all night. I'm most afraid of the moon."

"Um?"

In a daze, Hermione suddenly remembered Professor Lupin standing in front of the Boggart during her first Defense Against the Dark Arts class, and it seemed that his greatest fear was the moon.

In addition, he would disappear for a day every month, and although he would come back the next day without any injuries, now that I think about it, it seems that the time he left was the full moon of each month.

In an instant, a hint of suspicion and panic flashed in Hermione's chestnut eyes.

"Wait a moment!"

"I'm reminding you, Miss Granger!"

"Are you about to make some racist remarks?" Irving asked with a mocking look and tone. "I advise you to be kind!"

"I"

"What's wrong with werewolves? Even elves have human rights, but werewolves don't, right?!"

"But..." Hermione was clearly not convinced by Owen, after all, the elves wouldn't attack wizards indiscriminately.

"But? What's with the 'buts'!" Owen interrupted her, "Excuse me, if a wizard Animagus were to become an animal, would he be deprived of human rights just because he transformed into an animal? You're being hypocritical!"

Besides, most werewolves are also victims; the vast majority were forced to become werewolves after being attacked by other werewolves. You can't discriminate against them just because it's like an "infectious disease"!

"I think you're making excuses, and did you already know—he's a werewolf?" Hermione stared at Owen seriously, her eyes full of scrutiny.

"Ha—I know a lot more. I even know Fudge is going to step down!"

"Fudge? He's stepping down?" Hermione asked suspiciously. The wizarding world had been acting strangely lately, but it shouldn't be to the point that Fudge was about to step down!

"Just you wait!" Irving said confidently.

Hermione, of course, didn't believe what Owen said; she was absolutely certain it was just a tactic he used to change the subject.

However, she really didn't intend to tell anyone that Professor Lupin was a werewolf, and Owen was right about that. Professor Lupin was also a victim, and he was a friendly person, unlike the vicious werewolves in legends.

"What are you talking about?" Harry was completely bewildered. He realized that although the two people were right in front of him, he couldn't understand a word they were saying.

"I'll say it again, Godfather Dog is about to become Grindelwald's man!"

"???"

"Any ambitious young person should join the Saints! Harry, when you're fifteen, sixteen, or seventeen, you should consider becoming a glorious Saint! I'll be your initiator then, hmm—I'll pay the initiation fee later."

"Ha—" The moment money was mentioned, Harry immediately perked up, the wrinkles on his brow relaxed, his feet felt lighter, and he regained some energy.

Owen has already emptied his savings, and Harry doesn't want to be broke before he even graduates.

Then he turned around and went to help Ron wipe the statue.

"Sure enough, everyone's expression changes instantly when money is mentioned!"

Irving smacked his lips, clearly unhappy.

You little idiot, you're about to become a rich kid!

Uh—oh my god, this guy is actually a rich kid.

You're about to become a rich second-generation heir, why would you care about a little bit of gold?

Can Fufu still get a negative result?

I'll just scrimp and burn you!

(End of this chapter)