Little Kids Shouldn't Swear

Dewey's mind analyzed a great deal, yet his gaze remained as still as an ancient well. Facing Lucius, Dewey stood his ground.

Lucius had already walked over.

He caught sight of Lupin and twisted his features into a contemptuous sneer directed at "Lupin."

"Hello, Lucius."

Dewey greeted him softly.

Lucius said flippantly, "I am doing quite well, Professor Lupin. Though it is terribly rude to say, I must insist: please do not call me Lucius, Lupin. We are not that familiar. Call me Mr. Malfoy."

"I am Mr. Malfoy."

"And now, let us see who has arrived? Remus John Lupin, Professor Lupin, it has been such a long time since we last met. It is truly a pity. Just look at the state of your robes."

He gently straightened "Lupin's" robes and remarked, "Look at the rags you are wearing, you poor wretch. You haven't bought a decent set of clothes since the last time we met, have you?"

"What a shame."

"Let us consider that such a base individual has actually been hired as the Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts; it is truly unbearable to me."

"How could Hogwarts allow someone like you to teach? The quality of professors at Hogwarts is becoming increasingly disappointing. This is no longer the Hogwarts I recognize. Had I known, I would never have sent Draco here to study."

"So, Lupin, you had best pray. Pray that you do not make a mistake at school, for if you were to lose such a respectable job, it would surely break your heart, wouldn't it, Lupin?"

"I have quite a few friends on the Hogwarts Board of Governors, as I am sure you are aware."

"I hear the salary at Hogwarts is not low, is it? If you were to lose this position, I fear you wouldn't even be able to afford a new set of robes!"

"Do your job well, and do not disappoint me."

After Lucius finished speaking, he turned and walked away. Having heard Lucius's words, Dewey remained calm.

Lucius's words just now were very much in the style of the Malfoy Family. The Malfoy Family had always been this way; ever since they served the British monarchs and received their titles, they had always been the most flexible of chameleons.

Sucking up to the powerful and trampling on the weak—Dewey felt it was perfectly normal for them to look down on Lupin. Given their nature, they would never bother to feign civility with him.

And how would Lupin face such things?

Lupin would do nothing.

What would Dewey do?

Once power was in his hands, he would settle scores with countless enemies.

He would raid their manor and throw the Malfoy Family into Azkaban to "enjoy" themselves; that was the place where those Death Eaters deserved to reap their rewards.

Dewey returned to the train and found the Harry trio.

"Professor, are you alright?"

Harry asked with some concern.

They all knew that Lucius Malfoy was not a good man, and they worried that Lucius had threatened the professor.

Such things were well within his capabilities.

It was clear that Lucius did not like Professor Lupin at all.

Just as he did not like the Weasley family.

Dewey smiled at them and said, "Don't worry, Harry, it's fine. We were just exchanging pleasantries."

He unbuttoned his coat, took out a Silver Sickle, and handed it to Harry, saying, "I am going to sleep for a while, Harry. I recall the food trolley passing by at noon? Chocolate Frogs, Harry—buy plenty of those. They will be useful."

After Dewey finished speaking, he covered himself with his coat and went to sleep.

He closed his eyes so quickly that Harry did not even know how he should have refused.

He held the Silver Sickle, caught completely off guard.

The three youngsters looked at each other, saying nothing. After a long while, they began to whisper softly.

"Do you think he is really asleep?"

Ron glanced cautiously at Dewey and asked.

Hermione said, "He looks very tired. He must be really asleep, right?"

Harry did not speak; he felt a sense of chaos in his mind.

At this moment, Dewey's heart was bleeding. Despite appearing to be asleep, he was actually unable to fall into a deep slumber. Not to mention that every time he fell asleep, the nightmares of Azkaban would haunt and torment him.

Simply having to take the Polyjuice Potion every hour was troublesome enough.

Lupin did not have much money to begin with. He had originally intended to buy chocolate in London, only to have Kingsley intercept him.

I am Lupin, I am Lupin. Lupin would not be so stingy with Harry, nor would he be so stingy with his friends. If all else fails, I will write an IOU for Lupin; once he is released, I will have him pay back the debt.

Dewey reasoned with himself, feeling that this plan was quite sound.

Indeed, why was he running around so much?

It was all to capture Peter Pettigrew. When the time came, Lupin's service fee certainly could not be small.

Thinking of this, Dewey felt much more at ease.

At Hogwarts, there were many acquaintances he had to face: Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, Peeves, and all sorts of others. He could not afford to show even the slightest flaw.

A single mistake, just the smallest error, and he would be exposed, causing everything he had built to vanish into thin air.

Death did not matter, but his plan was not yet complete, so he could not die.

Dewey calculated the time as he pondered.

Half an hour ago, the trolley had come by, and Lupin had heard Harry buy some Chocolate Frogs, some Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, and Cauldron Cakes.

In about fifty minutes, he intended to open his eyes and take a sip of Polyjuice Potion.

Polyjuice Potion was a fascinating concoction; it required the potion to be mixed with someone else's hair to take effect. While the hair and the potion could be stored separately for a long time, once mixed, the potion spoiled easily.

When taking Polyjuice Potion for the first time, the person undergoing the transformation would experience a painful, twisting change, but subsequent doses merely maintained the appearance established by the first.

The user would not undergo further changes.

This was why Barty Crouch Jr. had appeared normal when he first transformed into Mad-Eye Moody, and why the real Moody, whom he kept imprisoned, grew thinner and thinner while the imposter remained unchanged.

Crouch Jr. would cut Moody's hair in real-time, and the Mad-Eye Moody he transformed into remained exactly as he had been at the start.

Because all subsequent doses were simply maintenance for the initial one.

This was also why Lupin dared to take the potion in front of Hermione; he knew it wouldn't trigger a visible transformation.

However, he would not reveal the pattern of his dosage.

Hermione was a witch skilled in logical deduction, and such people were troublesome; they could always find the truth from the smallest clues.

Fortunately, someone relieved the pressure on Dewey at that moment.

Draco Malfoy, Lucius's fine son, had somehow found Harry Potter. He pushed open the compartment door, saw Harry, and let out a mocking sound.

That voice was identical to his father, Lucius.

"Aha, seeing you again, Harry. Buying so much food on the train every time—is it because you never see such things in that Muggle home of yours?

And you, Weasley, always asking Harry to buy you food. Is the entire Weasley family as thick-skinned as you?

Begging for food from those around you?"

Ron's face darkened, and Harry started to speak.

"And also."

Looking at Hermione, Goyle, the little lackey beside Malfoy, said with disdain: "Mudblood."

"What did you say?"

Hearing that highly insulting word, Hermione drew her wand instantly. Ron was even faster than Hermione; he lunged forward and punched Goyle in the nose. Goyle let out a cry of pain, Malfoy shrieked, Hermione tried to cast a spell, Harry tried to pull them apart, and Crookshanks arched his back, looking ready to take a swipe at Goyle's face.

The entire compartment was in chaos.

Dewey felt he could no longer sleep. He ripped open his robes, whipped out his wand, and shouted at everyone present: "Now, all of you, stop this at once!"

Hearing the voice of "Professor Lupin," Harry instinctively turned back, and Draco Malfoy saw the wand and pulled back his fist.

Only Goyle and Ron remained locked in a scuffle.

Crabbe forcefully shook off Crookshanks, his face grimacing from the cat's claws.

Seeing that everyone was being obedient, Dewey put away his wand and forcefully pulled the two people apart. Curious heads poked out from the surrounding compartments at the commotion.

Seeing this, Dewey ushered them all inside. The compartment, already small, became very cramped with so many people squeezed in.

Dewey stared intently at their faces.

Ron hadn't come off worse; his punch had been swift, breaking Goyle's nose. The sharp pain prevented the chubby boy from exerting his full strength, and his eyes were streaming with tears, leaving him unable to see clearly.

As for the others, aside from looking a bit disheveled, there were no serious injuries.

Ron had a small cut on his face, nothing major.

By rights, he should have used a spell to stop the bleeding, but he didn't know how, and using Essence of Dittany for such a minor injury would be overkill.

So, Dewey could only act as if nothing had happened and remain impartial.

He pulled Goyle over and said to his face: "Now, leave here and return to your own compartment.

We are currently outside of Hogwarts, so I have no authority to punish you, but if we were at school, and I heard that word come out of your mouth again, believe me, Goyle—you look exactly like your father—I mean it, Goyle, Slytherin will lose fifty points because of you!

I will report this to Professor Snape!

I am sure Professor Snape would be very happy to put a child who spews filth into detention and throw him into the Forbidden Forest! Do not doubt this, Goyle! I never lie!"

Dewey said this earnestly, and he wasn't lying; one should never mention the word "Mudblood" in front of Snape, that great romantic.

It was like rubbing salt into his heart!

After pushing the three little Slytherins out, Dewey turned to the trio.

"Are you all alright?"

Dewey asked. The three of them shook their heads. Dewey said: "If you're fine, I'll step out for a moment. I trust you don't mind!"

He didn't wait for the trio's response, pushed open the compartment door, and walked out.