"Afu. Do you think your life has become too comfortable lately?"
When Skyl looked at it and said that, the wolfhound clamped its tail tight and trembled all over.
"Woof!"
"You are a dog, but your soul is human. Actually, you're not the only wizard I've turned into a dog. There was another witch named Rita Skeeter. I turned her into an African spotted hyena. You haven't heard of her, have you? Good. She was nothing more than a shameless reporter who toyed with the power of the media, framed others, and wove lies for profit. But you? You have killed countless people and committed every evil imaginable. Every strand of your fur is soaked in the blood of innocents. Afu, I've been far too merciful to you, haven't I?"
The wolfhound shook its head with all its might.
Skyl brought it back to Hogwarts, but he did not send it directly back to the headmaster's office. Instead, he took a walk by the Black Lake.
"Do you remember the first time we met? Back then, you were possessing Professor Quirinus Quirrell. It was at the Leaky Cauldron. I knew you were there, but I didn't do anything, because I was very weak at the time and wouldn't have drawn your attention at all. Later, in the Defense Against the Dark Arts office, I pulled your soul out and stuffed it into a dog's body."
"Grrr…"
Afu's throat rumbled with a low growl. Its eyes flashed with vivid fear and hatred.
"At the time, I was still only a wizard who had just glimpsed the mysteries of magic. But I was very lucky. I obtained an artifact and gained endless magical energy. Looking back now, my punishment for you was still a bit too light. My abilities at the time didn't allow for more delicate operations."
Skyl crouched down and placed his hand on the wolfhound's head. This dog-petting gesture did not make Afu feel warm in the slightest. It froze in terror.
"Your body is a dog's, but your soul is not. That allowed you to maintain your pride and gave you the mistaken belief that you could escape my punishment. If you are not kept under watch, you will remain a disaster. But now, I have more ways to refine you. Afu, do you know what we've been doing in that tower since school started last September? We built a central brain. That, too, is extremely unruly flesh and blood, ten thousand times more dangerous than you.
"However, by creating a false soul, we can tame a Celestial brain. For a long time now, you haven't behaved like a dog at all. You haven't been loyal, cheerful, or cute. That is only because your soul is hateful. So I have a way to correct your soul. I will create a dog's soul and put it into your body. You will watch with your own eyes and feel what it means to behave like a real dog."
"Awooo! Woof! Woof!"
Afu let out a miserable howl, trying to call for help. But Hogwarts was deep in the night, and no one would come to save it. The wolfhound wanted to run, but its four limbs suddenly turned to gold. All it could do was shake its long dog face, trying to push Skyl's hand away.
"Voldemort, say goodbye to your ambitions. From now on, you are a pure, proper dog. You'll act spoiled when you see your master, run over to humans asking to be petted, romp around every day, pee all over the place, drool when you see a trash-can buffet behind a diner, and get embarrassingly excited when you see a pretty female dog…"
An幽 blue glow rose from Skyl's hand and slowly condensed into a dog's soul. It looked beautiful and majestic, but in Afu's eyes, that illusory dog soul was deadly poison. It let out a wretched scream.
Skyl slowly pressed the dog soul against the top of Afu's head and said one strange line, "A wizard pats the dog's head, and the Dark Lord learns to fetch."
Above Hogwarts Castle, a clear, ringing bark slowly faded away.
Afu's four legs turned back into flesh and blood. It staggered, and the cold, vicious light in its eyes gradually dimmed, replaced by pure, bright innocence.
"Woof! Woof!"
The beautiful wolfhound rushed up and licked Skyl wildly. It was overjoyed, circling its master like a white whirlwind and refusing to leave him alone. With its tongue hanging out, its silly smile looked as if it were begging to be petted, hugged, and praised.
"Go on, go away." Skyl pushed the dog aside and declared with righteous conviction, "Don't think I'll like you just because you're cute. I'm a loyal cat person."
Afu understood. Its mood instantly sank, and it drooped its head.
Voldemort's soul roared in silence. He simply could not believe he had suffered such humiliation. There were now two souls inside this body, and the dog soul was dominant. Voldemort even shared its sensations. That intense, affectionate attachment toward its master echoed inside his malicious heart as well.
Turning a Dark Lord into a real dog was the ultimate humiliation.
Skyl stood up and walked toward the main castle. Afu stayed where it was, throwing a small tantrum.
After walking a short distance, Skyl stopped, turned his head, and whistled. The moment Afu heard it, it stuck out its tongue and happily followed after him.
Skyl smiled without realizing it.
"Good dog," he said.
A week after school started, the headline of the Daily Prophet sparked heated discussion among all the teachers and students.
"According to the Ministry of Magic's investigation, there was a major mistake in the case that sent Sirius Black to Azkaban… Merlin's beard, Black was actually innocent!"
"So Peter Pettigrew was the real villain! The Order of Merlin has already revoked the First Class medal awarded to him after his supposed death."
"The Wizengamot will hold a trial for Peter Pettigrew, while the pursuit of Sirius Black will also be canceled. This is huge news."
Harry sat at the dining table, quietly listening to the news. He exchanged a smile with his friends.
At the staff table, Lily held a copy of the Daily Prophet in one hand and studied it closely. After every few lines, she took a sip of coffee, her face glowing with a smile.
Beside her, Snape asked without changing expression, "You seem very happy."
"I am. I'm happy for a good man. And seeing a bad man caught feels satisfying too." Lily's bright eyes glanced at the old bat.
"You mean Sirius Black? A good man, hmph." Snape's lips twitched. It was obvious he wanted to say something unpleasant, but he probably felt it would be undignified, so he held it back.
Seeing him suffer in silence made Lily want to laugh. Of course, she understood Snape's hostility toward Sirius. They had been old enemies since their student days, and they probably would never reconcile in this lifetime. So she took the initiative to change the subject.
"Snape, how long do you plan to keep me teaching?"
"Your work speaks for itself. There's nothing wrong with letting you remain in a teaching position."
"But I'm still only an assistant teacher. Since all you do every day is read books and brew potions in your office, I assume you have plenty of free time?"
Lily could hardly wait to free herself from responsibility so she could openly reveal her identity.
"I am very busy!"
The old bat dropped that stiff sentence and rose to leave.
Lily watched the back of his billowing sleeves and gritted her teeth in anger.
"I'd like to see what exactly you're so busy with!"
With that, she tossed down the newspaper and quietly followed Snape.
On the second floor of the White Tower, James looked at the Daily Prophet in his hands, unable to hide his astonishment.
"Peter Pettigrew has been arrested, and Sirius has been released. What in the world is going on? I need to find a way to ask them… Right, I have to contact him. Padfoot, Moony, if you two knew Prongs was still alive, I wonder what kind of faces you'd make."
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