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79.78% Hogwarts' John Wick / Chapter 146: 146: Lupin's Test and Level 5 Runes

Chapter 146: 146: Lupin's Test and Level 5 Runes

John recently noticed something off with his dog.

Not only Tom, but even Crookshanks seemed strange.

Watching as Tom happily scampered out of the common room, John stared at the now-empty bag of dog food, lost in thought.

"Three dogs' worth of food, but no weight gain. Are you taking advantage of my kindness?"

Tom needed the dog food to maintain her "top dog" status in front of Fang, so John had always made sure to bring triple the usual amount.

But the dog food, which should have lasted until the end of the term, was already gone.

With such an appetite, even someone as slow as Longbottom would have realized something was wrong by now.

To figure out where all that food was going, John cast an Invisibility Charm on himself and followed Tom.

Tom didn't notice John, but instead met up with a sneaky Crookshanks, and the two headed off together.

The cat and dog were surprisingly harmonious, with Crookshanks clearly being the brains of the operation, and Tom serving as the loyal sidekick.

John tailed them all the way to the Whomping Willow.

With an expression that screamed disbelief, John watched as Crookshanks expertly placed a paw on the knot at the base of the tree, freezing it in place.

"Is this cat turning into some kind of magical being?"

John had needed an entire month to figure out that weakness, yet this cat knew it too.

Taking advantage of the frozen Whomping Willow, Tom dashed inside.

Then something even more absurd happened—Crookshanks stayed behind, seemingly standing guard.

John wanted to follow, but unfortunately, Crookshanks was sitting right at the entrance of the tunnel.

After a while, Tom came back out.

The dog food on her had disappeared, and John's eyes narrowed.

Were these two little creatures secretly keeping something in the Shrieking Shack?

How did they even know about this tunnel?

Questions filled John's mind, and he decided to investigate the situation himself.

Crookshanks was incredibly clever. Before leaving, it even doubled back, as if to make sure no one was following.

"Is this what they mean by pets resembling their owners?" John thought, impressed by the cat's intelligence.

He guessed Crookshanks must have inherited Hermione's smarts—basically a "Hermione of cats."

But as the saying goes, the higher the road, the more cunning the magic. Using a heightened sensory spell, John confirmed that Crookshanks was really gone, and he proceeded to the tunnel under the Whomping Willow.

Following the passage, John once again entered the Shrieking Shack.

Now that he thought about it, it had been a while since he last came here.

Ever since testing Malfoy, he had gradually forgotten about this place.

The eerie atmosphere of the Shrieking Shack remained the same as ever. John walked further inside.

A single piece of dog food on the floor caught his attention. He leaned down to inspect it.

His hand instinctively moved to his wand as he glanced around cautiously.

"Who's there? You think you can hide?" he muttered, tapping the furniture in the room with his wand, looking for any hidden presence.

"Yeah! I can see you! Get out! Tsk. Always worked while playing hide and seek."

"Revealio!"

Nothing unusual appeared.

"Strange," he mumbled.

After another thorough search, there was nothing else but that piece of dog food.

John turned and left.

Not long after he departed, under the tree outside the Shrieking Shack, a head popped out from a hole resembling a dog den.

"What a clever little wizard. If it weren't for my keen sense of smell, I might have been caught."

On Sirius Black's dog-like face appeared a very human expression of lingering fear. After becoming an Animagus, one inherits certain abilities.

His gift was an extraordinary sense of smell, far beyond that of an ordinary dog. While the Disillusionment Charm could hide a body, it couldn't conceal scent.

For Sirius, this heightened sense of smell was what gave him the confidence to evade the many Aurors hunting him.

The Shrieking Shack was no longer a safe spot for now—Sirius needed to relocate.

Last time Sirius had snuck to the Quidditch pitch to watch Harry, it ended with Dementors chasing him. Since then, Sirius didn't dare risk approaching Harry again.

Luckily, he had two friends willing to help. Once they found the right moment to capture that person, Sirius could finally take action.

A flash of anger and hatred crossed the face of the large black dog as Sirius dug the hole a little deeper.

This would help him avoid being caught during the search.

...

John, in fact, had doubled back to the Shrieking Shack, but unfortunately, he didn't find anything.

Since the Shrieking Shack wasn't within the range of the Marauder's Map, he couldn't rely on it to track what was happening there.

Upon returning to Hogwarts, John bumped into Lupin.

He gave a nod of greeting, intending to move on.

But just as he turned around, a gust of wind whooshed past his ears.

John quickly turned his head, only to find a wand pointed right at his face.

"Professor Lupin, are you planning to murder a student at Hogwarts?"

There were only the two of them in the corridor, and Lupin's eyes carried a look of inquiry as he asked, "Why didn't you dodge?"

John had been unnervingly calm, a reaction quite unlike that of a third-year student.

Even seasoned Aurors wouldn't stay this composed with a wand aimed directly at their forehead.

Hearing the question, John smiled faintly and said, "Because I'm not afraid."

Lupin seemed a bit surprised. "Oh?"

John shrugged and replied, "No one would be foolish enough to commit murder inside the castle~"

It was a confident and logical reason.

Lupin lowered his wand, offering an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I mistook you for Sirius Black in disguise. You know, after Black broke into the castle last time..."

"I understand. I just came back from outside the castle," John responded, seemingly unsurprised by the situation.

He then added, with a meaningful tone, "As long as it's not about murder, everything's fine, right?"

Lupin looked at John with confusion. Murder?

Switching gears, John asked, "I heard that you were also a student at Hogwarts, Professor Lupin. You must know a lot about this place, right?"

Lupin nodded modestly. "I know a few things."

"Well then, Professor, do you happen to know about any murders that occurred within Hogwarts?" John asked, staring directly into Lupin's eyes.

"You.. You are talking about Moaning Myr—"

"No, professor. In my second year, we already know that Myrtle was killed by the Basilisk. What I'm talking about is a murder~ You surely can understand what I mean."

Lupin's pupils contracted for a split second, as he recalled an absurd incident from his own past.

If James hadn't intervened that day, he might have committed a terrible mistake.

But within that brief moment, Lupin quickly regained his composure, pretending to ask casually, "Why are you asking about such things?"

Catching that fleeting change, John smiled and said, "I've been looking into the history of Hogwarts, hoping to compile it into a collection of stories. There's nothing more gripping than tales of murder."

His words were flawless, but Lupin had a vague feeling that John might know something more.

Watching John closely, Lupin nodded and turned to leave.

As the two walked away from each other, the same thought crossed their minds simultaneously.

"This guy is suspicious."

...

Lupin's words had hidden probing intentions. Though he couldn't figure out what connection John might have with Johnny Silverhand, he could tell John wasn't as simple as he appeared on the surface.

John's calmness in the face of a wand pointed at him, along with his subtly pointed remarks, all seemed to hint at something extraordinary.

Meanwhile, John also confirmed one thing: there indeed had been a murder attempt at Hogwarts related to Lupin.

Whether that murder was successful or not, it was somehow connected to Lupin.

Both of them had their own thoughts, and after that round of testing each other, neither had gained the upper hand.

Later, John went to the Constellation Society's secret chamber.

John's Runes had leveled up.

Level 5 Runes, which he had upgraded on his own, saving him from using an ability point.

With two level 5 skills, John felt his understanding of magic had deepened even further.

The long-unused Silver Wick Sword lay on the table as John worked to strengthen its enchantments.

"Wounds caused by the Silver Wick Sword are difficult to heal."

He added a Severing Curse to it, a curse that regular magic wouldn't be able to undo.

John also inscribed some Runes, establishing a connection between himself and the Silver Wick Sword.

"In times of danger, this sword will come to my aid."

He held the sword in his right hand, extending it forward. However, less than half a minute later, he had to put it down.

The defect in his right hand still remained, leaving him with no choice but to wield the sword with his left hand.

After sheathing the sword and stowing it back into his small satchel, John resumed brewing the potion to repair his soul.

One Dementor's soul was only enough for three doses. Once he finished this batch, he would need to catch more Dementors.

Last time, he had alarmed the Aurors, and it would likely be more difficult to make a return trip there.

Fortunately, John had an idea: if he couldn't capture Dementors outside of Hogwarts, perhaps those in Hogsmeade Village would be an easier target.

The Ministry of Magic was on high alert, heavily guarding against Sirius Black. Hogsmeade was under constant surveillance, and there was no escaping it.

With a plan in mind, John used the secret passage through the One-Eyed Hunchback Witch to leave.

After arriving at Honeydukes, he used a Disillusionment Charm to sneak out.

Hogsmeade at night was deserted, save for the Dementors roaming around like lost souls.

There were also a few Aurors, but they wouldn't be much of a problem.

John quickly set his sights on a lone Dementor.

_________

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Chapter 147: 147: The Sour Stink of Love

Quidditch is an intense and thrilling game.

Maybe it's due to wizards having different physical traits than Muggles, but this game has no time limit.

As long as the Golden Snitch isn't caught, the game will continue. It's said that the longest Quidditch match once lasted three months.

John understood this as: in Quidditch, the match won't end as long as nobody dies on the team due to over-exertion, much like how he was watching the green and blue figures clashing in the sky.

Slytherin vs. Ravenclaw.

Although Ravenclaw doesn't have much of a presence, their team is consistently strong.

The Eagles are known for their clever minds, and they have excellent strategies and technique.

But against the Slytherins with their high-end equipment, they still fall a bit short.

Ravenclaw's Seeker is a fourth-year, Cho Chang. Her skills are quite good, but she still has some gap to close with Malfoy.

The main issue is that she can't catch up to Malfoy, although her refined flying technique keeps her from falling behind.

But none of that really mattered.

John looked at Cho Chang's face, both unfamiliar and friendly. She had talent but the Slytherin team's brooms were outstanding, not to mention that Malfoy was more mature after becoming a member of the Constellation Soci—!

"Watch out!"

Cedric's heart nearly leaped into his throat.

Earlier, Malfoy had rather unsportingly crashed into Cho Chang, almost making her lose control and fall.

John glanced at Cedric, he had initially thought Cedric was just there to cheer of Draco as a member of the Constellattion Society, but it turned out he was actually pining for her!

Tsk, shameless!

This guy's eyes were practically glued to her.

But to be fair, Cho Chang was quite pretty. When she was still, she had the typical elegance of an Eastern lady—gentle and charming.

On a broomstick, though, she was a little eagle soaring through the sky, valiant and graceful.

No wonder Cedric was utterly captivated.

From the way he looked, as if he wished he could jump in himself to save her, John figured that once the match was over, Malfoy would likely receive a good beating?

The Quidditch styles of the four houses were distinct, too.

Gryffindor's was the bold, adaptable style.

Hufflepuff's was all about skill and endurance.

Ravenclaw's focused on meticulous tactics.

Slytherin, though, was different; they specialized in pay-to-win and dirty tricks!

As a Slytherin player, it seemed every one of them had a trick or two up their sleeve.

Like Flint with his sneaky trick, smacking down opponents one by one.

And then there's Malfoy with his reckless charges—if you didn't know better, you'd think he was a Beater.

This team could be described as a squad of rogues.

Ravenclaw was like a group of scholars facing off against unruly thugs; no matter how fine their tactics, they couldn't match the constant fouls.

In the end, Slytherin narrowly defeated Ravenclaw.

"John! Didn't I told you we would win! Oh Diggory is also here—Eh?"

Malfoy strutted over proudly, but Cedric went right past him, heading over to comfort Cho Chang.

What exactly he said, John didn't know, but he definitely overheard "Draco Malfoy" at least three times, and words like "dirty" and "despicable" more than ten times.

"What the.."

Malfoy's face darkened.

They were all part of the Constellation Society; if Cedric wasn't going to congratulate him, he could at least avoid putting him down.

John stepped forward, patted Malfoy on the shoulder, and said with a hint of amusement, "Does your father know you play this dirty?"

He had a feeling that if Malfoy brought a saw to the game, he wouldn't hesitate to saw off his opponent's broomstick.

"?" Malfoy was baffled.

Playing dirty?

Wasn't this the Slytherin way?

His father had even bragged about putting a Gryffindor in the hospital wing back in his day.

As they say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

...

February was fast approaching.

John was still waiting for the storm, but in the meantime, he wrote a letter to Nagini.

Because she'd been a snake for so long, Nagini needed time to recuperate. Her left hand and right leg had both been affected by the transformation, and it would likely take over a year to fully heal.

From her words, John could tell how relieved she was to finally be able to return to human form.

When John first discovered her, Nagini was nearly fully consumed by the transformation.

John was also considering how to arrange Nagini's life moving forward. She wasn't a Muggle, but she wasn't exactly a witch, either.

She'd fought before, but always by using blood magic to turn into a snake.

She hadn't received any systematic training in magic.

She wouldn't be suited for security roles, but another idea came to John's mind that might be a better fit.

"Come to think of it, Johnny Silverhand could use a secretary~"

After taking over the Knockturn Alley business from the Shafiq family, John's operations had expanded significantly.

He'd even opened a bookstore in Diagon Alley, so managing everything on his own was impossible.

Eventually, he would need to delegate some of the business, and Nagini seemed like a good option.

One regret was that Kim Ladislay was only working as a seasonal hire and had left before the school term began.

He was a great guy, and John had been interested in helping him develop.

The security team had expanded, now reaching a strength of twenty members.

Tommy was still the captain, with two sub-captains appointed to assist in management.

John also planned to establish a Knockturn Alley Strike Squad specifically to deal with unruly dark wizards.

This project hadn't started yet.

The last crackdown by Fudge on Johnny Silverhand's exclusive shops did have some impact, with several Ministry officials now viewing Sir Johnny Silverhand with an added layer of caution.

At this critical juncture, forming a Knockturn Alley Strike Squad might be too much for the Ministry to handle.

Since Rufus Scrimgeour temporarily took over as Acting Minister for Magic, he had maintained respect toward John, though it was slightly less reverent than before.

John understood this, but it was no concern; that's just how alliances work.

Those you help to power tend to fear your influence the most.

Just as Dumbledore held sway over Fudge, Johnny Silverhand occupied a similar place in Rufus Scrimgeour's mind.

"As long as he does his job well, I don't mind either."

John glanced at the Daily Prophet; Rufus Scrimgeour had been active in the press.

He was working to solidify his position and win public support.

Until he dealt with Sirius Black, he couldn't fully secure the role of Minister for Magic and therefore wouldn't dare show any disrespect to Johnny Silverhand.

"Hmm.. If Sirius Black's target is Harry, where would he be hiding?"

After some thought, John suspected that Sirius Black might still be hiding within Hogwarts.

He had once been a student at Hogwarts, which meant he might know about secret passages the Marauder's Map couldn't display.

The Marauder's Map wasn't omnipotent; some locations couldn't be detected on it.

For example, the Room of Requirement and the Chamber of Secrets, as well as John's Constellation Society's secret room, which he had magically shielded to keep off the map.

Excluding those areas, there was also the Shrieking Shack.

John had visited it before and had gone a few more times since, but still hadn't found anything.

However, he stayed cautious, placing a spell on the Shrieking Shack so that if anyone entered, he'd be notified.

Time quickly passed, and February arrived.

It had become more challenging for John to capture Dementors, as the Ministry had caught on to someone deliberately targeting them, so they had Aurors leading patrols now.

This was the first time John had come back empty-handed.

In the castle, even before Valentine's Day, there was already an unmistakable smell of romance in the air.

Daphne casually moved closer to John, her cheeks tinged with a delicate blush, looking especially lovely.

Her looks weren't of the sweet variety but more of a highborn elegance, with a sharp chin and finely shaped features befitting a young lady of distinction.

She was already beautiful and captivating, even without her features fully matured. When she grew up, who knew how many hearts she'd break?

"John, Valentine's Day is coming up," she murmured, her earlobes turning red as she tried to sound casual. "I wonder how many people will confess to you this time."

At the mention of Valentine's Day, John's expression darkened.

Last year's Valentine's Day had left him with no fond memories.

Lockhart's ridiculous stunts were chaotic enough to be considered outrageous even at Hogwarts.

The thought gave him a bit of a psychological shadow, as he wondered whether Lupin would pull any of Lockhart's flashy stunts this year.

Daphne, too nervous to look John in the face, missed the strange expression on his face.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she continued, "I've been learning how to make chocolates recently, so if you'd like, I could…"

Before she could finish, she caught a glimpse of John's horrified expression out of the corner of her eye.

She nearly choked, holding back the words, and stomped angrily on John's foot before storming off in a huff.

John rubbed his now sore right foot, feeling even more relieved that he wouldn't have to eat Daphne's homemade chocolates.

After all, too much of that sort of thing was hard on the stomach.

Even a stomach of iron wouldn't survive Daphne's relentless culinary assaults.

Daphne's cooking had three prominent features: color, aroma, and taste…

The color was.. charcoal.

John couldn't taste—Probably a good thing in this case.

And the smell was like cow dung—it was the kind of horror that made one's skin crawl.

Watching Daphne's retreating figure, John sighed, "Daphne's a great girl…"

"As long as she doesn't cook that is."

He turned his gaze to the courtyard, where Cedric and Cho Chang were chatting and laughing, their relationship seemingly progressing quickly. The atmosphere was thick with the stench of young love.

On the other side, it was the same story—Draco Malfoy was relentlessly pursuing (?), or rather antagonizing, Harry, constantly provoking him with ghostly antics and throwing in jabs about Ron being a guy who only knew how to munch on chicken legs.

"That kid's definitely crushing on him."

Taking it all in, John commented with a blank expression.

Whether Harry owed him money or had somehow tricked him emotionally, the level of dedication Draco showed by provoking him every single day was almost admirable in its persistence.

Harry, having just gotten his Firebolt back, didn't even want to bother with Malfoy's taunts.

He just glared coldly.

The next day.

Harry, riding his Firebolt, gave a stunning performance and crushed Ravenclaw.

He was hoisted up and cheered on by the crowd.

Meanwhile, Cedric ran over to comfort Cho Chang.

________

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