Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Shadows (2)
The evening before Hogwarts students departed for the holiday break, the third-year Gryffindor boys were gathered in their dormitory, joined by Catherine, who had brought along Nyx, much to everyone's horror.
The Kneazle was purring happily in the girl's lap, occasionally lifting its head with a challenging gaze, its piercing green eyes fixed on Sirius, who sat on a thick rug, opposite Catherine. The owner of the spirited creature was stroking its silky black fur unapologetically, while Remus deftly braided her long, straight hair.
Sirius had a lot to say about that particular activity, but the presence of Nyx somehow appeased him, and he was content merely being in the same room as Catherine. James and Peter were also seated on the floor, leaning against the frame of their respective beds.
Remus Lupin was trying to concentrate on the task at hand. Despite James' teasing and Sirius' sullen face, he found braiding Catherine's hair oddly relaxing. Perhaps it was the rhythmic, repetitive motions required, or the comforting presence of his closest female friend, but he felt a sense of security and tranquillity.
Taking a deep breath, Remus savoured the fragrant blend of fresh lemon grass and apple blossoms emanating from the young witch. With the full moon nearing, his heightened senses were both a blessing and a curse, particularly amid the bustling halls of the school.
'This is nice though.' – the boy thought, a soft smile gracing his lips as a faint blush tinted his cheeks at the notion of Catherine's reaction if she knew how much he cherished their closeness.
In truth, he had never felt happier. James, Sirius, and Peter were constants in his life, providing camaraderie, laughter, and tough love when necessary. And then there was Catherine, a relentless source of energy, whose unwavering care and companionship were a soothing balm to Remus's introverted soul. With her, conversation flowed effortlessly, devoid of any awkwardness or judgment. It was as if she understood the darkness that lurked within him, yet never flinched or looked away.
Occasionally, Remus thought he glimpsed a shadow of that same darkness in Catherine's jade-green eyes, but it vanished so swiftly that he dismissed it as mere imagination.
Nevertheless, as they approached the holiday break, Remus felt an overwhelming need to be close to his friends. It provided a welcome distraction from the grim news in the Daily Prophet regarding the recent werewolf attacks and the impending full moon, sadly coinciding with Christmas Eve.
It wasn't that the Lupin family ever had lavish celebrations; money issues and his sister's empty chair at the table, served as stark reminders of their misfortune. In addition, this year Remus was going to spend Christmas somewhere deep in the woods behind their house. The young boy shivered involuntarily, suppressing the vague suspicion that this would drive his mother straight to the local Gleamroot crystals' dealer. Subsequently, upon Remus' return to his human form, he would find himself in a cold, dark house, his father absent and his mother still under the influence of the powdered crystals.
Biting his lower lip to prevent tears from forming in his eyes, Remus forced himself to concentrate on the conversation his friends were having, although he truly wished they would stop discussing the topic altogether.
"Upon further review, we may encounter difficulty in obtaining four essential ingredients, and mere gold won't resolve the issue." – Catherine declared, her gaze fixed on the open pages of the Guide to Rare and Dangerous Potions before her. It was the first time she had delved into such a complex tome, compounded by the unsettling effects of some of the listed potions. Take, for instance, the concoction preceding the Animagi Potion—referred to as Sinfulis Obsessionis—an elixir touted by the author as the most potent of lust-inducing potions, boasting Veela's blood as a primary component.
"Can't we find them in Slughorn's storage?" – James asked, irritation evident as he rumpled his hair.
"I don't think so." – the young witch replied, shaking her head while scanning the list of ingredients – "Thestral hair… I wasn't even sure whether Thestrals were real… Ashwinder egg… I think they are forbidden to be traded… Mandrake leaves… stores are certainly not going to sell us those, but perhaps we can get some from the Greenhouse when the time comes… Phoenix feather… this might be possible to acquire, but it won't be easy…"
"Really? I thought that the feather would be the hardest one to get!" – Sirius remarked sceptically.
"Probably, but I have a plan." – answered Catherine contemplatively.
"You're really annoying with all these secrets, you know, Flame?" – complained Sirius sulkily.
"I love you too." – the girl replied with a charming smile, enjoying the displeased growl coming from her friend.
"Whatever! I think we should try searching for the Thestral hair first. I might know someone who could help us with the Ashwinder egg." – he said, rummaging through his schoolbag for parchment and a quill.
"You know a lot of shady people, mate!" – James chuckled – "I was thinking it might not be safe to ask Professor Kettleburn about the Thestrals. We've already mentioned Animagi in front of many teachers, so we should be careful!"
"I guess we shall start from the Library then." – sighed Catherine, envisioning another grand hunt for information through the thousands of dusty old volumes.
"Not necessarily." – Remus chimed in hesitantly.
His friends looked at him in surprise, as he usually tried to avoid getting involved in their Animagi quest and stayed out of conversations about it.
Taking a deep breath, Remus released Catherine's hair, now neatly divided into two Fishtail braids. "Hogwarts has a big herd of Thestrals. They're the ones who pull the carriages from the station."
"Aren't the carriages moving on their own?!" – Peter interjected, his round blue eyes blinking in confusion.
"But of course!" – exclaimed James excitedly – "We can't see them because they're only visible to those who've seen death! That's how the legend goes!"
Catherine turned around, gazing at Remus' pale face. Her joy from the sudden realisation that one of the ingredients could be nearby vanished when she managed to grasp why the quiet, golden-eyed boy was the only one who could see the creatures. She gently patted his hand and smiled when their eyes met.
"Thanks for telling us, Moony." – she murmured softly.
"I'm not certain I did the right thing." – he sighed heavily – "However, considering that the more I try to persuade you to give up on becoming Animagi, the more determined you are, I guess it's better if I just help you with all I can."
"You finally got back to your senses, mate!" – laughed Sirius with delight.
"Glad to hear it, Moony!" – James chimed in – "In that case, it's probably safest if we ask Hagrid about the Thestrals. If they belong to Hogwarts, he's likely the one taking care of them?"
"You're right, James!" – Catherine agreed – "Once we're back to Hogwarts, I'm going to find a way to ask him during our baking lessons."
"If anyone can do it, that's you!" – said Sirius – "Look how you managed to trick old Slughorn!"
"I expect this to be an easier conversation." – the girl frowned slightly – "We also need to figure out where we can brew the potion. It'll take three months. That's a lot of time."
"Can't we do it here?" – suggested James – "It's just us in the room."
"No! McGonagall can enter whenever she wants, and the house-elves would certainly notice a cauldron in the fireplace." – Catherine disagreed – "They're probably instructed to report such unusual occurrences."
"We'll figure it out!" – said Sirius confidently – "We already know so much about the school! I'm absolutely certain we can find a place where nobody would check, even if it has to be the Shrieking Shack!"
"Not an option!" – Remus declined – "It's not safe if the brewing takes three months. I won't be able to control myself around the potion. I've already broken everything there was to break in terms of furniture."
"It was just an idea, Moony." – Catherine said soothingly – "Let's take it one step at a time. We're already on the right track. Just watch us! We're going to become Animagi in no time and make that blasted full moon the best time of your life!"
"Absolutely!" – roared James and Sirius, joined hesitantly by Peter.
Remus smiled wholeheartedly, trying to embrace the moment and forget about the dreadful Christmas ahead of him.
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