When a Boggart transforms into a magical creature, it can mimic some of that creature's abilities. In other words, this Boggart, which had turned into a Dementor, could also use the Dementor's powers… namely, sucking out happiness.
Remus Lupin immediately jumped in front of Harry Potter, shielding the boy's line of sight. Because the person standing in front had changed, the Boggart transformed again—this time into a full moon hidden behind dark clouds, with the clouds slowly drifting apart.
Remus Lupin froze for a second, then quickly reacted.
"Riddikulus!"
Just as the full moon was about to shine, the Boggart turned into a hissing balloon—one of those overinflated ones that isn't tied, flying around erratically when released. It zipped through the group of students with a loud "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
Lupin waved his wand, and before the Boggart could transform again, he shut it inside the wardrobe.
Clearly, the class had to end. That had nearly gone very wrong.
It wasn't just Harry Potter's issue—even Remus Lupin himself had a close call.
"Sorry! That's all for today's class. We'll continue next time."
Lupin sounded utterly drained, as if he had been working nonstop for a full day and night, and weakly announced the end of class.
After sending all the students out of the classroom, Lupin collapsed onto the floor.
Even though he hadn't seen the full moon in its entirety, most of it had already appeared. Though it was still daytime, Lupin felt as if his blood were boiling. If it had been nighttime, and if he had seen the real full moon… he dared not imagine what he might have done. The classroom had been full of students. The consequences were unthinkable.
There was one person at Hogwarts who could help him—Lupin was sure of that. He just needed to go and ask...
Once he had regained his strength, Remus Lupin thought to seek out Dumbledore. If the headmaster himself were to approach Snape for help, he probably wouldn't be refused.
Upon arriving at the Headmaster's Office, Lupin found Regulus Black casually chatting with Dumbledore. Both were holding large servings of "Mount Fire Ice Cream."
"Professor Lupin! Your class ended early?"
Regulus Black popped a canary biscuit into his mouth along with a spoonful of ice cream. This peculiar biscuit made a person's voice sound pleasant when speaking—like the song of a canary.
Ah yes, it was one of the products from Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory.
After taking over the factory, even Regulus Black had been astonished by its product catalog. Nearly half of the sweets sold in the wizarding world now came from this one chocolate factory.
No wonder the Ministry of Magic had previously refused to even accept appeal materials—this was a massive gold mine.
It had truly been an impressive feat for Bellatrix Black to secure this asset for Voldemort.
Willy Wonka, being the kind of wizard who enjoyed mingling with Muggles, was not well-regarded among traditional wizarding circles. Still, his magical skills were undeniable. Just looking at how impregnable his chocolate factory had been showed how advanced his magic really was.
Bellatrix had no choice but to take a roundabout approach to seize the factory. Although it was tightly guarded, her careful planning and meticulous schemes eventually led to Willy Wonka falling to her Avada Kedavra.
Since Voldemort wasn't in a position to manage the business directly, the asset ended up in the hands of the Black family.
Minister Cornelius Fudge had also been persuaded by Regulus Black—it was better to pass the burden along than have the Ministry seize private property. After all, could Cornelius Fudge really count on remaining Minister of Magic forever?
Thus, as a token of long-standing friendship with the Black family, Cornelius Fudge smoothly confirmed their ownership of the factory, transferring it from the Malfoys (who had been acting as temporary custodians) into the name of House Black.
Back to the matter at hand—Remus Lupin had come with a grim expression to see Dumbledore, not to watch the old man enjoy a Mount Fire Ice Cream.
"Dumbledore! I need Snape's help to brew my potion."
Just moments ago, he had used class time to play tricks on Neville and mock Snape. Now he had no choice but to swallow his pride and ask his rival for assistance. It was not a pleasant feeling.
"It's Wolfsbane, isn't it? Actually, Regulus can make it."
Dumbledore looked at Lupin seriously—it was clear the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had just gone through quite an ordeal.
"Me? No, no, no! Let Professor Snape handle it! If I interfere, we won't be able to work together in the future. Snape would hold a grudge against me for life. Besides, I think this is a good opportunity for Professor Lupin to apologize to Professor Snape."
Regulus Black continued speaking in his melodious, canary-like voice, with perfectly matched expressions.
"What's going on, Regulus? Do you know something?"
Dumbledore adjusted his glasses and looked questioningly at Regulus Black and Remus Lupin.
"I just found out myself. Back when Professor Snape was still a student, he had frequent conflicts with the Marauders."
Regulus pointed at Remus Lupin as he continued.
"Padfoot was Sirius, and Lupin is Moony. Now that they're working together, wouldn't it be the right thing to clear up old grudges from childhood and try to understand each other?"
What Regulus wouldn't admit was that this apology was actually prompted by the incident where Lupin had Neville use Snape as comic relief.
Although Regulus said all this, Remus Lupin knew his own situation well.
It was time to apologize. Otherwise, there was a real risk of something unfortunate happening at school. The Wolfsbane Potion was essential—only it could suppress the loss of sanity after transformation. While it couldn't stop the transformation itself, it allowed Lupin to retain his mind and avoid hurting others.
Lupin stood there silently for a long while, clearly deep in thought, figuring out how to avoid apologizing to Snape, endure his mockery, and still get the Wolfsbane Potion.
As for the last part—up until now, Remus Lupin had always gone deep into the mountains and forests during every full moon.
If he had to stay in populated areas, he would buy the Wolfsbane Potion. But such a rare magical potion was not only hard to come by, it was also extremely expensive.
On top of that, being a werewolf made it very difficult for Lupin to find employment. As a decent wizard who had never broken the law, he was truly, painfully poor—even poorer than the Weasleys.
Now, as a professor at Hogwarts, he could receive the Wolfsbane Potion for free. All he had to do was swallow his pride and apologize to an old rival he had always disliked. It sounded easy—and yet it wasn't.
Regulus Black and Dumbledore, one young and one old, continued eating their Ice Cream Fire Mountain while waiting for Remus Lupin's answer. If the two men could get along during this school year, Hogwarts would be a much more peaceful place.
"Alright! I'll explain everything to Professor Snape."
In the end, Remus Lupin gave in. At Hogwarts, sometimes you just had to bow your head.
"In that case, I'll go and fetch Professor Snape. Please wait here and enjoy your dessert, Professor Lupin."
Regulus tossed away his empty cup and handed another serving of Ice Cream Fire Mountain to Remus Lupin.
Lupin held the large portion in his hands, blankly watching Regulus walk away.
He hadn't expected to get a share himself—it truly was a heartwarming dessert.
With a light, brisk step, Regulus Black headed toward Snape's underground office. Draco Malfoy was inside with a few of his cronies, complaining about how Professor Lupin had deliberately embarrassed Snape in Defense Against the Dark Arts class by having Neville make fun of him. It must be said—this godson was quite considerate.
"Professor Snape, there's a perfect opportunity for Professor Lupin to apologize to you in person! I've come to inform you—please head to the Headmaster's office."
Regulus Black ignored the young Slytherins and directly delivered Dumbledore's invitation to the King of the Serpents.
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