The students rolled their eyes indignantly, and the pages rustled.
"Can anyone tell me how to distinguish between a Werewolf and a true wolf?"
Snape's voice echoed in the classroom.
The students kept their heads down, some staring at their textbooks, others at their desks; no one dared to meet Snape's gaze.
It was well-known that once you made eye contact with the Professor, you'd become the lucky guest, rewarded with a question.
Only Hermione.
Once again, she raised her hand straight up, almost springing from her seat.
It was truly difficult to suppress the urge to answer the question!
Snape's gaze swept over her as if she were air.
"Who can answer?"
Snape continued to ask, a sneer on his face.
"Are you telling me Professor Lupin hasn't told you the fundamental difference between the two..."
"Please, Professor."
Hermione's voice interrupted him.
Her hand was still raised, and there was clear urgency in her tone.
She wanted to prove that Professor Lupin's teaching was excellent and speak up for Professor Lupin.
"There are several minor differences between a Werewolf and a true wolf.
A Werewolf's snout..."
"This is the second time you've spoken out of turn, Miss Granger."
Snape's voice grew colder.
He slowly walked to Hermione's desk, looking down at her.
"Gryffindor, five points deducted again, all thanks to an insufferable know-it-all."
Hermione's face instantly flushed red.
She lowered her hand, bowed her head, and tears welled in her eyes.
A suppressed grinding of teeth filled the classroom.
The students all glared at Snape, their eyes full of displeasure.
Although many people thought Hermione was a know-it-all, today's incident arose because Snape slandered Lupin, and Professor Lupin had already earned everyone's respect through his performance during this time.
Harry's face was ashen, and Ron stood up directly.
"You asked a question, she knows the answer!"
"If you don't want an answer, why ask?"
Snape's gaze fell on Ron, his eyes as cold as a knife in an ice cellar.
"Mr. Weasley." Snape's voice was so soft that everyone in the classroom held their breath.
"Detention in my office tonight."
Ron's face turned crimson, even the tips of his ears were bright red.
Damn it, that was impulsive.
"If I hear you question my teaching methods again." Snape slowly walked to Ron's desk, leaned down, his black robes hanging down like bat wings.
"I guarantee you won't even have time to regret it."
He spoke softly, but everyone in the classroom heard him clearly.
Ron's Adam's apple bobbed, but he said nothing, finally sitting back in his chair.
Charlie leaned back in his chair, staring at Snape's back.
This guy was indeed acting strangely today.
Although Snape usually liked to deduct points, his aggression today was exceptionally strong.
And it was basically all directed at Professor Lupin; Hermione, who tried to defend Professor Lupin, merely suffered collateral damage.
What, did Snape get bitten by a Werewolf?
Snape returned to the podium, picked up a piece of chalk, and wrote a few lines on the blackboard.
"Werewolves lose their minds during the full moon." Snape turned around, his gaze sweeping over every student in the classroom.
"They will attack any creature that comes near, whether human or animal."
"Therefore, Werewolves among people will move away from crowds during the full moon.
This is one of the simplest ways to identify a Werewolf."
"At the same time, because Werewolves experience agonizing torment during transformation, they will also remain weak for a period after the transformation ends."
He paused, then continued:
"The danger of Werewolves is not only in their attack power."
"It's also in their stealth."
"They can disguise themselves as ordinary people and blend into crowds." Snape's tone carried a certain hidden meaning.
"Until the full moon arrives, they will reveal their true nature."
Snape stopped, his gaze falling on Charlie again.
"So I hope you can keep your eyes peeled and identify who the Werewolf is!"
Charlie raised an eyebrow; this was almost a direct hint.
Was Snape implying there was a Werewolf among them?
Was he trying to say Professor Lupin?
Professor Lupin had indeed been sickly.
And Professor Lupin had taken leave today; as for whether it was a full moon, Charlie wasn't sure.
The atmosphere in the classroom grew increasingly oppressive.
The students kept their heads down, not daring to make a sound.
The bell finally rang.
Snape put down the chalk and turned to face the students.
"Homework." His voice was icy.
"Write an essay on how to identify and kill a Werewolf.
Two rolls of parchment, due next Monday."
A chorus of groans filled the classroom.
"Weasley." Snape's gaze fell on Ron.
"Stay behind and hear what your detention is."
The other students filed out of the classroom, only daring to start criticizing Snape once they were far away.
"Snape has never targeted previous Defense Against the Dark Arts Professors like this.
Even when Lockhart often bothered him, Snape just told him to get lost." Harry said to Hermione with a frown.
Hermione said worriedly:
"Why is he so against Professor Lupin?
Could it be because the Boggart turned into him, making him feel humiliated?"
Harry nodded.
"Possibly.
I really hope Professor Lupin gets better soon."
Charlie walked at the back, saying nothing.
His mind was already connecting Snape's unusual behavior today.
Deliberately talking about Werewolves, emphasizing that they lose their minds during the full moon, hinting that there's a Werewolf among the crowd—these explicit and implicit hints combined, the answer was already very clear.
Snape wanted the students to guess that Professor Lupin was a Werewolf...
But Charlie didn't plan to voice this speculation.
It wasn't to protect Professor Lupin, but because Snape, that old bat, had zero credibility with him.
What if this guy was purely acting out of personal grudges, deliberately framing him?
To find out if Professor Lupin was truly a Werewolf, all he needed to do was look at the moon tonight.
Time came to evening.
Charlie pulled back the curtains in the dormitory, and the night sky outside was clear.
A full moon hung in the center of the sky, large and round, emitting a silver-white glow.
Charlie stared at the full moon for a few seconds, his mouth twitching.
Well, Professor Lupin was probably a Werewolf.
He turned back to his bed, lay down, and clasped his hands behind his head.
Three years.
Hogwarts' Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor had had problems for three consecutive years.
The first year was Quirrell, possessed by Lord Voldemort; the second year was Lockhart, a fraud who only boasted; and the third year brought a Werewolf.
Where did old Dumbledore find such 'talented' individuals?
But then again, even though Professor Lupin was a Werewolf, his teaching was actually quite good.
At least much better than the previous two.
Charlie closed his eyes, and another thought popped into his head—Snape knew Lupin was a Werewolf, but would Dumbledore not know?
He definitely knew.
So why did Dumbledore still hire Lupin as a Professor?
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