Against fear, there is only one remedy: courage.
That was what his father used to tell him every day. Remus wasn't sure he understood it, but now he recited it over and over again. He wasn't allowed to learn magic formulas yet, but he liked to think of it as a kind of charm.
Against fear, there is only one remedy: courage.
He took his favorite stuffed toy with him, a little ghost named Barney. Remus was only five years old, but he already loved spirits. He wanted to be a ghost expert when he grew up, like all the men in his family. When he told his father about this, he was very proud. So proud, in fact, that he decided to put him to the first official test of a ghost hunter: to prove his courage.
And that's what Remus was about to do now. He was going to be "bold and fearless", and his father would know that he was trustworthy.
Yes, tonight he would solve his first case. He was going to find out why the shutters in his room had suddenly started to shake.
After clumsily pulling himself up onto the stool, Remus reached his tiny hand toward the window handle. Behind it, the shutters kept vibrating, as if moved by unseen forces.
The child shivered and whispered one last time: "Against fear, there is only one remedy: courage."
He slowly opened the window and climbed onto the edge. The old wooden panels seemed to be sucked out, their rusty joints pulling on the hinges. He barely had time to lift the cast-iron handle before they jerked away and slammed against the rough cast of the house. Remus gave a startled squeak and nearly fell backward before catching himself at the last second.
He thought he was going to be attacked, but nothing came.
Outside, a strong wind swept across the plains of Anglesey, blowing the hedges that bordered the house to the ground. In the surrounding fields, the uprooted plants formed strange ballets, dancing in dusty whirlpools a few meters above the plantations.
The shutters slammed loudly, but Remus didn't react, showing a disappointed pout as he sat cross-legged on the windowsill.
"No poltergeist."
No poltergeist, no. Tonight was not the night he would be able to prove himself.
The perfectly clear sky was lit by a full moon. Clutching his stuffed toy, Remus sat for a long time watching the night. His mother hated this place. She called it a "backwater" and couldn't wait for his father to finish his research on the spectral apparitions in the area so they could move back to Cardiff. Remus, on the other hand, wanted them to stay here forever. He loved to play in the pastures and walk in the groves. To fish for tadpoles and build huts. He was the only child around, but he didn't mind. His imagination kept him company. So did Barney.
Remus' eyes wandered along the dirt road that ran from his house and then got lost in the meadows. His parents didn't like him venturing out on his own because of the spirits that lurked around. For the past few months, his father had been studying gwyllgis, an extremely dangerous breed of ghost dog that appeared after dark to attack lost travelers. Their glowing eyes were said to petrify anyone who came across them. His mother was terrified that such ghosts would haunt the garden. Remus, on the other hand, was not afraid. Well, not as afraid as he should be. He even looked forward to the day when he could see one with his own eyes.
Another gust of wind swept through the garden and Remus winced as he felt the cold air rush through his clothes. He had to get inside. If he stayed out any longer, he would get sick again. Grabbing the hinges of the window, he awkwardly bent down to catch one of the shutters, trying to pull it towards him.
It was at that moment that he heard it. Substituting for the sinister gusts, a guttural howl had pierced the night.
Frightened, Remus raised his head to observe the surroundings. In front of him, in the nearby field, a black beast was moving. It was massive, with unusually long legs and a huge chest. A dark mane covered its body but its head was hairless. The moon lit up its bizarre profile, similar to those of dogs with flat snouts. Its ears, almost invisible, were short and pointed. In the darkness, its eyes shone like headlights.
Remus' heart raced.
"The gwyllgi…"
A shiver ran down his spine and Remus froze. The Dark Hound walked silently between the furrows, its nose to the ground. Was it looking for a trail? Prey? The creature had straightened on its hind legs. Could gwyllgis do that? His father had never mentioned it.
Remus squinted, trying to watch it as best he could. The beast had no trouble standing. With its truffle raised, it remained motionless. An opaque mist escaped from its mouth, immediately blown away by the wind. It seemed to breathe deeply. To smell the wind.
To smell the wind...
It was hunting.
Remus let go of the wooden panel and slowly stepped back. From where it stood, the creature could see him. And even though his father cast various anti-spectral protection spells around the house every night, it was best not to be noticed.
His feet were shuffling around in search of the stool when the shutters came crashing down together with a shrill creak. Remus stifled a scream and brought a hand to his mouth. Had the gwyllgi heard him? He didn't take the time to find out. With a sudden rush of adrenaline, he fell backward and landed heavily on the ground. Ignoring the pain, he leaped to his feet and threw himself at the window, hurrying to close it. Once the window was locked, Remus ran to his bed to dive headfirst under the covers.
Once he arrived in his hideout, he curled up into a ball and closed his eyes, repeating again in a low voice, "Against fear, there is only one remedy: courage."
He didn't have to be afraid, no. Dad protected the house every night and he was a "world-renowned expert". There was nothing to fear. Even if he had seen it, the gwyllgi couldn't get close. He was safe.
Remus reached out for Barney. He wanted to hold him close. To tell him not to worry. But the little ghost was not at his side.
Oh no, Barney! He must have forgotten him on the windowsill!
Remus sat up, fidgeting in his bed as he tried to disentangle himself from the sheets. Barney! He had to find Bar… What was that?
Behind the window, Barney seemed to be floating, his little white body flapping above the sill.
No, that wasn't Barney moving… A long, black hand was gripping him and lifting him into the air.
Remus stiffened, both terrified and fascinated by the spectacle before him.
There was a movement and the moon disappeared as if devoured by a sudden eclipse. The landscape was invaded by shadow. Through the glass, two bright eyes appeared, staring at the child.
Remus wanted to scream, but no sound came from his throat. He just stood and watched the beast. Had it always been this big? From a distance, it had seemed no bigger than a dog. Now it seemed gigantic.
Against fear, there is only one remedy: courage.
The child clenched his fists. His mouth opened and closed a few times before he managed to articulate with difficulty, "You... can't... enter…"
On the other side, the creature did not move. Remus grew bolder, taking a firmer hold.
"You can't enter."
The gwyllgi continued to watch him in silence. Slowly, its body lifted from the glass and it disappeared for a brief moment... before it came rushing to the window to give it a loud thump.
The frame cracked and pieces of wood flew around the room. With a pale face, Remus had to face the facts.
He had been wrong.
The beast gave a second blow and the window opened wide, glass falling to the floor. Remus tried to flee, but it was too late. The monster had jumped nimbly over the ledge to stand between his bed and the door to his room.
This time the child called out to his parents in a strangled voice before dropping onto the mattress. He pulled the comforter over him then crawled under his pillows. He could do nothing more. The gwyllgi was going to devour him. He could hear its claws scratching the floor as it approached.
Big tears rolled down his cheeks and Remus closed his eyes with all his might. At the foot of the bed, the comforter lifted and he froze as he felt warm fur brush against his feet.
The weight of the beast crushed his body and he thought he was going to die. Its fur smelled of forest and earth, grass and wind. A burning breath caressed the child's chest, but nothing happened. Only the cushions lifted slightly and Remus felt Barney's fluffy fabric rubbing against his cheek.
None of this made sense anymore.
Against fear, there is only one remedy: courage.
Slowly, Remus grabbed the ghost and pulled his head out from under his pillow. With its huge mouth resting against his belly, the gwyllgi was looking at him with curiosity. It didn't look like any of the pictures his father had shown him. It was enormous, with wolf-like fur and a peculiar head, with a flattened nose and full lips…
"You're not a ghost, aren't you?"
Remus' voice was a thin whisper. Of course, the beast did not answer him but its apparent calmness made him feel confident enough to continue to speak.
"Thank you, for Barney… It's his name…"
The little boy had lifted Barney to put him in front of the creature's head, but the latter paid no attention. Its gaze remained focused on the child. There was something strangely human in its expression, the way its eyes probed Remus' soul. Hypnotized by this apparition, the child held its gaze. Under the bedsheets that formed a den around them, there was a muted, almost peaceful atmosphere.
For a brief moment, all Remus' fears fell silent.
"I told you I heard a noise, Lyall! There was a sound of breaking glass! I'll go check on Remus and you go check on the... OH MY GOD! LYALL! LYALL!"
Everything happened in a blur. First, there was a sharp movement of the eye. Then, came the teeth, the smell of blood, and unbearable pain in Remus' thigh. The boy was dragged from his bed and his body hit the floor, as his mother screamed in horror.
He would have liked to yell at the top of his lungs, but the terror rendered him speechless.
He didn't want to die.
His body slid across the floor of his room and he felt glass splinters in his back. Then there was a sudden shock and the smell of night. The shouts of his parents faded away, swallowed by the darkness, and the stars flew over his head.
Please, he didn't want to die...
Remus' fingers tightened around Barney and he pulled the little ghost, now stained with mud, back against him. Behind the swirls of dust, the night was watching him through the moon, a unique and brilliant eye that sat above the plains. For the first time, the child screamed at its sight.
It glowed like the gaze of the gwyllgi.
It glowed like the gaze of a wolf.