HP: Azkaban's Outstanding Graduate

Sagrais spoke calmly, each word striking the vampire's heart like a hammer blow: "Now, are you ready to taste something other than wizard's blood?"

The vampire struggled to get up, only to find a powerful magical force, like a cold iron clamp, gripping his throat from a distance, roughly lifting him up, and then pressing him firmly against a large tree, rendering him unable to move.

Sagres stepped forward slowly, his wand pointing steadily at the other man, his eyes cold.

“I didn’t want to meddle in other people’s business…” he said calmly, “provided that you were smart enough to get out of here earlier.”

"Wait...wait...I am..."

"You asked for it."

Sagles gave him no further chances.

He gently raised the hand holding the wand, then swiftly lowered it again.

A pure light burst forth from the tip of the staff, precisely engulfing the imprisoned vampire.

The vampire let out a shrill scream, and his body charred rapidly in mid-air like burning paper.

Finally, the vampire's body turned into a cloud of ashes, which drifted to the ground and disappeared without a trace.

Silence enveloped the forbidden forest once more, with only the babbling of the stream remaining.

Sagles tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over Lupin, who remained vigilant to the side.

"This is the typical arrogance of dark creatures with long lifespans—they always underestimate the power of those with short lifespans and mistake restraint for weakness."

Lupin looked at Sagles' calm profile, who simply lowered his hand slowly, as if he had just crushed a bug.

The two men approached the centaur warrior. Lupin knelt down to examine him, then shook his head heavily: "He's dead."

Sagres nodded silently.

He muttered a few spells, quickly cleaned up the scene, and carefully placed the centaur's body in a relatively clean thicket, covering it slightly with branches and fallen leaves.

“I will notify the Malang tribe to come and take their compatriots away.”

Sagrass's voice returned to calm, "Let's go."

Chapter 261 The Return of Peeves

As Sargeras disappeared down the path leading to the centaur village deep in the Forbidden Forest, Lupin set off alone on his journey back to Hogwarts Castle.

The Forbidden Forest was dark and quiet at night, a stark contrast to the turmoil in his heart.

He subconsciously touched the brand-new bronze feather badge in the inner pocket of his robe; the warm touch seemed to be the only real connection between him and his new identity.

When we returned to the castle, the clock tower's hands were approaching eight o'clock in the evening.

However, unlike the usual tranquility at this time, an unusual, oppressive unease permeated the castle.

The corridor was brightly lit, filled with students loitering in their pajamas. An unusual light shone through the cracks in the door of the common room, and whispers could be heard from time to time.

An instinctive sense of unease made Lupin's heart sink slowly.

The students' faces were a mixture of fear, curiosity, and disbelief.

The murmurs surged like a tide, and Lupin heard everything with his keen hearing.

"Professor Lu Ping..."

"Werewolf!"

Is what Mischievous Ghost said true?

Just then, a familiar yet annoying shrill laugh came from above.

"Oh, look who's back?! Is it our furry friend?"

Peeves, still wearing his brightly colored harem pants and his comical bell hat, floated smugly on the chandelier in the foyer, looking down at the chaos below like a king surveying his territory.

He has just returned from a long "vacation"—sealed in a special container by Sagres and handed over to Lyle Lupin for research.

In retrospect, it may have been an oversight on the part of the old man, or perhaps he underestimated the cunning of the Pikachu, and accidentally broke the seal.

"Master Mischievous Ghost is back too!"

It announced in a shrill voice that echoed throughout the hall, drawing the attention of all the students, "And it brings back the freshest news! Your dear Defense Against the Dark Arts professor—"

It deliberately dragged out the tone, enjoying the thrill of being the center of attention, and then suddenly pointed at Lu Ping, whose face was grim.

"—He's a werewolf! Every full moon he turns into a huge, furry monster! Awooo! You didn't expect that, did you? His dear father said it himself! I can guarantee it to everyone!"

It laughed wildly and somersaulted in the air.

Lupin's face turned pale instantly.

His deepest fears, the secrets he had spent his entire life hiding, were now laid bare before everyone.

Some of the younger students huddled together in fear, while a heated discussion broke out among the older students.

Peeves became even more smug upon seeing this. He pounced on a group of Hufflepuff students and continued to fan the flames in an exaggerated tone:

"Think about it! Have you ever seen your Professor Lupin on a full moon night? I bet you haven't, right? — That's because he's afraid he'll lose control and eat you up for dinner! Ouch!"

It perfectly imitated a wolf's howl, causing several students to scream in surprise.

"I heard it with my own ears from that wretched old wizard Lyle Lupin! I heard everything while I was locked in the bottle! Werewolves, you're very dangerous!"

"Master Peeves has already notified every dorm room to make sure no one missed this good news! Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin... now they all have to think about whether they were ever just one step away from being caught in the wolf's jaws? Hehehehe!"

The students' fearful and suspicious gazes were like tangible needles piercing Lupin.

He stood frozen in place, feeling a wave of dizziness. The life he had carefully built over the past year collapsed amidst the ear-piercing laughter of Pippi the Ghost.

He saw fear and rejection on the faces of some students, and confusion and struggle in the eyes of others. Some tried to defend him, but were drowned out by the louder voices.

He dared not look any further, for he knew that the students' fearful expressions, Dumbledore's somber gaze, and the teaching position he cherished so dearly... were about to slip away from him.

More and more students emerged from the lounge, the atmosphere so heavy it was almost palpable.

The candlelight flickered in the uneasy air, illuminating the confused and fearful faces.

"Quiet!"

A majestic yet furious voice boomed like thunder, temporarily drowning out all the noise.

Dumbledore was hurrying down the marble stairs, hastily putting on a dressing gown over his nightgown, his eyes behind his spectacles gleaming with anger.

Behind him followed Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and Professor Sprout, all with equally solemn expressions.

"Mischievous Ghost!"

Professor McGonagall's face turned ashen, her voice stern. "Immediately! Get down from the chandelier! Stop your vile act of spreading rumors!"

"Rumors? Oh no, no, no, dear Professor McGonagall, respected Vice Principal!"

Mischievous Ghost grinned and gave her a comical salute. "This is absolutely true! Lord Mischievous Ghost never lies; I'm sharing the truth!"

After saying that, it let out a series of shrill laughs, but then suddenly stopped and tilted its head toward Dumbledore.

All eyes in the hall instantly focused on the principal.

Peeves floated a few feet in front of Dumbledore and asked in a feigned tone, "Long time no see, Headmaster Dumbledore!"

“Long time no see, Peeves.” Dumbledore nodded.

“Headmaster, I’ve brought back a secret. I learned something from Lupin’s father’s house…”

“I’ve heard you, Peeves,” Dumbledore interrupted him. “What do you want me to do?”

Pee-Pee whirled and danced in the air, finally revealing its vicious fangs.

"Ah, of course, of course... of course I want you to tell them—tell all these poor little bastards who take your words as gospel..."

Peeves exaggeratedly swept his arm across the entire group of students, "Please assure them, with your reputation as Headmaster of Hogwarts, that what I said is true..."

In an instant, hundreds of eyes, filled with a variety of complex emotions, turned to Dumbledore.

Snape had somehow appeared behind Dumbledore, his face a mixture of mockery and indifference.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward, seemingly wanting to stop this brutal public interrogation, but Dumbledore slightly raised a hand to stop her.

The old principal took a step forward.

His deep blue eyes didn't look at Pippi the Ghost, but slowly swept across the face of every student in the room. There was no anger or panic in his gaze, only a profound calm and sorrow.

Three suffocating seconds passed.

Then, Dumbledore's voice clearly reached everyone's ears.

"Remus is indeed a werewolf."

Something in the hall seemed to have shattered.

The buzzing sound started again.

Peeves burst into triumphant laughter and spun wildly in the air.

But Dumbledore's voice rang out again, easily drowning out all the noise and Peeves's shrill laughter:

“I cannot…and will not deny Remus Lupin’s identity. Because that would not only deny a fact, but also the courage and resilience he displayed in the face of the cruel trials that fate dealt him!”

His gaze sharpened as he stared directly at the restless students.

“Yes, Remus Lupin is a werewolf. But he has never harmed anyone! He has spent his entire life fighting against the darkness within him, and he has won! He has earned my absolute trust, and he deserves your respect!”

Dumbledore's voice echoed in the hall, temporarily calming the panic and silencing Peeves's shrill laughter.

However, Dumbledore knew better than anyone that these words could not change his deep-seated fears.

The insidious thing about the question Peeves posed was that it forced the truth to surface, and the truth, at times, is itself a bomb capable of destroying everything.

Lupin's teaching career may have come to an end the moment Pippi asked that question.

He had considered telling everyone that he had been cured by Sagrais.

But how many people would believe that?

Even if they believed it, how much trouble would it cause for Sagres?

With a "whoosh," Pippi disappeared into the wall next to him, leaving behind only chaos and a distraught Lupin.

Professor McGonagall took a deep breath, glanced at Lupin with an extremely complicated look, and then turned to the terrified students.