When Wade stepped out of the Leaky Cauldron's fireplace, Lupin was already waiting for him.
Compared to their first meeting, the man was clearly in much better spirits.
He was wearing a deep teal wizard's robe, no longer patched up like before. The worry and haggardness on his face had largely disappeared, replaced by the calm composure and faint melancholy that came with age.
Such a man was undoubtedly charming; Wade noticed some young witches subtly glancing at him.
Lupin ignored their gazes. Upon seeing Wade, he couldn't help but smile, walking over and saying, "Long time no see, Wade."
Over the past half-year, they had met infrequently, but their daily magic lessons never ceased. Through their written exchanges, Lupin had become very familiar with Wade.
Though young, he lacked the common flaws often seen in children, such as laziness, impulsiveness, immaturity, or impetuosity.
He had clear goals and immense focus, constantly learning and growing, exuding an upward-striving spirit. He was also adept at listening and expressing his own thoughts, never simply echoing others.
Towards those around him, he was incredibly trusting and respectful, understanding of others' difficulties, and treated Lupin with the same respect as the school professors, never acting superior just because he was paying for the lessons.
In his many years of wandering, Lupin had encountered various employers, many of whom thought, "I paid, so you're my dog," and would try to squeeze every last bit of value from their employees.
Therefore, at this moment, his admiration for Wade had soared immeasurably; the only obstacle was his own identity as a werewolf.
He didn't know that Wade had known he was a werewolf from the very beginning.
"Remus," Wade greeted him. "Suddenly calling you over, I hope I didn't interrupt anything important?"
Lupin chuckled, "I haven't been busy lately... Did something happen?"
"You know, Harry and I are classmates, and we get along quite well."
Wade didn't beat around the bush, stating directly, "Since the holidays started, Harry has cut off contact with all his friends, and everyone's a bit worried. I said I could go to his house and check on him—"
Since hearing Harry's name, Lupin's expression had subtly shifted, as if he was lost in thought or in pain.
Wade looked at him and said, "I heard Harry's parents were your friends during school, so I thought perhaps you'd be willing to help too..."
His voice paused slightly. "If it makes you uncomfortable, then never mind... I guess Harry can't be in too much trouble, otherwise Dumbledore would have surely intervened."
Lupin's face was quite unpleasant at the moment, as if someone had poured a spoonful of cold water into his ear.
"...No... not uncomfortable," Lupin said slowly. "I want to see him too... it's just... I don't know if I should get close..."
His expression was a bit dazed.
"If you want to see him, go see him," Wade said. "Who has the right to stop you from caring for the orphan of an old friend? Especially since he might need help right now."
The word "orphan" immediately stung Lupin, and his expression turned somewhat distraught for a moment.
"You're right... I should see him... I should have gone to see him sooner..."
Once Lupin made up his mind, he no longer hesitated, and the two set off together. To avoid attracting attention, they changed into ordinary clothes, first taking the subway, then a taxi to Little Whinging, Surrey.
They got off on Privet Drive, looking at the nearly identical houses lining the street. Lupin asked, "Wade, do you know where Harry lives?"
Wade scrutinized a house number outside one of the homes and said, "It should be around here; his aunt's husband's surname is Dursley."
"Dursley... I remember him—Vernon Dursley, Lily's sister's husband. He was at Lily and James's wedding."
Lupin frowned, saying with disgust, "—He was a crude lunatic."
"—What happened?" Wade asked, puzzled.
In his memory, James Potter was a bully type, with several obedient sidekicks.
Vernon, a Muggle, should have been utterly defenseless against them, only fit to be picked on.
But Lupin's attitude... didn't seem to be aimed at a pathetic Muggle they had tormented; it was more as if they had been bullied.
Lupin took a deep breath and said, "He was the worst Muggle I'd ever seen... The first time we met was at the wedding. He condescendingly asked James what car he drove, and James told him he had a competition-grade broom..."
Mentioning that name, recalling the past scene, still pained Lupin.
His voice paused slightly before he continued, "Then that man—Vernon Dursley—loudly declared that wizards were pathetic freeloaders living off unemployment benefits."
"James told him he had a large sum of gold at Gringotts. He didn't understand Gringotts and thought James was mocking him. He flew into a rage, and he and his wife left the wedding immediately, making Lily cry bitterly."
Lupin smiled bitterly. "You don't know, James would do anything for Lily. He promised Lily he'd make up with Vernon as soon as possible... But their attitude... Can you understand? They saw us as freaks..."
Wade understood—clearly, some unpleasant conflicts had likely occurred afterwards.
"I should have come for Harry sooner... I didn't know he was entrusted to the Dursleys." Lupin said, worried and self-reproachful. "Damn... I should have known; they're his only relatives..."
"But given your past circumstances, you probably wouldn't have been able to raise a child well."
Wade suddenly stopped. "We're here."
They both looked at the house by the roadside.
It was almost a replica of its neighbors, with no difference from the grey roof tiles to the mottled brick walls. A car was parked in the yard, and the garden was neatly maintained.
An ordinary house, an ordinary life, nothing special about it.
The living room windows were tightly shut, making it impossible to see if anyone was inside.
By now, the sun had set, and a faint light shone through the windows. Lupin suddenly narrowed his eyes.
"Look at that window, Wade," Lupin said. "Doesn't the shadow look a bit strange?"
Wade looked at the intersecting long, thin shadows and said, "It looks like it's been blocked off from the inside."
"Good," Lupin's voice was icy. "Now we know why Harry couldn't send messages."
"Calm down," Wade reminded him. "Using magic on Muggles is illegal."
The Dursleys had an underage wizard; revealing the existence of magic to them wasn't a violation of the International Statute of Secrecy. But harming Muggles with magic was a clear violation.
The Ministry of Magic was always "ambiguous" in its enforcement; sometimes, after committing an offense, if the aftermath was handled well (everyone who witnessed it had their memories obliviated), there was no problem. Other times, the same act could lead to Azkaban.
Hagrid once gave Dudley a pig's tail, which by law should have led to a sentence, but Dumbledore suppressed the incident.
If Lupin were to violate the law, due to his werewolf status, the law would be enforced even more strictly.
"I understand."
Lupin gritted his teeth, suppressing the anger on his face, and rang the doorbell.