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Chapter 282: Werewolves and Lupin
Chapter 282: Werewolves and Lupin
Ivan carried his suitcase and boarded the train. Since he had arrived relatively early, there weren't many people on the train, and most of the compartments were empty.
Ivan didn't just choose an empty compartment at random; instead, he searched for someone. When he opened the door to the last carriage, he saw a middle-aged wizard placing his suitcase.
The wizard wore a patched and tattered robe, had light gray hair, and was tall and thin. His face looked pale, as if he could be blown away by the wind at any moment.
Remus John Lupin!
Ivan immediately recognized the wizard standing before him. The only person who would be here at this time, dressed like this, was him.
Noticing the sound at the door, Lupin turned around and looked at Ivan.
"Hello, Professor Lupin. May I sit here?" Ivan asked politely, nodding his head.
"Oh, of course, please do!" Lupin was momentarily taken aback and seemed a bit uncomfortable. He remembered that there were still many empty compartments on the train.
Due to his own experiences, Lupin had deliberately chosen a compartment at the end of the train where no one else was. He hadn't expected someone to come in right after he placed his suitcase.
Lupin moved to the corner of the compartment, watching as Ivan sat down opposite him. Curious, he asked, "Could you tell me which house you're in? And how did you know I was a professor?"
"I'm Ivan Hals from Gryffindor. As for your identity, I saw it on your suitcase", Ivan pointed to the luggage rack where Lupin's name was printed on the suitcase.
"Also, I believe you must be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor! The position was vacant, wasn't it?" Ivan spoke confidently. He needed Lupin's help and wanted to make a good impression.
"Brilliant!" Lupin clapped, praising him. "You're very clever. If you hadn't introduced yourself, I might have thought you were a Ravenclaw."
"By the way, you're Ivan Hals, right? The young wizard who created the Wolfsbane Potion and received the Order of Merlin?"
Lupin suddenly remembered something and pulled out a copy of the Daily Prophet from his patched robe, about to open it to confirm. However, he stopped when he saw a shiny medal hanging from Ivan's chest, clearly no longer needing to check.
"Yes, that's me, Professor!" Ivan nodded modestly. He had deliberately worn the Order of Merlin today to make sure Lupin would recognize him and make it easier to approach him.
"Remarkable, it's hard to believe you accomplished what many master potion-makers couldn't at such a young age", Lupin said, looking at the young wizard who was only thirteen or fourteen.
He felt that he had been more surprised in one day than in his entire life.
"It's not that they can't do it; it's just that these potion masters don't care much about the current state of werewolf wizards in the wizarding world", Ivan shook his head and countered.
"Yes, who would care about a group of Werewolves?" Lupin smiled bitterly. Years of wandering had made him acutely aware of the prejudice normal wizards had against werewolf wizards.
Every time he arrived in a new place, everyone got along well as long as no one knew his identity, and finding a job wasn't too difficult.
But because he would lose control and go on a rampage every full moon, even if he could estimate the timing and hide in an uninhabited place, the commotion he caused was hard to conceal.
So, he would be exposed and forcibly expelled after a short while. Very few people were willing to accept a wolf, and this was the reason he wandered around the magical world, unable to stay in any place for long.
Because of this, Lupin became increasingly curious about Ivan.
"Could you tell me why you wanted to develop this potion?" Lupin asked.
Ivan repeated the excuse he had given during Rita Skeeter's interview, explaining that he lived in Knockturn Alley and frequently interacted with wolves, gaining a deep understanding and sympathy for them.
He understood that werewolf wizards were not as savage as legend suggested; many of them were victims of wolf attacks and, in their normal state, were no different from ordinary wizards.
Ivan spoke sincerely, although he had a certain purpose, it was mostly genuine.
He had met wolves like Walker and Fren in Knockturn Alley, who worked odd jobs there to earn a meager living, which made them far better than the cunning and deceitful Dark Wizards in Knockturn Alley.
Ivan's words greatly increased Lupin's goodwill. He sighed and said, "If only other wizards thought like you, the wolves would have an easier time, and fewer werewolf wizards would go astray."
Lupin recalled the werewolf wizards he had met during his travels. Because they were rejected and despised by the magical world, they could not find jobs to support themselves and resorted to theft and robbery. Many of them eventually became thoroughly twisted and turned into Dark Wizards.
The more such wolves there were, the more the normal wizards rejected them, creating a vicious cycle that was difficult to break.
"I believe things will change in the future", Ivan said reassuringly.
"Yes, with the wolfsbane potion you developed, things should get better! It just needs some time", Lupin said, snapping out of his reverie and smiling at Ivan.
Although Lupin knew that the wolfsbane potion alone could not make the magical world accept werewolf wizards, at least things were gradually improving, right?
Then, the two continued to chat about other things until the train was about to depart. Lupin, feeling drowsy, stopped the conversation.
As a poor, wandering wolf, he had no extra money to stay at the Leaky Cauldron, so he had been sleeping in the nearby area for the past few days, now utterly exhausted.
Lupin curled up in a corner, using an old, tattered robe as a blanket to take a nap.
Ivan didn't intend to waste his time on the train. He took out a high-level potions book from his briefcase and began to read, occasionally taking notes.
Lupin, half-closed his eyes, observed this scene, and gained a clear understanding of Ivan's dedication. No wonder he could develop a potion at such a young age.
Hals, if you were still alive, you would surely be proud of your child, wouldn't you?
A figure flashed through Lupin's mind, and before long, he succumbed to sleep.
(End of Chapter)
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