Using one’s tragic and unfortunate past experiences as a tool to manipulate emotions and gain sympathy from others was, in Bryan’s view, the behavior pattern of those who had weak characters.

Even without possessing overwhelming magical power that legends spoke of, Bryan had cultivated within himself an unshakeable, unwavering spirit that served as his true source of strength. This inner fortitude meant that he had absolutely no need to seek anyone’s pity, compassion, or special consideration by melodramatically recounting the details of his life story.

The reason he had been willing to reveal some of the events from his past to Amelia’s parents—the Depps, who were his nominal grandparents according to the complex family relationships, was based upon two factors.

First, he had a limited degree of curiosity about this elderly couple who had played such a crucial role in the events that had shaped his mother’s life.

Second, and perhaps more importantly from an emotional standpoint, after they had begun to subtly piece together his true identity, the remorse and crushing guilt they displayed was clearly genuine and heartfelt rather than feigned.

Witnessing their sincere anguish and obvious desire to somehow make amends for past mistakes, Bryan was quite happy to ease some of the burden of guilt and regret that they had clearly been carrying for so many years.

Their suffering served no purpose now that Melina was gone, and providing them with some measure of peace seemed like a small but meaningful way to honor her memory.

If Melina Depp—the woman who had brought him into this world knew that her parents had forgiven her and felt remorse for their past coldness, her spirit might find comfort in the afterlife.

Bryan did not tell the Depp couple the truth about their daughter’s suicide by drowning. He only said that she had left in the end, leaving the elderly couple space for hopeful imagination.

He and Remus had not managed to leave after lunch as they had originally planned, finding themselves instead drawn into a longer visit that stretched well beyond their initial intentions. This deviation from their schedule was primarily due to the Depps’ earnest, almost desperate insistence that they remain for a longer period.

The elderly couple’s desire to keep them at the hospital seemed to stem from multiple complex motivations. Perhaps most significantly, they appeared to be driven by an overwhelming sense of guilt that demanded some form of active response—some way of demonstrating care and concern for the grandson they had never known existed until this day.

They seemed to have an insatiable appetite for information about Bryan’s life experiences, particularly his years at the orphanage and his subsequent journey into the magical world through his education at Hogwarts School.

This intense curiosity was shared by both Amelia and Remus, who found themselves equally fascinated by these previously unknown aspects of Bryan’s personal history.

Despite his usual reserve about discussing his past, Bryan had ultimately decided to accommodate their interest, sharing various stories and anecdotes from his early years in what he treated as simply an engaging way to pass the time during an unexpectedly lengthy social visit.

However, when evening approached and he and Remus had ended up sharing dinner with the family as well, the Depp couple finally found themselves unable to create any additional reasonable excuses to detain their guests further.

With obvious reluctance and genuine sorrow at the prospect of separation, they were finally forced to allow Bryan and Remus to take their leave.

“That poor child—” Mrs. Depp’s voice broke with emotion as she spoke the words that had been echoing in her heart throughout the entire day.

She stood watching the closed door through which Bryan and Remus had just left. Her hand moved up to cover her mouth in an instinctive gesture of grief and shock, while tears began to well up in her already reddened eyes, spilling over onto her cheeks.

Brian Depp opened his mouth with the clear intention of saying something, anything that might provide comfort to his wife in this moment of overwhelming emotional distress.

However, as he tried to form words of consolation or wisdom, it seemed as if a massive boulder had somehow settled in his chest, pressing down upon his lungs and heart.

The crushing sensation of guilt and regret had rendered him completely speechless, leaving him unable to give supportive words.

His gaze fell upon his younger daughter, who had approached her mother with concern and was trying to provide comfort through gentle touches and soothing words. However, the moment his eyes focused on Amelia’s face, he was forced to look away as if the sight had caused him pain.

In that moment, he seemed to see Melina as she once was.

The rights and wrongs of the distant past no longer seemed to matter. The passage of more than two decades had provided sufficient time and perspective to recognize that everyone involved in that tragic series of events had ultimately been a victim of circumstances.

Everyone had lost something precious and irreplaceable due to the anger, resentment, fear, and pride that had poisoned their hearts and clouded their judgment during those crucial moments when wiser, more compassionate choices might have saved them all from decades of suffering and regret.

So many years had been wasted in sorrow, guilt, and mutual blame when they all might have been building relationships, sharing love, and creating the kind of family bonds that provide meaning and comfort throughout life’s struggles and disappointments.

Amelia had no idea what her parents were grieving about. She simply assumed they were pitying Bryan’s background.

Amelia gently comforted her mother, though her own emotions were turbulent.

As Amelia reflected on everything she had learned during this extraordinary day, she realized that probably no one in the entire wizarding world had ever suspected or imagined that Bryan Watson had endured such a tragic and painful childhood.

People throughout the magical world saw only his remarkable achievements and the confident, capable public persona he presented to the world, remaining completely unaware of the depth of pain and adversity he had been forced to overcome.

Perhaps, Amelia reflected with growing admiration and respect, it was precisely that early suffering and the strength he had developed in response to it that had provided the motivation and inner drive necessary to propel Bryan Watson forward in his quest for excellence and recognition.

Perhaps his tragic childhood had served as a forge in which his character had been tempered and strengthened, ultimately enabling him to become the legendary great wizard who was revered and respected by magical people throughout the world despite his remarkably young age.

“Amelia?” Mrs. Depp wiped her tears with a handkerchief. She blew her nose hard, and her tear-filled eyes showed hope. “If I wanted to invite that child to our home for dinner, do you think he would agree?”

Mr. Depp also widened his eyes, looking pleadingly at Amelia, who found herself in a difficult position.

The fierce storms of late spring don’t last long. By evening, the rain clouds that had passed over New York had already moved on.

The heavy rain had cleansed the night sky. The countless stars became faint against the neon brilliance of New York, the city that never sleeps, but the bright radiance of the moon across the sky still cast its beautiful light upon the earth.

But the Muggle population of this vast urban center had little mental or emotional energy available to appreciate any of these natural beauties or atmospheric improvements. The rapidly developing society in which they lived was proving to be a double-edged sword of unprecedented complexity and demanding adaptation.

While modern Muggles certainly enjoyed more convenient, comfortable, and technologically advanced lives than any previous generation in human history, they were also forced to endure the tremendous fatigue and stress brought by an increasingly fast-paced lifestyle that demanded constant adaptation, continuous productivity, and relentless competition for resources, employment, and social status.

The modern urban environment had created a paradox in which people possessed more material comforts and technological conveniences than ever before, while simultaneously experiencing higher levels of stress, anxiety, and general life dissatisfaction than their predecessors who had lived simpler, more predictable lives in earlier eras.

In this particular regard, the Muggle citizens of London actually enjoyed a significantly more leisurely and psychologically sustainable lifestyle compared to their matches in New York.

Bryan and Remus passed through a small commercial district, walking toward New York City Hall Park.

“Does Severus know all of this background information about your family and childhood?” Remus asked with obvious curiosity.

During the previous Christmas holidays, Remus, along with Sirius and those three young wizards who seemed to possess an almost supernatural talent for finding themselves in the middle of dangerous situations and complex magical mysteries, had visited Hurst Orphanage.

During that visit, they had indeed learned some basic facts about Bryan’s early life and the circumstances of his childhood, but they had been careful not to inquire too deeply or press for details that Bryan might prefer to keep private.

Harry who knew learn more details about Bryan’s history than anyone else in their group, had remained true to his promise of confidentiality he had made and had never revealed the more close or painful aspects of Bryan’s story.

So, this conversation with the Depp family had provided Remus with his first real opportunity to learn about some of the most significant aspects of Bryan’s personal background, filling in gaps in his understanding that had existed for years.

“He does know considerably more than most people,” Bryan confirmed with typical briefness.

The air in the vicinity of the park was noticeably fresher and cleaner than the atmosphere in the more densely developed commercial areas they had just left behind.

Taking a deep, appreciative breath that filled his lungs with the cool, refreshing sensation of air that actually contained traces of natural plant life, Bryan felt a sense of psychological as well as physical relief.

He smiled with warmth as he continued his explanation, “You should know that for young wizards who come from completely non-magical backgrounds, Hogwarts has a standard policy of sending a faculty member to personally explain the existence and nature of magical society to the child’s relatives or guardians.”

He paused for a moment, allowing Remus to absorb this information before continuing with the more personal aspects of his story.

“It was Professor Snape who came to my door during that period. Out of a genuine sense of responsibility, he took the initiative to inquire with the woman who had brought me back to the orphanage, asking detailed questions about various aspects of my background and personal circumstances.”

Remus nodded with growing understanding. “I’ve heard that Severus looked after you quite a bit during your years at Hogwarts. So, it was because of this.”

“When I first entered Hogwarts,” Bryan continued with thoughtful calm, “Severus had only recently joined the faculty at Albus Dumbledore’s personal invitation. My personal experiences and background circumstances may have touched something within him. In my view, his guidance of me stemmed partly from his kindness, and partly from a form of self-redemption.”

“Self-redemption?” Remus repeated the phrase with curiosity.

“Severus also never had a happy childhood. When I was at Hogwarts, I visited his house—the place where he grew up.

I heard some things about his childhood from his neighbors. Deep in his heart, he perhaps had this thought: the mistakes he had made during his own youth were because he had never received proper guidance, never enjoyed protection. He didn’t want me to follow the same path as him due to lacking these things.”

Remus fell silent.

The conflicts between Severus and the group that had included himself, Sirius Black, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew had indeed filled nearly their entire student careers at Hogwarts.

Looking back now with the wisdom and perspective that only came with maturity and life experience, Remus acknowledged that he and his friends had indeed engaged in some behavior that was difficult to justify or defend.

But dwelling on these past failures and regrets served no purpose in the present moment. James and Lily were no longer alive in this world. Peter had revealed his true nature as a traitor but was also dead now.

There was no point in continuing to dwell on questions of past rights and wrongs. What truly mattered now was grasping the opportunities presented by the current moment and working toward a better future for everyone who remained.

Voldemort had returned to the wizarding world. Remus understood that Severus, following Dumbledore’s instructions and planning, had returned to Voldemort’s inner circle to carry out an extremely dangerous undercover mission.

Similarly, both he and Sirius had committed themselves to throwing their full energy and resources into the war against Voldemort and his followers. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on novelfire(.)net

Given these shared commitments and common goals, logic said that they should set aside their past grievances and work together effectively for their mutual objective of achieving victory against their common enemy.

However, Sirius and Severus…

Remus shook his head with a bitter smile in his heart. Getting them to reconcile and work together—why did this sound even more fantastical than making Voldemort repent for his evil deeds?

BOOM!

Manhattan District, East River waterfront, in a small park not far from the Brooklyn Bridge that connects Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Deep in the night, all was quiet.

Only some creatures accustomed to darkness took advantage of the moonlight to emerge and move about. Even the vagrants who loved to engage in vile, despicable criminal activities under cover of darkness had collapsed on park benches, wrapped in tattered blankets, sleeping soundly.

The sudden thunderous roar caused the small animals sheltering in the park to flee in panic, but a nearly invisible layer of black gauze, vague as mist, descended from the sky just in time to envelop the park, isolating the violent explosive sounds.

The black veil also blocked out light. The bright moonbeams and the still-glowing neon lights from across the river could not penetrate at all. The park became a realm of absolute darkness, lit only by the occasional flash of crimson spell-light streaking through the air like ribbons, illuminating those pale, ghostly faces.

“I’ve already told you, this has nothing to do with me!”

After a short, sharp explosion, a pained grunt echoed through the dense woods. A man shouted desperately in broken English,

“That beast woke up suddenly—I had no idea it would happen!”

The crimson ribbons illuminated a pair of cold, sinister red eyes as an icy voice responded,

“It no longer matters.”

“Then let me leave!”

The man screamed in despair,

“I didn’t take a single penny from you, did I? All I want now is to find a way to get out of here, but the Security Department anticipated this. They’ve blocked every smuggling route I know. I—”

“Oh, leave?”

The wizard with sinister eyes let out a mocking sound.

“How dare you harbor such naive thoughts? You know some of our affairs, don’t you? I believe the most reliable way to keep secrets safe is… to let you die!”

BOOM!!!

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