Chapter 3-
The "Hidden" Books
Surrey, England
I creep out of my room, silent. The candle is lit, but no one can see the light but me. I bought it when I bought my cloak. That and the bag at my waist. The bag is a magic vacuum. I can put as much stuff as needed in it, but it looks like a Muggle mini-backpack.
Where first?
Dad's room? Mum's? Dad's study? Yes.
I go to the dark door. Locked. Easily fixed. I pull out the lock breaker I bought two years ago. Run it along the lock and the hinges.
It opens on its own.
I go in.
Books. All fake. A wave of my wand reveals the true titles.
Dark magic. Which to read?
None tonight. Tonight is different research.
"Accio school journals." Seven volumes fly into my hands, and I put the in my bag. "Accio Hogwarts Seventh Year Student Book." The surprisingly thin graduate yearbook flies at me, and I put it with the others.
Wave again to return the books to normal.
Lock door
Mum's room now.
Never locked. How odd.
I hate going in here.
Mum cries at night. Cries for me. She's crying again.
She's awake. I close the door behind me. Turn my light out.
"What?"
Pull back my cloak. "Hello, Mum."
"Honey, why are you here? It's late."
"Sh, it's okay. I wasn't tired and I got bored. Stop crying."
She does. I hug her.
I'm taller than her now. Huh. Weird, in a way. She cries on my shoulder and I let her, holding her. When she stops, I ask.
"Mum."
"Yes, dear?"
"I'm looking for something."
"Well, I hope you find it."
"Do you. Do you have anything from school?"
She pales. Odd.
"Not here." She pulls a box from under her bed. "But.You're old enough for this now."
"What is it?"
"Books. Mostly journals. Some pictures. Other things. I kept them for you to see one day. Your father doesn't know about them. There's a spell for them, an encryption code. So your father can't read them if he finds them. It's-"
A creak in the hall.
"Dad?"
"Yes. Hide."
I duck back under the cloak. Mum goes back to bed.
Dad comes in. I sneak into the hallway as he yells at Mum for making too much noise. He leaves, and I go back in.
"Mum, what are the codes?"
Smile. "Brave little dragon." She hands me another book.
"The code breakers. It's all in here."
I hug her again, kissing her cheek. "Good night, Mum."
I leave her and take my prizes to my room.
I start with the book they both had. All seventh year students get a thin book on graduation day showing everyone who was at school at any time while they were. It has a single picture of each person, but for the seventh years it has many pictures and all of their accomplishments.
Open it up. The four houses rise up on the page. I tap Slytherin. A list of students appear.
Which year.
Ah. 1978. Tap it. Another list, this one much shorter and with a small black and white photo next to each name.
It's like reading a Death Eater listing. Avery, LeStrange, Malfoy, Rosier, Snape. Only one missing is Pettigrew, who was a Gryffindor.
Interesting. All left for a week, unexcused, their first year.
Where's Mum? Not a single Narcissa there.
But this was her year. Try Gryffindor. No. Ravenclaw.
Narcissa Morgan.
A. Ravenclaw? But Dad said she was in Slytherin. I tap her name, looking for pictures.
Black and white. Dammit.
Wait.
She was a Seeker? An arithmancy major?
Arithmancy. You need a partner to major in that. It's a team accomplishment.
Go back. Not a single other Ravenclaw majored in it. Try Slytherin.
No. Gryffindor.
Yes. One other, dual major.
I read the name again in shock.
Sure enough, it's the same thing.
Remus Lupin. Dual Major Arithmancy and Education, minor in DADA.
I don't believe it. I close the book.
Why didn't she tell me earlier? When I was asking about Lupin?
Damn my curiosity. I pick it up again, tap Gryffindor.
Quidditch teams. Tap for seventh year profiles only.
James Potter. Seeker. Of course. Like me. Like Mum. Says here years 4- 7. Won the cup three of them. Hmm.
Huh. Sirius Black. Same years, Beater. Wow.
Pettigrew was team manager all seven years. Huh.
Wait a minute- Years 4-7, the other Beater was Remus Lupin?
He played Quidditch? He never said anything.
Who else?
Minerva McGonagall?! Years 5-7, Chaser. Weird!
I wonder what Dad played.
Tap Slytherin.
Dad wasn't even on the team! Any year!
But- Severus Snape, Chaser, 3-6?! Snape played sports?!
This book is LYING!!!
No it's not. I just don't want to believe it.
I click around, looking for pictures of Mum and Lupin.
One of the color ones! Yes!
Little Lupin, fourth year, helping Mum set up the complex mathematics. Mum was right, he did look pretty good. Long dirty-blonde hair, still really thin, a little nervous in the pic.
But Mum- The girl next to him laughed as they told jokes and solved the complex math. But that laughing girl-?- was a medium brunette, not my mother's pale white-blonde.
Suddenly the two students looked up. Lupin blushed and turned away, stacking his books to hide behind. But Narcissa.
One look into those gray-blue eyes and I knew it.
That was my mother.
But why the change?
Maybe one of Mum's books'll help. I pick up the year one journal.
Blank. What? I close it.
Check cover again.
Try again. Still blank. Mutter a few basic visibility spells.
The words come up. If you can call them that.
"Nnnn qqqqqqq ss ooo xxxx mm kkkk?"
I close it again. Mum said they were coded. I grab the codebook.
Blank! Damn you, Mum! Try "Year 2"
"1011 0010110 10 010 0011 00 1101?"
Dammit!
"Year 3"
"&~** ##^_ /= -\ %.!$ ++}{-0?"
All different codes. All strange ones. Try Dad's.
Basic visibility spell.
Alright! Lucius C. Malfoy.
"Day 1-
There are Muggles here! KIIIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLLLL! KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL."
The whole book. With dated entries.
The entire fucking book.
Try Book 2. The exact same thing.
Three, the same.
Four.
What's this?
"February 9th-
Yikes. Maybe I've been too hasty. I've found the most gorgeous person I've ever met- But.A Muggle born? Ew.
Hmm. I could use it for sex."
The rest of the book was "That's what I'll do! That's what I'll do!"
Dad, you're boring.
Five: "Used goods, used goods."
Six: "Mine all mine mine all mine."
Seven: "Wow! I want to keep this toy!" The only entry.
What a loser, Dad.
Owl hit my window.
"Damn you." I open it. He flies on my hand. Take the letter off.
Draco,
It's always good to hear from old students, especially for help. I can meet you tomorrow at three o'clock. I'll see you then.
Sincerely,
Remus Lupin
P.S. It's a bit embarrassing, but. Can I bring my dog?
I write a quick reply, only drawing on the sides.
Professor-
Thanks! 3's fine. Bring it. Later.
Draco
I cover my books with my cloak and send Owl off. Good.
Now I can sleep.
The "Hidden" Books
Surrey, England
I creep out of my room, silent. The candle is lit, but no one can see the light but me. I bought it when I bought my cloak. That and the bag at my waist. The bag is a magic vacuum. I can put as much stuff as needed in it, but it looks like a Muggle mini-backpack.
Where first?
Dad's room? Mum's? Dad's study? Yes.
I go to the dark door. Locked. Easily fixed. I pull out the lock breaker I bought two years ago. Run it along the lock and the hinges.
It opens on its own.
I go in.
Books. All fake. A wave of my wand reveals the true titles.
Dark magic. Which to read?
None tonight. Tonight is different research.
"Accio school journals." Seven volumes fly into my hands, and I put the in my bag. "Accio Hogwarts Seventh Year Student Book." The surprisingly thin graduate yearbook flies at me, and I put it with the others.
Wave again to return the books to normal.
Lock door
Mum's room now.
Never locked. How odd.
I hate going in here.
Mum cries at night. Cries for me. She's crying again.
She's awake. I close the door behind me. Turn my light out.
"What?"
Pull back my cloak. "Hello, Mum."
"Honey, why are you here? It's late."
"Sh, it's okay. I wasn't tired and I got bored. Stop crying."
She does. I hug her.
I'm taller than her now. Huh. Weird, in a way. She cries on my shoulder and I let her, holding her. When she stops, I ask.
"Mum."
"Yes, dear?"
"I'm looking for something."
"Well, I hope you find it."
"Do you. Do you have anything from school?"
She pales. Odd.
"Not here." She pulls a box from under her bed. "But.You're old enough for this now."
"What is it?"
"Books. Mostly journals. Some pictures. Other things. I kept them for you to see one day. Your father doesn't know about them. There's a spell for them, an encryption code. So your father can't read them if he finds them. It's-"
A creak in the hall.
"Dad?"
"Yes. Hide."
I duck back under the cloak. Mum goes back to bed.
Dad comes in. I sneak into the hallway as he yells at Mum for making too much noise. He leaves, and I go back in.
"Mum, what are the codes?"
Smile. "Brave little dragon." She hands me another book.
"The code breakers. It's all in here."
I hug her again, kissing her cheek. "Good night, Mum."
I leave her and take my prizes to my room.
I start with the book they both had. All seventh year students get a thin book on graduation day showing everyone who was at school at any time while they were. It has a single picture of each person, but for the seventh years it has many pictures and all of their accomplishments.
Open it up. The four houses rise up on the page. I tap Slytherin. A list of students appear.
Which year.
Ah. 1978. Tap it. Another list, this one much shorter and with a small black and white photo next to each name.
It's like reading a Death Eater listing. Avery, LeStrange, Malfoy, Rosier, Snape. Only one missing is Pettigrew, who was a Gryffindor.
Interesting. All left for a week, unexcused, their first year.
Where's Mum? Not a single Narcissa there.
But this was her year. Try Gryffindor. No. Ravenclaw.
Narcissa Morgan.
A. Ravenclaw? But Dad said she was in Slytherin. I tap her name, looking for pictures.
Black and white. Dammit.
Wait.
She was a Seeker? An arithmancy major?
Arithmancy. You need a partner to major in that. It's a team accomplishment.
Go back. Not a single other Ravenclaw majored in it. Try Slytherin.
No. Gryffindor.
Yes. One other, dual major.
I read the name again in shock.
Sure enough, it's the same thing.
Remus Lupin. Dual Major Arithmancy and Education, minor in DADA.
I don't believe it. I close the book.
Why didn't she tell me earlier? When I was asking about Lupin?
Damn my curiosity. I pick it up again, tap Gryffindor.
Quidditch teams. Tap for seventh year profiles only.
James Potter. Seeker. Of course. Like me. Like Mum. Says here years 4- 7. Won the cup three of them. Hmm.
Huh. Sirius Black. Same years, Beater. Wow.
Pettigrew was team manager all seven years. Huh.
Wait a minute- Years 4-7, the other Beater was Remus Lupin?
He played Quidditch? He never said anything.
Who else?
Minerva McGonagall?! Years 5-7, Chaser. Weird!
I wonder what Dad played.
Tap Slytherin.
Dad wasn't even on the team! Any year!
But- Severus Snape, Chaser, 3-6?! Snape played sports?!
This book is LYING!!!
No it's not. I just don't want to believe it.
I click around, looking for pictures of Mum and Lupin.
One of the color ones! Yes!
Little Lupin, fourth year, helping Mum set up the complex mathematics. Mum was right, he did look pretty good. Long dirty-blonde hair, still really thin, a little nervous in the pic.
But Mum- The girl next to him laughed as they told jokes and solved the complex math. But that laughing girl-?- was a medium brunette, not my mother's pale white-blonde.
Suddenly the two students looked up. Lupin blushed and turned away, stacking his books to hide behind. But Narcissa.
One look into those gray-blue eyes and I knew it.
That was my mother.
But why the change?
Maybe one of Mum's books'll help. I pick up the year one journal.
Blank. What? I close it.
Check cover again.
Try again. Still blank. Mutter a few basic visibility spells.
The words come up. If you can call them that.
"Nnnn qqqqqqq ss ooo xxxx mm kkkk?"
I close it again. Mum said they were coded. I grab the codebook.
Blank! Damn you, Mum! Try "Year 2"
"1011 0010110 10 010 0011 00 1101?"
Dammit!
"Year 3"
"&~** ##^_ /= -\ %.!$ ++}{-0?"
All different codes. All strange ones. Try Dad's.
Basic visibility spell.
Alright! Lucius C. Malfoy.
"Day 1-
There are Muggles here! KIIIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLLLL! KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL."
The whole book. With dated entries.
The entire fucking book.
Try Book 2. The exact same thing.
Three, the same.
Four.
What's this?
"February 9th-
Yikes. Maybe I've been too hasty. I've found the most gorgeous person I've ever met- But.A Muggle born? Ew.
Hmm. I could use it for sex."
The rest of the book was "That's what I'll do! That's what I'll do!"
Dad, you're boring.
Five: "Used goods, used goods."
Six: "Mine all mine mine all mine."
Seven: "Wow! I want to keep this toy!" The only entry.
What a loser, Dad.
Owl hit my window.
"Damn you." I open it. He flies on my hand. Take the letter off.
Draco,
It's always good to hear from old students, especially for help. I can meet you tomorrow at three o'clock. I'll see you then.
Sincerely,
Remus Lupin
P.S. It's a bit embarrassing, but. Can I bring my dog?
I write a quick reply, only drawing on the sides.
Professor-
Thanks! 3's fine. Bring it. Later.
Draco
I cover my books with my cloak and send Owl off. Good.
Now I can sleep.