Fenrir Greyback—this notorious werewolf—was someone Jon had seen weeks earlier in a Ministry pamphlet titled Protecting Your Home and Family from Dark Wizards.
As one of the most brutal werewolves in the wizarding world and the leader of Voldemort's werewolf pack, Greyback had once served as a key enforcer during Voldemort's previous rise to power.
He used the threat of biting people's children to coerce those who refused to submit, a method that proved effective time and time again.
To be honest, his savage face—unkempt gray hair, a scar-covered visage, and slightly exposed sharp canine teeth—looked even more ferocious in person than it had in photographs.
Frowning, Jon began to calculate silently.
It seemed his suspicion was most likely correct: Dracula Castle really was closely tied to the existence of vampires. Otherwise, Greyback, the leader of the werewolves, would never have appeared here.
But what should he do next? Should he use the Disillusionment Charm to tail them?
Objectively speaking, it wasn't a good idea.
Even when not transformed, werewolves possessed hearing and a sense of smell far superior to ordinary humans. And he wasn't a professionally trained Auror—if he were discovered while following them…
Still, it seemed someone had already infiltrated this pack of werewolves. Perhaps that person could provide him with some information.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, Jon removed the wide-brimmed Mexican sombrero from his head. Taking advantage of the fact that the werewolves were still some distance away, he bent down as if to tie his shoelaces. In reality, he quietly drew his wand and traced a pattern on his right arm, just like a tattoo.
Greyback's group was now very close.
Jon calmly turned around and rested his arm on the railing. Turning his head toward Sandru, he called out loudly,
"Sandru, do you remember that girl I told you about…?"
"A girl?" Sandru was momentarily stunned by the seemingly random question. But when he caught Jon's meaningful look, he quickly reacted. "Of course I remember!"
"That pretty girl named Hermione Granger," Jon said casually, looking in Sandru's direction. "She has thick brown hair and hazel eyes, and she's incredibly smart. I arranged to meet her here, but she doesn't seem to have arrived yet. Still, that's fine—I'm willing to wait for her until nightfall."
Jon's voice was loud and clear, drawing curious glances from nearby tourists.
Sandru had already guessed that Jon was covering something up and immediately chimed in with a few words of agreement.
As he spoke, Jon kept his eyes fixed on Sandru, deliberately avoiding the path between them. At the same time, his right arm rested naturally on the railing, exposing the "tattoo" on his elbow.
The moment his words ended, the group of werewolves brushed past them.
...
Remus Lupin walked silently among the werewolves, his head lowered.
Truthfully speaking, he was very interested in Greyback's plan. The previous night, in the filthy sewers, Greyback had spoken at length with the vampire countess Ilyana Dracula.
Unfortunately, Greyback was extremely cautious. He insisted on conducting the entire conversation alone with the vampire countess, forbidding anyone else from approaching.
With no better option, Lupin could only find a corner of the sewer and quietly endure the night.
Early the next morning, Greyback ordered everyone to set out, offering no additional explanation. The vampires, unable to move about during the day, remained behind in the sewers.
Their destination was Dracula Castle—the very castle swarming with Muggle tourists. To be honest, this gave Lupin a distinctly bad feeling.
Several of the werewolves were familiar with the Muggle world. They went ahead to buy tickets, after which the entire group entered the castle in an orderly manner.
However, just as they were about to cross the drawbridge in front of the castle, Lupin heard a rather strange voice.
"Do you remember that girl I told you about… that pretty girl named Hermione Granger…"
The name Hermione Granger made Lupin's expression shift instantly. Of course he knew her well—the brilliant young witch who had seen through his werewolf identity and who was also Harry's close friend.
"…thick brown hair and hazel eyes, incredibly smart…"
The carefree voice continued from that direction.
Wait. The description matched Miss Granger exactly as he remembered her.
Lupin immediately realized that this voice was likely meant to catch his attention. After all, while he knew Hermione's name well, the other werewolves would almost certainly have no idea who this obscure Muggle-born witch was.
Mentioning Harry or Dumbledore, on the other hand, might have drawn unwanted attention.
He casually swept his gaze toward the source of the sound.
He couldn't see the speaker's face, but on the right arm resting on the railing, he saw a clearly visible tattoo of a bird soaring through the sky—more precisely, a phoenix.
The emblem of the Order of the Phoenix.
"…I arranged to meet her here, but she hasn't arrived yet. Still, that's fine—I'm willing to wait until nightfall…"
Lupin understood immediately. However, he didn't look over again and simply continued following Greyback.
...
"What were you doing just now?" Sandru asked in a low voice once Jon's movements returned to normal.
"I'll tell you later," Jon replied. With so many people around, he didn't explain further and instead looked calmly toward the forest.
"Then what should we do?"
"Wait…"
"Wait? Aren't we going into the castle?" Sandru asked, momentarily confused. After replaying Jon's words in his head, he suddenly caught on. "Right—let's wait here. The scenery is pretty nice."
This wait lasted nearly two hours.
The sun blazed overhead, radiating intense heat. Jon was already drenched in sweat, and he even began to wonder whether Lupin had understood his message at all.
Just as he was about to give up, he suddenly spotted a middle-aged man with graying hair and ragged clothes crossing the drawbridge toward them.
Remus Lupin approached the two of them at an unhurried pace.
"Sandru, stand guard for us," Jon whispered, his wand already hidden in his sleeve.
"Disillusionment!"
In the next instant, he and Lupin vanished without a trace into the crowd.