170: Chapter 170 Lupin's Chocolate

"Don't eat anything he gives you."

Draco caught up from the corner of the corridor, staring at the oil-paper package in Allen's hand. "Werewolf, old friend of Black, Boggart testing you, and now giving you chocolate. Is it always this terrifying when Hogwarts Professors express concern?"

Remus's old robes had already disappeared around the staircase.

Nott lowered his head to inspect the oil-paper. "No shop markings, hand-cut, smells of cocoa butter and wolfsbane potion. The medicinal smell likely comes from Remus's cuffs."

Zabini leaned against the wall, clutching his books. "You have a keen nose."

Nott closed his notebook. "I don't want to be taken out by Werewolf chocolate."

Draco immediately reached out. "Did you hear that? Even Nott doesn't want to."

Allen unwrapped the oil-paper, scanning it three times with Spatial Perception. Sugar, cocoa, milk, a bitter taste from being slightly overcooked. No poison, no charms, no tracking spells.

He took a bite.

Draco's face turned pale. "You're actually eating it?"

"It's just chocolate."

Zabini asked, "Taste?"

"Bitter."

Nott wrote down: Remus gifted handmade chocolate, no abnormal magic, Allen consumed, bitter taste.

Draco paced back and forth, annoyed. "Can you two not turn every single bite into a file?"

"No." Nott put away his pen. "Every bite could be a clue."

A few minutes earlier, Remus had called out to Allen by the window and handed him the chocolate.

"It's not the kind from class. I made it myself."

Allen looked at his hands first.

Remus's knuckles were stained with chalk dust, his cuffs smelled of the bitter wolfsbane potion, and his face wore the exhaustion of someone post-illness.

Remus smiled. "I know you'll check it. It's fine to eat it after you've checked."

Allen took it. "Did you need something, Professor?"

"In a way." Remus put his hands back into his old robe pockets. "Is the Boggart still unable to find your fear?"

Allen looked at the edge of the oil-paper and paused for two breaths.

"It found one."

Remus looked at him. "What?"

"Falling asleep and not waking up."

Remus didn't reply for a long time.

Dark clouds pressed against the corridor outside the window. The sound of students' footsteps in the distance swept across the stone floor, only to be swallowed by the thick walls. The exhaustion on Remus's face deepened, as if an old wound had been ripped open again.

"That doesn't sound like something a thirteen-year-old student would say."

"And the Professor doesn't seem like an ordinary Professor."

Remus nodded. "Fair."

He didn't mention Black, Peter, or the prophecy again.

Draco was even more annoyed because of this. "Why did you tell him?"

Allen wrapped up the remaining chocolate. "Because he's also afraid of not waking up."

Nott's pen tip stopped. "Full moon."

Zabini put away the candy box. "The wolfsbane potion can maintain sanity, but the transformation still tears apart one's consciousness. Waking up to find you've hurt someone is worse for a Werewolf."

Draco tugged at his tie. "Don't make it sound like you're kindred spirits. He's a Professor, and he's testing you."

Allen tucked the oil-paper into his sleeve. "A test can be genuine, too."

During the afternoon Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Remus taught about Hinkypunks, lanterns, and swamp traps.

He conjured a ball of lantern light in front of the podium. "It lures travelers off the right path. The simplest way to deal with it is not to follow the light."

Draco whispered, "That really suits Gryffindor."

Allen didn't look up. "And Black as well."

Nott immediately wrote on the corner of his book: Luring, off-path, Black can exploit Harry's impulsiveness.

Remus looked over. "Mr. Malfoy, since you're interested, please explain what one should do when encountering a Hinkypunk."

Draco stood up. "Keep your distance, check the ground, use Lumos or magical flames for illumination, and do not follow solitary moving light sources."

"Very good."

Draco sat down. "I hate 'very good'."

Zabini pushed the candy box over. "A reward?"

"Get lost."

During the practical lesson, Hermione stood alone to the side, her schoolbag terrifyingly heavy.

When Allen passed by, he heard the faint clinking of metal chains inside her bag.

Hermione immediately hugged her bag tightly. "What did you hear?"

"Too many books."

"Don't play dumb." Hermione stepped closer. "The prophecy has already been handed to Dumbledore. Just because he hasn't come to you doesn't mean he hasn't seen it."

"I haven't gone to him either."

"The Void swallowing the Killing Curse—you know how serious that is."

"You've said that."

There were dark circles under Hermione's eyes. "Harry almost died, Ginny almost died, I was Petrified. Every time, you stand by, and then you cut off the clues."

Allen looked at the light ahead. "You are alive, so you can still ask questions."

Hermione gritted her teeth. "I hate that sentence."

"It's useful."

Remus spoke up. "Miss Granger, Mr. Potter, save the argument for after class."

Hermione immediately straightened up. "Sorry, Professor."

Allen completed the identification as requested. When the Hinkypunk's false light approached, he shifted the Spatial Thin Layer, and the light slid toward an empty space.

Remus saw it but didn't call him out.

After class, Harry stopped Remus to ask about Dementors and the Patronus Charm.

As Allen passed by, he heard Harry say, "I don't want to fall off my broom again."

Remus replied, "I can teach you, but you will have to face some memories."

Ron said nervously, "Will it be like when the Dementors got on the train?"

"It will be unpleasant, but you need to learn it."

Draco looked at Allen. "Harry is going to learn the Patronus Charm?"

"Yeah."

"What happens if he learns it?"

Zabini said, "The threat of Dementors will decrease, and the Black trail will move forward."

Draco closed his book irritably. "Everything is moving forward."

Nott opened his notebook. "Black is looking for Peter, Remus is getting close to Harry, Hermione is checking time, Snape is watching Remus and Allen, and Dumbledore is waiting for evidence."

Draco looked at Allen. "And you?"

"Sleeping."

"Put it another way."

"Recovering."

"Even worse."

Before dinner, news of Remus giving out chocolate spread.

Flint was being sarcastic in the Common Room. "Some people really know how to pick their Professors. Dumbledore watches over them, Remus brings them food, and Snape can't bear to deduct points."

Draco closed his book. "Flint, you can't even figure out the training schedule, don't critique the Professors."

Flint stood up. "Malfoy, you've been fond of sticking up for him lately."

The Common Room went quiet.

Allen sat by the fireplace, unwrapped the chocolate, and ate the second bite.

Draco stared at Flint. "I'm keeping trouble away from Slytherin. If you want to shove the Werewolf, Black, Dumbledore, and Snape all into the Common Room, then keep shouting."

Flint's expression changed. "Who's a Werewolf?"

Draco stopped.

Allen looked up. "He was talking about his essay."

Flint looked at Allen. "Stop pretending."

Allen folded the oil-paper. "If you want to confirm, go ask the Professor. And by the way, tell Snape you're spreading rumors about Remus's identity in the Common Room."

Flint finally sat back down.

Draco returned to Allen's side. "I almost let it slip."

"Less excitement next time."

"You eating that chocolate provoked me."

Zabini said, "That's a very Malfoy reason."

At night, Allen entered his Portable Space.

Beside the ebony box, the cracked pocket watch was silent. The tip of the Void's tail pressed against Remus's file. In the cage, Peter shrank into the corner the moment he heard the name.

Allen sealed the remaining half of the chocolate into an independent thin-walled barrier and wrote: Gifted by Remus, no magical anomalies, genuine care and testing coexist.

He added another line: Fear externalized, falling asleep and not waking up, controlled exposure, in exchange for shifting Remus's judgment.

Peter was unmuted and immediately hissed, "Remus will pursue this to the end. He knows how to wait better than Black."

Allen looked at the cage. "You're afraid of him."

"I'm afraid he'll ask all his questions before taking action." Peter clutched his head. "Black would just pounce, but Remus will remember every single word. If those two get together, I won't survive."

"That's why you can't see them yet."

The silencing spell sealed Peter once again.

Outside the dormitory, Draco knocked twice on the bedpost. "Are you asleep?"

Allen came out of the space. "No."

"Good." Draco threw a roll of parchment at him. "Snape had this sent over. A supplementary report on Dementors. Due tomorrow morning."

Nott poked his head out from behind his bed curtains. "And Remus's Hinkypunk assignment."

Zabini added, "As well as the revisions for the Werewolf essay. Snape marked three spots."

Draco crossed his arms. "Do you still think sleeping can solve problems now?"

Allen looked at the three rolls of parchment, then at his pillow.

"Yes."

Draco laughed in frustration. "Try it then."

Allen actually lay down.

Nott wrote the final line: Remus gifted chocolate, Allen exposed his true fear, Draco remains anxious, Flint was suppressed, Peter confirmed Remus's danger level has been raised.

Inside the Portable Space, the tip of the Void's tail moved from Remus's file to Black's file, then tapped the map of the Third Floor corridor.

The cracked pocket watch glowed for a moment.

Behind the bed curtains, Allen spoke with his eyes closed.

"The next time the Black dog appears, don't let Draco see it first."

Draco looked up. "Why me?"

"You'll scream."

"I will not!"

Nott turned the page in the dark. "Record: He will."