It was in March, an evening like any other at Hogwarts. Classes of the day had finished. Most of the students had had the dinner and left the Great Hall to return to their dormitories. The
Head Boy of Hufflepuff, Teddy Lupin, drove the last latecomers to their common room, located near the kitchens. Every night, younger students took pleasure in teasing him, playing hide-and-seek and waiting until he found them. Although sometimes, it was necessary to be firm and authoritative (otherwise the hide-and-seek game lasted until the morning), he loved the game moments with children and took to heart his role as Head Boy.
Teddy had good grades in lessons, and excellent level in metamorphosis. He was himself a metamorphmagus, like his mother. Like his father, he was kind and caring, and was devoted to his friends. Teddy Lupin was popular and was loved by all, being the son of two heroes of the Battle of Hogwarts. He knew about them through what people had told him, especially through his godfather Harry Potter, who always spoke of his former teacher with a sense of deep friendship and great admiration.
Teddy Lupin had some objects from his parents, but deep sadness always haunted his heart. He would have liked to live with them, to grow up with them, to talk to them... He didn't know much about his parents' youth. Even less about his father's, as his best friends, who knew him better than anyone, were also killed. Teddy knew that his father was a werewolf, and this aspect intrigued him much. He always wondered, how did his father live with that? What did he feel during his transformations before and after, when he was again himself? So many questions which he would never have the answer.
Once all the pupils were asleep, Teddy sat down as usual in bed, near the window. For him, this day had been different. It was the day of the anniversary of his father. He had thought all day of him, and as a strange coincidence, the moon was full that night. Through the window he saw its sparkling light, illuminating the park and the Whomping Willow. This tree, he knew, had been planted for his father. The eyes of Teddy were attracted by the willow, every time he looked or walked in the park. According to Harry, his godfather, the Whomping Willow contained a secret passage; however, Teddy had never dared to approach the tree.
Tonight, nonetheless, Teddy felt irresistibly drawn by the willow. He decided to listen to his instincts and go. He wrapped himself in James Potter's invisibility cloak, which he had lent him earlier in the week, when Teddy wanted to surprise his beloved Victoire Weasley. He left the dorm and slipped to the willow. Guided by his instinct, always hidden under the cloak, he pressed the knot at the base of the trunk. Trembling with both apprehension and excitement, he entered the secret passage. He traversed the dark corridor, and reached by a trapdoor under which, he knew, was the Shrieking Shack.
Once in the shack, he removed the cloak slowly, holding his breath and browsing the pieces around him. After several minutes of hesitation, he decided to explore the house and every corner, looking for any traces of his father. His heart jumped in his chest when he saw on the walls the several pieces of claw marks, huge brands ... Most of the furniture was also broken, overthrown in pieces everywhere in the house.
Teddy finished his exploration of the shack, a little disappointed for being unable to have found anything interesting. But there was still one room to discover, at the bottom. He entered it and discovered a small room with a chair, next to a small table. In front of the chair, in the bottom of the room against the wall, was a wardrobe with blankets, and several blank sheets of parchment. Nothing seemed broken in that room, everything was in order, except for the thick layer of dust that covered everything.
Teddy sat on the chair, and looked, moved, the room in which his father had probably spent a lot of time. The evenings of full moon, before going to the rest of the house, Remus must prepare for its transformations in this room, and no doubt to rest himself once again. Sitting on that chair, like Teddy, today. This one thought of his father fascinated him and he imagined him in this room, decades earlier. He stayed all night on that chair, and went back to the castle only in the morning.
The next day, he found the strength to go to class, but the lessons of herbology by Mr. Longbottom seemed distant to him. His mind was completely oriented towards his father, the Shrieking Shack and its secrets. The following evening, he returned to the shack, in the room with the chair. There, he felt close to his father as he never had been before. Sitting on the chair, he felt serene. He returned, every night of the week, in this small room.
One night, Teddy, particularly exhausted, fell asleep on the chair. He was awakened by a slight noise, which seemed near. Lighting his wand, Teddy realized it came from the wardrobe. Approaching slowly, he lit the whole furniture item with lumos, examining every corner, digging under the blankets and parchments in search of the origin of the noise, but in vain. The noise seemed to come from the bottom of the wardrobe. Passing his hands over it, he discovered in the left corner an opening of the size of a hand. He reached into the hole and put his fingers on a small object which he grabbed gently. As soon as he touched it, the noise stopped. By the light of his wand, he realized it was a small notebook, smooth and gray. On the cover of it, the word "Moony" was engraved. At the sight of the name, Teddy's heart began to beat wildly, and his hands began to tremble. Feverishly flipping the book, he saw that all the pages were covered with a fine writing. His father's, he recognized it as soon as he had seen.
Teddy hesitated. What was in this notebook? What could his father have written in it, and why would he leave it here?
He contemplated the precious reminder of his father, holding it carefully as if it was the most fragile treasure. He took a deep breath, opened the book to the first page and began to read…
To be continued.