Defense Against the Dark Arts was unusually lively today.
Students packed themselves into rows with a buzzing excitement—Lupin's classes were always good, but today felt different.
The air hummed with something unspoken.
Anticipation.
And Sirius Black, who had technically no reason to be there, lounged at the back of the room in a conjured recliner, sunglasses on, legs crossed, looking entirely too pleased with himself, enjoying his double time of the day just relaxing in peace getting to see what his buddy and godsons were getting up to.
Hermione muttered as she slid into her seat, "He can't possibly be allowed to just… sit there."
Daphne replied quietly, "He's Sirius Black. He can and will do whatever he wants. Afterall he is a Professor and well the book doesnt say anything about him not being able to audit another teachers courses..."
Cassius took his seat between them.
The door creaked open—
Professor Lupin entered slowly, looking a shade paler than usual but walking with purposeful calm.
Full moon tonight.
That explained the edge in the air.
He reached the front desk, set down his satchel, and addressed the room with a warm smile.
"Good afternoon, everyone. Today's lesson will be… a bit different."
Sirius perked up behind his shades. "Oh excellent, practical! Knew I picked the right double free period."
Lupin ignored him perfectly.
He clasped his hands. "With tonight's lunar phase being what it is, I thought it appropriate to skip ahead in the curriculum."
A ripple of whispers passed through the class.
Lupin continued gently, "Let's begin with something simple. Who here can tell me what a werewolf is?"
Hermione's hand shot up instantly.
Lupin pointed to her with a small smile. "Yes, Miss Granger?"
"Werewolves are humans afflicted with lycanthropy," Hermione said confidently. "They transform involuntarily during the full moon into a dangerous, predatory creature. Their human mind is completely lost during this time and—"
She hesitated only a moment. "They'd kill their best friend if they crossed paths when turned... to this date there is no cure for those afflicted."
Lupin nodded slowly.
"Very good. Extremely thorough." Then, more softly— "You are correct that there is no cure."
Hermione beamed.
Lupin lifted a finger.
"But… there is another solution for those afflicted instead of a cure."
A hum rippled through the class.
Even Cassius leaned forward slightly.
Cassius of course knew, but what he didnt know what that Lupin was willing to out himself so openly unlike previously where he was reserved and strived to hide that part of himself.
Sirius muttered from the back, "Cmon Mooney, dont go teasing them, if there was a solution i wouldnt have had to learn so much cardio growing up."
Lupin smirked faintly. "Don't mind him children, he fell on his head to many time growing up, now a new question-"
He scanned the class.
"Does anyone know the difference… between a werewolf and a lycan?"
Silence.
Understandable so, seeing as how only Werewolves were knowing at this time widespread in the magical world, as for Lycans well this would be a muggle concept created for fantasy media years later.
Then Cassius raised his hand.
Lupin didn't even call on him—without even looking to see if anyone had raised their hands, he simply said, "Go ahead, Cassius."
Cassius answered crisply. "A werewolf is cursed through infection. Their transformation is involuntary, painful, and strips away their mind. A lycan, however, is transformed through a controlled procedure. They retain their intelligence, their will, and can shift at will without the full moon's influence. And the only lingering sympton is that a newly infect person treated with this proceedure cannot transform for the first time except on a full moon. Additionally while those bitten by a werewolf become werewolves themselve but can later be turned to Lycans, anyone bitten by a lycan turns themself into a lycan as well."
Half the class stared.
This was highly advanced and previously confidential information researched and experimented on by the Arcanum afterall.
Hermione mouthed, He just… knows that?
Sirius grinned like Christmas had come early. "That's my boy."
Lupin nodded with genuine approval. "Perfectly articulated. Five points to Draconis."
Ron groaned.
Daphne on the otherhand smirked.
Cassius didn't react, expression neutral as always.
Lupin stepped away from his desk. "And since theory only goes so far… I think a demonstration is in order."
Every student in the room froze.
Hermione squeaked. "A demonstration—what?"
Sirius sat bolt upright, sunglasses sliding off his face.
"Moony you WHAT?!"
Lupin exhaled, calm and composed. "Relax, Sirius. I'm giving them the lycan demonstration. Not the werewolf."
Then he addressed the class gently:
"I wish for all of you to see the difference. To know that the dark is not always to be feared. That some curses can be… reshaped. And made to serve the greater good."
He stepped into the open space at the center of the room.
His eyes flashed gold.
His voice thickened. "Please do not panic."
Then he inhaled—
—and shifted.
It wasn't violent.
It wasn't grotesque.
It was fluid.
Muscles tightened and expanded.
Claws extended where fingernails previously were.
Dark brown fur rippled over elongating limbs.
His spine straightened into a powerful, wolf-like stance—yet his posture remained unmistakably human.
Within seconds, the 1.87M tall man had become a towering, broad-shouldered bipedal wolfman... a lycan at least 2.5M tall, eyes dilligently scanning the room as his maw, opened slightly as if he was snarling or perhaps smirking.
Hermione clapped both hands over her mouth.
Neville predictably fainted.
Ron made a strangled noise afterall he was seeing a litteral monster not two feet from him.
Sirius muttered, "I'm never getting used to that…"
Then, a beat later—"Still handsome though."
The lycan Lupin let out a soft, controlled rumble—almost like a purr.
He bowed.
Then—slowly, gently—shifted back.
Fur receded.
Bones reformed smoothly.
Within moments, Professor Lupin stood before them again, breathing only slightly heavier than before.
He brushed dust from his sleeves.
"And that," he said calmly, "is what a lycan is."
The classroom was dead silent.
Then—
Cassius clapped.
Slow.
Steady.
Respectful.
Hermione followed, still wide-eyed.
Daphne joined next.
Soon, the entire class applauded.
Sirius pretended he wasn't wiping at his eyes.
Lupin smiled warmly. "Now then—open your books to page three hundred nintey-four. Let's dive into werewolves in full, and at the same time i will update you on the new unwritten information on Lycans."
And the class leaned forward—because for the first time, they were learning from someone who had walked through darkness…
…and come out the other side still human.