Ashes of a Phoenix

    Harry and Ron walked down stairs to Percy's room. Percy was no longer living there as a result of an argument between him and his father. Mr. Weasley had put his foot down. 'No son of mine is going to work for that blithering idiot Fudge. Can't believe he said the Diggory boy died in a Quidditch accident."

   Harry was being very quiet not knowing what to say. Ron was like his big brother. And you didn't want your brother to know that you still cried to mother when you got scared. Ron didn't think Harry was scared of anything. To his mind anyone who could talk to a twenty-foot tall spider and not wet his pants had nothing to fear.

   " So, how's it been rooming with Remus," asked Harry.

   "Wicked," said Ron excitedly," He's way better than Fred and George. But he still won't say a thing about how he became an Animagus. All he keeps teaching me are defenses against werewolves and Patronus spells to stop dementors. Weird, huh?"

  " Why do you care how he became an Animagus," asked Harry pointedly," It's not like we'd ever be able to pull it off."

   " Of course we could. Remember that time Hermione nearly turned herself into a cat and even Wormtail managed to do it and Remus said that he was the worst student in their year," said Ron excitedly.

   " Yes but if you remember, Hermione couldn't turn back into a person afterwards. And Wormtail had lots of help from my dad. He was the head boy," said Harry.

  " I wouldn't go spreading that around if I were you. Besides we've got Hermione," said Ron.

  Harry rolled his eyes," There is no way Hermione would help us with anything that dangerous."

    Hermione stuck her head out from around the bedroom door," Help you with what," she asked," I've been waiting with Profes… I mean Remus for twenty minutes."

  Her hair was now shiny,straight, and a deep chocolate color. Mrs. Weasley had given her and Ginny makeovers for the new school year.

    Much to the boys disappointment tonight was mostly lecture and about Remus' favorite topic: Defense against werewolves.

   " But Remus," whined Ron after two hours," It's not like we can carry a pot of herbs around with us all the time and even if we could we'd never have time to make a potion anyway. Besides most werewolves probably aren't dangerous at all-I mean with all the new treatments and everything, right?"

   Remus looked up in astonishment at the boy's ignorance. Flashing back on the children's third year at Hogwarts. Remus felt the moon rising and incredible hunger for the first time since he was a young boy, before the potion had been discovered, when werewolves were something to be shot not treated. He looked down at the red haired boy; the boy was in his class. He struggled to remember the boy's name but couldn't. You didn't name your food. The boy's leg was twisted and broken. He'd never get away. "Remus" a voice yelled. It was Sirius Black his old school friend. 'Sorry' he'd said I forgot to take my medication. But part of him wasn't sorry at all. The medication made his transformations dull and draining instead of the freeing experience it could be. No that was wrong. He ran away in a panic. Luckily he met with no more people that night but he knew. He confessed what had happened to Snape knowing what the outcome would be, although he missed his life at Hogwarts terribly.

   Remus looked up. His three former students were backing away from him in alarm and he realized he was growling. He smiled to reassure them.

   "It never hurts to be prepared, Ron," he said lightly. He then turned and walked calmly upstairs.

   " Way to get a chap to do his homework," Ron said in a squeaky voice.

   Harry and Hermione just stared at each other grimly. They sometimes forgot that their favorite teacher was a werewolf and when they didn't they didn't really think about what it meant. Remus was still Remus no matter what, right? The three of them spent the rest of the night studying and finished two chapters that hadn't even been assigned.