[Name: Remus Lupin]
[Status: Lycanthropy (Incomplete), Curse (Inactive)]
When Remus's information came through, Adrian narrowed his eyes.
At some unknown point, an inactive curse status had appeared on Remus.
A curse? This wasn't an ordinary designation.
In fact, it didn't take much time for Adrian to form an initial hypothesis.
The most likely source of this curse was the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts.
Since Tom Riddle's application for the position was rejected, all Defense Against the Dark Arts professors would encounter misfortune during their tenure.
Obviously, Remus couldn't escape this fate either. Fortunately, the curse hadn't yet taken effect, giving them room to respond.
As for countermeasures...
Running away was one, of course.
Adrian wasn't proficient in curse studies, let alone curses cast personally by Voldemort. Besides fleeing, he couldn't think of any other useful methods.
"Remus." Adrian suddenly stopped walking and asked directly. "When are you planning to resign?"
Remus was immediately filled with confusion.
Perhaps because the question was too abrupt, Remus was momentarily speechless, not knowing what to say.
So, Adrian continued to explain. "You have a curse on you, Remus. It's related to Defense Against the Dark Arts. You must find a way to resolve it, or you'll definitely encounter misfortune. I'm quite certain of it."
At first, Remus wanted to dismiss the warning as the sort of mystical nonsense that Professor Trelawney was famous for spouting in her Divination classes. The idea seemed almost absurdly dramatic—like something from a Gothic novel rather than his reality of lesson plans and grading essays.
But then his memory began working against his skepticism. One by one, he recalled the fates of his nearest predecessors in the position: Gilderoy Lockhart and Professor Quirrell; the various temporary appointments who had lasted mere weeks before fleeing in terror or disgrace.
The pattern was unmistakable once he allowed himself to see it clearly.
A cold weight settled in his stomach as he realized that this job might actually become a trap—at least in his memory, none of those professors even in his student days had left their positions normally.
He didn't think he was special enough to avoid this curse by doing nothing.
"Thank you for the warning, Adrian," Remus said at last, his voice heavy with resignation but also gratitude. "I'll need to have a very serious conversation with Dumbledore about this.
Adrian nodded approvingly, though secretly he doubted that even Dumbledore's power could easily overcome a curse that had been festering within Hogwarts for decades as he seem to not be able to stop it before.
Still, Remus had time to explore all possibilities—the academic year was only at its midpoint, and curses of this scale typically should built their power slowly.
'Probably,' Adrian thought to himself.
As the evening grew and the moon climbed higher in the star-scattered sky, the courtyard gradually emptied of students.
The last group of giggling first-years disappeared through the castle's main entrance. Hogwarts settled into its familiar nighttime tranquility—a peaceful silence broken only by the distant hooting of owls and the whisper of wind through the bare branches of the ancient trees that surrounded the grounds.
Everything had proceeded remarkably smoothly. Remus showed no signs of distress or discomfort, his controlled transformation remained stable throughout their observation period.
Just as the two prepared to return to the castle, a figure began to emerge from the deep shadows cast by the courtyard's stone pillars.
"Adrian and Remus." The voice that drifted across the courtyard was as cold and emotionless as winter wind across a graveyard. "How... interesting to find you both here at such an hour."
Adrian's recognized the distinctive tone that could belong to only one person at Hogwarts. Turning toward the source of the voice, he found his suspicions confirmed: Severus Snape stood at the edge of the lamplight like a shadow of disapproval made flesh.
He was wrapped in his customary black robes, which seemed to absorb the magical light around him and give nothing back. His pale face floated above the darkness of his clothing like a mask carved from marble, and his black eyes glittered.
Only his silhouette was clearly visible, but that alone was enough to radiate menace and hostility.
"This is none of your concern, Snape," Remus replied immediately with displeasure.
Adrian looked at the two confronting each other and frowned.
Although Snape didn't get along with him either, his disgust for Remus was obviously even greater. And since Sirius had cleared his name, this situation had become increasingly apparent.
For years, Snape had been able to take satisfaction in the knowledge that at least one of his childhood tormentors had received justice in the form of Azkaban's tender mercies.
With that satisfaction stripped away and Sirius revealed as a victim rather than a villain, Snape's resentment had nowhere to go but toward the remaining Marauders.
At this moment, the two men faced each other across the courtyard like gunslingers in some American Western.
Adrian might as well have been invisible for all the attention they paid to his presence.
Snape's gaze suddenly snapped upward, his pale face tilting toward the sky as if drawn by invisible strings. His dark eyes widened as they fixed upon the moon, and his pupils contracted in shock.
"The moon," He breathed. His stare shifted back to Remus with intensity. "You're fully conscious right now, aren't you? During the full moon."
Remus instinctively stepped back half a step, his fingers unconsciously tightening on his robes.
"As I said, Snape," Remus replied, his voice dropping to a dangerous low, "this matter is none of your business."
Adrian's eye caught the subtle change that was beginning to manifest in his friend's appearance. Remus's fingernails were elongating at a visible rate, becoming sharp and slightly curved—the first sign that his lycanthropic nature was responding to the perceived threat.
A cold, mocking smile twisted the corner of Snape's mouth—the expression of a man who believed he had discovered a delicious secret that could be used to devastating effect.
"How fascinating," He drawled, his voice dripping with false admiration. "At this time of night, under a full moon, you should be a mindless beast tearing through the Forbidden Forest. Instead, you stand here conducting pleasant conversation."
Adrian stepped forward smoothly, aligning himself between the two hostile professors.
"I think it would be wise for everyone to remain calm, Professor Snape, as you can observe, we are simply taking an evening stroll."
Hearing this, Snape confirmed the moon in the sky once more, then viciously drew his wand.
"I don't care what sort of illusion or deception you've managed to craft," Snape snarled. "A werewolf has no business wandering freely through Hogwarts during the full moon. Step aside, Professor Westeros. I intend to ensure that Dumbledore sees exactly what his supposedly 'safe' Defense Against the Dark Arts professor has been doing tonight."
The wand gleamed coldly in the moonlight, its tip pointing directly at Remus's chest.
Obviously, he was ready for a duel.
Adrian was somewhat worried—tonight seemed destined not to be peaceful. Of course, he wasn't worried about Remus.
Everyone understood the principle of striking first.
One moment, Remus was standing several feet away from Snape in an apparently defensive posture. The next instant, he had become a blur of gray shadow that seemed to tear through the air itself, moving faster than the human eye could properly track.
Snape's wand had barely begun to rise toward a proper casting position when he felt a grip clamp around his wrist with crushing force. Remus's partially transformed hand—now bearing the sharp claws and inhuman strength of his Werewolf form had locked onto his arm.
"Drawing your wand was not a wise choice," Remus said conversationally. His other hand had moved to Snape's throat with the same impossible speed. "Don't you agree, Severus?"
Snape's pupils dilated with shock.
He could feel the sharp points of Remus's claws pressing against the skin of his throat—not enough to draw blood, but more than sufficient to remind him how easily they could sever the vital arteries that kept his heart pumping.
The beast-like aura radiating from Remus was unlike anything he had ever experienced.
But what truly shattered his understanding of the situation was the evidence in front of his eyes.
Only Remus's hands had undergone transformation, while his face retained its familiar human face and his eyes blazed with rational intelligence rather than animal hunger.
Everything Snape thought he knew about werewolves—everything the magical world accepted as established fact—was being systematically demolished by the reality standing in front of him.
"Alright, Remus, that's quite sufficient," Adrian said with a casual clap of his hands, as if he were concluding a particularly successful classroom demonstration. "I believe you've made your point clear."
Slowly, Remus released his grip on Snape's wrist and withdrew his claws from their threatening position at the man's throat. However, the tension in the air remained thick enough like a bowstring drawn to its maximum length, ready to snap at the slightest provocation.
Snape pulled his wand back with a dark expression that promised future retribution, but he made no further aggressive moves. At such close range, with Remus's enhanced speed and reflexes, any magical attack would be suicidal—the werewolf could easily tear open his throat before he could complete even the simplest spell.
A slight smile appeared across Remus's lips as his arms flowed back to their normal human appearance.
"Do try to relax, Professor Snape, I have no intention of harming you."
Hearing this, Snape's face instantly turned ashen.
This was a naked victor's declaration.
However, he couldn't refute it.
"Such... touching restraint," Snape managed to say, the words seeming to force themselves through clenched teeth. "I do hope you can maintain this admirable appearance of control."
Remus shrugged, acting completely indifferent.
Snape's burning gaze swept back and forth between the two professors, finally settling on Adrian. "I will be reporting tonight's... discovery to Dumbledore,"
"Suit yourself," Remus replied.
In fact, Remus had been completely transparent with Dumbledore about his use of Adrian's experimental potions rather than the standard Wolfsbane Potion that Snape normally provided.
The night wind suddenly became fierce, stirring up fallen leaves in the courtyard. Snape took one last look at the two men, then immediately turned and left, gradually disappearing into the castle's shadows.
Remus let out a long breath, his shoulders relaxing slightly. Obviously, he wasn't as relaxed and carefree as he had just appeared.
"I sensed that he intended to harm me," Remus said, shaking his head with a mixture of bewilderment and bitter amusement. "This isn't merely my imagination or paranoia—my senses have become unprecedentedly critical."
Adrian nodded thoughtfully.
If that was the case, then it made sense.
Striking first didn't fit Remus's usual style.
________________
You can read more chapters on:
patreon.com/IamLuis