Tver was unaware of Marvolio and the others' thoughts, but he entrusted the task to them without hesitation. Otherwise, what was the point of recruiting subordinates?
As for giving the credit for the werewolf bracelet to Burke, that was something he had specifically insisted on.
In truth, he didn't mind if Dumbledore learned he was trying to recruit werewolves. If everything went as planned, by the time summer break arrived in six months, Dumbledore would have an entirely new problem occupying his mind.
When that time came, forget recruiting werewolves—even if Tver openly infiltrated (as in "enter," not "fight") the Ministry of Magic, Dumbledore wouldn't have the time to interfere.
So his intentions here were purely strategic: he wanted his eventual appearance to carry greater weight and meaning, especially in the eyes of the werewolf community.
Deep down, many of them longed to coexist with wizards, yet mutual misunderstanding only pushed the two sides further apart.
Most werewolves were turned not by choice, but through revenge or accidental encounters. Take Lupin, for example—he became a werewolf because his father insulted Greyback, who retaliated by biting him.
Aside from werewolves like Greyback, who were violent by nature, most had no desire to become monsters. The tragedy was that they often had no choice.
Tver knew that the Wolfsbane Potion had existed for over twenty years, yet few werewolves ever had the chance to take it regularly. No one would hire them, and they simply couldn't afford the cost. Even wealthy families couldn't sustain such long-term expenses.
So every full moon, they lost their rationality, became beasts, caused destruction, and spread fear—fear that pushed them even further from acceptance in the wizarding world.
Caught in this vicious cycle, they were left with only two paths: to live in poverty and instability like Lupin, or to follow their enemy Greyback, their minds gradually twisted by dark magic and hatred.
Either way, suspicion toward wizards would naturally grow.
If Tver simply walked up to them wearing a bracelet, they would treat him like an idiot. Because he didn't have the authority or status to make such an offer.
But the Ministry did.
Once the bracelet became known across the wizarding world, the Ministry would find itself in a dilemma. Managing werewolves was their job, but the bracelets were expensive. Even if the Ministry could afford it, Fudge would never volunteer to cover that cost.
To the Ministry, werewolves were a fringe group. Occasional Auror raids were enough; as long as werewolves didn't cause major incidents, the Ministry considered its duty fulfilled.
Even a wizard with terrible math could see that was far cheaper than distributing free bracelets to every werewolf.
So even if werewolves learned the bracelet existed—and that it could make them safer than for the average wizard—they still couldn't afford it, and no one would help pay for it.
What would hurt them most was that the Ministry wouldn't reject them outright at first. Instead, they'd pretend to "consider it," shuffling responsibility around. In the process, they would grind down the faint spark of hope in the hearts of well-meaning werewolves until nothing remained.
Eventually, like the Wolfsbane Potion, the bracelet would become something they could only yearn for but never obtain.
And after all that, when someone else stepped forward…
Even if they spent the same money and handed out the same bracelets, the werewolves' perception would be entirely different.
The same ending—achieved through different means—would produce a completely different effect.
That was exactly what Tver intended.
As for who should step forward, wasn't there someone right here more suitable than himself?
"So, Lupin, the price of the werewolf bracelet is simply beyond what current werewolves can afford."
Having just endured another full moon, Lupin's face still carried an undeniable pallor of exhaustion. But this time, with the restorative potions Tver had given him—and with both the Wolfsbane Potion and the bracelet reducing many of the transformation's side effects—he felt lighter than he had in years. A small smile even touched his lips.
He had now personally proven how effective the combination of Wolfsbane and the bracelet truly was. Which meant that if werewolves could wear the bracelets and take the potion, they could live like ordinary wizards.
Yet Tver's words instantly smothered that rising hope.
The bracelet's magic could be recharged by werewolves themselves, but what about the cost of the Wolfsbane Potion? And the bracelet's production cost? Even with his current stable income, Lupin could only barely afford it. What about the many werewolves with no jobs at all—not even the kind of "work" that skirted the law?
With a conflicted look, Lupin touched his wrist. Under the sunlight, the faint mark left by the bracelet was barely visible.
"So even with the Wolfsbane Potion and the bracelet, we're still just werewolves?" His throat tightened as he stared at his wrist. "We're still feared and despised by every wizard, forced to live in the shadows of the magical world—either waiting to waste away or getting torn to pieces by wizards…"
"Some werewolves are just children, you know. Yet they have to carry the stigma for life."
"But they don't even have wands! Who could they possibly threaten?!"
Tver unconsciously licked his lips. Predictably, Lupin's kindness led him to all these conclusions on his own.
Lupin was the very embodiment of someone who "cultivates himself in hardship and helps others in prosperity." Had he still been struggling to survive, he'd never have had the time or strength to care about other werewolves. But now that he finally had some stability, his kindness would never allow him to ignore their suffering.
So all Tver needed to do was help him hold onto that kindness.
"You're different now. Even after leaving school, Dumbledore would gladly give you a position so you could afford the Wolfsbane Potion. And my bracelet could—"
"But what good would that do?!"
Lupin's outburst was sharp with fury—something Tver had never heard from him before. "As long as werewolves as a group remain unaccepted, we're still rats in the gutter!"
"Even if this rat dresses up nicely and keeps himself clean!"
His fists were clenched tight, his muscles taut with anger. Yet his eyes were filled only with helplessness toward the condition of the wizarding world.
"The problem is, the werewolf population isn't large, but it isn't small either."
Tver spread his hands. He wasn't surprised by Lupin's outburst—in truth, he had been guiding him toward it.
"To maintain such expenses is impossible even for Dumbledore. And as for the Ministry, they won't pay for Wolfsbane, much less an extra bracelet."
Lupin's expression dimmed further.
"We could borrow money! If we can control the transformation, we can work normally and pay it back!"
"Unfortunately, Gringotts hasn't opened that kind of business…" Tver shrugged.
The casual gesture made Lupin's heart sink straight to the bottom.
...
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