"As expected…" The middle-aged man smiled faintly. "It seems my guess was quite accurate."
"So, what's your name?" he asked, as a touch of color returned to his sickly pale face. "Allow me to introduce myself… I am Remus Lupin."
"I was also a Hogwarts student once," he said, scratching his cheek. "But I was in Gryffindor."
"Hmm…" Lyla wanted to tell him that she knew absolutely nothing about Hogwarts houses. She had once assumed Azkaban was one of them.
"Ah…" Seeing Lyla's timid demeanor, Lupin offered a gentle smile. "As a student, you usually can't just run out of the castle..."
"And you're completely soaked," he murmured, his eyes dropping to her hands. "Plus, your wand is broken."
"Did you have an accident while practicing a spell?" Lupin guessed, scratching his head. After all, no one expected to stumble across a Hogwarts student in such a remote Muggle town.
Fortunately, the full moon had just passed the night before. The kind-hearted Lupin, though utterly exhausted, decided to help the young witch standing before him.
"Never mind," he shrugged casually. "I was just about to head to Diagon Alley anyway."
Was her luck actually this good? Although Lyla dreaded traveling or speaking with strangers, if this man was willing to escort her to Diagon Alley, that would be ideal. It was a wizarding hub; while the crowds still terrified her, it would be much safer than wandering a Muggle area.
"I'll take you there. Then, I can help you contact the professors at Hogwarts," he murmured. "Professor Sprout is still the Head of Hufflepuff, right?"
Lyla was too embarrassed to make a sound. Luckily, Lupin was already nodding to himself.
He didn't read too much into Lyla's strange behavior. He simply assumed she was a painfully shy student.
And so, Lupin led Lyla through the winding streets of the small town. Just as she was beginning to worry he might be taking her to the Ministry of Magic, they arrived at a rather dilapidated pub.
"This is a local wizarding pub," Lupin whispered. He cautiously peeked inside before saying, "Follow me."
Lyla nervously peeked inside as well. To her immense relief, it was completely empty.
For once, she and Lupin shared the exact same thought.
Click.
As Lyla followed Lupin inside, she immediately felt a harsh gaze from the barman. However, it wasn't directed at her.
The glaring old man was staring directly at Lupin.
"Lupin?" the barman scowled. "I don't have any drinks for you here."
"I'm not here to drink," Lupin replied, his tone reserved. He subtly stepped aside, revealing Lyla hiding behind his worn coat.
"She's a Hogwarts student who ended up here due to a spell mishap," Lupin explained. "I'm just using the Floo to take her to Diagon Alley."
"Hmph," the old man snorted, making Lyla shiver.
"I don't peg you for the kind-hearted type," the barman muttered. "Maybe I should just notify the Ministry of Magic."
"No… no need!"
Before Lupin could speak, Lyla frantically waved her hands, temporarily suppressing her paralyzing fear. "I… I trust Mr. Lupin very much!"
Whatever happened, they absolutely could not call the Ministry. What if they recognized her and threw her straight into Azkaban?
The old man frowned slightly at her outburst, then shook his head. "It seems you're a strange one, too."
Lupin, on the other hand, looked at Lyla with a flash of surprise. His dark eyes flickered with emotion before quickly dimming again.
"In that case, I won't meddle," the old man grumbled, pointing to the hearth. "This fireplace connects to Diagon Alley."
"Also…" He shot Lupin a dirty look. "You'd best have your own Floo powder."
"I do." Lupin pursed his lips, pulling a small pouch from his battered coat.
Watching the exchange, the old man shook his head again and looked directly at Lyla. "Miss… you'd best be careful around him."
"Be careful he doesn't hurt you."
Lyla bit her lip and remained silent. She didn't understand why the barman was so hostile. Although Lyla wasn't very good at reading people, Mr. Lupin seemed incredibly kind.
Lupin ignored the cruel remark. He simply held out a pinch of Floo powder to Lyla. "I'll go first, and you follow."
Unwilling to linger in the hostile pub a second longer, he stepped into the hearth and threw the powder.
"Diagon Alley!"
Whoosh. Green flames roared to life, and Lupin vanished.
Under the old barman's helpless gaze, Lyla grabbed a pinch of Floo powder, stepped into the grate, and softly chanted, "Diagon Alley."
Whoosh.
When Lyla stumbled out of the grate, she found herself in a bustling, deafeningly loud pub. It was packed to the brim with drinking, chatting wizards.
The sudden sense of overwhelming oppression made her instinctively want to crawl right back up the chimney.
Fortunately, Lupin was waiting for her. He subtly tugged on her sleeve. "Follow me…"
He hurried them upstairs, and a pale-faced Lyla clung to his sleeve for dear life as they escaped the chaotic taproom.
This place… this place is simply too dangerous, Lyla thought frantically.
She would rather face Dumbledore in a duel than navigate a crowd of noisy strangers. At least Dumbledore was only one person.
"You can rest in here for a bit," Lupin whispered, pushing open the door to a private parlor. "I'll go talk to the landlord… and contact the school."
With that, he turned and left, leaving Lyla alone in the quiet room.
Phew… As the door clicked shut, Lyla let out a massive sigh of relief.
Finally alone, she felt a wave of relaxation wash over her. Now, she just had to wait for the Hogwarts professors to pick her up and take her back to the castle, just as Mr. Lupin had said…
Wait!
A horrifying realization struck her. She wasn't a real Hogwarts student! If a Hogwarts professor arrived, her cover would be blown instantly!
No… I have to run!
Panic surging, Lyla quickly pushed the parlor door open to make her escape. But just as she stepped out, a booming commotion erupted from the ground floor.
"Enough, I said, enough!" a man's magnetic, theatrical voice echoed up the stairs. "I will never succumb to your so-called Dark Arts!"
What in the world? Startled, Lyla recoiled back into the room.
"And then, I used Apparition to break free from its control!" the voice continued dramatically. "It was like escaping the clutches of death itself!"
Wrapping up his tale, the man let out a boisterous laugh. "For the full, harrowing account, be sure to pick up the revised edition of my newest book, Voyages with Vampires!"
"I will be holding a book signing at Flourish and Blotts this afternoon!"
As his announcement ended, the pub erupted into thunderous applause and cheers.
Peeking at the lively scene below, Lyla bit her lip and slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor.
There was no way she could escape through such a massive crowd. Just listening to the deafening cheers made her tremble with fear.
"I'm back," Lupin announced, pushing the door open.
His robes were slightly disheveled, making him look as though he had just waded through a battlefield.
"What a struggle," he muttered, shaking his head in exhaustion.
He slumped into a chair, panting heavily. Despite his overwhelming fatigue, his dark eyes still looked upon Lyla with gentle kindness.
"Who… who was that… downstairs?" Lyla asked softly, unable to bear the awkward silence.
"Gilderoy Lockhart," Lupin replied slowly. "The best-selling author…"
"Ah…" Lyla lowered her head awkwardly. She had never heard of him.
"Aren't you a fan of his?" Lupin asked, noticing her lack of enthusiasm.
"I… I'm not very familiar with him…" Lyla admitted hesitantly.
"I see," Lupin smiled gently. "I heard a rumor he might become the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts next term."
He leaned in, lowering his voice. "Especially after what happened a few days ago. Compared to Quirrell, Lockhart should at least be competent."
Who is Quirrell? And what happened a few days ago?
Completely bewildered by this modern Hogwarts drama, Lyla could only offer a pale, evasive smile.
Fortunately, Lupin seemed accustomed to her shyness. He just gave her a reassuring nod.
"Oh, right," he added, his expression turning a bit surprised. "I've already contacted Hogwarts."
"The school seems to be taking your disappearance quite seriously," he said, scratching his cheek. "Headmaster Dumbledore said he is coming personally."
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