Witcher at Hogwarts

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Suddenly, the teenager's expression shifted again, filled with fear and sorrow.

"This is a curse—we can't escape it—this is all our fault! When you do something wrong, you deserve to be punished!" he cried, clutching his head as his voice rose in anguish.

Ethan and Tonks exchanged uneasy glances. The young noble before them seemed to be suffering from some kind of mental breakdown.

"We made a grave mistake! We did something terrible, unforgivable! We deserve this punishment—it's our sin!" he mumbled in despair.

"So many people—so many people, one after another—"

His voice trembled as if he were reliving a horrific memory, and his sobs grew uncontrollably.

"Stupefy!"

The butler, reacting quickly, raised his wand and cast a Sleeping Charm on the boy.

The young noble collapsed to the ground, the spell taking immediate effect, leaving him silent.

The butler hurried over, gently lifting the boy and laying him on the bed, covering him with a quilt. It was clear from his swift, practiced movements that this was not unusual.

"I'm sorry for the scene you just witnessed," the butler said, turning to Ethan and Tonks.

"The young master suffered a severe mental shock after surviving a monster attack. Ever since then, he has had these episodes whenever he becomes overly emotional."

"It's alright," Ethan replied, though both he and Tonks sensed there was something more to this than they were being told.

"For now, the young master needs rest, but I can provide you with the details of the commission. Please, follow me."

The butler gestured for Ethan and Tonks to follow him to the castle's reception room.

They soon found themselves seated on a plush sofa, a patterned coffee table in front of them.

"I'll fetch you some black tea," the butler said politely.

"The cold winters in Poland are perfect for a warm drink."

Moments later, he returned with a tray, carefully setting down teapots and cups. After pouring two cups of black tea, Ethan took a sip, appreciating the perfectly brewed drink. It seemed the butler was every bit the competent servant.

"So," Ethan began, finally asking the question on his mind, "what exactly are you up against?"

It was the question the villagers had been avoiding—the very one that had driven the young nobleman to his breaking point.

"This all began with the late Sir Sapkov, the young master's grandfather," the butler started, his voice lowering as he delved into the past.

"At that time, the village was thriving, with a rich coal mine in the mountains. This mining business transformed the village into a prosperous town," the butler recalled.

"The Sapkov family managed the town, and all the villagers depended on the wealth generated from selling coal to the Muggle world."

Ethan nodded. The situation was a common one. Not every magical settlement, like Hogsmeade Village or Diagon Alley, survived primarily on wizarding trade and could thrive.

Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley owed much of their prosperity to their close proximity to Hogwarts, which created a steady business flow.

Other wizarding villages, like the old Oshdin village, often had to rely on resources like coal or lumber and engage in discreet trade with Muggles to survive—all while keeping the magical world hidden.

The butler continued, "But then, one day, the village of Oshdin caught the attention of a werewolf pack. They launched a brutal, relentless attack on our village…"

"They attacked villagers who wandered alone at night, slaughtered livestock, and even bit children, transforming them into werewolves one by one," the butler recounted, his tone grave.

"Why would they do such a thing?" Tonks asked, bewildered. She couldn't fathom why these werewolves would behave so ruthlessly without cause.

The butler's eyes flickered, betraying a moment of hesitation. Finally, he replied, "I don't know why they act this way; it seems entirely without reason."

Ethan and Tonks exchanged glances, sensing that the butler was not revealing the truth.

"In short, the entire village was overrun by werewolves, making normal life impossible. At that time, the old Sapkov organized several operations to eradicate them," he continued.

"But the werewolves would retreat to the mountains whenever they were attacked. They knew the territory far better than the villagers, making it difficult for us to combat them effectively."

"So, you sought our help to drive the werewolves away?" Tonks asked, intrigued.

"No," the butler clarified.

"The werewolves ceased to be a threat during the day."

"Old Sapkov, unable to resolve the werewolf crisis, spent a fortune to bring in a wizard who claimed he could solve the problem. And he did—though in a way no one expected."

As he spoke, the butler visibly trembled, a reaction that didn't go unnoticed by Ethan and Tonks.

"I know everyone fears werewolves! They're tall and hairy, incredibly fierce! They can infect others, even devour people! But you must understand that werewolves are natural beings," he said, intensifying.

Suddenly, the butler shifted topics, his words becoming disjointed.

"Just like dragons, vampires, and phoenixes, they've existed since the dawn of humanity—they are part of nature! You understand!"

His thoughts seemed to spiral as if he were grappling with a terror from which he couldn't escape. The teacup in his hand shook violently, hot tea splashing over his fingers, yet he appeared oblivious to the heat.

"Mr. Butler!" Ethan called out, his voice cutting through the butler's reverie.

"Ah! I'm sorry! I lost my train of thought!" the butler stammered, setting the teacup down and hastily wiping his hands with a handkerchief.

"That Warlock was a lunatic! To deal with the werewolves, he created a new horrific monster." The butler swallowed hard, his voice rising in urgency.

His gaze was fixed ahead, trapped in a nightmare he couldn't shake off.

"That Warlock reverse-engineered the werewolf curse. To hunt them down, he created an entirely new species: the Canines!" The butler's hands began to tremble anew.

"From the moment that abomination was born, I sensed something was wrong!" he gasped, fear lacing his voice.

"I don't even know how to describe them—they're slender and gaunt, resembling ghouls with dark eyes that seem to see right through you. You can't tell what they're thinking!"

"They're incredibly intelligent, smarter than people! But they don't belong to the realm of humanity—they're monstrous, twisted beings with human-like cunning!"

The terror in his voice was palpable, echoing the depths of his dread.