Disclaimer: I don't own it.
A/N: Right, here it is. Part 9. Wow. And what really astonishes me is that I have a plotline after all.
^_^ How amazing is that?
GinnyPotter: You're still in my good graces, don't worry. It was a perfectly legitimate question, and I
am not in the least wanting you to think I'm angry with you--you weren't the only one to ask, after all,
and I'm actually glad someone pointed it out to me. I tend to forget about stuff like that when I'm
coordinating all of the other details into the plot...Visiting my site would be nice, though, if you're
up to it...^_^
Ooookay, on to the fic:
Lost - Part 9
by Veralidaine
Harry dragged a rather nervous Ron out of the North Tower and towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts
classroom, hoping that once removed from the fogginess and perfumed smoke, their minds would clear.
Surely Professor Trelawney was being her usual ridiculous self, and this meant nothing. Well, Harry
HOPED that this meant nothing...
Ron looked rather pale, and kept shaking his head, looking pensive. When they finally arrived at the
Defense Classroom, Professor Lupin was running late, and Hermione had already saved their table. The
two boys sat down on either side of her, and Harry looked at Ron pointedly. Ron gulped.
"Is something wrong?" Hermione asked, puzzled.
"Well," Ron muttered, "we were just in Trelawney's class, and she made a prediction..."
"Oh, not AGAIN," Hermione sighed. "Look, however she's decided Harry's going to die this year--"
"She said you were."
"Me?" Hermione said, and Harry couldn't help noticing that her voice sounded a little less confident--
but only a little. "Well, that's ridiculous. Harry's still here, isn't he? And she said he'd die, didn't
she?"
Yes, Hermione was obviously still skeptical, but after the summer she'd had, Harry could tell that she
was pretty shaken up. Though she wouldn't ever admit it, he knew she was actually contemplating whether
or not to believe Trelawney's prediction. He sighed.
"You're...probably right," Ron said quietly. "I--We just were a little worried."
"Well, I'm glad you care," she said, smiling lopsidedly at them both, "but you needn't worry. I'm not
going to just kick the bucket right here."
Ron sighed and glanced at Harry over Hermione's head, and Harry nodded. She was probably right; they
were most likely being silly about this. And yet...For some reason, Harry had the distinct feeling in
the pit of his stomach that something wasn't right, and that perhaps, for once, Trelawney might be
right...
***
Ron looked up as Professor Lupin entered the classroom. A few students couldn't stop staring at him, now
that they knew he was a werewolf, but Lupin seemed to be putting forth a valiant effort to ignore it. He
walked to the front of his desk and leaned back on it, surveying his class. "Hello, again. You might
remember me from third year; I think I taught most of you."
Dean Thomas raised his hand, and Lupin called on him. "Professor, is it true that you're a werewolf?"
Lupin sighed, obviously having known this would be the main topic of today's lessons. "Yes, I am."
Dean grinned. "Cool."
Lupin fought a laugh. "Thank you, Dean. On to more important things...Let's start off with roll call."
He proceeded to call out the familiar names, obviously knowing them anyway, and then stacked the heap of
parchment on his desk and looked at them all again. "This year, we'll be working with the most advanced
Defense possible. I do believe you've all been taught about the Unforgiveable Curses?"
Ron glanced at Harry in time to see his eyes go rather blank. He sighed, feeling sorry for his friend.
Year after year, Harry had to go through the same torment in Defense class. Ron knew, for one, that HE
wouldn't want to keep going over the way his parents had died, if he'd been in that position.
"Good. We're going to be working with defending oneself from dark wizards. We've covered creatures, and
I daresay you're getting your fill of defending yourselves from them in Care of Magical Creatures?"
"Are we EVER..." Seamus muttered, causing some members of the class to laugh.
"Well," Professor Lupin continued, "we all know that with the recent threat of Death Eaters--" Ron
noticed Hermione shiver "--we must know how to properly defend ourselves, and those we love, to the best
of our ability. Professor Dumbledore has asked me to help teach this class, as I was an auror during the
first rising."
Ron raised an eyebrow. Lupin had been an auror? Well, that was a new bit of information...
The rest of the class was mostly discussion of what they were to study. By the sounds of it, Ron
thought, EVERYTHING...From sending curses to blocking them, and what "cancels them out." He noticed that
Hermione, who usually was quite eager to learn new and important topics like this, mostly stared at her
desktop and didn't raise her hand very often.
Just before the bell rang, Professor Lupin stopped by their table, and cleared his throat to get their
attention. "Harry?"
Harry looked up from packing up his supplies. "Yes?"
"I'd like a word, if you would, after lunch? I've got a staff meeting now..."
"Sure," Harry said. "Should I come to your office?"
"That would be fine," Lupin said, and went back to his desk, packing up his supplies in his tattered old
briefcase.
Ron shot Harry a sideways look. "What was that all about?"
Harry shrugged. "Probably something to do with the fact that I'm me, don't you think? Isn't it always?"
Ron smiled grimly and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Buck up, Harry. We'll all manage somehow...We
always do, don't we?"
Harry sighed. "Yep. Thanks. Let's get to potions, then."
Ron turned around to see if Hermione was done packing. She had crammed all of her supplies in her bag,
but was still sitting and staring at the desktop. "'Mione?"
Her head snapped up. "Hm? Oh, time for potions, isn't it? Sorry..." She hurriedly stood up, dropping
half her books in the process, and Ron bent down and helped her pick them up.
"Are you going to be okay?"
"Sure, I'm fine. Everything's fine. I'm okay," she said quickly, in a rather higher voice than usual.
"You're lying," Ron stated quietly, stacking her books on the desk and straightening.
She looked up at him. "I..."
"We'll talk about it later," Ron muttered. "C'mon, let's get to Potions." He helped her up and they
followed Harry out the door.
Ron was the first to enter the dungeon where they usually had potions, and his mouth dropped open in
shock. It was...bright...and airy...and so...so un-Snape-ish.
The small windows near the stone ceiling had been opened, allowing the cool autumn air to filter into
the dungeons, making it a much more fresh, less-dank atmosphere. Now everyone's attention had been drawn
to this, and it wasn't until Dean Thomas cleared his throat loudly that they turned to see a rather
short woman standing up in front of the class. Everyone immediately became silent and turned in their
seats to face her. Of course, Harry, Ron, and Hermione recognized her from the train.
Professor McLellan sighed, and gave them a half-smile. "Right, I'm your new Potions master, and though
I never was the best at it, Professor Dumbledore insisted that I take the job for at least one year.
Fear not, your beloved Snape will return eventually." She smirked. "He'll be back sometime at the end
of the year, I think." She smiled sweetly. "I know you all must miss him most terribly..."
The Slytherins in the room started muttering mutinously at this statement, obviously having caught the
sarcasm. The Gryffindors, however, were positively delighted that Snape was gone for the moment. And
Seamus Finnigan looked absolutely beside himself for some reason. He raised his hand. "Professor, where
are you from?"
She grinned and slid up to sit facing them on her desk, swinging her feet idly. "Dublin, actually."
"Oh. That's where me Ma and Da live, too."
"'S a nice city," McLellan said thoughtfully. "Well, this year we're just going to be doing the basics.
I s'pose we ought to start off today with something fast..." She picked up a book from her desk and
flipped through the pages for a moment. "How about sleeping draughts? You must have done that in first
year...Can't be too hard..." She snapped the book shut and looked at them all. "Call it a review, until
I can get Professor Snape's lesson plan."
Every Gryffindor in the room was cheering inwardly, glad to be rid of Snape. Maybe seventh year wouldn't
be so bad, after all...The Slytherins rolled their eyes, but obediently got out their cauldrons, making
faces and muttering to each other. Malfoy, in particular, looked quite disgusted at having McLellan for
a potions master. And then it occurred to Ron that she was also head of Slytherin house for the time
being...But then, she would have had to have been in Slytherin...But that was impossible...
Ron shrugged it off and he, Hermione, and Harry began working on their potion. Hermione seemed to have
recovered from her state of nerves after Defense class, and was now running her finger along the list
of ingredients in the book, telling Harry what to add, as Ron carefully stirred the potion.
"Mr. Malfoy, what are you doing?" The professor's voice rang out across the dungeon, and the entire
class turned to look. Malfoy had frozen in the position of getting ready to chuck something across the
dungeon. Very slowly, he took his arm down and set the shrivelfig on the desk. Professor McLellan picked
it up and looked at him. "You do know that these cause explosions when mixed with unicorn tail hair?"
Malfoy just stared mutinously up at her, and she gave him a tight smile. "Obviously so." She glanced at
his cauldron, in which a bright blue potion was frothing madly. "And what's this? Shouldn't it be a more
purple-ish color?"
Crabbe, who was sitting next to him, said, "I TOLD you we shouldn't've added so much dragon liver..."
Malfoy promptly turned around. "Shut UP!" he hissed.
"You know," McLellan said softly, and Malfoy turned around again. "Your father always managed to get his
potions done properly. As I recall, he always got top marks." She met his glare squarely. "I doubt he'd
be very impressed if he were to know that you cause trouble in this class."
"You don't know my father," Malfoy spat. "And you never did."
She crossed her arms defiantly. "Your father is Lucius Malfoy, your mother is Narcissa Mueren. I went to
school with the both of them. Now, if you would be so kind as to turn around and fix your potion, I
would be ever so grateful."
Malfoy finally broke the staring contest and turned angrily back to his cauldron. Professor McLellan,
apparently satisfied with this, resumed her path around the tables, checking on various students and
answering questions.
Ron sniggered and looked up at Harry and Hermione. "Well...THAT was interesting, wasn't it?"
Harry was busy measuring out powdered spine of lionfish, but he grinned just the same. "I think I'm
beginning to like Potions."
***
Harry knocked quietly on the large wooden door to Lupin's office, and was greeted with the familiar,
"Come in!"
Several stacks of thick books were now occupying the space where the grindylow tank had been, but other
than that, the office still looked the same. Professor Lupin smiled at Harry as he shut the door behind
him. "So, how've you been?"
"Oh, well enough," Harry said, sitting in a nearby chair. "Sirius has picked out a house, and I'm going
to go help him move in sometime over the Christmas holidays."
Lupin smiled. "That's great. So, I take it he had help?"
"Mrs. Weasley."
"Ah," he nodded. "Well, that's probably for the better, knowing ol' Padfoot..."
Harry grinned. "We'll have it in a state of complete chaos after about a week."
"I don't doubt it," Lupin muttered, smiling. "Now, to the point: I know you've been through the
Unforgiveables lessons far too many times for comfort, and I know you don't want to go through it again.
So, I was thinking that when I went over them, you could go and study in the library, if you like. Do a
research project or something, perhaps."
Harry sighed. "That'd be great...You've no idea how...Well, how much I hate...Well, you know..."
Lupin nodded. "I didn't particularly want to teach it. Dumbledore insisted, though. Said he needed as
many capable teachers as possible, in case...Well, in case of accidents."
Harry sighed again. "Why d'you suppose he's been waiting so long?"
"Well, did you expect him to attack when he was weak? You may not have noticed it, Harry, but the entire
magical community has gradually gone downhill. The dementors are still putting up a great show of being
loyal to the ministry, but they're ready to leave whenever they're given the opportunity. Voldemort has
many supporters, and not all of them are obvious, as we well know..." He grimaced. "At least Hagrid got
to the giants in time..."
Harry nodded, and both were silent for some time. Finally, Lupin interrupted: "Would you like some tea?
I was just going to make some..."
"Déjà vu..." Harry muttered, and Lupin laughed.
"Yes, well..."
"So," Harry said, taking the tea Lupin offered, "you know Professor McLellan?"
Lupin visibly stiffened. "Yes. She...went to school with me."
"She said in potions today that she knew Lucius Malfoy."
Lupin sighed. "She did...She was in Slytherin, after all."
Harry set down his teacup with a clatter. "SHE was in SLYTHERIN?"
"Well, yes," Lupin said mildly. "Don't look so shocked..."
Harry shook his head. "Sorry...I just didn't expect that..." He was quiet, thinking, for a few moments.
Then something occurred to him. "So...If she knew you, then...She knew my parents?"
Lupin sighed. "Well, yes...Your mother, in particular, thought a lot of her." Lupin sighed again, his
face clouding over. "Well...I've not spoken to Fi-Professor McLellan in years, and I certainly did not
expect her to be teaching here. So I was a tad shocked yesterday when I ran into her in the entrance
hall..." He glanced at his watch. "Well, you've got Care of Magical Creatures in about ten minutes, and
if you want to run up to your dormitory, I'd suggest you go now." He stood and opened the door for him.
Harry had the impression that there was a subject the Professor was avoiding. "Why haven't you spoken
to her in so long?"
Lupin paused and stared vaguely at the floor. "Long story."
Yep. He was definitely avoiding something. And Harry had a pretty good guess why. "Alright, then. Thanks
for letting me skip the Unforgiveables..."
"Of course," Lupin said, looking up at him. Well, good luck with the skrewts..." He smiled. "Sirius said
you complained endlessly about them in your letters. Do you suppose Hagrid's still keeping them?"
"Oh, I hope not..." Harry muttered. "I thought we were DONE with those..."
***
A/N: I HAVE PROOF THAT RON AND HERMIONE GET TOGETHER! *laughs maniacally* I just read a chat transcript
from Barnes & Noble, and here's the question and answer:
sammyohyeah: Is it just me, or was something going on between Ron and Hermione during the last half of
Goblet of Fire? I love your books, by the way, and two of them I've read straight through cover to cover
in under 24 hours.
JR: Well done on the reading speed! Yes, something's "going on," but Ron doesn't realize it yet. Typical
boy.
*more maniacal laughter* I SO /KNEW/ IT! So THERE, H/H shippers!
A/N: Right, here it is. Part 9. Wow. And what really astonishes me is that I have a plotline after all.
^_^ How amazing is that?
GinnyPotter: You're still in my good graces, don't worry. It was a perfectly legitimate question, and I
am not in the least wanting you to think I'm angry with you--you weren't the only one to ask, after all,
and I'm actually glad someone pointed it out to me. I tend to forget about stuff like that when I'm
coordinating all of the other details into the plot...Visiting my site would be nice, though, if you're
up to it...^_^
Ooookay, on to the fic:
Lost - Part 9
by Veralidaine
Harry dragged a rather nervous Ron out of the North Tower and towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts
classroom, hoping that once removed from the fogginess and perfumed smoke, their minds would clear.
Surely Professor Trelawney was being her usual ridiculous self, and this meant nothing. Well, Harry
HOPED that this meant nothing...
Ron looked rather pale, and kept shaking his head, looking pensive. When they finally arrived at the
Defense Classroom, Professor Lupin was running late, and Hermione had already saved their table. The
two boys sat down on either side of her, and Harry looked at Ron pointedly. Ron gulped.
"Is something wrong?" Hermione asked, puzzled.
"Well," Ron muttered, "we were just in Trelawney's class, and she made a prediction..."
"Oh, not AGAIN," Hermione sighed. "Look, however she's decided Harry's going to die this year--"
"She said you were."
"Me?" Hermione said, and Harry couldn't help noticing that her voice sounded a little less confident--
but only a little. "Well, that's ridiculous. Harry's still here, isn't he? And she said he'd die, didn't
she?"
Yes, Hermione was obviously still skeptical, but after the summer she'd had, Harry could tell that she
was pretty shaken up. Though she wouldn't ever admit it, he knew she was actually contemplating whether
or not to believe Trelawney's prediction. He sighed.
"You're...probably right," Ron said quietly. "I--We just were a little worried."
"Well, I'm glad you care," she said, smiling lopsidedly at them both, "but you needn't worry. I'm not
going to just kick the bucket right here."
Ron sighed and glanced at Harry over Hermione's head, and Harry nodded. She was probably right; they
were most likely being silly about this. And yet...For some reason, Harry had the distinct feeling in
the pit of his stomach that something wasn't right, and that perhaps, for once, Trelawney might be
right...
***
Ron looked up as Professor Lupin entered the classroom. A few students couldn't stop staring at him, now
that they knew he was a werewolf, but Lupin seemed to be putting forth a valiant effort to ignore it. He
walked to the front of his desk and leaned back on it, surveying his class. "Hello, again. You might
remember me from third year; I think I taught most of you."
Dean Thomas raised his hand, and Lupin called on him. "Professor, is it true that you're a werewolf?"
Lupin sighed, obviously having known this would be the main topic of today's lessons. "Yes, I am."
Dean grinned. "Cool."
Lupin fought a laugh. "Thank you, Dean. On to more important things...Let's start off with roll call."
He proceeded to call out the familiar names, obviously knowing them anyway, and then stacked the heap of
parchment on his desk and looked at them all again. "This year, we'll be working with the most advanced
Defense possible. I do believe you've all been taught about the Unforgiveable Curses?"
Ron glanced at Harry in time to see his eyes go rather blank. He sighed, feeling sorry for his friend.
Year after year, Harry had to go through the same torment in Defense class. Ron knew, for one, that HE
wouldn't want to keep going over the way his parents had died, if he'd been in that position.
"Good. We're going to be working with defending oneself from dark wizards. We've covered creatures, and
I daresay you're getting your fill of defending yourselves from them in Care of Magical Creatures?"
"Are we EVER..." Seamus muttered, causing some members of the class to laugh.
"Well," Professor Lupin continued, "we all know that with the recent threat of Death Eaters--" Ron
noticed Hermione shiver "--we must know how to properly defend ourselves, and those we love, to the best
of our ability. Professor Dumbledore has asked me to help teach this class, as I was an auror during the
first rising."
Ron raised an eyebrow. Lupin had been an auror? Well, that was a new bit of information...
The rest of the class was mostly discussion of what they were to study. By the sounds of it, Ron
thought, EVERYTHING...From sending curses to blocking them, and what "cancels them out." He noticed that
Hermione, who usually was quite eager to learn new and important topics like this, mostly stared at her
desktop and didn't raise her hand very often.
Just before the bell rang, Professor Lupin stopped by their table, and cleared his throat to get their
attention. "Harry?"
Harry looked up from packing up his supplies. "Yes?"
"I'd like a word, if you would, after lunch? I've got a staff meeting now..."
"Sure," Harry said. "Should I come to your office?"
"That would be fine," Lupin said, and went back to his desk, packing up his supplies in his tattered old
briefcase.
Ron shot Harry a sideways look. "What was that all about?"
Harry shrugged. "Probably something to do with the fact that I'm me, don't you think? Isn't it always?"
Ron smiled grimly and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Buck up, Harry. We'll all manage somehow...We
always do, don't we?"
Harry sighed. "Yep. Thanks. Let's get to potions, then."
Ron turned around to see if Hermione was done packing. She had crammed all of her supplies in her bag,
but was still sitting and staring at the desktop. "'Mione?"
Her head snapped up. "Hm? Oh, time for potions, isn't it? Sorry..." She hurriedly stood up, dropping
half her books in the process, and Ron bent down and helped her pick them up.
"Are you going to be okay?"
"Sure, I'm fine. Everything's fine. I'm okay," she said quickly, in a rather higher voice than usual.
"You're lying," Ron stated quietly, stacking her books on the desk and straightening.
She looked up at him. "I..."
"We'll talk about it later," Ron muttered. "C'mon, let's get to Potions." He helped her up and they
followed Harry out the door.
Ron was the first to enter the dungeon where they usually had potions, and his mouth dropped open in
shock. It was...bright...and airy...and so...so un-Snape-ish.
The small windows near the stone ceiling had been opened, allowing the cool autumn air to filter into
the dungeons, making it a much more fresh, less-dank atmosphere. Now everyone's attention had been drawn
to this, and it wasn't until Dean Thomas cleared his throat loudly that they turned to see a rather
short woman standing up in front of the class. Everyone immediately became silent and turned in their
seats to face her. Of course, Harry, Ron, and Hermione recognized her from the train.
Professor McLellan sighed, and gave them a half-smile. "Right, I'm your new Potions master, and though
I never was the best at it, Professor Dumbledore insisted that I take the job for at least one year.
Fear not, your beloved Snape will return eventually." She smirked. "He'll be back sometime at the end
of the year, I think." She smiled sweetly. "I know you all must miss him most terribly..."
The Slytherins in the room started muttering mutinously at this statement, obviously having caught the
sarcasm. The Gryffindors, however, were positively delighted that Snape was gone for the moment. And
Seamus Finnigan looked absolutely beside himself for some reason. He raised his hand. "Professor, where
are you from?"
She grinned and slid up to sit facing them on her desk, swinging her feet idly. "Dublin, actually."
"Oh. That's where me Ma and Da live, too."
"'S a nice city," McLellan said thoughtfully. "Well, this year we're just going to be doing the basics.
I s'pose we ought to start off today with something fast..." She picked up a book from her desk and
flipped through the pages for a moment. "How about sleeping draughts? You must have done that in first
year...Can't be too hard..." She snapped the book shut and looked at them all. "Call it a review, until
I can get Professor Snape's lesson plan."
Every Gryffindor in the room was cheering inwardly, glad to be rid of Snape. Maybe seventh year wouldn't
be so bad, after all...The Slytherins rolled their eyes, but obediently got out their cauldrons, making
faces and muttering to each other. Malfoy, in particular, looked quite disgusted at having McLellan for
a potions master. And then it occurred to Ron that she was also head of Slytherin house for the time
being...But then, she would have had to have been in Slytherin...But that was impossible...
Ron shrugged it off and he, Hermione, and Harry began working on their potion. Hermione seemed to have
recovered from her state of nerves after Defense class, and was now running her finger along the list
of ingredients in the book, telling Harry what to add, as Ron carefully stirred the potion.
"Mr. Malfoy, what are you doing?" The professor's voice rang out across the dungeon, and the entire
class turned to look. Malfoy had frozen in the position of getting ready to chuck something across the
dungeon. Very slowly, he took his arm down and set the shrivelfig on the desk. Professor McLellan picked
it up and looked at him. "You do know that these cause explosions when mixed with unicorn tail hair?"
Malfoy just stared mutinously up at her, and she gave him a tight smile. "Obviously so." She glanced at
his cauldron, in which a bright blue potion was frothing madly. "And what's this? Shouldn't it be a more
purple-ish color?"
Crabbe, who was sitting next to him, said, "I TOLD you we shouldn't've added so much dragon liver..."
Malfoy promptly turned around. "Shut UP!" he hissed.
"You know," McLellan said softly, and Malfoy turned around again. "Your father always managed to get his
potions done properly. As I recall, he always got top marks." She met his glare squarely. "I doubt he'd
be very impressed if he were to know that you cause trouble in this class."
"You don't know my father," Malfoy spat. "And you never did."
She crossed her arms defiantly. "Your father is Lucius Malfoy, your mother is Narcissa Mueren. I went to
school with the both of them. Now, if you would be so kind as to turn around and fix your potion, I
would be ever so grateful."
Malfoy finally broke the staring contest and turned angrily back to his cauldron. Professor McLellan,
apparently satisfied with this, resumed her path around the tables, checking on various students and
answering questions.
Ron sniggered and looked up at Harry and Hermione. "Well...THAT was interesting, wasn't it?"
Harry was busy measuring out powdered spine of lionfish, but he grinned just the same. "I think I'm
beginning to like Potions."
***
Harry knocked quietly on the large wooden door to Lupin's office, and was greeted with the familiar,
"Come in!"
Several stacks of thick books were now occupying the space where the grindylow tank had been, but other
than that, the office still looked the same. Professor Lupin smiled at Harry as he shut the door behind
him. "So, how've you been?"
"Oh, well enough," Harry said, sitting in a nearby chair. "Sirius has picked out a house, and I'm going
to go help him move in sometime over the Christmas holidays."
Lupin smiled. "That's great. So, I take it he had help?"
"Mrs. Weasley."
"Ah," he nodded. "Well, that's probably for the better, knowing ol' Padfoot..."
Harry grinned. "We'll have it in a state of complete chaos after about a week."
"I don't doubt it," Lupin muttered, smiling. "Now, to the point: I know you've been through the
Unforgiveables lessons far too many times for comfort, and I know you don't want to go through it again.
So, I was thinking that when I went over them, you could go and study in the library, if you like. Do a
research project or something, perhaps."
Harry sighed. "That'd be great...You've no idea how...Well, how much I hate...Well, you know..."
Lupin nodded. "I didn't particularly want to teach it. Dumbledore insisted, though. Said he needed as
many capable teachers as possible, in case...Well, in case of accidents."
Harry sighed again. "Why d'you suppose he's been waiting so long?"
"Well, did you expect him to attack when he was weak? You may not have noticed it, Harry, but the entire
magical community has gradually gone downhill. The dementors are still putting up a great show of being
loyal to the ministry, but they're ready to leave whenever they're given the opportunity. Voldemort has
many supporters, and not all of them are obvious, as we well know..." He grimaced. "At least Hagrid got
to the giants in time..."
Harry nodded, and both were silent for some time. Finally, Lupin interrupted: "Would you like some tea?
I was just going to make some..."
"Déjà vu..." Harry muttered, and Lupin laughed.
"Yes, well..."
"So," Harry said, taking the tea Lupin offered, "you know Professor McLellan?"
Lupin visibly stiffened. "Yes. She...went to school with me."
"She said in potions today that she knew Lucius Malfoy."
Lupin sighed. "She did...She was in Slytherin, after all."
Harry set down his teacup with a clatter. "SHE was in SLYTHERIN?"
"Well, yes," Lupin said mildly. "Don't look so shocked..."
Harry shook his head. "Sorry...I just didn't expect that..." He was quiet, thinking, for a few moments.
Then something occurred to him. "So...If she knew you, then...She knew my parents?"
Lupin sighed. "Well, yes...Your mother, in particular, thought a lot of her." Lupin sighed again, his
face clouding over. "Well...I've not spoken to Fi-Professor McLellan in years, and I certainly did not
expect her to be teaching here. So I was a tad shocked yesterday when I ran into her in the entrance
hall..." He glanced at his watch. "Well, you've got Care of Magical Creatures in about ten minutes, and
if you want to run up to your dormitory, I'd suggest you go now." He stood and opened the door for him.
Harry had the impression that there was a subject the Professor was avoiding. "Why haven't you spoken
to her in so long?"
Lupin paused and stared vaguely at the floor. "Long story."
Yep. He was definitely avoiding something. And Harry had a pretty good guess why. "Alright, then. Thanks
for letting me skip the Unforgiveables..."
"Of course," Lupin said, looking up at him. Well, good luck with the skrewts..." He smiled. "Sirius said
you complained endlessly about them in your letters. Do you suppose Hagrid's still keeping them?"
"Oh, I hope not..." Harry muttered. "I thought we were DONE with those..."
***
A/N: I HAVE PROOF THAT RON AND HERMIONE GET TOGETHER! *laughs maniacally* I just read a chat transcript
from Barnes & Noble, and here's the question and answer:
sammyohyeah: Is it just me, or was something going on between Ron and Hermione during the last half of
Goblet of Fire? I love your books, by the way, and two of them I've read straight through cover to cover
in under 24 hours.
JR: Well done on the reading speed! Yes, something's "going on," but Ron doesn't realize it yet. Typical
boy.
*more maniacal laughter* I SO /KNEW/ IT! So THERE, H/H shippers!
