0306 Frenzy

Snape leaned against the pillow, a tear of uttter despair rolling down his cheek, his lifeless eyes reflecting the depths of his heartache.

Bryan didn't offer any consolation. After a soft sigh, he stared at the faint light in the gloomy sky where a faint light was barely visible, lost in thought.

'Is there a way for Professor Snape to step out of the shadows in his heart?'

Bryan had been pondering this question for some time but couldn't find a solution. He even considered using a Time-Turner to take Snape back twelve years, allowing him to bid a proper farewell to Lily Evans. But upon further reflection, he realized how foolish that method was.

What good would it do to see Lily again?

She was a woman deeply in love with her family, her husband, and her child. She couldn't offer Snape anything.

The key was, Professor Snape wouldn't willingly let Lily go to her death after seeing her again. He would do everything in his power to save her life, and the consequences of such actions were unpredictable, potentially sending the entire timeline into an abyss.

At this moment, Bryan suddenly resented the fact that he had traveled to a magical world. If he had gone to a More powerful Western Fantasy or Immortal and Gods type of world, perhaps he could have debated with Professor Snape about reincarnation and rebirth.

'Reincarnation...' Bryan's brow twitched.

Death is not the end of everything. For centuries, countless wizards have tirelessly studied death in their quest for immortality. In this world, the closest thing to death were ghosts.

According to the self-narratives of ghosts, after their original souls leave their bodies, they travel through a path filled with warm light towards the world of death. However, no ghost can clearly explain what that world is like because they are all individuals who were too attached to reality and have never truly reached the other side.

The world of death... Bryan thought of the "Jellyfish World" depicted on the nine stone tablets in the central temple of Avalon.

"Perhaps one day..." Bryan took a deep breath and stood up. "You might meet Lily Evans in another world. However, by then, she might be a completely different person."

"You..." 

Snape's suppressed sob came to a sudden halt. He stared at Bryan in disbelief, as if he couldn't believe what he had heard. "Clarify your words, Bryan. Seeing Lily again as a completely different person. Are you mocking me?"

Bryan patted Snape's shoulder and smiled as he stood up. "If you truly cannot forget Lily Evans, Professor, then keep this love alive in your heart and live on. Perhaps there really is a day when you will be reunited."

...

Scenebreak

On Sunday morning, the school was calm and quiet. Apart from Harry, Ron, and Hermione's roommates, no one even noticed that they had been missing all night.

In the Slytherin common room, Parkinson inquired anxiously but couldn't figure out where Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle had gone. She was worried that Draco had secretly dropped out of school, as he had mentioned his father seriously considering sending him to a prestigious magical school in Germany that was even better than Hogwarts. Her concern continued until she found Snape returning from the hospital wing, despite Madam Pomfrey's objections.

Draco and his two friends had been attacked by a werewolf and were seriously injured, so they were taken to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries?

Two hours after Pansy Parkinson left Snape's office in a daze, a surprising and jaw-dropping piece of news spread throughout Hogwarts!

At the same time, the young wizards also learned that it was Harry and the others who had noticed something was amiss and found the clues. Along with Professor Snape, Professor Lupin, and Hagrid, they had driven away the werewolves from the Forbidden Forest who were attempting to approach Hogwarts with ill intentions. 

Rumors spread like wildfire, and those seeking the truth flocked to the hospital wing, only to be angrily chased away by a broom-wielding Madam Pomfrey.

By noon, even more astonishing news arrived.

The source of the news was the senior students who had gone to Hogsmeade for the weekend and This news sent all the young wizards into a frenzy!

The notorious Werewolf Leader-Greyback and his pack, who had committed countless unforgivable crimes within the border of Magical Britain for many years, were apprehended by the combined efforts of the Auror Office, led personally by Minister Cornelius Fudge and the Head of the International Magical Cooperation Department, Barty Crouch Sr., along with the cooperation of Bryan Watson the Director of Hogwarts Student Safety Office. From then on, the residents of the Magical Britain no longer had to fear this vile werewolf gang!

The peace in the Magical Britain has lasted for a long time, and there hasn't been such explosive news in many years. Within half a day of the werewolf incident being exposed, the situation quickly escalated and became almost uncontrollable.

After lunch, reporters from the Daily Prophet, Wizard Weekly, and many other well-known domestic and international publications swarmed to the gates of Hogwarts, attempting to break into the school to interview Bryan A. Watson. This young wizard, previously known only for unveiling the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets and serving as the director of Hogwarts's Student Safety Office, was now the center of attention.

When Dumbledore stepped forward, citing Professor Watson's ill health as a reason to decline the interview requests, the frenzied reporters did not back down.

Invitation letters for Appointment and interviews fluttered into Bryan's office window like snowflakes, reminding him of the time he helped Lockhart respond to fan-mails last year.

And some crazy and extreme reporters, undeterred by the closed gates of Hogwarts, even attempted to sneak through the Forbidden Forest to enter the school grounds. However, the forest's native inhabitants were not keen on a horde of wizards disrupting their lives. Several reporters met with misfortune, and if not for Dumbledore's swift action in negotiating on behalf of Hagrid and the creatures, the consequences could have been severe.

In the end, the helpless reporters could only go and interview the residents of Hogsmeade, hoping to dig out some valuable information from them.

Inside the school, the third-floor corridor was nearly filled with excited young wizards and witches. They all knew that Professor Watson was not someone who particularly emphasized his authority in private. They hoped to find some exciting news, but unfortunately, Professor Watson's office door remained closed, as if there was no one inside at all.

In the evening, a special edition of the Evening Prophet was freshly released.

Although those crazy reporters didn't find out any information about the elimination of the werewolves themselves, they did manage to get something valuable.

A reporter spent a whole two hundred Galleons to buy a photo from a villager in Hogsmeade.

The villager was an astronomy enthusiast. That night, he climbed to the highest hill nearby, the one where the Shrieking Shack was located, and observed the movement of the planets with a telescope. He quickly noticed the commotion at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

His astronomical telescope could record the changes in the positions of the planets, so naturally, it could also capture what was happening two miles away.

A young wizard, emanating an aura of chilling presence, hovered high above, raining down torrents of flame hundreds of feet tall upon the earth. Werewolves howled and struggled within the terrifying inferno, one after another falling to the ground—a scene akin to divine retribution!

When the newspaper was delivered to Hogwarts by an owl, the entire school erupted in excitement.

As night fell, the Great Hall was filled with chattering young wizards and witches. When Bryan, who had been taking a break in his office, appeared on the stairs next to the entrance hall, the Great Hall, reflecting the clear night sky, fell silent for a full half minute. The young wizards watched as Professor Watson walked into the Great Hall from the entrance hall, passed through the tables between the houses, and walked up to the staff table. Then, the Great Hall erupted with thunderous cheers and applause!

"So cool, Professor!"

At the Gryffindor table, the Weasley twins raised their hands and shouted.

"Can I learn that spell from you, Professor?"

Cedric from Hufflepuff waved the Evening Prophet in his hand and shouted with admiration.

The Ravenclaw girls, unusually losing their composure and calmness, whispered together, their heads close together, staring at Bryan on the staff table, occasionally bursting into giggles.

"Don't forget!"

Marcus Flint shouted across the entire Great Hall,

"Professor Watson belongs to Slytherin!"

Marcus shouted with great enthusiasm, and many Slytherins supported him, but the response was not very enthusiastic, and students from the other three houses didn't pay much attention to them.

At the staff table, all the professors raised their glasses in a toast to Bryan.

" I think it won't be long before you're more famous than that charlatan Lockhart, Bryan—"

Professor McGonagall pursed her lips and smiled discreetly,

"I hope you can get used to this kind of attention, after all, it doesn't quite match your modest, low-profile style."

Although he had never been the center of attention as he was today, Bryan did not appear panicked or overwhelmed. He remained composed as if the person being watched wasn't him.

"Hehe, I will try to adapt,"

Bryan smiled lightly.

"In fact, I have considered that this day might come, Bryan!"

Professor Flitwick deliberately suppressed his sharp voice, making his tone sound a bit strange. He excitedly continued,

"Ever since you told me last year about your conflict with the werewolves, I've been guessing that one day you would take action against those evil creatures again, but I didn't expect you to do it so decisively, Bryan!"

It had been a while since Dumbledore appeared at the staff table, and he didn't mind being overshadowed. He quietly listened to the conversation between Bryan and the others, happily dealing with the pork chop on his plate. He seemed quite satisfied with Bryan's calm performance at the moment.

Inside Hogwarts, the trio who knew the whole truth—Harry, Ron, and Hermione—were kept in the hospital wing under Madam Pomfrey's observation. The Ministry of Magic, which should have been interviewed, only issued a brief statement about the annihilation of Greyback and his gang and did not disclose any further information.

However, this incident stirred up a growing storm in the Wizarding world.

Whether it was in Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley, or the villages of St. Catchpole and Godric's Hollow, wizards were discussing the eradication of the Greyback's werewolf pack and this rare achievement of the Ministry of Magic. Even the Muggle government disclosed in the morning news that the notorious 'terrorist' gang leader Fenrir Greyback was shot dead by the police.

For three whole days, neither Hogwarts nor the Ministry of Magic accepted any interviews about this matter. This was actually Bryan's suggestion. He believed that people's curiosity needed some time to "ferment."

On Thursday, as the dawn's early light began to rise and the earth was still bathed in twilight,

In the student safety office on the third floor, Bryan, who had gotten up early, was adjusting his attire in front of a floating water mirror. Considering he would be making headlines today, he took the rare opportunity to groom himself up.

"Professor Watson!"

Walking out of the castle, just as he descended the marble staircase, Bryan saw Hagrid standing by the path leading to the school gates, waving excitedly at him.

Yesterday evening, the Ministry of Magic officially sent an invitation to Hogwarts, inviting the students and staff who made outstanding contributions in the mission to eradicate Greyback and his pack to a commendation ceremony. Aside from Remus Lupin, who was in the intensive care unit, both Hagrid and Snape were also on the invitation list. Faced with the olive branch extended by the Ministry of Magic, Snape left with a cold face. For him, saving Sirius Black's life was only a disgrace.

Hagrid had also initially declined to participate, fearing that a half-giant in the spotlight might bring criticism to Dumbledore, but Bryan persuaded him with an irrefutable reason.

As for Harry and the others, being underage wizards, their commendations would be directly issued by Hogwarts. The likely outcome would be an addition of fifty points to each, offset by a deduction of thirty points for sneaking into the Forbidden Forest at night. 

The two walked side by side through the deserted campus, Hagrid nervously touched his beard and asked.

"How do I look, Professor?"

Today, Hagrid had finally shed his usual scruffy coat and donned a large suit that could almost serve as a sail. Bryan could faintly smell cologne, probably used by Hagrid to mask the musty scent of the suit.

"Very Nice, Hagrid--"

Bryan had known Hagrid for many years, but this was the first time he had seen him dressed like this. His lips twisted slightly,

"I bet you'll look very photogenic in it."

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