After Draco drove the enemy back, the battlefield seemed to return to the ground once more, and the wizards facing off had changed to a different group.
It was as if Draco and the others had suddenly been forgotten.
And with the excellent view from above, a position that could only be called the best seat in the house, Draco and the others quickly took in everything happening below. After seeing that her brother was safe and sound, Ginny stopped insisting on going down.
That also freed up her attention to observe the situation around them.
Still, the moment she noticed the two sides below on the verge of clashing, Ginny's heart could not help tightening again...
"That is Professor Lupin. Does that mean all the Order of the Phoenix people have arrived? Then there should not be any problem, right?"
Even though she knew perfectly well that this question was unlikely to have any certain answer, Ginny still instinctively turned to Draco to ask. That strange trust made Luna, who heard it, blink with a rather odd look in her eyes.
But what Ginny did not know was that, compared to being asked which side below would win, Draco was actually much more interested in the Order of the Phoenix that she kept mentioning now and then.
It sounded like an organization...
Meanwhile, Luna behind him seemed to spot something, and a flash of surprise appeared on her face.
"That wizard is...?"
"Luna?"
"That is... Fenrir Greyback."
"Who is that?"
Unlike Ginny, whose face was blank with confusion, Draco was a little surprised that Luna could name the man so easily, or rather, identify him at a glance.
And from her tone, it sounded like she really did know exactly what kind of existence that wizard was.
As he controlled the Broomstick, Draco raised a brow slightly.
"He is a Werewolf."
"A Werewolf? Like Professor Lupin?"
"Not quite the same."
Perhaps because he was so completely at ease, as if whatever was happening below had nothing to do with him, Draco did not mind the trouble at all and leisurely began explaining the man's identity.
"Fenrir Greyback. Aside from being the leader of the werewolves, he is also an S class wanted criminal on the Ministry of Magic's list."
"...S class."
Although she had no idea how serious or dangerous an S class criminal really was, that did not stop Ginny from gripping Draco's robes anxiously.
Because that meant Harry Potter and the others not only had to deal with Barty Crouch Jr., but also a dangerous Werewolf?
What Draco did not say was that, compared to a wizard like Barty Crouch Jr. who wielded magic, these werewolves, who preferred relying on fangs and claws, were even more dangerous...
...
The light breeze carried the heavy scent of blood, proving that the corpses lying on the ground were not illusions, nor magical fakes created out of thin air.
And the scorched earth not far away only made the cruelty of the earlier battle more obvious.
Now, with the dark clouds overhead finally dispersing, this place was about to become a new battlefield once again...
From Draco's position in the sky, you could very clearly make out both sides' formation and placement.
And Draco also noticed that although Harry Potter's side had far fewer people, the discipline they displayed as a whole, along with the faint magical fluctuations coming from them, made them seem far more elite than the Death Eaters on the opposite side.
No matter how you looked at it, Remus Lupin's side ought to have a slightly higher chance of winning.
But the person who understands you best is often your enemy.
And Remus Lupin understood all too well what kind of existence Fenrir Greyback, the one who had turned him into a Werewolf, was, along with the werewolf followers under him...
Lupin, who seemed to hold the highest standing here, suppressed his anger as he looked at the other side and warned the companions beside him.
"Fenrir... Greyback. Listen carefully. Be especially careful of that man and the werewolves under him. Do not let them scratch you, and definitely do not get bitten!"
"Do not worry, Remus. He and those under him will not get the chance."
As if he had heard that exchange, Fenrir Greyback, who had worn a cruel smile from beginning to end, suddenly threw back his head and laughed loudly in front of everyone.
"Hahahaha, I like your confidence. I hope you can make this fun for me later. I can hardly wait to see one of you turn into a Werewolf under the full moon!"
"And I remember you. To get revenge on your father, I turned you into a Werewolf when you were a child. Even now, I still enjoy that look of despair and pain on your father's face!!"
Along with Fenrir Greyback's laughter, the wizards behind him, who clearly showed certain Werewolf traits on their bodies, also let out a series of inhuman howls.
"Gah gah gah!"
"Gah gah gah!"
Perhaps because they had spent so long hunting wizards and Muggles, even though it was not the night of a full moon, these followers who had been turned into werewolves by Fenrir Greyback were gradually growing closer and closer to beasts.
Wolf eyes.
Sharp fangs.
It was not only their appearance that had changed.
Their hearts were no longer human either.
...
Lycanthropy.
A powerful curse said to be transmissible only by a Werewolf whose heart was filled with malice.
There was even a theory that Fenrir Greyback was actually the progenitor of Werewolves, much like how vampires could grant a first embrace.
If this curse had not been unable to affect Muggles without magical power, and if wizards were not already on guard against werewolves like these, then perhaps Fenrir Greyback alone might really have been able to rule the world.
After all, that terrifying level of infectivity was no different from the T virus...
And of course, for the elite wizards from the Order of the Phoenix here, they were very well aware of just how dangerous that curse was.
But for young witches like Ginny and the others, this was the first time they had ever heard of such a thing.
After all, they had not yet reached the point of studying werewolves in class...
"Lycanthropy... issue thirteen of The Quibbler talked about it. It is a curse that can turn a wizard into a Werewolf."
Luna, who liked The Quibbler and knew all sorts of strange things, did know about Lycanthropy.
"So Professor Lupin was turned into a Werewolf because of that Fenrir Greyback you were talking about?"
That question did not even need an answer, because Ginny had already seen the deep hatred on Remus Lupin's face.
It was hard to imagine that this was the same Professor Lupin she knew, someone gentle with everyone, someone who often seemed melancholy and lonely.
That was an expression only the deepest hatred could produce.
Because Remus Lupin knew very well that the man standing before him had ruined his life.
Just as Ginny thought Professor Lupin was about to lose control and attack, a beautiful witch standing beside him spoke up to stop him.
"Calm down, Remus. We need your leadership. He is only saying this to provoke you."
"...I know, Nymphadora, it is just..."
Even though Lupin said that, it was still plain to see that the fingers wrapped around his wand were clenched so hard it looked like he might crush the wand itself.
It was enough to make anyone suspect that if Fenrir Greyback said one more provoking thing, Remus Lupin might throw down his wand and punch him in the face.
But before Remus Lupin could make the first move, the werewolves on the other side let out snarling howls and charged straight in.
Although they were holding wands too, these werewolves seemed to prefer close combat over using magic...
Werewolves and Death Eaters.
The Order of the Phoenix and a handful of villagers.
The battle.
Begins again.
The target: Harry Potter!