Money isn't everything, but it's undeniable that it motivates many actions, even in the wizarding world. John had quickly acquired the necessary materials for his Animagus transformation—a delicate box filled with mandrake leaves. With the arrival of the first full moon, he would be ready to begin the process.
As he pondered this, John remembered that Professor Lupin, afflicted with lycanthropy, would soon undergo his transformation. Given Lupin's condition, it was unlikely he would attend class in his werewolf form, despite the availability of Wolfsbane Potion.
As expected, Professor Snape stood in for Lupin in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. "I'm sorry I'm late, Professor Lupin, I..." John trailed off, confused upon noticing Harry's tardy entrance.
"This lesson began ten minutes ago, Potter. That will be ten points from Gryffindor. Please, take your seat," Snape announced from the podium. His tone was calm, yet it carried an unmistakable edge of sarcasm.
Harry, however, remained standing, his gaze fixed on Snape. "Where's Professor Lupin?" he inquired.
"He's feeling unwell today and couldn't attend," Snape replied, his grin carrying a sinister undertone. No student had ever dared to challenge his authority like this. His patience wearing thin, he sternly told Harry, "I believe I told you to sit down."
Harry pondered Snape's words, recalling Snape's apparent desire to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts and the mysterious potion he had seen Snape give Lupin. It almost seemed as if Snape had poisoned Lupin. Unmoved, Harry pressed, "What happened to him?"
"No life is in danger," Snape snapped, his patience exhausted. Despite his words, there was a hint of anticipation in his demeanor. "Five more points from Gryffindor. If I have to tell you to sit down a third time, it will be another five points."
Harry finally made his way to his seat, while John couldn't help but smirk. Despite his harsh exterior, Snape had responded to each of Harry's questions.
Snape surveyed the class with a frosty demeanor. "Before Potter interrupted, I was about to discuss the lack of records left by Professor Lupin regarding your previous lessons..."
"I'm sorry, sir, but we've covered Boggarts, Red Caps, Kappas, and Grindylows," Hermione interjected, eager to demonstrate their progress before quickly adding, "We were about to start learning..."
"Silence. I didn't ask for your input," Snape cut her off, his tone even colder. He expressed his dissatisfaction with Lupin's teaching methods, prompting Dean Thomas to attempt to speak up in Lupin's defense. However, a single glare from Snape silenced him.
John shook his head, amused by his classmates' bravery. It seemed they hadn't noticed Snape's growing irritation. To quell the brewing unrest, John coughed softly, and the class gradually fell silent. Looking up at Snape, he smiled and encouraged, "Please, continue."
Snape returned the look with a penetrating gaze before announcing, "Today, we'll discuss werewolves." His eyes briefly flickered to John as he added, "Mr. Wick, perhaps you could enlighten us?"
The textbook in front of John flipped open to page 394, the chapter on werewolves. Snape, with a hint of laziness in his voice, asked, "How can one differentiate a werewolf from a true wolf?"
It was unusual for Snape to directly engage John, especially with Lupin absent and the topic so closely related to his condition. Sensing the significance, John seized the opportunity. "There are subtle differences between werewolves and true wolves, including the shape of their pupils, noses, and tails," he explained.
John answered effortlessly, earning ten points for his response. Snape continued to quiz him on various aspects of werewolves, with John answering each question accurately. Hermione watched from a distance, her frustration evident. Her hand remained raised throughout the class, yet she was consistently overlooked. This oversight irked Ron, prompting him to voice his dissatisfaction loudly, "You've asked so many questions, and she knows the answers! If you're only going to acknowledge John, why not just award him 50 points directly?" Snape's reaction was swift and menacing. He approached Ron with a quick stride, bringing his face uncomfortably close. The surrounding students held their breath, marveling at Ron's audacity. Snape's whisper was soft, almost soothing, yet carried an unmistakable threat, "Shut up, Weasley!" After delivering his command, Snape straightened up and surveyed the room. His gaze alone was enough to make everyone retract any thoughts of protest. The lesson seemed exclusively tailored for John, turning into a peculiar duet of queries and responses between him and Snape. It became apparent that Snape was unusually focused on John, bombarding him with questions about werewolves, his eyes almost pleading for John to expose Lupin's secret identity. John fought the urge to facepalm. It wasn't as if he was unaware of Lupin's condition, but Snape's overt hints were unnecessary.
After the interrogation phase, Snape shifted the focus to extracting knowledge about werewolves. He placed another piece of parchment before John, who glanced at his previous attempt, now lost in thought. "John Wick, your handwriting is atrocious. Rewrite it," Snape instructed, his tone leisurely yet firm. John's internal monologue was a mix of frustration and disbelief. He understood Snape's insinuations but found the method overbearing. Despite feeling wronged, John complied and began rewriting.
The end of the class was signaled by the bell, bringing a collective sigh of relief. Snape, however, had one last directive. His wand casually rested on the term 'werewolf' written in a textbook as he announced, "Everyone is to write an essay on identifying and dealing with werewolves, filling two rolls of parchment." He then turned to John, lowering his voice for emphasis, "John Wick, you will submit four." John's frustration was palpable. He wanted to argue that he was already well-versed in the subject, but Snape seemed indifferent to his silent protest, setting the deadline for Monday morning.
Ron, still seething from being ignored earlier, found a silver lining in not being singled out for additional homework. However, his relief was short-lived as Snape called him out just as he was about to leave with the others. Ron's legs turned to jelly, and he could only muster a weak plea for help from Harry and Hermione, who could offer nothing but sympathetic glances. Ultimately, Ron was tasked with cleaning the school hospital's urinals without the aid of magic, a punishment that left him fantasizing about retribution against Snape.
That night, John gazed at the sky, mindful of the approaching full moon. He made his way to the secret room, a place overlooked by the dementors during their last search. Inside, he confronted a new dementor, wielding his wand in one hand and summoning his patronus, an albatross, to repel the creature. Before him were two bottles: one containing a silver-white essence, the other black. After a moment's hesitation, John chose the black substance, pondering its potential to separate souls. The dementor, if it could be said to possess a body, was essentially a curse intertwined with despair. John pressed his hand against the black substance, absorbing it and forming a dark orb. He then extracted the darkness, weaving it around the dementor like spider silk, ultimately consuming the creature's tattered cloak. John observed the scene before him with narrowed eyes, a hint of curiosity mingling with his usual stoicism. "Cannibalism?" he mused aloud, his gaze fixed on the orb in his grasp. With a deliberate motion, he retrieved a ring from his pocket. The ring, adorned with emerald green gemstones, seemed to pulsate with a life of its own as he held it out. "Come forth," he commanded softly.
As if drawn by an invisible force, the darkness from the orb began to migrate towards the ring. The blackness seeped into the emerald, marring its purity with sinister, spiderweb-like traces. "We shall name this the Soul Eater Curse," John declared, a sense of grim satisfaction in his voice.
Slipping the ring onto the ring finger of his right hand, he flexed his fingers, feeling the newfound power coursing through him. His attention then shifted to a dementor nearby, noticeably weaker than its counterparts. With a swift motion, John extended his hand towards the creature. Layers of black energy peeled away from the dementor and surged into the ring. The creature let out a piercing shriek, its essence stripped away until nothing but a mass of unconscious souls remained.
The transformation of the ring and the subsequent defeat of the dementor showcased not only John's ingenuity but also his deep understanding of dark magic. His actions, though seemingly ruthless, were calculated and precise, revealing a man who was not afraid to delve into the shadows to achieve his goals.
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If you are tired of reading I also have this converted to an audio novel on my youtube
https://www.youtube.com/@NovelAudioForge/featured
Direct Link to playlist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_Hg-qsW4rM&list=PLKskshYG-OcPTR4-Nw7IWFEBZm07D8pBV&ab_channel=NovelAudioForge