Remus knocked upon the door and fussed with his hair as was his habit before meeting a client for the first time.

"Come in." The man, Dumbledore, called from within. French with an English accent. Not unusual a great deal of the customers to the Honey Trapcame from across the channel. He entered, outwardly mastering his trepidation. How strange, he thought, I do this most nights easy as you please to entertain and pleasure and yet when it comes to really "talking" I get as nervy a drug freak in need of a fix! He could make out the figure of a man sitting in one of the deep chairs by the fireside, his face obscured by the chairs wings.He softly made his way over, making no sound as he moved save for the jingle of his bells. That was the main reason he wore them. His ability to walk without audible footfalls unnerved many of his clients. "Ah, Mr. Lupin. A pleasure to meet you finally." Remus started a little at the use of his 'real' name. Dumbledore noticed. "I apologise. That was presumptuous of me. Would you prefer it if I called you Lycan?"

"No, Sir. I do not mind." He replied in smooth English. "Normally I would but this isn't 'normally' is it?" the man, an elderly one if his voice was anything to go by, laughed quietly as if pleased by the answer.

"No, it isn't. I can't say I've ever visited a brothel before. No," he continued noting Remus' questioning smile, 'not even in my youth. The world is full of people who do not go to brothels. There are people who, strange though this may seem to you, do not even know that such places exist." Remus began to speak but forced himself to silence. "What were you going to say, my boy? Do not be afraid to offend, I am too old to care if the young mock me any more." Remus could hear the smile in his voice.

"I was just going to say that this brothel is my world. I know very little of anything beyond my neighbourhood. As far as I am aware it may not exist at all."

"Ah yes, irony. How wonderful." He paused and Remus wondered whether he was expecting him to comment. "Do sit down, Mr. Lupin." Remus slid gracefully into the chair opposite the old man. Suddenly he could see him clearly. He was a thin old man with long grey hair and a beard to match. He wore half moon glasses perched on his nose and dressed in rich, old fashioned robes. "That's better, isn't it? Now let's have a proper look at you." He surveyed Remus for a quiet moment. The boy was unperturbed. He was used to men ogling him. He'd been trained to encourage it skilfully from a very young age. Dumbledore's gaze was different from that of his usual type of client. He looked him over critically as a doctor might. "I didn't know quite what to expect from you, Mr. Lupin. I was contemplating coming here discreetly last night to watch you performing but I thought better of it."

"Why was that?"

"I wanted to meet the boy 'Remus' not the character 'Lycan'." Remus smiled a little uncertainly.

"How do you know my real name, Sir? We are so careful that clients don't learn our true names."

Dumbledore smiled.

"Very wise I'm sure. Well, Mr. Lupin, it's quite simple. When you were born your parents put your name down onour list. Remus frowned slightly. Dumbledore stopped him with a raised finger and continued. "It's a very clever list. Your name and address can change and the list adapts with it. In your case it was a little more difficult to trace you as not only did you no longer go by your birth name but you went by two new names. Your 'real' name and your 'stage' name. You caused a bit of a headache to be perfectly honest." Remus, already on edge since entering the room,was now getting extremelynervous. This man claimed to know about his parents and his own birth which would suggest that he knew more about Remus' past than anyone else, including Remus himself. Not only thatbut now he was on some strange list as well. The only list Remus recalled ever being on was at the Werewolf Institute. As always when nervous the wolf in him began to panic and look for a way out. Fight or Flight. He began to growl softly, his body tensed, ready to spring at a moment's notice. Was this man one of the mediwizards from the Institute? Had he blackmailed Anton into turning him over? "I'm not going to hurt you, Remus. Or take you anywhere against your wishes." It was if he could read his mind!

"You're one of them aren't you? From the Institute. Tracked me down at last. I bet you're ecstatic." He snarled and bared his teeth, the instinct to attack or flee swelling sickeningly inside.

"No, Remus. I'm not." The old wizard had such a perfect façade of compassion that Remus wanted to spit in those fraudulent blue eyes. "I'm from a wizarding school. Hogwarts. Perhaps you've heard of it?" Remus' eyes widened in disbelief. How dare he? How dare he! He couldn't believe the man's gall to try and use Hogwarts as a cover. How did he know how Remus longed to go to a prestigious school like Beauxbatons or Hogwarts? Did Anton tell him that too? He'd never been so afraid or so livid in his life.

"Don't lie you old bastard!" He spat. "I'm not stupid. I may be a monster to you but I'm not stupid!"

"No you're not Mr. Lupin." The old man advanced hands held loosely away from his body. He'd left his wand on the table in full view. That didn't fool Remus. He probably had another hidden away. "Not stupid. From what I've heard from those who work with you and the people in the area you are aremarkably intelligent young man. A genius, I've been told. I can't tell that from one conversation but from what I can see for myself there's an extremely clever young boy hiding somewhere behind those insecurities." Remus backed towards the window. Not the door. If Anton had set him up then it would be guarded. So would the window come to think of it but he wasn't planning on dropping to the ground. No one could climb and hide about those roofs like a desperate street rat. "And you certainly aren't a monster, Remus. Monstrous things have been done to you everywhere you may have turned, but," his voice dropped to a low emphatic whisper, "you aren't the monster." Remus hesitated. He so wanted to believe him. "You aren't the monster. Fear, Mr. Lupin, fear is the monster."

"Fear?" Remus whispered soundlessly his back to the large window, white knuckles gripping the sill. Dumbledore crossed to the fireside and sat back in his chair as if the matter were decided. I believe in this library there's a book entitled Hogwarts: A History. Is that so?" Remus nodded stiffly unsure of where this was going. "Please go grab it and turn to page 478." Remus did so skirting along the walls, staying as far away from Dumbledore as possible. He knew where the book was he'd started reading it last month. A few pages whenever he had the time. He hadn't reached the 400's yet though. He pulled the large book from the shelf and flicked his way to the page he wanted. He stared. A full page photograph of Dumbledore twinkled back at him. He appeared very amused at Remus' expression. "Read aloud please, Mr. Lupin." Dumbledore called pouring himself a generous brandy. Remus cleared his throat.

"Albus Dumbledore: Headmaster of Hogwarts, 1964 to present."

"Quite. Now," Dumbledore approached him holding out a smaller brandy, "drink that. It'll help your nerves." Remus took the proffered glass and sniffed it his nose wrinkled in disgust but he threw it back and swallowed it in one gulp.

"Merde!" He gasped, coughing and spluttering. He gaped at Dumbledore. "That's supposed to help?" The wizard laughed.

"Strange but true. Come, sit down." He lead the now meek and confused Remus back to his chair.

"Oh, and Mr. Lupin?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"French is such a beautiful language. Don't let me hear you abusing it like that again." He nodded, ashamed. He never cursed but it had been a trying evening. "If you feel the need to curse do it in English. It's less beautiful and much more inventive." Remus wasn't sure if it was the brandy or the actual man himself, but Dumbledore was very strange. He smelt strange too. Like smoke and lemon drops and some animal Remus couldn't pinpoint. He must keep oddpets. He looked up to see Dumbledore watching him.

"You want me to swear in English?" He said slowly, thinking it over.

"If you must swear at all, my boy." Remus leaned back rubbing his face.

"I don't think I know any English swearwords." He muttered wearily.

"I shouldn't worry about that. I'm sure you'll pick them up fast enough from your classmates and visa versa. Cultural exchange and whatnot."

"School?" Dumbledore smiled crookedly and passed him an envelope sealed with a large crest in green wax. He opened it carefully trying his best to keep the wax intact. He liked to do small things like that. It wasn't often he got mail so he always saved his letters and tried not to destroy them in the opening. It read:

Mr. Lupin,

we are pleased to announce that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Enclosed is a list of the supplies you will need to purchase in preparation for the school year...

Remus read through the letter avidly and in utter silence. When he was finished he folded it neatly and set it on the table. Then calmly, as if he had not contemplatedharing offacross the Parisian skyline only moments before, he turned to his visitor."How is this possible, Headmaster?"

"Your mother was English, Remus. Your parents chose Hogwarts over Beauxbatons, you have been on our list for eleven years." It was a strange thing to laugh at but all of a sudden Remus felt rather elated.

"So I am eleven this year after all!"

"Yes, Remus. You were born on the 10th of March." His eyes betrayed no hint of how he felt but inside the Headmaster felt a heavy sadness at such a small thing. How sad it was that the child hadn't even known his own age.

"No, but, Sir, how can I go to school? A real school? It's too dangerous. What will I do for my transformations?" The smile had left his face and he fingered the parchment on the table with one long nervous digit. Dumbledore leaned forwards and patted Remus' bare knee.

"We have taken that into consideration. The safety of our students is our priority. All our students, Mr. Lupin. Would you like to learn at Hogwarts, do you think?"

"Is it really possible?" He tried to keep the eagerness from spilling out rather unsuccessfully. The elderly wizard leaned back, clasping his brandy and spoke almost exactly the same words as Anton had earlier put to him.

"You deserve this chance, Mr. Lupin. Take it, it's yours."

Remus' answering smile could have put the sun to shame.