Harry Potter: The Golden Viper

095 Meeting Him

The Leaky Cauldron was unusually quiet that afternoon. Most of the regular customers were either busy with their jobs or avoiding the scorching heat outside. Only a few tables were occupied by some old wizards playing chess or reading newspapers. In a dimly lit corner near the fireplace, two men sat opposite each other with a pile of dishes between them. One of them was holding a copy of the Daily Prophet with a bold headline that caught his attention:

"–An internationally renowned celebrity and author of several best-selling books, recipient of the Order of Merlin-Third Class, honorary member of the Dark Arts Defense League, former professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry–Gilderoy Lockhart, who was previously reported by an anonymous person and controlled by the Ministry of Magic, was trialed by the Wizengamot Court at nine o'clock today. According to a source from the Ministry of Magic, Gilderoy Lockhart may face up to fifteen years in prison for multiple charges."

Below this sensational headline was a large photo of Lockhart being escorted by two Aurors into the courtroom. The contrast between his past glory and his present misery was striking. His once shiny blond hair was tangled and dirty; his flamboyant robes were replaced by ragged prison clothes that hung loosely on his thin frame; his dazzling smile was gone, revealing yellowish teeth and a stubbly beard; and his bright blue eyes were clouded with confusion and fear, as if he had no idea how he had ended up in this predicament.

This was probably the last time Gilderoy Lockhart made headlines. The man who was holding the paper folded it neatly and tossed it aside with a smirk on his face. He looked across the table at his companion, who had just finished devouring another ferret sandwich with great appetite.

He was Remus Lupin, a former friend of Harry Potter's father, a member of the Order of Phoenix that fought against Voldemort, and a werewolf who had been bitten as a child by Fenrir Greyback, the most notorious leader of a savage pack that preyed on humans.

Lupin had once been a handsome and elegant man with a gentle smile and a calm demeanor, but years of hardship and discrimination had taken their toll on him. His face was pale and gaunt, his hair was streaked with gray, his clothes were patched and worn, and his eyes were sad and weary. He had been living on the edge of society, struggling to find a decent job or a place to stay, especially during the full moon when he had to endure the painful transformation into a beast.

The round tea table was full of empty plates. Lupin had eaten more than he usually did in a week, thanks to the generosity of his host. He felt a pang of guilt and gratitude as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. He noticed that the other man was staring at him with a cold and curious expression. He tried to swallow the food in his mouth and showed an apologetic smile.

"I think I must look very embarrassed right now–"

Bryan sneered indisputably. He looked deeply at the patches on Lupin's robe that were sewn with different fabrics and colors and felt mixed feelings in his heart.

"You're quite skilled, Lupin. I don't understand why you ended up like this?"

Bryan asked in a tone that was half curious and half mocking. Lupin seemed to want to say something, but he suddenly noticed that the owner of the pub Tom was carrying two glasses of sherry towards them, so he quickly shut his mouth.

After the pub owner respectfully put down the two glasses of black, thick and sweet wine that smelled like raisins and walked away, Lupin rubbed his grayish hair that had some white strands and said in a low voice with a bitter smile,

"You know my identity, Mr. Watson. In the outside world, no one would be willing to hire a dangerous werewolf who can't work for a period of time every month–"

"The underground world's commission market has some tasks that are not very complicated. With your ability, it would be easy to complete them."

Bryan leaned on the back of the chair. He crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head to continue asking. Lupin's face visibly darkened. He didn't answer Bryan's question immediately, but stared at the sandwich that was left in the plate. It was half-eaten and had some sauce dripping from it. This silence lasted for a long time, until even Bryan became impatient. Lupin finally opened his mouth with a bitter face,

"Indeed. But I don't dare, Mr. Watson. I'm afraid it's hard for me to explain this feeling to you. It's probably like this. I think it's better for me to keep a certain distance from those things that violate the law, unless I want to become like Greyback someday in the future."

Pathetic–That was the word that came to Bryan's mind after hearing Lupin's explanation. Lupin was a werewolf who would rather live in poverty and misery than harm others with his strength. He was a kind and principled person, but sadly, in the magical world, that didn't matter. People wouldn't change their views on werewolves because of him, nor would they show much compassion. They wouldn't think about how much injustice and suffering werewolves had endured and why they had become like this. They would only reject and despise all kinds of different beings.

Because of Greyback and his men, Bryan didn't like werewolves, but he didn't have much prejudice against them either. Of course, he didn't have the mood to sympathize with these poor guys who had suffered so much injustice.

Suppressing the slight pity in his heart, Bryan cleared his throat and said coldly,

"So, Mr. Lupin, I think you must be wondering what our grudge is about?"

Bryan asked in a tone that was half curious and half mocking. He looked at Lupin with a cold and piercing gaze, as if he could see through his mind.

"Yes, Mr. Watson. I'm not surprised by your reaction when you saw me today–"

Lupin smiled bitterly and nodded apologetically. He lowered his eyes and avoided Bryan's stare. "Professor Dumbledore wrote me a letter. After you left Hogwarts, he reminded me that when I saw you again, you might react like this–"

Hmph!

The coldness in Bryan's eyes and the cold snort he made were as sharp as each other. He looked at Lupin's eyes indifferently,

"I spared your life, Lupin,"

The bloodthirsty aura in Bryan's low voice almost made Lupin uneasy. He felt a chill run down his spine and his heart beat faster. He wanted to defend himself, but the young wizard in front of him didn't give him a chance to speak.

"But how did you repay my kindness, Lupin? You asked Dumbledore about my identity. You should know what kind of consequences that could lead to. If Dumbledore decided to get rid of me, then there would be only two outcomes for me. Either I would stay in Azkaban for a lifetime, or I would leave the European magical world and wander around the world.

Hey, is it possible that werewolves express gratitude differently from normal wizards, so that I can't understand why you would do such a 'repay kindness with enmity' thing?"

Lupin had nothing to say. After that fierce battle, to be honest, he was scared by this young wizard who had appeared in the underground world not long ago. Subconsciously, he wanted to find out the true identity of the 'Golden Viper'. He didn't think much and wrote a letter to Albus directly, ignoring the consequences this would bring to Bryan.

Defending and apologizing were useless in front of a wizard like Golden Viper. To solve this trouble, you had to come up with something that could interest him.

"I have some information here, Mr. Watson. Maybe it's worth something to you–"

After a long silence, Lupin raised his head. The one who was only over thirty years old looked like a fifty-year-old man because of his precarious life and the trauma in his heart. His face was pale and gaunt, his eyes were sunken and weary, and his voice was hoarse and weak.

"Fenrir Greyback has started to resume his activities recently. He arranged his men to inquire about your true identity privately. He may want to find your family. Besides, he also contacted some of his former partners. You should know who I mean. I think he wants to have a final battle with you."

"He's not dead yet?"

After a contemptuous snort, Bryan's tone was slightly surprised. "Werewolves really have amazing vitality."

"Unfortunately, Mr. Watson, he is still alive–"

Lupin took a deep breath and said,

"After fighting with you last time, half of his body was almost burned by your powerful fire magic. Normally, even with the vitality of a werewolf, he couldn't survive such a serious magical injury.

But he was lucky. At the brink of death, he suddenly remembered that when he worked for the Dark Lord , he got a reward for an excellent massacre. That was a very powerful healing ritual magic that barely healed his broken body. After some time of recuperation, he finally recovered his strength."

"It's worth something–"

Bryan nodded and then said coldly, "But compared to the mockery I suffered, Lupin, if Greyback comes to trouble me again, I'll make sure he won't even have ashes left. You don't expect this to appease my anger, do you?"

Lupin's face was full of helplessness. He shook his robe to make the patches on it more conspicuous. They were like scars on his clothes that showed his poverty and misery.

"You know my situation, Mr. Watson. If you want me to redeem myself with galleons, I'm afraid I'll disappoint you."

Bryan sipped his sweet wine and thought about this question.

'Kill Lupin to vent his anger?'

Bryan would never do that. For killing, Bryan always had the most cautious attitude. His grudge with Lupin was far from reaching the point where he had to take out his wand and take his life. And besides, Lupin obviously had a special relationship with Dumbledore. Bryan didn't want to provoke the old man who was still the most powerful wizard in the world. He knew that Dumbledore had some secrets that even he couldn't figure out. He didn't want to risk his life for a trivial matter.

Bryan fell into silence and Lupin also waited quietly for his decision. Neither of them spoke again. The only sound in the pub was the clinking of glasses and the murmuring of conversations. In the meantime, when the pub owner Tom came over and asked them if they needed anything else, Lupin showed a hesitant expression. He looked at the empty plates on the table and felt a pang of hunger in his stomach. He hadn't eaten so well in a long time. Bryan generously waved his hand and let him order whatever he wanted.

Lupin thanked him gratefully and ordered another sandwich and a glass of pumpkin juice. Bryan had no idea what to do. He turned Lockhart's face over and casually looked at the Daily Prophet while thinking. He scanned the headlines and the articles, but nothing caught his interest. When he turned to page seven, a recruitment notice in the middle of the paper caught his eye. Then Bryan showed a meaningful smile on his handsome face.

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