Hogwarts Lion Girl

"No, I can't just sit there and wait for death!" Peter stood up suddenly, knocking over the empty bottle beside him, making a harsh sound. He looked around in horror to make sure no one noticed him. He had to find a way to get out of this predicament and find a new backer, otherwise he would be torn to pieces by Blake sooner or later.

A bold plan gradually took shape in his mind. He decided to seek refuge with Harry Potter, the "boy who survived" and the boy known as the "savior".

"Yes, that's him! As long as I can gain his trust and become his protector, Black will never be able to hurt me again!" Peter's eyes flashed with a cunning light, "Then, I can use Harry's reputation and status to return to the wizarding world and even gain a higher status and power than before!"

In order to realize this plan, Peter began to plan carefully. He carefully studied all the reports about Harry Potter, collected his photos and information, and tried to understand his personality, preferences and weaknesses. He hid in the corner to observe Harry's every move and recorded his conversations and interactions with his friends.

"Harry, my child, I am your godfather! I have been protecting you in secret!" Peter simulated the scene of recognizing Harry in his mind, with a hypocritical and loving smile on his face. "You don't know how I have been through these years, how much pain and torture I have endured, and finally found the opportunity to come back to you..."

The more he thought about it, the more proud he felt, as if he had seen himself standing beside Harry, receiving the admiration and respect of everyone. He seemed to have forgotten his past betrayal and sins, the tragic deaths of James and Lily, and how he had sold out his friend's life in order to survive.

"Only by getting rid of Black can I clear my suspicion and become a hero!" Peter's eyes flashed with a vicious light. He would use people's sympathy for him and Dumbledore's trust in him to disguise himself as a tragic hero, a poor guy who hid his identity to protect Harry Potter.

"I will be a hero and I will get everything I want!" Peter seemed to see himself standing under the spotlight, receiving people's cheers and admiration, while Blake's body was spit on by thousands of people and nailed to the pillar of shame forever.

……

Hermione tightly grasped the open book "Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts" in her hand, her knuckles turning blue due to the force. Professor Snape's sarcastic sarcasm, Ron's farce of knocking over the ink bottle, Harry's embarrassment when Malfoy laughed at him for not bringing his wand, all of these seemed to be separated by a layer of frosted glass, swaying in front of her eyes, but could not occupy the slightest bit of her brain.

"Werewolf..." she murmured to herself, replaying the hideous illustration in the book and Professor Lupin's gentle face with sickly paleness in the dim light in her mind.

How could it be that Professor Lupin, who was kind and patient and always answered their questions, the professor who brought them a sense of security, was such a terrible creature?

Hermione bit her lips hard until she tasted a hint of rust. She had to calm down and think carefully.

"What are you doing, Hermione?" A familiar voice sounded in her ear. Hermione was startled and slammed the book shut.

"Ron! How come you walk without making any sound!" She complained in a low voice, but her heart was still pounding.

Ron scratched his messy red hair, looking puzzled: "Why are you so nervous? Didn't we agree to review the Defense Against the Dark Arts notes in the library? You don't look well, did you not sleep well last night?"

Hermione forced a smile: "Nothing, I'm just...thinking about something."

"What could make you look so sad? Did Professor McGonagall assign an extra paper?" Ron sat down next to her, picked up a copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and flipped through it casually.

Hermione shook her head, hesitant to speak. Could she tell Ron? Tell him Professor Lupin's secret? But what if Ron was like everyone else, full of fear and prejudice against werewolves?

"I was just...thinking about werewolves." She finally couldn't help but speak, but her tone was full of tentativeness and uneasiness.

"Werewolves?" Ron looked up with a look of disgust on his face. "Oh, don't mention those scary guys! My dad said they are bloodthirsty monsters who will only transform on a full moon night and bite people everywhere!"

Hermione's heart sank, and sure enough, Ron's reaction confirmed her fears.

"But...but Professor Lupin..." She wanted to say something else, but didn't know how to start.

"What's wrong with Professor Lupin? He's a good man and he definitely wouldn't like those scary monsters!" Ron vowed, completely unaware of Hermione's increasingly paler face.

No, you don't understand at all! Hermione shouted in her heart, you don't know, Professor Lupin taught him, he is a werewolf!

But she didn't dare say it out loud, for she was afraid to see the fear and disgust on Ron's face, afraid that they would avoid Professor Lupin like the plague, afraid that the gentle and kind professor would be forced to leave Hogwarts.

"I'm just...talking casually." Hermione lowered her head and pretended to flip through the pages of a book to hide her complicated emotions.

"Don't worry, Hermione," Ron thought she was still scared, "Those monsters can't enter Hogwarts. Headmaster Dumbledore will protect us!"

Hermione forced a smile and said nothing. Yes, Headmaster Dumbledore would protect them, but who would protect Professor Lupin? Who could understand the pain and loneliness hidden behind his gentle smile?

Outside the library window, the sun was setting and the sky was gradually getting darker. Hermione's heart, like the fading light, was sinking into the abyss of darkness bit by bit.

The shadows in the library seemed to grow thicker. Hermione closed her book, and Professor Lupin's matter weighed on her mind like a huge rock. Ron was completely unaware of her anxiety and was still talking about Quidditch with great interest.

"That's great! Those Slytherin cowards were scared by a little rain! Now we're going to win against Hufflepuff!" Ron waved "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" excitedly in his hand and almost knocked over the ink bottle on the table.

"Ron! Be careful!" Hermione held the shaking ink bottle and said unhappily, "The game hasn't even started yet, how do you know we're going to win?"

Ron curled his lips in disapproval: "Those Hufflepuff guys only know how to deal with their plants and mud all day long. They are nothing like us Gryffindors, the kings of Quidditch!"

"You..." Hermione was speechless at Ron's blind confidence. She wanted to say something else, but saw Harry and Oliver Wood coming over, both of them looked unhappy.

"What's wrong? Harry, Oliver?" Ron asked immediately when he saw them. "We're sure to win, why are you still looking like that?"

Oliver sighed, and sat down weakly next to Ron. He snatched the book from his hand, and read it over and over again, as if trying to find out something from it.

"Ron, do you really think it's easy to beat Hufflepuff?" Oliver sounded tired.

Ron was stunned by the question, then he straightened his chest and said loudly, "Of course! They are Hufflepuffs! We are Gryffindors!"

"Shut up, Ron!" Harry interrupted Ron sternly, "Oliver is right, we can't underestimate the enemy. Although Hufflepuff doesn't win often, they are definitely not a team that can be easily dealt with."

"That's right." Oliver threw the book back to Ron and said in a serious tone, "Hufflepuff's Seeker is also very strong. It is said that he is extremely talented. Even Professor McGonagall praises him highly."

"Cedric?" Ron finally sounded a little uncertain when he heard the name. "You mean Diggory? The captain of Hufflepuff? He's a very capable guy..."

"So, we must not take this game lightly." Oliver stood up and looked at everyone with a firm gaze. "I hope all of you can take this game seriously and give your best! Gryffindor will win!"

"Gryffindor must win!" Harry and Hermione also stood up and said in unison.

Only Ron was still sitting there in a daze, seemingly still not recovering from the shock of the possibility that Hufflepuff might have defeated Gryffindor.

Hermione looked at the high-spirited Harry and Oliver, and the heavy stone in her heart seemed to be lighter. Perhaps the intensity and passion of the Quidditch game could dilute the haze that shrouded her heart.