6kv Chapter 279 Lupin's Outburst
Chapter 279 Lupin's Outburst
Chapter 279 Lupin's Outburst (5.2K) (1/2)
Lynch approached the hippogriff with unhurried steps and without the slightest hesitation.
The hippogriff initially took a half-step back warily, letting out a threatening growl, its sharp eagle eyes fixed on the human in front of it.
Its animal instincts allowed it to sense the unusual aura emanating from the human before it.
As Lynch approached, the invisible pressure it sensed through its animal instincts grew stronger, transforming it from a simple feeling of being offended into a tinge of instinctive fear of a deeper danger.
However, when Lynch stepped into what it considered its "final warning line," its fear reached its peak, and its proud nature also made it unable to bear the humiliation.
It raised its eagle head and let out a sharp cry. Its huge and powerful wings spread out and its entire forebody stood upright. Its sharp front claws, capable of tearing through steel, whistled through the air as it prepared to slash down at Lin Qi!
Lupin, standing behind, cried out in alarm, his wand instantly rising: "Watch out!"
But in that split second, Lin Qi calmly raised his right hand, his five fingers slightly spread, and made a grasping motion towards the winged hippogriff, whispering four words: "Soul-stealing and life-taking."
Invisible ripples seemed to spread through the air, and the next second, the hippogriff's movements suddenly froze!
It maintained its ferocious posture, standing upright with its claws poised to strike, yet it seemed as if it were instantly bound, pulled, and fixed from all directions by countless invisible, incredibly strong ropes! Its wings could not fully unfold, its raised hooves were suspended in mid-air, and even the cry in its throat was choked, leaving only disbelief, horror, and struggle in its orange eagle eyes.
It has become a living statue full of power yet completely imprisoned, with only slightly trembling muscles showing that it is struggling against the invisible constraints.
The entire process was silent, without flashes of light or incantations, only absolute control.
Lynch then slowly turned around, looking at Lupin, who was still shaken and holding his wand but unsure where to point it. His tone remained calm: "Sometimes, when faced with something unreasonable, you need to take more direct measures. That way, it'll quiet down, won't it?"
Lupin looked at the hippogriff, which was completely subdued and unable to utter a sound, and then at Lin Qi, who looked completely calm. His throat went dry.
He slowly lowered his wand. Although he had witnessed this once before on the Hogwarts Express before the start of the school year, his assessment of his colleague's danger level rose several notches again.
Lupin looked at the hippogriff, whose muscles were trembling from straining and could only manage intermittent roars from its throat, and managed to squeeze out a sentence: "This method—I'm afraid it depends on the person." The implication was that this method of directly subduing a dangerous creature of XXXX level was definitely not something an ordinary wizard could do.
Lin Qi remained noncommittal, simply making a gesture of raising his head.
The winged, hippogriff-like creature, bound by the "Soul-Snatching" spell and unable to move, floated stiffly as if pulled by invisible threads, hovering half a foot above the ground, silently following behind Lin Qi like a strange piece of luggage.
The two set off in silence once again, but this time, there was an unresistable "prisoner" in the team, making the atmosphere slightly heavy.
They walked across the damp meadow toward Hagrid's hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Upon arriving at the cabin, they found the wooden door locked and the windows dark; Hagrid's massive figure was nowhere to be seen.
Clearly, as Professor McGonagall had said before, he was still deep in the Forbidden Forest calming his potentially frightened "treasures".
They did not linger, but continued deeper into the Forbidden Forest, following the well-trodden path Hagrid often took, toward the area where the hippogriffs were fed.
The further you go in, the dimmer the light becomes, and the taller and denser the surrounding trees grow.
Not long after, Hagrid’s distinctive, anxious, gruff voice came from ahead.
"—Wait, one's missing! Buckbeak! Where did Buckbeak go?!"
In a relatively open clearing in the woods, Hagrid was waving his pink umbrella, anxiously weaving through and counting the number of a dozen or so hippogriffs that were either pacing or lying down.
His enormous figure stood out conspicuously among the beasts, and his face was filled with worry.
Just then, Lynch's calm voice sounded behind him: "Looking for something, Hagrid?"
Hagrid whirled around, his bearded face instantly lighting up with a mixture of surprise and delight: "Professor Lynch! Professor Lupin! What are you doing—Buckbeak!"
His gaze was immediately drawn to the stiff, chestnut-colored figure floating behind the two of them.
His massive body practically lunged at me.
Lin Qi didn't speak, but simply waved his hand forward.
Bakpik, bound by the "Soul-Snatching" spell, floated steadily in front of Hagrid.
Immediately afterwards, Lin Qi quietly loosened his five fingers, and the invisible and intangible rope instantly disappeared.
The moment the spell was lifted, Buckbeak's stiff body lost its levitation power and landed with a "plop" on the soft forest floor.
It did not stand up immediately, but let out a trembling and weak cry. Its massive body slumped to the ground, its eagle head drooping limply, its chest heaving violently, as if it had just experienced a nightmare that had exhausted all its strength and spirit. The lingering fear in its eyes remained.
"Buckbeak! Oh, my child! What happened to you?" Hagrid exclaimed, his heart aching so much that he almost cried. He immediately knelt down and carefully examined Buckbeak's body with his large hands, afraid of finding any terrible wounds.
But he soon discovered that Buckbeak had no external injuries and its feathers were mostly intact.
It was as if all its strength had been drained, and its spirit had been greatly frightened.
"Is it alright? Professor Lynch, what's wrong with it?" Hagrid looked up at Lynch with concern, his voice filled with confusion.
"We found it on the lawn behind the castle. It wouldn't cooperate, so we had to use some force. Don't worry, it's just exhausted and a little frightened," Lin Qi explained succinctly, his tone completely calm.
As if to prove his words, Buckbeak, who had been slumped on the ground, struggled a few times and, with Hagrid's worried gaze and support, shakily stood up again.
But it no longer had its previous arrogance. Instead, it quickly hid behind Hagrid's broad, mountain-like back, peeking out only half its head. With its still fearful orange eyes, it watched Lynch warily, making low, uneasy whimpering sounds.
Clearly, the restriction that had rendered it unable to resist had left a deep psychological scar on it.
Upon hearing Lynch say that Buckbeak was found on the lawn behind the castle, Hagrid quickly asked, his face filled with lingering fear, "It—it didn't cause any trouble, did it? It didn't hurt anyone, did it?"
Lupin picked up the conversation at the opportune moment, reassuringly saying in a gentle tone, "No, Hagrid, don't worry. Professor Snape discovered it first, and Professor Lynch acted in time, subduing it before it could cause any trouble." Lupin carefully considered his words, choosing a relatively neutral statement and omitting the unpleasant details.
Hagrid breathed a huge sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from his brow with his filthy handkerchief, and explained, "That's good, that's good—Buckbeak, it's quite sensitive. All those Dementors must have scared it. It's usually very well-behaved—"
Just then, Lynch seemed to remember something and spoke casually, his gaze calmly fixed on Hagrid's face: "Buckbeak—that name sounds familiar. Isn't it the hippogriff that injured Draco Malfoy during the Magical Creatures Protection class a while ago?"
Hagrid's relaxed expression froze instantly, replaced by apprehension and unease. He rubbed his hands together, his eyes darting around, before finally hanging his head and muttering, "—Yes, that's it."
After receiving Hagrid's confirmation, Lynch looked at Hagrid, his tone devoid of reproach, yet carrying a pressure that was far greater than any reproach: "So, this is the second time it has crossed the line, Hagrid. We've discussed these things, about boundaries and responsibility."
Hagrid's massive body seemed to hunch slightly. He lowered his head heavily, looking at the muddy tips of his boots, and remained silent for a long while before speaking in a thick, nasal voice, almost choked with emotion: "I—I know. If—if there's a next time—I—I will personally deal with Buckbeak—" He seemed to have used all his strength to say these words, and his beetle-like black eyes filled with tears, which were about to roll down his cheeks.
Seeing his expression, Lynch softened his tone and said, "I'm not asking you to kill it, Hagrid." He paused, looking at Hagrid's face, which had suddenly lifted, filled with disbelief and a glimmer of hope. "What I mean is, if it truly cannot adapt to living with humans, perhaps releasing it back into the wild, far from the castle and all areas of human activity, would be a more suitable option. Maybe your Buckbeak is naturally better suited to surviving in the real, vast wilderness."
What a twist of fate!
Hagrid's sadness was instantly replaced by immense gratitude and relief. He sniffed hard, almost rushing forward to give Lynch a hug: "Oh! Thank you! Professor Lynch! Thank you! You're right! You're right! The wilderness—the vast wilderness—" he murmured, as if he had found the perfect way out for his beloved pet.
After calming Hagrid down, Lynch got back to the point, reminding him, "Don't forget your duty as the gamekeeper, Hagrid. Patrol the border area from the Forbidden Forest to the castle, and see if any other creatures have been frightened by the Dementors and run into the area near the castle, or even sneaked inside. Make sure nothing new happens."
"No problem! Leave it to me! I'll go as soon as I've settled Buckbeak in!" Hagrid readily agreed, full of enthusiasm. He patted his chest, gave Lynch a grateful look, and then turned around to send the unopened car behind him into the group of other hippogriffs.
Lynch and Lupin watched Hagrid's massive figure bustling among the beasts, then exchanged a glance, silently turned, and continued deeper into the Forbidden Forest, toward the magical borders of Hogwarts.
They had more important business to attend to—setting up warning spells to prevent those ominous Dementors from crossing the border again.
In the deep forest, only the faint sound of their footsteps crunching over damp fallen leaves remained, along with the lingering thoughts in Lupin's heart.
The mystery surrounding this colleague is growing ever stronger.
This time, Lupin broke the silence first. Recalling Lynch and Hagrid's conversation, he asked with a hint of inquiry, "Professor Lynch, you just told Hagrid—we discussed these things"? Forgive my intrusion, but what were you discussing—?
Lynch's gaze remained fixed on the winding path ahead, and his answer was clear and direct: "It helped Hagrid realize that he was first and foremost a wizard, a member of the Hogwarts faculty, secondly a professor of Magical Creatures Protection, and only lastly a magician enthusiast. This order determined the priority and manner in which he took on responsibilities."
Upon hearing this, Lupin's face showed a complex emotion, and he said softly, "When many people first see Hagrid, they probably notice his giant-like physique rather than his wizarding nature."
“I’m different from many people,” Lynch’s voice remained steady, yet carried a penetrating quality. “I’m used to looking at things directly to their essence.” As he spoke, his steps didn’t falter, but his gaze seemed to casually sweep over Lupin’s profile. “Just like looking at you, Remus Lupin, in my eyes, you are first and foremost a wizard, not—”
Nothing else. That's why I'm here talking to you.
These words were like a silent thunderclap, exploding in Lupin's ears.
His steps faltered almost imperceptibly, his body stiffening for a moment. He fell silent, as if the surrounding air itself had solidified with his silence. The dense canopy blocked most of the light, leaving only scattered patches of sunlight on his suddenly pale face.
After a long while, just when Lynch thought he wouldn't respond, Lupin spoke again in a deep voice filled with weariness and understanding: "You—you know."
This is not a question, but a statement.
Lynch didn't deny it, speaking in a flat tone as if discussing the weather: "The night Sirius broke into Gryffindor Tower, Scrimgeour arrived with his men, demanding a thorough investigation of everyone's location and movements within the castle. Forced by circumstances, Dumbledore had no choice but to reveal the necessary information to him." He paused briefly, then added, "Scrimgeour's voice—was a little louder then. I heard it."
Lupin suddenly realized that's how it was exposed.
It wasn't that Lynch deliberately investigated; rather, the secret was forced to surface under that chaotic and high-pressure official censorship.
Lynch continued walking forward, as if recounting a trivial matter: "Actually, it wasn't just me. The other professors present, like Professor Flitwick—given his keen perception and position, he must have heard it too." His voice was devoid of emotion, purely narrative. "But you see, they didn't react in any particular way afterward, did they? At Hogwarts, as long as you do your duty as a professor," everything else—isn't that important.
Lupin fell silent again, but this time, his tense shoulders seemed to relax slightly.
Lynch's words seemed to tell him that his secret was, to some extent, an unspoken fact among the core professors, but at the same time, it was a silent assurance that he was still just Professor Remus-Lupin here.
Lupin remained silent for a long time before saying in a low voice, "It seems—I owe everyone a thank you." His voice was filled with complex emotions, including gratitude and embarrassment at having his secret revealed.
Lynch shook his head, his gaze remaining calmly fixed on the secluded forest path ahead. His tone was indifferent yet went straight to the point: "You don't owe them thanks, Professor Lupin. You owe them an explanation."
Upon hearing this, Lupin's face showed utter confusion. He stopped and looked at Lynch with bewilderment: "Explain? I don't understand what you mean, Professor Lynch. What do I need to explain?"
Lynch stopped as well, turning to face Lupin, his gaze seemingly piercing through appearances: "In the faculty common room earlier, I noticed that after Professor Sinestad mentioned Sirius Black's name, you started to seem distracted and absent-minded. It's hard not to draw some conclusions, especially since he had only recently stormed into the castle."
These words acted like a switch, instantly igniting Lupin's suppressed emotions.
"Relationship? You—you're implying I'm connected to Sirius's intrusion?!" His breathing became rapid, his chest heaving. "I swear to you, in Merlin's name, and with my respect for James and Lily, his arrival has absolutely nothing to do with me! I know nothing about it!"
His voice grew louder and louder, but his anger was quickly overwhelmed by a deeper, more tearing pain, as if a wound that had hardened for twelve years had been suddenly ripped open and became a bloody mess again.
"You think I'd help him? That traitor? The murderer who killed my best friends?!" Lupin's eyes burned with the flames of pain, his voice trembling with extreme emotion. "James—James was like a brother to me! Lily—they trusted him so much, they entrusted him with the position of Secretkeeper! And what did he do? He betrayed them! He personally handed them over to Voldemort!"
His voice choked with emotion, filled with endless hatred and sorrow, as if every word was dripping with blood: "I will never forget that day—I will never forget the feeling when I heard the news of their deaths—the whole world collapsed! And all of this was because of the man we once considered a brother—Sirius Black!" He almost roared the name, as if he wanted to pour out the bitterness and regret that had been building up in his chest for twelve years.
"We trusted him so much—we all trusted him—"
"You ask me why I feel so disoriented when I hear his name?" Lupin gave a bitter laugh, his eyes gazing blankly into the dense forest behind Lynch, as if looking at a past that could never be returned to. "Because every time I hear that name, it's like cutting open the wound in my soul! It reminds me of how foolish I was to trust a monster, reminds me of what I lost because of it! That pain—that pain of having my faith utterly shattered, do you understand?!"
"
He took a deep breath, trying to calm his turbulent emotions, but his voice still trembled uncontrollably: "So please don't associate me with that scum. I hate him, I want him back in Azkaban more than anyone else, or for him to pay an even worse price for what he did! His presence is just another form of torture for me!"
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