A/N: Thanks for your great reviews...and for pointing out by fumble with the
Three Brooomsticks thing. (blushes) Well, here is chapter four. This is a
long one...so, yeah...Oh! And I wanted to respond to something someone else
said as well, about them going over the Unforgivables again...my point in
this was, in Book 4, they discussed the Unforgivables. Moody showed them
one, I believe? With this story, since the Death Eaters use the
Unforgivables, I wanted Lupin to review it...go more into the subject...so the
kids would know what they are up against...that's all.... err...enjoy the story!
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Chapter Four
Luna remained in the hospital wing for several days. Three days after she was first attacked, Luna woke up. Hermione, Ron, Harry, Ginny, and Neville were all staring patiently at her. She blinked. "What happened?"
"You don't remember?" Hermione's mouth dropped open.
Luna frowned. "I remember I went to see Dumbledore...and I was on my way to my dormitory when I saw Professor Lupin..." Luna's face was screwed up as if she was thinking really hard, "...and he...he used Crucio on me!" she screamed in realization. "Professor Lupin used an Unforgivable Curse on me!" Luna sobbed.
Harry frowned and wrapped Luna in a hug. "Luna, we know. We know what happened to you. But it wasn't Professor Lupin that cursed you. We found out that Professor Sprout let Bellatrix Lestrange into the castle...She drank a polyjuice potion. It made her look like Professor Lupin. He's the one that found you and brought you here..."
Luna choked back a sob. "Really? Well, did they catch her?"
"No. She was long gone before we realized what had really happened." Hermione whispered. "But Professor Sprout's been taken off to Azkaban...." She cringed as Luna convulsed.
"Remnants of the curse, I'm afraid," Madam Pomfrey explained. "You've recovered marvelously, though, considering...but I would still suggest you stay here a while longer, just in case..."
Dumbledore and Professor Lupin came into the infirmary. "Awake at last, I see?" smiled Dumbledore. "You gave us quite a scare, Ms. Lovegood. How are you feeling?"
Rather than answer his question, Luna frowned.
"Well, that's to be expected..." Dumbledore nearly laughed. "I talked to your father yesterday. He actually came in here for a while, but you were unconscious," Dumbledore sighed. "Oh! And the sorting hat has approved your transfer, so when Poppy finally does let you leave, you'll have to have one of them show you where to go..." he pointed to Harry and the others who were still standing at the foot of Luna's bed.
Harry looked up. "Wait, Luna really did switch houses? I didn't think that it was possible to do that..." Harry was confused, "but oh well! At least she'll be with us now, so we won't have to worry..." His face had brightened.
Dumbledore pulled Lupin aside, away from prying eyes and ears. "Remus, I trust you've gone over what I asked in your class?"
"Yes, sir. But they already know some of it from their fourth year. Mostly, it goes in one ear and out the other to them," Lupin explained. "If you'd rather I just showed Harry and his friends, I'm sure that can be arranged...." Lupin suggested.
Dumbledore sighed. "If that's the way that it has to be done, then no one must know it is happening. Why don't you go to one of those DA meetings Harry and his friends have?"
"But that would mean that I would be instructing more than just..." Lupin began, but Dumbledore held up his hand.
"It will do, Remus. Besides, think about what I just said. The children in that DA club are probably the most Defense Against the Dark Arts loving group this school has ever seen...well, apart from you and your friends when you went here..." he laughed.
"Let's not dig that far into the past, please, Albus. It all still hurts. And now, it's like the same thing is happening to Harry and his friends. You realize we can't send them home this summer, don't you? They'd be killed the moment they stepped in the door."
Dumbledore nodded. "We shall have to keep them here for the summer...they'll be safer here at Hogwarts than anywhere else. I'll go send the owls to their families." Dumbledore walked slowly away.
"But Madam Pomfrey! I'm fine! I want to go back to my common room and rest!
Professor Lupin smiled at Luna from across the room. He could remember a situation eerily similar to this from his own childhood at Hogwarts. It had been his seventh year....
"James, I bet you two galleons I can turn Snapey boy green," Sirius smiled.
James laughed. "That wouldn't be very fair to my pocket book. I know you could do it. Why loose two galleons betting you on something I already know you can do?"
"James, my friend, you're no fun!" Sirius pouted.
"You'll probably just go and do it anyway..." Remus smiled.
Sirius clapped. "Moony knows me so well! And what have you got planned today?" he asked.
"Don't you guys have Quiddich practice? I could go watch that. I love to laugh at you guys. Great source of entertainment, Quiddich is..." Remus mused.
"Hey, you can't laugh! We're the best players the school has ever seen!" James defended.
Peter snorted. "Cocky as usual, I see?"
The portrait door swung open, and Jackie, one of Lily's best friends, ran into the room. She looked panicked. "I've already fetched the Headmaster, but you all must come quick! Hurry, damn it! Lily disappeared!"
James blinked. "Lily did WHAT? Where?" he demanded.
"We were out by the lake...and all of a sudden, I looked, and she just wasn't there anymore!" Jackie yelled in alarm.
Peter laughed. "How do you know she just didn't apparate?"
"She left her wand, you guys! Lily wouldn't leave her wand lying on the ground! She always carries it!" Jackie bellowed. "Now come on! We've got to get out there!"
The Marauders and Jackie raced out to the lake. Lily was already lying on the ground. Whatever it was that had happened to her did not look good. Dumbledore was yelling angrily at one of the students who had shown up on the scene. James held Lily close.
"What happened sweetie?" he whispered to her.
Lily frowned. "Don't know...sitting there...then I wasn't...and there was...there was a Death Eater, James!" Lily gasped. "He was talking such nonsense....said I had to leave you...the prophecy could not be fulfilled...said we'd be killed...What prophecy, James?" Lily was crying now.
Dumbledore's eyes had widened after Lily told her story. He turned to Professor McGonnagal, who had just shown up near the lake. "Go get Professor Trelawny. This all sounds so familiar...Potter, take Evans to the hospital wing immediately...."
Remus remembered running with James all the way to the infirmary. They didn't know what had really happened to Lily. She had been there for a while...and James. Remus remembered how James had been. He had never left Lily's side...
Looking at the scene before him, Remus had to shrug off the memories of his past. After all, this was Luna, not Lily. And Harry wasn't James, no matter how much he looked it. All of them were still alive. That was different, too. Remus was the only one left now...
"Professor Lupin?" Harry frowned. "Are you all right? You look ill...have you taken your potion today, sir?"
Lupin smiled. "It's nothing to do with that, Harry. Just remembering something is all..."
Professor Lupin stayed in the infirmary. He watched Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville lead Luna back to their dormitory. They all seemed to be in higher spirits than they had been earlier. Lupin only hoped that the good mood would last...that Harry and his friends would overcome the obstacles in front of him...and that he, Remus J. Lupin, could prevent what happened to his friends from happening to Harry and his friends. Their safety had become his new mission...his first priority... and after what happened to Luna, he could already see that there was no room for failure.
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Chapter Four
Luna remained in the hospital wing for several days. Three days after she was first attacked, Luna woke up. Hermione, Ron, Harry, Ginny, and Neville were all staring patiently at her. She blinked. "What happened?"
"You don't remember?" Hermione's mouth dropped open.
Luna frowned. "I remember I went to see Dumbledore...and I was on my way to my dormitory when I saw Professor Lupin..." Luna's face was screwed up as if she was thinking really hard, "...and he...he used Crucio on me!" she screamed in realization. "Professor Lupin used an Unforgivable Curse on me!" Luna sobbed.
Harry frowned and wrapped Luna in a hug. "Luna, we know. We know what happened to you. But it wasn't Professor Lupin that cursed you. We found out that Professor Sprout let Bellatrix Lestrange into the castle...She drank a polyjuice potion. It made her look like Professor Lupin. He's the one that found you and brought you here..."
Luna choked back a sob. "Really? Well, did they catch her?"
"No. She was long gone before we realized what had really happened." Hermione whispered. "But Professor Sprout's been taken off to Azkaban...." She cringed as Luna convulsed.
"Remnants of the curse, I'm afraid," Madam Pomfrey explained. "You've recovered marvelously, though, considering...but I would still suggest you stay here a while longer, just in case..."
Dumbledore and Professor Lupin came into the infirmary. "Awake at last, I see?" smiled Dumbledore. "You gave us quite a scare, Ms. Lovegood. How are you feeling?"
Rather than answer his question, Luna frowned.
"Well, that's to be expected..." Dumbledore nearly laughed. "I talked to your father yesterday. He actually came in here for a while, but you were unconscious," Dumbledore sighed. "Oh! And the sorting hat has approved your transfer, so when Poppy finally does let you leave, you'll have to have one of them show you where to go..." he pointed to Harry and the others who were still standing at the foot of Luna's bed.
Harry looked up. "Wait, Luna really did switch houses? I didn't think that it was possible to do that..." Harry was confused, "but oh well! At least she'll be with us now, so we won't have to worry..." His face had brightened.
Dumbledore pulled Lupin aside, away from prying eyes and ears. "Remus, I trust you've gone over what I asked in your class?"
"Yes, sir. But they already know some of it from their fourth year. Mostly, it goes in one ear and out the other to them," Lupin explained. "If you'd rather I just showed Harry and his friends, I'm sure that can be arranged...." Lupin suggested.
Dumbledore sighed. "If that's the way that it has to be done, then no one must know it is happening. Why don't you go to one of those DA meetings Harry and his friends have?"
"But that would mean that I would be instructing more than just..." Lupin began, but Dumbledore held up his hand.
"It will do, Remus. Besides, think about what I just said. The children in that DA club are probably the most Defense Against the Dark Arts loving group this school has ever seen...well, apart from you and your friends when you went here..." he laughed.
"Let's not dig that far into the past, please, Albus. It all still hurts. And now, it's like the same thing is happening to Harry and his friends. You realize we can't send them home this summer, don't you? They'd be killed the moment they stepped in the door."
Dumbledore nodded. "We shall have to keep them here for the summer...they'll be safer here at Hogwarts than anywhere else. I'll go send the owls to their families." Dumbledore walked slowly away.
"But Madam Pomfrey! I'm fine! I want to go back to my common room and rest!
Professor Lupin smiled at Luna from across the room. He could remember a situation eerily similar to this from his own childhood at Hogwarts. It had been his seventh year....
"James, I bet you two galleons I can turn Snapey boy green," Sirius smiled.
James laughed. "That wouldn't be very fair to my pocket book. I know you could do it. Why loose two galleons betting you on something I already know you can do?"
"James, my friend, you're no fun!" Sirius pouted.
"You'll probably just go and do it anyway..." Remus smiled.
Sirius clapped. "Moony knows me so well! And what have you got planned today?" he asked.
"Don't you guys have Quiddich practice? I could go watch that. I love to laugh at you guys. Great source of entertainment, Quiddich is..." Remus mused.
"Hey, you can't laugh! We're the best players the school has ever seen!" James defended.
Peter snorted. "Cocky as usual, I see?"
The portrait door swung open, and Jackie, one of Lily's best friends, ran into the room. She looked panicked. "I've already fetched the Headmaster, but you all must come quick! Hurry, damn it! Lily disappeared!"
James blinked. "Lily did WHAT? Where?" he demanded.
"We were out by the lake...and all of a sudden, I looked, and she just wasn't there anymore!" Jackie yelled in alarm.
Peter laughed. "How do you know she just didn't apparate?"
"She left her wand, you guys! Lily wouldn't leave her wand lying on the ground! She always carries it!" Jackie bellowed. "Now come on! We've got to get out there!"
The Marauders and Jackie raced out to the lake. Lily was already lying on the ground. Whatever it was that had happened to her did not look good. Dumbledore was yelling angrily at one of the students who had shown up on the scene. James held Lily close.
"What happened sweetie?" he whispered to her.
Lily frowned. "Don't know...sitting there...then I wasn't...and there was...there was a Death Eater, James!" Lily gasped. "He was talking such nonsense....said I had to leave you...the prophecy could not be fulfilled...said we'd be killed...What prophecy, James?" Lily was crying now.
Dumbledore's eyes had widened after Lily told her story. He turned to Professor McGonnagal, who had just shown up near the lake. "Go get Professor Trelawny. This all sounds so familiar...Potter, take Evans to the hospital wing immediately...."
Remus remembered running with James all the way to the infirmary. They didn't know what had really happened to Lily. She had been there for a while...and James. Remus remembered how James had been. He had never left Lily's side...
Looking at the scene before him, Remus had to shrug off the memories of his past. After all, this was Luna, not Lily. And Harry wasn't James, no matter how much he looked it. All of them were still alive. That was different, too. Remus was the only one left now...
"Professor Lupin?" Harry frowned. "Are you all right? You look ill...have you taken your potion today, sir?"
Lupin smiled. "It's nothing to do with that, Harry. Just remembering something is all..."
Professor Lupin stayed in the infirmary. He watched Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville lead Luna back to their dormitory. They all seemed to be in higher spirits than they had been earlier. Lupin only hoped that the good mood would last...that Harry and his friends would overcome the obstacles in front of him...and that he, Remus J. Lupin, could prevent what happened to his friends from happening to Harry and his friends. Their safety had become his new mission...his first priority... and after what happened to Luna, he could already see that there was no room for failure.