To prevent his letters from being intercepted, Remus did not write a word about Sirius in his letters, he only wrote in a vague manner:
I'm sorry to disturb you and your family during Christmas, Aomosta. Do you remember the house-elf named Lenny? He has suddenly come back to find me and shared some secrets that surprised me greatly. I can't discern whether they are true or false, but he told me that you know those things are true. So, could you please return as soon as possible to talk with me?
Even though Remus is still in a weakened state due to his werewolf transformation, he walks confidently, like the wind, down to the ground floor and then through the colonnade towards the west tower.
Along the way, he kept pondering over the possible loopholes in this concise letter, which might lead others to associate it with Sirius Black if they come across it.
Reaching the bottom of the west tower on the eighth floor, Remus leaned against the rough stone wall and panted, sweat beads rolling down his pale cheeks.
Although Remus felt incredibly exhausted, when his eyes looked through the arched window, he suddenly felt a generous surge of enthusiasm rising from his heart, making every inch of his skin tingle with heat.
Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew—they are still somewhat different.
A minute later, Remus stood up straight again after a brief rest. After passing through a narrow circular staircase, he finally saw that round stone house.
The owl house did not have any glass installed in the windows to facilitate the entry and exit of owls. Therefore, on the cold winter days, the shed would be extremely cold, and the brownish-gray slate floor straw, owl feces, and rat bones that Sirius had expelled from his owl made Remus feel queasy even from thirty feet away.
Sirius Black was still unconscious in the office. Without his wand, he couldn't have broken through the spells of containment that Aomosta and he had cast over his office, but under the current circumstances, Remus couldn't feel at ease unless he kept a close watch on him.
He opened the wooden door and rushed in, pointing towards the high-up perch where a school owl was quickly being plucked to mail the letter... but...
In the moment Remus rushed in, startled by his sudden appearance, the owls fluttered their wings and took flight into the air. Among the fluttering black shapes in front of the owl house, three students suddenly stood up from near three collapsed shelves. They turned around and stared at Remus, their frozen and pale faces displaying very unnatural expressions.
Draco Malfoy, Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe--these were Snape's third-year students. Remus raised an eyebrow, his subconscious urge to hide the envelope behind his back. But then he snapped back to reality, realizing that it was only three students, and he ridiculed himself inwardly, stopping the small motion of his hand.
"What do you want?"
Before the professor Lupin could greet first, Malfoy asked out first.
Malfoy's tone was dry and impolite, but Remus wasn't surprised. As a seasoned wizard who had navigated the magical world for nearly twenty years, he had sensed the boy's dislike and disdain for him from the moment he started at the school. It was natural; after all, as a descendant of the Malfoy family, renowned for wealth and cunning in the magical world, it was inevitable that they would look down upon a penniless and dilapidated wizard.
"Oh, it's you three--"
Remus wouldn't be angry at Malfoy's insult even on a normal day. He smiled and said, "I thought this was the place for sending letters, Mr. Malfoy."
Remus waved the envelope in his hand and said, "And I happen to have a letter that needs to be sent."
"To whom?" Malfoy asked again.
The question was so impolite that even the normally patient Remus couldn't help but raise an imperceptible eyebrow.
"It's for Professor Brenn, Mr. Malfoy. He's back home with his family celebrating Christmas, and unfortunately, I happen to have some urgent business with him."
However, after a brief moment of thought, Remus still answered the question. He looked at Malfoy's indifferent face and the two towering giants standing next to him, and a sudden movement flashed in his heart.
The previous evening, during a casual chat, Aomosta had once mentioned Malfoy to him.
The reason for discussing Malfoy was because, after the substitute teaching session, Malfoy had been subjected to a cold shoulder by Slytherin students due to some unexpected behavior in class. Aomosta had thought that Malfoy would quickly shake off the embarrassing situation, but later, he learned from Snape that Malfoy seemed to be in a state of collapse.
Aomosta hoped to offer some help to Malfoy, but Snape repeatedly advised him against trying to change the rules within Slytherin, which left Aomosta somewhat displeased.
Thinking of this, looking at the lifeless little boy in front of him, Remus's eyes held a hint of sympathy, and his voice became softer, "I'm sorry to hear that you're going through a tough time. Let me see if I can help you."
"Well, what brings you three here? Oh, please don't take it the wrong way, I have no intention of prying into your little secrets. But... I think you should find a more cheerful way to spend Christmas... I happen to know that Professor McGonagall is planning a small feast in the hall at noon. Gents, if you have nothing pressing, I'd suggest you check it out. After all, succulent beef steaks and delicious puddings are certainly more enjoyable than the smell of an owlery shed, aren't they?"
Remus's long-winded speech didn't seem to make any impact on the Malfoys. They stood there, staring at Lupin as if they were guarding against him.
That's quite odd. What are those three little guys doing in the owlery?
"We're not hungry--"
Just as Remus's curious gaze was on the Malfoys' faces, Crabbe suddenly pulled out a half-eaten mutton chop from behind.
"We've already eaten..."
Even though he had just experienced something sufficiently absurd and had fortified his psychological defenses, seeing the huge Crabbe holding out that enormous roasted mutton chop still felt absurd to Remus.
"Oh, interesting! You're having a feast in the owlery?"
Perhaps Remus's persistence annoyed Malfoy, so he spoke directly, "We're not doing anything. We're just staying here for our own reasons."
"It's none of your business, Remus... Professor Lupin!"
Having been disliked to such a degree, Remus finally felt unpleasant. He nodded, giving up on trying to console the three unconventional wizard boys, quickly found a reliable school owl and stuffed the envelope into its claws, speaking softly, "Good luck."
"It's urgent, please do it as soon as possible, at least bring back a reply letter."
Watching as the owl's figure gradually turned into a black dot in the high sky until it could no longer be seen, Remus let out a breath and turned away his gaze.
"Then--"
Remus glanced faintly at the small wizard who was as sturdy as a stake.
"I'll take my leave then. I wish you all a merry Christmas--"
Fearing that something might go wrong at the office, leaving behind these words, Remus turned around and left the office in a hurry without noticing that Malfoy's gray eyes held a touch of fear and pleading as he turned his back on them...
The owls here were very familiar with the Malfoys and their companions. After Remus left, many of the owls fluttered back to the ground, pecking lazily at the sparse seeds in the fluffy straw.
What could Remus·Lupin have encountered that caused him to write a letter to Aomsta·Brian on Christmas day?
A few minutes later, when everything returned to normal, an old rat with a broken front paw appeared silently on Malfoy's shoulder--
