Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Note: This is a sequel to another multi-chapter fanfiction of mine, The Next Trio. This can be read on its own, as this first chapter will be explaining the major events that occurred in TNT. This story takes place in Lily Luna Potter's fourth year, and she is best friends with sixth years Scorpius and Rose.
THEODORE REMUS LUPIN ESCAPES, read the headline of the Daily Prophet. Lily Luna glanced at Scorpius, who was sitting next to her at the Slytherin table. He had the same look of shock on his face that she did. "I thought they had him under tight security," she said angrily.
"Try actually reading the article," Scorpius suggested, not shocked enough for his dry wit to disappear. "It might explain things."
Lily rolled her eyes at him but turned her attention back to the newspaper. She was sure Rose, who was sitting at the Ravenclaw table, was probably too busy reading a book to even notice. She was pretty sure Rose didn't bother to get the Prophet, as the older girl had little interest for news. It was almost always Lily - and occasionally Scorpius, who often read along with her - who kept Rose up-to-date on important things. This was certainly important. She read the rest of the article, for once not skimming through the bits she already knew.
Yesterday, at around 7:00 in the evening, 24-year-old Theodore "Teddy" Remus Lupin escaped from the cell he was being held in at the Ministry of Magic. Reportedly, he only had one guard watching him, and when this guard drew too close to the bars of the cell, Lupin managed to knock him out. Lupin was then able to grab the guard's wand through the bars of the cell, which are three inches apart from each other, and unlock the cell door. He is a Metamorphmagus, which enables him to change his appearance at will. This is no doubt why he wasn't caught, and was most likely able to walk right out of the Ministry.
Lupin was arrested for crimes he had committed at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He attempted to kill two students, 13-year-old Sara Creevey and 14-year-old Daisy Zabini, before performing the Cruciatus Curse multiple times on 17-year old Roxanne Weasley. He also would have killed Lily Potter, 14, and Scorpius Malfoy, 16, were he not caught with them in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts by nearly the whole staff of the school. His motive, apparently, was revenge - his parents (Nymphadora and Remus Lupin) were killed in the Battle of Hogwarts. He wanted the people who had survived that battle to suffer by having people they loved - their children - taken away from them.
He is considered extremely dangerous because of his abilities as a Metamorphmagus, and it is unknown at present where he is. We urge anyone with information to contact the Ministry instantly.
Lily folded the paper. "He's escaped. This can't be good for any of us."
"What'chu mean?" asked Scorpius, his mouth full of food.
"We're the ones who caught him, you and I - well, and Rose, too, but you and I were the ones he dragged into the Forest. He probably wants to finish what he started. If it weren't for us, he might still be here hurting people, which was his ultimate goal. I can't believe that it isn't obvious to you." She was tempted to say something along the lines of 'are you really as dumb as you look?' but decided to save that for another time. Scarfing down some food, she grabbed Scorpius' arm. "Come on. We have to go tell Rose about the article. There's no way that she saw it."
He nodded. "She'll have her nose in a book." They twisted around in their seats to see Rose, sitting next to one of her dorm-mates. Both girls were reading textbooks. "See?"
"Ravenclaws," the two Slytherins said in harmony, shaking their heads.
Lily hurried ahead of her friend, reaching Rose's spot at the Ravenclaw table first. "Rose," she said urgently. "Up."
"What is it, Lily? I'm reading," Rose answered without even looking up from her textbook. "It's almost December, and I need to study. You don't know how difficult Arithmancy is."
"Nor do I want to," she replied. Why Scorpius, who hated studying with a passion, had taken Arithmancy was beyond her. Maybe so that he could take a class with Rose - Ravenclaws and Slytherins had only Herbology together, nothing else. With Arithmancy, though, so few people took it in N.E.W.T level that all four houses were combined. When Rose still didn't look up, Lily hissed, "This is important, Rose."
"Fine," Rose said, a bit of irritation in her tone. The older girl slid her textbook into her bag and hefted it over her shoulder as Lily led her out of the Great Hall, Scorpius following them. Once they were in the Entrance Hall, she said, "Really, you two. What is so important that you interrupt me from studying?"
"First of all, anything comes above studying," Scorpius replied, "and we haven't played a prank in over a month -"
"Shush, you," Lily said. "That isn't why we called you out here. Rose...Teddy's escaped the Ministry. He's free."
"What? That - why wasn't he in Azkaban?" was Rose's response.
"Because he hadn't had a trial yet. They couldn't just throw him in there. The trial proceedings were taking a long time, though, because my dad was putting up a bit of a fuss about the whole thing, and Andromeda Tonks wasn't being helpful either...not to mention, Victoire stormed in there and nearly got herself thrown in a cell for trying to help him escape. Our family's way too big, and with all the connections we've got, well, it didn't make things easy."
"It's been at least a month since he was caught, though!" Rose was outraged. "Just keeping him in one of those little cells, with one guard watching him...that is completely unsafe."
"No wonder he escaped," Scorpius said. "Of course, that makes things difficult for everyone now. He's got a wand, and he's on the loose. He'll probably try to finish what he started. Not that he could get into Hogwarts very easily, but still...there's ways around that."
"We'll have to be careful," Lily said. "But it looks like this whole thing...it isn't over yet."
I had to throw the title in there somewhere :P. Anyway, if you liked it, please REVIEW! There'll be more chapters coming soon enough.
