UNVEIL | D.M (UNRAVEL BOOK 2)

[ 09 ]

The Gryffindor common room was eventually back to normal after the professors of Hogwarts checked and investigated and found no remaining threats in it. The students went back to their common room soon after. Everyone was relieved, but still, it had troubled some students and they were paranoid about returning to a room where it was once safe but now defiled by the remains of Sirius Black. The fat lady's picture was restored by Mr Filch, the caretaker, the occupant was reluctant to return to guard the dormitory. Henceforth, another painting took her role. It was none other than Sir Cadogan, who was the only person who was brave enough to volunteer himself to be the Guardian of the Gryffindor Tower.

As much as Aine was grateful there was someone to guard the common room, she can't help but start to detest him, as did the other students as he had been constantly changing passwords that were hard to remember. She recalled a few being 'Flibbertigibbet' and 'Oddsbodikins', and the fact that they had to be challenged to a duel in order to enter the common room. It was ridiculous, and now, she had started to appreciate the Fat Lady. Sure, she was a little weird, but compared to Sir Cadogan, she allowed students in after singing.

She also found out how Sirius Black entered the common room as Ginny had heard her friends talking about it. Apparently, because there were so many passwords, Neville had written them down on a piece of parchment to memorize. It was then after, stolen by the presumable culprit, Black himself.

Classes resumed, and so were the seasons. It was no doubt, getting chillier. She entered the classroom for Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. Sitting beside Ginny, Aine waited for Professor Lupin. But no matter how long she along with her classmates waited, the man never came. Instead, came a man with black shoulder-length hair, and at the sight of him, many sighed internally and frowned at the appearance of their Potions Professor, Professor Snape.

He strides into the classroom gloomily, and his long uniform flowing behind as he walks. Not a word was spoken until he sat at the front desk, eyes boring at every individual student. Aine merely gave a smile which he rolls his eyes in return. Geez. she says in her mind and he looks up again at her.

"Take out--" he says, enunciating each word, "your books. And turn them to page three--hundred--and nine--ty--f--our" and students began bringing their books and placing them onto the wooden desk, flipping through the pages till it showed, Werewolves.

Aine was confused, she looks down at the page, they were just learning about Hags and Trolls last week, and barely reached the end because Professor Lupin ended the class early due to personal reasons. "I thought we haven't finished the previous one yet?" whispered Ginny.

"I know." she mouthed back, looking equally puzzled.

Sensing everyone's confusion, Aine raised her hand and Professor Snape looked at her, "Excuse me, Professor, but we have yet finished the chapters on Trolls." she said, perhaps he had misunderstood, "There must be a mistake." she adds.

His lips twitched and he smirked, "There is no mistake, we will be learning about werewolves. Today."

She lowers her arm as the professor turns around, and whirled his wand onto the projector, showing the transformation of a werewolf. Aine shrugs to Ginny who purses her lips, going with the flow. And so they started, the way the professor read the paragraph in a low, flat tone was enough to make everyone stifle a yawn. It wasn't long until he told the class to read the remaining by themselves, and proceeded to do his own work ahead.

Aine gazed at the paragraph, eyes scanning it as she reads it:

'Lycanthropy is a magical illness known to be spread by contact between saliva and blood; thus, when a transformed werewolf bites a human, the bitten will become a werewolf themselves.'