Chapter 372: Family [Double Chapter]
“We’re here, of course,” Mrs. Johnson said, stroking Kariel’s hair with trembling hands, her voice thick with emotion. “We heard your team was compromised. We left America the moment we found out, but we couldn’t reach you. I… I was afraid… I thought—” She broke down in tears.
The sight of her weeping left Kariel utterly helpless. He floundered, fumbling for words: “Don’t cry, Mom. Look, I’m fine, see?” He turned to his father, silently begging for help—but Mr. Johnson sat beside him, expression stern, and asked, “What exactly happened back then? How did you get exposed?”
Kariel frowned. “Didn’t Graynwhite escape? He didn’t report in?”
Mr. Johnson’s voice was icy. “Answer me, Kariel.”
The cold tone unsettled Kariel. Mrs. Johnson wiped her eyes and explained, “Graynwhite lured the enemy to our base. After sending a verbal message, he fled to Africa. Since then, we’ve had no contact.”
Kariel sighed. “He’s being overly cautious. Dumbledore’s already back at school.”
“Good heavens,” Mrs. Johnson gasped. “You ran into Dumbledore? How could this happen? The leader said Dumbledore might be the most powerful wizard alive. Why did you pick a fight with him the moment you arrived?”
Kariel shuddered at the memory. He swallowed hard, trying to steady himself before recalling what had happened.
“After we arrived in Britain, Graynwhite said we needed to investigate the disappearance of that Werewolf, Will. Our last mission failed—badly. The gold powder didn’t work at all. It was… strange. Graynwhite suspected someone inside had betrayed us.”
“He said we first needed to identify who was opposing us, whether the British Ministry of Magic was involved, and how much information Will had leaked. Only then could we proceed.”
“Will had a diary. After examining it, Nile found someone extremely suspicious—”
“Before Will vanished, he’d contacted a Werewolf named Remus Lupin. He got a well-paying job through him and even received substantial financial support.”
“And Remus Lupin lives in Hogsmeade…”
“Darl died from an Acromantula bite. Acromantulas are native to Southeast Asia. In Britain, there’s only one place where a large population exists…”
Kariel’s voice trailed off, but Mr. Johnson had already grasped Graynwhite’s logic. He spoke slowly, “The Forbidden Forest, just beyond Hogwarts.”
“Yes,” Kariel nodded. “That’s exactly what Graynwhite thought.”
“He believed all the incidents were connected to Remus Lupin. And as a dangerous Werewolf, the fact he could live so close to the school meant he must have official permission from the school’s leadership.”
“Clami suggested that if we could shatter the wizards’ trust in this Werewolf, we could force him to leave the protection of Hogwarts. That would make it much easier to deal with him.”
“Also,” Kariel added, “the British Werewolves have formed some kind of Mutual Aid Society. They signed the Werewolf Code of Conduct with the Ministry. Clami said we should remind the wizards of the true danger and brutality of Werewolves—only then could we ‘help’ them awaken.”
Kariel’s lips twitched. Even as he spoke, he felt the absurdity of it. They were interfering with the Werewolves’ fragile peace, inciting wizarding prejudice and persecution—then claiming to “help” the Werewolves “awaken”?
—Did the British Werewolves really need this kind of help?
But he had no right to question. After Clami spoke, Graynwhite and Nile both agreed it was a good plan.
Now, Kariel paused, deliberately observing his parents’ expressions. To his surprise, they didn’t seem troubled by the idea at all.
—Was it him? Was he the one who was wrong for finding this approach so ridiculous?
“Did you use Lycanthropy Hormone?” Mr. Johnson asked.
“Yes. When Graynwhite left, he requested three vials. One was used on Remus Lupin—he turned into a Werewolf in the street…”
“But…” Mrs. Johnson frowned. “That incident wasn’t reported in the papers.”
Kariel looked down. “Hogsmeade has some powerful individuals. And at the time, Remus Lupin was with a Hogwarts professor. After the Werewolf went berserk, no one was hurt.”
“Nile and Clami even took photos and video footage. But that night, Dumbledore suddenly found us…”
Kariel remembered the moment they were driving toward a new Muggle town. The car stopped abruptly in the middle of the road. And there, standing in the cold night, was the terrifying wizard—his eyes cold, as if he’d been waiting for them all along.
A shiver ran down his spine. His face went pale. His hands clenched into fists. Fear and tension flashed in his eyes.
Everyone in the car—except the terrified Muggle driver—was paralyzed with fear. No one thought of resistance. They screamed and burst out of the car, fleeing in panic.
Graynwhite and Nile could Apparate. They were the only ones who escaped that road unscathed—only Clami lost a finger, severed in the split. It was miraculous.
But later, they realized it wasn’t luck. It was the beginning of a nightmare.
“We didn’t dare rest. We didn’t dare sleep. Every time we paused—even for a few minutes—he appeared.”
“So you brought him to the French base?” Mr. Johnson suddenly asked.
Kariel blinked, then stammered, “It’s full of Muggles. Nile said, out of concern for the Confidentiality Act, Dumbledore would certainly—”
“Fool!”
Smack!
The stinging slap cut off Kariel’s words. His face burned. He stared blankly, stunned.
Mr. Johnson erupted in rage, striking him again—then standing up and kicking Kariel hard in the chest, sending him sprawling.
“Muggles! Muggles! All you know is that they’re Muggles! But have you ever thought—why are there so many Muggles in our base?”
He roared, “They’re precious researchers! But because of you, they’re out of our control! Some of our most valuable research materials were stolen! Do you have any idea what kind of loss that is?”
Kariel trembled, silent.
Mrs. Johnson stepped between them, furious. “How dare you hit a child? Kariel didn’t make the decisions—he wasn’t even in charge! All the choices were Graynwhite’s!”
She knelt beside Kariel, gently stroking his head. “Don’t be afraid, Mom knows it’s not your fault. And please understand—your father’s under immense pressure. The leader is furious. He came here in such a hurry because he was worried about you… because he loves you.”
“Kariel… can you forgive your father?”
Kariel looked up at her, long and deep. After a long pause, he slowly nodded.
Mr. Johnson took a deep breath, his chest heaving. He finally calmed. He reached down, pulled Kariel up, and patted the dust off his jacket.
“I’m sorry, Child.”
His voice was low and hoarse. “I’ve been in a bad mood today. I took my anger out on you. I’m sorry you had to suffer.”
Kariel looked down. “It’s fine… I know you didn’t mean it.”
The couple exchanged relieved smiles. Mrs. Johnson pulled him into a tight, heartfelt embrace.
“Let’s not talk about the French base anymore. Kariel… do you remember your mission?”
Kariel nodded.
“Then why, when I saw you in the street today, weren’t you with Wade Gray?”
Mr. Johnson’s tone was calm—but Kariel flinched anyway.
This time, he didn’t defend himself. He didn’t say that the Sorting Hat had placed him in Gryffindor, or that Wade Gray was never around except in class. He didn’t mention that the boy traveling with him had been The Savior—someone Kariel believed it was vital to befriend, and who might help him join Wade Gray’s secret society.
He knew. In his father’s eyes, failure was failure. No matter how meaningful the alternative task might be, it was still an excuse.
Orders came first.
“I’m sorry, Dad,” Kariel whispered, head down. “I didn’t meet your expectations. I’m truly sorry. I’ll try harder. Please give me more time.”
Mr. Johnson’s jaw tightened, as if about to explode. But Mrs. Johnson shot him a sharp glare, and he swallowed his rage.
He placed his hand on Kariel’s head, speaking gently: “It’s alright. You’ve realized your mistake. I believe you’ll do better next time. Kariel… don’t make me disappointed again.”
Kariel fought the urge to wince as the pressure from his father’s hand lingered. He nodded solemnly.
Mrs. Johnson clapped her hands, cheerful. “Alright, enough of this serious talk! Kariel, you must be starving after school life. Mom prepared a feast—let’s eat as a family!”
“Good idea,” Mr. Johnson chuckled. “Since Kariel went to training camp, we haven’t sat down together like this in ages. Kariel, will it disturb your return to school?”
For the first time, Kariel smiled—genuine, warm.
“No,” he said. “It’s Hogsmeade Weekend. I just need to be back before dinner.”
“Not long enough,” Mr. Johnson said. “We’ve got someone inside the village watching. If Wade Gray shows up, you’ll need to find a chance to ‘accidentally’ meet him.”
“…Yeah.” Kariel’s smile vanished. He gave a quiet, resigned nod. He looked at his parents, who were already lost in conversation—completely unaware of his mood.
In that moment, he felt a strange distance from them. They weren’t the parents he remembered.
—It was all because of the British Ministry of Magic. They’d discovered their family’s Vampire identity. Forced into exile, they’d fled to America. The long, painful journey… Kariel didn’t even want to remember.
Only after finding refuge with the organization had they escaped their pursuers.
And because of that trauma, his parents had changed. It wasn’t their fault.
Only by completing his mission could he bring his family back to a life of dignity. Only then would his parents return to who they once were.
Kariel clenched his fork tightly.
Mrs. Johnson had already laid out a feast—roast beef, eel jelly, stew, seafood soup, sausage mashed potatoes… The rich aroma filled the room. The atmosphere finally felt like a real family.
…
“Honestly, what a fool,” Sirius Black muttered, jabbing a knife into a pumpkin in the courtyard. “You let yourself get ambushed by a vampire bat?”
His tone was mocking, but his eyes were sharp with cold fury.
“How should I put it?” Remus Lupin forced a weak smile. “I might’ve had too much to drink. Let my guard down…”
In truth, he had sensed something flying toward him. But the alcohol dulled his instincts. He’d assumed it was Wade in Bird form—because, in his mind, Wade’s Animagus form was always a bird.
Only when the needle pierced his skin did he realize he’d been attacked. The cold liquid shot into his bloodstream like a water gun.
“Thank Merlin Hagrid was there…” Sirius Black stopped himself, seeing Remus’s pale face. He turned to Harry and Wade, who’d come to visit. “Did Dumbledore say anything?”
“Apparently, the vampire responsible is dead,” Harry said quickly.
Remus had been in the Infirmary. Harry had spoken to Professor McGonagall and the Headmaster—enough to know the truth.
“Professor Snape tested the hormone,” Wade said. “He believes it’s a special substance extracted from Werewolves—designed to trigger lycanthropy.”
“Even though Remus recovered this time,” Wade added, “next time, the transformation could be faster, more complete. He might never return to normal.”
Sirius Black spat. “That sniveling git…”
“Sirius Black,” Remus warned quietly.
“Fine… fine… Snape!” Sirius snapped, shaking his head like a dog. “He helped this time, but that man’s always good at scaring people.”
“That wasn’t just ‘a little help’,” Remus said calmly. “He saved me. If I ever fully turn… Sirius, don’t hesitate when it’s time.”
“Never!” Sirius growled. “I don’t believe any of that nonsense from that greasy-haired fool! There’s no problem we can’t solve!”
Remus managed a faint smile. He didn’t argue. He didn’t agree.
Harry stared at the floor for a long moment, then whispered to Wade, “Wade… extracting hormones like that… it can’t be a wizard’s method, can it?”
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
