That night, the Slytherin Common Room was dimly lit, its usual chatter subdued. In a shadowy corner, Draco Malfoy huddled with a small group of friends. His brow was furrowed, lips tight with irritation.
"Damn it! Professor Snape has been showing way too much favoritism toward Harry Potter lately!" Draco exclaimed, slamming a fist lightly on the table.
Pansy Parkinson leaned closer, her voice soothing yet firm. "Draco, I think it's just temporary. Remember, for the past two years, Snape has practically despised Harry. His sudden change in attitude might be because Harry's mother was summoned by that cursed Emrys. I heard Professor Snape had some kind of history with her when he was younger."
Draco's face contorted with anger, his eyes flashing. "My parents clearly instructed Snape to take care of me! Are my parents worth less than a dead woman?"
Daphne Greengrass, sitting just behind Pansy, interjected cautiously, "Could it be that Snape thinks we've become too complacent, so he's doing this on purpose to provoke us?"
Pansy turned sharply toward her, a glare sharp enough to cut through the dim light. Both were direct descendants of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, but their family standings had shifted. The Parkinson family, with their thriving reputation and wealth, outshone the Greengrass family. In Merlin City Phase Two, the Parkinsons owned three properties, while the Greengrasses had mortgaged their manor to buy a single house. Pansy's glare wasn't just rivalry; it was a warning—Daphne's beauty might tempt Draco, and Pansy didn't intend to be outshined.
Daphne lowered her head immediately, startled by the intensity of Pansy's look. Draco, oblivious to the girls' tension, suddenly had a spark of inspiration from Daphne's words.
"Remus Lupin disappears for a few days after every full moon. He must have a secret! And Professor Snape clearly dislikes him. If we discover Lupin's secret and tell Snape, maybe he'll shift his attention back to us," Draco proposed, a gleam of cunning in his eyes.
Goyle and Crabbe exchanged confused glances but nodded obediently. Daphne pursed her lips silently, unwilling to object. Pansy, however, smiled approvingly.
"Draco, that's brilliant! Tonight's the full moon. If we sneak into the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor's office, we might uncover Lupin's secret!"
With their plan seemingly approved, Draco immediately rose. "Then we leave now!"
"But it's almost eight o'clock," Daphne protested weakly. "If Filch catches us, our house will lose points!"
Draco smirked, a confident yet uneasy glint in his eyes. "Filch is a Squib. If he sees us, we'll just knock him out. Daphne, you don't need to come with us, but lend us your wand. We'll use it to handle Filch. That way, no spell traces remain on our wands, and if anything goes wrong, Professor Snape won't investigate you. Foolproof!"
Daphne hesitated, torn between fear and obligation. Pansy bared her teeth at her, like an angry little dog warning her to comply. Shivering, Daphne reluctantly handed over her wand.
Draco, with Goyle, Crabbe, and Pansy in tow, quietly slipped out of the Slytherin Common Room. They headed toward the second floor, moving swiftly. The castle was unusually silent, and Filch hadn't started his rounds yet. Despite Draco's bravado, he felt a flicker of unease. Confronting the caretaker was one thing; facing unknown dangers was another.
The corridor to the Defense Against the Dark Arts office stretched nearly eighty meters, sparsely lit by four small wall lamps. Each lamp illuminated only about twenty meters, leaving long stretches in semi-darkness. At first, the group felt nothing unusual, but after moving a third of the way, Crabbe froze.
"Draco… do you hear that?" he whispered, his voice quivering.
Draco frowned, listening. A low, ominous growl cut through the silence. It reminded him of Harry Potter's clumsy white dog, though this sound carried menace.
The growl grew louder, echoing off the walls. Pansy's fingers dug into Draco's arm as a chill ran down her spine. "It's coming from the Defense Against the Dark Arts office," she whispered.
Draco gently pushed Pansy aside, taking Daphne's wand in his hand. "Let's go see," he said, though his steps betrayed a slight tremor.
"Why are you trembling, Pansy? This is Hogwarts. Nothing can happen," he muttered under his breath, attempting courage for both of them.
The four finally reached the office door. Draco could feel his pulse in his throat; the growling was unmistakably close now. "Goyle… open the door," he commanded.
Goyle swallowed hard and took a tentative step forward, only to retreat immediately. "D-Draco… I don't know Alohomora," he stammered.
Draco's gaze swept to Crabbe and Pansy, who only shook their heads in silent refusal. Frustration mingled with fear; once again, it seemed he had to lead alone.
Gripping his wand, Draco prepared to push open the door. But before he could act, the wooden door exploded inward, splintering into shards. Pansy screamed as a few fragments cut across Draco's face.
The office was plunged into darkness. Only the sound of heavy panting and low growls filled the space. Goyle pressed himself against the wall, steadying his trembling legs, while the other three collapsed to the floor, weak with fear.
From the shadows, a pair of scarlet eyes appeared, glowing menacingly. Heavy footsteps pounded like drums on their hearts.
"Roar!" The beast lunged from the darkness.
Draco's face went pale as realization struck—this was a werewolf! In the classes Snape had taken over from Remus Lupin this semester, he had subtly warned students about the dangers of werewolves. Draco's mind raced. No wonder Snape disliked Lupin so intensely—he already knew the truth.
Panic gripped the group. Pansy tried to scramble backward, Crabbe and Goyle shook with terror, and Draco's hands shook around the wand. The werewolf's growls resonated in the office, each step closing in on them.
Desperation struck Draco. "Everyone, stay calm! Stand behind me!"
Goyle tried to follow orders, but his legs buckled. Crabbe and Pansy remained paralyzed, terror rendering them useless. Draco's eyes darted around the dark office for anything he could use—a table, a chair, anything to defend themselves.
The werewolf lunged closer, its breath hot and foul. Draco knew a direct confrontation would be fatal. Thinking quickly, he muttered an incantation and pointed Daphne's wand. Sparks shot forward, illuminating the room just enough to reveal the creature.
It was massive, its fur matted, eyes glinting with primal intelligence. It snarled and swiped at the air with claws that could tear through stone. Draco felt a rush of adrenaline; survival instincts had kicked in.
"Back! Everyone, back!" Draco shouted, waving the wand to ward off the beast. The werewolf hesitated for a fraction of a second, enough for Draco to gather courage. He remembered a defensive charm from their lessons. "Protego Maxima!"
A shimmering shield flared around them, forcing the werewolf to step back. Its growls turned into frustrated snarls. Draco didn't waste time. He grabbed a nearby chair and threw it, distracting the creature as he backed toward the door.
Goyle, now somewhat steady, helped Pansy and Crabbe to their feet. They stumbled through the darkness, guided only by Draco's direction and the faint glow of the wand. The werewolf lunged one last time but collided with the protective charm, letting them escape into the corridor.
Panting and trembling, the four pressed themselves against the wall outside the office, hearts pounding. Draco wiped the sweat from his brow and inspected his face, still streaked with blood from the splintered door.
"That… that was close," Pansy whispered, her voice shaking.
Draco's mind raced with the implications. If Remus Lupin was indeed a werewolf, Snape's favoritism toward Harry now made sense. He had been trying to shield the boy from the truth while keeping the dangerous secret contained.
Goyle broke the silence, his voice barely audible. "Draco… what do we do now?"
Draco straightened, a steely resolve settling over him. "We report back to Snape, but carefully. We don't reveal anything about tonight—at least not everything. If Lupin finds out we've seen him like that… no one will survive the fallout."
Pansy nodded, still shivering, and handed back Daphne's wand. Draco examined it for damage; thankfully, it was intact. He sighed, a mixture of relief and lingering fear washing over him.
As they crept back toward the Slytherin Common Room, Draco's thoughts churned. This night had changed everything—what seemed like a simple plan to regain Snape's favor had turned into a brush with death. And yet, a spark of ambition burned brighter than ever. Snape's attention would shift back to him—but only if Draco played his cards perfectly.
Tonight, he had seen the true danger lurking in the castle, and for the first time, Draco Malfoy understood that survival required more than cunning—it required courage, strategy, and a touch of ruthlessness.
The four students finally returned to the Common Room, hearts still racing. Outside, the moon shone high and bright, its light casting long shadows through the ancient castle. Inside, Draco silently vowed that this adventure was only the beginning. The secrets of Hogwarts were deeper and darker than he had imagined, and he intended to uncover them all.
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