Discalimer: I own nothing you recognize.
Chapter Five: About That Night
The following day, Sophie returned to Professor Lupin's classroom. He told her to meet him there at four o'clock, after classes were finished for the day. He said that they would be done by five-thirty - with plenty of time for her to reach the Great Hall for supper that evening. Sophie glanced at her wrist watch- it was four-ten, and the lights were off in Professor Lupin's classroom. There was no sign of him anywhere. She could leave now and he wouldn't know she'd even shown up. He'd told her that he wouldn't force her to come- she would do it on her own accord. He just wanted to help her. And he'd seemed so sincere. But she couldn't stay. She couldn't talk about it. She couldn't relive it. Not now- not ever. She'd leave, that's exactly what she'd do, and no one would ever speak of her "problem" again. And she turned to leave.
Upon turning, her face met the tweedy-brown robe-covered chest of Professor Lupin. She took a step back, feeling quite flustered.
"Miss Featherblade, so glad you could make it. I must appologize for my tardiness," he produced his wand from within he sleeve, and with a flick of his wrist, unlocked the classroom door. "You see," he held the door open and motioned her inside, " I was detained by some unauthorized dueling between fourth year boys in the second floor lavatory." Sophie smiled and nodded her head. He turned and re-locked his door with his wand, then continued walking toward his office door.
If only the duel lasted a bit longer, Sophie thought to herself, then I could have turned around and gotten out of this "session". Sophie waited as the professor walked up the many stairs to his office and unlocked the door. He held the door open for her follow him and enter, but she hesitated.
"I thought, Miss Featherblade, the we could have our talk in here, therefore whatever is troubling you is less likely to be overheard by eavesdropping fellow students." He looked down at her from the balcony, waiting for her to step forward, but she did not. "If you'd rather meet in the classroom, that's fine with me…"
"No," Sophie spat out quickly. Why am I so nervous about this? It's just his office. "We can go in your office." She scurried up the stairs and inside the office, then sat down on a chair that faced his desk. Professor Lupin lit the lamps in his small office and sat down in a large, rather worn looking arm chair that was positioned across the desk from where Sophie was seated. He placed his fingers on his temples and began to massaged, as if he was trying to come up with the proper words to begin a difficult conversation. After a moment he stopped, and placed his hands on the desk in front of him. He took in a deep breath and began to speak.
"I don't know much, Miss Feat-"
" Please," Sophie interrupted, "please call me Sophie."
"Alright, Sophie. I don't know much about your situation, so you'll have to fill in some blanks for me. I do know, that your parents were killed by Death Eaters-" he paused when he saw Sophie shudder at the name of You-Know-Who's servants. " I also know that you were in the house when it happened. I know that you have not been eating or sleeping regularly, save when I gave you the sleeping potion. And I know that you have pulled away from almost all interaction with your peers. What I don't know is all the details from the night your parents…passed- no one does but you. If you can tell me what happened, I might be able to help you. Can you do that?" He looked at Sophie with imploring eyes.
"I…I…I don't know," Sophie stammered. "I don't remember anything," she lied. She began to twist her hands in her lap, and kept her gaze focused on the floor.
"Really, you don't remember anything?" He asked, clearly not believing her lie.
"No," she kept her eyes focused on a tear in the carpet, fearing if she were to look at him, he would see the lie in her eyes. "I don't remember anything," she repeated.
"I find that hard to believe, considering your reaction to our discussion of the Avada Kedavra curse in class." When he spoke the curse's name, Sophie shivered as if a cold draft had blown through the small room. She looked up at him, no longer able to continue her ruse. A tear was working its way down the side of her face. "Please, Miss Fea- I mean Sophie. Please don't cry. I need you to talk to me, and tell me what happened. The room was silent for what seemed like hours as Sophie prepared to speak.
"Eight."
"What," the professor asked, confused.
"There were eight of them. They couldn't apparate in, so they broke through the front door." And with that, Sophie burst into tears. Professor Lupin rose from his seat, and walked around to where she was seated. He awkwardly placed his and on her shoulder- the most consoling gesture he could produce.
"So, how'd it go?" Orla asked as she and Padma sat down across from her at the Ravenclaw table in the Great Hall.
"How'd what go?" Sophie asked, confused. How do they know? she thought.
"Why, your talk with Pro-" Orla grunted as Padma elbowed her in the ribcage.
"Nothing," Padma interjected. "Orla doesn't know what she's talking about." The redhead's face flushed with embarassment and anger.
" It was you two, wasn't it?" Sophie asked, slightly maddend. "You were the ones who talked to Professor Lupin, weren't you?"
"Yesbutyouseewewereworriedaboutyouandwedidn'tknowwhattodosowewentandtalkedtoProfessorLupinbecausewethoughthemightbeabletohelp!" Orla let out, and then gasped for breath.
"If your angry," Padma began in a much more collected manor, "we appologize, but we felt that something had to be done, and it was his class that seemed to bother you, so we thought maybe he could help. Please don't be mad at us!" The two girls looked up at Sophie with pleading eyes and frowning faces.
"I'm not angry, I just wish you would have asked me first."
Sophie and the professor's sessions continued in a manor very similar to that of the first for the next week. He would talk to her, she would give up one piece of information, and then she would burst into tears. They achived very little- Professor Lupin now knew that eight Death Eaters who broke in through the front door of the house at seven o'clock in the evening while the family of three was eating dinner at the kitchen table. He also knew that one had long, platinum blonde hair- his hood had fallen off, but his face was still covered by a horrific mask.
The teacher and student did not meet over the weekend, but on the next Monday, when Sophie arrived in Professor Lupin's office, she noticed that something was different. Upon his desk, there sat a great stone basin. It resembled the Muggle birdbath that Sophie had made her mother put in their backyard and fill with water. Sophie sat in her usual seat and waited for Professor Lupin to finish locking the door downstairs. Soon, he entered the office and shut the door behind him.
"I'm sure you are wondering what this is?" He motioned toward the stone basin. Sophie nodded. "That, Sophie, is a Pensieve, and we are going to use it to get to the bottom of your problem.