1) The Inspector
Remus Lupin watched the ten year old Harry demonstrating his flying skills on his Nimbus 1000 that he had gotten for his birthday last month.
Regretfully he couldn't fly very high, just about the height of the hedge around the yard because of the neighbourhood that consisted almost entirely of Muggles, almost. Their neighbour on the left was a wizard named Sebastian Creek. He had moved next door because he had the task of watching Harry and Remus and to be with the boy at the nights of the full moon in the name of the Ministry of Magic.
That had been five years ago and the Inspector from the Ministry had become a good friend. But he could never replace Sirius. Sirius was the only point that the two men were arguing about. Sebastian was not convinced at all that Sirius was innocent.
Remus on the other hand knew that an innocent man was in Askaban at the non-existent mercy of the Dementors.
"You don't look very good. Were you with him yesterday?" Sebastian asked Remus who stood beside him carefully drinking his tea one sip at a time. He was always very concerned when the friend went into the wizarding prison. The Visitors where not well separated from the Dementors. The affect on the werewolf was very strong. After some time, when they knew each other better Remus admitted that he was plagued by the same dream every time he returned.
Nine years ago in the night of Halloween when they found Lily and James dead in the ruins of their home. He would never forget their faces, the horror in their lifeless eyes. Sirius had screamed from anger and pain, it broke Remus' heart. The werewolf needed all his strength to hold Sirius back on going after the traitor right away.
If it wasn't for Harry, that had survived with only a scar shaped like a lightning bolt on his forehead, Remus would have lost the fight. Just in the moment Sirius tried to escape from his friend with the help of his wand they heard the cries of the baby and found him in the rubble of his bed.
Shocked Sirius had picked up his godson and the child had burrowed its face deep into the man's robes. For a moment they silently looked at each other, the eerie green glow of the Dark Mark above them until Remus found his voice.
"Take Harry to my place and stay there. I will sort this out. Do you understand? Take Harry to safety!"
Sirius just nodded and disapparated before the Ministry or Dumbledore knew what had happened.
Harry had distracted Sirius from his anger. When Remus and Dumbledore arrived Harry was asleep on the couch with Sirius robes as his blanket.
Sirius stood at the window staring out into the dawning morning.
Remus approached his best friend carefully. There had been no reaction whatsoever when the two men appeared.
"It is my fault," whispered Sirius. "They are dead and it is my fault."
Remus took hold of Sirius shoulder, he turned his friend around and hugged him. Then they both cried, for Lily, James, Harry that was an orphan now and for Peter, the traitor, who had been their friend and the pain that Voldemort and the Deatheaters brought to the wizarding world.
"Remus, I asked you something." The Werewolf snapped out of his thoughts.
"Yes." He had to swallow hard. "It was horrible, like every time. He is not crazy, like the others that have been in there for so long. But I have to get him out of his shell. It takes to much time for him to understand that Harry is alive and with me. It costs too much time."
Sirius looked at him with large eyes. He was thin and dirty. There was no sparkle in his eyes but in just the one moment when he realised, really understood what Remus had tried to tell him, the werewolf thought he saw the old Sirius there for a second.
"Askaban changes everyone, Remus. Only because he doesn't react like the other prisoners, doesn't mean he isn't mental. I do not understand why you are doing this, he betrayed you!"
"He didn't. He is innocent!" Remus said with determination.
The old argument.
When Sebastian Creek, newest addition to the Department for the supervision of Magical Beasts, got the task to observe the werewolf and Harry Potter he was not sure what to expect. How was he supposed to deal with someone like that?
He was as prejudiced to these creatures as almost every other wizard.
He stood in front of the gate and tried to remember what he knew from the ministry files and the newspapers.
Remus Lupin – registered werewolf No. 776 523 893 (infected aged five)
- invited to Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry on behalf of the Headmaster Albus Wulfric Dumbledore. Inconspicuous.
- close friendship with James Potter, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew. Inconspicuous.
- Graduation from Hogwarts under the best ten (Graduation register: 536487). Inconspicuous.
- Tested like all lycans for ties to You-Know-Who. Inconspicuous.
- Numerous Jobs ( Inventory 645). Inconspicuous.
- Together with Godfather Sirius Black as a guardian for the orphan Harry Potter (Process No. 746487-7457/54). Under Ministry surveillance.
- 1985 Harry Potter taken out of his care because of suspicion to be part of the murder plot against Peter Pettigrew. Under Ministry surveillance.
- The child Harry Potter was given back in his care after a number of processes (case 74657/65 – 74660/3) reason: Mistreatment in the house of the blood relatives Mr. and Mrs Dursley ( Mrs. Petunia Dursley, nee Evans, Status: Muggle, sister of the deceased Lily Potter, nee Evans) observed by a human witness. Under strict Ministry surveillance.
A Werewolf trying to get the responsibility of a human boy and then The-Boy-Who-Lived above all. The outcry in the community had been incredible when the petition was finally granted. The wizarding world was unaware what really had happened to the child.
Sebastian Creek had played his first encounter with the werewolf in his head over and over again but he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling he had. He was prepared for the worst when he rang the doorbell. The house seemed clean, the garden not overly so but someone obviously tried to keep the worst weeds in check by the state of a half full bucket and a spade in one corner.
The sound of footsteps made Sebastian's heart jump in fear and he saw the door opening a bit. Whatever he had imagined of the werewolf it wasn't something so 'human'.
"What did you expect, a monster?" asked Remus Lupin with a raised eyebrow when he opened the door all the way. Sebastian didn't know what to answer. Lupin had him confused.
"Don't worry about it, you're not the first. Come in! Dinner will be ready soon."
Sebastian hesitated first but then followed the man…, wolf…, whatever inside. The house was pretty ordinary. Only the trained eye would catch sight of the one or other wizard appliance.
There was a pot of Floo- Powder on the mantelpiece; the reading lights had no connection to the electric system, an unusual amount of candles throughout the house and an odd radio above the sink.
A Muggle would never notice. Harry should grow up knowing about the wizarding world but not be part of it. He would not be able to grow up normally because he was so famous.
Fresh vegetables boiled in a couple of pots on the stove, the table was set for three.
"Will you join us?" Lupin asked.
"That would be nice, I am not organised yet"
The werewolf showed him were to sit and turned his attention to the food. After he had put the pots on the table he went to leave the kitchen but turned around halfway.
"I am going to get Harry, now. He hasn't spoken since he is back here and if someone other than me touches him he panics. I wish you'd known him before. That is not the Harry you took away from us. I can only hope that he is not completely lost."