Remus was up early one warm August morning. He watched the sun rise outside his window while reflecting on times past. Good times most of them. Even the bad times in retrospect seemed indispensable. Remus treasured the few arguments and disagreements they shared the same as their triumphs and adventures. He treasured them because soon they would all come to an end.
After the sunrise had passed, Remus trudged out of his room, down the stairs, and into the kitchen. He plopped down at the small circular table, which was just big enough to seat four, and he let his head fall on his folded arms with a thunk.
"Good morning Remus," said Judy Lupin, Remus' mom.
Remus grumbled good morning back without lifting his head. He was a bit disturbed by the general upbeat-ness of his parents. Didn't they realize what was happening in the next few weeks? Didn't they care?
Judy wrapped her arms around her son's shoulders. "Don't worry, everything will work out fine. You'll see."
Then Remus heard footsteps. They were clearly the footsteps of a person who had been having a wonderful few days. They were light, quick, and Remus got the feeling that whoever was making them was half dancing as they approached the kitchen.
"Hey Remy!" Leslie Lupin's voice called out from somewhere behind him. "Morning mom."
Remus heard Leslie pulling her chair around and positioning it right next to him.
"You're not still moping are you?" She asked sitting down and slinging an arm around him.
Remus didn't answer.
Remus only lifted his head once his breakfast was in front of him. He ate quickly. He was eager to go somewhere else.
"Mom, where's dad?" Was the first thing Leslie said when Judy sat down at the table to eat.
"He had an early meeting at the Ministry. He should be home around mid day."
"He'll probably be tired when gets home," Remus mumbled hopefully. "He'll need to rest."
"No, He told me he'd be ready to go whenever we are," Judy said.
Remus quickly finished his food, and went out to the backyard. He looked out over the mostly empty expanse of grass sitting idly under the blue sky. Empty. That's how it would be form then on. It once was a place filled with whatever he and Leslie imagined; the home of countless make-believe adventures. But now it was only green grass and blue sky.
"Would you like to play?" Came a voice from behind.
Remus turned around to see his sister. He wasn't much in the mood for having fun. Leslie seemed to see that in his eyes.
"Cheer up Remy. You're only ruining our last few weeks together you know."
"You're the one ruining things. You're the one leaving!"
"Everyone goes to Hogwarts sooner or later," Leslie said. "Don't you want me to get an education?"
"You're smart enough already." Remus muttered. He knew that argument wouldn't hold up. Leslie was plenty smart, but he knew there was no such thing as smart enough for her.
Remus lumbered over to and squatted near his moms flower garden. He rustled the flowers softly. The small patch of color would now be the only thing that saved the backyard from complete monotony. Leslie sat next to him. She seemed persistent.
"What am I'm supposed to do when you're gone?" Remus asked.
"You can play with mom and dad."
"They're no fun,"
"Neither are you," Leslie said. "but I make due."
Remus looked over at her, deeply offended. She smiled as if to say she was only joking, but Remus didn't smile back.
"You'll probably make new friends and forget all about me," Remus said plucking a flower and, one by one, throwing the petals to the wind.
"Don't be silly," She said. "Sure I'll make friends, but family is forever Remy."
Leslie stood up.
"If you don't want to play, that's fine, cause we got work to do anyway."
Leslie gabbed her brother by the arm and pulled him up, across the yard, and just into the trees beyond. She took him to their treasure chest (a small box in which they kept their most valuable items). Remus watched as Leslie dug past the old ratty cloak, the pouch with sickles rattling at the bottom (their combined life's savings), and a few small pieces of parchment. She pulled out a large piece of parchment, two small pieces of wood, and an old muggle compass.
"You'll need you wand," Leslie said, ceremoniously handing him one of the pieces of wood. "We'll be mapping uncharted area!"
Their wands were roughly carved and lopsided. Remus had made both of them a few years back. His had a 'R' scratched in it and hers had a 'L'.
Leslie pocketed her wand.
"I suppose you'll be leaving me your wand," Remus said in a casual voice. "Seeing as you'll be getting a real one today. One that works I mean."
"I'll leave you everything else, but there's no way you're getting my wand!" Leslie said, to Remus' relief. It'll be something for her to remember him by. He was glad she still cared about it.
"And what's this non-sense about our wands not working? Have you forgotten what I've told you about focusing properly?"'
"No I remember," Remus said sheepishly.
Leslie always told Remus that if he wanted to cast a spell, saying an incantation wasn't enough. She said he would have to 'visualize' it. She didn't like much when he called it 'imagining it' although really that's all it was.
"Alright then," Leslie said unfolding the big piece of parchment that she had dug out. "I'd better help you finish this. I don't want you getting lost should you decide to wonder in the forest on your own."
On the parchment was a partially completed hand drawn map. The map was on a grid made of slightly crooked lines. Many of the squares contained tiny tree drawings, or jagged scribbles which represented grass. There was a squiggly line that ran all the way across the top, which represented a stream they had discovered.
Some squares contained unique drawings with names: There was a picture of a house which was labeled 'Home'; it was in the center of the map and was incased in a ring of grassy area. There was what appeared to be a large puddle of ink labeled 'Sunshine Sea'; it was a pond that they had found that glistened nicely in the mid-day sun. There was a drawing of a cave that was labeled 'Labyrinth of death'; Remus and Leslie had once gotten lost there. And one square had a picture of sharp menacing teeth and was labeled 'Dragon's lair'; Leslie had discovered that place on her own and she made Remus promise to never go there.
"We should start by going here," Leslie said, pointing at an empty corner of the map. She handed Remus the compass. "Which way?"
Remus waited for the needle to stabilize. After finding north he figured the direction they needed to go and pointed. "That way."
Remus and Leslie followed the map, using the compass. The walk through the forest was quite relaxing. Remus liked the smell of the pine trees and the chirps of the birds. They ran into old tree markings, some of which they had made months before. Remus felt it was much too soon when they reached the last tree marking; the end of charted area. What was a head was anyone's guess.
Marching through uncharted area was much different from moving through area that had already been mapped.
For one thing Leslie insisted on taking the biggest steps possible (given the length of her legs) and counting as she went. When she got to one hundred Remus would mark the nearest tree, and she would make a mark on the map, and start over from one. Remus thought this was silly but Leslie guaranteed him it was necessary to 'keep proper scale'.
The more pressing issue was Leslie insisting on imagining (or visualizing as she would say) more and more dangerous situations in uncharted areas. Usually Remus would complain about this, but after being called 'no fun' he decided to play along no matter what.
"Well here we go Remy. You ready?" She asked with a smile.
Remus grinned confidently and nodded. He'd show her how fun he was.
"One… Two… Three…" She started counting as she took huge steps, relying on Remus to make sure she didn't stray off path.
Finally she got to one hundred. Remus marked the nearest tree with his borrowed kitchen knife, and Leslie marked the parchment with new tree drawings.
Suddenly Leslie looked up.
"Shhhh," she said, warning Remus to be quiet.
They both drew their wands.
"What is it?" Remus whispered, looking around nervously.
"Its quiet… too quiet," She said. "It's a trap! Remus look out!"
Remus spun around and saw the most terrifying thing he had ever seen (which was not uncommon while in uncharted area). The tree he had marked didn't seem to like it. It was bending towards him, bringing it's limbs around Remus, trapping him. It was much like a whomping willow, a tree Remus and Leslie had read about not long ago, except it seemed to want to squeeze Remus to death rather than whomp him.
Leslie screamed, but Remus resisted the urge to do the same.
"Release!" Remus shouted at the tree, managing to turn his wand towards it. The branches around him loosened up a bit, but they where quivering with the effort of overcoming his spell.
"Try something else! Quick!" Leslie shouted.
"Ignite!" He shouted. Instantly the top of the tree burst into flames. Quickly the tree released Remus and started using its limbs and branches to swat at the fire in an attempt to put it out.
Leslie giggled a little as Remus hurried over to her, with a look of terror on his face. "Good job Remus. That was very brave."
"Thanks. Shall we keep moving?"
"We'd better. Who knows what kind of beast will be drawn to that fire."
Remus shuttered to think.
"Where was I? Oh yeah. One… two… three…"
Before following her Remus glanced back at the tree. It was suddenly as still as stone. There was no fire damage to the top of the tree, nor any smoke. There was only the small cut he had made in the bark. Sometimes Remus had to re-assure himself that these things really were make believe, that it really was all Leslie's imagination.
"Come on Remy, keep up."
As they marched through the forest they faced danger after danger, each one more life threatening than the last. Remus didn't once cry out in fear. He fought bravely and valiantly, no matter the threat, be it a moving tree, a Dementor, or a menacing Chimera. (Although afterwards, Remus made a note to himself to speak with his parents about Leslie's access to their books on dangerous magical creatures).
Leslie fought too, but it was clear she was mostly relying on Remus to defend her.
Eventually they reached a new land mark. From a distance it seemed to be a normal clearing, but once they got closer they saw that there were strange looking nests all around. Remus drew his wand and proceeded. There were small blue speckled birds in all the nests.
"What sort of trap is this?" Remus asked looking around suspiciously.
"It's not me," Leslie said.
It wasn't often they ran into real magical creatures. They ran into plenty squirrels and other muggle creatures, but the birds in these nest where magical. Remus had seen them before in a book, but he couldn't remember exactly what they were.
"Those are Jobberknolls!" Leslie announced.
"Right," Remus said searching his memory for that name. He couldn't come up with anything.
"They are birds with excellent memory. It's said that Jobberknolls never make any noise until the moment before they die. They then let out a long scream consisting of every sound they have ever heard… backwards. Isn't that weird?"
"Yeah. I guess it's like having your life flash before your eyes eh?"
"I've never thought of it like that… we should scream something to them!" she suggested excitedly.
"Ereh erew sumer dna eilsel!" Leslie screamed. Her non-sense words reverberated through the empty clearing and the trees beyond.
"What?"
Leslie kneeled down and drew the letters in the dirt. "Read it backwards."
It took Remus a moment, but then he saw it. It said 'Leslie and Remus were here'.
"Now you try!" Leslie urged him.
"Er – you really think they'll repeat it one day?"
"Of course."
"Alright…" Remus kneeled and scratched something in the dirt, careful not to let Leslie see it just yet, and then shouted it backwards. "TSEROF SIHT FO SRELUR ERA EILSEL DNA SUMER!"
Leslie giggled. "NEEUQ DNA GNIK EHT EVIL GNOL!"
Remus and Leslie shouted until their voices where hoarse. For a moment Remus had forgotten all about his worries. For a moment, while he was with her, he was careless.
Once they could shout no more, Leslie insisted that they go home; she said their parents where probably waiting for them. With a pang Remus remembered what he had been dreading for the past few days. The trip to Diagon Alley.
Bill (Remus and Leslie's dad) and Judy led their children through the busy cobblestone streets of Diagon Alley. There were many families rushing every which way, many with children like Leslie, soon to be first year Hogwarts students with grins from ear to ear. There was no shortage of kids like Remus either; miserable children being forced to come to terms with the fact that they were saying goodbye to older siblings.
"This would be a cool place to map one day right?" Leslie asked grinning at Remus.
Remus looked down all the winding roads leading away from Diagon Alley, bending every which way. "Sure would."
The first store they stopped in was Flourish and Blotts, which was of course the most crowded. Bill and Judy read over Leslie's book list, gathered the necessary books, and stood in the appropriate lines, while Remus and Leslie browsed around the store, looking at interesting covers and reading tables of contents. They got a good feel for the amount of stuff they didn't know yet, but would one day learn at Hogwarts.
Next they bought Leslie a cauldron, loads of potion supplies, a beautiful owl, and last but not least a wand.
Ollivander's shop was the most amazing to Remus. There were so many wands he couldn't count them even if he had all day. Wands of every type of wood, and every type of core, and every length; and somewhere in those piles was the one wand that was perfect for you. The one wand that would be your partner for the rest of your life, and Mr. Ollivander was just the man to help you find it.
Remus stared longingly at the thousands of wands and wondered which of them would be his partner… he'd have to wait a whole year to find out.
Leslie, mean while, got to swish and flick different wands to her heart's content. Some of the swishes caused uncontrollable gusts of wind. Some of the flicks caused explosions or random transfigurations. Olliavander seemed to be deducing something brilliant. Each explosion and each gust seemed to be a clue to a great mystery that Mr. Ollivander was quickly piecing together. And finally he had the answer!
"Nine and three fourths inches, cherry, with unicorn hair core! Very springy." He announced handing her another wand ceremoniously.
The second her fingers closed around the stylishly carved piece of wood, sparks colored every shade of blue shot out the end of the wand. Leslie looked the happiest Remus had ever seen her. Much more happy than when he presented her with the wand he had made.
Remus hung his head in self pity as he followed the rest of his family out of Mr. Olliander's shop.
Once they got home, Remus helped Leslie pack most of her supplies in her trunk. Leslie wasn't allowed to use her wand, but still she was determined to do magic of some sort.
"Would you like to help me mix a potion Remy?"
"Mix a potion? Do you think we can?"
"We have a cauldron, scales, supplies, and a book with instructions. How hard could it be?"
Leslie opened her hefty potions book and searched for a potion that was easy but still interesting enough, while Remus scrambled together all the other tools and utensils they would need.
"Ah, here's one! A cheering solution! You could use a sip or two Remy."
"You'd need some too if it where me going to Hogwarts first."
"I know," She said. "I'd be heart broken."
Remus nodded. Something about what she said was oddly satisfying.
"You go fill the cauldron half way with water, and I'll try to measure out the ingredients!"
In about half an hour the potion was done and bubbling quite impressively. The potion was supposed to be a pale green but it was a bright florescent green. Remus figured they had mis-measured the hyena hair.
"Go on Remy, take a sip," Leslie urged him.
"No way! It didn't come out right! Who knows what it'll do!"
"What happened to all that bravery you displayed earlier?"
"That's different. This is actual danger. Its just not a good idea… why don't you drink it?"
Remus got a small cup and scooped out a bubbling helping of green liquid and presented it to his sister.
She sniffed it. "Smells good," she said with a toothy smile.
Remus sniffed it. There was something festive, and almost Christmasy about the way it smelled. A goofy grin forced its way across his face, and a soft laugh or two bubbled up from his throat.
"I guess it can't be that dangerous," Remus said.
Remus took the tiniest sip of potion, and even his deepest worries slipped away.
"You've got to try this."
Remus's smile gained ground, the corners of his mouth threatened to rise to heights in which they clearly didn't belong.
Interested Leslie took a sip as well, and burst out in a fit of giggles.
It was strange how fun sitting around a cauldron of bubbling liquid could be. Remus and Leslie both laughed; there was something oddly hilarious about watching someone else laugh uncontrollably. After a while they got to splashing each other with the remains of the potion. They would have gotten scolded for making such a mess, but their parents would burst out in giggles, or decide to tell jokes, whenever they came within range of the fumes.
By the end of the day, Remus had laughed so much that he could hardly bear another giggle.
"Maybe we should—hehehe – try another potion!"
"Pffft! Haha – Sure. You pick."
Remus rustled through the pages of Leslie's potion book. He flipped passed most of the easy ones and snooped around near the back of the book.
"Ah ha! – Kekeke – A memory potion!"
"That's too difficult Remy," Leslie said. "We'd never -- pffft – we'd never get it right! AHAHAHA!"
"Sure we could! Come on, it will be very… useful!"
Leslie breathed deep a few times, making an effort to stop the laughs, then she noticed a peculiar look on Remus' face. Something shone through his shell of happiness and cheer.
"You're still worried I'll forget about you? Oh come on Remy that's ridiculous!"
"Still," Remus said. "Just in case. Could we make the potion? Please?"
"We don't even have all the ingredients! We need… Jobberknoll feathers."
"Lucky we found a Jobberknoll breading ground earlier today. Come on, lets go! I've thought of some jokes I want shout to them backwards!"
Remus giggled at the thought of it.
"I don't know, its getting late…"
"No worries. We'll stick to the mapped areas. Come on! We've had so much fun today! You don't want to forget any of it now do you?"
"Fine," Leslie said, following the excited Remus through the house and towards the back yard.
Remus and Leslie skipped happily through the forest along the trail they had marked earlier that day.
Out in the open air, the effects of the cheering solution fumes began to wear off. Slowly their skips turned to steps and their adamant smiles faded away.
"Ah, good times," Remus said making his way into the Jobberknoll clearing. "You know… I forgot that joke! Darn. It was a really good one."
"We'd better hurry," Leslie said. "Where not supposed to be out here after sun down."
"Right , right."
The Jobbernolls proved to be very difficult to catch. The few lingering on the ground of the clearing would waddle away when footsteps approached and fly off far before they could be grabbed. Remus tried luring them with berries, herding them towards Leslie, and throwing caution to the wind and running after them like a mad man.
By time they got the three required feathers the sun had dropped well below the horizon and was replaced by a bright full moon.
"Lucky the moon's they way it is," Remus said, dusting the dirt and grass off of his robes. "We wouldn't be able to see a thing out here."
Leslie nodded. "If I knew it would take so long I would have brought my wand… my new one that is," She added. They both had their homemade wands, as they always did while moving through the forest.
Leslie and Remus trudged back down their trail. The tree markings where a bit hard to see in the dark so they used their map and compass to guide them home. Remus listen intently to the crunching and rustling of the forest around them as they passed through.
Suddently there was a menacing howl behind them. Remus' blood ran cold for a moment.
"Leslie, not now," Remus said.
"It wasn't me."
Remus had heard that before. Leslie sometimes liked to try and trick him like that.
"Seriously," Remus said. "Don't."
They continued on a few more steps before the hellish howl sounded again.
Remus was just about scold her, but she glanced at him with a hint of fear in her eyes. Genuine fear.
"We'd better hurry home," she said.
"You think that's a –"
"No," Leslie interrupted. "But we'd better get home quick anyway."
Their pace quickened. It turned from a walk to a jog and then to a run. Every now and then another howl would slice through the night air. They were getting louder and closer as time slipped by. Eventually a howl sounded from somewhere next to them, and then a menacing snarl came from in front.
Quickly Remus and Leslie stopped running and hid in a thicket of trees and bushes.
Leaves crunched under the feet of their pursuer as it circled their hiding spot sniffing the air angrily.
Remus' heart beat was out of control. He stood as still as he could, careful not to make a noise. He quietly drew his roughly carved wand. Though he knew it was only of use against imaginary foes, it was still somehow comforting. Leslie looked at him, truly terrified, looking as if she wanted him to protect her like he did while they played.
The snarls and the crunching twigs and leaves stopped. Where ever the wolf was, it was standing still.
Time passed. Remus nervously glanced back and forth, into the shadows encasing them from every direction. At first he was sure that the beast was waiting quietly only a few feet away, but then he started to doubt. What if it had gone without making noise? How long could they stand here undetected anyway?
Leslie slowly bended down and picked up stone lying on the forest floor. She threw it as far as she could back towards the Jobberknoll clearing. It hit a tree and landed with a crunch a dozen or so yards away. Nearly instantly there was renewed rustling. Something had taken the bait and chased off in the wrong direction.
"Quickly," Leslie said in the faintest whisper. "Run as quietly as you—"
The giant wolf sprang out of the bushes nearby, his jaws gaping menacingly and his razor sharp claws extended. Leslie screamed. Remus dived and tackled his sister out of the way. The wolf's claws scrapped across his back as it soared over them and they both tumbled to the ground.
Remus closed his eyes, and held his sister tightly, trying to protect her from the sharp teeth and claws that would certainly be raining down on them any moment… but they never came. There was no teeth, no claws, and no beastly growls or howls. The air around them was oddly peaceful.
Remus opened his eyes and pulled himself off the ground. He helped his sister up as well. He was pleasantly amazed to see that instead of being cornered in a thicket by a real terrifying beast, they were on the shore of Sunshine Sea. The pond glowed spookily in the moon light.
"How did we?" Remus started confused. "Leslie! You disaparated!!"
"No I didn't. I didn't do anything! It was you! You saved us!"
"What? No. That's not possible," Remus said. "Is it?"
"I think so," Leslie said. "We'd better go ahead and get home though. You're bleeding, you'll need mom to mend that immediately."
Leslie raised the map and showed Remus a path they could travel from where they where, which wouldn't bring them within 3 squares of where the wolf had attacked them.
The moonlight left beautiful streaks of color across the dark pond. Beautiful. Remus admired the scene for a moment.
"Come on."
Leslie started off, but then turned around abruptly when she saw he wasn't following. "Come on. There's no time to…"
Remus wanted to go home but he couldn't. He couldn't move at all. The moon was calling to him, he could do nothing but stare at it. He tried desperately to turn away, but he no longer had control of his body.
"Remus!" Leslie said, her voice getting louder. "Have you been – have you been bitten?"
Remus managed to break the moon's grip for a second. He wrenched his head away from the shower of gray light, and looked at his sister, who now looked almost as pale and sickly as he did.
"Run," He croaked, just before his head snapped back, and his eyes fixed on the moon again.
Then the transformation started. The rays of moonlight wrapped themselves around Remus' body, holding him still; so tightly that he couldn't breathe. The pressure increased. He was squeezed tighter and tighter. The pain of it was unbearable. Soon his bones started to break and bend and stretch with audible pops and cracks as the moon changed his form by brute force. Hair shot out of every inch of him like hot needles. Remus howled in pain. All the pain he felt, concentrated and intensified and settled into the pit of his stomach. It was hunger. He was consumed by his need to consume.
Remus awakened on the forest floor the next morning. He was confused as to why he wasn't in his bed, and as he thought about it, the horrible events of the past day came back to him.
Remus touched his chest. His robes were mostly torn to shreds and there was a slightly sticky fluid covering his chest. With a sickening pang, he realized that it was blood which soaked his front. Remus' sick feeling deepened as he wiped globs of blood from his chin. There was a horrible taste in his mouth.
His stomach started to twist into knots and he began to throw up. There was chunks of Merlin-knows-what in his puddles of vomit. The sight of it alone was enough to make him sick again.
Then Remus saw something. It was a body lying torn and bloody not far from where he was. It was mauled almost beyond recognition but instinctively Remus knew who it was. It was Leslie. Remus screamed as tears poured down his face. He turned and ran but not towards home, because he knew he could never return there. He ran the opposite way, losing himself in the endless expanse of trees and leaves.