Disclaimer: I guess it's totally needless to say thatI still don't own anything!
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CHAPTER 3
There's no way to help me
The next morning, he and Ron met Hermione in the Common Room to go and eat breakfast down in the Great Hall.
"What's that?" Ron asked suddenly, stopping in the middle of the stairs leading to the third level.
Harry stopped too and listened, along with Hermione. Surely, in a corridor somewhere on the third level, someone was responsible for making the noise they could hear. Like firecrackers or something close to it.
Hermione and Ron threw each other a glance. Ron shrugged but Hermione put on a severe expression.
"We're Prefects, Ron" she said, taking a step towards the source of the commotion. "We have to check it."
"All right" Ron answered, though clearly unconvinced. "But I'm hungry so let's hurry up."
Harry followed them. He didn't want to go down to breakfast alone, and also wondered what was going on.
And around the corner─
Malfoy was walking with Crabbe and Goyle, a couple of firecrackers in each hand. He quickly tucked them in his pockets and looked up at Hermione, Ron, and Harry.
Shut up, Malfoy Harry thought. I'm not in the mood to hear anything from you, so I promise you, if you open that mouth of yours…
Harry's hand darted to his wand. At the same moment, a couple of Ravenclaw girls appeared at the other end of the corridor, then two older boys from Hufflepuff. They all stood there, watching with interest.
"The Muggle born, the Weasley traitor and the parentless child" Malfoy snickered. "Still hanging out together? Tell me, Potter─"
"SHUT UP!" he didn't have the time to finish as Harry came forward between him and Hermione. Ron tried to hold him back when he came forward but it was no use.
"What? Can't control yourself, Potter?" Malfoy's wand appeared out of his own cloak. "Enraged you didn't save that godfather of yours or─"
Malfoy needed to shut up.
"Stupefy!" Harry yelled.
That's right. Shut up. Right now.
Draco ducked and fell to the floor, but it seemed his arm got into his face in the way because his nose started to bleed.
Harry was shaking with anger.
Malfoy got up with rage and raised his own wand. "Expelliarmus!" the beam of light hit Harry in the arm and sent him crashing backwards on the floor. He felt pain in his right hand.
Now Malfoy was going to pay for it.
Harry prepared himself to strike again when he became aware of the fact that a man had appeared around the corner; the last one Harry wanted to see there.
Lupin.
The bystanders from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff quickly turned away, not wanting to be involved with whatever was going on.
Draco still kept his wand high in the air; he clearly hadn't seen Lupin.
"Malfoy!"
Harry closed his eyes and wished Lupin would just leave. He almost hated him more than Malfoy, because in that instant Remus had not only just shown up, he had shown up precisely when Harry was facing Malfoy.
Draco's eyes widened─ was it panic?─ as he realized a teacher was there, but then an innocent smile formed on his mouth as he lowered his wand.
"Potter attacked me, Professor" he said in an impertinent tone.
Harry didn't reply. He was looking anywhere but at Lupin, his face turned from both him and Malfoy. He needed to control himself…
Lupin walked in between Draco and himself.
Wise move, Remus.
Now I'll attack you if I attack someone…
He wanted to shout. To yell. To kick Lupin in the face for what he was doing.
You killed Sirius and now you can't even leave me alone and let me do what I want.
"That's twenty points from Slytherin, Mr. Malfoy."
It didn't matter to Harry. Lupin could have taken two thousands points from Gryffindor for all he cared. That wasn't the problem.
"But─" Malfoy's smile vanished. "Potter started it! Why don't you ever take points from him?"
Harry turned slightly to see Lupin's reaction. Remus seemed to hesitate and bit his lips, but quickly seemed to take a decision. "It is in your best interests to leave now, Mr. Malfoy" he said menacingly.
Draco turned around, fuming, Crabbe and Goyle imitating him; then he stopped after a couple of steps and turned back to Harry.
"At least─" Malfoy said quite clearly, "I don't need a teacher to watch after me. Teacher's pet─"
You have no idea─ Harry thought with anger. No idea how much I would love to say right now that I hate him.
It was his choice. He could take revenge on Lupin by replying a couple of well-chosen words like You know, Malfoy, Lupin's too coward to act in time when needed. He could humiliate Lupin─ how would he ever be able to teach Malfoy again?
Harry hesitated for a second too long.
"Enough, Malfoy" Lupin spat. "Until you want other points taken on your behalf. Draco stared at him in the eyes insolently but Lupin didn't reply to the provocation.
There was a silence.
"You okay, Harry?" Lupin muttered when Draco had disappeared. Harry noted he didn't dare stare at him in the eyes.
I really hope you feel bad asking me that. I bet you're just doing… your duty, aren't you? Asking me as a teacher if I'm fine?
I really, truly hope you're hating yourself right now. You know perfectly I'm not all right.
And you know it's because of you.
You want to help me?
Harry felt like laughing at him. It would feel so good. A cold, hateful laugh that would cut deep…
You want to help ME? Who are you trying to fool, Remus? Are you actually telling me YOU are offering to help ME…?
No way.
"I don't need you help" Harry said, his voice full of defiance. He was trembling. "I don't want your help."
Then he wheeled around determinedly and went past him. Just the thought of seeing Lupin ever again made him feel sick.
"Wait, Harry" Hermione and Ron ran after him.
"Leave me alone"
"But─"
"Alone, Hermione" Harry said determinedly, and none of them spoke until a long time after, when they were seated in the Great Hall for breakfast.
Now Harry was dreading the moment he would see Lupin again. Not in a long time, in truth. Just that very afternoon in Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Risking a glance up at the Staff Table, he saw Snape enter the Great Hall, mutter a few words to Lupin, then both of them got up.
Only Lupin came back five minutes later. He looked tired, annoyed.
Then the owls came in. There was no mail for Harry; there never was. Who would write anyway? He had no one. The only people he knew apart from the Dursleys were Ron and Hermione and some students from Hogwarts.
Well, there are Ron's parents, too.
Ron's parents. The only ones who had ever sent him a Christmas gift. Apart from Sirius…
He was saved the trouble of thinking about his godfather when Hermione tugged his sleeve. She was staring at the Staff Table.
Mc Gonagall was talking to Flitwick. Hagrid was drinking some coffee. And Lupin was staring fixedly at the Daily Prophet─ a look of horror on his face. He interrupted Mc Gonagall in her conversation, then things went on faster when Dumbledore came in, said something that made all the teachers get up, and all of them disappeared.
Harry looked around. Only a few students seemed to have noticed, and they all quickly went back to their normal conversations.
"What do you reckon's going on?" Ron whispered.
"I don't know" Hermione answered tensely. "Does anyone of you know someone who gets the Daily Prophet?"
Neither one of Ron and Harry answered.
There was something abnormal about the way the teachers had precipitately left the Great Hall. And Lupin had been reading the Daily Prophet…
Maybe there's no link.
But with Voldemort's comeback─ well, even if it was true he had been quiet for weeks─ there was still that constant menace over the wizarding world.
"Let's go" Harry said as soon as he had finished his porridge. The three of them went back up to the Gryffindor Common Room, then Hermione climbed up to her Dormitory while Ron and Harry went to their own, though not slightly anxious as to what might have happened.
We'll know it soon enough if it's important.
But if it's important, then it means it's bad news.
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Well reviews are always appreciated… chapter 4 coming soon!
