Chapter 8: Secret Keeper

September 20th, 1989, London, 221B Baker Street, 3:30 PM

Remus Lupin was quite taken aback when they reached the building; it looked rather homely and decent.

However, the most outstanding feature was its humongous system of wards.

Had it not been for the werewolf's potent innate ability to discern as well as sense magic fluctuation, any average witch and wizard could only notice a few shallow wards, such as Muggle-repellent wards.

Yet for Remus to describe what the wards around the house were like, it would be something like a sturdy fortress with thousands of cannons ready to fire at any hostility in its presence.

Some of these wards were even too complex for Remus to discern their actual capabilities.

Some were quite interesting, as one was created specifically to veil magic activities from hindsight, making them completely concealed from any amateur witches and wizards; one was capable of repelling mild illusions; one could negate any harmful spell to a certain degree; others could directly attack the minds of the adversary, thus weakening their capabilities or amplifying the effects of others.

Another could detect malicious intent in the vicinity of the building, roughly around 15 metres, etc.

More importantly, they were placed meticulously in a clever system that could cause a chain reaction once triggered to deliver massive effects that Remus dared not think of.

He turned to look at the smiling gentleman with astonishment. 'How are you truly? Mr. Esther… Hmm, Ethan Esther, that name does ring a bell.'

Remus quickly remarked. "No wonder you chose to live right in the middle of London; I must admit, these wards are a masterpiece."

"You're flattering me highly, Mr. Lupin. Though... you can't be too careful, especially when it comes to The Boy Who Lived. I'm his guardian after all." Ethan said it with a rather mysterious tone, leaving Remus's mind upstretched with doubts.

'What was he implying? Harry could have any possible enemy; the Death Eaters had been arrested, and that man is dead…' Remus silently contemplated the possibility as he turned his eyes towards Harry, who had been smiling for a while. Just that made Remus throw all those disturbing thoughts to the back of his mind. All he wanted was to spend some pleasant time with his godson.

He smiled shakingly at the grinning boy who was clutching a school-type brown satchel.

Ethan brought it on their way home, along with some books for Harry to read in his time; they were all the classic ones, such as The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbits by JRR Tolkien, Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman, The Murder On The Links and The Clocks by Agatha Christie.

Whereas Ethan brought himself The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allen Poe and Crime And Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky for some slight reading.

Once they reached home, Harry quickly made his way up to his room as Ethan told him to put away those books and came down as soon as possible, for Remus promised to tell them more about Lily and James Potter.

The boy was thrilled to finally get to know more about his parents, though he admitted that it was scary and exciting at the same time.

Since this would include a closer look at that tragic knight, Harry shuddered at the image of his dying mother in that nightmare, which he doubted was one of his deepest memories. He quickly calmed himself down as his hands still clutched tightly onto the satchel's leather strap.

…

Downstairs, after having left his dark brown flat cap on the rack out in the hallway, Remus was sitting in the living room, looking all around the room. It was spacious and cosy, and the light ambience really made one more comfortable.

"I hope you would like Oolong tea, Mr. Lupin. Very floral and fruity, it helps relax as well as provide several health benefits." The gentleman's calm was somehow utterly contagious.

"Ah, yes, please, and Lupin is fine, Mr. Esther." Remus quickly replied as he savoured the luxurious and delicious tea.

"Well, then you should call me Ethan too." The gentleman said it with a professional smile.

"I must say, your tea is an absolute delicacy, Ethan," Remus replied with an honest compliment, as his tone suggested that he was more relaxed now.

"Glad you like it. Though may I ask..." Ethan's voice slowly turned solemn.

"Please go on." Putting down his cup of tea, Remus straightened his posture as he prepared himself to divulge those beautiful as well as painful memories that he had tried to suppress all these years.

"When were you infected with Lycanthropy?"

Remus's eyes widened at Ethan's nonchalant tone as he asked that question. "H-how did you know?"

"Well, it's quite obvious... for me. Your attire suggested that they had been torn and brought together numerous times, and the way you showed up carrying that seemingly heavy leather baggage indicates that you did a lot of moving around. I believe you could also afford any stable job, magical or not. Your haggard visage also supported further your solitude, afraid of others knowing whatever you've left behind.

"However, the most prominent evidence was the smell of Aconite and Botrychium lunaria, or, as many prefer to call it, moonwort, as well as Hellebore, and finally the lingering traces of silver powder. All of which are ingredients for the Wolfsbane potion."

Ethan spoke briskly in a flat tone, as if he had just stated another obvious thing in the world.

Remus was in a daze for a few seconds as he looked at the incredibly perceptive and knowledgeable gentleman here. "Blimey, was I really that obvious or were you just too observant?"

Ethan just smiled at Remus's dumbfounded expression.

"Well, it happened when I was five. My life has been messed up ever since: isolation, nights of chains, and a madding thirst for harm..." His voice trailed off as it bore deep sadness.

"But I had my friend help me through those darkest days." This time, Remus's lips curled up into a genuine smile as he recalled the Marauders.

Just then, Harry shyly pushed open the door, peaking at the two men with yearning eyes. "M-may I-I come in?" Fear emitted with clearance within those emeralds, afraid he may have messed up something important, and the boy felt guilty for overhearing Mr. Lupin's dilemma.

"Of course, Harry, take your seat." Ethan gestured for the boy to take the middle seat as he summoned another cup of Oolong tea.

Remus gave Harry an assuring smile, though the boy still felt slightly uncomfortable making direct eye contact.

Which saddened Lupin's heart a little. Just then a thought came across his mind, and he darted a worried look towards Ethan as he pulled Ethan into a corner, whispering something indiscernible to Harry.

"I assume that you meant to inquire further about Harry's parent's demise, as well as the events prior to that. However, considering what he had been through, are you sure he was ready for it? I do not wish to drown him further, not after he had just escaped that hellhole."

Ethan wore a heartfelt smile and turned to meet the boy's affectionate eyes.

"Harry is tougher than you imagine, Remus. I truly believe he can get over this. Besides knowing Harry's personality, he'd find another way to learn the truth sooner or later...

"Thus, I wish to let him know whilst in our presence, lest he misunderstand something along the way."

"Sign, you're right. It's best that way." Remus said with a self-deprecating smile.

Remus began to recount the events of that faithful Halloween night.

From when the Potters began hiding, using the Fidelius Charms due to Dumbledore's discovery of something that could end the war brought an end to the Dark Lord, and this was deeply affiliated with the Potters. His growing distrust towards one of his friends—Sirius Black—was a spy of the Dark Lord as the war went on. His regret was not investigated thoroughly sooner, thus failing to foresee Black betrayal. Breaking the charm.

"Had my resolve weren't so fragile, had I pressed on and investigated it thoroughly the moment I realised something was amiss about him? Maybe…James and Lily... even Peter... all those innocent souls." Tears began streaming down his face as he quickly wiped them off, steadying himself so as not to fall again into the deep pit of guilt to admit the conversation.

"My apology." Remus cleared his throat, trying to soothe his mind with the fragrance coming from the tea.

Ethan just nodded as he took another sip and began to process the newly acquired information at an incredible speed. Those dark ambers shone with star-like brilliance. 'Dumbledore's discovery?... Harry's fate?... The Secret Keeper's betrayal… Peter Pettigrew's remains… Black's betrayal.'

While Harry just listened carefully with a saddened face.

"Sign, I guess part of me couldn't bring myself to believe any of us could have done something that despicable." Remus shakes his head disdainfully.

"The three of them, even Peter, who had measly empty-headedness, work hard to become Animagus just so we could hang out despite my transformation into a werewolf every full moon." Remus chuckles slightly at those memories.

Ethan's eyes twitched slightly as he quickly adjusted his glasses, expressing his desire for Remus to elaborate more on their friendship and how it could come down to that betrayal.

"Of course…" Remus began telling various of their adventures and deeds, whether good or bad; he didn't shy away from them, even expressing his regret for not stopping some of their bullying back in the day.

This earns him a curious Harry as he and the boy engage in deep conversation, especially regarding Lily and James Potter in their school days and afterward.

Although Remus did most of the talking and Harry's occasional inquiries, the boy did get more comfortable now, making longer eye contact with his parent's dear friend.

When Harry finally mentioned that terrifying 'nightmare', Remus's heart twisted a hundred times, and his eyes got teary once again as he pulled Harry in for an assuring embrace. That was the only thing he could think of conveying his solace, which the boy accepted fully as he could now feel the truest feeling of this poor man who had been drowning in anguish and self-accusation for so long.

Remus quickly let go of the boy for fear that he might cause discomfort to the boy. "My apologies, Harry; I must have scared you." Remus tried to squeeze out a faint smile as he wiped away the tears.

Harry shook his head. "I-It's a-alright, U-uncle R-Remus." Happiness filled the man's eyes as the two gave each other a comforting smile and warm embrace. They went on having a fine teatime until the sunset.

"Why don't you stay the night and have dinner with us? Harry would love to hear more about you as well as his parents."

Remus was about to refuse out of courtesy, but he refrained from doing so. He looked into his godson's yearning eyes. "It would be quite a disgrace of me to turn down such an honour invitation." A round of chuckles echoed through the cosy room. Ethan bolted to take out the refined Magic Camera.

"Now let us take a picture to commemorate this very moment. The two of you first." Ethan motioned for Remus and Harry to sit on the sofa opposite the sofa from him. Behind it was the large open bay window, framing the background with the tranquil night sky painted with glorious stars, accompanied by the gracious silver moon casting its light through the window.

Ethan then moved to the counter to prepare for tonight's gourmet, leaving the two of them engaged in heartfelt conversation.

Whilst out of sight, Ethan quickly pulled out his golden pocket and watched its outer surface be embellished with intricate patterns that resembled a pupilless eye.

When he opened it up to reveal a line carved on the inner side of the cove, 'A&E', Ethan wore a bitter smile, looking at those words carrying priceless memories.

Snapping out of remembrance, he turned to focus on the small round crystal, which was lapis lazuli, embedded in the middle of the dial.

The time was 7:03 PM.

Ethan began to mobilise magic onto the pocket watch through the crystal from his magical core. His eyes shone with brilliance, resembling something forged out of starlight, as he mumbled a sentence seven times.

"Sirius Black was the one who betrayed the Potters that day…".

"Sirius Black was the one who betrayed the Potters that day…".

"Sirius Black was the one who betrayed the Potters that day…".

Immediate subtle fluctuations of purplish magical thread resonated around Ethan and the pocket watch, unbeknownst to neither Harry nor Remus.

The clock hands all turned anticlockwise rapidly before Ethan confirmed that it would stop. Shortly after, Ethan carried out another divination. "Sirius Black was the Secret Keeper…", and again, the hands still turned anticlockwise vigorously.

Ethan's eyes narrowed as he took a deep breath, returning to his usual friendliness manner and putting away the pocket watch.

"Right…Now let us begin!" Ethan's face flushed with excitement as he demonstrated his superb cooking skills, which caught the attention of both Harry and Remus. The robust aroma surfaced amid Ethan's graceful handling as he professionally made Francesinhas, serving as the main dish beside Cauliflower Cheese and Salad, finished with a touch of Orange Juice.

"I didn't know you were such a great cook." Remus gave out an honest compliment, while Harry gave Ethan a beaming smile.

"Thank you. It's just something I enjoy learning in my free time; I hope it tastes as good as it looks."

"I doubted it would be much better." And Remus was right about that; those dishes deserved to be in a 5-star Michelin restaurant.

Towards the end of the meal, Ethan cleared his throat as he raised a question towards Remus. "Forgive me for being rude, though I believe you have been doing some not-so-well-paid Muggle jobs?"

"Sigh, yes, given my... peculiarity, it's been quite challenging to find stable, not to mention well-paid work, ever since I graduated from Hogwarts. It wouldn't be too long before your colleagues noticed something out of the ordinary. Plus, with those restless nights, it was difficult to keep up a good attitude all the time."

Remus stopped to take a sip. "I'm currently working at the Port of London, doing mostly just some trivial manual labour jobs they gave out. If anything useful came out of this eternal curse, I guess it would be above-average physical attributes as well as incredible endurance.

"At the mention of it, I'm wondering what you do for a living; I bet it must be quite good. I assume it takes a lot to maintain decency in the middle of London." Remus darted his eyes around the room.

"Well, being a Senior Unspeakable does come along with many benefits," Ethan said nonchalantly, causing Remus to almost choke on his food. His admiration for the young gentlemen grew bigger and bigger.

"Anyway, I just happened to have a position within a promising company here, and with my recommendation, you can directly take up a quite decent position.

"Though the company was just founded recently, it has already sealed a long-term contract with the Ministry, specifically with the Department of Mystery, to produce new inventions that I guarantee would sell quite well, if you know what I mean.

"Oh, and your peculiar identity won't be an issue as long as you take the job.

"So, what do you say? After all, the choice is yours." Ethan folded his hand as he leaned slightly forward, awaiting Remus's answer.

It took Remus quite a while as he contemplated the idea. In the end, out of his trust in Harry's guardian, Remus agreed.

In turn, Ethan's mouth curled up into a mischievous smile as he shook hands with the man. "Wonderful. I look forward to a successful working relationship with you in the future. As I forgot to mention, I'm the co-founder of that company.

"Though we don't even have a name yet, I assure you everything else is valid. We're planning to have an in-depth discussion regarding the company's operations tomorrow morning.

"I'll send you the address; you are coming as my direct secretary."

Harry was happy for the man, and his awe of his Dad's generosity and greatness grew bigger and bigger. Whereas Remus's eyes widened as he stood there dumbfounded, again.

'Who are you truly!? Ethan Esther."