The light of the full moon was bright. Standing outside the shadow of the tree, Severus Snape did not even need to light his wand to see the lines on the Whomping Willow's branches clearly.
As he stepped closer to the dangerous tree, the drooping willow branches began to sway slightly, making faint rustling sounds, as if aware of his presence.
When he was still twenty feet away from the Whomping Willow, its branches suddenly began to creak violently as if in a strong wind, whipping back and forth, refusing to let him come closer.
Seeing one thick branch swoosh viciously through the air, about to strike him, Snape quickly raised his wand, flicking his wrist,
A stone flew up from the ground, and under his control, it weaved through the whipping branches like a nimble fish, precisely touching a knot on the trunk.
A gust of wind blew, but the tree stopped moving. It seemed to turn to stone; even its leaves did not tremble.
Satisfied, Snape nodded, maintaining control of the stone as he strode to the trunk and bent down to crawl into the large hollow at the tree's roots.
The tunnel was pitch-dark. Snape lit his wand, illuminating the damp earthen walls and a torn spider web.
He crawled forward headfirst, sliding down a slope of soil into the low passage below.
The tunnel was filled with the smell of dirt and mold. Snape wrinkled his nose but did not stop. He moved crouched over, bent almost double, his robes dragging against the ground, picking up dirt and cobwebs.
The passage stretched on. The light from his wand glided steadily through the darkness, illuminating only a few feet ahead.
After a while, the floor began to slope upward again. Rounding a bend, Snape saw a faint glimmer of light ahead, a small exit. He slowed his steps, moving forward cautiously.
The light at his wand's tip went out silently; he didn't want to reveal himself in an unknown environment.
He shifted sideways, squeezing through the exit into a messy, dimly lit room.
Through the cracks in the wooden boards nailed over the windows, a few threads of moonlight leaked in. He looked around the infamous Shrieking Shack:
The wallpaper was peeling, stains covered the floor, and the furniture was broken, as if smashed. Every window was sealed tightly with planks.
The room was empty. To the right, a door stood ajar, leading to a dim hallway.
His gaze swept the room and landed on a wooden chair nearby, missing a leg and half of its backrest ripped away. But those marks were old, not fresh.
Snape kept his wand raised cautiously. In this situation, even if their self-brewed Wolfsbane Potion had failed, Lupin wouldn't be able to harm him.
Suddenly, faint sounds came from above. Something was moving upstairs.
He looked up at the ceiling, listening carefully to every faint creak. Dust drifted down from the cracks in the boards.
Moving as lightly as he could, Snape stepped into the hallway and began to climb the crooked staircase.
The wooden steps creaked softly underfoot. He held his breath and stepped carefully.
A thin layer of dust covered everything, scattered with messy footprints. He could barely make out that perhaps two people had walked side by side here, and maybe a few animals, too.
Eyes fixed on the prints, he reached the dark landing.
Following the trail, he came to a closed door. From inside came low, joyful animal sounds.
"Interesting. They're all here," Snape thought. "And it sounds like they're having fun."
He gripped his wand tightly and kicked the door open. It slammed against the wall with a bang.
Inside, on a four-poster bed draped with dusty curtains, sat a werewolf covered in dull yellowish fur. Moonlight slipped through the gaps in the boards, outlining the werewolf's tall figure.
Yet the creature looked oddly calm, almost confused. It ran its sharp claws over its body, as if checking itself.
A stag and a large black dog circled the bed, making quiet, excited noises, while a small rat scampered about on the blanket, squeaking.
At the sound of the door slamming, the rat leapt in fright, darting behind the werewolf, while the stag and the black dog turned toward the intruder, their eyes blazing with hostility.
Before Snape could speak, they charged.
"Impedimenta!" Snape's wand moved the instant they did.
Red light struck the oncoming stag and dog. Both were hurled back by an invisible force, slamming into the wall, but they scrambled up at once, ready to charge again.
The werewolf stood, stepping between them, growling low in its throat. The sound was not a wild snarl, but restrained, almost reasoning.
The stag and dog froze.
When the werewolf turned back toward Snape, the stag and dog shifted back into human form, James Potter and Sirius Black. Their clothes were disheveled, their hair a mess, but their eyes still burned with hostility.
James's hand rested on Sirius's shoulder; Sirius stood close beside him.
Both stared at Snape warily.
"Expelliarmus!" Snape, equally cautious, aimed his wand at them.
But no wand flew from their hands.
"We didn't bring wands, Snape," Sirius said flatly. "And thank you for the Wolfsbane Potion."
"Oh, that's quite a relief," Snape replied with a pleasant smile. "Long time no see, gentlemen. Don't misunderstand, I didn't want to come here tonight.
"I'm merely here as the potion-maker, conducting a follow-up visit with our first user. I suggest you remain friendly."
James's eyes blazed with fury, but Sirius gripped his arm.
"Don't," Sirius said quietly. "He's here for Remus."
Snape approached the werewolf. Despite the size difference, he looked straight into Lupin's beastly eyes without fear.
The werewolf lowered its head to meet his gaze. Under Snape's calm stare, it slowly backed away and sat on the bed.
James and Sirius returned to stand in front of him, protective but no longer acting.
Snape's eyes shifted to the grey rat hiding behind the curtains.
"Peter," he said, his voice tinged with mockery. "Why don't you turn back? Or do you find the rat form more fitting for you?"
The small grey body twitched. Then, like a film of a tree growing in fast-forward, a head sprouted, then limbs,
Moments later, a short, cowering man stood where the rat had been, wringing his hands, not daring to meet Snape's eyes.
"Severus," Wormtail said timidly, "how are you?"
"I'm well, thank you," Snape replied, stepping toward the four-poster bed. "Now, let's see how effective the potion was."
James and Sirius hesitated but moved aside.
Snape began his examination of Lupin with professional precision.
He occasionally tapped Lupin's body lightly with his wand, touching here, prodding there, even prying open the werewolf's jaws to inspect its teeth and gums.
"No sign of mutation," he muttered to himself. "Aggression significantly reduced..."
"How do you feel?" he asked Lupin, voice almost gentle. "Any discomfort after taking the potion?"
Lupin shook his head slightly, gratitude glimmering in his eyes.
"Good," Snape said. "It seems the potion works well."
When he finished his inspection, he turned to James and Sirius.
"Judging by the lunar phase, the full moon will last another two nights," Snape said. "I won't be coming back, but during these two days, I expect you to observe Remus carefully, not just cheer for him.
"If any abnormal symptoms appear, record them. It'll help refine the Wolfsbane Potion to aid him better."
"All right," Sirius rasped after only a moment's hesitation. "We'll do it."
"Also," Snape continued, his eyes sweeping over the four of them, "I suggest that during future full moons, you continue to accompany him as animals. Damocles's paper clearly mentioned that even with Wolfsbane Potion, a werewolf may occasionally lose control."
"Likewise," he went on, "perhaps before graduation you'll be able to spend a full moon in your dormitory. But for now, for safety's sake, it's better he stays here. We'll need many more trials and refinements before we can guarantee the potion's stability, "
At that moment, the door burst open again with a bang. A red-haired girl rushed in, pale-faced.
Lily stood in the doorway, chest heaving, clearly having run all the way.
A streak of blood marked her face, and her robes bore the slashes of branches.
She gripped her wand tightly, her green eyes shining vividly in the dim room. Her gaze swept over the four-poster bed, to the calm werewolf and Snape beside him, then to James, Sirius, and the others.
The air froze. James opened his mouth as if to speak, but his throat moved, and he swallowed the words.
Snape turned and, seeing Lily, immediately stood.
"Lily, your face-"
Before she could answer, Snape stepped closer, pointing his wand at her cheek. "Episkey."
Lily felt sudden heat flare on her face, then cool relief.
"Ah, " She raised a hand to touch her right cheek, puzzled. "Was there a wound?"
Snape nodded. "It's healed," he said softly. "Does it hurt?"
"No," Lily shook her head lightly.
"Why are you here?" Snape asked next.
"N–nothing," Lily quickly hid her wand in her sleeve, eyes flickering. "I wanted to see how the Wolfsbane Potion worked."
"That's why I came too," Snape said. "It seems to be quite effective." He gestured toward Lupin. "Look, Remus is sitting there quietly, like a big furry doll."
Lupin, though still in werewolf form, raised a claw awkwardly in greeting.
"Perhaps we shouldn't disturb them further," Snape said, waving to Lupin before turning to Lily. "Shall we go back?"
Lily nodded, not glancing at the others. "All right." She turned and left the room with Snape.
When they stepped out of the Shrieking Shack and back into the moonlight, Snape noticed Lily's shoulders relax slightly.
The Whomping Willow's branches swayed gently in the night breeze but did not attack, the stone still pressed firmly on the knot.
"So that's how it works," Lily said, watching his actions.
"Don't tell me you forced your way in?" Snape noticed the wounds on the Whomping Willow. "Those aren't from you, are they?"
"I didn't know you had to do that," Lily said sheepishly. "So I just..."
She took out her wand and healed the willow's wounded branches.
On their way back to the castle, Lily looked back once more at the now-peaceful Whomping Willow.
"Sev," she said softly, "you don't hate them anymore?"
Snape didn't stop walking, but his pace slowed.
"Oh, I hate them," he said frankly. "But they're not important to me. I just don't care anymore."
Lily nodded thoughtfully.
After a few steps, Snape suddenly stopped and looked at her.
"You followed me," he said quietly, meeting her eyes, "because you were afraid I'd hurt them, weren't you?"
Lily froze. She lowered her head, her red hair falling to cover her face, silent for a long while.
Snape felt a wave of disappointment. "Fine," he thought. "After all this time, if she still cares about them..."
He started walking again, past her.
As he did, Lily spoke.
"When I was heading back to the dorm," she said softly, her voice almost carried away by the wind, "I saw you from the window." She lifted her head, her green eyes glinting in the moonlight. "I was afraid you'd run into danger again. Afraid that this time... no one would pull you back."
Snape froze.
He looked into Lily's bright eyes under the moonlight, unsure what to say.
Her face seemed as red as her hair, yet she didn't look away.