Chapter 229: Inside and Outside the Principal's Office

"Zombie floating." Lupin read. Peter floated up, like an ugly puppet, with his head drooping weakly.

Professor McGonagall nodded to Lupin.

"Let's go to the headmaster's office," she said.

Not long ago, amid Peter's sobs, she summoned the Patronus and sent a message to Dumbledore. The wraith mouse was startled and hurriedly hid in Anthony's pocket.

Not long after the silver cat disappeared, the beautiful silver bird suddenly appeared in Anthony's office.

It circled a few times in Anthony's amazed eyes and landed on Professor McGonagall's shoulder. When it opened its mouth, it uttered Dumbledore's voice. "I will wait for you in the headmaster's office with Poppy." It said, and turned to Lupin, "Welcome back, Remus."

Lupin's wand pointed at Peter suddenly dropped. He suddenly looked very tired.

"Thank you." He murmured.

The phoenix-shaped Patronus chirped crisply and disappeared.

…

Anthony opened the door for them, and Professor McGonagall floated with Peter in a stern face and stepped into the corridor. It was class time, and most students were bored in the classroom, biting their quills and staring out the window. No one would think of visiting this remote corridor-

"Good afternoon, Professor McGonagall." Nick, who was almost headless, poked his head out of the wall with interest and supported his head, "I was wondering if you mind if I borrow the basement... Oops."

"Go ahead, Sir Nicholas." Professor McGonagall said.

Nick almost forgot to support his head, and his eyes swept between Peter and her.

"Okay-Okay." He said, "I won't tell anyone, Professor McGonagall. I promise on the honor of Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington."

He quickly retracted his head into the wall, as if someone could chop his head off again.

"You may have more strange reputations, Minerva." Anthony followed Lupin out of the office and closed the door with his backhand.

Professor McGonagall said proudly, "Just like I don't have any now. Let's go."

...

I don't know if Nick, who almost lost his head, told his friends something. On the way back, they didn't meet anyone or any ghosts.

Anthony walked at the end and saw Lupin looking at the corridors, stairs and windows all the way. The weather outside the castle was very good, and the golden sunlight shone on the lake that had just frozen. Several students who didn't have classes were playing by the Black Lake, rolling on the bare ground.

Lupin paused at the window, reached out and pressed the wall tiles, turned around and smiled at Anthony: "I almost forgot... Can I know which course you are the professor of, Professor Anthony?"

"Muggle Studies." Anthony said, and walked quickly to his side, "I only came to Hogwarts last year."

"Muggle Studies?" Lupin's tone was a little surprised, "The current Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is..."

"Professor Gilderoy Lockhart." Anthony told him.

Lupin nodded: "Oh, that's right. I heard about it." He looked at Anthony again.

Professor McGonagall said without looking back: "Henry is one of the best Muggle Studies professors we have ever had... But if you are the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Henry, I am afraid you will be the worst."

"It won't be worse than asking me to teach Herbalism or Potions." Anthony said.

Professor McGonagall reminded him: "There is also Astronomy."

"Well, there is also Astronomy, Divination, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures." Anthony said, "I think my History of Magic is pretty good."

Lupin chuckled: "You must be kidding."

Anthony asked in surprise: "Why?"

"As far as I know, the prerequisite for being a professor at Hogwarts is at least eight O.W.Ls certificates and at least one N.E.W.T certificate." Lupin said.

Fortunately, they have arrived at the door of the headmaster's office, so Anthony doesn't have to question in his heart again why Dumbledore thought of hiring him in the first place.

"That was the rule in the past, Remus," said Professor McGonagall, "and Henry is not a student of Hogwarts."

"Ah, no wonder," said Lupin, "I was wondering why I couldn't remember you, Professor Anthony. I hope I didn't leave you with a bad impression."

Anthony shook his head: "Nothing."

"Pumpkin candy." Professor McGonagall said, and the gargoyle jumped away immediately. Anthony could see its eyes glancing at Peter above his head, but he couldn't raise his head to see clearly, so he could only try to roll his eyes. But it still remained solemnly silent.

Professor McGonagall motioned Lupin and Anthony to stand on the spiral staircase, and she floated Peter behind them. Anthony sighed.

Lupin looked at his face and said with understanding, "I'm really sorry, Professor Anthony. Especially since that's your office..."

"No, it's nothing really." Anthony said, "I said, I have a bad-tempered cat. I'm bothered by something else."

"What?"

"Ron Weasley's pet problem." Anthony said distressedly, "I really should have asked him to come and see what Scabbers looks like as a human. Now how am I going to explain to Arthur and Molly?"

...

As promised, Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey were waiting in the headmaster's office. Madam Pomfrey looked angry, and the whole headmaster's office looked like another small school hospital.

Madam Pomfrey frowned as soon as she saw Peter floating in.

"What - okay." She gave up and started examining Peter's body with a wave of her wand. At her muttered command, the potion on the tray flew up with a clanging sound and poured into Peter's mouth.

Lupine said, "I'm sorry, Madam Pomfrey."

Madam Pomfrey gathered some energy and turned to look at him, her brows frowning even more.

"Mr. Lupin," she said sternly, "how did you get yourself into such a mess! Did you eat on time?"

Lupine said gently, "I'm sorry, ma'am."

"Go downstairs and get some medicine later." Madam Pomfrey ordered, "I guess you remember to get some medicine?"

"Yes," Lupine said, with a smile on his face, "Yes, Madam Pomfrey, I remember." His eyes turned to Dumbledore, who was standing behind the desk.

Under the gentle gaze of Dumbledore's penetrating blue eyes, Anthony was surprised to find that Lupine's steady voice was a little trembling for the first time.

"Dumbledore..." he said, "Professor Dumbledore." Then he stopped.

Dumbledore smiled and said, "I think I've said it once, but - welcome back, Remus. Find a chair you like."

…

While Professor McGonagall was leaving with red eyes, Anthony quietly followed and left. Dumbledore glanced at him but didn't stop him.

"Jesus, Henry," Professor McGonagall said in a huff, "you gave me a scare."

"I just didn't feel like I fit in there," Anthony explained.

Professor McGonagall and him walked silently for a while in the castle until they bumped into Peeves.

"It's gone! It's gone!" Peeves was scurrying around above their heads, shaking the chandelier. "The murderer has been silenced! The corpse has been destroyed and traces have been wiped out! Mag is a murderer!"

Anthony said, "Go away, Peeves."

Peeves turned somersaults in the air and sang: "Four people, come here, three walking and one floating; two people, come back, where are the other two?"

Professor McGonagall pulled out her wand with a straight face.

"The corpses have been destroyed! The murderers have been silenced! Oh, Mag, you big bad cat!" Peeves yelled, and was dragged to the end of the corridor under the control of Anthony's undead magic. "Come on, help me!" Ah! Save people! Save—ghosts—ah!

With a pop, he disappeared.

Professor McGonagall took back her wand with a calm expression, and walked a short distance forward with Anthony before walking out of the castle gate.

"Did you do it, Henry?" she asked suddenly, "That's a good move. How did you do it?"

Anthony glanced at her: "Undead..."

"Okay." Professor McGonagall said, sounding a little disappointed.

After a while, she said again: "By the way, Henry."

"Um?"

"Did you see Sirius Black in Azkaban?" she asked. "He had black hair and gray eyes. He was about this tall."

"I only slept there one night," Anthony said, "and I was in the back, and that room was very dark... No, I didn't see Blake."

Professor McGonagall asked in surprise: "Are you at the bottom?"

"yes."

"That's weird. Where did they keep Bellatrix Lestrange?"

Anthony recalled: "I seem to remember that they moved the person who was originally there to make room for me." He looked at Professor McGonagall's expression and shrugged, "Don't be like this, Minerva. It’s not like I asked them to give me the presidential suite.”

…

There is a thin layer of ice on the black lake. A few pebbles can break it into crystal-like fragments, which are gently swaying with the wind and waves on the water near the shore.

A group of students were attacking each other with Roger's Snake, waving their wands and hissing loudly. Old Snake Roger shook his head and made a smooth, evil voice like Parseltongue.

"Lee Jordan," said Professor McGonagall, looking down at the student who was tangled in a snake and fell at their feet.

Jordan screamed strangely, turned over, buried his face on the ground, and shouted: "You made a mistake, Professor! I am the master of Parseltongue, the blood of Slytherin, Lee Slytherin!"

Professor McGonagall's lips tightened.

"Get up, Jordan." she said, "What is this?" She glanced sternly at the colorful Roger Snake on Jordan's body.

Several students covered their faces with sleeves or leaves, clutching their old snakes—or Roger's old snakes wrapped around them—and ran past them. Anthony counted three Hufflepuffs, two Ravenclaws, and five Gryffindors, as well as four or five other houses whose houses he could not distinguish.

"If I said it was gummy candies, would you believe it, Professor McGonagall?" Lee Jordan sat up and asked tentatively.

He patted the clods of soil on Roger's Snake, took out two snake-shaped gummy candies that were very similar to Roger's Snake from his pocket, and stuffed them into his mouth.

He chewed it and said firmly: "Gummy candy."

Professor McGonagall looked down at him sternly, but Anthony swore a flash of amusement flashed across her tense face.

"Forget it, Minerva," said Anthony, "it's not on the list of prohibited items."

Professor McGonagall hesitated for a moment, but Lee Jordan immediately seized the opportunity, rolled up from the ground, yelled "Thank you, Professor" and ran away.

"Gummy candy!" Professor McGonagall said disapprovingly, "Do you think what happened to Davis is interesting? Mrs. Hooch has changed the rules for this... If Davis finds out..."

"Minerva, Davis knows." Anthony said, "Davis is one of the developers. This thing is called Roger Snake."

Professor McGonagall looked at him suspiciously: "You sound very knowledgeable, Henry."

"Hmm..." Anthony admitted, "Maybe it's because I bought one."

…

They didn't return to the principal's office until it was almost dinner time. Madam Pomfrey had left. Peter was kneeling limply on the ground, and Lupine was sitting on the chair next to him, his face buried in his hands. Dumbledore stood in front of Peter, his tall figure looming over him.

Anthony had never seen him look like that.

"You must repeat what you told me in court." Dumbledore ordered Peter. "You must repeat it exactly so that those who have been wrong can be corrected and those who have been wrongly accused can be exonerated."

Peter lay on his stomach, shaking. "I will, I will..." he said.

"You have been a mouse for too long." Dumbledore said softly, and Peter's body shook violently. "Peter, this is your last chance. Repentance will make you a human being."

"I have been regretting..."

Lupine raised his head and said hoarsely: "If you really regret it, you shouldn't hide!" He glanced at Peter's fat body and smiled sadly, "Your regret looks really sweet."

Dumbledore's eyes burned with some kind of cold anger, but they flickered for a moment, and he finally said nothing more and just sat back behind his desk. When he looked at Professor McGonagall and Anthony at the door, he became kind again.

"I have asked Fox to send a letter to Connery." He said, "But the trial may take some time. I will try my best to ensure that it is as soon as possible, but before that, if you can ensure that our witnesses and defendants You won’t escape because of your exquisite transformation skills..."

"No problem." Professor McGonagall said immediately.

Dumbledore smiled slightly: "Speaking of which, Minerva, I think you can be proud or angry - you have at least three illegal Animagus among your students. I don't think I have that many."

Professor McGonagall gave Peter a look of disgust on her face.

"As for you, Henry, I'm very grateful for your..." said Dumbledore, hesitating, "luck and hamster wheels."

Anthony smiled and said, "You're welcome."