Dudley strode to the front of the classroom, taking the spot where Professor Lupin usually stood.
"Professor Lupin's feeling under the weather today, so I'll be covering this class," he announced.
It was that time of the month for Lupin. As a werewolf, he had a few days each month where he wasn't himself—literally. When transformed, werewolves lost all sense of reason, a state most of them despised. Thankfully, there was a way to manage it: Wolfsbane Potion.
Hogwarts had only two wizards skilled enough to brew it—Potions Master Snape and his star pupil, Dudley Dursley.
So, naturally, Dudley stepped in to take over Lupin's Defense Against the Dark Arts class.
The students had zero complaints. Even back in first year, Dudley had proven his capabilities. Some were even a little excited.
As the classroom buzzed with cheers, another figure appeared at the door.
"Silence. Gryffindor, five points deducted."
That familiar drawl, that familiar point deduction, that familiar targeting of Gryffindor.
Snape swept in, his face as sour as a poorly brewed potion. By all logic, he should've been Lupin's first choice for a substitute. Instead, Dudley was teaching, and Snape was relegated to his assistant.
He could've stormed off in a huff, but since it was Dudley, he decided to stick around.
"I'm not here for Dursley," Snape told himself. "I just don't want him embarrassing me."
Dudley flipped through the booklet Lupin had left him, detailing the planned lesson. "You've already covered Boggarts, Red Caps, Kappas, and Grindylows. So today's lesson is—"
"I have a suggestion," Snape interrupted, his voice dripping with malice. "I think we should cover how to deal with werewolves. What do you think, Mr. Dursley?"
Dudley knew exactly why Snape picked werewolves.
"No objections here, Professor Snape," Dudley said with a nod.
Werewolves were one of the most common, widespread, and dangerous dark creatures in the wizarding world. The students would have to face them eventually—might as well learn now.
Plus, Dudley had an experiment in mind.
"Professor Lupin usually does practical lessons, so as his substitute, I'll follow suit," Dudley said. "I've heard there's a werewolf in the Forbidden Forest. I'll go grab one."
The room went dead silent. The students—and even Snape—stared at him, their expressions screaming, "Are you serious?"
Snape had meant for them to stick to theory.
But Dudley wasn't having it. This was his first—and maybe only—public lesson. He wasn't about to half-arse it.
"Professor Snape, please give the class a brief overview of werewolves. I'll be back in an hour," Dudley said.
Decisive and unrelenting, he didn't give Snape a chance to argue. By the time Snape processed it, Dudley was already gone, vanishing down the corridor.
"It's not a full moon tonight. Even if you catch one, it won't transform," Snape thought, but the words never made it out.
In the classroom, Snape faced a sea of wide-eyed students, and they stared right back.
Big eyes met small eyes.
But Snape was Snape. He recovered quickly. "Open your textbooks to page three hundred ninety-four."
That page covered werewolves, and Snape knew it like the back of his hand.
Dudley had known about the werewolf in the Forbidden Forest for a while, but the forest was massive—finding one was harder than tracking down a dragon.
Luckily, with help from a certain dragon, he'd recently picked up its trail.
To outsiders, the Forbidden Forest was a terrifying place. To Dudley, it was practically his backyard. An hour was more than enough time.
A massive snake made of earth slithered through the forest at breakneck speed. Dudley couldn't fly—this was the fastest way to travel.
Magical creatures, like mundane animals, were fiercely territorial, and Dudley's rampage would normally stir up a storm. But every creature, strong or weak, sensed his presence and bolted.
They knew he was coming.
The thousand-year-old Basilisk was his mount. A dragon and a unicorn were his pets. And who could forget the time he'd wiped out half the Acromantula colony with a single slap? That unmatched strength had taught the forest's creatures a lesson.
They were magical, not stupid. They knew better than to cross him.
So Dudley's path was clear, which was a bit of a shame—he'd hoped to snag a few creatures along the way.
The Forbidden Forest's resident bully was on patrol.
Soon, he reached his destination: a hollow in the mountains.
---
"Werewolves are among the most dangerous dark creatures to wizards," Snape began.
He wasn't one for reading straight from the book, but his chilling tone and intimidating presence made werewolves sound utterly terrifying—bloodthirsty, sadistic, and a thousand times worse than the Dementors outside.
Many students couldn't help but feel a deep disgust for werewolves.
"Now, can anyone tell me the difference between a werewolf and a regular wolf?" Snape asked.
Predictably, Hermione's hand shot up first.
"Miss Granger, go ahead," Snape said, his mood visibly improving.
"Their snouts are shorter, their pupils smaller, and they resemble humans more closely. They can sometimes walk upright, and their tail fur grows in tufts. Most importantly, they're far more aggressive toward humans than true wolves," Hermione answered.
"Correct," Snape said, nodding with rare approval. "They're far more aggressive, so remember—they're extremely dangerous."
"An excellent answer. Ten points to the Disciplinary Committee."
Snape would never award points to Gryffindor, but he'd give them to the Disciplinary Committee—always at least five points.
Hermione's answer reflected the wizarding world's general view of werewolves. Thanks to some werewolves' indiscriminate attacks, their reputation was far worse than vampires from the same era.
Vampires and Veela were considered human enough to live alongside wizards. Werewolves, though, were still treated as outcasts.
"Now—" Snape started, ready to continue.
But the classroom door swung open.
"Sorry, Professor Snape, everyone—I'm back a bit late," Dudley said.
READ finish wwork inpat***
ilham20