All the children inside the tent were forcibly driven out.
They were lined up by the werewolves under Greyback's orders, who then brought out a chair and sat facing them.
"Originally, I intended to grant you all the honor of glorious transformation. But unfortunately, not all of you are worthy of being bathed in the moonlight."
His yellowed eyes swept over the seven children, relishing the fear and despair on their faces.
Lupin had just struggled to his feet when two werewolves pinned him back down, binding him tightly with ropes.
"Wait! Fenrir! Didn't you say these children would all become part of us? That the werewolf ranks would grow! So why change your mind now and decide to kill them?!"
He shouted desperately, trying to sway Greyback's decision.
Previously, Lupin's biggest reassurance had been Greyback's original goal… to turn these children into werewolves and expand their numbers.
But now, he had no idea what had happened during Greyback's outing that afternoon that made him decide to eliminate three of the seven children!
Lupin wanted to protect every single child.
It didn't matter if they were young wizards or not, or who their parents were.
He believed none of these young lives deserved to be harmed.
However, Greyback acted as though he hadn't heard a word. Without even turning his head, he waved a hand at his underlings, signaling them to silence Lupin.
Soon, a Full Body-Bind Curse struck Lupin.
His bloodshot eyes were the only part of him that could still move.
The camp fell into silence again, broken only by the sobs of the youngest child and Greyback's booming laughter.
"Everyone knows I'm a fair leader! And I'll extend that fairness to you. I'll let you decide your own fates among yourselves."
"You seven have ten minutes to choose three among you. If you don't, I'll make the choice for you… and for every extra minute you waste, I'll add one more to the count. If by fourteen minutes you still haven't decided, then perhaps we won't need new companions next full moon after all!"
The older children looked panicked, while the younger ones, some as small as six or seven, were simply terrified.
The seven children began glancing at one another, while the surrounding werewolves watched with amusement. They loved this kind of spectacle… former friends forced to fight for survival.
But then, a boy with messy black hair stepped forward.
His face was very pale and his breathing was very rapid. It was obvious that he was very scared.
But despite that, he still walked out and stood before Greyback!
When Lupin saw that boy step forward, his pupils shrank to pinpricks. His eyes bulged as if they might burst from their sockets, and he struggled madly against the curse's restraints… but to no avail.
"You… you don't have to hurt them."
Harry's voice trembled, but there was no hesitation as he met Greyback's gaze head-on.
"Take me… just me… I'm enough for you…"
Hermione had instinctively reached for Harry's arm when he stepped forward, but he moved too quickly. Tears welled in her eyes as she watched him stand before everyone else.
The other children stared at Harry in shock, while the werewolves burst into mocking laughter.
Meanwhile, Greyback looked intrigued by the boy who dared to step forward alone.
"And who do you think you are? The so-called 'Boy Who Lived,' Harry Potter? What makes you think your life is worth three others?"
Harry didn't flinch. He kept his gaze locked on Greyback's beast-like slitted eyes.
"My name is Dudley Dursley, and my teacher is Severus Snape."
The moment that name left his lips, all the werewolves fell dead silent!
The smile on Greyback's face froze for a long time at this moment, and then his expression twisted into something cold and ugly!
He lunged forward, grabbing Harry by the collar and yanking him so close that Harry could smell the rancid stench of his breath!
"Snape's student!" He snarled.
Harry's breathing was quick and shallow, but his expression didn't waver. He kept his eyes locked on Greyback's.
"My teacher beat you up this afternoon and made you run away in dismay, right?"
The children behind Harry gasped in disbelief at his boldness!
Even the werewolves seemed stunned by the sheer audacity of the boy who acted as though fear didn't exist.
A nine-year-old child, Snape's student… where did he get the courage to stand in front of Greyback like this?!
Greyback bared his yellowed, razor-sharp teeth, gripping Harry's collar with one hand while raising the other.
"The Daily Prophet! Bring me today's issue of the Daily Prophet!"
His demand was quickly fulfilled.
One of his lackeys handed over the latest edition of the Daily Prophet, its front page still covering their earlier exploit… the torture of a Muggle family at sea.
Meanwhile, the second page reported on events from two days prior.
After the Wizengamot trial concluded, all defendants had been acquitted. The novel, which was originally published as a magazine but now famous throughout the Wizarding World, was set to be officially printed and sold by the Daily Prophet's publishing house.
To mark the occasion, the newspaper had conducted an exclusive interview with the author, Eldred Worple. The accompanying photo showed Severus and his four companions toasting with drinks at a German restaurant… the very same afternoon the trial ended!
Among the five, seated right beside Severus, was Harry, grinning widely at the camera, his eyes crinkled into crescents as he raised a glass of orange juice.
Greyback slowly lowered the newspaper, then turned his gaze back to Harry, who was still within arm's reach.
He burst into laughter… wild, unrestrained, and utterly triumphant.
"Hahahaha! So Snape's student has been in my hands all along! No wonder he was so eager to help the Ministry! No wonder he came after me so desperately! He was afraid!"
The moment the words left his mouth, his expression twisted again. He backhanded the werewolf who had handed him the newspaper, sending the man sprawling to the ground!
"Useless fools! You had this boy in your grasp since yesterday, and not one of you recognized him! If we'd known who he was from the start, everything that happened at noon, and tonight, would have gone differently!"
The werewolves cowered, none daring to respond.
But Greyback's attention quickly returned to Harry. He stared at the boy like a rare treasure, his eyes gleaming with greed.
"Don't worry, little brat. You're far too valuable to kill. As Snape's student, you're worth more than all the others combined! I'll keep you safe… safe until the full moon!"
Harry's eyes widened in horror and his breathing became more rapid. Obviously, he had never expected that this would be the result after he took the initiative to stand up!
He thrashed in Greyback's grip, shouting.
"You coward! My teacher drove you out like a mangy dog! And now you take it out on innocent people?!"
"So what?!" Greyback cackled.
"Do you think he'd still acknowledge you once you're a werewolf? Do you think his precious reputation would survive if I slaughtered these brats and told the world he forced my hand?"
Harry stopped struggling, staring at Greyback in disbelief. Even with his young mind working furiously, he couldn't comprehend how someone could be so utterly shameless.
This notorious werewolf leader seemed to have no bottom line whatsoever. Even among the Death Eaters, he was referred to behind his back as the 'carrion beast'… because his actions and behavior were anything but human.
"Aren't you afraid... aren't you afraid my teacher will come for you?" Harry's voice trembled as he issued what he thought was his final threat.
But even he could hear how feeble those words sounded.
Greyback casually tossed Harry aside onto the grass, where another werewolf immediately pinned him down, preventing any further resistance.
Turning to the remaining six children, Greyback shouted with cold arrogance, "Come for me? I'm right here now! If Snape is really so capable, tell him to come find me! I'll be waiting!"
The night fell silent once more as he burst into laughter again.
Yet, the very second his laughter rang out-
An invisible blade silently sliced through the darkness of night!
It was almost imperceptible, like nothing more than a slightly stronger gust of wind.
No one reacted… not the werewolves, not the children, not even Greyback himself as he continued laughing!
Not until the spell struck its mark with perfect precision, hitting the wildly arrogant werewolf leader. The smile on his face froze instantly, as if someone had pressed pause.
Despite his werewolf's natural resistance to magic, which is comparable to a troll's immunity, he couldn't withstand this spell in the slightest!
In the next moment, starting from his waist, his entire lower body began to separate limply from his torso!
A fountain of blood erupted, accompanied by a howl of agony, putting a scarlet end to the werewolves' feast that night.