A werewolf?
Jason was familiar with the term. The DC world had werewolves too, like Frankenstein’s teammate—a B-list hero at best.
He quickly picked up on the distaste the dark wizard held toward Lupin. So, in this world, werewolves weren’t exactly welcomed.
Once Lupin had passed them by, the dark wizard rubbed his arms, as if Lupin’s mere presence left him unclean.
“Stay away from those creatures in the future,” the wizard scoffed. “They’re nothing but sewer-dwelling filth.”
Interesting.
Jason found himself intrigued by werewolves. Just what kind of “cursed” creature would even a low-level dark wizard despise?
“So, you really hate werewolves?”
“Hate? That’s putting it lightly. They’re soulless, evil things that deserve nothing less than death!” the dark wizard spat, launching into a more detailed explanation of werewolves, part of his “paid services.”
“Lycanthropy is a magical disease. No one’s born a werewolf,” he explained. “The disease spreads through saliva and blood contact, you know. When a transformed werewolf bites someone, that person turns as well.”
He scrubbed at his skin again, almost as though he feared the disease would infect him by proximity.
“The leader of those beasts is Fenrir Greyback, a maniac obsessed with infecting others, especially children. Just steer clear of them.”
Children?
Jason narrowed his eyes. A group of creatures preying on children—weren’t they just the lowest form of scum?
Resting a hand on the pistol holstered at his side, he asked nonchalantly, “Why don’t you just get rid of them then? I mean, wipe them out.”
The dark wizard shook his head immediately. “Wipe them out? Too costly. They’re incredibly tight-knit. But if werewolves disgust you that much and you want to take one down to feel better, Lupin there is a good candidate.”
“Lupin?”
The wizard sneered. “He’s an odd one—shunned by humans and his own kind alike. The guy’s been an outcast his whole life.”
He chuckled maliciously, apparently finding a long-lost sense of superiority in Lupin’s unfortunate situation.
But the wizard’s last words hit a nerve Jason kept well-hidden.
His tone hardened. “No one is born deserving of rejection.”
Even if Jason had come from a criminal background and been betrayed by his adoptive father, he refused to accept that anyone had the right to look down on him.
The dark wizard flinched at Jason’s tone, quickly clarifying, “I-I was talking about Lupin—the werewolf! Not you!”
Jason knew that. Still, he couldn’t help glancing over his shoulder at Lupin’s receding figure.
Lupin hadn’t gone far. He’d almost certainly overheard the conversation, yet hadn’t turned back or spoken up for himself.
Pathetic.
A flare of anger sparked within Jason. How could someone scorned by the world just silently accept it without a fight?
“Hey! Stop right there!”
Acting on impulse, Jason barked at Lupin, who stopped in his tracks, looking back in surprise.
The dark wizard flinched, glancing nervously between Jason and Lupin.
“What…what are you doing?” he stammered, voice shaking.
“Nothing much,” Jason replied, striding toward Lupin. “Just going to fix up a coward.”
—
Thud!
Lupin was shoved up against the wall, wincing in pain.
He’d known something was off the moment Jason had started walking toward him. He’d barely managed to draw his wand before Jason disarmed him in a blur.
He hadn’t even seen how Jason did it.
Now, Jason held Lupin’s wand, turning it over in his hands with an amused look.
“So, this is the source of a wizard’s power? Take it away, and you’re helpless?”
“Give it back…” Lupin murmured weakly.
“Shut up.”
Jason snapped, disgusted by Lupin’s spineless display.
“I hear you’re a werewolf,” Jason sneered. “An outcast among both humans and your own kind. What did you do to make yourself this pitiful?”
“I don’t need to explain myself to you…” Lupin wheezed, his breath short. With the full moon approaching, he was at his weakest.
“You’re right. Keep that defiance.” Jason tucked Lupin’s wand into his pocket, making it clear he had no intention of returning it.
Lupin’s eyes widened. While robbery wasn’t unheard of in the wizarding world, stealing someone’s wand was almost unheard of—it was like stealing a pair of glasses from someone who was nearly blind.
More importantly, Lupin couldn’t afford to replace it if it were lost.
“Relax. I’m not planning to keep it,” Jason said casually. “But I will hold onto it for a while. Name’s Jason Todd. I’ll be here for quite some time. If you want it back, come find me. But you’ll have to agree to a few small conditions.”
Lupin almost laughed in disbelief at Jason’s gall. He’d never met someone so brazenly arrogant.
“Cough, cough… Give me my wand now!” Lupin managed between bouts of coughing.
“Oh, not happening.” Jason waved dismissively. “I want to study this thing. Don’t worry, I won’t break it. If you’re that worried, you’re welcome to tag along. I could use an assistant.”
What?
Lupin froze, startled. Just moments ago, this man had robbed him, but now his words sounded like he was offering…a job?
The truth was, Lupin’s life was in shambles.
He’d come to Knockturn Alley on the trail of a rumor that a potion master, Damocles, had invented a new potion called the Wolfsbane Potion. It allowed werewolves to retain their sanity during transformations—a godsend for people like him.
But the potion was prohibitively expensive, and Lupin had spent everything he owned to buy a single dose.
Now, he barely had enough money left to eat.
Jason’s offer made him think of only one thing: Does this job come with food?
Then he shook himself, realizing how absurd it was. This man could be a Dark wizard, only interested in using a werewolf as some pawn.
“I…”
“If you’re not interested, fine.” Jason shrugged, flashing the wand before Lupin’s eyes.
“But this? I doubt you’ll be getting it back.”
Damn it…
Lupin wanted to stand his ground, but Jason seemed to know exactly how to manipulate people. He’d taken Lupin’s wand, offered the help he so desperately needed, and—crucially—hadn’t demanded anything outrageous.
If Jason had immediately asked Lupin to do something morally questionable, Lupin would have refused.
But he hadn’t. There wasn’t even anything specific for him to reject.
“Don’t worry, my werewolf friend.”
Jason’s voice dropped to a persuasive tone. “I’m not asking you to betray any principles. All I want is to learn a bit about magic. That’s not asking too much, is it?”
The request sounded reasonable.
“But…why me?” Lupin asked, puzzled. There were plenty of more skilled wizards than him.
“There’s a reason I chose you.”
Jason’s lips curled into a faint smile. “I think people like us—the outcasts—ought to stick together.”
As he spoke, the dark wizard nearby suddenly froze, then pointed to himself incredulously. “Does that include me?”
Hold on, he thought. I’m not an outcast, right?
—
T/N: I forgot what the werewolves in HP look like, are they hot?
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