Lupin had never imagined he would hear this name from Harry's lips.

'Severus Snape… teaching James's son?'

The mere idea sounded absurd, let alone the reality of it happening!

Regarding Snape, Lupin only knew that after the Dark Lord's fall, he had gained Dumbledore's trust and taken a position at Hogwarts. He had no idea what role Snape had played in James and Lily's deaths.

But even so, based on the Snape Lupin had known, it was impossible for him to harbor no resentment toward James's son.

'It doesn't matter even if this boy is also Lily's son!'

As someone who had lived through those events, Lupin understood just how deeply Snape had hated his old friend!

'Why would Snape willingly take Harry on as his student?'

'Unless...'

'Unless he had ulterior motives!'

Lupin seemed to realize something. He lowered his head and looked at Harry seriously.

"Although I don't understand why Dumbledore would allow Snape to seek you out, Harry, but your teacher and your father had a terrible relationship! So bad that they were practically mortal enemies!"

"Think about it carefully. Does Snape really regard you as his student, or does he have other purposes? For example, how did you get here? How did you get into danger?"

Hearing Lupin's words, Harry's face subconsciously turned cold, and he unhappily shook off Lupin's grip on his arm.

"I know what my teacher has done in the past. I understand the hatred between us. But you shouldn't make me doubt that he wants to harm me!"

Harry's reaction left Lupin utterly bewildered.

He stared blankly at the boy before him, instinctively convinced that Snape must have fed him some kind of potion or spell!

'Otherwise, how else could James and Lily's son be speaking up for Snape?'

Lupin took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm as he spoke earnestly to Harry, "Harry, I won't say much about the rights and wrongs of our school days. Given my friendship with James, I am not qualified to comment on who was right and who was wrong about what happened at that time. But I can say with certainty that Severus Snape is not a genuinely kind or good man. He may have his merits, but he's also done terrible things. He followed someone he shouldn't have… and that person was the one who killed your parents..."

"Enough!" Harry reacted fiercely, "Do you think my teacher hid any of this from me? He told me the truth from the very beginning!"

Lupin's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief…both at Harry's staunch defense of Severus and at the words he had just spoken.

"People don't stay the same forever." Harry stared into Lupin's eyes, "I know you're prejudiced against my teacher's past. But the man I know isn't what you describe!"

"From the moment he took me away from Aunt Petunia's house, he hasn't kept anything from me! He told me he was my enemy… that he bore responsibility for my parents' deaths. But he was also willing to teach me everything he knew, so that when I became a real wizard, I could face him in a fair duel and take my revenge!"

"He took me to save an innocent vampire and a disabled girl, taught me all kinds of common sense about the Wizarding World, and showed me how love can truly change a person! I believe everything he's told me is true… and from the heart! I trust him!"

Lupin's face paled, and he staggered back a step or two.

It was as if he had just heard a fairy tale… one too fantastical to believe.

'That's Snape?'

'The teacher Harry spoke of—was he really Severus Snape?'

It took Lupin a long moment to process Harry's words. Even then, he couldn't help asking one last desperate question.

"Then did he ever tell you why he took you as his student? Why he would teach you, only to raise his own killer? Why would he do that?"

Harry's lips moved slightly before he finally gave the answer.

"He said... he said he owed it to my mother..."

Lupin was speechless.

If there was one answer that could make him believe Snape had truly changed, this was it.

'But if Lily's death had changed Snape, why had he waited until now to take Harry away?'

'And what about Professor Dumbledore? Did he know about this?'

Even with what he learned from Harry, Lupin's mind was still a tangled mess!

His confusion only grew. And as for the Snape Harry described, unless Lupin saw him with his own eyes, even a Confundus Charm wouldn't help him imagine what that Snape would look like.

But Lupin remained calm and composed.

He quickly realized that in their current situation, dwelling on these thoughts was meaningless.

The biggest problem before them now was how to escape this den of werewolves!

Once he confirmed the boy before him was indeed Harry, Lupin's only thought was to protect him and get him out safely.

"Let's not discuss this anymore, Harry. Whether things are truly as you say or not, we'll only find out after we escape from here."

Just as Lupin finished speaking, a commotion erupted outside the cave.

The werewolves who had left with Greyback had returned!

But they looked utterly disheveled, two of them were visibly bloodied, and their numbers had dwindled by three compared to when they had left!

Greyback himself looked as furious as a storm, his face dark with rage.

"That treacherous snake! That despicable coward! He's more cunning than the filthiest goblin! The Dark Lord will punish him! He will!!"

Even as he roared, his movements didn't slow. He barked orders at his pack, forcing them to gather the captured children and Lupin before retrieving a set of Portkeys prepared in advance.

Clearly, they were preparing to flee!

Lupin didn't know what had happened, but he immediately recognized this as a perfect opportunity!

However, he didn't even have a wand in his hand, and wandless magic only allowed him to leave something behind in the depths of the cave in desperation.

Then, under the watchful eyes of over a dozen werewolves, he was forced to touch the Portkey with the three werewolves and the children first… vanishing on the spot!

Greyback watched them disappear before he and the remaining pack members activated their own Portkeys, abandoning the seaside cave.

Not long after they left, the massive boulder blocking the cave entrance was suddenly split in two by an invisible blade!

Boom!!!

The deafening crash of falling stone sent dust flying.

And from the settling debris, three bloodstained figures stepped forward, entering the abandoned werewolf den.