Guardians

Chapter 9: "Make New Friends, but Keep the Old"

To my surprise, we found the wizarding half of Rome with ease. Using the Othersight my friend had noticed an unusual amount of magic in a secluded flower garden in a public park. Making sure no one was watching, I had placed my hand on the seemingly solid brick wall behind it. The magic had rippled at my touch, and my hand passed through. I had stepped through the barrier into an alley, with a bustling street beyond. My friends had come up right behind me. Now we walked quickly to the street, trying to blend in. A few strangers noticed our appearance, but they continued on their conversations.

"They probably think we're tourists," whispered my friend. "It doesn't look like the Brethren told them anything about us." We walked up the street towards a large building, which happened to be the place we were looking for: Gringotts.

"Is it just me, or does it look exactly the same as the one at home?" I commented. It was true; it was the same white alabaster columns and huge double doors.

"Even the one in Chicago looks like this, though I've only been there once," Kari stated. We stepped inside and looked for the exchange counter. A grumpier-than-normal goblin was waiting, and an elderly couple was receiving Italian wizard coins. We waited nervously, or at least I did. What if the Brethren had anticipated us and had told the goblins?

"Yes?" the goblin stated in a monotonous voice. We were up.

"We'd like to exchange currency from English to Italian coinage, please," my friend said, slightly stammering over his words. I hadn't been the only one that was nervous, then.

"How much?" replied the goblin. We looked at each other, and then I started to empty out my pockets. It was lucky that the Brethren had only taken our wands away. The grand total came to five galleons, eleven sickles, and twenty-three knuts. It wasn't enough to buy a room, for instance, but it would hopefully be enough for us.

"Have a nice day," the goblin sneered as he handed us our new currency. "Next!" As we walked out of Gringotts, Kari did a nice impression of the goblin, and my friend and I laughed.

"And now, my friends," she acted with bravado, "where shall we eat?" We were put into more fits of giggles, but until then I hadn't realized how hungry I really was. As in answer, my stomach growled just how long it had been since I had last eaten.

"Let's go to the inn over there," I suggested. They glanced to the place where I pointed my finger: the Red Tomato. It seemed to be a decent place and looked clean enough. Passing under the swinging sign (Kari had to duck), we stepped inside the darkened inn. Suddenly a slim angry man with brown tousled hair knocked into us. He didn't bother to apologize to us, even though he had pushed me down to the ground. He turned around and yelled at another man standing nearby.

"He's one of the best!" he shouted. "If you don't like him, then live with it!" He spat at the cleanly polished floor and stormed out of the inn. There was a minute of uncomfortable silence, and then everyone returned to their respective conversations, some casting glances at the doorway. The other man who had been yelled at, blonde and with odd-shaped glasses, slammed his chair against the table and stomped to what I guessed was his room at the inn. I didn't notice another older gentleman who stood nearby me until he spoke.

"Siette tutta la destre, mancanza?" he asked as he helped me to my feet. I looked him over; his hair was slightly grayish, but his soft blue eyes twinkled with youth. Small wrinkles creased his face, but to whether they were leftover from smiles or worries, I had no idea.

"Thank you, sir," I replied. I would have spoken in Italian if I knew any.

You're welcome," he answered in perfect English. He was not from Italy, that was certain. The mysterious gentleman looked at me strangely in curiosity, then in sudden recognition.

"Come with me, mancanza," he exclaimed, motioning excitedly. "Your two young friends may join you as well." My instincts were instantly alarmed: this man could be working for the Brethren! Although he didn't wear the mark physically, he could be a spy. Reluctant as I was to go with him, however, there was always the chance that my suspicions were unfounded. I glanced at my companions, and my friend gave me a shrug of consent.

"Okay," I assented at last, and together we followed the stranger to his quarters at the back of the inn. We were gestured inside, and he looked furtively around for any possible followers and eavesdroppers before closing the door. The room itself was sparsely furnished, with a bed, closet, table, and two chairs as its only furniture. Kari tapped me on the shoulder lightly.

"Are you sure this is such a good idea?" she questioned; the concern was evident in her voice.

"Well, it's not like we have much choice," I responded softly as I kept my eyes on the puzzling stranger. He turned to me, the look of recollection back on his face. All of a sudden he grabbed me by the shoulders and embraced me! I cried out in protest, and he immediately let go, aware of his mistake.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "but it's been so long... I haven't seen you since you were a baby, Rose."

"Who are you, and how do you know my name?" I demanded, taken aback.

"My name is Remus Lupin," he replied. "I'm a friend of your father's. You probably wouldn't remember me; it's been years..." He trailed off again, lost in reconnaissance.

"Lupin?" I thought to myself. The name sounded familiar... I placed the name with a face I had seen once in a photo. Of course! He had been my father's best man at my parents' wedding. I remembered my mom telling me about to Lupin; my father and he went to school together. I told this to the man called Lupin.

"Wait a minute, you two know each other?" Kari asked in surprise. Lupin and I both nodded.

"I don't know you two, however," he stated.

"My name's Kari, and he's..." Kari paused in thought for a moment. "Hey, what is your name?" Sensing my friend's discomfort, I stepped in his defense.

"He... doesn't use a name," I said. My friend nodded in accord.

"I know it sounds strange," he tried to explain, "but I just don't use a name."

"A strange request," Lupin replied, "but these are strange times. For now, I'll call you... Anonimo, which means anonymous in Italian. Is that all right?" My friend agreed. I glanced over at Kari and could sense immediately that her curiosity was not satisfied. She had shot a dark look at Lupin when he hadn't pried further.

"Do you know where my father is, Mr. Lupin?" I asked quickly, changing the subject before Kari could object.

"Please, call me Remus," Lupin replied. His tone changed to melancholy. "I'm afraid I don't know, Rose. It seems that your father has disappeared rather well this time. I've talked to many of his friends, but they don't know where he's gone to." I sighed heavily. I didn't know my father very well, but... he was my father, after all. I hadn't seen him since I was very young, when he had to leave. I remember him holding me in his arms, embracing me tightly. All I could remember of my father was his heartbeat and a tear that fell onto me. He had kissed my mother good-bye, turned around, and opened the gate... I had never seen him again, only in postcards. I had been living with my mom ever since. I was still lost in thought when I realized that the conversation had gone on without me.

"Well, you're welcome to stay with me," Lupin was saying. "I can help you get back to England. What exactly brings to Italy, anyway?"

"It's kind of a long story..." my friend said.

"We have time," Lupin answered. "I don't think you're in a hurry to go anywhere. Just start at the beginning."

"Well, after school let out, we planned to get together over the summer," I answered. "We didn't know Kari then. My mom and his parents agreed to vacation in the same place: Dover."

"The first chance we got," my friend continued, "we got together near the cliffs. Our parents weren't far off, and we were just looking at the view and talking about the next school year, I think. All of a sudden, I got the feeling that something bad was about to happen, and something zoomed overhead. They were wizards on brooms, who threw curses down at us. We tried to run, but there were too many of them. They dismounted and threw a Cruciatus curse at Rose. She was able to overcome it with a little bit of help from me, but we were overwhelmed at the end. I assume that one of them threw a Stupefy spell at me, because I blacked out and don't remember anything else."

"We figured out later that it was the Brethren," I said. Lupin looked at us with concern; the Brethren were notorious throughout the world for their cruelty and mastery of the Dark Arts. "We were imprisoned, and we met up with the leader himself, but we managed to escape. We freed Kari, and we've been running from the Brethren since late last night."

"You mean to say that you actually met the leader of the Brethren?!" cried Lupin, astonished. "And yet you managed to escape? Tell me, what exactly did he tell you?" Together we related the story of our conversation and our escape. Lupin and Kari, who didn't know why we had been captured by the Brethren, were certainly surprised by our narrative. Then Lupin got up from the table, opened the door, and again looked for any eavesdroppers. Evidently there were none because he returned to his seat.

"Did you ever think that the Brethren let you escape?" he asked suddenly. My friends shook their heads, but I couldn't do that so readily. With a sigh of reluctance I told them about my encounter with the leader of the Brethren search party. Lupin gazed gravely at me.

"I must confirm your suspicions, Rose," he said after a minute of silence. "Your escape just seems too easy."

"Easy?!" Kari cried out. "You call that easy?! You try escaping from the Brethren, then!" She looked ready to pounce on Lupin.

"He's right, Kari," my friend calmly defended Lupin. "The Brethren deliberately let us escape. The question is: why?" This was met with silence.

"Well, who's hungry?" Lupin asked cheerfully, breaking the solitude. "I'm sure you haven't eaten in quite a bit." We agreed rapidly, and we went back to the front of the inn. The unanswered question flew to the back of my mind as I acquainted myself with my father's friend and did justice to the delicious meal.