Chapter 33: Leonardo and Estrella
"Ready for Hogsmeade today, Remus?" Peter said while yawning.
"Yeah. It'll be good." Remus said.
"I'm going to bring the cloak, see if we can't spy on the teachers in the adult only section of the pub." James said as he rolled out of bed.
"Maybe we can see what happens when Mcgonagall get's polluted." Sirius laughed and the boys joined in.
During the carriage ride, Remus was seated alone with Severus. They haven't really talked deeply since February, just small talk with Lily. There was awkward silence for five whole minutes before Remus couldn't take the pain anymore.
"I don't expect you will ever forgive me for allowing James to do that to you and Lily, but I just want to express how deeply sorry and regretful I am that I did that. I was immature and just going along with peer pressure. You and Lily are really great people and you didn't deserve to be humiliated like that. Now I feel like I am rambling a bit so I think I'll stop talking now. You don't have to say anything to me in response, but I'm going to stop talking because this is becoming more awkward than the silence." Remus said in almost one breath.
Severus just stared at Remus in disbelief. He opened his mouth and said "Thanks, Remus, I've forgiven you."
Remus, feeling extremely relieved smiled and started a conversation and the boys picked up their friendship where they left off.
When they arrived at Hogsmeade, Lily met up with them and they walked through the shops together. It was a beautiful sunny day and they enjoyed a butterbeer ice cream together. Remus looked at the beaten up silver watch his dad left him and saw that it was 12:55pm.
"I need to meet up with someone, I'll find you in a little bit." Remus said to them as he walked to the Boar's Head Pub. He looked to make sure no one was watching him, and he walked behind the building.
"1:04, where are they?" Remus asked to himself. Suddenly he heard a crash of metal behind him and a groan. He spun around and saw Professor Estrella and another Brazilian man, Leonardo both on the ground next to a metal garbage can.
"Sorry, Leo, I didn't know that there would be garbages here." the young professor said as he got up. He held out his hand to Leonardo who was still lying on the ground. He had a long nose and a long face and long black hair to his shoulders.
"It's okay, I think I'll need one." Leonardo said in the same warm accent as Estrella. He then threw up in the metal garbage can in front of him.
"First time apparation is rough for most." Estrella explained.
"Next time we'll take an airplane, Esteban!" Leonardo stated rather loudly as he stood up.
"I'll never go on one of those muggle metal death traps!" The professor exclaimed. The couple began arguing in Portuguese and Remus was stuck in the middle.
"Excuse me. . ." Remus said quietly.
"Ah, yes, Remus! Good to see you! This is Leonardo." The professor said.
"Nice to meet you, sir." Remus said politely.
"No, no. Call me Leonardo or Leo for short."
"And you're like me?" Remus asked.
"A wizard, no. But a werewolf, yes." Leo said.
"You're not a wizard?" Remus asked in disbelief. He realized that that may have sounded rude so he added. "Sorry, I mean I've never heard of a muggle being a werewolf."
"That's because not many survive the bite. I was bitten when I was only 13 years old, I still remember that night clearly. I was hospitalized and I barely survived. But by the next full moon, I was back home and, you see, I slept in the same room as my brother and -" He began to cry.
"It's okay, you don't have to relive that again." Esteban said as he hugged Leonardo's tall frame.
"He woke up the next day, saw what happened, and ran away from home before his parents woke up." Esteban whispered to Remus. "I was a run away too, from the orphanage. My mom and dad died two years before in a fire. I knew they were wizards and I was starting to show magical abilities as well. All that survived from the fire was my dad's wand." Esteban explained.
"We met on the streets, homeless together. We were inseparable. We would steal food from restaurants, and sleep in abandoned buildings. I tried to hide my wolf side from him for a while." Leonardo said
"And I hide my magic." Esteban added.
"But after nine months, we both couldn't handle the lies anymore and confessed it at the same time." Leonardo explained.
"We accepted each other's abnormalities right away and supported each other. He encouraged me to study magic independently, and to apply to Castelobruxo, the Brazilian wizarding school, when I was 15." Esteban stated.
"And Esteban helped me through the tough transformations every month by turning into, oh what do you call it?" He asked.
"An Animagus. I can turn into a jaguar." Esteban explained. Remus looked lost. "An animagus is known to help calm a werewolf during their transformations."
"And then around ages 21, we realized that we were in love. If it were legal, we would be married right now." Leo said as he looked into Esteban eyes lovingly. "And when Esteban came home unexpectedly, telling me what happened to him, I helped him prepare for his first transformation last month."
"What was it like for you?" Remus asked shyly.
"Excruciating. Like you said." Esteban said shortly.
"And now, we are both starving for revenge from Frederick Greyback." Leonardo said.
"How are we going to get him?" Remus asked.
"No, no, no! You are not going to do anything, Remus! You're just a kid. This is adult business." The young professor said.
"But-" Remus stuttered.
"No! We will find him today, and take care of it tomorrow night, alone!" He added.
"Can I at least know how?" Remus muttered.
"When you're a werewolf for a long time, you develop certain skills. For instance, I am able to smell like you do the day of a full moon all the time." Leonardo said.
"Really?" Remus asked in wonder. He always liked how he had special abilities the day of a full moon.
"Yes, and I'm able to smell who's a werewolf right now. So we will go through Hogsmeade tonight, and I will find Frederick Greyback. Esteban said that he might not look like himself because of a pollywolly thing?" Leo asked Esteban.
"A polyjuice potion." He corrected him.
"Right. But I'll be able to smell the werewolf in him anyway." Leo said.
"That's so cool!' Remus exclaimed.
"And then we'll catch him off guard when he's not a werewolf tomorrow night and take him to the authorities." Esteban finished.
Remus heard a whistle. "I have to go back to school now, thank you so much!" Remus said. They said goodbye and Remus returned to the carriages. I need to find a way to come back here tomorrow night …
"Hey Remus, come sit with us!" James called to him. Remus sat with them.
"Where were you all day?" Sirius asked.
"Just being boring and studying with Lily and Severus." Remus lied.
"Well you missed the most entertaining thing ever. Professor Mcgonagall actually had a pint and started dancing with Hagrid! Immagine that!" James said while laughing.
"You used the invisibility cloak?" Remus asked. His mind began to wonder on the possibilities the cloak would open for him tomorrow night.
"Yeah, also some 7th years showed us a secret tunnel that leads from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts!" Sirius added.
"Ooh, I want to see that when we get back!" Remus said. His plan was complete. He would borrow/steal James's invisibility cloak tomorrow night and use the secret tunnel to travel to Hogsmeade. Then I will be able to help finish what I started and finally put Greyback in jail. Perfect.