Chapter 2: The beginning
1993
Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, was at the moment on the run. Firstly on the run from his relatives and secondly from the Ministry. He was sitting on a bed on this strange bus – what was its name again? – the Knight Bus and was looking at the front page of the Daily Prophet that the conductor named Stan started to read a few moments ago.
"That man!" Harry said, forgetting his troubles for a moment. "He was on the muggle news!"
Stanley turned to the front page and chuckled.
"Remus Lupin" he said, nodding. "Course 'e was on the Muggle news, Neville. Where you been?"
He gave a superior sort of chuckle at the blank look on Harry's face, removed the front page and handed it to Harry.
"you oughta read the papers more, Neville"
Harry held the paper up to the candlelight and read:
LUPIN STILL AT LARGE
Remus Lupin, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today.
'We are doing all we can to recapture Lupin' said the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this morning, 'and we beg the magical community to remain calm.'
Fudge has been criticized by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis.
'Well, really, I had to, don't you know' said an irritable Fudge. 'Lupin is mad. He's a danger to anyone who crosses him, magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister's assurance the he will not breathe a word of Lupin's true identity to anyone. And let's face it- who'd believe him if he did?'
While Muggles have been told that Lupin is carrying a gun (a kind of metal wand which Muggles use to kill each other), the magical community lives in fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago, when Lupin murdered thirteen people with a single curse.
Harry looked at the picture of a pale man whose eyes were shadowed with visible madness. He looked like ghost, was skinny and in his long light-brown hair were wide grey streaks.
"Scary-lookin' fing, inee?" said Stan, who had been watching Harry read.
"He murdered thirteen people?" said Harry, handing the page back to Stan "with one curse?"
"Yep" said Stan. "In front of witnesses an' all. Broad daylight. Big trouble it caused, dinnit, Ern?"
"Ar" said Ern darkly.
Stan swiveled in his armchair, his hands on the back, the better to look at Harry.
"Lupin was a big supporter of you-Know-'Oo" he said.
"What, Voldemort?" said Harry without thinking.
Even Stan's pimple went white, Ern jerked the steering wheel so hard that a whole farmhouse had to jump aside to avoid the bus.
"You outta your tree?" yelped Stan. "Choo say 'is name for?"
"Sorry" said Harry hastily. "Sorry, I forgot… So … so Lupin was a supporter of You-Know-Who?" Harry prompted apologetically.
"Yeah" said Stan, still rubbing his chest. "Yeah, that's right. Very close to 'im, they say. Anyway when little 'Arryy Potter put paisd to You-Know-'Oo… allYou-Know-'Oo-'s supporters was tracked down… Most of'em knew it was all over and they came quiet. But not Remus Lupin. It's because he'd a real monster, or so they say…
"What do you mean?"
Stan leant closer and whispered as if he wanted to make the impression even bigger.
"He's a werewolf…"
"A werewolf?"
"Yes, you know… nights with full-moon he turns into a beast … robs children eats them alive and kills everything that's moving…"
"Anyway, they cornered him in the middle of a street full of Muggles an' Lupin took out 'is wand and'h blasted 'Alf the street apart, a wizard got it and so did a dozen Muggles what got in the way. 'Orrible, eh? An' you know what Lupin did then?" Stan continued in a dramatic whisper.
"What?" asked Harry.
"Laughed" said Stan. "Jus' stood there an' laughed! 'e's mad innee, Ern?"
"Yes he is. They should have eliminated him when they had the opportunity, the Ministry it is" Ern said grimly. "A werewolf in Azkaban? Everybody goes mad in Azkaban but not a werewolf, or so it is said…"
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Albus Dumbledore was standing in front of a small country-house. Just outside the nicely attended garden. During his whole ride here he thought about the situation at hand. And about the man who was in the middle of the turmoil: Remus Lupin. The last time he saw him was almost exactly twelve years ago. He went to the Ministry to get some answers but he didn't get any. At least any that he liked.
He remembered that day too well. Seeing Lupin in that condition… chained and in something near craziness. Dumbledore could ask only one question… Why? If Lupin had told something…anything … he would have believed him but he didn't. He just looked up with those empty eyes and laughed out. Maybe a little bit hysterically but it wasn't such a big surprise after what he had done.
First Dumbledore thought it must be a misunderstanding or maybe that he did it to save Sirius. He wanted to have an explanation because he couldn't imagine that warm-hearted and caring young man joining Voldemort. But after meeting him he couldn't think anything else. And now Lupin was on the lose again.
At this point he had to think about the four boys who were the terror of the school and who had a friendship that surprised almost everybody. He was rather delighted of it. And what became of that? Two were dead, one was an escaped convict and a murderer and the fourth…
At the moment he stood in front of the fourth's door but he hesitated. Was this a good idea? He might be a wise and old man but some decisions were hard even for him. He sighed and knocked.
A young woman opened the door who had brown hair, brown eyes and a pretty face. She smiled when she glimpsed him.
"Professor Dumbledore!" she exclaimed, but then she must have recognized his grim expression because she asked. "Is something wrong?"
"I have to talk to Sirius, Miss Tonks. Is he around?"
"Yes, of course. Just a minute… Come in and take a seat" she invited him inside and rushed up the stairs.
Dumbledore walked inside the small living-room that was bright and sunny. He could understand why Sirius chose this house to live in. It was nothing like London and there was nothing dark about this little house that lied in the middle of the Scottish Mountains far away from every muggle or wizarding settlement.
The next moment the girl came back with Sirius Black at her side. His hair was tied in a ponytail that made the long scar on the left side of his face visible. He walked down the stairs with a slight limp that was not that bad as it had been the last time Dumbledore met him. The headmaster knew that it depended highly on the weather.
"Good morning, sir" the man greeted him.
"Good morning, Sirius." How would he take this? he wondered.
"'Dora told that you wanted to talk to me about something."
"Yes. Do you read the Daily Prophet here?" he asked.
"No."
Dumbledore wasn't really surprised at the answer. In the last years Sirius practically retreated from the wizarding world.
"Remus Lupin escaped Azkaban prison" Dumbledore told simply.
He saw Tonks looking at Sirius waiting for some kind of reaction but his face remained unreadable.
"And?" was all he asked after a long silence.
"We think that he might be after Harry…"
"We?"
"The Ministry… the Order. He talked in his sleep and due to the wards he repeated one single sentence: He's at Hogwarts."
"He wouldn't hurt Harry."
"Sirius…" Dumbledore sighed and sat down at last. They had this argument many times before. "I know you don't believe in the official version. I didn't want to believe it myself but the evidence is incontestable."
Sirius didn't answer just shook his head.
"And what do you want from me?" he asked then.
"I want you to come to Hogwarts… I need a new DADA teacher anyway, so I guessed…"
Sirius cut him off with a bitter laugh.
"You can't be serious!"
But the old wizard just looked at him and nodded.
"I absolutely am. You are capable for the job and you know Lupin better than anybody else."
Sirius just shook his head.
"You could meet Harry. You would teach him."
Sirius' head jerked up and every other wizard would recoil from the dangerous fire in his eyes… but not Dumbledore of course.
"The Ministry would never allow this!" he growled.
"They have no authority over my choosing. And they are afraid, helpless and you know how Fudge feels about werewolfs…"
"I know it perfectly well."
"What do you say to my offer?"
Sirius looked back at his niece who still stood behind him leaning against the doorframe, but she just shrugged, telling that she didn't have the answer.
"Harry is in his third year, right?" Everybody could have seen the inner turmoil because it was written on his face.
"Yes, he is. And he looks like James a lot."
Dumbledore knew that Sirius loved the boy above everything. It was his best card against him. Despite the fact that he was Harry's godfather the Ministry didn't let him taking care for the boy as he was declared mentally instable. First Dumbledore absolutely agreed with them but in the last few years he thought a lot about this decision especially seeing how the Dursleys treated Harry. His godfather at least would have given him parental love.
The younger man fought a lot to get custody over Harry but was refused every time and after a while he wasn't even allowed to enter the Ministry. Dumbledore knew that Fudge was practically scared of him which Dumbledore could understand in a way.
"I accept."
Dumbledore was so immersed in his thoughts that he almost forgot the question. But now he smiled.
"Thank you…"
"Don't thank too early…" Sirius said darkly. "I won't hunt Remus down."
"I didn't ask you for it. We will have the dementors around to do it."
"The dementors?" it was the first time that Tonks cut in.
Dumbledore frowned.
"I'm not glad about it, either but the Ministry insisted." Then he turned back to Sirius. "All I'd like to ask you is to protect Harry if Lupin tries anything against him."
"If this happens, he won't live to see another full moon" Sirius said and though his tone was almost casual there was no casualty in his eyes.
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About one hour later Sirius was sitting at the kitchen table watching Dora preparing two cups of coffee. So far they haven't talked about his decision but he knew that the girl would bring it up eventually. He knew her well enough: she was her mother's daughter and always said that was on her heart. Since her parents died four years ago, Sirius was her only relative – at least the only one who talked to her! – and she practically lived here.
She was in her sixth year when her parents died a mysterious accident. Everybody thought that dark wizards – probably ex-Death Eaters - stood behind it, but there was no evidence. So, Dora came to Sirius after the school-year ended and spent her holidays here. Then she applied to auror training and was accepted. She was spending her second year there.
Dora sat down on the opposite side of the table and tossed him the hot mug.
"So?" he asked to break the silence.
"So, what?" Tonks asked back innocently.
"I know you want to tell me your opinion."
"And I know that you've already decided. More over I agree with you… more or less."
"I think I'll hear about that 'less-part' soon."
Tonks smiled and rolled her eyes.
"I won't preach, but… I'm worried."
"Remus won't do anything to me" he repeated stubbornly.
"I'm not talking about Remus Lupin. I don't know if he's a murderer or not, I don't even know him" she raised her hand before he could tell a word. "I'm worried about you. Are you capable to the task?"
"Your parents had always supported me in getting the custody over Harry and so did you…"
"Yes, but Harry is one child. In Hogwarts there are a few hundreds more."
"I know, and don't think that I'm not afraid of teaching. And about your other concern… I'm well. I haven't had an attack for months and the potions help a lot."
Tonks sighed.
"All right. I'll start pack everything. How do you want to go?"
"With the Hogwarts-express, I think I'll start my guarding there."
"Do you allow me to visit you a few times?"
"Of course" he smiled. "I would be glad to have you there. But don't neglect your training!"
She leant forward and kissed him on the cheek then stood up and went upstairs. Sirius just stayed there sitting and thought about Harry. What would he tell him? How is he? Oh, Merlin! Dora was right, they had a lot to worry about.
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