Chapter 293: Werewolf Harming My Classmates
"When we reached the location, we saw Professor Snape confronting Sirius Black. Both of their wands were glowing, indicating a recent and intense fight."
As he spoke, Dylan's gaze shifted to Sirius Black, who stood by his side, his eyes devoid of any particular emotion.
"The moment I saw him, I recognized him as a wanted fugitive and an unwelcome intruder at the school. My first instinct was naturally to join forces with Professor Snape to deal with him."
"However, just as I was about to act, Professor Lupin suddenly countered my spell with a Finishing Charm."
"Professor Dumbledore, as you know, I have been responsible for mixing and delivering Professor Lupin's Wolfsbane Potion for the past year..."
At this, Professor Dumbledore's deep eyes shifted slightly. He recalled the occasional difficulties and weariness Professor Lupin had shown over the last year, and his long white beard gently trembled.
"...Precisely because of this, I am well aware that he is a werewolf. In that situation, when he suddenly acted to stop me, I couldn't help but suspect his motives and question where his loyalties truly lay. Therefore, I had no choice but to temporarily subdue him first."
"But Remus explained it clearly at the time!" Sirius Black could hold back no longer. His brow furrowed, and he interrupted, his voice edged with clear dissatisfaction and impatience.
"I apologize, Mr. Black," Dylan turned, his gaze calm as he looked at Sirius, his tone completely even. "At the time, your identity was that of an unwelcome guest who had broken into our dormitory and an escaped fugitive from Azkaban—a status that remains unchanged even now."
"In that circumstance, Professor Lupin's simple explanation was insufficient to clear suspicion from either of you."
"Furthermore, his so-called explanation at the time was only a vague reference to 'more to the story,' with no specific details."
"Added to the fact that he is a werewolf."
Professor Dumbledore listened to this clear, logical, and reasonable explanation, nodding slowly, clearly agreeing with Dylan's reasoning.
Dylan continued, "With all due respect, even now, the suspicion surrounding both of you remains significant."
"If it weren't for the fact that Peter Pettigrew is alive—and yes, Harry previously mentioned this to me." Dylan turned and exchanged a look with Harry. Harry immediately understood and turned to Professor Dumbledore, nodding solemnly to confirm the truth of Dylan's statement. "It is only because of this one point, which irrefutably casts suspicion on the events of the past, that I didn't try to kill you during the subsequent fight."
"Held back?" Sirius Black repeated the words, as if he had heard something unbelievable, his brow shooting up.
The spells that had whizzed past him earlier—each one had carried undeniable power. Sirius Black clearly remembered that he had dodged on instinct alone. The slightest mistake would have left him lying there, likely more wretched than the barely breathing Peter Pettigrew in the chair. To call that onslaught "holding back"? A surge of uncontrollable anger mixed with absurdity rose in his heart, and his brow furrowed even deeper.
"At least you can stand here right now, unharmed." Dylan's gaze swept up and down Sirius Black. His tone was as flat as if he were stating an obvious fact. He noted that other than his clothes being dusty and slightly torn, there wasn't a single scratch on him. "I wasn't the only one; Professor Snape also held back—do you misunderstand the true power of a Head of House?"
Sirius stared, opening his mouth.
"Enough, Black, no more." Professor Dumbledore's gentle voice interjected with a calming force, prompting Sirius to close his mouth. A slight smile on his face, he looked at Sirius Black. "I believe Dylan's account."
He paused and continued, "In my long career teaching, I have encountered many students of exceptional talent, and Dylan's talent is undoubtedly among the most outstanding, perhaps even the absolute top tier."
"Given your state at the time, the consequences would have been unthinkable if he and Severus had truly exerted their full power." He affirmed, "It appears they did indeed hold back."
Professor Dumbledore had long been aware of Dylan's abilities. The blood-awakened and diligent boy's powers were astonishing last year and had only grown stronger. In his opinion, Dylan's potential was comparable to his own and Gellert Grindelwald's in their youth. The fact that Sirius could stand there now was proof that Dylan had exercised restraint.
Sirius Black opened his mouth. He had intended to ask what Dylan's pre-battle comment about "paying a price for disturbing his good dreams" meant, but hearing Professor Dumbledore's assessment, the words got stuck in his throat. He could only respond with a sullen, "...Understood, Professor."
"However..." Professor Dumbledore's topic shifted. His gaze moved to the massive block of ice in the office corner and then back to Dylan, his tone one of gentle inquiry. "Simply because of all this, freezing Professor Lupin solid seems a bit excessive?"
"Oh, that." Dylan smiled. "Professor, you misunderstand."
He explained, "I initially only used the Incarcerous spell to temporarily immobilize him and the Sealing Charm—I mean, the Silencing Charm—to close his mouth so he wouldn't shout and interfere with the situation." He paused, then explained the later development: "As for the ice block, that happened on the way back to the castle."
"Professor Lupin was exposed to the light of the full moon at that time, and he hadn't taken the Wolfsbane Potion today—to be honest, I didn't realize that even if he was stunned and hanging upside down, a werewolf could still trigger a transformation under the influence of a full moon."
"Seeing the signs of his transformation, the situation became urgent. I was forced to use magic to freeze his entire body to prevent him from losing his mind and hurting others." Dylan shook his head slightly, a hint of helplessness in his voice. "I didn't want a werewolf harming my dear classmates on school grounds."
"So, the ice block encasing Professor Lupin will likely have to wait until the full moon completely sets before it can be removed..." Dumbledore blinked.
"Oh, and on our way back to the castle, we encountered a few Dementors. They were hovering at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and the cold they brought almost pierced my bones," he said, shifting his gaze to the listless Peter Pettigrew in the chair. "The situation was urgent, with Professor Lupin showing signs of transformation. I was struggling and simply couldn't protect everyone."
"It seems Peter Pettigrew had some of his soul sucked out by the Dementors, which is why he looks like this." Dylan's tone was dismissive. "But I think it's nothing major. If Harry could survive that level of impact before, he should be fine too."
Dylan was indeed "stretched thin" at that moment, and his explanation was perfectly plausible. Snape also assumed that since Peter Pettigrew had dealt with Dementors before, he should be able to handle this level of exposure. A few soul-sucks wouldn't be fatal, so he prioritized him last. Moreover, Snape naturally couldn't easily expose his corporeal Patronus. For his future plans, even casting the Patronus Charm required extreme caution. So, when he saw Dylan prioritizing the protection of Harry and the others, he didn't intervene further. As for the other three: Sirius Black had been in Azkaban for so long that he was used to the Dementors' presence. Peter Pettigrew would have to adapt gradually. Professor Lupin, being a werewolf, had an unusual constitution, so he figured there would be no major problems. Why would he worry about them?
Harry, who was suddenly brought up, blinked in confusion, clearly not expecting to be dragged into the conversation.
"I see..." Professor Dumbledore murmured, his gaze falling upon Peter Pettigrew's wretched state. A look of indescribable expression crossed his face. "I've already sent someone to notify Madam Pomfrey. She should arrive shortly. With her medical expertise, healing Peter Pettigrew shouldn't be a problem."
Just as he spoke, the office door was hurriedly pushed open, and Madam Pomfrey rushed in with her first-aid kit. Upon entering, her gaze swept over everyone present. When it landed on Sirius Black, she couldn't help but gasp.
"My goodness, Dumbledore! What happened here?" She looked at Sirius's gaunt figure and sallow complexion—a clear sign of prolonged malnutrition—her face filled with disbelief. "Do you want me to treat him first?" Madam Pomfrey asked, already unfastening the clasps of her kit, ready to act.
"Hmm... we may indeed need your help to treat him later, Poppy," Professor Dumbledore gently replied. He then gestured toward Peter Pettigrew slumped in the chair. "But for now, please attend to this gentleman first."
Madam Pomfrey followed his gesture and looked at Peter Pettigrew. She didn't immediately recognize him, but the sight of his injuries alone shocked her. The man was covered in scorched, horrifying wounds, with some areas of his flesh peeled back.
"These are injuries from a Blasting Curse! Who did this? This is outrageous!" Madam Pomfrey's voice rose sharply, laced with anger and urgency. Her gaze immediately swung to Sirius Black, filled with obvious suspicion. After all, the serious crime that led to Sirius Black's imprisonment in Azkaban was the use of a Blasting Curse, which resulted in the deaths of twelve Muggles.
"I did it, Madam Pomfrey," Dylan stepped forward and calmly explained. "This suspicious character, who I suspected to be a dangerous individual, attempted to use the Blasting Curse on me. I retaliated in self-defense." He added, "The full story is rather long, but please check his condition first and see if he can be saved. We need him to wake up; we have many questions to ask him."
"Dangerous individual?" Madam Pomfrey frowned, clearly surprised by the statement. Her gaze returned to the unconscious man, filled with doubt.
Madam Pomfrey's brow furrowed, her gaze lingering on Peter Pettigrew's face for a long moment. The man looked unfamiliar, clearly not a student or a staff member she knew well. But for some reason, his face felt strangely familiar, as if masked, concealing a vague memory. She couldn't quite place where she had seen him before.
Despite her internal confusion, Madam Pomfrey's hands were unwavering. Her medical skills were, as always, excellent. She first carefully examined Peter Pettigrew's injuries. Then, she quickly left the office and returned shortly with a much larger medical bag, which contained several potions with strange shimmerings and some silver medical instruments. She methodically mixed a potion, using her wand to guide the liquid onto the wounds, and occasionally scanned him with an instrument. Her movements were precise and swift.
After a flurry of activity, the charred, gruesome wounds on Peter Pettigrew stopped bleeding, his color improved slightly, and his breathing became stable. His injuries were finally contained. "He needs plenty of rest now for the wounds to heal slowly. This can't be rushed," Madam Pomfrey said, collecting her used vials and instruments, then looking up at Professor Dumbledore, her tone one of certainty. "But you needn't worry too much. His vital signs are stable. He should wake up soon."
"Thank you for your hard work, Poppy." Professor Dumbledore nodded to her gently, his eyes filled with gratitude.
Madam Pomfrey gave a slight nod, packed up her things, and couldn't resist one last look at Peter Pettigrew. The feeling of familiarity still lingered, but she ultimately left the office with her questions unanswered.
The office fell silent. All eyes returned to Peter Pettigrew in the chair. A heavy atmosphere of anticipation permeated the air.
"Professor, allow me." Dylan stepped forward, his tone resolute. He raised his wand, aimed it at Peter Pettigrew's face, and clearly spoke the spell: "Aguamenti!"
A moderate but strong stream of water appeared out of thin air. With a splash, it hit Peter Pettigrew's face.
Simultaneously, Dylan gave his wrist a quick turn, drawing two small arcs in the air with his wand. He quietly chanted a counter-spell, lifting the Confundus Charm and the Extreme Dream Charm he had placed on Peter Pettigrew.
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