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Chapter 3

"Hi, Harry," Neville greeted him, joining him on a bench at the Gryffindor Table. Harry nodded his head absentmindedly; his attention was focused on the most recent copy of the Daily Prophet. To his surprise, the main article wasn't about him but Professor Lupin. It was the only reason why the newspaper caught his attention, though as he continued reading it, he started regretting more and more his decision. His face was becoming paler and paler as he devoured the lines of text while his breakfast remained untouched on his plate. On the front page was Moony's photo with the greatest collection of lies Harry had ever seen in one place.

Have you seen this man?

The man in the picture, at face value friendly and sympathetic, is, in fact, a dangerous criminal.

You've read correctly, my dear readers, the former teacher at Hogwarts, is a dangerous criminal.

Now, you may be asking yourselves how this reporter came up with such accusations and why is she presenting it only now? Let me explain.

Remus John Lupin, age thirty-four, one year ago began his carrier as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Board of Governors approved his application, and on September the first, R. J. Lupin started teaching your children. At first, everything seemed to be going incredibly well – the children were fascinated with the new polite and calm teacher. In fact, many called him the best teacher they had ever had. Seeing as those statements came from students themselves, it's almost impossible to ask for higher praise during one's first year at work, isn't it?

Unfortunately, as we've found out, R. J. Lupin's friendly attitude towards the students and other teachers was nothing but a masquerade. As you all surely remember, over one year ago, the notorious mass murderer – Sirius Black – fled from Azkaban. Now, you may ask yourselves, why is that important? I hasten to explain.

From numerous anonymous sources, this reporter has found out that Sirius Black, Remus John Lupin, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew were all close friends during their time at Hogwarts. It is said that they all were like brothers ever since their first year, all the way down to graduation. Still, it didn't stop Sirius Black from betraying James Potter and his wife – Lily – to You-Know-Who, which resulted in the death of the young married couple thirteen years ago. Then, he brutally murdered his second friend – Peter Pettigrew. As I'm sure you all remember this story, only a finger remained after the poor boy.

This leads us to the most important question of this article – where was R. J. Lupin when those events occurred? Some may suggest that he hid from the mass murderer, though there are some interesting facts that suggest otherwise. After Potters' and Pettigrew's deaths, Lupin was nowhere to be found until he decided to reveal himself at the same time when Black escaped from Azkaban. And he started teaching at Hogwarts, no less! Some may say that it is a coincidence, but this reporter believes otherwise.

One person from Hogwarts, who asked to remain anonymous, informed us that they suspected Lupin to be helping Black in getting past the Dementors and entering Hogwarts. Now, you may ask yourselves why did he try to do that? The answer is simple:

HARRY JAMES POTTER.

That's right, my dear readers, you haven't misread. It was Black's goal to finish what he started twelve years earlier with his betrayal of the Potter family. Let me remind you that when You-Know-Who was defeated, Black lost everything, and the only thing that kept him going through all these years was his lust for revenge. And that's where R. J. Lupin comes in. While it's speculative if he was engaged in Black's escape from Azkaban, there is no room for argument that he aided his old friend in getting inside of Hogwarts and, eventually, to Harry Potter himself.

And it is confirmed that the two were trying to kill the Boy-Who-Lived. The two old friends, reunited by their common lust for revenge, stood against a mere boy. While we know for certain that Mr. Potter got out of this dangerous confrontation alive, another interesting fact saw the light of the day. Namely, Remus John Lupin is an unregistered werewolf.

Unfortunately, you've read that correctly, my dear readers. The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was, and still is, a werewolf. There is no doubt that if he was registered, the Board of Governors wouldn't allow him so close to our children. We can only be grateful that nothing worse has happened, although I'm pretty sure there were many opportunities for a disaster to happen. This reporter asked Minister for Magic, Cornelius O. Fudge, for comment in this matter:

"I sadly must admit that I remained unaware of Remus Lupin's condition. The fact that he kept his affliction hidden for such a very long time forces only one question: what else has this man hidden from the world? I have little to no doubts that he conspired with the mass murderer Sirius Black and, most likely, even helped him to escape from Azkaban. I don't think it would be an overstatement to say that these two are responsible for the attack during the Quidditch World Cup, as well. As it is my duty to protect our society from anyone even remotely dangerous, I hereby order R. J. Lupin to be arrested on sight. If needed, self-defense is allowed, or even advised."

A word of warning, my dearest readers: the current whereabout of both Remus John Lupin and Sirius Black remain unknown, and it is possible that the two are staying together at this moment. It is why we advise you to always carry your wands with you and remain vigilant. Also, if you spot either of these two men, report it immediately to the Aurors.

For a story about the tragedy of Peter Pettigrew and the Potters, see pages nine, ten, and eleven.

For a story about the mass murderer Sirius Black, see pages five and six.

Harry put the copy of the Daily Prophet on the table in front of him; his appetite suddenly abandoned him. He corrected his glasses before sighing heavily. Is she really getting paid for writing such bullshit? He asked himself, noticing Skeeter's signature below the article. Sirius' words from the night before started making sense in Harry's mind at that point. And he also realized why Professor Lupin wasn't answering him for the past few months. He crumpled up his copy of the Daily Prophet.

"Something wrong?" Neville asked him, seeing his odd reaction to the article he has just read. Only then did Harry remember that he wasn't sitting alone at the table. He had to admit he was surprised by his sudden presence when he joined him during the breakfast. He shook his head in response, not wanting to explain in detail what had occurred at the ending of their third year.

"Nothing," Harry mumbled, pushing the plate away from himself. The eggs and bacon he put on for himself were staring at him accusingly, but his appetite was reduced to nothing after reading Skeeter's article.

"Ron was saying something today," Neville said after a few seconds of silence. "That you were talking with someone tonight in the Common Room," he informed him. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I bet he said that I was consulting with my friend who helped me enter the Tournament," he replied, stabbing the bacon with a fork. He stared at the meat with no intention of eating it. "Excuse me," Harry said after a few seconds of silence. He dropped the fork, which fell with a loud clattering sound on the plate, and stood up hastily from the bench, leaving Neville alone. He grabbed his copy of the Daily Prophet before leaving the Great Hall.

Without realizing it, his feet started carrying him to the second floor, to Myrtle's Bathroom. Glancing around, he made sure no one was following him. After a few seconds, though, he realized that Daphne Greengrass was, most likely, following him. After all, she said it herself that she would like to speak to him more if he decided to enter the Chamber of Secrets again. However, the Slytherin Girl was nowhere to be found. Shrugging his shoulders, Harry entered the lavatory and approached the sink.

Using Parseltongue, he opened the entrance, ignoring Moaning Myrtle's comments. As soon as the sink sunk, Harry jumped in, sliding down into the Basilisk's Lair.

"Lumos," Harry whispered after landing at the bottom. The tip of his wand lit up, and a small circular chamber became visible. Bones littered the floor and each of his steps was accompanied by a crunching sound as the skulls of small animals broke beneath his shoes. The crumpled-up copy of the Daily Prophet was crackling in his hand.

Harry walked through the maze, illuminating the path in front of him. In opposite to his first visit in the Chamber, that time he knew the way to the Basilisk's corpse perfectly well. He followed the twisting corridors, turning left or right every now and then until he reached the end of the tunnel.

The sound of his footsteps echoed across the Chamber. In the otherwise deadly silent room, this sound seemed so loud that it could very well awaken the dead. Harry glanced at the large skeleton, making sure that it wasn't the case. Luckily for him, the Basilisk was still dead, and nothing indicated that it would change in the near future.

"Vingardium Leviosa," Harry spoke the incantation, watching as the ball of paper started levitating above the ground. "Incendio," he whispered. Sparks shot out from the tip of his wand, heading directly at the already destroyed copy of the Daily Prophet. The paper caught fire immediately, lightening up the darkness around him and providing at least a minimal amount of heat in the Chamber. Flames danced on the ball of paper, slowly consuming it. Harry watched as the article about Professor Lupin and his godfather slowly ceased to exist. He wished that he could do that to every single copy of the latest Daily Prophet. He squatted down, wrapping his arms around his knees for support.

His mind began wondering how all of that was even possible. Why the man responsible for the death of his parents was walking freely and was considered to be a hero? Why did he have the Order of Merlin, First Class, while his godfather and Professor Lupin had to hide like criminals, even though they were innocent? He huffed angrily, sending another Incendio at the newspaper, causing it to burn faster. How is this all happening at once? He wondered, wiping his face with his hands.

"Didn't like the latest article?" Daphne asked from behind his back. Somewhat unwillingly, Harry smirked. He was correct in his assumption that Greengrass would follow him down once again, even though he hasn't seen her when he was entering Myrtle's Bathroom.

"You could say that," he muttered without turning around; his eyes were still focused on the destroyed ball of paper. He more felt than saw Daphne squatting down next to him.

"Why?" she queried, directing the entire strength of her gaze onto him. Harry closed his eyes, breathing in heavily. An odor of rotten flesh and sewers filled his nostrils. He coughed a few times, but he didn't answer. "Is it because of what Skeeter wrote about Professor Lupin?" she pressed on. Slowly, Harry nodded his head.

"It was just a load of nonsense," Harry muttered, staring at the remnants of the newspaper.

"Care to explain?" Daphne insisted. "I mean, if I recall correctly, he is an unregistered werewolf. Or, at least, was."

"Except for that," Harry agreed. "And the part that he was… my parents' friend."

"And Black's?"

"Yeah… that too," he muttered. "But he isn't a Death Eater, though. He didn't try to murder me, and he most certainly didn't help Sirius Black to get to me."

"Really?" Daphne countered. She turned her head to look at him; one of her eyebrows was raised. "Because from what I remember, it was confirmed that Professor Lupin has attacked you while he was in his other form."

"That was an accident. He didn't do that on purpose."

"And Black was there as well," she continued. Harry sighed heavily. Snape, he realized. He was the only one present there who could have said anything.

"Yeah," he confirmed, seeing where she was going with this.

"So?" Daphne asked. "So far, everything checks out with what was written in the Prophet. Then tell me, why do you think it was 'just a load of nonsense,'" she said with her usual smirk. Harry rolled his eyes.

Because Pettigrew is alive, and he is the one who betrayed my parents to Voldemort. Sirius and Professor Lupin only wanted to catch him to avenge my mom and dad, he answered in his thoughts, but he didn't dare to say these words loudly. It was one thing to state that the latest article in the Prophet was a lie, but proving it was something else entirely. After all, it was hard for him, Ron, and Hermione to believe that Pettigrew is alive, even though they've all seen him in the Shrieking Shack. How much more difficult would it be for Daphne to believe it?

"Never mind," he muttered, refusing to look at her. He couldn't endanger his godfather by revealing such a vulnerable piece of information to someone who quite recently was a complete stranger to him. Daphne huffed in response, correcting her hair that was falling on her face.

They sat there in silence, observing as the flames were finishing devouring the newspaper. Every now and then, a small piece of paper would drop from the ball and fall on the ground; the water on the tiles was extinguishing the fire immediately after contact.

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered after a few minutes of silence. Once again, Daphne turned her head to look at him, raising one of her eyebrows in the process.

"For what?"

"For what I've said yesterday," he clarified, scratching the back of his head. "I was angry with you," he admitted. "But then, after I've returned to the Common Room, I realized you were right," he whispered shamefully. "I mean, I've always thought they were my closest friends, but now… I'm wondering if I've ever known them at all," he explained, causing Daphne to nod her head in understanding. Harry smirked suddenly. "They were angry with me because Hermione caught us studying together," he added, earning himself a huff from the Slytherin girl.

"Ah, the tragedy of a broken heart," she whined mockingly, putting both of her hands over her heart. Harry couldn't hold back the chuckle. He shook his head a few times to calm down a little. "Apologies accepted, Potter," Daphne said, causing him to nod his head in a silent 'thank you.' "But I still don't like you," she added quickly.

"What?" Harry asked, taken by surprise. His eyebrows were furrowed as he stared at the girl without understanding. "Why?"

Daphne turned her head to look him straight in the eyes. "For figuring out that potion before me," she informed him simply. Harry stared at her for a few seconds in bewilderment before chuckling slightly. It didn't take long for the chuckle to turn into full laughter.

"Are you serious?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Do I look like I'm laughing, Potter?" she replied with a question of her own, causing him to chuckle again.

"Sorry, it's just… I think that's exactly how Hermione would react, to be honest," he said, shaking his head once again. Daphne huffed at that, directing her attention to her fingernails. Harry's smile slowly faded away from his lips upon mentioning his friend. Or rather, a former friend, he corrected himself, staring absentmindedly at the remnants of the newspaper. The ball that used to be the copy of the Daily Prophet was not bigger than a fist at that point. It wouldn't be long before it disappeared entirely.

"You've never told me what happened here," Daphne said, breaking the silence after a while. Harry blinked a few times in surprise; he realized that he had forgotten about the presence of the Slytherin girl, too occupied by his own thoughts. He nodded his head in agreement, scratching the back of his head. "And I would like to compare the rumors to your version of what happened here," she added.

"There's not much to talk about," he murmured, looking around the Chamber. The events that occurred a year and a half earlier suddenly came back to his mind.

"Of course," Daphne said. "And that carcass is just an intricate decoration of this place," she commented, pointing at the Basilisk's skeleton. Harry could clearly hear mockery in her voice. He chuckled slightly.

"Maybe you could tell me what the rumors actually were?" he suggested. "I think I've never actually heard them. Maybe except for the one that I was supposed to be the Slytherin's heir," Harry added quickly.

"Yeah, we've had quite an interesting debate about it in our Common Room," Daphne informed him, causing Harry to chuckle again. "Especially after you've revealed yourself to be a Parselmouth when that serpent started approaching Fletchley. But it was nothing compared to the fact that sometime after that, he was found petrified," she said, earning herself a groan from Harry. "What? You wanted me to tell you what the rumors were, so don't complain now, Potter. I think the only one in our House who didn't believe that you were behind the attacks was Malfoy, to be honest."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah," Daphne replied, nodding her head. "I must admit I believed those rumors for a short while, but it didn't last long."

"What made you change your mind?" Harry queried, turning his head to look at her. Daphne shrugged her shoulders.

"The fact that Granger was attacked as well," she revealed. "It really didn't take a genius to notice that she was special to you. And despite the fact that I didn't really know you back then, I wasn't willing to believe that you would turn out to be such a bastard to do something like that to someone who was your friend. Malfoy had a different reason, though – jealousy."

"Jealousy?" Harry repeated, wanting to make sure that he heard her correctly. Daphne nodded her head.

"He really couldn't stand the fact that people were willing to believe that you were the Slytherin's heir. In some way, you have stolen his spotlight in our House. Especially after that duel between you two and your hidden talent seeing the light of the day," she said, correcting her hair. Harry couldn't help chuckling again. That really sounded like Malfoy's possible reaction. "Then, it was said that you, Weasley, and Professor Lockhart went down here and rescued the youngest Weasley," Daphne recited the official version of the events, causing Harry to roll his eyes in annoyance at the mention of Lockhart's name. "Then, Dumbledore announced that our dearest DADA Professor suffered such terrible damage during the battle that he had to be immediately transported to St. Mungo's, where he resides to this day, requiring constant medical attention. How much of the official version checks out with what truly happened here?" she asked, turning her head to look at him.

"Not that much," he replied. "When we found out that Ginny has been taken down here, Ron and I went to get Professor Lockhart to help us. But when we've arrived at his office, we caught him in the middle of packing his things – he wanted to run away as soon as possible," Harry recalled what happened at the end of their second year, shaking his head in disbelief. "We forced him to accompany us down here, and after reaching the Chamber, he tried to obliviate us. Ron and I had much luck to be honest because Lockhart tried using his wand, which was broken. The spell backfired and obliviated him instead of us. We got separated because the roof of the tunnel, leading further down into the Chamber, collapsed after Lockhart's spell. Ron stayed behind and tried to clear the passage while I went to find Ginny," he recalled. "She was lying over there," he said, pointing his finger at the middle of the Chamber. Daphne nodded her head silently. "She was possessed by some strange diary that took control over her," Harry informed her, deciding not to share with the Slytherin the fact that it was Voldemort's. "I think that the Basilisk treated Ginny as its property and wasn't going to let me take her away from here."

"Judging by that carcass over there, I assume you've killed it," Daphne commented. "Though I doubt that all you did was just casting an Expelliarmus or Reducto to get rid of this thing, so I would appreciate it if you told me how you've killed that beast."

Harry breathed in heavily. "I didn't do it alone," he started, causing Daphne to raise an eyebrow at him in surprise. "Dumbledore's Phoenix – Fawkes – helped me," Harry informed her after noticing her questioning expression. "I don't know how it got here, but it picked the Basilisk's eyes, saving me from its gaze. Fawkes also brought with himself the Sword of Gryffindor," Harry recalled, wondering if Daphne was believing him at all. She wasn't saying anything, and it could mean everything. He had to admit to himself that this story sounded somewhat ridiculous as he recounted it. "I used it to kill the Basilisk, and then, with one of its fangs, I stabbed the cursed diary, releasing Ginny from whatever it was that was holding her. That's all," he finished, shrugging his shoulders. Daphne nodded her head a few times.

"I think you've kept something from me, Potter," she commented after a moment of silence. "But I still appreciate your honesty," she added quickly before Harry could say something in response. "I mean, the whole story sounds ridiculous," she confirmed his worries, causing him to roll his eyes. "To the point that I doubt anyone would be crazy enough to play it by ear, so that leaves only one possibility – it truly happened," Daphne clarified. "But I still hope you'll tell me the whole story one day," she added.

"Maybe," he replied, sighing loudly. He stood up, stretching his legs and back that became sore due to staying in the uncomfortable position for too long; Daphne mimicked his movements. The small ball that used to be his copy of the Daily Prophet burned entirely, leaving very little residue and ashes.

"So, you did keep something from me," Daphne commented.

"And would you tell me everything about your past if I asked you to?" Harry countered, looking at her questioningly. "No offense, Greengrass, but you're still little more than stranger to me, and there are things I haven't told even Ron and Hermione," he said, stretching his back again. Daphne nodded her head slowly.

"Fair point," she commented. "Then, apparently, I'll have to wait for you to start trusting me. Good thing I'm patient."

Harry huffed slightly. "Please remind me, why are you suddenly so interested in me? We have never talked for three years, after all."

"I've already told you, you are a mystery that I'd like to solve," she replied, shrugging her shoulders. "Consider it a… curiosity of mine." Harry huffed again.

"Won't anyone be suspicious about you disappearing so suddenly?" he asked, suddenly changing the topic. "I mean, I'm pretty sure my absence up there has already been noticed," he clarified.

"People are quite used to me being a… loner, so I don't believe anyone would bother with me disappearing for a short period of time," Daphne replied, crossing her arms on her chest. "I think they would only notice if I missed a class," she added. Harry looked at her with a small smirk.

"This day is getting stranger and stranger," he commented, earning himself a surprised look from the Slytherin girl. "It's a second or third time today the infamous Ice Queen has said a joke," he clarified. Daphne glared at him, letting out a shriek of rightful indignation.

"Have I laughed, Potter?" she countered, continuing to glare at him. Harry chuckled in response, shaking his head.

"No, but you made me laugh," he replied. "And, as far as I know, that's a definition of a joke."

"I shall be more careful next time, then," she commented, heading towards the exit of the Chamber of Secrets. "Are you going to tell me what annoyed so much in today's article in the Daily Prophet?" she asked, suddenly changing the topic, hoping to catch him off guard.

"No," Harry replied immediately, following her to the exit. Daphne huffed in response and hastened her pace.

I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. As always, feel free to leave a suggestion, and let me know what you thought about this one. I'm sorry if the pace of the story is slow, but as I've said, I want to really focus on the development of their friendship to make it more realistic and palpable, and that's why I'm taking things slowly at the moment. See you next time.