The first class on Monday morning was Potions.
As always, Sean performed flawlessly, becoming Snape's convenient tool for racking up extra points for Slytherin. Every time class ended, Snape would toss another ten or twenty points Sean's way, which made the Gryffindors grit their teeth in envy.
Meanwhile, Harry served as Snape's personal excuse to deduct points from Gryffindor. Despite this, Harry actually did well in the brewing work today — until Malfoy, who had recently taken to pretending to be a Dementor just to mock him, pushed Harry too far. Still fuming over his ruined Nimbus 2000, Harry finally snapped when Malfoy started strutting around with his usual smug grin.
The beef heart meant for today's potion didn't stand a chance. Harry picked it up and hurled it right into Malfoy's face. Snape, spotting a golden opportunity, swooped in and deducted a whopping fifty points from Gryffindor on the spot. Even Sean's eyelid twitched at that. He knew Snape disliked Harry, but fifty points? That was brutal — even for him.
Luckily, Professor McGonagall wasn't the type to retaliate like Snape did. If she were, Gryffindor and Slytherin might have ended up clawing each other's scores down to zero by the week's end.
So, in a single lesson, Slytherin gained more than ten points while Gryffindor bled over fifty — thanks to Harry, and poor Neville, who had managed to lose the other half through some hapless mistake of his own.
By the time class ended, only Gryffindor limped out in defeat.
After lunch, the first class that afternoon was Defense Against the Dark Arts. The Gryffindors, bracing for more torment under Snape's substitute watch, nearly cheered when they saw Professor Lupin waiting in the classroom instead — pale and clearly exhausted, but present nonetheless. A quiet wave of relief and excitement spread through the room — everyone except Hermione, who looked oddly conflicted.
Sean noticed all of it, but he had no time or energy to get involved. His mind was fully occupied with his own mountain of work. Between potions, transfiguration, and his newly added alchemy studies, he barely had enough hours in the day — even with the help of his Time-Turner.
Still, no matter how focused he was, there were always moments when people came to him. And when that happened, Sean knew he couldn't simply pretend he hadn't heard or seen anything. Like it or not, he still had to maintain some basic relationships at Hogwarts.
"Sean, can I talk to you?"
Ever since Sean had dealt with Quirrell and the basilisk back in his first and second years, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had come to trust him deeply. Whenever they faced something they couldn't bring to a professor, Sean was always the first person they turned to.
Sean understood this well. He looked at Hermione standing in front of him, then gave a small nod. "Let's go talk somewhere else. Too many people coming and going here — it might not be the best place for whatever you want to say."
Hermione glanced back at the students nearby — from Gryffindor and other houses alike — who were now sneaking curious looks at them. A faint flush rose on her cheeks as she nodded quickly. They moved down the corridor until they reached a quiet spot near the windows at the far end.
"Sean, do you remember what… what Professor Snape taught us when he substituted for Defense Against the Dark Arts?"
Sean knew exactly what she meant the moment she brought it up. He nodded. "I remember. Professor Snape explained how to deal with werewolves."
"Yes, that's it." Hermione pressed her lips together, words caught at the edge of her tongue. She looked as if she wanted to say something but couldn't find the right way to start.
Seeing her hesitation, Sean sighed lightly. "Hermione, I know what you're worried about. I was the one who delivered the Wolfsbane Potion that Professor Snape brewed for Professor Lupin."
Hermione's eyes widened. She almost blurted out something but caught herself just in time, lowering her voice into a whisper. "But, Sean… aren't you worried?"
"Worried about what?" Sean asked calmly. "Werewolves only transform on full moons. With the Wolfsbane Potion, Professor Lupin keeps his mind when he transforms. Besides, you know him better than I do — why would you be scared? Because someone turned him into a werewolf and now he's different from us?"
"Of course not! I just… I just…" Hermione trailed off, words tangling up before she could explain.
Sean watched her for a moment, then said gently, "Hermione, don't let what you read in books blind you to who he really is. I know you don't truly hate him for being a werewolf — you're just unsettled because you read about how dangerous werewolves can be. So ask yourself: what kind of person is Professor Lupin? Do you think he's dangerous? Decide that first — then you'll know what to believe."
Hermione looked at him, took a slow breath, and nodded. "You're right. Thank you, Sean."
"No need to thank me. It's really nothing."
Hermione hesitated, then asked one last question. "Sean… what do you think of Professor Lupin?"
Sean paused, then shrugged lightly. "For you, for Harry, for Gryffindor — he's a very good person. For me, he's a very good teacher."
Hermione tilted her head, catching the subtle difference. "So… you don't really…"
Sean gave her a faint smile and nodded. "Yes. To me, personally, he's not exactly someone I like. But that doesn't change the fact that he's an excellent professor, does it?"
Hermione left a few moments later. She still looked thoughtful — maybe even a bit conflicted — but the biggest question in her heart had been answered.
Sean went straight to the library, where Blaise was already waiting for him.
As soon as Sean sat down beside him, Blaise glanced over at Madam Pince in the distance. Once he was sure she wasn't watching them, he leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Sean, what did you talk about with Miss Know-It-All from Gryffindor just now?"
Sean turned his head and raised an eyebrow at him, a faint smile on his face. "Why, Blaise? Are you curious?"
"Not really curious — very curious," Blaise corrected with a grin. "Everyone's saying that Gryffindor's resident Miss Know-It-All is trying to seduce you. And you are the best catch around here, so of course I want to know."
Sean frowned slightly, a hint of annoyance flickering across his face. "Hermione is my friend. She had something she needed my help with, that's all. There's nothing about seduction. Who even—" He cut himself off, then shook his head. "Never mind. It's just stupid gossip. I don't have time to waste arguing with people about that."