Hogwarts Lion Girl

The next morning, Salina came to the greenhouse behind the castle alone. Far away from the hustle and bustle of the main castle, it was filled with the smell of damp soil and the fragrance of various exotic flowers and plants.

She gently pushed open the greenhouse door, and the warm and moist air rushed in. The sunlight shone through the glass dome, giving everything a golden edge.

Salina slowed down her pace and carefully searched for Crookshanks. She knew that this cat was very smart and solitary, and liked to act alone.

"Crookshanks?" Salina called softly, her voice echoing in the empty greenhouse.

Suddenly, she heard a faint "meow" sound, which seemed to come from deep in the greenhouse. Salina followed the sound and saw Crookshanks behind a huge queen flower.

It curled up there, shivering all over, its originally fluffy fur stuck together in a mess, and its pair of yellow-green eyes that usually flashed with cunning light were now filled with fear, and it didn't even dare to look directly at Serena.

"Crookshanks, what's wrong with you?" Salina asked worriedly. She walked towards Crookshanks cautiously, squatted down, and reached out her hand to touch it.

However, Crookshanks uttered a deep roar and suddenly retreated back to avoid Serena's touch. It arched its back, the hair on its body stood up, and a threatening grunt came from its throat.

Salina slowly withdrew her hand and said in a calm voice, "Don't be afraid, Crookshanks. It's me, Salina. I won't hurt you."

Crookshanks still maintained a vigilant posture, but it seemed to recognize Serena's voice, and its body relaxed slightly, and the gurgling sound in its throat gradually subsided.

Salina waited patiently. She knew she couldn't rush things and had to give Crookshanks some time to calm down.

Everything in the greenhouse seemed calm and peaceful. All kinds of exotic flowers and plants stretched their branches in the sun. The air was filled with a faint floral scent. There was nothing unusual.

Crookshanks slowly walked out from behind the Queen of Flowers. It still looked a little uneasy, but it no longer resisted Serena's approach. It walked to Serena, rubbed her hand with its head, then sat down at her feet, raised its head, and looked at her with a strange look, as if it wanted to express something.

"Do you want to tell me something?" Salina asked. She reached out and gently stroked Crookshanks' head. "Don't worry, I will help you."

Crookshanks suddenly stood up and walked towards the depths of the greenhouse. After taking a few steps, he stopped and looked back at Salina, as if signaling her to follow.

Salina stood up and followed Crookshanks deeper into the greenhouse.

Crookshanks led Salina through rows of tall plants to the innermost corner of the greenhouse, where the light was dim and the air was filled with the smell of rotting plants.

Following Crookshanks' gaze, Salina discovered a row of messy footprints on the rotten leaves and moss piled up in the corner of the greenhouse. The footprints grew from small to large, as if some creature had undergone a strange transformation here, slowly growing from the size of a small animal to that of an adult male.

Salina knew that this was most likely where Sirius had been hiding for some time.

At this moment, there was a slight sound of footsteps coming from behind. Sharlene looked up and saw Professor Lupin appearing in the flickering light.

Their eyes met and a hint of surprise flashed across Lupin's face. It was obvious that he had not expected to meet a student here.

Salina was also a little surprised, but she quickly calmed down and nodded politely to the professor.

Professor Lupin quickly returned to his usual gentle demeanor. He lowered his voice and asked with concern, "Salina, why are you here? Is there something wrong?"

Salina looked at the cat in her arms and replied, "I'm looking for it, Hermione's cat."

Lupin nodded and then asked, "Did you see anyone suspicious, or... anything else?"

Salina shook her head and said softly, "No, Professor, I only saw these messy footsteps on the ground."

"Really?" Professor Lupin's tone was emotionless. He walked forward and carefully observed the footprints. After a long while, he raised his head, looked at Salina, and asked, "What animal do you think these footprints were left by?"

Salina looked at Professor Lupin and said, "Professor, I don't know much about animal footprints, but... they look a bit like dog footprints, but they are much larger than dog footprints, and..." She paused, as if choosing her words, "These footprints always give off a strange feeling."

Lupin stood up, dusted off his hands, and said, "You are right. This is indeed not an ordinary dog. In fact, it may not be an ordinary creature. But there are no clues here now. How about leaving with me?"

Salina nodded, "Of course, I actually have something I want to ask you."

Lupin asked with great interest, "Oh? What's the matter?"

Salina: "You used the Patronus Charm on the train at the beginning of the school year. Now there are Dementors everywhere in the school. I hope you can teach me the Patronus Charm."

Lupin thought about it and nodded: "Okay, follow me."

On the small mound behind the castle, the autumn breeze brings a hint of coolness.

"The Patronus Charm is a very powerful magic," Professor Lupin said in a low and magnetic voice. "It requires you to concentrate and recall your happiest memories in order to successfully summon your Patronus. Like this... Expecto Patronus!"

Lupin's Patronus spun in the air and then slowly dissipated. The silvery-white light merged into the twinkling stars in the night sky and into the lights of Hogwarts Castle in the distance.

Salina took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and tried to recall the happy times in the past.

"Concentrate!" came Professor Lupin's voice. "Focus on the happy memories!"

"Expecto Patronus!" Serena gripped her wand tightly and shouted loudly, while injecting those happy memories into the wand.

A silver-white light gushed out from the tip of the wand, swirling in the air and gradually forming the outline of an animal. Salina stared at the light nervously, her heart almost jumping out of her throat.

Finally, the silver-white light gradually dissipated, and a nimble and agile ferret appeared in front of Salina. It had snow-white fur and black eyes, and looked smart and lively. It circled around Salina for a few times, and then rubbed the back of her hand affectionately.

"Success!" Professor Lupin's voice was full of relief. "Your Patronus is a snow ferret, which represents wit, agility and courage."

Salina looked at the cute ferret in front of her and a happy smile appeared on her face. She succeeded! She finally learned the Patronus Charm!