As the last rays of sunlight vanished, blackness mercilessly enveloped the entire sky. It was midsummer, and the weather on the Transylvanian Plateau was scorching hot—not even the descent of night brought the slightest relief.
This plateau, rising between 1,000 and 1,600 feet above sea level, was fragmented by the Danube's tributaries—the Mureș, Someș, Criș, and others. Along these rivers, small villages of Romanians, Hungarians, and Gypsies were scattered.
Our story unfolds in the small town of Gilău, situated along the Mureș River. With night already fallen, every household in the town had long since shut their doors and windows tight, lighting lamps within.
Meanwhile, on the suspension bridge spanning the Mureș River, roughly a mile from the town, a figure clad entirely in black strove to reach the settlement.
The figure was not tall, entirely cloaked in a black hooded cloak, with only a pair of eyes visible. The features were delicate and youthful, appearing no older than fifteen or sixteen.
He carried a briefcase in one hand, glancing back over his shoulder from time to time.
The faint howl of hungry wolves echoed behind him. Wild wolves were a fairly common wildlife species on the Transylvanian Plateau. Though their numbers had plummeted in recent years due to poachers, encountering them in the wild was still not entirely uncommon.
The figure in black instinctively quickened his pace. Crossing this suspension bridge and entering the town's territory would mean safety; no matter how ferocious, no wolf dared venture into human settlements.
Beneath the suspension bridge, the river's roar raged ceaselessly. A full moon emerged in the sky, perfectly round, just a sliver away from being completely full. The man in black jogged forward, glancing fearfully at the emerald-green points of light trailing behind him.
Only when the cloaked figure reached the end of the bridge and turned around did the cloaked figure notice a man standing at the bridgehead ahead.
The man was tall and powerfully built, radiating a dangerous aura; his eyes remained tightly shut. The cloaked figure instinctively prepared to avoid him, realizing the village had never seen such a presence.
The man's massive frame occupied nearly half the bridgehead. She shifted her body to the right, attempting to squeeze past him.
But in the instant they brushed past each other, the burly man suddenly lashed out with a vicious claw, slashing at her face.
...
Several bloody gashes appeared on the black-clad figure's face, and her mask was torn off, revealing a slightly youthful face.
She was a fairly pretty girl, but the fresh wounds completely marred her beauty. Judging by her attire and appearance, she seemed to be a schoolgirl in a hurry to get home.
The burly man strode over to her, holding what looked like a small wooden stick. His fingernails were deliberately sharpened to a point, giving him a terrifying appearance.
Then, ropes appeared from nowhere, binding her tightly to the ground.
At that moment, she could clearly see the man's face—a brutish visage with messy gray hair, a scarred countenance, and sharp canine teeth exposed. For some reason, the sight of him conjured images of a starving wolf in her mind; his eyes were green, even faintly glowing with an eerie green light.
"Please, let me go..." The girl trembled on the ground, her plea coming out stuttered and broken. "My home is in Gilău, just ahead... My father is the mayor... He'll pay you..."
She spoke in Romanian, but the man seemed neither to understand nor to care.
The wolf-like man leaned in, using the Niffler on her face forcefully; a foul stench emanated from his body.
"Such a young muggle girl... looks like I've got some luck," the man muttered to himself, lightly licking his lips. "Though not great luck—it's not a full moon tonight."
Then came a piercing scream—
The man lunged like a ravenous wolf, sinking his teeth into the girl's throat.
...
Lifting his prize as easily as a small chicken, he strode back across the suspension bridge. The girl he held wasn't dead yet, emitting faint, helpless moans.
He didn't need to go far, for the glowing eyes were steadily closing in on him.
When they were within fifty yards of each other, the "green specks" revealed their true forms—
Not the wild wolves the girl had imagined, but humans. Only their eyes glowed green in the darkness.
The man flung his prize to the ground. Simultaneously, another man, nearly as burly as he, stepped before him.
The two massive figures embraced fiercely.
"Fenrir, my friend... it's been an age!" The other man's voice sounded genuinely excited.
"Indeed, Jorman... we've both been scraping by in the darkness!" Fenrir Greyback grinned, revealing teeth still stained with blood.
"What about Gene? I heard he's with you, serving the Dark Lord?"
Fenrir Greyback replied, "He should arrive the day after tomorrow... He's currently in Albania, completing a task for the Dark Lord!"
"What an honor..."
Fenrir Greyback shifted his gaze away from his friend and began to survey the remaining "green specks."
"My fellow countrymen, my new friends..." he called out loudly. "Perhaps you should introduce yourselves to me. Let's get acquainted!"
"I am Fenrir Greyback, from England!" His voice rang out, carrying an air of undeniable authority, already subtly establishing himself as the group's leader.
"Abbot Hiberlay!" A green-eyed man stepped forward, nervously averting his gaze from Greyback's. "From Spain."
"Hello... Abbot... Welcome, my friend!" Fenrir Greyback strode forward with a hearty embrace.
"Jessica Bate, from Luxembourg."
"Ivan Sumarokov, from Ukraine."
...
With the first person leading the way, one by one, men and women approached and embraced Fenrir Greyback. They came from all across Europe, and none of them hid their fear of Greyback in the slightest.
The last to step forward was a man who looked haggard, pale, and weary. He seemed young yet bore premature wrinkles on his forehead, with graying hair and tattered clothing.
Unlike the others, he did not avert his gaze from Fenrir Greyback's eyes, but met them fearlessly.
His voice was calm.
"Remus Lupin, from Wales."