Hogwarts Lion Girl

On the lawn in front of the castle, several magic lamps emitted a faint light, which made Dumbledore's silver beard flicker. He paced in place with his hands behind his back and frowned, as if he was thinking about a difficult problem. Snape, as always, had a sour face, and his black robe made him look even gloomier.

"Alastor is indeed an experienced Auror," Dumbledore stopped and said worriedly, "but Black is also famous for his cunning and madness. I am worried..."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple," Snape said coldly, "It's well known that Black holds a grudge against Harry. But he chose to sneak into Hogwarts at this time, so he must have other purposes."

At this time, Lupin and Salina happened to arrive at the castle gate and heard Snape's words. Lupin hurriedly asked, "What's the purpose?"

"Don't tell me you don't know anything about this, Lupin," Snape's voice was squeezed out from between his teeth like venom, "You are good friends with that murderer! Don't think I don't know!"

"Severus!" Dumbledore's calm voice was filled with unquestionable authority. "I think you misunderstood. Remus has nothing to do with this matter."

"Misunderstanding?" Snape sneered, and the sound sounded as harsh as nails scratching on a blackboard. "The wolf stench on him is about to smoke up the entire castle. Headmaster, you can't smell it, right?"

Salina saw Lupin's body tremble slightly. He lowered his head, and his originally messy brown hair looked even darker in the dim light, like a big dog drenched by rain.

"Snape," Lupin's voice was low and hoarse, "I understand how you feel, but please speak with respect."

"Respect?" Snape seemed to have heard a funny joke. He took a step closer, almost getting close to Lupin's face. "A monster like you deserves respect?"

"Enough!" Dumbledore's voice sounded again, this time with a clear warning in his tone, "Severus, I want you to calm down. Now is not the time to argue. Remus, you too."

Lupin took a deep breath, trying to control his emotions. He raised his head and looked into Snape's cold eyes for a few seconds, then turned to Dumbledore and nodded slightly.

"I'm sorry, Principal. I lost my composure." His voice sounded exhausted. "If there's nothing else, I'll go back to my office first."

After saying that, he lowered his head, walked past Dumbledore with heavy steps, and went straight to the other end of the corridor. Salina hesitated for a moment, and finally chose to follow Lupin.

"Professor Lupin," Salina called him softly, her tone full of worry, "Are you okay?"

Lupin stopped but did not look back. He was silent for a few seconds before he whispered, "I'm fine, Salina. I'm just... a little tired and want to be alone."

Salina could hear the depression and pain in his tone. She wanted to say something to comfort him, but she didn't know what to say. She knew that for Lupin, Snape's harsh words were like sharp knives that stabbed his wounds.

Watching the figure walking further and further away, Salina lowered her head silently.

In the following days, no one saw Professor Lupin in Hogwarts again. His office door was closed and his brisk footsteps could no longer be heard in the corridor. The Defense Against the Dark Arts class was taken over by Professor Snape, who explained the defense techniques against werewolves in a low, cold voice, and the air was filled with the nauseating smell of potions. The students complained that they missed the relaxed and humorous classroom atmosphere of Professor Lupin, but faced with Professor Snape's gloomy eyes, they could only dare not speak out.

……

The dim moonlight shone through the dilapidated windows of the Screaming Shack, casting patches of light and shadows on the ground. Dust danced in the air, filled with a musty and rotten smell, like an invisible hand trying to strangle a person's throat.

Lupin took a deep breath, trying to ignore the sickening smell, raised his wand, and whispered, "Lumos!"

A warm light suddenly emerged from the tip of the wand, illuminating the scene in front of him. The house was in a mess, with rotten furniture and broken glass everywhere, and the walls were covered with cobwebs and dust, as if it had been abandoned for centuries.

This was a secret haven for the four of them, full of memories of laughter and friendship. James loved to practice Transfiguration here, turning mice into teacups and teapots into rabbits; Sirius always liked to play pranks, stuffing slugs into Snape's soup, and then laughing in the dark; and Peter, the timid Peter, always hid in the corner, watching their mischief with an expression of envy and admiration on his face.

And now, he is the only one left here.

Lupin walked slowly across the room, his eyes scanning every corner as if searching for something. He stopped in front of a worn-out table with some yellowed and faded photos and letters scattered on it.

He picked up a photo, which showed four young wizards with youthful smiles on their faces. James stood in the front, holding up the sword of Gryffindor, Sirius put his arm around his shoulders, laughing heartily, Peter stood behind them, smiling a little awkwardly, and he himself stood at the edge, with a shy smile on his face.

It was a photo taken during their last year at Hogwarts, and also their last photo together.

"Why, Sirius, why did you betray us?" Lupin murmured to himself, his voice full of pain and confusion.

He couldn't understand how Sirius, who was once as close as a brother, could become a Death Eater, how he could betray James and Lily, and how he could personally send them to their death?

Lupin closed his eyes and covered his chest in pain. Whenever he recalled what happened back then, his heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. He could not forget the scene of James and Lily lying in a pool of blood, nor could he forget Sirius's crazy and desperate laughter.

"Harry..." Lupin opened his eyes, a trace of determination flashed in his eyes, "I must protect you and never let you get hurt again!"

He put the photo down and continued walking forward. Suddenly, his eyes fell on a piece of floor where the dust seemed to have been wiped away artificially, revealing clear claw marks underneath.

Lupin crouched down and looked closely at the claw marks, which were deep and sharp, as if they had been left by some large animal.

"This is..." Lupin's pupils shrank suddenly, and his breathing became rapid, "This is Sirius' Animagus form - a big black dog!"

He stood up suddenly and looked around, his eyes full of vigilance and alertness. He knew that Sirius was nearby, and he was most likely in this room!

Lupin raised his wand and walked deeper into the room, his heart beating faster and faster. He didn't know what was waiting for him, but he was ready to fight.

Suddenly, he heard a slight noise behind him. He turned sharply, pointing his wand in the direction of the sound.

"Who's there?" he shouted.

However, all he got in response was dead silence.

Lupin held his breath and listened carefully to the movements around him. He could feel his heart beating violently in his chest, as if it would jump out of his throat in the next second.

Just then, he saw something moving in the shadow in the corner.

"Come out!" Lupin's voice trembled, but he still pointed his wand in that direction firmly.

The shadows slowly moved, and a tall figure walked out of the darkness.

"Long time no see, Remus." The figure said in a hoarse and low voice.

Lupin's eyes widened and he nearly dropped his wand.

"You...you are..."

"It's me, Remus, your old friend, Sirius Black." The figure slowly walked into the light, revealing a thin and pale face.

His face was covered with beard and his hair was messy, but his eyes were still bright, but there was a bit more vicissitudes and pain in those black pupils.

Lupin stared at the person in front of him blankly, speechless for a moment.