Survivor?

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In summer, Hogsmeade fills with tourists. Wizards and witches, sorcerers from all over the world who come on a trip to the UK, taking advantage of the special rates for collective brooms that have become fashionable. In front of Madame Poodifoot's, a group of American women who obviously just bought too many souvenirs ask Remus to take them a picture. Some wear hats in the shape of teacups and the rest, T-shirts with texts, that Remus has to contain himself so as not to roll my eyes. "I was in Knockturn Alley and everything that I caught was a cold ". "London enchants me." One wears the face of Mick Jagger sticking out his tongue and two words underneath "English gravy." Other says "Accio, sex!". When he returns the camera, they thank him and indicates how to get to Honeydukes. Although he honestly believes that they don't need the sugar rush.

Remus walks in the opposite direction. Towards the Herbal Shop to which Dumbledore has sent him to look for ingredients for some potion that he must be testing. Remus doesn't ask for details unless they give him the details, but he appreciates the distraction and the permission to go down to Hogsmeade. The streets are full of people and the Herbalist has a pleasant scent of rosemary and linden.

The shelves are full of jars and sachets. In the background, there is a shelf with already-made potions. Pepperup Potion, Polyjuice, love filters, Confusing concoction, and Draught of Peace.

- Amortentia is selling like home-made bread, young man. It is the most successful of all so far.

Remus is startled. Behind him, the owner of the store, a woman with long purple eyelashes and curly green hair that reaches to her waist, looks at him with interest. She has long nails on one hand and a glove on the other, that reaches almost to her shoulders. He has ever seen her in "The Three Broomsticks " and she announces that her name is Laurea, like her store.

- I'm here on an errand for Headmaster Dumbledore.

She shows him the list of things the teacher has prepared for him and the witch looks at them carefully. A quick movement of the hand carrying the glove and from opposite corners of the store, jars, and bottles appear that immediately gather next to her, levitating three feet off the ground.

- Nothing else, dear? Something for you?

- No, thanks.

She snaps her fingers and the order packages itself, in a flurry of a second. Everything lands softly at Remus's feet.

- I'll put it in the Hogwarts account, Remus.

- How do you know my name?

He had heard that she had the power of Divination. But Remus has never been too much of a believer for such things. Divination has seemed to him always a tale to dupe Muggles into giving money to prattlers.

- Because I know things. And because all the people comment that a student has been staying at Hogwarts this summer. The news flies.

When Remus squeezes that soft hand, he feels a kind of tingling in his toes. He would want to leave now, he has no reasons to stay, but the store suddenly smells of cinnamon and suddenly roses, and suddenly to motorcycle oil and sweat, his favorite. He finds it rather difficult now to leave that aromatic heat.

- Are you sure you don't want anything? - insists the witch of long and hypnotic purple eyelashes. - I have a potion that sells a lot in summer. It will make YOU irresistible for whoever you want.

- No, thanks. I can live being perfectly resistible. I'm used to it.

She offers him more, pointing bottle to bottle.

- Potions that diminish the will of others. Infusions to dream about what we wish for three nights and three days. And a special filter to get our lover to do what we ask to. - Laurea lowers her tone of voice and she adds, with enveloping mystery and narrowing her eyelashes, - anything we ask of him. Special for cold lovers and with inhibitions. And it's on sale - she adds. - Two for one.

For starters, Remus believes that selling things like this is unethical and surely illegal. And secondly, he still remembers the tongue of Sirius on his body and the force with which he held him against the wall. For cold and inhibited lovers?

- Thanks. I don't think I need it.

- Lucky in love, unlucky in the games. Are you interested in a potion to improve your quidditch skills?

-No- he hurries to answer. - I was actually leaving.

He takes a couple of steps toward the door. Outside keeps seeing the din of the crowd and groups of tourists. He wants to leave as soon as possible the shop but he can't because she holds his hand, which makes him turn around. The fortune teller's orange eyes are looking at him, and can't look away. Before he knows it, Laurea has taken his left hand and traces the lines with his fingertips from his palm. He wants to protest, leave, tell her that she doesn't believe in divination and that, even if he believed, he is not willing to spend a single sickle in that store. But the witch must have filled the shop with all-tastes perfume to facilitate sales and relax the will of those who enter.

He lets his hand be touched. He feels her touch him under his skin, with her too soft fingertips.

- Everything is written- says the fortune teller. - What do you want to know?

- Nothing - Remus hurries. - I'd rather not know anything.

- Why?

- If it is written and I cannot change it, it is better not to know.

If his is a sad story, better walk the road blind. And besides, what another kind of story could it be? His life is not a tragedy, for the record. If it were, he wouldn't have found Hogwarts. But he suspects that there will be an influx point, and he definitely does not want to know the end. The fortune-teller seems to understand.

She studies his hand for a second more, nods slightly, and closes his fingers, with elegance.

- You will survive.

It is her only prediction. At that moment, fate awaits and Remus's curiosity wins him over.

- To what? - His voice trembled slightly.

Laurea's expression turns grim.

- Everything, son. - She is darkened, cloudy, white. - You will survive everything.

He leaves the store in a rush. Outside, he bumps into the same group of tourists that a while before asked for him to take them a picture. He would want to look as carefree as they are and shake off that intense feeling of anguish that has come over him suddenly.

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