AN: Hi everybody (and reviewers)! On that subject, I agree with Cecilia
Orechio. Lupin is kind of detached. He just stands there and occasionally
makes comments. I don't know what else to make him do. Lupin has always
struck me as a calm, emotionally reserved guy and I'm not sure how to
involve him more. I'm going to do some of Lupin's memories later, I'll try
to involve him more then. How about this: Harry is bewildered when Lupin
suddenly starts break-dancing! Hehe. No? Hmm...Anyways, thanks for reviewing!
You guys have good ideas.
"How can you let him stay here?!" sputtered Snape in a furious voice. "He's—he's a—"
"I assure you, Severus, we are all aware of Remus's condition," said Dumbledore in a calm voice. "Ah, Sirius, please come in."
Sirius was standing at the door to Dumbledore's office, looking guilty. He edged into the room and sat down next to Snape. He threw a faint smile at James, but James merely frowned in return. Sirius sunk down in his chair.
"Condition?!" said Snape incredulously. "You make it sound like he has Magical Measles! He's a WEREWOLF! He could have killed me!"
"I know," said Dumbledore quietly. "I'm sure you are aware that you should not have been on the grounds tonight—" Snape opened his mouth to protest but Dumbledore held up his hand for silence.
"We have taken many precautions to make sure Remus does not endanger any of his fellow students during his time at Hogwarts. No student is supposed to know how to get past the Whomping Willow. If I understand correctly, you didn't stumble across that information by accident." Dumbledore turned towards Sirius, frowning. "Mr. Black, do you know how Severus learned how to get past the Whomping Willow?" he inquired.
"Because, I, um—told him," answered Sirius in a small voice. . "And why would you do such a thing?" asked Dumbledore gravely.
"I—I don't know." Sirius hung his head.
Dumbledore stared intently at him. His eyes were lacking their familiar twinkle. "I'm deeply disappointed in you, Sirius. You have shown incredible disregard for the both the safety and trust of your friends and classmates. If not for the actions of your friend Mr. Potter, Severus could have could have been killed tonight—or worse. You will serve detention with Mr. Filch every night for the next three weeks."
Sirius nodded slowly. "Yes, sir," he said weakly. Snape's upper lip was curling in disgust. He looked back and forth between James and Sirius, clearly unable to decide which one he loathed more.
"To whom Remus chooses to divulge his secret is his own personal choice," said Dumbledore, focusing his attention on Snape. "However, I must ask that you keep this information quiet for the duration of your stay at Hogwarts, Severus." Snape looked incensed.
"Yes, Headmaster," he muttered, the rage in his voice barely contained.
"You may all report back to your common rooms. Good evening to you all." Dumbledore stood up from his desk and extended his hand. The door clicked magically open and the three boys filed out. Snape stomped wordlessly past James and Sirius, still fuming.
James and Sirius walked slowly down the circular steps.
"What in the bleeding hell were you thinking mate?" demanded James.
Sirius ran his hand nervously through his shaggy black hair. "I don't—I mean I didn't want—It was just a joke..." he stammered.
"Oh right, it was bleeding hilarious!" James shook his head. "I hate Snivelly just as much as the next bloke, but—you—you could have killed him! What if Lupin had bitten him? He could have been expelled—or thrown in Azkaban—or—"
"I'm sorry!" yelled Sirius suddenly. He immediately dropped his voice back to a normal conversational level. "I didn't want to kill him or—anything. I just thought it would be funny if he got a little—you know—scare." Sirius obviously realized how ridiculous him plan sounded out loud because he fell silent. "Anyway, thanks for stopping him mate..."
Harry couldn't imagine the father he had seen so far in Sirius's memories missing an opportunity to gloat, but James simply continued to shake his head silently.
"I think you owe Remus an apology," James said quietly.
Neither James nor Sirius spoke until they reached the common room. Harry took the opportunity to question Lupin some more.
"How did the apology go?" asked Harry curiously. The scene was starting to fade. Lupin snorted.
"I—eh—refused to speak to him for a week," Lupin responded, sounding a little guilty.
"I can't believe Sirius would do something so stupid!" marveled Harry. He paused for a moment and considered all of the things he had just seen inside the Pensieve. "Actually, yes I can..." he said. Harry recalled a second hand account of the events that had just transpired from his own third year, nut it just wasn't the same.
"I've told you, we were young and foolish," chuckled Lupin. He paused and said in a more serious tone: "But your father was always did the right thing when it really counted. If you take anything from this experience, try to remember that. People do change as they mature, but some things remain constant."
"I know, I know," said Harry. Was he going to change? What about his friends? Would they always be there for him, or...
"Speaking of, where is Dumbledore? Shouldn't he be back by now?" asked Harry, trying to push nagging doubts about an uncertain future out of his mind.
"I have no idea," responded Lupin. "He must have been delayed on his mission."
"What mission?" asked Harry hopefully.
Lupin smiled at his curiosity. "I promise Harry, you can join the Order the minute you graduate from school."
"Great," muttered Harry, surprised as the bitterness in his own voice. "Then I can make a will, too. It's probably best to get my affairs in order now, rather then after Voldemort kills me..."
"Harry, the members of the Order are watching out for you. We won't let anything happen to you. You know that, right?" said Lupin in a concerned voice. Harry found the scenario of nothing bad happening to him highly unlikely.
"Yes, I'm sure everything will be fine," Harry lied.
"...and either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives..."whispered a voice in the back of Harry's mind.
AN: Ah, this chapter is kind of short. I just wanted to throw it up b/c I'm going away for a few days... The next one will be longer, I promise!
"How can you let him stay here?!" sputtered Snape in a furious voice. "He's—he's a—"
"I assure you, Severus, we are all aware of Remus's condition," said Dumbledore in a calm voice. "Ah, Sirius, please come in."
Sirius was standing at the door to Dumbledore's office, looking guilty. He edged into the room and sat down next to Snape. He threw a faint smile at James, but James merely frowned in return. Sirius sunk down in his chair.
"Condition?!" said Snape incredulously. "You make it sound like he has Magical Measles! He's a WEREWOLF! He could have killed me!"
"I know," said Dumbledore quietly. "I'm sure you are aware that you should not have been on the grounds tonight—" Snape opened his mouth to protest but Dumbledore held up his hand for silence.
"We have taken many precautions to make sure Remus does not endanger any of his fellow students during his time at Hogwarts. No student is supposed to know how to get past the Whomping Willow. If I understand correctly, you didn't stumble across that information by accident." Dumbledore turned towards Sirius, frowning. "Mr. Black, do you know how Severus learned how to get past the Whomping Willow?" he inquired.
"Because, I, um—told him," answered Sirius in a small voice. . "And why would you do such a thing?" asked Dumbledore gravely.
"I—I don't know." Sirius hung his head.
Dumbledore stared intently at him. His eyes were lacking their familiar twinkle. "I'm deeply disappointed in you, Sirius. You have shown incredible disregard for the both the safety and trust of your friends and classmates. If not for the actions of your friend Mr. Potter, Severus could have could have been killed tonight—or worse. You will serve detention with Mr. Filch every night for the next three weeks."
Sirius nodded slowly. "Yes, sir," he said weakly. Snape's upper lip was curling in disgust. He looked back and forth between James and Sirius, clearly unable to decide which one he loathed more.
"To whom Remus chooses to divulge his secret is his own personal choice," said Dumbledore, focusing his attention on Snape. "However, I must ask that you keep this information quiet for the duration of your stay at Hogwarts, Severus." Snape looked incensed.
"Yes, Headmaster," he muttered, the rage in his voice barely contained.
"You may all report back to your common rooms. Good evening to you all." Dumbledore stood up from his desk and extended his hand. The door clicked magically open and the three boys filed out. Snape stomped wordlessly past James and Sirius, still fuming.
James and Sirius walked slowly down the circular steps.
"What in the bleeding hell were you thinking mate?" demanded James.
Sirius ran his hand nervously through his shaggy black hair. "I don't—I mean I didn't want—It was just a joke..." he stammered.
"Oh right, it was bleeding hilarious!" James shook his head. "I hate Snivelly just as much as the next bloke, but—you—you could have killed him! What if Lupin had bitten him? He could have been expelled—or thrown in Azkaban—or—"
"I'm sorry!" yelled Sirius suddenly. He immediately dropped his voice back to a normal conversational level. "I didn't want to kill him or—anything. I just thought it would be funny if he got a little—you know—scare." Sirius obviously realized how ridiculous him plan sounded out loud because he fell silent. "Anyway, thanks for stopping him mate..."
Harry couldn't imagine the father he had seen so far in Sirius's memories missing an opportunity to gloat, but James simply continued to shake his head silently.
"I think you owe Remus an apology," James said quietly.
Neither James nor Sirius spoke until they reached the common room. Harry took the opportunity to question Lupin some more.
"How did the apology go?" asked Harry curiously. The scene was starting to fade. Lupin snorted.
"I—eh—refused to speak to him for a week," Lupin responded, sounding a little guilty.
"I can't believe Sirius would do something so stupid!" marveled Harry. He paused for a moment and considered all of the things he had just seen inside the Pensieve. "Actually, yes I can..." he said. Harry recalled a second hand account of the events that had just transpired from his own third year, nut it just wasn't the same.
"I've told you, we were young and foolish," chuckled Lupin. He paused and said in a more serious tone: "But your father was always did the right thing when it really counted. If you take anything from this experience, try to remember that. People do change as they mature, but some things remain constant."
"I know, I know," said Harry. Was he going to change? What about his friends? Would they always be there for him, or...
"Speaking of, where is Dumbledore? Shouldn't he be back by now?" asked Harry, trying to push nagging doubts about an uncertain future out of his mind.
"I have no idea," responded Lupin. "He must have been delayed on his mission."
"What mission?" asked Harry hopefully.
Lupin smiled at his curiosity. "I promise Harry, you can join the Order the minute you graduate from school."
"Great," muttered Harry, surprised as the bitterness in his own voice. "Then I can make a will, too. It's probably best to get my affairs in order now, rather then after Voldemort kills me..."
"Harry, the members of the Order are watching out for you. We won't let anything happen to you. You know that, right?" said Lupin in a concerned voice. Harry found the scenario of nothing bad happening to him highly unlikely.
"Yes, I'm sure everything will be fine," Harry lied.
"...and either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives..."whispered a voice in the back of Harry's mind.
AN: Ah, this chapter is kind of short. I just wanted to throw it up b/c I'm going away for a few days... The next one will be longer, I promise!