Year Three: Chapter Thirty-Six
Prologue: The Werewolf Registry
The pair stood in a very long and splendid hall with a highly polished, dark wood floor. The peacock-blue ceiling was high above them, inlaid with gleaming golden symbols that continually changed and moved. The walls on either side were paneled with shiny dark wood like the floor, and had many grand fireplaces set into them. Every few seconds, a witch or wizard from one of the left-handed fireplaces would emerge in a shot of green flames and a soft whoosh. On the right side, short lines formed before each fireplace for departing witches and wizards.
But something else really stole their attention. Halfway down the hall was a fountain. Five golden statues stood in the pool of water, all larger than life size. Tallest of them all was a noble looking wizard, a shot of water bursting from the tip of his wand. Grouped around him were a beautiful witch, a centaur, a goblin, and a house elf. The centaur, goblin, and elf, all smaller than the witch and wizard, all looked up adoringly at the two. The visitors stared at it in curiosity and amazement.
"Mamma?" asked a young, five-year-old Remus Lupin. He tugged on her skirt and drew her attention away from the fountain.
"Come along, this way," and she held his hand. The two joined the crowd walking toward the golden gates at the end of the hall.
They stood at a security desk made of the same shiny, dark wood as the floor and walls. A wizard in sleek sky-blue robes sat behind the desk, reading a newspaper called the Daily Prophet. The young woman approached the desk cautiously.
"Excuse me, sir," Rhea Lupin spoke to the wizard who looked up at her and folded the newspaper up. "I'm here for my son."
"Wand please," he said.
"Oh," she looked around awkwardly. "I don't have a wand. I'm not magical.
"How did you come here?" he asked curiously.
"My husband told me how. He's in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. He was busy today. He would have taken him instead, but he couldn't, so I am."
"What is your husband's name?" he asked.
"Ares Lupin," she answered. The guard nodded, accepting her story. He pointed at the sign in. "Sign please."
While Mrs. Lupin signed them in, Remus studied the square silver visitor badge pinned to his shirt. He traced the capital V with a pale finger only to receive a sharp shock from it. He let it go and looked at his singed finger.
"Thank you," she slid the paper across the desk to the wizard. He took it. She looked around herself to see if anyone else was there before leaning over the desk. She took a low tone of voice, saying, "Can you tell me where I would find the Werewolf Registry?"
The Ministry employee looked first at her with a raised, judging eyebrow and then saw her small son. He looked down at his shoes, frightened by this man's behavior, and hid behind his mother's leg.
"Level four," he answered grimly.
"Thank you," worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, she sighed and knelt down to be at eye level with her five-year-old son. She tried to smile reassuringly at him, "Come on, honey," and picked him up, resting him on her hip. He hugged onto her neck, terrified to let go. He watched the wizard at the desk stare after them as his mother carried him away. The man watched disapprovingly until the two went through the golden gates and turn around the corner and out of sight, and then continued about his usual work in an unusually nervous fashion.
They were in a wide, short hall much like the Entrance Hall. The ceiling was lower, though, and twelve lifts were in front of them. The two boarded an empty lift. Five other people came in as well before the doors shut them inside. A man with a long unicorn horn coming out of his forehead stood beside them. The horn frightened Remus and he buried his face into his mother's shoulder.
The lift slowed and stopped at the first level. A cool, female voice above them said, "Level Seven, Department of Magical Games and Sports, incorporating the British and Irish Quidditch Headquarters, Official Gobstones Club, and Ludicrous Patents Office."
The lift doors opened and a man carrying an armful of broomsticks went out while four more came in. The lift doors closed once more and they were taken up to each of the next levels. Level Six, Department of Magical Transportation. Level Five, Department of International Magical Cooperation.
"Level Four, Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, incorporating Beast, Being, and Spirit Divisions, Goblin Liaison Office, and Pest Advisory Bureau."
"Excuse me," Mrs. Lupin pushed through the people in the lift. They entered a corridor lined with doors. They turned a corner and saw a sign on the wall. Werewolf Registry, Established 1947. It was a tiny, plain room with a single desk in it. Seated behind it was an irritated looking witch –
Remus Lupin's eyes shot open as widely as they could, and he was relieved to find himself within the safe sanctuary of his bedroom. He had fallen asleep while listening to his records again. He moaned as he groggily slid from his bed and turned off a particularly jazzy number.
His room was very small, as was his entire house. A single bed rested against the corner wall while his battered trunk sat at the end of it. A short dresser was put against the other corner, and his record player sat on top of it.
Remus yawned after shutting off his record player and returned to his bed. It was littered with his books and papers and homework. He had been completing the History of Magic essay Professor Binns had set for his students to complete over the summer holiday. And beside his essay was his sheet of magical parchment he and his best friends James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew had. This parchment would allow for a message to be written upon it, and would then send the message to be all the others who had a sheet of the enchanted parchment.
But what interested Remus was that it had one statement on it, written in the messy, hasty scrawl that belonged to Sirius Black.
- Oy! If anyone's there, let me know! Dromeda's wedding is next week and she wants you lot to be there! I've been asked to be and usher, too! Send me a message back as soon as possible! Let me know if you can be there!
-Sirius
Remus grinned as he read this and dipped his quill in ink.
- Sounds like fun! Send me more information please; I should be able to come. Congratulations on usher!!
-Remus
He reread his response and grinned again. Setting the parchment aside, he continued on his essay with thoughts of seeing his friends very soon.
A/N- Harry Potter and friends and everything else you recognize do not belonging to me as they are the property and creations of J.K. Rowling.