Chapter 144
Hermione raised her hand high.
"Very good, Miss Granger. Choose five teammates. I'll also give you some time to discuss your strategy," Lupin said, nodding approvingly.
"A show-off with frizzy hair," Pansy muttered under her breath.
"Professor Lupin, will the confrontation you mentioned take place in this classroom?" Hermione asked.
"Of course. Making use of your surroundings is an important part of combat. You'll understand soon. I'll step outside so you can discuss freely. When you're ready, call me in. The moment I enter, you may attack," Lupin explained patiently.
"Yes, Professor."
Hermione immediately gathered the people she needed and spoke quickly in a low voice.
"Harry, this is perfect. I brought your Invisibility Cloak today—I was going to return it to you. Go to my desk, get it, and put it on. Wait for a chance to attack from behind.
"Ron, you and Neville will engage him from the front.
"Seamus, use whatever you're best at—explosions, confusion, anything. Create as much chaos as possible and draw Professor Lupin's attention."
The light-brown-haired boy rubbed his nose awkwardly, the tip turning red. He was well known for causing unexpected explosions.
"Neville, you'll be an obvious target, so stay with Ron and help keep his focus."
Neville looked nervous but nodded firmly.
Finally, Hermione gave instructions to Dean Thomas, the last member of the group.
Since Pettigrew's escape, Hermione had been constantly reflecting on her own performance. Lupin, McGonagall, and Dumbledore might excuse her because of her age, but she knew the truth—she had been a burden. If she couldn't help decisively, at the very least, she must not hinder others again.
After exchanging looks, Ron called toward the door.
"Professor, we're ready!"
The door opened.
A barrage of spells shot out immediately.
All of them struck the wooden door instead, exploding in sharp crackling bursts. Sparks scattered across the floor and up toward the chandelier. For a moment, the classroom temperature seemed to rise.
"You've learned quickly," Lupin's voice came calmly.
He was already crouched behind the teacher's desk, facing the blackboard.
The instant he entered, he had anticipated the ambush. He hadn't even needed a Shield Charm. Dropping low, he had moved along the wall and rolled behind the desk without hesitation.
"Engorge!"
The wooden desk swelled rapidly like a sponge soaking up water. The incoming spells struck it in quick succession, producing heavy thuds as the enlarged surface absorbed the impacts.
"Very good," Lupin called out. "Now it's my turn."
The students tensed. If Lupin attacked, he would have to expose himself. With their numerical advantage, they could trade risks for an opportunity.
"Stop!" Hermione suddenly shouted.
Something was wrong.
The desk was changing.
The wood began to lose its texture. Bronze patterns spread across the surface like a web, and at the center appeared a smooth, flawless square mirror.
Ron fired a Body-Bind Curse.
The beam struck the mirror—then reflected straight back.
It hit Seamus.
He froze instantly and toppled backward like a rigid puppet.
Other spells struck the mirror with sharp, ringing sounds.
"Some spells are reflected by certain materials," Lupin's voice explained calmly from behind cover. "The Body-Bind Curse is one of them. Do you remember that?"
They could hear him—but still couldn't see him.
One teammate was already out.
"Reducto!"
Hermione reacted immediately, aiming to shatter the mirror.
Behind the Slytherin group, Malfoy leaned slightly toward Pansy.
"See? This relates to what you asked this morning. One of the limits of Transfiguration—an object's original quantity can't truly change. If you use a destructive spell, the transformation often collapses and the object reverts."
As he spoke, the mirror shrank and reverted to its original form—the teacher's desk. The enlargement vanished, and Lupin's position was no longer fully concealed.
Hermione blinked in surprise at how effective her spell had been.
Then she understood.
Lupin had begun his counterattack. He was no longer maintaining the transformation with full magical focus. Otherwise, even with the limits of Transfiguration, the structure wouldn't have collapsed so quickly—especially against an adult wizard actively sustaining it.