Chapter 38. Wolf Attack.
Lynn looked in the direction Cedric was pointing.
The Whomping Willow, usually extremely agitated and constantly waving its branches, was unusually calm tonight, as if dead.
Under the Whomping Willow lay a figure struggling on the ground.
Without a word, Cedric ran over. Lynn tried to stop him but couldn't, and could only helplessly follow behind.
As they got closer, they recognized the figure lying on the ground, looking extremely pained.
It was Ian Campbell, the first-year Ravenclaw wizard.
Cedric's kind nature kicked in, and he knelt down in front of Ian, urgently saying,
"You look like you need help. Is there anything we can do?"
But the young wizard lying on the ground was unmoved; his pale face looked unusually ferocious, and two canine teeth were faintly visible in his mouth.
"I don't need it! Go! Go now!"
Lynn sensed something was wrong. He looked at the softly glowing full moon and recalled all the strange things that had happened since he saw Ian. His face turned extremely pale!
He grabbed Cedric's arm and shouted anxiously, "Go! We have to get away from him now! Back to the castle!"
However, it was too late!
Ian underwent a terrifying transformation before their eyes!
A horrifying roar erupted as his head elongated and his body grew longer. His shoulders arched, hair sprouted from his face and hands, and his fingers curled into sharp claws!
A complete werewolf transformation was unfolding before Lynn and Cedric's eyes!
Cedric seemed stunned. He was unconsciously dragged by Lynn towards Hogwarts Castle.
But as they passed the Willow Tree, Lynn and Cedric suddenly lost their footing and fell to the ground.
Lynn felt utterly unlucky.
He suddenly remembered that the original story mentioned a secret passage leading to Hogsmeade beneath the Whomping Willow by the Black Lake.
That passage was originally built for the werewolf wizard Remus Lupin, allowing him to transform into the Shrieking Shack at Hogsmeade during each full moon to avoid harming others.
Now that another werewolf wizard had arrived at Hogwarts, it was only natural that the professors decided to reopen the passage.
However, this had caused Lynn and Cedric a terrible predicament.
The usually lively Whomping Willow had suddenly fallen silent; clearly, Ian had already opened the passage, but before he could even enter, the transformation had begun.
And so, Lynn and his companion had walked right into the trap.
"We can't go up now," Cedric said, now calmer.
"We can't go back to the castle, we have to follow the passage, hurry! If he catches up, we're finished!" Lynn's voice was urgent; he didn't want to be bitten by a werewolf, or his wizarding career would be over.
The two of them ran frantically along the secret passage, but when they were almost halfway through, Lynn suddenly stopped Cedric.
"What's wrong?" Cedric asked, panting.
Lynn didn't answer, listening intently for a moment.
"He didn't chase after us."
"Yeah, why didn't he?" Cedric also sensed something was wrong.
"How much do you know about Werewolves?" Lynn asked.
Cedric was a pure-blooded wizard, having read far more educational books about the magical world than Lynn, a self-taught wizard.
"Their transformations are uncontrollable.
They always transform during a full moon, and after transforming, they usually lose their reason, only retaining the instinct to attack other humans. If there's no one else around, they'll harm themselves until the full moon ends."
"So, we must be the only two people with him, right? Why didn't he chase after us?" Lynn became increasingly puzzled.
Cedric was still young and at a loss.
"What do we do now? Should we go back and check?"
"No!"
Lynn immediately rejected Cedric's suggestion; going back now was too risky.
"Let's wait here for half an hour. If we hear any movement, we'll keep running; if there's no movement, we'll go back and check."
This decision wasn't based on Lynn's bravery, but because just now, the long-dormant system in his mind had suddenly issued him a task:
[Side Quest Series Activated!
Task 1: Talk to the Werewolf Ian Campbell.
Reward: Activate Constitution attribute, Constitution +1]
The most significant information this system task provided was that the werewolf named Ian was suspicious.
He was different from other Werewolves.
Lynn paced anxiously through the secret passage.
Frankly, at this moment, acting cautiously was the wisest choice.
Exiting through this passage, running to Hogsmeade, and finally returning to Hogwarts from Hogsmeade was the safest route.
However, Lynn also coveted the Constitution attribute.
Although his system panel didn't have the Constitution attribute, he had a premonition that if he missed this opportunity, he probably wouldn't be able to activate it again.
Half an hour passed quickly, and there was still no movement from the entrance to the secret passage.
Lynn had made up his mind; he was determined to take the risk.
He looked at Cedric and said solemnly,
"Don't move here. I'll go check the entrance first, and I'll call you over when it's clear."
Hearing Lynn's words, Cedric's face immediately turned red, and he glared at him angrily.
"Lynn! You don't consider me a friend!"
Lynn hadn't expected such a strong reaction. He was going to take the risk for the benefit of others; there was no need for Cedric to accompany him.
Lynn rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
"What I mean is, we can't take the risk together. Otherwise, what if something happens? It's just a waste!"
"Then I should go check first. After all, I'm older than you, and you wouldn't have encountered this danger if it weren't for me!"
After saying that, Cedric ignored Lynn and walked towards the entrance of the secret passage on his own.
Lynn couldn't do anything about his stubbornness and could only hurry to follow him.
When they were almost at the entrance, their steps began to slow down.
The exit was just above them, but there was no sound outside.
Lynn suddenly pressed Cedric's head down and whispered, "Don't move, let me see if he's out there."
Cedric glared at him from below, but knew this wasn't the time to speak, so he didn't resist.
Lynn poked his head out from the entrance of the secret passage and quickly glanced around.
The next moment, he met a pair of emerald green eyes.
Lynn was startled at first, but quickly relaxed.
Because there was no chaos or violence in those eyes, only a calm, stagnant coldness.
In the soft moonlight, a young Werewolf with pure white fur sat quietly beside the Whomping Willow.
He seemed to blend into the surrounding night, so natural, unique, peaceful, and—lonely!
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(End of Chapter)