Harry Potter: The Golden Viper

0250 The Owlery

Remus knew that he had to be careful with his words. He could not afford to let anyone know that Sirius Black, the notorious mass murderer, was hiding in the office. 

In order to prevent his letter from being intercepted by anyone, Remus did not write anything related to Sirius in the letter. He wrote subtly:

I apologize for disturbing you and your family during Christmas, Bryan. Do you remember the house-elf named Tom? It suddenly came back to me and shared some very surprising secrets. I can't tell if they are true or not, but it told me that you know those things are true. So, could you please come back as soon as possible and talk to me?

Even though he was still in the weakened period of his werewolf transformation, He walked briskly down the stairs, avoiding the students and teachers who were enjoying their lunch in the Great Hall. He made his way to the West Tower, where the owlery was located. 

Along the way, he repeatedly thought about what might be missing in this short letter, so that if it fell into the hands of others, it would not be associated with Sirius Black.

Reaching the bottom of the tower on the eighth floor of the West Tower, Remus leaned against the rough stone wall, panting. Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his pale cheeks.

Despite feeling incredibly exhausted, Remus felt a surge of generous enthusiasm rising from the depths of his heart as he looked through the arched window and gazed at the undulating white forest.

Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew were ultimately different. 

One minute later, Remus, having rested, straightened his back and finally saw the circular stone house after passing through a narrow spiral staircase.

The owlery was a circular stone house with a domed roof. It had several windows, but none of them had glass. They were left open for the owls to come and go as they pleased. This made the shed very cold, especially on a winter day like this. The floor was covered with straw, owl droppings, and owl regurgitated mouse bones. The smell was unpleasant and nauseating. Remus wrinkled his nose and tried to ignore it.

Sirius was still unconscious in the office. Although without a wand, he couldn't break the spells that Bryan and himself had cast to seal the office. But in the current situation, Remus couldn't feel at ease without keeping an eye on him.

There were dozens of owls in the shed, of different sizes, colors, and breeds. Some of them belonged to the school, and some of them belonged to the students. They were perched on wooden shelves that lined the walls, or on metal bars that hung from the ceiling. They looked at Remus with curiosity, or indifference, or annoyance.

Remus scanned the owls, looking for one that was fast and reliable. He spotted a brown barn owl that he recognized as one of the school owls. It was sitting on a high perch, near the door. It looked alert and ready to fly. Remus decided to use it. He walked towards it, holding the envelope in his hand. 

But before he could reach the owl, something unexpected happened. As he entered the shed, he startled the owls that were near him. They flapped their wings and flew up into the air, creating a commotion. They hooted loudly and angrily, as if they were protesting his intrusion. 

But that was not the worst part. In the midst of the chaos, he heard a noise that made his blood run cold. It was the sound of human voices, coming from the shadows, in the innermost part of the owlery. He turned his head and saw three figures standing up, behind several collapsed shelves. They had been hiding there, and he had not noticed them. They looked as surprised and scared as he was. They faced him, with stiff and pale faces, wearing extremely unnatural expressions.

Draco Malfoy, Gregory Goyle, and Vincent Crabbe-these were third-year students from Snape's house. 

Remus raised an eyebrow, and he subconsciously wanted to hide the envelope behind his back, but he suddenly came to his senses and realized that they were just three students. Immediately, he chuckled at himself in his mind and stopped the small movement in his hand.

"What are you here for–" Before Lupin could even greet them, Malfoy asked first in a dry and impolite tone.

Malfoy's tone was disrespectful and rude, but Remus was not surprised. As a seasoned wizard who had been in the Wizarding world for nearly twenty years, he had noticed Malfoy's disdain and contempt for him since he joined the school. It was only natural for the descendant of the Malfoy family, known for their wealth and shrewdness in the magical world, to look down on a poor and destitute wizard.

"Ah, it's you three--" Remus did not let Malfoy's attitude affect him. He was used to being treated poorly by people like him. He had faced worse things in his life. He smiled and said, "I thought this was the place to send letters, Mr. Malfoy."

Lupin shook the envelope in his hand and said, "And I happen to have a letter that needs to be sent."

"To whom?" Malfoy asked again.

This question was too rude, and even the good-tempered Remus frowned slightly upon hearing it.

"It's for Professor Watson, Mr. Malfoy. He went back to spend Christmas with his family, and I happen to have something urgent to discuss with him--"

However, after a brief moment of thought, Lupin still answered the question. He looked at Malfoy, who had a blank expression, and the two big guys beside him, and suddenly felt a slight movement in his heart.

The night before, during a casual conversation, Bryan had mentioned Malfoy. The reason for discussing Malfoy was because after that 'Practical' class, Malfoy had suffered from the cold violence of the Slytherin wizards due to his unexpected performance in class. Bryan thought that Malfoy would quickly overcome the embarrassing situation, but later he learned from Snape that Malfoy seemed to be unable to recover.

Bryan hoped to help Malfoy, but Snape repeatedly advised him not to try to change the rules within Slytherin, which made Bryan somewhat resentful.

Thinking of this, looking at the lifeless young wizard in front of him, Lupin's eyes suddenly showed a hint of sympathy, and his voice became softer.

"So, what are you doing here then? Oh, please don't misunderstand, I don't mean to pry into your secrets. I just think you should spend Christmas in a more cheerful way, gentlemen. I happen to know that Professor McGonagall is preparing a small banquet in the Great Hall at noon. If you don't have anything important to do, I suggest you go and take a look. After all, a sizzling steak and the delicious pudding are much more pleasing to the eye than the stinky owlery, aren't they?"

He smiled and tried to sound friendly and casual. He hoped that Malfoy would take his advice, and join the other students in the Great Hall. 

But his hopes were dashed. His long speech did not seem to have any effect on Malfoy and the others. They did not smile back, or nod, or say anything. They just stood there, staring at him, as if they were on guard against him. 

'This was strange. Why did these three little guys insist on staying in the Owlery?' 

"We're not hungry–" Just as Lupin's inquisitive gaze fell on the faces of Malfoy and the others, and before he could ask them anything, Crabbe suddenly pulled out a piece of lamb chop that had been gnawed beyond recognition from behind him. He said, in a muffled and gruff voice, 

"We've already eaten."

Remus felt a surge of absurdity and amusement. He could not believe what he was seeing and hearing. He could not understand how a student could be so rude and foolish. 

He said, in a sarcastic and incredulous tone, "Oh, interesting. Are you having a feast in the Owlery?!"

He looked at the lamb chop, which was greasy and bloody, and smelled of meat and fire. He looked at the Owlery, which was cold and dirty, and smelled of straw and dung. He looked at Crabbe, who was holding the lamb chop, and looked like a savage and a beast.

He wanted to say more things. But, Perhaps tired of Lupin's entanglement, Malfoy bluntly said, "This has nothing to do with you, Professor Lupin!"

Being disliked to this extent, Lupin finally felt unhappy. He nodded, giving up on the idea of trying to enlighten these three rebellious young wizards, and quickly found a reliable-looking school owl. He stuffed the envelope into the owl's claw and whispered, "This is urgent, please deliver it as soon as possible, at least bring back a reply."

Watching the owl's figure gradually turn into a black dot in the high sky until it was no longer visible, Lupin breathed a sigh of relief and withdrew his gaze.

"Well then–"

Lupin looked at Malfoy, who looked like a wooden stake. 

"I'll take my leave. I wish you a Merry Christmas–"

Because he was afraid that something might go wrong in the office, after leaving these words, Lupin turned around and left without noticing the hint of fear and pleading in Malfoy's gray eyes.

The owls here were already familiar with Malfoy and the others. After Lupin left, many owls landed back on the ground and leisurely pecked at the sparse grass seeds in the fluffy straw.

'What exactly happened to Lupin that made him write a letter to Bryan Watson in such a hurry on Christmas Day?'

A few minutes later, when everything returned to normal, a mouse with a missing right index finger silently appeared on Malfoy's shoulder--

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