Chapter 3: Hogwarts or No?
"M-me?" she asked, frowning.
"Yes, Amanda, that is, if you have no objections," McGonagall said, anxiously.
"I've no objections, but I doubt I'd have the time…" she replied, uncertainly. She turned to Lupin and raised an eyebrow. He just gave her a reassuring nod and a smile. This seemed to instil confidence in her, for she agreed, though a bit reluctantly.
"Well, fine then," she answered, but not with much certainty in her voice.
"Mum, what about my school?" Eliza asked with a tired expression on her face.
"I'll think about it. And, remember i don't leave the house. /i I'll come back soon," she promised.
"How i soon /i is SOON?" Eliza pouted but her mother had disapparated before that.
"Ron, Hermione, why don't you go upstairs and have a look at your rooms?" Tonks suggested.
"Call us if you need something," Lupin offered.
"Good idea," said Ron and they began to climb the stairs. After reaching the third-floor landing, Ron and Harry went into their room while Hermione and Eliza entered theirs. As Eliza lit the candles in her room, Hermione was appalled to see that it was the messiest room she had ever entered. Books, parchment, ink and quills lay everywhere, on the floor, in the table and on the bed.
Eliza, sensing Hermione's displeasure, apologized, "Sorry about that, I can be a i bit /i messy sometimes."
" i A bit? /i " Hermione whispered.
"Well, I know that's an understatement. I'll clear them up, just give me a minute," she said. With one sweeping motion of her wand, she cleared up the room. Books arranged themselves in a pile; the rolls of parchment lay in a stack and with a cleaning charm, the room looked better.
"Happy, now?" Eliza asked. When she received no reply, she turned around to see Hermione engrossed in a book. After realizing that Eliza was looking at her, she exclaimed, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to read without your permission,"
"No problem," Eliza replied, grinning.
"This book's rare. Where did you get it from?"Hermione asked, eyes large with interest.
"Oh, that's from Mum's Library. She's got a great collection of books," she said carelessly. Then she suggested, "Shall we go downstairs?"
"Okay, I'll just go call Harry and Ron," she said.
"Fine," she said and went downstairs. Harry, Ron and Hermione followed. When they reached the first-floor landing, they could clearly hear Lupin and Tonks' voices.
"Actually, Remus, it's a good thing Hogwarts might be re-opened. I mean imagine if the school was closed! It would only add panic and confusion to the state we are in, now," Tonks was saying.
"It is a good thing, all right. But, d'you honestly think parents would be willing to send their children to Hogwarts even if the school is opened? Even Amanda has second thoughts on sending Eliza to Beauxbatons, even though her school is in France," Lupin contradicted.
"That's only because she's overprotective of Eliza," Tonks argued.
Lupin smiled slightly and said, "That's how all parents feel,"
"I don't care what she feels. I i am /i going to return to Beauxbatons this year," Eliza declared angrily as she plopped on a cushion next to Lupin.
"That's between your mother and yourself," Lupin said and motioned them to sit down on the couches. Harry, Ron and Hermione sat opposite Lupin. Eliza began, slowly, in a syrupy tone, faking a sweet smile, "Uncle Remus, why don't you -"
"If you want me to convince your Mum, sorry," Lupin said sternly, seeing right through her. Eliza made a face but did not speak after that.
"What about you lot?" Tonks asked, addressing Harry, Ron and Hermione. They looked at each other but none of them took up the initiative to answer.
"Well?" Lupin prompted.
"I'm not going back," Harry said firmly.
"WHAT?" Lupin asked, shocked.
"I said I'm not going back," Harry said quietly but firmly.
"Us, too," Ron and Hermione added.
"I'm surprised at you lot. Hermione, i you /i of all people, say you don't want to go back?" Tonks said with surprise. Hermione said nothing, but looked determined.
"Really, do you think you can take on Voldemort and his Horcruxes without even finishing your studies?" Lupin asked.
"How d'you know about the Horcruxes?" Harry asked, shocked.
"If you've forgotten, we're members of the Order, Harry," Tonks said, nonchalantly.
"Yeah, but Dumbledore told me that no one knew about it," Harry asked.
"We know about it because of Dumbledore's Pensieve at Hogwarts," Lupin explained.
"Dumbledore's Pensieve?" Ron asked.
"Yes, before his death, Dumbledore told us that in case he dies, we had to make use of his Pensieve to know about a few things," Lupin elaborated.
"Exactly how many know about the Horcruxes?" Harry asked, indignant that they had been let in on the secret, too.
"Only important members of the Order, Harry. And, all of them i trustworthy, /i I can assure you," Lupin replied.
"Well, thank God we do know about it. Anyway, do you really think you can take on Voldemort without even knowing half the spells he's going to fire on you?" Tonks asked.
"He's already done it in Fourth Year," Hermione said, coming to Harry's defence.
"That was a miraculous escape, Hermione. You can't always expect that when duelling with Voldemort," Tonks said.
"Honestly, Harry, you're going to need all the help you can take. This is i Voldemort /i we're talking about," Lupin advised.
"But returning to Hogwarts isn't going to help," Ron persisted.
"Of course, it will. Amanda will be your new Defence Against Dark Arts teacher. And, Harry, you need to learn Occlumency from her. It's very useful," Tonks said.
"Really, Harry, you are going to need all the help you can take. And one good place to look for help is Hogwarts," Lupin declared.
"But Hogwarts without Dumbledore isn't going to be the same…" Hermione said thoughtfully.
"Of course it won't be the same. But Minerva isn't a bad Head either," Tonks said.
"Well…" Harry said, lost in thought.
"Really, Harry, anybody who has your best interests at heart would ask you to return to Hogwarts and we are just two of them," Lupin said, pleadingly.
"Think of how Dumbledore would've felt if you didn't want to return to Hogwarts. D'you think it'll make him happy?" Tonks asked, with raised eyebrows.
"If you really had respect for Dumbledore, then you would return to Hogwarts, at least to please him," Lupin asserted.
Harry considered it for a while. i If you had respect for Dumbledore, you would return to Hogwarts. /i Those words of Lupin's played again and again in his head. i He /i definitely had respect for Dumbledore, so he i should /i be returning to Hogwarts, atleast to please him. Harry saw the steely resolve in Professor Lupin's eyes. There was no way he could justify not going to Hogwarts. So, Harry let out a deep breath and said, though half-heartedly, "Fine, I'll go to Hogwarts. But on one condition, I need to go look for the Horcruxes as well, and Ron and Hermione would be with me,"
"That can be arranged for, granted Molly agrees," Tonks assured. Harry sighed knowing he had to have an argument with Mrs.Weasley as well.
Ron and Hermione looked at each other and then said, "We will, too,"
"That's it. Your mother is going to be pleased with you, Ron," Lupin said.
Eliza, who had kept quiet for so long, spoke up. "Uncle Remus, you're so mean. When I specifically asked you if you could talk to mom, you turned me down. But you actually persuaded them to return to school. How fair is that?" Eliza asked angrily.
"Why don't you speak to your mother about this?" Tonks asked.
"As if I haven't! Every time I even try to start with this topic, she shuns me off," Eliza answered. She cast an angry glance at Lupin and pouted.
"Well, I'll try," Lupin promised, looking at her face,
"Thanks a million, Uncle Remus. I knew you would help," Eliza said with a grin, her expression changing at the speed of light.
"Of course," Tonks said.
Pop!
Hestia Jones, whom Harry remembered as a part of the Advance Guard that took him to Grimmauld Place, apparated looking flustered. "Remus, Kingsley found out where Snape had been hiding for so long."
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