Chapter 338: Warm House

Another day of swirling snowflakes.

Several owls flew through the stormy sky, delivering mail.

The great hall burned with roaring fires, but the corridors swept by drafts remained bitterly cold, and the classroom windows rattled under the biting wind.

Bai Yi had not sent Xiang Xiang Xien a letter in a long time; today, it flew from above the great hall and landed on Xiang Xiang Xien’s shoulder, dropping a letter unexpectedly.

【The Bookhouse has been renovated. Please settle your payment.】

It was a letter from Green Bookhouse.

The arrival of this letter meant Professor Lupin would soon move into the Bookhouse.

The plan map floated out; a red exclamation mark glowed over the mark for Hogsmeade.

Xiang Xiang Xien was pondering when Jia Jia Siting received the same message.

He looked at Xiang Xiang Xien, and Xiang Xiang Xien nodded.

It’s Sunday, just right…

Jia Jia Siting smiled gently,

“Xiang Xiang Xien, when do we leave?”

“Now.”

Xiang Xiang Xien said.

He waved his wand, and a thin potions book returned to his Undetectable Extension Bag.

Thanks to the Undetectable Extension Bag given by Professor McGonagall—with its vast internal space—Xiang Xiang Xien’s bag held a small library.

Lately, he had been wondering: could Undetectable Extension artifacts be considered high-level alchemical creations?

After all, this was among the most advanced magic in Harry Potter’s world.

Leaving the great hall, Xiang Xiang Xien and Jia Jia Siting climbed the stairs and turned down a corridor.

The light here was especially dim; one windowpane had loosened, letting in a fierce gale that snuffed out the torches.

“Xiang Xiang Xien, I’ve always wanted to ask you.”

Jia Jia Siting suddenly spoke; lately, he carried a growing, inexplicable dread.

“Mm.”

Xiang Xiang Xien nodded.

“About Mr. Lupin.”

Jia Jia Siting frowned,

“He must be truly capable—you’ve never been wrong in your judgment.

But what caused him to… suffer so?”

“He’s a werewolf.”

Xiang Xiang Xien replied, his explanation simple and direct.

“Werewolf… werewolf?”

Jia Jia Siting paused; the storm outside grew fiercer.

Yet his lips curled slightly upward.

He realized his worry had been unnecessary—his companion, the young wizard, always stood apart, yet whenever he asked, he always knew the answer.

It made him understand: they were a team.

…

Hogsmeade was always lit by magical candles—ever-burning candles visible in every corner of the village.

A weary man, carrying an old suitcase, stepped into the snow.

The patrons of the Three Broomsticks seemed familiar with him; when he arrived, they all wore strange expressions.

So he pulled his hood over his face.

His attire matched his odd behavior: fine robes, gleaming boots, yet an old hat and a battered suitcase.

As if anything not essential to display must be reduced to the cheapest possible form.

Facing the suspicious glances in the Three Broomsticks, Lupin quickened his pace.

The silver-white owl had sent word: the Bookhouse room was renovated, along with an agreement.

The final line left him stunned:

【Lemus John Lupin shall enjoy indefinite residency at Green Bookhouse until he secures stable housing and terminates the employment contract.】

He tucked the agreement away, unable to help smiling.

He had completely forgotten it was his moving day.

Wizards often held moving parties—called “warm house” celebrations—when relocating.

The moment he stepped into the Bookhouse,

Diagon Alley.

Madam Gert was unusually idle; not far from her stood Jia Jia Siting and Xiang Xiang Xien, returning from shopping.

“Already done? My dear boss, you broke school rules just to shop for ten minutes?”

“To Hogsmeade.”

Xiang Xiang Xien replied.

“Alright, alright—who else would pay me double?”

Madam Gert asked no further questions.

Soon, three figures appeared in the snow.

Walking through the bustling Hogsmeade, Xiang Xiang Xien and Jia Jia Siting saw countless wizards.

Outside Honeydukes, sunlight filled the air with laughter; at Zonko’s, young wizards packed the shop, each pocket stuffed with dung bombs, belch-inducing sweets, frogspawn soap, perhaps even a biting teacup.

As Britain’s only pure-wizard village, it drew many wizarding tourists—and was every Hogwarts student’s dream destination.

An amusing fact: the snack cart on the Hogwarts Express was called Honeydukes Express.

The snacks came from Honeydukes in Hogsmeade.

Passing the final stop—Weil and Green’s Magical Pranks—

The place was packed; people waved cash, sweeping the shop’s wares clean.

“New character! Werewolf Knight!”

A young wizard shouted excitedly.

His words drew the attention of other children.

“You got the hidden Werewolf Knight from the Weird Wizard Chess set?!”

His friend gasped.

The crowd surged forward, eager to see the “Werewolf Knight” for themselves.

These children were all under eleven—the most mischievous age—and they dashed past Xiang Xiang Xien and Jia Jia Siting like a whirlwind.

“Werewolf…”

Jia Jia Siting murmured, clutching the delicate potion box tighter.

Soon, the two reached Green Bookhouse.

Inside, many guests were present.

Xiang Xiang Xien and Jia Jia Siting headed straight upstairs, where an extra private room had been fully renovated.

Warmth from the hearth seeped even through the door crack.

Through the crack, Xiang Xiang Xien glimpsed a corner of a photograph on the table; though unfamiliar, from the small figure of Lupin in the photo, he guessed these might be Lupin’s parents.

It stirred his memories of Lupin.

Lemus John Lupin: composed, capable, kind, intelligent. Bitten by Fenrir Greyback, he became a werewolf who lost control and harmed others during the full moon.

Yet his father’s lifelong battle against dark wizards and werewolves, and his mother’s gentle wisdom, shaped Lupin into a humble, learned man.

Though his childhood was filled with pain and loneliness, his strong upbringing ensured he would never fall into darkness or become like Fenrir Greyback and his kind.

Inside the room.

Lupin was accustomed to silence, accustomed to solitude.

He never remembered moving parties—there was nothing to celebrate.

Every time they moved, neighbors discovered his condition, and his temporary home changed swiftly after his exposure.

He remembered the only time he had ever walked out of his room in plain sight: when Headmaster Dumbledore came to bring him to Hogwarts.

He still remembered the knock:

“Hello, Lemus, I’m Albus Dumbledore.”

Green Bookhouse was dusted with snow, a thin white veil; fine streams of meltwater trickled down the second-floor windows.

Just then, a knock sounded:

“Hello, Mr. Lupin, it’s me, Xiang Xiang Xien Green.”