William was most satisfied with this about Lupin.
He preferred to fill in the blanks himself rather than asking unnecessary questions. This perhaps was related to his identity. After all, being a werewolf was quite special, and judging from his situation, he probably didn't have many friends, so he would remain silent at appropriate times.
When Norbert flapped its wings to disperse the crowd and landed on the deck, the group of thugs on the ship had already surrendered — for some reason, their charms were useless against the "mountain" in the center of the stage. The Fiendfyre Curse didn't even singe a hair when it hit the opponent.
Thus, under Kabuda's "heroic" lead, they easily subdued this group of villains.
"Chi-chi——"
Yes, the above story was Kabuda bragging in front of William, chest puffed out in pride. As for the actual situation... well, it wasn't that far off. With a three-story tall Niffler attracting attention, the werewolf oversight naturally relaxed a bit. A group of rational werewolves was indeed terrifying.
"Alright, I'll take off one Magic History lesson."
"Chi-chi!"
Satisfied that it had achieved its goal, Kabuda nodded with contentment.
Norbert had already been led away, and among the crowd that was in shock, some began to comfort each other. The Greengrass family huddled together in despair, and behind them stood... Draco Malfoy? Ah, right, his parents were still here...
Noticing William's gaze, Draco first gave a slight start, then shrank back. His eyes roved around, seemingly searching in vain, and then the boy turned back to William, hesitated for a moment, and walked forward, "Excuse me, sir, have you seen my father?"
The boy hesitated for a long time, finally opting for a somewhat normal form of address... "Master"? Too embarrassing in public, like some sort of play.
Young as he was, Draco had not undergone Voldemort's meticulous grooming, unlike the group of "elders" in the lower decks who would unabashedly kneel and pledge allegiance.
"Are you looking for them?"
William's steps halted just as he was about to turn, even though the joyous atmosphere on the ship's deck felt like the story's finale. He hadn't forgotten that he'd left a group of Death Eaters in the lowest part of the cabin. Although their Dark Marks had been cleared, tonight's plan involved more than just this.
"Yes, yes."
Draco's face fell a bit. He suddenly regretted opening his mouth so rashly. The boy instinctively turned his gaze, only to receive an envious look.
Well, if you want it, you take a crack at it...
Daphne's unmasked gaze made Draco want to cry, but standing in front of that person made his expression twist into a bittersweet smile. He then asked William, "Do you know... where they are?"
But this smile was even harder to listen to than crying.
"I'll take you there—"
"No, I'm just... uh, I mean... alright."
"That's more like it."
William lifted his arm and placed it around the boy's shoulder. The Basilisk slid down his wrist gently onto Malfoy's neck, causing the boy to shiver at the cold touch. To be honest, due to his upbringing, Draco had always liked snakes... it's just that now he seemed to suddenly have a bit of a phobia of them.
...
"Malfoy, you folks really hid deep—"
In the cabin, reeking of rotten salted herring, shortly after William left, almost everyone turned on the Malfoy couple kneeling at the center of the cabin. Nocte plunged a small knife between Malfoy's fingers, "I knew it, inviting us all together wasn't for anything good..."
"Heh, were you planning on refusing?"
Seeing William leave, Malfoy's spine straightened. He cast a disdainful glance around, the silver serpent staff gently tapping the floor, "The Dark... our master has already returned. It's only a matter of time before you're summoned. My purpose here was simply to give you a heads-up—"
"This is what you call a heads-up?"
Goyle Senior murmured, but his tone wasn't accusative. As someone forewarned by Malfoy, he knew what to say to help Malfoy gain control of the narrative.
"You led him right to us; we weren't even prepared!"
Similarly informed, Crabbe Senior chimed in, his tone shifting from anger to aggrieved.
"Yes, I even... attacked him."
Amycus Carrow's voice quivered as he stared incredulously at his hands, unable to comprehend that not long ago, he had cast a Crucio at Voldemort.
"That was your own stupidity..."
Malfoy waved his sleeve dismissively and walked unhurriedly to the center of the cabin, drawing all Death Eaters' attention. "I've known about the master's return for a year but was instructed to keep it secret. He's successfully infiltrated Hogwarts—"
"Under Dumbledore's nose?"
Goyle Senior continued his role as the obliging sidekick.
"Yes, but our master, freshly revived... still needed to bide his time. It wasn't until six months ago that I was tasked with informing you to meet him. This gathering was simply to update you on the current situation. However... master's plans are beyond my understanding."
With Malfoy's explanation, the surrounding expressions began to calm down, as what he said sounded reasonable.
"But what is this?"
After Malfoy finished speaking, a long silence ensued before Nocte suddenly pulled back his sleeve, revealing the altered Dark Mark. A deep blue flame-like pattern consumed his wrist, appearing vividly alive, even giving an illusion of flickering when scrutinized closely.
"This is the master's new mark—"
Lucius Malfoy's expression turned fervent, his tone excited. He pulled back his sleeve, revealing an identical mark, "A year ago, the master planted this blue flame on me, on us, symbolizing loyalty..."
"I never said it symbolizes loyalty..."
"Master."
With a clatter, all present Death Eaters in the cabin knelt once more. Yet one figure remained noticeably distinct.
"How could you..."
Seeing his wife still standing, Lucius anxiously pulled at her sleeve. But the next moment, the man understood why she had frozen, as he too saw the boy entering the cabin alongside William.
"Master, Draco..."
Lucius's voice quivered as he immediately bowed his head further.
"Go on, join your father."
William dismissed the others, gently patting the boy's back. Draco, slightly bewildered, moved to Narcissa's side and was then pressed down to kneel along with her.
"So, as Malfoy just said..."
Looking at the kneeling Death Eaters before him, William's lips curled slightly. He waved his magic wand, and a deep blue flame ignited in front of him, creating a barrier between him and the crowd. "Now, cross over, and offer me your loyalty—"