Friendship Tempered By DeeMarie and Andrew MacRobb Chapter 1 “You have an owl, Remus,” his mother was grinning, “the letter is scented.” Remus, blushing to the roots of his sandy hair, took the letter from the owl and gave it a piece of his kidney pie as a treat. The owl took the treat and gobbled it down greedily then turned and flew out the window. Remus opened the pink envelope and pulled out several sheets of paper. The first sheet, pink to match the envelope, was from Honoria, a young witch that Remus had met the previous year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He and Honoria had developed a semi-serious relationship. “Remus,” he read, “the whole octet is planning to meet in Diagon Alley on July 2nd. Please be sure to make it. Love, Honoria.” Remus pulled out his pocket calendar and swore an oath. Actually he spoke an explitive of his own invention. He had not yet assigned a meaning to the ugly word, but, if anything, that made it more satisfying as a curse to him. July second was the day after the full moon; there was no way he could make it on that date because Remus had a secret, a dark secret. He was a lycanthrope, a werewolf. Remus got up from the table and went to the window. He stood looking out at the lawn and the road beyond the fence of his home. Detecting his mood, his mother came up to him and hugged him. He was taller than her now, my the time had flown. She asked him what the letter said. “My friends, all of them, are meeting in Diagon Alley on the second of July. They want me to come but...” “It’s the wrong time of the month for you,” she added, understanding. “How can I ever have friends or anything resembling a normal life? If they ever find out...If they knew...” “Those who are truly your friends would stay by you and work around your problems, Remus.” “Maybe, probably...if they were really friends...but what if-“ “No use speculating about that, Remus. If they find out, you will learn who are really your friends. If they don’t find out, they will still treat you as a friend. What will be, will be.” She hugged him around the shoulders. “Yes, Mum, but that still won’t let me go on the 2nd.” “So tell them you will be in Spain on a trip with your parents. We have money now. We can take such trips. Ask if you can meet them the following week.” “Right!” Remus blushed. “I didnt think of that.” He pulled out the other two sheets. One was from his two best friends, James Potter and Sirius Black the other was from one of his dorm mates, Peter Pettigrew. All asked about the 2nd. Remus got out quill and parchment, sat at the table and wrote them letters of his own. Rocky, the family owl was seemingly bothered by the extra load but took all three and flew off to deliver them. “There,” he told his mother. “I hope that works. What if they check on our whereabouts at that time?” “They will find out we are in Spain. There is a lycanthrope clinic in Barcelona and we will bring you there to see if they can do anything to help your condition.” “You didn’t tell me, Mum. I don’t see what they can do for me that St. Mungo’s can’t.” “They can’t cure you, son, but they are working on potions that might alleviate your symptoms.” “But, Mum, those clinics are very expensive. Where will we...” “Remus, we...you...are rich now. You can afford the best care.” Remus smiled brightly at his mother. “And you and Dad can get to see Barcelona while I’m being treated.” “Well, we will have nothing to do while you are transformed.” She blushed. Remus reached over and gave her a hug. “You and Dad deserve the break. I have put you through a lot for the last four years. The trip will do you good.” His mother wiped a tear from her eye and hugged him back. “He’s going to be in Spain, Sirius,” James Potter said somewhat disappointed. He brushed his black hair from his eyes and continued to read the letter to the strikingly similar boy across from him. “He asks if we can make it the following week.” Sirius picked an imaginary piece of lint from his pant leg and stretched. “What a bloody nuisance. Now we have to arrange to meet with everyone the following week. I don’t know if my parents will let me do that. It was hard enough to get them to let me stay here over the summer.” “Well, we just have to do it if we all want to get together. I don’t think it will be much of a problem with Peter and Oswald. Honoria will wait for Remus. I think Silver won’t have a problem meeting with us, if she knows you will be there. It’s Lily that might be the problem.” James frowned. “Why is meeting with Lily so important?” Sirius sat up and watched his mate closely. “Why, James, you care...I thought you and Lily were having sort of a merry war. I mean she isn’t interested in you.” “I know she isn’t...now.” “I wonder where Remus is going in Spain? When does his letter say he is leaving?” “He doesn’t say. And his owl’s flown off to deliver the other letters. Mum has sent our owl on an errand. By the time we can arrange to get him a letter he might be gone. So how do we find out where he is?” “That’s easy enough to check. We can find out who the Spanish Embassy has granted a Visa. If they are going to Spain, they would have to have Visas.” “The Spanish Embassy might not be willing to give out that information, Sirius.” “I know the Spanish Minister for ‘Ars Magica’ at the embassy. He’ll tell me. Why don’t we ask while we’re in London tomorrow?” “Okay, Sirius. We can go there tomorrow.” “Well, Sirius, that settles that; they really are going to Spain on the 2nd.” “Yeah, I know, James.” “You know, it’s awfully difficult getting together with Remus,” James sighed. “He did tell us that’s usually the time his mother needs him,” Sirius replied. “I know, and I can’t fault him for that.” James was deep in thought. There was something about Remus that troubled him. He just didn’t know why it should. He resolved to give it more thought later. The two boys were walking through muggle London. “Here comes a bus heading towards Portabello Road; we can take it to the Leaky Cauldron,” James said. The boys jumped onto the double decker bus and climbed the stairs to the upper floor despite the fact that the bus was practically empty. They paid the conductor from their store of muggle money that James’ father had provided with the comment that they should learn how to use it and collapsed into their seats for the ten minute ride. The Leaky Cauldron looked dark and seedy from the outside; muggles walked past without giving it a second glance. No one noticed the two preteens entering a public bar. Tom, the waiter behind the bar nodded in recognition as they entered, but the two did little more than nod back at him and the patrons before going out the back door and tapping certain bricks in the rear wall with their wands. They entered the ever buzy maze of buildings and people that constituted Diagon Alley. “Come on James, I need some real money; let’s go to Gringotts’ first.” After a visit to their personal vaults (James could still not believe he had his own personal vault), they reentered Diagon Alley with considerably heavier pockets. “Lets go to QQS first, Sirius; I want to buy a broom.” “Can’t we eat first? I’m starving!” “Your always starving, Sirius. It’s a good thing I’m rich; my parents couldn’t afford to feed you. Oh well, I better bow to the inevitable; where do you want to eat?” “Mama Mia’s Villa; I want some baked ziti.” “Sounds good, but I think I’ll get veal marsalla myself.” “Whatever, you don’t sound exactly full yourself, Jamie me lad.” “I am hungry, Sirius. Food now; broomsticks later.” They walked into the restaurant and saw Silver and Lily already siting at one of the tables. The two joined the girls at their table. “Hi boys,” said Silver. “Did you hear, Remus is going to Spain?” “Yeah, we did. Do you mind meeting here on the 9th instead of the 2nd? Honoria has already agreed.” Lily looked distainfully at James. “Of course we can change our plans. We can floo here any time.” “You have to have an adult with you when you floo, Lily.” “I know that, James, but Silver’s mother works at the Owl Emporium. I’m staying with Silver, so we can come here any day as long as we get up early enough to come with her Mum.” “Nice,” said Sirius, “James’ father can only come here when he has a case at the Ministry. Well, sometimes, like today, we can come when he’s got a case before the muggle courts.” “So what are you going to do today, now that you are here?” asked Lily. They were interupted by the waiter who brought the girls’ salads and took the boys’ orders. “I’m going to buy a broom,” said James. “Of course, you couldn’t be expected to live without a racing broom for one second longer than necessary,” said Lily. “Absolutely not!” said Sirius, ignoring the sarcasm. “We are allowed brooms this year; therefore, we must have them.” Lily, believing that Sirius had not even understood her, shook her head. “What were you girls planning?” asked James. “We are going to the new play at the Roxy,” said Silver. “It’s supposed to be very funny.” “Oh, what is it?” asked James. “It’s a musical version of ‘The Crucible’,” said Lily. “Sounds like a riot,” said Sirius. “Why don’t you come, too?” Said Silver. “It starts at two, so you’ll have time to shop for brooms before it starts.” “Great,” said Lily, “you can bring your brooms; how appropriate!” “You know James, I think I detect a slight bit of sarcasm in Lily’s voice.” “Nonsense, Sirius, what could possibly be sarcastic about bringing flying brooms to a musical comedy about the Salem Witch Trials?” “I guess I must have been mistaken. Ah, here comes our food.” Sirius smiled over at Lily and began to dig into his salad. Lily gave a quiet ‘humph’ and turned back to her salad. They decided to go to the theater with the girls before looking at brooms. Despite their forebodings, James and Sirius enjoyed the show as much as Lily and Silver. It did not hurt that they knew a large portion of the cast. “I didn’t know that half of Hogwarts was going to be in the cast,” said Sirius. “Really, if you hadn’t been so concerned about your quest last January, you would have known they were doing tryouts for this play. We were probably the only eight students at Hogwarts who didn’t try out.” “Well, it isn’t as if we need the money,” said James. “I think we may just have made more with our quest than the entire cast of this play earns.” “But we don’t get to mention it in our resume. Work experience always helps when you are looking for a job.” “Really, Lily,” said Sirius, “we have enough money to either never work or to open our own business.” “But some of us may want to do something useful with our lives.” “One need not seek a job to do something useful, Lily.” “Sirius, James, enough of this,” said Silver, “You, too, Lily. We have lots of time to figure out what to do with our lives and our money. I want to go buy a broom.” “You, too, Silver?” “Isn’t that ‘Et tu, Silver,’ Lily?” asked James. Lily did not deign to answer but marched towards Qualty Quidditch Supplies. Sirius and Silver emerged from the store an hour later with identical long packages. Lily, too, was carrying a package. Only James came out empty handed. “Who would have thought of little Lily riding on a Night Arrow,” said Sirius. “Well, I liked it’s looks,” said Lily, “and it has a good turn of speed and acceleration.” “Yes, but I like the maneuverability of our Clean Sweeps, Sirius,” said Silver. “They may not be as fast but they can turn and brake on a knut.” “Yes, you either have to compromise or pay a pretty Sickle for an international class broom. Speeking of which, James, when will they deliver your Thunderbolt?” “In two weeks, Sirius; they are all custom made. It should be here by the 9th. Won’t Remus be jealous.” “Remus can’t fly like you, James. It takes a really skilled broomsman, or broomswoman,” Sirius nodded at the girls, “to handle a broom like that, at least if you want to make your investment worthwhile. Are you going to try out for the team, James?” “Of course, Sirius. There are two openings on the team this year, keeper and chaser. I would have preferred to try out for seeker, but Bertie Johnson seems to have that sewn up. I’ll try for chaser.” “Maybe I’ll try for keeper. Worse that could happen is I won’t be accepted.” “Really Sirius?” asked Lily. “I would think that with your... er... magnificent flying skills, the worst that could happen would be for you to fall off.” “Well, Lily, you do have something there. Why don’t you try out for keeper? Of course, that Night Arrow isn’t much good if you want to be a keeper.” “Maybe I’ll try out for beater; perhaps a well placed blodger will knock some sense into you.” “Ouch. Touche, Lily.” “Just practice enough that you don’t fall off, Sirius,” said Silver, “we, well, some of us, would miss you.” “We still have an hour before we have to leave,” said James; carefully getting off the subject of Quidditch and flying. “Where shall we go?” “Go?” asked Silver. “How about the Owl Emporium?” “Do you want an owl, Silver. I thought you had a cat?” “I do, but I like to look at the owls.” “Well,” said Sirius, “I don’t have a familiar; neither do you, James. Why don’t we look there?” “Right then,” said James, “you’re outvoted Lily. It’s the owl emporium. Let’s go.” Lily, who had not said a word against the idea, shook her head and headed towards their next destination. The Leaky Cauldron was dark and quiet. There were only three other patrons and Tom, the bartender. But the quartet was now a quintet; a large eagle owl filled out the group. “I don’t know what’s happening to Lily, first a broom and now an owl.” “Really, James. He just came to me as soon as he saw me. I had to buy him.” “They say a real familliar chooses the witch or wizzard rather than the other way around,” said Silver, “It was meant to be.” “Well,” said Lily, “he certainly chose me.” She gave the owl one of the owl treats she had also bought. “I’m jealous,” said James, “I wish I could have found a proper owl for me.” “Why James,” said Lily, “I never expected to hear you admit it.” “I will admit it if it is true, Lily. Here’s my dad now; we’re going to have to leave shortly. Over here Dad!” “Hi boys. Silver and Lily isn’t it? My that’s a handsome owl, Lily. Just get him?” “Yes, Mr. Potter. He saw me come in the store and flew right to me. I had to buy him.” “A good sign, Lily,” said the senior Potter, “he could become a true familiar. Such enhance the powers of their owners several fold.” “I hope so; even if he isn’t he will be useful, delivering mail and all. I just hope my parents aren’t upset.” “Why should they... oh, yes. They are muggles, aren’t they?” “Yes, Mr. Potter, I am muggleborn, a ‘mudblood’ if you will.” “I won’t Miss Evans, but others will. It could be a problem. Well, boys, I think we better get going before your mother is worried, James. Come along now.” Henry Potter walked over to the fireplace and got the bucket of floo powder down from the mantle and held it out to Sirius. Sirius took a pinch of powder, called out “Potter’s Field” and threw the floo powder into the flames of the fireplace. He turned and waved at the girls before disappearing in the green flames. James was next to go. Henry replaced the bucket onto the mantle. “I hate floo powder, myself,” he said to the girls. He smiled, waved and disappeared with a small clap of displaced air. “Remus, are you packed yet? Our floo time is 10:15 and it’s already 9:30!” Jessica Lupin, Remus’ mother was more than slightly anxious. “Yes, Mum, here’s my bag.” Remus put a small valise on the counter. “Remus, we’re going to be gone for a week, not just a couple days. You need more than that.” “Mum, I’m not going to be myself for most of that time. Three shirts, a change of pants, underwear and socks is all I need. And my toothbrush of course.” “Oh, yes dear. I wasn’t thinking. Where’s your father?” “Right here Jesse.” Romulus Lupin put a larger bag down next to Remus’. “Anything else we need? Anything to turn off?” They went over their check list. “OK Remus, you floo to the travel agent; your mother and I will Apparate there.” “Yes, Dad.” Remus picked up his bag, walked over to the fireplace, and grabbed a pinch of floo powder. A few seconds later he rolled out onto the thankfully well padded rug at the travel agency. His parents arrived before he even got to his feet. The agent, beaming at them, said, “Excellent, you have time for a cuppa before your scheduled departure. You have your passports and visas ready?” They produced the necessary documents and showed them to the agent as he poured three cups of tea.”Sugar? Cream?” “Sugar, no cream for me,” said Remus. “Same for me,” said his father. “I’ll have both, please,” said Jessica. “Wonderful,” said the agent, handing the papers back, “everything’s in order.” He pushed the papers accross first, then the tea cups. “Spain will be lovely at this time of year, but it might get a bit warm. Are your accomodations air conditioned? If not, I can provide a cooling charm for just ten Galleons.” “Our accomodations are four star; there should be no problems,” said Romulus. “Very good, here is your floo powder. Just ask for ‘Ars Magica, Barcelona’ and you should be there in no time.” Remus went first. He tumbled out onto a plush oriental carpet and rolled out of the way. His mother tumbled out unceremoniously and Remus helped her to her feet just as Romulus rolled out of the fireplace and neatly hopped to his feet. “Welcome to Spain Senors and Senora.” The greeter was a middle aged wizzard in a red uniform. He collected the bags. This way please.” He led them to a service desk where there passports and visas were checked and stamped. There was no search of their bags. The official behind the desk was a large, beefy man in gray robes. “Ah, the young man is here for our clinic. That is adjacent to the Ministry. Just go out that door and turn right. Take the elevator to the top floor and follow the signs. The young man must press the button. It is shielded magically so only a lycanthrope can operate it all the way. This is to ensure privacy. The building is open to the magical public, but the clinic is strictly for clients and their families.” The man’s English was impeccable; he had a slight Oxford accent. Remus was amazed at how many people were present at the clinic. There must be hundreds of other werewolves here. They were shown to their rooms; Remus noticed how strong the door and the locks between the rooms were. His parent’s room was sumptuous; his was little more than a padded cell. “Just in case” he was told by the bellhop who had greeted them on arrival. The bellhop turned them over to an attractive young woman; her English, while quite good was strangely accented. "Dees is your room, Mr. And Mrs. Lupin. De locks are for your protection. Dey lock automatically and only open from dees side. Your room Remus has two doors, dees one which locks and dees one which opens on the clinic. It doesn’t lock. Only actual lycanthropes are permitted into de clinic area. Come, now, I will show you de clinic.” “B..but y...you said...” stuttered Remus. “I, too, am a verevolf, but I prefer de term lycanthrope.” The young woman smiled at Remus, who, at thirteen, was far from immune from her charm. “I can’t place your accent. It doesn’t sound Spanish.” “No, I am from Hungary originally, but I have lived in Italy, Germany, England, France, and now Spain. I have been seeking help for my condition for about fifteen years now. Dees is de best I have found. Come now, your parents should go visit the town. Ve Vill be back here about six o’clock.” “But how do we get back? The elevator...” “You will find a slot in de control panel of de elevator. Put your key into de slot and de elevator vill automatically come up to dees floor.” Remus waved goodbye to his parents and followed the woman through the door into his room. The second door opened onto a plain corridor. There were doors only on the one side. “What is your name? Will you be with me the whole... time?” Remus was very curious. “My name is Portia, like de car, but spelled differently. I vill be your guide today, but you vill be on your own after you say goodbye to your parents tonight.” Remus chuckled, “People who own the car say it is pronounced like Caesar’s wife. Most English speeking people want to pronounce it in one syllable.” “Really?” said Portia. “Here is our common room. Everyvun here is a lycanthrope including de staff and healers. No real danger if you bite anyone.” They walked through a cafeteria-like room. Portia opened a door to a smaller room. “Dees is an examining room. Dees is Healer Schmidt.” An older man nodded at Remus. “He vill examine you and check effectiveness of potions on you. Dey taste awful, but can help. I myself have not transformed at full moon in over a year.” Portia left the room and closed the door behind her. “Well, young man, take off your clothes, except for your underpants, and let me check you out.” Remus complied. It was chilly without clothes in the room. The exam took about an hour. “You seem to be in excellent health, which is not surprising. Lycanthropes have a strong defense mechanism against other ailments. You have no apparent allergies to any of our twenty-two potions so we will try one of the most commonly effective ones first. If we can find a potion that prevents your transformation, you can lead a nearly normal life. But I warn you. Even our best potions only works on about twenty percent of the cases. Over all we have an eighty percent success rate, but as you can only try one potion a month it will take two years to try all. And by then, we may have some more to try.” “I’m not much good at potions. Do I have to make the potions myself?” “No, no, we have a staff of expert potions makers, boy. But if we find a successful one, we will provide you with the formula. With practice, even a marginal wizard can make a potion and I can see from your recod that you are far more than a ‘marginal’ wizard. Hogwarts! I wish I could have gone there. I was not good enought, I had to go to Beaubatons, myself.” “I never heard of a Bow Baton. Who wouldn’t think their school wasn’t better than Hogwarts?” “Beaubatons, Remus. It’s a French school. Ours may be better at some things, but Hogwarts is still the oldest and best,” Healer Schmidt mixed two clear liquids together. They turned blue and started to produce clouds of white vapor. “Drink this, it is our most successful potion to date.” Remus had a hard time swallowing the foul tasting conconction, but got it down somehow. His stomach churned in protest at the ill treatment. Healer Schmidt, nodded then knocked on the door. Remus barely had time to get dressed again when Portia entered. “Did Healer Schmidt giff you dat awful foaming blue stuff, Remus?” “Yes, I hope it works,” said Remus. “I hope it doesn’t vork for you. It is the vurst of the vurst to date,” said Portia. “But then I’ll transform and ...” “There is no omn here you can hurt, young man,” said Healer Schmidt, “we are all lycanthropes, you will just get a chance to play with the others who as yet have not found a successful potion.” “Yes, Remus. If nothing else, dees is a great place for a lycanthrope to spend his transformations,” said Portia. “Let me show you da gymnasium.” Remus and Portia took a tour of the premesis. Remus was impressed and met quite a few other young werewolves, including not a few of the female persuasion. “Time to head back to your parent’s room, Remus. Dinner is in da family restaurant at six thirty; curfew is eight-thirty; moon-rise is nine.” “Yes, Portia.” The two headed back to Remus’ padded cell. “Remember. Remus.” Said his guide, “you must be back here in dis room by eight-thirty. You can either stay here or come out into da common area. If you feel yourself transforming go to da Gym. Othervise stay in da common room. Ve vill make evaluations dere.” “Yes, ma’am.” Portia blew him a kiss and left him outside his parent’s room. Remus knocked on the door and they went down to dinner together. The three were back home in England on the fifth of July. “Well, Remus, how did it go. Any help?” his mother had been dying to ask him all morning. “So, so, Mum,” said Remus. “I still transformed but I could still feel me when I was in wolf-shape. I was...still in control. I think that if I met a person after changing with that potion, I could control myself enough not to attack. Healer Schmidt said it was a ‘half-way’ successful result. Better than nothing, but he has almost two dozen more potions to try before settling on that as the best we can do.” “So what did you do while transformed.” Remus, unlike most times he transformed, could remember everthing that happened. But he did not think his mother was ready for a description of what those days in a group of uninhibited lycanthropes of both sexes was like. He decided the truth should be blunted. “Mum, you know I don’t remember much of what I do when transformed.” “Oh, yes, of course, dear.” Remus breathed a sigh of relief. He had dodged that silver bullet. Romulus spoke, “I suspect, Jesse, that it is just as well we don’t know what he does at such times. Let us be happy that he is safe, unharmed and has hopes for a better life.” Remus wondered how much his father suspected. “Go to your room and get ready to leave again Remus. I have arranged for you to visit with James and Sirius for the next three weeks.” If Remus touched more than three of the fifteen stairs going up to his room, he would have been surprised.