Ivan boarded the train with his suitcase, and since he was early, there were not many passengers, as most of the boxes were empty.
Ivan did not simply find an empty compartment to sit in. Instead, he searched for someone on the train, and when he opened the last compartment, he saw a middle-aged wizard stowing away luggage.
The wizard wore a shabby, patched robe and had light grey hair, which made him look tall and thin, with pale sides that threatened to blow over.
Remus John Lupin!
Ivan immediately recognized the identity of the wizard in front of him. He was the only one who would be there at this hour and dressed like this.
Sensing a noise at the door, Lupin turned to look at Ivan.
"Hello, Professor Lupin, may I sit here?" Ivan asked with a polite nod.
"Ah… of course, make yourself at home!" Lupin was stunned and a little restrained. He remembered that there were still many empty carriages on the train.
Due to his personal experience, Lupin had deliberately chosen an empty compartment at the back of the car. He did not expect someone to follow him as soon as he put his luggage away.
Lupin sat as close to the corner as he could and watched Ivan sit opposite him.
"Can you tell me which house you're from? And how you knew I was a professor?"
"I'm Ivan Hals of Gryffindor. As for who you are, it's from your suitcase, of course." Ivan pointed to the luggage rack above them, where Lupin's suitcase had his name on it.
"Also, I think you're the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor! Because the position is vacant, isn't it?" Ivan said. He needed Lupin's help to impress him.
"Brilliant!" said Lupin appreciatively, applauding. "You're very clever. If I hadn't heard you introduce yourself, I'd have thought you were a Ravenclaw."
"Your name is Ivan Hals, by the way? The talented young wizard who made the Wolfsbane Potion? The recipient of the Order of Merlin?"
A thought struck Lupin and he pulled a copy of the Daily Prophet out of his patched robes. He was about to open it to check when he stopped.
This was because Lupin saw a shiny medal on Ivan's chest. It was so dazzling that there was no need to confirm it.
"That's indeed me, Professor!" Ivan nodded reservedly. He had worn the Order of Merlin in order to allow Lupin to recognise him and make contact with him.
"Impressive. It's hard to believe that at such a young age, you can do something that many potion masters can't." Lupin looked at the young wizard in front of him, who was only thirteen or fourteen years old.
He thought he had never been more surprised in his life.
"It's not that they can't do it, it's just that these potioneers don't care much about what happens to werewolves in the wizarding world," retorted Ivan, shaking his head.
"Yes, who cares about a pack of werewolves?" Lupin asked with a wry smile. His years as a wanderer had taught him that normal wizards were prejudiced against werewolves.
It is not difficult to find a job in a new place where everyone can get along without anyone knowing who he is.
However, as he would lose control and go on a rampage every full moon, even if he could estimate the time and hide in an uninhabited place, the commotion he caused would be difficult to conceal.
Therefore, he was often forced out of his home after a short period of time, and few people were willing to admit a werewolf. This was one of the reasons why he wandered the wizarding world.
Because of this, Lupin became more curious about Ivan.
"Can you tell me why you want to develop this potion?" Lupin asked.
Yvonne then recounted an interview she had with Rita Skeeter, in which she claimed to have lived in Knockturn Alley and to have been exposed to werewolves, and to have known and sympathized with them.
He understood that werewolves were not as brutal as they were rumoured to be, that many of them were victims of werewolf attacks, and that in their normal state they were no different from ordinary wizards.
Yvonne spoke sincerely, though with a certain purpose in mind.
He came into contact with werewolves like Walker and Fran in the Knockturn Alley, who worked part-time jobs to earn a pittance in order to survive.
Ivan's words made Lupin like him more, and he sighed.
"If only all the other wizards thought like you do, those werewolves would be better off, and not so many of them would go astray."
Lupin recalled how many of the werewolf wizards he met on his travels around the wizarding world, who were so ostracised and loathed by the wizarding community that they had to resort to thievery and robbery to make a living.
The more werewolves there were, the more they were repelled by normal wizards, and the cycle became an unbreakable knot.
"I'm sure that will change," Ivan said reassuringly.
"Yes, with the Wolfsbane Potion you developed, it should get better! It just takes some time." Lupin broke away from the memory and smiled at Ivan.
While Lupin knew full well that the Wolfsbane Potion alone would not make the wizarding community receptive to werewolves, at least it was getting better, right?
They talked about other things until the train was about to leave, when Lupin wearily stopped.
As a poor stray werewolf, he did not have the money to stay at the Leaky Cauldron, so he made do with sleeping nearby.
Lupin curled up in a corner and used another ragged robe as a blanket.
Ivan had no intention of wasting his time in the car. He took out an advanced potion book from his suitcase and began to peruse it, occasionally taking notes.
Lupin narrowed his eyes as he took in the scene, gaining a clear understanding of Ivan's efforts. No wonder he was able to develop a potion at such a young age.
You'd be proud of your children, wouldn't you, Hales?
The image of someone flashed through Lupin's mind, and before long, he fell asleep…