Call On Me
Chapter Twenty Six-Diagon Alley
I pulled out parchment and began writing back to Dumbledore, stating Lily Ann would attend and that I'd be going with her.
I folded the letter up and put in an envelope. My owl, Amber, hooted softly on her perch. She extended her wings and cleanly sailed over to me, landing on my shoulder. I tied to letter to her leg.
She took off and headed out the opened window.
Lily Ann finished her breakfast and put the plates in the sink.
"Dad? Are you sure you're okay with me going back?" she asked worriedly.
I had to admit, I was nervous and really not looking forward to it, but I knew Caitlin would not want me to keep feeling sorry for myself.
I sighed and called her over to me.
She came over and leaned against me. I put my arm around her.
"Honestly, I'm nervous and not really looking forward to it," I said quietly. "But I know your Mum wouldn't want me to keep feeling sorry for myself."
"Right," Lily Ann said nodding feverishly. "You can't blame yourself for what happened to Mum. She loved you very much and saved you."
I looked at her and felt tears forming in my eyes.
"Well, I love you very much," I said softly and gently.
"Me too," Lily Ann said brightly as she threw her arms around me and hugged me. I wrapped my arms around her tightly and pressed my face into her hair.
She was my world now. I would do anything for her.
We released each other and she headed off into the living room. A thought suddenly occurred to me…What happened to Lord Voldemort's body? I don't remember seeing it in the hospital wing.
Dumbledore must've taken care of it…right?
I felt even more edgy now and uneasy.
That night, I slept uneasy. I kept tossing and turning.
"Remus, wake up," a familiar voice said.
I woke up and there sitting on the edge of my bed was Caitlin.
"Caitlin?" I asked shocked.
She smiled at me.
"Hi Moony," she said softly.
I pulled myself into a sitting position. She wasn't transparent but looked like Lily, James, Sirius and Peter had when they visited us in the hospital wing when Lily Ann was born.
Caitlin's honey brown eyes twinkled.
"Glad to see me?" she asked grinning. "I'm not scaring you?"
"Definitely," I said as I felt tears forming. "And no."
She continued to smile and put a hand on the side of my face. I felt warmth where her hand was.
"Stop feeling guilty alright?" she said in a scolding tone. "I did it because I love you. I was protecting you."
I felt an ache rising in the back of my throat.
"I miss you so much," I choked out.
"I know," Caitlin said softly and gently. "Lily Ann needs you now. She's doing wonderfully because of you. I know you spoil her."
My lip twitched.
"Stop blaming yourself alright?" Caitlin said firmly.
I nodded.
"Alright,"
She smiled. "I'll always be watching over you two. I love you both so very much."
She threw her arms around me and hugged me. I hugged her back and began sobbing softly and closed my eyes.
"Dad?" Lily Ann's voice cut through the darkness suddenly. "Are you alright?"
I opened my eyes. Caitlin was gone. Lily Ann was standing in the doorway looking concerned.
"Oh yeah," I said. I quickly wiped my eyes with the back of my hand and took a deep breath. "Why are you up? It's midnight."
"Couldn't sleep," she said.
"That makes two of us," I replied as I tossed off the covers and swung my legs over the side. I got to my feet and we padded into the kitchen.
"Want some hot cocoa?" I asked her.
She nodded and slid onto one of the kitchen chairs holding a teddy bear I had gotten her.
I began making the hot chocolate. Suddenly, the sharp familiar pain shot across my abdomen. I cried out and dropped to my hands and knees on the kitchen floor. I looked out the window. A full moon hung in the midnight sky.
"Dad?" Lily Ann asked fearfully.
"It's okay," I said cringing and began changing.
LILY ANN.
I clutched the teddy bear tightly against my chest. Dad began changing:
His ears grew and tapered into points; his back lengthened and narrowed; his legs bent into haunches; gray and white fur grew all over his body; his hands and feet changed into paws with deadly looking black nails where his fingernails and toenails were; his nose and mouth pulled forward into a snout; white canines and incisors slid down under violet lips; his bottom jaws held the same deadly knife like canines and incisors; his eyes changed into an amber/jaundice color. Before long my Dad was gone and a wolf stood in replace.
I gasped and stood frozen. I knew he was a werewolf…but I'd never seen him change in front of me.
The wolf yawned and stretched out his front legs, flexing his nails. Then he stretched out each hind leg separately.
He turned this attention onto me.
He walked toward me, his shoulders rolling easily as he moved. I remained, clutching the teddy bear tightly in my arms. He reached my feet and tucked his hind quarters into a sitting position. He nudged my arm with his cold, wet black nose.
I realized by now I was really tired and headed over to the couch. I curled up on it, my head resting on a pillow.
The wolf jumped up with me and curled up against me, resting his head on my thigh. Shortly I had dozed off into a deep sleep.
THE WOLF.
I curled up against Lily Ann. My ears were pricked for any sound out of the ordinary. Suddenly, I picked up a scent that didn't belong there. I raised my head and stared toward the front door. I sensed someone was out there.
I watched with rapt attention. There was silence, and then the door broke down. A man dressed in black carrying a large black nightstick burst in. I immediately rose to my feet and stood over Lily Ann protectively. I flattened my ears out sideways, retracted the upper lip and exposed my white canines and incisors at him and snarled viciously.
Lily Ann had woken up and screamed when she saw the man. She leapt off the couch and went to run, but the man grabbed her by the arm.
"Where are you off to, little lady?" he growled.
She kept screaming and tried to break free of his grip. I reared up on my hind legs and clamped my jaws on the man's arm. We couldn't see his face at all…he had on a black ski mask.
I bit down hard. Blood began flowing from the wound. He let go of Lily Ann. She hid beside the couch and curled into a tight ball.
The man cried out and cradled his arm against his body. He took a swing at me with the night stick but I dodged it easily.
LILY ANN.
Dad continued to fight with the intruder. Finally, Dad had knocked the intruder down onto his back. He landed beside the couch, blocking my view. All I could see was Dad's hindquarters standing over the man, Dad snarling viciously and then the man let out a sharp yell before there was silence.
Dad turned around and faced me. There was blood covering his snout and muzzle. I curled into a tighter ball.
REMUS.
The morning came. I changed back into a human. Lily Ann was curled up in the corner in a tight ball.
"Hey," I said softly. "You okay?"
I crouched down in front of her and put a hand on her arm. To my surprise and horror, she recoiled.
"Lily?" I asked alarmed.
"You killed that man," she squeaked out.
"Oh," I said quietly. "I had to honey. He would've hurt you and I. I was just protecting you."
She slowly uncoiled and looked at me. There was a look in her eyes I never thought I'd see…fear.
"Couldn't you have just restrained him somehow?" she asked.
My heart was breaking.
"Unfortunately, no," I said swallowing. "As a wolf I only have so much strength. How would I have done that? I can't put handcuffs on him."
Lily Ann thought hard about that.
"Listen to me," I said earnestly putting my face close to hers. I put a hand on the side of her face. "I would never turn and hurt you…understand? That would be the last thing I would do."
She nodded as tears formed in her eyes. I pulled her close into a tight hug. She hugged me back just as tightly.
"Come on," I said brightly. "We've got to head to Diagon Alley to pick up your supplies."
"What about him?" Lily Ann asked gesturing to the man.
"I'll call the police," I said.
Once the intruder was dealt with, (I had told the police that a wild dog had done that) Lily Ann and I headed to Diagon Alley.
Once in London, I knew immediately where to go. I stepped in front of the bricks, pulled out my wand and tapped a brick. Immediately, the bricks parted forming an archway and Lily Ann and I stepped into Diagon Alley.
"Wow," she breathed excitedly.
There were already students teeming the cobblestone streets. Lily Ann stayed close to me as we walked down the street.
"For a pet, what would you like?" I asked her. "Cat, Frog, Rat, Owl?"
Lily Ann thought. "Cat,"
I nodded.
We stepped into the Magical Creatures Shop. Dozens of animals of all sorts were in cages.
To the left, was a dog sitting on his haunches tied with a blue leash to a cage. The dog was a chocolate and white Border Collie. It had one blue eye and one dark brown one. Once the dog spied Lily Ann, the tail began wagging, thumping against the cage.
Lily Ann squealed when she saw the dog.
The owner stepped up behind the counter.
"Ah," the owner said grinning. "That's Arimus. She was just dropped off to me yesterday."
"Is she magical?" I asked. "I've only seen owls, cats, frogs and rats here."
"Oh yes," the owner said nodding. "Watch."
The owner held a yellow plastic disc, which I recognized as a Fanged Frisbee.
"Arimus, come and get it," the owner said.
The dog continued to sit, but in a blink of an eye, the Frisbee was hanging from her jaws.
"Lightning quick," the owner said proudly.
"I'll take her," I said grinning as the dog seemed to have taken a liking to Lily Ann.
Lily Ann hardly had to keep a tight rein on the dog as we left the shop. The dog stayed close to her.
I told Lily Ann to wait outside while I ran into Flourish and Botts for her books.
LILY ANN.
Arimus sat on her haunches at my feet while Dad went into the book store. She panted and looked up at me.
"Hello," a female voice said behind me.
I turned around. It was a pretty woman with shoulder length ash blond hair and blue eyes.
"Hi," I said brightly.
"That's a beautiful dog," she said bending down and extending her hand out but Arimus began growling at the woman.
"My name is Kelly Smith," the woman continued.
"Lily Ann Lupin,"
Realization dawned on her face.
"Your dad taught me when I went to school," she said pleasantly. "But then he left."
A few minutes later, Dad came back out of the store carrying my books.
"Professor Lupin?" Kelly asked.
Dad nodded.
"I'm Kelly Smith…remember me?"
Dad paused for a moment then broke into a huge grin.
"Why of course! How are you?" he asked extending his hand out for Kelly to shake.
"Okay I guess," she beamed.
"What brings you to Diagon Alley?" Dad asked beaming.
"I'm teaching up at Hogwarts now," she said grinning. "I'm teaching Charms."
I saw Dad's expression falter a bit. That subject will probably forever touch a nerve with him.
"I see," he said slowly.
"There's also a new teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts. I think her name is Carrie Ryans. I'll be seeing you soon," Kelly said beaming.
She beamed at me before heading off down the street.
"Arimus growled at her for some reason," I replied as we began walking down the street as well.
"That's odd," Dad said looking down at Arimus, who looked back up at him panting away.
Dad picked up the rest of the supplies: a cauldron, quills/parchment, robes, textbooks for the 1st year and ink bottles.
Once we were done, we headed home. The 1st of September was only a few days away. I was really excited.
REMUS.
Seeing Kelly all over again brought back so many memories of Caitlin.
I sighed. I had hoped this year would be good for Lily Ann and we wouldn't have to put up with any new surprises.
We soon headed off to bed.
SEPTEMBER 1st.
KINGS CROSS STATION.
We stood on Kings Cross station. The Hogwarts Express, the scarlet steam engine was already in the station.
Put stowed Lily Ann's plus my own luggage in the train and found a compartment. Lily Ann took a seat by the window and Arimus jumped up onto the seat next to her and curled up against her.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. A pretty woman entered.
"Oh hello," she said brightly. "I'm Carrie Ryans. I'm the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Mind if I sit here with you?"
"Please," I said gesturing to the seat.
Arimus raised her head but did nothing.