allendalepharm Chapter 222 Howling Wolves at the Moon
Chapter 222 Howling Wolves at the Moon
Chapter 222 Howling Wolves at the Moon
Lupin has visibly become more cheerful lately.
It's unclear whether it was because she reconnected with her parents after so many years, or because of the influence of Ms. Tonks, who was sent by Scrimgeour, the head of the Auror Office at the Ministry of Magic, to keep an eye on Professor Lockhart.
Lockhart's guesses are all correct.
Because Lupin was always easily persuaded to help with his magical experiments when he asked Ms. Tonks to cooperate, he even neglected the werewolf cubs being chased by the giant spiders deep in the Forbidden Forest.
Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean that love has arrived.
There are too many invisible barriers between Lupin and Tonks. In terms of status, one is a promising young Auror, the other a Wolfsbane patient living on the fringes of society, hated by everyone. In terms of age, Tonks is the niece of Lupin's good friend Sirius Black, and Tonks' mother, Andromeda, is only nine years older than Lupin. But the biggest barrier is their mentality. Tonks undoubtedly possesses a passion for life that most people can't imagine, always full of energy, always rebellious. Lupin, on the other hand, always appears listless, and beneath his seemingly gentle and kind smile lies a gradual retreat from the world.
To use Lockhart's joking remark when discussing the matter with Grindelwald and Professor Kettleburn, who were watching the play together, it was a case of "he ran, she chased."
Everyone is happy to see Lupin change, even if the change is not significant.
Lockhart could tell that Lupin really wanted to take care of Harry. Whenever he was called over to the Duel Club to teach the children, his attention would often be on Harry, hoping to give his good brother's orphan more guidance.
However, Lupin doesn't usually approach Harry. He has too many concerns: his ruthless nature, the distrust of other members of the Order of the Phoenix, and the fact that he was once suspected of being a spy and still can't be completely trusted. Prejudice in people's hearts can be a mountain that cannot be changed by emotions, and some things are very difficult to change.
Lupin, who always lived cautiously, did not want to test other people's bottom line. His instincts, developed from childhood, drove him to avoid doing anything that would touch other people's sensitive nerves, and he did not want to test people's hearts.
So he gradually began to integrate into the small group of neighbors in the "Mushroom House".
Lockhart, Grindelwald, and Professor Kettleburn are three people who share a "whatever," "watch the show," or even "let's see what happens" attitude towards many things. They are really birds of a feather.
It has to be said that birds of a feather flock together; fate can be so strange, bringing these four together.
There were things they didn't like about each other, and things they liked about each other. It was lively but not warm, but it gave Lupin a special sense of ease.
He had never felt this ease in his interactions with others anywhere else.
Lupin even had to admit that even during the best years of his life, in the small group of people who took the best care of him, including Potter, who always stood in front of him when he encountered difficulties, and Little Pettigrew who always admired him, he had never felt so relaxed.
Everyone had this "you're a wild boar in disguise, I'll still dislike you but I'm still willing to talk to you" attitude, which made him feel incredibly relaxed.
Yeah, it would be nice if we didn't argue every day.
"Foolish! Gilderoy, you're an idiot! You think you can teach others? I think you're just misleading them!" Grindelwald never missed an opportunity to criticize Lockhart.
He looked at Tonks, who was being directed by Lockhart to change her hair color, with such heartache and indignation, "Aren't you afraid of being led astray by this conman!"
What could Tonks say? One was Professor Lockhart, whom the entire Auror office was extremely wary of, and the other was Grindelwald, whom every Auror office in the world was wary of. She couldn't afford to offend either of them!
"Heh." Lockhart watched Tonks's condition plummet and sneered with some displeasure. "Anyone can find fault. What solutions can you offer?"
Professor Kettleburn chuckled to himself, knowing that Lockhart was trying to provoke Grindelwald into helping him out. He could tell that Lockhart seemed to be having some trouble with the magical experiment at hand and was hoping to get help from someone knowledgeable.
Don't say it.
You know what?
Gellert Grindelwald's achievements in transfiguration make him more than qualified to offer guidance in this field.
"Many fools are like this, relying on their innate talents and living off their magical bloodline, without any ambition." Grindelwald was very disdainful of Tonks's performance. "Disguise Magus was just a starting point, a very good starting point, but you actually took it as the end of your abilities?"
"Using disguise abilities to become an old woman and infiltrate the Auror ranks to gather intelligence, just coasting along? No ambition whatsoever!"
Not satisfied with just cursing that one, she turned to Lupin, sneering, "And you, you're a fool too. You should know that everything fate bestows, whether good or bad, is an opportunity for the wizard, but you only know how to avoid it, not how to seek out your own opportunities. With your attitude, don't talk about taking control of your own destiny; you're destined to be crushed by your own misfortunes!"
As he got into the swing of things, he looked at Lockhart, rolled his eyes, and said, "And you idiot, you think you understand my magical philosophy just because you learned a bit of what I recorded in 'Manipulating Lightning'? You're way off! I read the parts about me in your book, 'Voldemort the Mysterious Man: A Pureblood Supremacist with a Muggle Father?' and you were absolutely disgusted with them!"
"I heard someone calls you a magic master? Ha, are magic masters so worthless these days?"
Lockhart watched Grindelwald show off with a smile. He didn't mind being scolded at all, as long as Old Guy could come up with some knowledge that would be helpful to him.
If not, then fine, let's settle all our old and new scores together. While Dumbledore is away, let's draw our wands and get to work!
"Watch closely!"
With his hands behind his back, Grindelwald's aged yet meticulously groomed face exuded an indescribable arrogance as he casually and easily twisted his neck.
Then his mind began to change rapidly.
Its entire head swelled rapidly, with strands of grayish-white hair emerging, its mouth and nose protruding, and its long mouth filled with fangs.
"A werewolf?!?" Tonks exclaimed in surprise.
Not only her, but everyone was stunned.
The Grindelwald before them did not exhibit the full-body transformation that comes with a wolfsbane attack; it appeared that only his head had turned into a wolf's head.
Even the neck is still the original human neck.
He grinned slightly at the stunned crowd, his lips curving upwards, then tilted his head back and opened his wolf's mouth.
"Awooo~~~~"
As a melodious yet domineering wolf howl resounded, swirling dark clouds began to roll across the azure sky. The clouds gathered, and in an instant, the daytime sky turned completely dark, as if it had become night.
A bright moon appears in the dark night sky.
As the moonlight shines down, everyone can feel that unique tranquility and serenity.
"This is what transformation is all about, do you understand?"
"This is the true expression of one's own will, making heaven and earth submit to my will. Do you understand?"
He looked at Lockhart, the wolf's mouth still spewing words, "Do you know what the resonance of magical bloodlines in time and space is? Do you know why Parsley can command all snake creatures?"
As he spoke, he tilted his head back again, his voice melodious and proud.
"Chirp~~~~~"
With his loud shout, everyone could feel the moonlight begin to change. It was an extremely unique feeling, as if the moonlight had truly become tangible, as if the vast mountain wind blowing from the distant forest had quickly turned into a serene night breeze, as if the entire world was turning upside down, with all things dormant and mysteriously reviving.
"No.-."
Lupin suddenly cried out in alarm, instinctively trying to Apparate to escape, but in his haste, he didn't realize that Hogwarts forbids Apparition. By the time his mind made a quick judgment, it was too late.
In the moonlight and Wolf's shouts, his body rapidly transformed, as if a little mouse was darting left and right in his head, his limbs stretched rapidly, his spine pushed open and tore his clothes, and his body swelled rapidly.
"Werewolf!!!"
Tonks was startled again, staring blankly at Lupin, a strange excitement mixed with his shock. "Werewolf!"
The strange tone of his voice made Lockhart and Professor Kettleburn both look at him with odd expressions.
Tonks' expression immediately turned extremely embarrassed, and his face flushed red.
"You guys!" Grindelwald yelled angrily, "Can't you give me any respect?"
"Wow, amazing!" Professor Kettleburn clapped his hands excitedly, his two prosthetic hands making a wooden clanging sound as he clapped them together.
"Merlin's fake beard, that's terrifying! Wolf King, no doubt, you are the Wolf King! The Wolf King without a doubt!" Lockhart flattered him without any substance.
Can't we just have a normal time to show off?
what?
Grindelwald had been imprisoned in Nurmengard for decades without a single person to talk to. He finally got out, only to encounter these jerks. It was really unpleasant.
Fortunately, Lupin's werewolf transformation is finally complete, so I came to support him.
At a time when the full moon was still at least half a month away, Lupin transformed into a werewolf under the influence of his magic, tilting his head back and howling at the moon in the sky.
"Chirp~~~"
"Aowing NN"
"Chirp~~~"
Clearly, Lockhart could feel that call of kindred spirits, a kind of exhilarating feeling akin to meeting an old friend in a foreign land, a feeling of loneliness instantly being overwhelmed.
He couldn't help but look at this scene with some amazement.
However, before Grindelwald could say anything more to show off, a wolf's howl came from the Forbidden Forest in the distance.
"Awoo!"
Oox
The sound was sharp and desolate, its terrifying wildness startling countless animals in the forbidden forest into a frenzy, and birds in the trees flapping their wings and flying away.
"！！！"
"Another werewolf?" Tonks was stunned. Did Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry have so many werewolves? Wasn't this supposed to be the safest place in the world? There was more than one werewolf in a place where so many young wizards lived! If the boss knew about this, he would probably go crazy.
Grindelwald's gaze sharpened, and one of his wolf eyes rapidly twisted and transformed into a heterochromatic pupil, its eyes flashing.
"Werewolves in the Forbidden Forest? That's not the howl of a wolf cub, is it?" Professor Kettleburn hesitated, blinking in confusion.
Lupin, now a werewolf, barked loudly in response, causing the werewolf in the Forbidden Forest to rush towards them at high speed, making a great commotion along the way.
"Watch out!" Professor Kettleburn drew his wand with great decisiveness, reminding Tonks and assuming an extremely vigilant posture.
Only Lockhart, upon hearing the wolf's howl, suddenly laughed.
He laughed maniacally.
"Ha ha ha ha-.""
"Tom! You were hiding at Hogwarts after all!"
Lockhart shouted excitedly and rushed towards the direction from which the werewolf was charging from the depths of the Forbidden Forest. Before Professor Kettleburn and Tonks could call out anxiously, his body began to swell rapidly, with streaks of gray-black wolf fur emerging from his body as he grew larger and larger.
As he ran, his body grew larger and larger, eventually transforming into a gigantic werewolf four meters tall, wreathed in terrifying black flames, his eyes filled with crimson malice.
"A werewolf!" Tonks and Professor Kettleburn were both stunned.
Grindelwald was stunned. He blinked, then suddenly cursed in annoyance, "So, you were laughing at me just now? Wolf King, huh? You were clearly unaffected by my magic!"
I'm so annoyed!
Having finally found the mood to show off, this young man couldn't wait a moment longer to make up for it.
Dry!
How did the world become like this!
Young people these days are awful!
"Chirp~~~"
Lockhart, in his gigantic werewolf form, roared to the sky. The black smoke surrounding him burned and surged like flames, from which black fire serpents emerged. The werewolf's long, outstretched arms suddenly trembled, its sharp nails gleaming with an emerald green luster.
"Hiss~~~"
Grindelwald was truly astonished. He sensed the surging magical energy emanating from Lockhart. Look what he felt! The Killing Curse, Fiendfyre, and Wolfsbane—the power of deep exploration was unleashed. This was what Dumbledore meant when he said, "Gilderoy Lockhart is not a dark wizard." That was enough!
Ha, Albus, do you want to come and see what it means to not be a dark wizard?
If this isn't a dark wizard, then who is?
Grindelwald found it absurd. How could Lockhart, with his heart filled with such malice and resentment, possibly have successfully cast the Patronus Charm?
This doesn't make sense!