Heathcliff and Catherine had only just reached the threshold of that which symbolized their past when they were startled to see a group of five people suddenly appear on the path.
"Blast!" Heathcliff cried at the sight of the five wizards. "Hasten indoors, Cathy, before they see us!"
Cathy eyed Remus and said distractedly, "You cannot see through his pants… or his robes, I should say." She laughed merrily after having pleasantly surveyed the oldest of the men, but followed Heathcliff into her former home anyway, directly through the closed door.
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"Wow, that last place you showed us sure was a dump, Professor," Ron remarked as he ambled up the weedy path towards the manor.
"Sorry about that one, guys, but they're desperate for a buyer," Lupin said, smiling now. "I thought you might get a good deal."
"That buyer sure as hell won't be one of us," said Harry. "Maybe we should just put an offer in on that nice house just outside London. Who would suspect a bunch of children of such 'heresy' as witchcraft?"
"But won't that bunch of children have to wear pointy witch hats and black robes and ride brooms?" asked Neville timidly.
"Oh Neville… you're right…" said Hermione quietly. "I suppose we may just have to give up on this school of ours for a while…"
"NO!!" cried Ron, "I will not resign myself to becoming a louse and living on Mrs. Norris! Not doing it! We're starting this school!"
"Just give this one last property a look, alright guys? It's almost exactly what you had said you wanted… it's on a large, isolated plot… the moors are on all sides. You get two large houses instead of just one. This here is Wuthering Heights, and four miles over those hills is Thrushcross Grange, which is even grander. As I understand it, both are prominently featured in local legends. And such are the local legends that you probably have some ghosts floating around also…" Remus Lupin made his sales pitch skillfully for someone with no experience in the real estate business.
"I don't know," said Hermione skeptically, "It looks rather dilapidated to me. I don't suppose there's any such book as Wuthering Heights: A History, is there?"
"As a matter of fact, there is!" said Lupin, whipping out a copy. "I knew that you would want one, Hermione. Happy reading!"
Harry shook his head. "How did you ever get into the real estate business, Professor? We'd much rather have you teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. For someone so intent to be rid of Voldemort to be hiding away selling houses…"
"I needed to snoop without interference… a regular disguise… without people knowing I'm a werewolf…"
"But real estate?!" Harry was incredulous. "It just seems a tad out of character."
"Well, I tried being a lawyer for a little while, but apparently my identity was obvious, because everyone kept calling me inhuman!"
A bah-dah bum of drums came from the sky to mark the fact that God had a sense of humor, in addition to really cool pink pants.
No one got it.
"That's odd," said Hermione, "It sounds vaguely like thunder… maybe there's a storm coming!"
Neville swallowed hard. "Maybe we should head inside…?"
And soon they took their first steps into Wuthering Heights… just a few small steps that would change their lives… and form the basis of this very fanfiction!
(Disclaaaaaim It: Righto, I do not hold the power to make Monsieur Remus Lupin a real estate agent. I think you all know that. I'm just putting this one in so that all the lawyers who, doubtless, read this story fanatically, don't pounce on my lack of disclaimer in this chapter because they're offended that I made such an obvious crack at their profession.)
