They'd never really noticed him before. But he had seen them. Watched them. Avoided them.
He had appeared early in the school year. A kid, sprawled out on the ground, coughing as he choked out blood. Short, honey brown hair, uneven with a curl, covered two dark chocolate eyes. He wore their uniform, though shredded, torn, and stained with crimson. A prefect had found him, brought him to the Hospital Wing.
Remus knew the most about the boy. He lay, faux-sleeping, in his Hospital Wing's bed, with a relaxing potion to help with the pain. It had been a full moon yesterday.
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He'd heard them question the boy, whom replied with short, dull answers. Blunt. Honest.
"Who are you?"
"Hermi- Hermes."
"How old are you?"
"I don't know."
"What happened to you?"
"Torture."
"Who did this?"
"Death Eaters."
"Why?"
"Harry tried to kill them. They didn't kill him, did they?" Sobs.
"Ssh, now, Dumbledore this interrogation is over for the night!"
The Boy- Hermes- had murmured names in his sleep. HarryRonTonksRemusDumbledoreRiddleTeddyGinnyMumDadNONONO
Remus started at his name, but dismissed it as a coincidence.
Next day, the two of them were released together.
"I'm Remus Lupin," he'd introduced himself.
"I know," the boy had whispered. Clearing his throat, he muttered, "Hermes."
"No surname?" Remus had joked.
"No Death Wish."
When they reached the Great Hall, the boy had walked straight up to the Staff Table, to everyone's surprised.
It seemed like he was tearing up. "Hagrid… McGonagall… Pomfrey… Sprout… Burbage.. Dumbledore… you're all dead… they killed you…" He cried. Remus slipped in beside his friends.
"Who's the crazy?" Asked James.
"Hermes."
"No surname?"
"Apparently not. He was tortured by Death Eaters."
"Oh."
"Who?" Dumbledore asked softly.
"SnapeBellatrixDolohovGreyback…" He stopped. "DeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDead…"
The named looked up.
"Knew it," James jested warily.
"It's my fault... Harry… I couldn't save him…"
Pomfrey led the seemingly delusional boy up, back into the 'Wing. The Hall resounded in a loud silence.
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They noticed him at the Slytherin table the next morning. He was crying.
Remus looked away, not planning to look again.
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But Hermes still stared.
He had haunted eyes, Remus noticed. Dark chocolate, sparkling with unshed tears. An emotional boy. Nearly feminine.
Hermes No-Name. The boy who attracted stares for a while, but did nothing to earn more. The boy who slowly disappeared into the shadows.
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He cornered the marauders once, eyes wild with craze.
"Don't trust the rat!" He begged. "Make Dumbledore the keeper! Make Sirius the Keeper! And don't let Harry go to… to them!"
Sirius had laughed at the boy. James had taken a weary step back. Peter had gulped. But Remus observed. Peter looked unreasonably worried. He wondered why.
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Remus found the boy during prefect duty, once again he was lying in a puddle of his own blood.
"Slytherins," he choked out, gurgling on blood. "Why?"
Remus wished he had an answer as he led the battered boy to the 'Wing for the third time.
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He'd sat at the boy's bedside, as there was no one else who'd bother.
"I'm sorry," the boy said.
Remus took it for gratitude at him bringing him to aid.
"It's fine-"
"You shouldn't have died," Hermes went on. "You were supposed to live a long happy life with Tonks, and Teddy. And Harry was the Godfather. He was so proud. He didn't mean to upset you, talking about James and Lily like that. Harry was just worried about Teddy. He didn't want another orphaned wizard out there, just like him."
"Why did I die, Hermes?"
"Hermes? No, that's not my name. They killed you. They knew you were spying on those other werewolves for Dumbledore and how you were working for the light, so they hit you with the killing curse. You didn't have to see Tonks die. But she had to see you. She tried to avenge you. Now Teddy's an orphan. Another sad orphan. Harry will be devastated."
"Hermes, how did you know I was a werewolf?" Remus asked, too tired to lie.
"I figured it out in third year. You told me I was the brightest witch of my age. Snape dropped a lot of hints, though."
"Snape?"
"Yes, he was making you wolfsbane. He tried to have you sacked. But you left willingly at the end of the year. Harry was sad. A sad orphan. He thought you or Sirius would take him in. The Dursleys were abusive, you know. They sometimes hit him. He used to live in a cupboard. He never got to eat much. A sad orphan."
"The Dursleys?"
"Lily's sister's family. They're horrible."
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Remus asked Lily about a 'Dursley'.
"Oh yes," Lily wrinkled her nose. "Fat, ugly, walrus of a boy. Violent, too."
He thanked her, and walked away, spooked.
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Sirius and James had him hanging from his ankle, suspended in the air.
"HELP!" He yelled, like he thought someone would save a Slytherin. Even the Slytherins themselves refused to.
Sirius barked with laughter. "Who would help a Snake?"
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The Marauders entered the Room of Requirement that day, but found it occupied.
Hermes No-Name, curled up in a ball, sobbing. The room was covered in photos. A James look-alike, though with green eyes, and a freckled red-haired boy dominated the frames. They were punching each other's shoulders, laughing.
"Can't believe you punched the bloke, Hermione!" The red-head was cackling, stuck in the moment.
"Yeah," agreed mini-James. "I've wanted to sock Malfoy forever!"
"I'm sorry, Harry," Hermes looked up, eyes glistening with tears. She didn't notice the four invaders. "I messed up big-time. I tried to save your parents. I did! I thought that saving them would save you! And you Ron! But they hate me!" He sniffed, a feminine sound, Remus noted. "I'm a Slytherin! You two would've laughed! 'The Golden Lioness' transformed to the despised snake within a month. Or, I suppose over thirty years.
"I even have to pretend to be a boy!" She stuck her tongue out. The four at the door held in gasps, and shared a long look of confusion. "I don't understand how you two handle it! I suppose you have practice, but no one ever stands up for the guy-loner." She sighed. "Sirius and your dad bully me. How were they so nice in the future?
"Dad?" Mouthed James.
"Loony," mouthed Sirius. Though he looked unsure.
Suddenly Hermes whipped 'round, wand pointed in their direction.
"Who are you?" Remus spluttered.
Her wand hand wobbled for a moment. "No one you's would care about," she hissed. She flicked her wand up. "OBLIVIATE!"
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They found him early in the school year, during prefect rounds. No blood. No fresh scars. No evidence of a brawl, or fight. The word Mudblood was carved into his arm.
Something told Remus he knew this boy. Upon visiting him, the boy opened his eyes slowly and smiled when he saw him. He said four words,
"Don't trust the rat."
And then he vanished.
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Remus Lupin stared at the girl. He knew her. Knew her as someone other than Harry's friend.
A flash of a memory. A girl, crying. Pictures of Harry and Ron. A forgetting curse. Darkness.
Then- "Don't trust the rat".
He'd forgotten. Dismissed it. He'd killed James and Lily. Indirectly, of course. But he had. The rat had won.
Hermes had appeared in the middle of the battle. Harry had vanished. Ron was somewhere, alone, in the school. One second Bellatrix was aiming a killing curse at young Ginny, and then Hermes was just… there. In the way of the curse. Ginny had screamed. A stream of green light, speeding towards her. Then Hermes's body intercepted the curse. With a heart-wrenching shriek, he collapsed.
Ginny ran to the body, tears running down sooty cheeks. She kneeled beside the body, laying a hand on the boy's forehead. And the body slowly morphed. There was the sound of bones crunching, and Hermes grew shorter on the ground. His hair grew, bushy with a kink, covering his face. Lips became larger. Lashes grew. The glamor had worn out.
Slowly, and shakily, Ginny brushed the hair out of her face. Again, she cried out.
And Hermione smiled up at her, brown eyes unseeing, lips curled into a smile.
