Werewolf, Chapter 1
Summary: Lupin comes back to Hogwarts in Harry's sixth year. Someone is trying to murder Albus Dumbledore, and if it's possible, the Boy-Who-Lived. But the plan depends of Lupin. Will Lupin fall into the trap, or will he be able to prevent the plan from being carried out?
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, of this I am glad because I would not personally want to write a 700 page book all the while wondering if it's going to be good enough or if I'm going to have to go into hiding in order to avoid the millions of angry readers. Thank you for your time.
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Lupin entered the Great Hall with much trepidation. This is not a good idea, he thought to himself. He held Dumbledore in highest esteem, he had since he was eight years old, but he could not help but doubt the man's sanity when he requested, no, ordered, Lupin's presence at Hogwarts this year. He would be assuming the teaching position that he had abandoned two years earlier for reasons that still, and always would, exist. He couldn't imagine how Dumbledore had managed to convince the Ministry, and the parents for that matter, that their children would be safe being taught by the likes of Remus Lupin.
Because everyone knew now. The entire wizarding world knew what he was, what happened to him every month at the full moon. This was mostly thanks to a controversial article in the Daily Prophet two years ago that featured his face plastered across the front page accompanied by unpleasantly pulsating neon green letters which spelled out the words, WEREWOLF TERRORIZES HOGWARTS. This was followed by the only article Rita Skeeter had ever written that Remus actually agreed with. That night on the Hogwarts grounds was chalked up there as one of the worst nights of his life. It was actually quite a long list, but that incident was certainly in the top five, if not the top three. If it hadn't been for Sirius, Harry Potter and his friends would almost certainly be dead now. The fact that Severus Snape and Peter Pettigrew would be too was hardly a comfort….
Lupin shuddered and forced the thoughts from his mind. The fact of the matter was that he was dangerous, no matter what potions he drank, no matter how many precautions he took. There was always the chance that he would break free, that the monster would break free….
He shuddered again. What was Albus thinking, bringing him here?
But this was not the time or the place to ponder the inner workings of Albus Dumbledore's mind. Even as Lupin took his seat at the staff table, the doors of the Hall opened and the students came pouring in, chattering excitedly. The mass separated as students went to their different House tables. He caught a glimpse of Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they sat down next to Ron's sister Ginny and Neville Longbottom, both of whom, from what Lupin had heard, had been in the Hall of Prophecies with the threesome last year. He did not try to catch their eye. In fact, he did his best to look completely invisible. He had no idea what the students' reactions would be when they noticed he was there, but he had no intention of finding out until it was absolutely necessary. Luck was not on his side, however. Hagrid, who came in slightly after the first flood of students, looking completely soaked from the lake, caught sight of Remus and shouted his name for the entire Hall to hear. Lupin felt his cheeks burn as every eye in the Hall turned to look at him. It was at times like these that he wished he could just sink into the floor and be out of sight. The enormous Care of Magical Creatures teacher was having none of that though. Hagrid strode across the floor, yanked the petrified Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher out of his chair and gave him a brotherly hug. Lupin's feet were dangling a full meter above the ground. Finally Hagrid let him go and, gasping and rubbing his ribs, every one of which felt broken, Lupin greeted Hagrid too. Before heading to his seat, the giant man pounded Remus jovially on the back, sending him crashing into the table. This earned him a dirty look from Professor McGonagall and a very sore kneecap. He rubbed it tenderly and tried to ignore the mutterings that echoed around the hall as he sat down again. He kept his eyes focused on the reflected light in his goblet and tried not to turn an even deeper shade of red.
The doors of the Hall opened and a crowd of first years shuffled down the middle aisle on the way to their sorting. The ripped and tattered Sorting Hat sat on a stool right in front of the staff table. The Sorting began, and though Lupin clapped politely as each child scurried away to their respectful table, he wasn't really paying any attention. Lost in his own thoughts, he jerked awake when he heard the familiar name, "Clarkson, Handel!" The boy who stepped forward was the spitting image of his father Lance, a Ravenclaw two years older than Lupin whom the Marauders had hated almost as much as Snape. They had never understood why Lance was a Ravenclaw and not a Slytherin. It just didn't seem right to hate someone who wasn't in the same House as their archenemy. To his surprise, young Handel was not a Ravenclaw, or a Slytherin, but a Hufflepuff. Hmmm…thought Lupin. Maybe there's some hope for the boy after all. An entirely unteacherlike thing to say, but he couldn't help but think that there was no way he was going to have this job for long. The rest of the Sorting passed without incident, and Albus Dumbledore rose to his feet to address the students. All noise abruptly vanished, and the Headmaster began to speak.
"And so another year at Hogwarts begins. Before you become too stuffed to pay any attention to me, I must say a few things. First of all, all goods bought at the joke shop "Weasley's Wizarding Wheazes" are henceforth banned from the school, as ordered by Argus Filch."
A fair amount of the students looked rather put off by this and there was some irritated grumbling. Dumbledore plowed right through.
"The forest on the grounds is off limits to students, and that includes several sixth years who should know the rules by now."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked down at their plates sheepishly. Lupin bit back a grin.
"And I have one teacher to intoduce to you." continued Dumbledore. Lupin's stomach lurched. "Though a lot of you already know him, Remus Lupin," he gestured down the staff table at him and Remus nodded as a smattering of applause resounded throughout the Hall. He grinned as he heard Ron give a whoop, "has kindly agreed to return to us this year and fill the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher as Professor Umbridge is still in St. Mungo's and entirely unavailable."
A few snickers rang out. Even among the Slytherins, Umbridge had not been popular. Lupin felt a surge of anger at the name. Dolores was terribly prejudiced against non-human magical beings, werewolves being one of them. It was this prejudice that had landed her in St. Mungo's at the end of last year, after insulting a herd of centaurs. Remus hoped she had learned her lesson, but that was probably wishful thinking.
Dumbledore was speaking again. "That's all the announcements for tonight. I'm sure you're hungry, so dig in." He sat down as food appeared on the tables. Immediately the Great Hall erupted with the sound of happy, hungry children. Lupin, however, eyed the food with distaste. Last night had been the full moon and, rather stupidly, he had forgotten to eat anything before transforming. Starving and unable to reach anything in his kitchen's cupboards, he had been forced to catch and eat a rabbit. He had been feeling slightly nauseous ever since. Turning away from a particularly bloody slab of rare steak, the sight of which left his stomach heaving, he began a conversation with Professor Flitwick on the effectiveness of the Partis Charm.
"He doesn't look to good does he?" mumbled Ron, mouth full with Yorkshire pudding. Harry and Hermione already knew who he was talking about. They turned to the staff table in time to see Professor Lupin turn slightly green at the sight of the steak in front of him and quickly begin a conversation with Professor Flitwick.
"Of course he doesn't Ron!" cried Hermione, exasperated. "It was full moon last night wasn't it?"
"He never looks too great anyway." said Harry truthfully. "It's good to have him back though, isn't it? We haven't seen him for two years, and he'll put Professor Umbridge to shame."
His friends agreed wholeheartedly. Hagrid's giant brother would be a better Defense against the Dark Arts teacher than Umbridge, but luckily, that was not necessary. Harry looked at Hermione, who was frowning slightly as she chased a pea around her plate with her fork.
"What is it Hermione?" he asked.
Hermione gave up trying to catch the rogue vegetable and looked up at her friend.
"I was just wondering how Professor Dumbledore managed to convince the Ministry to let Lupin teach here. I mean, it's not as though it's a secret anymore that he's a werewolf, what with that horrible article in the Daily Prophet."
"I wasn't thinking of the Ministry." said Harry. "I was wondering how Dumbledore managed to convince Lupin himself. When he left at the end of third year, he made it pretty clear to me that he didn't think he should be here. Said he was endangering the students."
"Codswallop!" exclaimed Ron, spewing half-chewed baked potato across the table and into Ginny's lap. Ignoring her disgusted protests, he swallowed and continued to speak.
"That night was entirely not his fault! If it hadn't been for us, he would have been in the castle the whole time and it never would have happened!"
"I know." Hermione said mournfully. "But he doesn't see it that way does he? I wouldn't be surprised if Dumbledore ordered him to come as a mission for the Order."
Harry and Ron choked.
"Wha-?" Ron gasped.
"Lupin's in-?" Harry began.
"The Order?" Hermione looked surprised. "Yes! Didn't you know?"
Both boys shook their heads dumbly.
Hermione looked quite astonished. "Your mum told me." she said, pointing at ron. "I wonder why she didn't tell you?"
Ron shrugged, confused. Harry, however, was unconvinced. "If Lupin's in the Order, how come we've never seen him at headquarters?" he asked.
"He was probably off on missions while we were there." Hermione leaned forward and lowered her voice to a whisper. "I heard Dumbledore once, talking about having a spy among the werewolves working for You-Know-Who."
At that moment, Katie Bell plunked herself down across the table from the trio and beamed at Harry.
"So I hear you're Quidditch Captain this year." she said excitedly.
Harry grinned and nodded, happy to be talking about something a little more cheerful than the secret missions of the Order which was founded to bring down the most dangerous wizard in the history of the world.
