## Chapter 291: The Werewolf's Predicament
Werewolves have acute hearing. Even though the girl named Claire seemed a bit out of it, the moment Wade stepped into the alley, she immediately looked up, alert.
Seeing that the other person was an unfamiliar wizard, Claire shifted her body, leaning against the wall, to make way.
But the unfamiliar wizard stopped not far in front of her.
"Excuse me, I didn't mean to eavesdrop," the unfamiliar wizard said gently. "But I think I just heard you say... you're a Werewolf?"
"Ah!" The girl gasped, then stammered, "I'm sorry, I... I'll leave right away!"
Even within the Wizarding World, Werewolves are a discriminated group. Claire frantically tried to leave, but she accidentally stepped on a can on the ground and fell backward, flailing her arms wildly.
Suddenly, her arm was grabbed, and she was pulled back.
Claire stared wide-eyed, still startled, looking very surprised. Then she mumbled, "Th-thank you."
"Don't worry, I mean no harm." Wade reached out again and said, "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Werner, and as you can see, a Wizard."
"Oh, I... I'm Claire."
Claire cautiously extended her hand and lightly shook Wade's. Her face still held an uneasy expression, but she had relaxed slightly.
A few minutes later.
The two sat outside an ice cream shop. Wade ordered two ice creams and pushed one toward Claire. The girl scooped a small spoonful, put it in her mouth, then squinted slightly, revealing a very satisfied expression.
"It's really delicious," she sighed, then smiled. "Thank you for the ice cream."
"It's nothing," Wade said.
"Um... what do you want with me?"
Claire held her spoon and whispered, "As you can see, I'm a Werewolf who turned from an ordinary person. I can't do magic, I'm not very strong... and I don't have any money."
Wade was silent for a moment. Seeing that Claire was very reserved, as if she wanted to run away at any moment, he said:
"Actually, I'm researching whether Lycanthropy can be completely cured, so I need a cooperative Werewolf... I think I heard you say just now that you'd be willing to help test medicine..."
Hearing Wade's purpose, Claire's eyes immediately lit up. Before he could finish, she quickly nodded and said, "Yes, yes! If I can stop being a Werewolf, I'll do anything!"
"But there will be risks with testing... and the remuneration I can offer isn't much..."
Wade saw how eager she was and pretended to be hesitant.
Claire bit her lip and said, "It's okay, I don't need money!"
"How can that be? I certainly can't let you work for free."
Wade smiled and added, "Actually, for this kind of research, it's best to have a control group for comparison. Can you introduce your magical companion to join our research too? That way, I can rule out magical interference and find out what causes Lycanthropy."
"Will..." Claire hesitated for a moment before saying, "Will might not be able to. He has work to do... Can I introduce other Werewolves to you? They also have magic."
"Hmm, that's fine too," Wade said casually. "You know many Werewolves?"
"We have our own community where we can help each other. Because... you know, most Wizards can't accept the existence of Werewolves," Claire said as naturally as possible.
"Then how do you support yourself normally?" Wade asked.
"I usually find odd jobs in Muggle cities, like being a restaurant server or handing out flyers," Claire said softly. "Because I can't work before or after transforming, I often get fired."
"What about during the transformation?"
"I just lock myself up beforehand. I also take a few sleeping pills... but they don't work very well. I heard the Draught of Living Death is very effective, but... Potions are too expensive..."
Claire tried to smile, as if to say, 'it's nothing,' and unconsciously pulled her sleeve longer until it covered the back of her hand.
Even in July, she was still wearing long sleeves and long pants, with an old scarf around her neck.
But even so, Wade could see a slender scar near her ear.
He recalled some things he had read about Werewolves.
For example, Werewolves on the full moon are extremely violent after transforming, attacking anyone in their sight indiscriminately, even if it's family or friends.
The Ministry of Magic mandates that Werewolves must lock themselves up on the full moon to avoid harming others.
However, Werewolves without a target of attack would not simply calm down. The frenzy and bloodlust would still boil in their veins. Only when accompanied by other animals would Werewolves be relatively peaceful.
If they had no companionship, they would turn to attack themselves until they woke up the next morning covered in wounds, regained human form, and remembered all their actions from when they were transformed.
This process was clearly very painful.
Therefore, قانون-abiding Werewolves would appear more haggard and weak, while those who indulged themselves would gradually lose their humanity.
The purpose of Wolfsbane Potion is to allow Werewolves to maintain their sanity after transformation, not to harm others or themselves, and to pass that night peacefully.
Even so, this period was still difficult, which was why Lupin always seemed particularly weak in the days following his transformations. It wasn't until Sirius was released from prison and always accompanied him that Lupin visibly regained a healthy complexion.
It was only at this moment that Wade suddenly understood why he had felt something was off the first time he saw Will, but couldn't pinpoint the problem.
—That person's mental state was far too vibrant.
Although he was as thin as Lupin used to be, he showed no signs of gloom or depression. On the contrary, his demeanor was very enthusiastic, and his smile was so bright that it even made Wade feel a sense of aggression.
Of course, you can't say someone has a problem just because they're cheerful... After all, Will might just be a natural extrovert, capable of facing any setback or hardship with cheerfulness.
Or perhaps he was just expressing his newfound happiness in a more exaggerated way because his living conditions had recently improved.
Wade lightly ran his fingers over his Wand's handle, a rush of thoughts flooding his mind.
"Um... Mr. Werner..."
Claire finished her ice cream and quietly asked, "When do I start working? Do I need to prepare anything?"
Wade had initially just used it as an excuse to make conversation and was about to brush it off casually. But before he spoke, he caught Claire's eye.
Her eyes were filled with an intense longing, hoping that his casual words could become reality, yet deep down, she seemed to know it was impossible.
So, in those eyes, there was both dependence and a plea, mixed with a deep-seated fear.
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