"HP: Too Late, System!"Chapter 356: Sirius: "Hah!"
That evening, after seeing off the officials from the Wizarding Examinations Authority, Albus Dumbledore summoned Douglas Holmes, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin to his office.
He poured each of them a cup of black tea before asking, in his gentle, familiar way, "Lupin, how are you feeling today?"
Though clearly exhausted, Lupin managed a smile. "Not bad at all. I never imagined a werewolf could be this popular!"
Sirius let out a snort. "If Remus weren't worried about missing a real plea for help from another werewolf, he'd have had Douglas put a privacy charm on his name already."
Douglas took a leisurely sip of tea. "Anyone who wants to be a hero has to get used to more than just applause—there'll always be criticism and attacks, too."
Dumbledore's beard twitched with amusement. "Oh? It seems our young Douglas aspires to heroism himself, and has studied it quite thoroughly…"
A silent alarm went off in Douglas's mind. He waved his hands quickly. "Headmaster, I was just making conversation, really…"
Merlin help him—if he agreed to that, who knew what the old wizard would rope him into.
Settling back with his hands folded atop his desk, Dumbledore grew serious. "In fact, I have some news to share. This afternoon, I received letters from several countries' Departments of International Magical Cooperation. They've expressed concern about the werewolf situation at Hogwarts and hope to send representatives for an on-site inspection."
Sirius frowned. "Is that good news or bad?"
"That depends on how we respond," Dumbledore replied. "If we handle it well, this could be a great opportunity to show the international wizarding community what we've achieved. If we handle it poorly…"
"If we handle it poorly, we'll be branded as 'dangerous experimenters,'" Douglas finished for him. "So what do you suggest, Headmaster?"
Dumbledore smiled. "Personally, I believe we should go on the offensive. Instead of waiting passively for inspection, why not extend invitations to even more international delegates? Let them see for themselves that the improved Wolfsbane Potion isn't some reckless experiment, but a major breakthrough in magical medicine."
Douglas fell silent, weighing the pros and cons. He hadn't planned for this—his original goal was to settle Britain's werewolf crisis before expanding abroad. Now, with Dumbledore's suggestion, he'd have to juggle partnerships with multiple Ministries at once—a recipe for unpredictability.
Seeing the others waiting for his answer, Douglas finally spoke. "Let them come. We've got the Ministry's backing, and with Headmaster Dumbledore's reputation in the international community, we're more than equipped to handle whatever comes next. In fact, I've already got a new plan."
Noticing Douglas's teacup was empty, Dumbledore snapped his fingers; the cup refilled itself, steaming.
He grabbed a handful of sweets, eyes twinkling. "Go on, then—let's hear it!"
Douglas took a slow sip, savoring the moment.
Sirius rolled his eyes. "How thirsty are you? Out with it already!"
Douglas grinned. "You just don't get it. Tea always tastes better when someone else is paying… All right, if Ministries across Europe want to work with us, then it's time for phase two."
"Phase two? That wasn't in your plan," Lupin said, curious.
"We establish an International Werewolf Relief Foundation."
A spark of cunning flashed in Douglas's eyes. "In the name of humanitarianism, we set up werewolf shelters and treatment centers in every country. And then…"
Lupin immediately caught on—this was about building a quasi-military network of werewolves.
"…then we'll have a werewolf network stretching across Europe," he finished.
Sirius clicked his tongue in admiration. "Only a novelist could dream this big…"
"Don't flatter me—I'll get embarrassed," Douglas replied, feigning modesty.
"But honestly, I'm doing this for the sake of peace in the wizarding world. Just think—if werewolves become an organized, disciplined group, will there still be maniacs like Greyback running around biting people?"
Sirius made a dismissive sound. "Hah!"
Clap, clap, clap!
Dumbledore applauded, his eyes twinkling. "An excellent idea. I daresay you'd make a better chairman of the International Confederation of Wizards than I ever did."
Douglas rolled his eyes in response.
Dumbledore chuckled. "Then it's settled. I'll contact the Department of International Magical Cooperation and invite delegates from every country to visit Hogwarts next month. Of course, this means we'll all be working overtime during the summer holidays."
Suddenly, Sirius perked up. "Wait, if international delegations come, doesn't that mean our magical items will have an international market, too?"
Douglas sighed dramatically. "Nice idea, but not yet. I have other plans for the magical devices—for now, we're only working with the Ministry."
The group moved on to discuss the details of their new arrangements.
—
The next morning, with the Hogwarts grounds still shrouded in mist, Douglas received a letter from Lupin that made him both laugh and groan—a formal invitation from the Italian Ministry of Magic.
The letter, written on elegant parchment and stamped with the Italian Ministry's seal, cordially invited "the esteemed Professor Holmes" to Italy to help solve their "werewolf problem."
Douglas handed the letter to Lupin, who was halfway through his breakfast.
"Looks like some people are even more desperate than the Ministry here."
Lupin read the letter, shaking his head. "Italy's werewolf problem really is serious. I've heard there are several werewolf tribes in the southern mountains. But…"
"But what?" Sirius asked, intrigued.
"But the Italian Ministry is infamous for corruption and inefficiency," Lupin explained. "They're probably inviting us just to have us clean up their mess."
Douglas considered for a moment. "That's still an opportunity. The Ministry here is busy with other things. We could launch the first werewolf relief mission in Italy…"
Just then, Professor McGonagall approached their table, her expression grave.
"Douglas, the Headmaster wants to see you in his office at once."
Douglas set down his fork. "What's happened?"
"I saw Minister Fudge arrive. Whatever it is, don't let it interfere with your exam proctoring today," McGonagall instructed, before hurrying off.
—
When Douglas reached the headmaster's office, he found not only Dumbledore but also Minister Fudge and Scrimgeour waiting—each looking grim.
"Take a seat, Douglas," Dumbledore said, gesturing to a chair. "There's something you need to know."
Fudge cleared his throat. "Professor Holmes, we've received some troubling intelligence. According to our sources, Fenrir Greyback has returned to Britain from Austria."
Douglas raised an eyebrow. "When did he get so well-informed?"
Scrimgeour answered coldly, "Never mind how he learned. My informants report that Greyback is furious about Mr. Lupin's 'treachery' and is recruiting followers for revenge."
Douglas looked at Scrimgeour with a faint smile. "And what does that have to do with me?"
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