0314 Request of Malfoys

According to Lucius’s personal desires, only the resignation of Dumbledore himself could quell his anger.

However, Lucius was shrewd and well aware that the actual circumstances surrounding the situation were far more complex and intricate than they appeared on the surface. If Dumbledore or Bryan Watson were to be held accountable and forced to bear the burden of consequence for their negligence, then what of the Ministry of Magic itself, which bore an even greater responsibility in the chain of events that had unfolded?

Should Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic, and Barty Crouch Sr, the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, also be expected to resign from their lofty positions in the face of such accountability?

Lucius knew, with unwavering certainty, that such a notion was utterly preposterous and beyond his reach. Even Arthur Weasley, a mere well-connected veteran employee at the Ministry, possessed the capacity to make a mockery of Lucius; if he lost his composure and allowed his temper to dictate his actions, let alone the two highest-ranking officials within the Ministry’s ranks. For their own self-preservation, if nothing else, those two would never permit Lucius to assert such a demand.

Lucius and Narcissa did not care about Hogwarts’s compensation; that was their business and Bryan, representing Hogwarts, still had to make the school’s stance clear.

“It seems this cannot satisfy you—” Bryan began, his voice calm and measured as his intertwined fingers came to rest upon his abdomen. The Malfoy couple stood before him, their ashen faces bearing expressions as if they were the ones apologizing to Bryan, rather than the other way around.

“If you have any requests, within reason, feel free to share,” Bryan continued, his tone inviting and open to their input.

The Malfoy couple exchanged yet another glance, this time imbued with a flicker of emotion that passed between their intertwined gazes.

“If possible—” Narcissa Malfoy’s voice carried a hesitant quality, for the last time she had laid eyes upon Bryan Watson was during the previous summer at the Leaky Cauldron. At that time, she had been puzzled by her husband’s cautious demeanor and subsequent odd behavior when confronted with Bryan Watson’s presence. However, over the course of the past few days, she had finally come to understand the underlying reasons behind her husband’s uncharacteristic reactions then.

Apart from the cruel Dark Lord Voldemort himself and the aging Albus Dumbledore, whose true strength remained unknown now, this young wizard, whose eyes radiated an intimidating gleam of power, was an exceptionally formidable figure within the entire European wizarding world.

Narcissa Malfoy, herself hailing from a prestigious and noble family lineage, recalled their former Death Eater comrades and the members of the Order of the Phoenix, who had been sworn enemies of the Death Eaters. Yet, she could not identify a single wizard or witch whose magical prowess could rival that of Bryan Watson. His ruthless tactics in annihilating Fenrir Greyback and his pack of savage werewolves had demonstrated, without a shadow of a doubt, that he was a wizard who disregarded the constraints of law and possessed a cold-blooded, uncompromising nature.

Thus, upon their next encounter, Narcissa found herself visibly subdued and uneasy in Bryan’s imposing presence.

“We hope to have your support, I mean, in the upcoming matter of Peter Pettigrew,” the beautiful Mrs. Malfoy stated, her expression twisted with a myriad of emotions as she spoke, her back turned towards her son Draco in an unconscious gesture of protectiveness.

Bryan nodded, his understanding evident as he too fell silent, allowing the weight of her request to hang in the air between them.

Narcissa had made her stance clear– she desired nothing less than for Peter to pay with his life for the harm he had inflicted upon her beloved son Draco. However, under normal circumstances, such an outcome would prove very difficult to achieve.

The circumstances listed within the wizarding law that permitted the application of the death penalty were primarily restricted to cases involving ‘abnormals’ – those beings deemed inherently dangerous or unnatural by wizarding society’s standards. In times of peace, it would be an arduous and near-impossible task to sway the Wizengamot to condemn Peter to execution, no matter how vehemently Narcissa demanded retribution. Deep down, she also understood that Peter would most likely only receive a life sentence.

Yet Bryan’s position as a member of the Wizengamot court, coupled with his rapidly soaring reputation throughout the wizarding world, offered a glimmer of hope. If he were to openly voice his support for sentencing Peter to death, combined with the formidable influence wielded by the Malfoy family, success was not an impossibility. However, Bryan did not wish to pursue such a course of action, as it would inevitably deplete and tarnish the ‘good reputation’ he had.

“Regarding this matter—” Bryan’s voice cut through the weighted silence, drawing the Malfoy couple’s attention once more. To their surprise, he offered a slight nod of affirmation.

“I will do it, but in my own way. Understand?”

The intensity of Bryan’s gaze sent an involuntary shudder coursing through Lucius’s body. In that moment, he immediately understood that Bryan would likely refrain from directly advocating for Peter’s execution. Instead, he would ensure Peter’s demise through his own calculated means and methods.

“As long as that bastard is punished—” Lucius gritted his teeth, his voice a low, guttural growl resonating with unbridled fury and hatred towards the Dwarf.

Draco, having remained silent throughout this exchange, blinked in confusion, unable to fully comprehend the gravity of the discussion unfolding between Professor Watson and his parents. Was there a possibility of Peter being released from all this?

Before Draco could ponder the implications further, he witnessed Professor Watson rising from his chair. A single sentence slipped from his lips, bypassing the filters of his mind entirely.

“May I make a request, Professor?”

Receiving several astonished looks from those present, Draco realized the weight of his words and stammered, “If possible— I—er, I want to learn magic from you—”

To Draco’s relief, Professor Watson did not immediately refuse his request, and his gentle gaze gave Draco courage. Draco’s tone finally became fluent and confident.

“That Peter Pettigrew, he instantly took control of me, Crabbe, and Goyle in the Owlery. I thought, if I had the ability to deal with him—”

“Draco!” Narcissa’s stern interjection cut through her son’s words, her maternal instincts flaring protectively. “You cannot possibly deal with Peter Pettigrew. You don’t know what kind of person he is!”

Observing Draco’s silence in the face of his mother’s authority, Bryan pondered for a moment before offering a warm smile and stating, “Hmm, I think I understand your meaning, Draco. Well—I need to consider it. Once you return to Hogwarts, I’ll give you a response.”

As Bryan prepared to take his leave, Lucius escorted him towards the door of the ward. Standing at the threshold, the rarely humble Lucius lowered his head, his voice soft yet laced with sincere gratitude. “I must express my gratitude to you, Mr. Watson. I had originally hoped you could only help find that Viper. But unexpectedly, you have fundamentally resolved the crisis for us by eradicating those filthy beasts of Greyback.”

“Hee—” After a meaningless chuckle, Bryan turned to depart, pausing only to offer one final reassurance over his shoulder.

“As for the matter of Peter Pettigrew, I will keep an eye on it.”

…

Leaving the VIP area, Bryan walked down the stairs along the same path he came, still pondering the Malfoy family’s situation. This couple had a bad reputation in the wizarding world. After their former master fell from power, Lucius spent a large sum of his fortune to avoid legal punishment. This matter was not a secret in the higher echelons of the Wizarding community.

They were staunch supporters of pure-blood supremacy, and one could imagine what choices they would make if their old master “returned to power”

Unfortunately, that diary would create an irreparable rift in the hearts of this master and servant.

Lucius Malfoy was a clever man, and he probably realized that, the diary was not ordinary. His contact with Bryan was meant to provide Draco with an escape route. After all, Voldemort was skilled at eliminating loose ends.

Bryan didn’t mind showing some goodwill towards the Malfoy family as he also needed an insider among the Death Eaters.

As he descended to the second floor, Bryan glanced at the sign hanging on the wall that read ‘Biological Hazard Department’ as he turned into the corridor.

The atmosphere here was much more tragic. Most of the wards were filled with the sounds of painful moans. Healers in green robes hurriedly walked back and forth, their faces filled with anxiety.

Bryan’s gaze swept over the cards embedded in copper frames hanging at the door. When he reached the back of the corridor, he found a sign that read:

“Danger!

Remus Lupin’s Ward: Serious Bites

Attending Healer: Hippocrates Smethwyck;

Trainee Healer: Augustus Pye.”

Bryan thought there would be an Auror guarding the room, but in reality, there was only Remus inside.

Compared to Draco’s ward, this one seemed more normal. The small ward had three beds, but in reality, only Remus lay on the bed closest to the window. The other two beds were empty, and the one in the middle had a neatly folded women’s nightgown on the bedside table.

Remus was wrapped in bandages stained with blood, with only his eyes exposed as he stared at the Daily Prophet placed on his lap. He looked like a freshly unearthed mummy.

“Good morning, Bryan,” Remus swung his arm like a club, his tone relaxed. “I was thinking yesterday when you would have time to come and see me. After all, you’re quite popular now.”

“Personally, I don’t want to attract attention wherever I go, so I have to change my appearance when I need to appear in public.”

Bryan smiled and walked briskly to Remus’s bedside. He noticed a half-consumed fruit basket on the cabinet next to the bed.

“Oh!” Bryan raised an eyebrow in surprise. “I just came from Draco’s ward, and I just realized that maybe I should have bought some flowers. No wonder Draco’s mother didn’t look too happy when she saw me.”

“I don’t think it’s because you forgot to bring flowers,” Remus chuckled.

A hint of humor dispelled the faint gloominess in the room. Bryan didn’t sit down and stood in front of Remus’s bed, greeting him, “So, how are you feeling, Remus?”

“It can’t get any worse, can it?” Remus shrugged, but the movement was too “bold” and it caused the bandages on his cheek to wrinkle. “I’m already a werewolf, I can’t transform again. The only problem is that the concentration of werewolf venom in the wounds is too high, affecting the healing process. I have to take a small dose of Wolfsbane every few days to control the venom in my body. It makes me feel lethargic all the time. The healers at St. Mungo’s told me that this condition may last for a while.”

“That’s terrible,” Bryan furrowed his brows, scratching his head in distress. “What about the Defense Against the Dark Arts class? The students at the school are waiting for you to recover.”

“Bryan,” Remus interrupted, his expression hidden behind the gauze, but Bryan was sure he was smiling helplessly.

“You and I both know that I can’t go back to teach, right?”

“Don’t mind me, it’s just a joke,” Bryan laughed heartily.

Indeed, Remus could no longer return to teach at Hogwarts, and everyone understood that. The main reason he applied for the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was to help catch Sirius Black. But now that Sirius had been proven innocent and Peter was under control, Remus had accomplished his mission.

Certainly, being a professor at Hogwarts was a job that could provide him with a decent life. However, Remus knew he couldn’t do it for long. His own danger couldn’t be ignored, and if one day his identity as a werewolf became known to the parents of young wizards, it would undoubtedly bring great criticism to Hogwarts and Dumbledore.

Not to mention that Bryan would also be implicated.

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