Dedicated too Golden Lass, for her one review and her awesome idea's! Love you!
A/N – At first this was only supposed to be a one-shot, however…here is the second chapter! Please review! By the way, this is a Lupin-adopts-Harry fic!
The Cold Room
Harry was glad to finally be out of Potions class – Snape had been exceedingly nasty this morning, and Harry had to get the potions ingredients because he had been paired with Malfoy and that git used his bloody injured arm as an excuse to not do half of the work. Despite that, Snape had been forced to give Harry a good mark, it wasn't the best potion, but it wasn't worse than Neville's, who had blown up half the room and most of the students had sludged out of the room with green goo all over their hair and robes.
"Harry, you all right?" Ron asked. Harry looked at his two best friends before giving them a small smile.
"Did you find it all that hard to not laugh at those Slytherins?" Harry asked, it had only been Slytherin students who got covered in the green goo, and the rest of the class had been in stitches over that small fact.
"That was funny! Too bad it wasn't on purpose, then I could say brilliant!" Ron replied, waving his hands in the air.
"I don't think that's a good idea in Snape's class – did you see how red in the face he got?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, but my Uncle can turn purple," Harry shrugged; basically, Snape going red in the face wasn't as bad or impressive as Uncle Vernon going Purple!
"Does he get mad often?" Hermione asked.
"Only when I deserve it," Harry replied.
"I guess that was why he put those bars on you're window before second year, right?" Ron asked.
"Maybe, but I blame Dobby for that one,"
"Why are you blaming that poor creature?" Hermione looked stern, "He was only trying to help!"
"Sure, if you call ruining the pudding over my Uncles Boss' wife's head, than sure, he was trying to help me get kicked out of school!"
"I guess that was a bit mean," Hermione sighed, "But still…"
"Please Hermione! No more about house-elves!" Harry sighed as he also rolled his eyes.
"Say, what did you get on that essay Lupin gave us the other day? I got an 'A'," Ron said.
"Great Ron," Harry smiled.
"I got an 'O' of course," Hermione sniffed.
"Ah, our good ol' Hermione," Ron wagged his eye brows at the girl.
"What about you, Harry?" Hermione asked.
"What? Ummm…I forgot," Harry replied.
"I bet you got an 'E'," Ron said.
"Lupin does seem to like you," Hermione agreed.
"Really?" Harry asked.
"Sure, but you know Professor's, they aren't supposed to have favorites,"
"Does that stop Snape?" Ron asked as he glared at some passing Slytherins.
"No, but truly…"
"It's all right, maybe he does like me a bit, he is giving me Anti-Dementor lessons," Harry said.
"That is a bit piece of magic," Hermione said.
"Did you look it up?" Ron asked.
"Yes, but there wasn't much on it, only the anatomy and history of Dementor's, there was a foot note but half of it was intelligible,"
"Too bad," Ron said.
"I can tell you the spell," Harry said.
"Oh my, why didn't I think of that?' Hermione smacked herself.
"It's all right, sometimes we all forget," Harry replied.
"Well, what is it then?" Ron asked.
"Expecto Petronum," Harry replied.
"Ah, what do you have to do?" Hermione asked taking out a slip of parchment. Harry launched into a Lupin-like state while he explained the intricacies of the spell and how it worked on Dementor's.
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Remus Lupin watched with a slight smirk on his face as he watched the Golden Trio head down the hall way – it was time for dinner and Lupin was sure that they were glad to not have to go back to potions any time soon. He had of course heard of the slight mishap in the potions room, and had kindly reminded Snape that the same had happened when Slughorn had taught.
"Do you happen to remember the Marauders?" Lupin asked.
"Yes, the brat's," Snape muttered.
"We still haven't figured out who they were," McGonagall looked sternly at Lupin who gave her his most innocent face.
"Neither did James or Sirius, though they tried," Lupin replied.
"What are you getting at?" Snape asked.
"At least you didn't turn into a giant plant hugging twit like that time in fifth year…" Lupin replied with a smile before he gathered up his student essays.
"When was this?" McGonagall asked.
"Fifth year, don't ask me how, only the Marauders would know," Lupin smiled before leaving the room – Snape glared after him but Lupin just waved at the potion's master.
He smiled again – no one would ever learn of the Maraudering secrets! And that was a promise, considering that he was the last of the group that had once called themselves friends.
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It was a nice autumn day and it was clear that the students wanted to be outside before it got too cold. Through the windows of the defense office, Lupin could also see the huge oak tree that stood beside the lake – he had retreated to his office right after class, and had no intention of leaving.
He stood at the window, just staring out over Hogwarts grounds – these grounds had been his play ground for several years when he was a student here – along with his best friends, they had explored most of the castle and the Forbidden Forest. Lupin couldn't help but smiling, Harry was just like his father, he hated Snape, and he wasn't afraid of doing what was right, though, James did have this thing for Lily – Harry hadn't once gone after Cho Change like James had gone after Lily.
"Lily! Will you go out with me?" James' voice echoed through the hall way – several students snickered as the boy ran up to Lily and handed her pink carnations. Lily made a face.
"Potter! Whatever makes you think that'd I go out with a git like you?" she asked.
"Why not? No other boy here could adore you like I do!" James said.
"Go away Potter!" Lily threw the flowers back into James' face. James watched his 'beloved' go without another word though he was desperately trying to think of something to say to her. Snickering behind him brought him back to earth.
"What are you lot laughing at? It isn't funny!" James said tersely.
"Sorry, Jamie, but it is," Sirius Black replied.
"I have to agree with Sirius on this one," Remus Lupin agreed solemnly then went back to snickering.
"How am I supposed to ever get her to go out with me?" James asked dejectedly.
"How about you stop being such a git?" Remus suggested.
"Har – Har! And you call yourself my friend!" James swiped a fake tear from his eye.
"Too bad, so sad," Sirius mocked. James hit them both upon the head, and then the boy's started laughing.
"Come, my friends, let us tarry here no longer!" James said in his best noble voice and then the trio went off to find Peter so that they could get started on their next prank!
"Harry is so much like his father, just quiet," Lupin said out loud to the silence of his office. He saw the 'Golden Trio' as they were called under the oak tree; they were laughing and obviously having fun. At least Harry had friends, it wasn't that hard to not like a Potter, however that went the same for hate, but Lupin knew that he could never hate or like Harry…no, he loved the boy, even if he had missed out on much of the young boy's life.
It was then that Lupin resolved to tell Harry everything – everything about Black and his parent's, the boy didn't know much and Dumbledore was adamant that he didn't. but, what good would cause the boy if he did not know that Black was innocent? What about Peter? Was the letter that he had gotten from Black the truth?
Lupin pulled the letter out of his pocket, he knew it by heart, but he had to read it over and over again, it was like a lamp had been turned on and he was blinded because he himself had been in the dark for much too long.
Dear Mr. Moony,
I know that it will come as a shock to you when you see this letter – I can only hope that you read through this before tearing it up into pieces and resolving to eat me for daring to write a letter to you.
First I have to say, that I am sorry that I even suspected that you were the spy – deep down I knew you weren't, and deep down, I knew that I was wrong. I tend to be wrong about things like this – like that time that I suspected one of us let it slip that we were Animagi to the Slytherins. That took a while to solve, and I know that I suspected you then.
But unlike that, I do not ask for you're forgiveness – what sort of person would I be if I did? It was my fault that we switched. I was supposed to be the Secret Keep for Prongs and Lily, but I switched with Peter! I was to be the decoy since everyone knew that Prongs and I were best mate's! Voldemort was to go after me, and I was to hold him off as long as possible from figuring out really was the secret keeper – I was to claim to be the secret keeper, and to also claim that I would never tell him anything!
Do you remember all those times we asked Peter where he had gone and he said he had been busy with something or other? He was busy telling Voldemort what we were doing! That was why I was delayed while going to Prongs night on Halloween, that was why you were attacked during you're Werewolf expedition! Peter had been there when we came up with these idea's and mission's, he told Voldemort everything!
After…after Prongs and Lily died, I tried to take Harry to safety, but Hagrid was there, and he told me that I should trust Dumbledore, well, I'm not sure if I do or not, I didn't get a trial, and Peter is playing rat like always and here I am…stuck in the middle of no where, knowing that if I show my face at Hogwarts, even to explain would be a danger to my self appointed mission.
PETTIGREW is there! He's at Hogwarts! And I will KILL him! He destroyed our lives and he took the two most noble and loving people from Harry, my Harry….what else am I supposed to do?
Please, Moony! Believe what I say is truth! I would never, NEVER betray Lily and Prongs, they (and you) are and were my only family that I ever had! Prongs helped me in my time of need and I promised him that I would always be there!
Moony, please believe me! I
Marauders Honor...
Mr. Padfoot
Even though he had read the letter over and over again, Lupin felt like crying each time he remembered the last few passages of the letter. Sirius Black wasn't crazy, he held the highest regards for Harry, that man would never hurt a hair on Pronglet's head. There would be no worry about that.
But, Lupin felt that he needed to help his friend, it was the only way that Sirius would ever get to live the life that he had been denied of since that fateful day fourteen years ago. Lupin sighed as he folded up the letter and stuck it back into his pocket. He turned away from the window and sat down at his desk, student papers needed to be graded.
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A/N – All right – I know that this is a Lupin-adopts-Harry fic, and it will be…let's just say that there will be many complications with Sirius and Peter. I want to thank Irish Eyes and Golden Lass for their reviews! It gave me enough encouragement to write more of this!
Ta,
Poppy