Children Mustn't Swear

Dewey had analyzed a great many things, but his gaze remained as still as a deep, undisturbed well. He stood his ground in front of Lucius.

Lucius had already walked over.

He spotted Lupin and twisted his face into a nasty smile at "Lupin."

"Hello, Lucius,"

Dewey greeted him softly.

Lucius said flippantly, "I'm perfectly well, Professor Lupin. Though it's rather rude of me to say this, I must ask you not to call me Lucius. We aren't close enough for that, Lupin. Call me Mr. Malfoy.

I am Mr. Malfoy.

And now, let's see who's here.

Remus John Lupin, Professor Lupin. It's been so long since we last met. What a pity. Just look at the clothes you're wearing."

He gently straightened "Lupin's" clothes and said, "Look at the rags you're wearing, you poor wretch. You haven't bought yourself anything decent since the last time we met, have you?

What a shame.

Let's look at this lowlife. He's actually been hired as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. I find that quite intolerable.

How could Hogwarts allow someone like you to teach? The quality of Hogwarts' professors is becoming more and more disappointing.

This isn't the Hogwarts I know anymore. If I'd known it would come to this, I never would have sent Draco here.

So, Lupin, you'd better pray. Pray you don't make a mistake at school, or losing a job that's at least respectable would make you very sad, wouldn't it, Lupin?

I still have quite a few friends among Hogwarts' School Governors. I'm sure you know that.

I hear Hogwarts pays quite well, doesn't it? If you lose this job, I'm afraid you won't even be able to afford a new set of clothes!

Do your job properly. Don't disappoint me."

When Lucius had finished speaking, he turned and left. Dewey had listened to Lucius's words, but he remained calm.

Lucius's words had been pure Malfoy. The Malfoys had always been like that. Ever since they'd served the British king and earned their title, they'd always been the most adaptable chameleons.

They fawned on the powerful and trod on the weak. Dewey thought it was perfectly normal for them to look down on Lupin. Given their nature, they wouldn't even bother pretending to be civil to him.

What would Lupin do in the face of all that?

Lupin wouldn't do anything.

What would Dewey do?

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

He'd seize the manor and throw the Malfoys into Azkaban to enjoy themselves. That was where Death Eaters like them deserved to reap what they'd sown.

Dewey returned to the train and found the Harry trio.

"Professor, are you all right?"

Harry asked worriedly.

They all knew Lucius Malfoy was no good. They were afraid he'd threatened the professor.

It was just the sort of thing he'd do.

It was clear Lucius didn't like Professor Lupin.

Just as he didn't like the Weasley family.

Dewey smiled at them. "Don't worry, Harry. I'm fine. We just had a little chat."

He took off his coat, pulled out a Silver Sickle, and handed it to Harry. "I'm going to sleep for a bit, Harry. I remember the trolley comes by around noon. Chocolate Frogs, Harry. Buy plenty of those. They'll come in handy."

After saying that, Dewey draped his coat over himself and went to sleep.

He closed his eyes so quickly that Harry didn't know how to refuse.

Holding the Silver Sickle, he was at a loss.

The three kids looked at one another without speaking. After quite a while, they began whispering.

"Do you think he's really asleep?"

Ron carefully glanced at Dewey and asked.

"He looks exhausted. He's probably really asleep," said Hermione.

Harry said nothing. His thoughts were a mess.

At that moment, Dewey's heart was bleeding. Though he seemed to be asleep, he couldn't actually get any deep rest. It wasn't just the nightmares of Azkaban that haunted and tormented him every time he fell asleep.

Having to take Polyjuice Potion every hour was trouble enough on its own.

Lupin didn't have much money. Dewey had planned to buy chocolate in London, but Kingsley had cut him off.

I'm Lupin. I'm Lupin. Lupin wouldn't be this stingy with Harry, and he wouldn't be this stingy with his friends, either. If all else fails, I'll give Lupin an IOU and make him pay me back after I get him out.

Dewey talked himself into it, deciding it was a good plan.

That was right. Why else was he running around doing all this?

It was all to catch Peter Pettigrew. When the time came, Lupin would absolutely have to pay him for his work.

Thinking of this made Dewey feel much better.

At Hogwarts, he'd have to face a lot of familiar people: Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, Peeves, and all sorts of others. He couldn't let even the tiniest slip show...

One mistake, just one tiny mistake, and he'd be discovered. Everything would go up in smoke.

Death didn't matter, but he hadn't finished his plan yet, so he couldn't die.

Dewey thought as he kept track of the time.

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

At around the fifty-minute mark, he planned to open his eyes and take a sip of Polyjuice Potion.

Polyjuice Potion was an interesting potion. It had to be mixed with someone else's hair to work. The potion and the hair could each be stored for a long time on their own, but once someone else's hair had been mixed into the potion, it spoiled easily.

The first time someone took Polyjuice Potion, their appearance would twist and change. But subsequent doses merely maintained the appearance created by the first transformation.

The person taking it wouldn't change again.

That was why Barty Crouch Jr. had looked normal when he first transformed into Mad-Eye Moody, and why he hadn't changed even as the Moody he had imprisoned grew weaker and thinner.

Barty Crouch Jr. had regularly cut Moody's hair. The Mad-Eye Moody he transformed into remained exactly as he had first appeared.

That was because each subsequent dose maintained the effects of the first.

That was also why Lupin dared to take the potion in front of Hermione. It wouldn't cause another transformation.

But he wouldn't reveal the pattern of his doses.

Hermione was a wizard who excelled at logical deduction. Witches like her could be troublesome. They always found the truth from the tiniest clues.

Fortunately, someone came along just then and got Dewey out of a tight spot.

Draco Malfoy, Lucius's good son, had somehow found Harry Potter. He pushed open the compartment door, spotted Harry, and jeered at him.

His voice was practically identical to his father Lucius's.

"Ah, there you are again, Harry. Every time you're on the train, you buy so much food. Is it because you never get to see things like this in your Muggle household?

And you, Weasley. Every time, you get Harry to buy you something to eat. Is everyone in the Weasley family as shameless as you?

Begging for food from the people around you?"

Ron's face darkened, and Harry was about to speak.

"And..."

Looking at Hermione, Goyle, standing beside Malfoy as one of his lackeys, sneered, "Mudblood."

"What did you say?"

Hearing that deeply insulting word, Hermione immediately drew her wand. Ron was even faster than she was. He charged forward and punched Goyle in the nose. Goyle cried out in pain, Malfoy shrieked, Hermione tried to cast a spell, Harry tried to pull them apart, and Crookshanks arched his back, looking ready to claw Goyle across the face.

The whole compartment was in chaos.

Dewey realized he couldn't keep sleeping. He flung off his coat, whipped out his wand, and pointed it at everyone present. "Now, all of you, stop!"

Hearing Professor Lupin's voice, Harry instinctively turned around. Draco Malfoy saw the wand and pulled back his fist.

Only Goyle and Ron were still grappling with each other.

Crabbe forcefully shook Crookshanks off him, baring his teeth as the cat's claws raked him.

Seeing that everyone else was listening, Dewey lowered his wand and firmly pulled the two boys apart. Curious heads were poking out from the neighboring compartments after hearing the commotion.

At the sight of them, Dewey ushered everyone inside. The already cramped compartment was now packed with people, and everyone was crowded together.

Dewey studied their faces carefully.

Ron hadn't come off badly. His fists were quick, and he'd broken Goyle's nose. The pain had stopped the chubby boy from fighting at full strength; his eyes were full of tears, and he couldn't see a thing.

As for everyone else, their clothes looked a little rumpled from being tugged, but they didn't have any serious injuries.

Ron had a small cut on his face. It wasn't a big deal.

He should have used a spell to stop the bleeding, but he didn't know one. Using Essence of Dittany for such a small injury would be overkill.

So Dewey could only pretend nothing had happened and treat them all equally.

He pulled Goyle over and said to his face, "Now, leave. Go back to your own compartment.

We're outside Hogwarts, so I have no authority to punish you. But if I hear that word come out of your mouth again at school, believe me, Goyle, you look just like your father. I mean, Goyle, Slytherin will lose fifty points because of you!

I'll tell Head of House Snape about this!

I'm sure Head of House Snape would be delighted to put a foul-mouthed little boy in detention and toss him into the Forbidden Forest! Don't doubt it, Goyle! I never lie!"

Dewey said this seriously. He wasn't lying. Never say the word "Mudblood" in front of Snape, that great romantic.

It was like rubbing salt into his heart!

After shoving the three young Slytherins out, Dewey turned to the trio.

"Are you all right?"

Dewey asked. The three of them nodded, and he said, "If you're all right, I'll step out for a bit. I hope you don't mind!"

He didn't wait for their answer. He opened the compartment door and walked out!