"First Day Back"

STANDARD DISCLAIMER: All but two of these characters belong to J.K. Rowling, and I'm not profiting from this in any way (except for the boost to my ego when I read good reviews...!).

Chapter 2

Afternoon Classes

"Good afternoon, everyone!" Professor Lupin greeted them cheerfully as they filed into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. "I hope you all had a wonderful summer." There were noncommittal murmurs of assent as the students found their seats.
"He doesn't look as shabby this year," Pansy Parkinson sneered to her friends. "Maybe he married the Muggle for her money!" Malfoy glared at her. "Oh I'm sorry, Malfoy!" she exclaimed in a tone of mock regret. "Did I insult your new girlfriend?"
"Shut up, Parkinson," he snapped.
"Trouble in paradise," Ron murmured. Harry snorted. The bell rang.
"All right then," Professor Lupin said, leaning back against the chalkboard as though he felt tired. "We'll begin straightaway with Dangerous Magical Creatures." He picked up a piece of chalk. "Who can tell me what you should do when confronted with a werewolf?" There was a moment of stunned silence. "Anyone?" An apprehensive murmur went through the class. Even the Slytherins looked embarrassed by the prospect of answering his question. "Oh come on!" Professor Lupin said, sounding exasperated. "Surely SOMEONE must know what to do when you see a werewolf!"
"Run like hell!" Ron blurted out. A few people laughed uneasily, but Professor Lupin was nodding and smiling.
"All right," he agreed cheerfully, seeming oblivious to the suddenly charged atmosphere of the classroom. He turned and wrote Run on the chalkboard. "What else?"
"Kill it like the filthy animal it is!" Malfoy offered venomously. Professor Lupin's eyebrows went up, but he wrote Kill it on the chalkboard without comment. However, Malfoy wasn't content to stop there. "Stabbing it with a sterling silver knife works best… or shooting it with silver bullets. My father made me read up on killing werewolves this summer," he went on in a smug tone. "Just in case it would be useful." Everyone - many Slytherins included - was gaping at Malfoy, shocked by his audacity and appalled by his words. "My father believes in being prepared," Malfoy continued, giving Lupin a malicious smile.
"Hmm." Professor Lupin said, sounding thoughtful. "So you've got your silver knife and your gun here with you at school, have you?" Malfoy looked taken aback.
"Er, no…" he admitted. "But - "
"Well you wouldn't make it in the Boy Scouts, would you Malfoy?" Lupin asked cheerfully. Everyone laughed as Malfoy's face reddened. "All right then," Lupin continued. "What else?" To everyone's surprise, Neville's hand went up. "Neville?"
"The… uh… the Homorphus Charm," he suggested, looking surprised at himself for being able to recall the answer.
"Very good, Neville!" Lupin praised, looking pleased. "And what does that charm do?" Neville looked blank. Hermione's hand shot up. "Hermione?" Lupin said.
"It forces the werewolf to turn back into human form," Hermione answered in that smug, know-it-all tone she frequently employed.
"There's no such thing as the Homorphus Charm," Ron told her scornfully, unable to resist the opportunity to deflate her ego a bit. "Lockhart made that up." Harry snorted and rolled his eyes at the mention of their former teacher.
"Actually," Lupin said as he wrote Homorphus Charm on the blackboard, "he didn't."
"Really?" Harry asked, surprised. "But if he didn't make it up, why don't you - " He broke off in mid-question, suddenly thinking better of what he had planned to ask.
"Well, Harry, while several wizards have had success with it, I've never seen it work myself," Lupin explained, smiling ruefully.
"Oh," Harry said, looking embarrassed.
"It's all right, Harry," Lupin assured him. "Never be afraid to ask questions. Asking questions is the only way to learn. Evidently, the Homorphus Charm only works if the wizard or witch who's using it isn't distracted or frightened at the time. And," he continued, "for reasons we don't understand, it doesn't work if the werewolf has taken the Wolfsbane Potion. So you can imagine that it's mostly ineffective." Everyone nodded. "All right then," Lupin said. "You will spend the rest of this class period in the library researching defenses against werewolves, and tomorrow you will hand in one parchment on the subject." Everyone groaned. Lupin's eyebrows went up. "Is there a problem with that deadline?" he asked. They all nodded eagerly, certain that their good-natured professor would extend the assignment. Lupin sighed. "Well then, you can turn in your assignment tonight. Bring it to my quarters two hours after dinner."
"But… uh… that's not really what we had in mind, Professor Lupin," Ron told him.
"That's unfortunate," Lupin told him cheerfully. "You should have stuck with your first choice, hmm?" His pale, blue-rimmed wolf's eyes swept over the class, and the students fell silent. "I've heard it said among members of staff that my students tend to take advantage of my understanding nature," he continued in a quiet voice. "And I've been told not to allow it this year." Ron opened his mouth to say something, but Harry stopped him.
"Leave it," he told Ron. "Or we'll end up with it due before class even began today!"

"Potions is next," Hermione told them as they left the library. Neville groaned.
"I'd rather stay in the library and write TEN parchments about werewolves for Lupin than go to Potions!" he exclaimed.
"I'm not really looking forward to it myself," Harry agreed.
"D'you reckon Snape missed us over the summer?" Ron asked. The others turned to stare at him in disbelief. "Come on, what other joy does he have in life besides torturing US?" Neville groaned again.
"Well, this is it," he said when they reached the Potions classroom. They hung back when they saw Snape standing behind his desk, talking quietly to a startlingly pretty, dark-haired Ravenclaw seventh year. She stood before him with her head down, looking as though she might begin crying at any minute.
"So you see, Hathaway, you simply must pay the strictest attention to the order of the ingredients for this potion," they heard Snape tell her. "Otherwise, you end up with an unpleasantly corrosive mixture, as you discovered this afternoon." She nodded, wiping her eyes and sniffling. "You might as well throw away your cauldron," he continued. "It's not going to be much good to you after today's little misadventure." Harry, Hermione, and Neville exchanged surprised looks; what on Earth had come over Snape? He seemed so… well… tolerant of the girl's failure!
"Very pretty, isn't she?" Ron mused, smiling knowingly at the others.
"Oh Ron, you don't think he… he… fancies her, do you?" Hermione asked, sounding shocked.
"Why not?" Ron shrugged. "He's only human, after all."
"I don't know about that," Neville muttered. Harry laughed.
"It's just that I've always been interested in a career in potion brewing," they heard the girl telling Snape. "I am planning sit for the Potions Master exam after I graduate. Making a big, stupid mistake like that is just so discouraging!"
"Look at him," Ron continued gleefully, watching Snape come around from behind his desk to lay a comforting hand on the sniffling girl's shoulder. "He's practically turning into another Lupin!"
"I shouldn't worry too much about it, my dear," Snape was saying. He walked her to the door, his hand still on her shoulder. Harry and his friends backed away, knowing that Snape would be enraged if he became aware that they were witnessing this little scene. "Everyone makes mistakes now and again. You've done excellent work in my class - in fact, you're one of the finest students I've ever had. I'll write you a letter of recommendation for the examination and I'm sure they'll accept you."
"Oh WOULD you?" she asked, looking up at him and beaming gratefully.
"It would be my pleasure," he told her, one hand still resting on her shoulder.
"Thank you SO much, Professor Snape!" she said brightly, grabbing his free hand and squeezing it gratefully. "You've made my day!" The bell rang. "I've got to go - I'm late for Divination. Thanks again!" As Snape watched her hurry down the hall, an odd expression passed over his face. It seemed to be a mixture of longing and regret.
"Hello, Professor Snape," Malfoy said as he approached up the hallway with Parkinson, Crabbe and Goyle in tow. "It's so nice to come to a class that has a competent instructor for a change." Malfoy's fawning voice brought Snape out of his little reverie.
"Malfoy. Parkinson. Crabbe. Goyle." He glanced at his watch. "You're all late," he snapped. "Five points each from Slytherin." The Slytherins looked astonished. Malfoy's obsequious smile died on his lips.
"You know, Neville," Hermione said slowly. "I've just had an idea. And if it works, you won't have to worry about Snape or Potions at all for the rest of the year!"
"What is it?" Neville asked eagerly. Hermione grinned wickedly.
"You'll see," she said as they followed Snape into his classroom.
"All right class," Snape said. "Time to begin. Get out your cauldrons and turn to page 53 in your Potions text. There you will see the recipe for the Joy Potion." His voice took on a vaguely disapproving tone as he continued. "This potion causes a person to feel extremely happy for several hours. You will brew this potion and then you will drink it." There were several audible gulps from around the classroom. Snape smiled thinly, then continued. "Many of you will be pleased to learn that the only consequence of drinking an incorrectly brewed Joy Potion is a rather bad stomachache." His glittering black eyes fixed on Neville. "Seeing Longbottom at dinner this evening would be quite a surprise." Neville flushed scarlet and ducked his head. "Now then," Snape said. "You have an hour and thirty minutes. You may begin."
"Don't worry, Neville," Hermione whispered. "I have some Alka-Seltzer back in the dorm."
"Thanks for the encouragement!" Neville shot back. Harry smiled and got to work on his Joy Potion.

CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 3, "Evening"…