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HP: Bloodraven Chapter 222 - A Toast, To Be or Not To be (I)
🕑 Added 2025-08-04 22:10:11 +0000 UTCTap. Tap. Tap.
Footsteps echoed through the warped hallways of what could only be described as a long-forgotten house. The walls were peeling, the ceiling sagged like it had given up trying to stay upright, and the whole place gave off the kind of vibe that suggested it had seen some seriously messed-up stuff in its time.
This was the Shrieking Shack, an abandoned house on the edge of Hogsmeade.
Inside, the floorboards groaned with every step, as though the house itself disapproved of visitors. The air was thick with the stench of rot, tinged with something sharp and metallic—like old blood, long dried but not quite forgotten.
Dust curled in the torchlight as a heavy wooden door swung open with a long, reluctant creak. The room beyond looked more like a dungeon than anything else.
It was cold inside. The floor seemed damp and uneven, with cracked beams overhead and cobwebs so thick they could’ve snared an owl. It felt part prison, part tomb. And it wasn’t empty.
At the far end of the room, behind a set of thick iron bars, sat a man. Chains bound his wrists and ankles, and judging by his hollow expression and slumped posture, he looked far too used to his miserable situation—or perhaps he had simply been there too long.
The cage offered nothing in the way of comfort—just enough room to curl up or take a few short steps. But he didn’t look like he had the strength for either. His back rested heavily against the bars, and a half-healed gash ran across his collarbone.
“Looks like you’ve had better days, Professor Lupin…” a lazy voice echoed from the shadows, filling the room.
The man in question was indeed Remus Lupin, the current Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts. But beneath the quiet dignity of a teacher lay a much darker truth—he was also a werewolf.
And tonight, the moon would rise at its fullest—which, for a werewolf, could only mean one thing: pain, madness, and an unbearable hunger that refused to be reasoned with.
Hearing that familiar voice, the miserable-looking man stiffened at first, then slowly emerged from the fog of his thoughts. He squinted toward the sound as slow, unhurried footsteps approached through the gloom.
Slowly, the speaker emerged into the flickering glow of the lone torch, hands buried in the pockets of his long coat. The light caught his face just enough to reveal angular features—and a smile as unreadable as the dark behind him.
“Mr… Master Caesar?” With some effort, Lupin pushed himself upright and managed a croaky, uncertain voice. “What are… did the Headmaster send you?”
“Not really,” Maverick shrugged one shoulder. “Just thought I’d drop in, offer you a... toast. You look like you could use one.”
He didn’t sound particularly concerned—or serious.
Why would he be? Lupin thought bitterly, just before he saw the young man make a casual wave of his hand, vanishing the metal bars between them. A chair appeared behind him, and he sat down lazily, crossing one leg over the other.
Is he really here to share a drink with me? he wondered, noting the casualness of his expression.
“Get up,” he heard him say all of a sudden, then saw him snap his fingers.
Lupin opened his mouth, wanting to speak. He had plenty on his mind—starting with why in Merlin’s name Maverick was even here—but the young man kept flicking his fingers, casually working one bit of magic after another, leaving him no chance to get a word in.
The chains binding his limbs and the collar around his neck vanished next, before a chair appeared beside him, followed by a small table between them.
What is this? Old friends settling in for a quiet drink? More inexplicable thoughts crossed Lupin’s already muddled mind.
“Well…”
He glanced at Maverick, who was gesturing to the chair. What else could he do, except, with a helpless sigh, do as he was told?
And just as he settled into the seat, he saw Maverick made yet another hand gesture—this time a slow, circular motion to his side.
Subsequently, a portal just big enough for an adult to step through appeared out of thin air next to him.
He had seen the same magic done by him before, so he wasn’t too taken aback. He had been wanting to ask about it but shrugged the thought aside when another man walked through the portal into the dilapidated room. The newcomer was also familiar—someone he had met just a few days ago.
Now Lupin was more confused than curious. He had no idea what was happening. Tonight, he was supposed to go through the usual transformation—in other words, suffer miserably through the excruciating pain of bones and flesh reshaping and breaking. He was more or less used to it. Not the suffering, of course, but the experience of it.
"Sit, my friend..." Maverick made another chair materialize, and now the two of them sat in front of a very confused Remus Lupin, who looked like he had far too many questions.
"Now... Mr. Lupin, I don't think you and my friend Ali here have been properly acquainted, right? You two only met briefly that evening when we went to see Black."
Lupin nodded absentmindedly. The itch was already creeping through his body, a warning that the beast would soon take over.
Was this really the right time or place to get acquainted with someone? He didn’t say it out loud. Instead, he gave a polite nod to the stern-looking man from the Middle East.
“Ali here is actually the one overseeing all my projects. Whether it’s business or something else, he takes a lot off my plate. And, most importantly, he’s my closest friend.”
“Then… you, Mr. Ali, are a lucky man to be so valued by Master Caesar,” Lupin said, still confused. He still had no idea what's going on and why he was being told all this.
“He’s also a werewolf, just like you…”
“I see…”
“…”
“Wait, what?”
Lupin’s already juggling mind became even more confused by the sudden bombshell.
“But how? Why? Aren’t you worried or taking any precautions? Don’t you know what tonight represents—”
His first thought after hearing the shocking revelation was why, then, they were being so casual about it. Shouldn't Ali be locking himself up as well?
But Maverick cut him off, and what he said next almost made his brain short-circuit.
“Ah, that should be past tense... apologies, Mr. Lupin. I meant he used to be like you—once infected with lycanthropy, forced to suffer that gruesome transformation every full moon...”
“Once?”
“Indeed,” Maverick nodded approvingly, glad Lupin was following despite the shocking news. “Yes. He was like you. Until one of my teachers, a master potioneer, by blending cutting-edge Muggle biology with her incredible potion-making talent, found a…” He paused, searching for the right word, then added, “a way around it.”
Lupin didn’t say a word, but the look on his face said everything. First there was confusion, then shock, and finally wide-eyed disbelief. His mouth hung half open, as if wanting to say something, but no words came out.
His head then slowly turned to Ali, who looked at him expressionlessly, sitting with arms crossed over his chest like nothing could faze him, then to Maverick, who was giving him an amused smile. Many, many thoughts were racing through his mind now, and he didn’t know where to start.
Maverick gave him a moment to digest everything, then just started casually chatting with Ali about something else, leaving Lupin to stew in his thoughts.
“Are you… are you making some sick joke, Master Caesar?” he asked at last, after a moment’s silence. He had heard too many unbelievable things—too good to be true—and his first thought was that Maverick was trying to humiliate him.
“Hmm… thought you’d think like that…” Maverick turned to him, showing no sign of offense. He wasn’t bothered that Lupin had assumed he might be playing some kind of cruel prank.
To Lupin’s credit, there was nothing wrong with that. After all, many had tried to find a cure for lycanthropy, and throughout history, none had succeeded. It sounded so good that his subconscious simply refused to believe it right away.
So the quickest way to make Lupin believe was simply to show him.
With that in mind, Maverick turned to Ali and gave a small nod. In response, Ali stood up—and right before Lupin's wide, disbelieving eyes—turned into the very beast he knew far too well.
Familiar, yes… but isn't that a bit too massive?
He wanted to ask how, but the sight in front of him—the towering werewolf whose head nearly touched the ceiling—was just a little too intimidating to question out loud.
Thankfully, Ali changed back a moment later to his human self—somehow, weirdly, with his clothes still perfectly in place. He calmly sat back down, and the room fell quiet again, save for the soft crackle of the lone torch on the wall.
"Right then... ask your questions," Maverick said, gesturing with his hand, and Lupin finally managed to pull his thoughts together and return to the present.
"How?" was the first word he managed.
"Like I said, my teacher developed a serum to counter lycanthropy. What you just witnessed was the result—an effortless, painless transformation, just like that of an Animagus. Instantaneous. Now, my friend here doesn’t have to worry about the full moon; it has absolutely no effect on him. In his transformed state, he maintains full control over the beast within him."
He continued, "And as you saw, the creature he becomes is significantly larger than a typical werewolf. That means he’s stronger—in every sense of the word—than any werewolf alive. Not even Lucian, the leader of the Lycans, can match him. And that’s not just because of the transformation. Ali is also a Great Mage-rank wizard."
Maverick didn’t bother with embellishments or metaphors. He explained it plainly and truthfully.
Once again, Lupin was left gaping at what he was hearing. But this time, he snapped out of it more quickly. Rational thought returned.
First of all, this couldn’t possibly be a joke. Why would someone like Maverick Caesar—an accomplished Archmage—go through all this trouble just to humiliate him? There was no gain in it. So, this had to be real. Someone had finally found a way out for werewolves like him.
Yes. A way out. Even if it wasn’t a “cure,” it was something infinitely better.
The worst thing about being a werewolf wasn’t just the physical pain—it was the loss of control. The agony of bones breaking and flesh reshaping each full moon was horrible, but what haunted him most was knowing he would lose his mind, become something feral, something monstrous.
Many good people he had known were driven to the dark side by that helplessness. They had no choice but to adapt. And adapting meant giving in—surrendering to the beast, becoming killers once a month just to survive.
Only a few—like himself—who were well-educated, mentally disciplined, and connected to powerful figures, could endure that existence without eventually being labeled a threat or a criminal.
But if what he just heard was true, that entire horror could be left behind. They could live normal lives again... and more.
Yet, after a storm of thoughts passed through his head, Lupin knew better than to believe that something this miraculous would come without a price.
"Why... are you telling me this, Master Caesar?"
Maverick gave him a pleased smile.
"Good. You're still thinking clearly, even after hearing all that. That’s why I like you, Remus Lupin."
With a casual wave of his hand, two small glass vials appeared on the table in front of Lupin, each filled with a different colored liquid.
"My teacher actually created two potions," Maverick said. He pointed to the vial on the right.
"This is the one Ali took. It allows for transformation at will, painless and controlled—exactly as you saw. He retains his magic, and gains immense power in his beast form. It’s not a cure, but a complete solution."
Lupin listened in silence, absorbing every word.
Then, Maverick pointed to the other vial.
"This one, however, is different. It’s a true cure. A complete and permanent removal of lycanthropy. But... it comes at a cost."
His voice darkened slightly as he added,
"Along with the beast, it takes your magic too. You’d be rid of lycanthropy, yes—but you’d also become like a Squib."
Just like with the other, Maverick explained the full properties of the second potion—both benefits and consequences—in thorough detail.
Once everything was laid out, Maverick then got straight to the heart of the matter, without any further detours or riddles.
"Mr. Remus Lupin, you have two options."
He pointed to the vial on the left.
"Take this, and free yourself of the beast forever. You’ll lose your magic, yes—but there are no catches. I offer this to you freely and without expectation. Because, frankly, after taking it, you’ll be of no use to me."
"In fact, my teacher and his team are working on mass-producing this formula. It will be made public to the magical world soon enough. Whether you take it from me or not, you’ll eventually have access to it."
Lupin wasn’t a fool. He may have begun this bizarre encounter dazed and confused, but now he was starting to understand exactly what this young man wanted.
This wasn’t just a visit. It was a proposal. What could possibly interest a powerful Archmage like Maverick Caesar in him—other than he himself?
The realization landed in his chest like a stone, and he knew—this, right now, was the moment of truth.
"Or," Maverick continued, "you choose the potion here," gesturing to the right,
"the one Ali took. It’s extremely rare, and cannot be mass-produced. Which means it’s incredibly valuable to me. I only offer it to those I trust. My own people."
He looked at Lupin with a gaze as firm as steel.
Then, with a flick of his hand, he gently pushed both vials across the table using magic until they stopped just in front of Lupin.
"Make up your mind."
"Live out your days as a powerless Squib… cast aside by the very world that broke you. Or—" he leaned closer, eyes gleaming with purpose, "become something more, Remus Lupin. Embrace what you are. Become my subordinate—and help me… help me turn this decadent magical world upside down."
Comments
Bluerain22
Found this fic a few days ago and enjoying it! So much has happened, it’s entertaining to read and try to guess what will happen next! Excited for Remus’ next journey, it should be brilliant! Thank you for sharing!
André Lange
Thx for the chapter! Hope he chooses right!
Dark_pheonix
Thanks for the chapter!
