The return journey was much faster than the outward one. They easily slipped out of the quiet willow's hollow and caught a glimpse of the castle shimmering with light.
As they drew closer to the castle, Peter could no longer contain himself; he seemed to have gone mad with fear at the thought of being handed over to the Dementors.
"Please! Do not hand me over, I do not want to be Kissed..." The short man suddenly broke down, weeping and kneeling on the grass, refusing to move. "Sirius, Remus, I did not want to do this either, I was forced..."
"Who was it? Who ordered you to do this?" Sirius seized the chance and grabbed his collar to interrogate him.
Peter looked up, blinked his tiny, beady eyes, and was about to say something when something unexpected happened.
A cloud moved away, and a pale light fell across the ground. They were bathed in moonlight... the full moon.
Hermione's vague fears that night had finally come true... Lupin's silhouette on the grass had begun to tremble, shudder, and swell.
"Oh my goodness! He really did not take his Potion today, he is not safe!" she exclaimed, and said to Harry and Ron, "Run!"
"What are you talking about?" Ron asked, puzzled.
"He is a werewolf!" Hermione shouted. "It is a full moon!"
Sirius's expression changed at once.
He urgently told Harry and the others, "That is right! Run, run! Leave this to me!"
Hermione knew how serious this was.
They were not only unable to help here, but might well cause more trouble.
They had no strength to defend themselves against a werewolf. As Draco had said, the best way to avoid being harmed by werewolves is to avoid encountering them altogether. Or rather, to get away before they fully transform.
However, Peter Pettigrew upset their plans. Just as she was about to help Harry and Ron get away, she noticed a cunning look cross his face.
Taking advantage of the chaos, he snatched up Lupin's wand, which had fallen to the ground, grinning maliciously, and said, "No one can catch me..."
Then, he began to transform.
Harry's Expelliarmus came a moment too late. They watched helplessly as he transformed into a great rat, darted into the nearby bushes, and vanished without a trace.
"No!" they shouted at the same time.
"We have to bring him back!" Harry said desperately. "That filthy traitor!"
"Oh no, Harry, I think it is too late," Hermione said, trembling, amidst a werewolf's howl. "Professor Lupin has transformed! We have to get out of here... before we are killed."
Professor Lupin's head had grown longer, his body had grown longer, and sharp claws had emerged.
Sirius Black then swiftly transformed into the great black dog that looked exactly like the one which had carried off the rat not long before.
"Fucking Awesome..." Ron said to Harry admiringly, "your godfather really is something!"
"Good heavens, Ron, this is no time for admiration!" Hermione exclaimed sharply.
The black dog clearly thought the same. It lunged forward, trying to block their way; but the werewolf was even more ferocious, and with a sudden swipe, flung the black dog into the bushes some distance away.
Then, the terrifying werewolf advanced towards them step by step.
Suddenly, a man in black robes rushed in front of them... spreading his arms like a great bat unfurling its wings... trying to block their way.
Harry and the others were stunned... it was Professor Snape, his expression icy.
"You are here, Potter." Professor Snape's voice trembled slightly as he glanced back at them.
In the glow of the full moon, Hermione saw a mixture of anxiety, worry, and fear in his dark eyes.
He shielded his students behind him, facing the terrifying werewolf. Hermione saw that Professor Snape's body seemed to be trembling slightly, but he did not run, did not hide, and did not abandon the students he usually loathed and insulted.
He raised his wand as if to cast a spell... but it was no use... the werewolf impatiently swiped its paw and sent him flying to one side.
"Professor Snape!" Hermione exclaimed. Harry and Ron seemed stunned by the scene, staring wide-eyed at the ferocious werewolf before them, utterly speechless.
The werewolf growled. Hermione, following Harry and the others, took a step back, then another, a ridiculous thought flashing through her mind.
Draco was right... he told me long ago...
Her heart was filled with bitterness, knowing that now was not the time to wallow in self-pity.
They should escape from here.
But how could they escape? The werewolf was right there, and they had no chance of winning.
As the werewolf drew closer, the great black dog miraculously leapt out of the bushes again, knocking the werewolf onto the distant grass.
"Sirius!" Harry exclaimed in surprise.
They heard the sound of jaws snapping together, the sound of claws tearing at one another. For a moment, the two animals seemed evenly matched, which kindled hope in Harry's eyes.
"Oh no, he has been thrown off..." Ron said fearfully, watching the commotion in the distance.
From the pitiful yelps and the constant rustling of leaves, Hermione guessed the black dog must have tumbled down the grassy slope.
"Sirius!" Harry realised. Before the werewolf could recover, still howling at the moon, he scrambled down the slope to find his poor, wounded godfather.
"Harry! Wait for me!" Ron hurriedly followed behind Harry, rushing down the slope.
Hermione, of course, had to go and check on him... Sirius Black seemed to be seriously hurt.
However, her path was blocked by a huge dark shape. The werewolf, having vented its fury at the moon, leapt back to block her way. Now, provoked further by the black dog's repeated attacks, it seemed even more agitated than before.
It desperately needed something to vent its anger on.
Hermione stood there, stunned, and suddenly realised she was entirely alone.
"Professor Lupin?" she called out tentatively, terrified, clinging to a sliver of hope that she might somehow bring the usually kind Lupin back to his senses.
Clearly, her hopes were doomed to be dashed. Under the full moon, the werewolf howled wildly, each howl more piercing than the last, no different from the irrational werewolves described in her textbooks.
Wizards have a hard time dealing with werewolves head-on; they are highly resistant to magic.
The boy had once told her this with a serious expression.
Hermione's hand, holding her wand, began to tremble... how could she possibly defeat the werewolf before her?
She was now completely alone and defenceless.
Harry and Ron had run far down the slope; Professor Snape, left behind in the distance, was nowhere to be seen, his fate unknown.
The werewolf, baring its teeth menacingly, was closing in on her, its wild and savage gaze a stark contrast to Professor Lupin's usual gentle, warm manner.
The werewolf was getting closer and closer, ready to strike at any moment.
She could see its hind legs slightly bent, its forelegs braced, poised as if to spring.
She could see the werewolf's eyes gleaming with a sinister light, just as she could see its fangs glinting coldly under the full moon.
Hermione closed her eyes, bracing herself for her fate; but then someone suddenly rushed forward and blocked her path.
Who was it?
In a panic, she opened her eyes and saw someone unbelievable standing in front of her.
His platinum blonde hair shimmered under the full moon.
It is Draco.
She could not believe it.
That was the name she had kept locked in her heart, never daring to speak aloud.
He had appeared out of nowhere, without any reason or explanation, and stood firmly between her and the danger.
"Hermione Granger, I have finally found you." She heard his usually clear and calm voice trembling.
She saw that his profile was deathly pale, and his grey eyes were filled with panic.
Draco Malfoy.
He always said he hated risk. He always said he lacked courage.
He always said that a Slytherin never puts himself in harm's way.
But why had this self-proclaimed cowardly Slytherin not run away?
Why would he rush over to protect a Gryffindor who prided herself on being brave?
Why, like Professor Snape just now, did he stand weakly yet resolutely before the enormous werewolf, wand in hand?