Chapter 373: Wolfsbane Potion
"If he's alive, I want to see the man. If he's dead, I want to see the body," Dudley said. He'd read the line in Emperor Roselle's collected sayings, and it fit this moment perfectly.
"You only found a single bloodied finger and torn robes, but you never found any of Peter Pettigrew's remains. That's a huge problem."
"But no one saw Pettigrew leave alive," Lupin said, sitting up straighter.
"Maybe he had other ways. Apparition, for instance. In any case, if someone wanted to slip away without a sound, it wouldn't be hard," Dudley replied.
Lupin frowned, sinking into thought.
"And you also said that after Black was caught, he neither confessed nor denied it. He didn't even say anything, and he was thrown into Azkaban without a trial," Dudley went on. "From where I'm standing, there's far too much about that that doesn't add up."
After hearing Lupin's account from beginning to end, Dudley's understanding of how low the Ministry of Magic could sink was refreshed once again. The whole case seemed to rest on shaky inferences and half-confirmed information, with no real proof.
"Putting it that way… yes, there are a lot of uncertainties," Lupin admitted.
"One more thing. After it happened, did you ever see Black?" Dudley asked.
"No. After he was arrested, he was sent to Azkaban very quickly. We had no way of contacting him," Lupin said, shaking his head.
"What about Professor Dumbledore? Did he see Black?" Dudley pressed.
"Probably not. Azkaban isn't a place just anyone can enter, not even Dumbledore," Lupin replied.
Dudley could only shake his head, helpless. Not even Dumbledore had thought there was something wrong with this, or perhaps he had known, and simply had no power to change it.
Just how rotten had the Ministry become?
"One last question," Dudley said. "Why is Black so determined to go after Harry? He even risked exposing himself just to break into Hogwarts."
"I don't know either," Lupin said softly. "If the betrayal story is true, then maybe he wants revenge for his master."
Dudley pressed his lips together. That was the part he could not reconcile. If his reasoning held, then Black might well be innocent. But if so, why come to Hogwarts after escaping Azkaban? It did not fit, and Black had never seemed to defend himself at all.
"And something else," Dudley added. "Before the Potters were attacked, you said you received word that Lord Voldemort intended to harm them. I want to know why the Potters were targeted. Plenty of people opposed Lord Voldemort. Why was it Harry's family who suffered his slaughter?"
"I don't know the exact reason," Lupin said. "It seems there was a prophecy saying Harry would be the one to defeat Lord Voldemort. So Lord Voldemort tried to kill him."
"A prophecy…" Dudley murmured.
Were prophecies in this world truly reliable? Judging by the few Divination lessons he'd attended, it was hard to see what that subject had to do with real prophecy at all.
"I've told you everything I can," Lupin said, looking exhausted. "And thank you for raising those doubts. It made me think about it all more deeply."
"This matters to me too," Dudley replied. "Harry is my brother."
Lupin nodded, then asked, "Is there anything else?"
His face had turned even paler after speaking so much.
"I need your werewolf toxin and your blood," Dudley said. "It might help me understand werewolves more thoroughly, and find a way to solve your problem once and for all."
"That's impossible," Lupin said with a bitter smile, shaking his head. "The wizarding world has wrestled with werewolves for thousands of years without solving it. That tells you it's probably unsolvable."
"The Wolfsbane Potion already solves most of it," Lupin continued. "I don't dare ask for more than that."
"How do you know unless you try?" Dudley countered. "Before the Wolfsbane Potion existed, would anyone have imagined using a potion to address this at all?"
Lupin paused, then gave a small laugh. "All right. You've convinced me."
"I'll prepare my blood, and what you're asking for. Come tomorrow to collect it."
"Then rest well, Professor Lupin. See you tomorrow," Dudley said, rising to leave.
Knock, knock.
The sound at the door was loud and insistent.
"Come in," Lupin called.
With a thud, the door swung open. Professor Snape strode in carrying a cup of thick liquid that steamed with heat. When he saw Dudley, he froze for a fraction of a second, then a look of quiet meaning slid across his face.
"Dudley Dursley," Snape said. "I didn't expect to find you here."
He walked over at an unhurried pace and deliberately stopped in front of Dudley, ensuring he could see the viscous potion in the cup.
"Drink it while it's hot," Snape said, handing it to Lupin as if it were of no consequence at all. "It will help your 'condition'."
"Thank you, Professor Snape," Lupin said with a short laugh, taking the cup. "It's my honour to have such an excellent Potions master at Hogwarts."
He tipped the cup back and swallowed the lot in one go.
Lupin's expression twisted. "The taste is… difficult to put into words. If only sugar were allowed. Pity it isn't." He glanced at Dudley as he spoke.
Dudley smiled faintly.
"These next two nights, you'd do well to be especially careful," Snape said, his tone pointed.
"Understood. Thank you for the warning," Lupin replied with a nod.
Snape took back the empty cup and walked past Dudley again.
Clink.
The cup slipped from his fingers right in front of Dudley and shattered across the floor.
"Oh dear," Snape said smoothly. "I dropped it."
He looked at Dudley. "Dudley, clean this up. No magic."
"Reparo," Lupin said, lifting the hand hidden beneath the blanket and giving a small flick of his wand.
"There's no need for that," Lupin added, voice weak. "I can do it myself."
"Professor Lupin," Snape said, narrowing his eyes, "students need discipline and training. We cannot do everything for them."
"Then train them in class," Lupin replied.
"Hmph." Snape gave a cold snort, collected the repaired cup, and swept out of Lupin's office with brisk strides.
Watching him go, Lupin let out a weary, helpless smile.
"If his goal was to make me realise you're a werewolf, he really doesn't hold back," Dudley said, unable to help complaining. "He practically shoved the Wolfsbane Potion into your face."