Chapter 31
Harry Potter
Some hands took him by the shoulders and shook him vigorously. Harry managed to fix his eyes on the worried face in front of him. Snape's assistant moved her lips slowly, asking something, but he was unable to answer. In his head there was only that terrible image of Remus Lupin, his most beloved teacher, looking at him with eyes that were not his, its fearsome howl still reverberated in his eardrums.
The woman sat him down on the floor, then made him gulp down an entire bottle of a sugary potion that immediately sharpened his senses, but with them came pain. A searing pain that shot through his ribs every time he breathed.
"Harry, Harry! Can you hear us? Are you okay?"
It was Tonks, her voice felt to be coming from hundreds of miles away despite her being kneeling right next to him.
"I'm fine". — Harry mumbled, pressing a hand to his chest, trying to breathe slower.
"Please tell me he hasn't managed to bite you". — Tonks said as she searched for any blood stains on his clothes.
"No, no". —The boy replied. — "It was just the blow".
"It was you... The ghost from before". — Laurel muttered, and then, raising her eyebrows in surprise, she noticed the silvery garment Tonks had left on the floor. — "The invisibility cloak. Where did you get it?"
"It's mine. I… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you".
"Scare her?" — Tonks groaned, standing up. — "Harry, you almost end up being attacked by a werewolf. Lupin could have killed you!"
"What… what happened to Lupin? What are you doing to him?
But before the women could reply, Snape's low, venomous voice lashed out at him like a whiplash, reminding him that he had just gotten himself into a huge mess.
"Potter…"
Snape walked slowly, his robes billowing behind him. The wizard stopped in front of the boy. His black eyes loomed over him like a threatening storm cloud. Contempt distilled through each of the syllables when speaking:
"Welcome, Mr. Potter. I see you have decided to join us on this fine afternoon. Are you enjoying the show?"
"Sir… I".
"Tell me, Mr. Potter, are we being entertaining enough for your exquisite tastes? Do we deserve your approval?"
"Professor…"
"Oh! I know, this is just a little adventure for the Chosen One, am I right? Sneaking behind his idiotic teacher, spying and meddling in utterly important and delicate investigative work. Putting not only his life at risk but also that of the stupid adults who must rescue him". —Snape kneel on one knee, bringing his pale face close to Harry's and hissed under his breath:
"You nearly turned Lupin into a murderer… Mr. Potter." — Snape tilted his head back, and a sneer curved his lips. — "Yes… I think that eighty points from Gryffindor will be enough for the moment… and no more weekends, nor trips to Hogsmeade for the rest of the year. And I'm afraid you'll have to say goodbye to Quidditch too. Minerva will be furious…"
"No, you can't… The Quidditch Cup…" — Harry babbled desperately.
"Don't you dare tell me what I can or cannot do, Potter!" — Snape snapped. — "Is all you care about, isn't it? Your precious Quidditch! But of course, being the son of James Potter, one may understand that in that big head of yours there is no room for anything but the frivolous compliments of your peers".
Once again, Snape took the opportunity to remind him of his father's arrogance and blame him viciously for wanting to cross a werewolf's path on purpose. He would never want to turn Lupin into a murderer. Anger was beginning to pulse in his veins. Harry clenched his fists and tried to do the same with his teeth. He shouldn't talk back, he shouldn't have followed them in the first place; but he couldn't stop himself, not after Snape´s vexing remarks.
"I do have enough room in my head to know you are experimenting with Lupin, Sir". — He put as much hate in that last syllable as possible. — "You are the one hurting him. Is Dumbledore even aware of what you are doing?"
"Harry!" — Exclaimed Tonks. — "How can you even think we want to hurt him?"
"Not you, but he certainly can." — Harry answered, pointing to Snape. — "He hates Lupin, he hates him because he was a Marauder!"
"Harry, we don't…"
But Tonks was interrupted by Snape's shriek:
"You, insolent brat! You think you know everything, don't you? You think Dumbledore will save you from your well deserved detentions. You have no idea what is going on here and yet you consider yourself smart enough to judge me". — Snape was beside himself. — "And yes, have no doubt that Dumbledore will find out about this! Now get out of my sight!"
He turned his back to the boy and addressed Laurel:
"Take him back to the castle. Make sure he doesn't leave my office until I get back".
"But…" — Laurel seemed to hesitate for a second, but she quickly nodded. She picked up the wand and cloak from the floor and shoved them into the teenager's hands. — "Come on, Harry".
Laurel helped him to his feet and they both walked down the hall to the stairs. Passing next the door of the room where Lupin was locked up, the woman couldn't help but feel a chill upon hearing the faint scratches against the door. She thought she had also heard a weak "Help me" from inside but decided that it was just her imagination. Tonks and Severus would make sure Lupin was safe.
As they entered the narrow tunnel, Harry switched on the light on his wand and turned to the woman who followed him with her head lowered and a slightly withdrawn countenance.
"I'm really sorry, Miss Noel. I didn't mean to interfere".
Laurel raised her head and looked at the boy. Arching an eyebrow, she asked:
"If it wasn't your intention, Harry. Why did you end up here? Why have you followed us?"
"I thought…" — The words caught in his throat. He knew very well why he had decided to follow them, but he didn't know if he could trust the woman. She was Snape's assistant after all and probably Voldemort's ally. Anyway, he decided to take the risk. He wanted to see what her reaction would be when he asked her. — "I thought it had to do with Draco Malfoy".
"Malfoy?" — The woman who had made no effort to draw her wand and light the way, tilted her head in confusion. — "Why would you think something like that?"
Harry felt his face flush, however, he continued:
"I know he is up to something… Katie, do you know Katie Bell? She was attacked a couple of months ago".
Laurel nodded silently.
"I am sure Malfoy is behind it. Snape is his head of house and…"
"And you thought we had met with him to plan the next attack?"
Harry didn't dare answer her or directly incriminate her.
"No, I just thought maybe Malfoy trusted you two with something".
"This is a very serious accusation, Harry". — Laurel replied, the expression on her face hidden in the dark.
"I just need some answers".
"Have you told your suspicions to a teacher?"
"Yes. To Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore".
"But not Professor Snape?"
"I don't think he would take it well"
"You're right". — Harry heard with relief that the woman seemed to soften the tone of her voice. — "I don't understand why you insist on blaming Draco Malfoy for the Katie incident, but if neither McGonagall nor Dumbledore find reason to believe it, then perhaps you are wrong, Malfoy is not behind the attack".
"But…"
"Besides". — The woman continued. — "I assure you that Snape would never allow a Hogwarts student to be harmed, Harry. If Snape knew of something like that he would go straight to Dumbledore".
"How can you be so sure, Miss Noel?"
"I trust him". - Said the woman bending down to go through a narrow passage of the muddy tunnel. The light from Harry's wand caught a glimpse of her hesitant smile. — "And you can call me Laurel."
. . .
A misty rain continued to fall, making Harry and Laurel struggle out of the tunnel after the boy managed to immobilize the Whomping Willow with a fallen branch. The evening light was dimmed by grey squalls moving in the distance, and strong gusts of wind whipped through the trees of the Forbidden Forest.
"You can wear your cloak if you want." — Laurel's voice seemed to be carried away by the wind. — "Perhaps you don't want someone to see you being ushered into Professor Snape's office".
Harry agreed and disappeared under the cloak.
Very soon they were in front of the door of the place he hated the most in Hogwarts. Laurel opened it and without really knowing where to look, she tilted her head to invite him in.
The office seemed to have expanded since the last time he was there, taking those disastrous Occlumency classes. In addition to the hundreds of jars of disgusting ingredients, there was also a marble table on which rested a complex alchemical laboratory. Harry could see how the same silver potion that Lupin had taken, shimmered in several glass tubes, dimly lighting the gloomy office.
"Hey, Harry". — Laurel called to him; she was crouching by the unlit fireplace. — "Could you light the fire?"
Harry took off his sodden cloak and looked at her in surprise. How could she not light the fire herself?
"Hermione was always better at doing this spell than me." He muttered, approaching with his wand raised. - "Incendio".
"Thank you. It is always so cold down here". — She said, standing up and removing her own soaked cloak. — "Hermione Granger? Brilliant girl. Prefect, right?"
"Yes. Brilliant. Yes". — Harry started noticing something a bit off about the young assistant. She seemed to be moving too much around the office. She was hanging her cloak in a coat rack, then she walked over to a low cupboard from where she took out a kettle and a tea caddy and giving Harry a shy smile, she said:
"I'll bring the water; I'll be back in a moment".
Harry's eyes followed her as she disappeared through a dark wooden door in the corner of the office. It took her only a couple of minutes to return, and seeing him still standing, she said, pointing to one of the chairs in front of the desk:
"Harry, please sit down".
But he didn't sit down. Seeing how the woman was about to put the kettle on the fire, he approached her.
"Need help?" — He said while tapping the kettle with his wand and its whistle, accompanied by a jet of steam announced that the water had boiled instantly.
Laurel's smile widened.
"Your grades must be exceptionally good in Charms".
"Not really. This one is a very basic spell. I learned it in my third year". — He said shrugging and returning her smile. — "Lupin taught me".
"Lupin". — She repeated thoughtfully. — "He must have been a good teacher, I reckon".
"The best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. It's a shame Snape let it slip that he is a werewolf".
The woman prepared the tea and poured it for Harry before taking the chair next to him.
"Whatever you think of Professor Snape, Harry; deep down he has Lupin's best interests at heart. What you witnessed today…"
"What did you do to him? I have never heard of a daylight werewolf transformation".
"We are trying to find a cure".
"But the Wolfsbane potion…"
"The Wolfbane potion can only suppress some symptoms. It is not a definite cure".
"Why you? Why Snape?"
"Do you know anyone better in brewing potions?" — Laurel laughed and Harry could notice a slight blush on her cheeks. — "Actually, would you like to have some Pepper-up potion? Your hair is still soaking wet, I wouldn't want you to get sick".
The woman got up and went to one of the cabinets where she began to search for the potion among a pile of bottles of different sizes. The lack of light in the office made her task more difficult.
Harry realized then that what he perceived as hyperactive behaviour, were simply the necessary actions that a muggle had to carry out to perform any elementary task, and that he, being a wizard usually took for granted by simply waving his wand.
He hesitated for a moment, not wanting to come across as arrogant, but in the end, he decided to wave his wand and mutter:
"Accio, Pepper-up potion"
A round bottle rose into the air from the top shelf of the cabinet and floated quickly into Harry's hands. Laurel followed it.
"Would you like to have it as well, Miss Laurel?"
"I don't think that would necessary". — She said kindly as she sat down and sipped her tea.
"What house were you in?" — Harry blurted out, leaving the Pepper-up potion aside and staring at her.
"None" — Laurel shuffled uncomfortably in her seat. — "I didn't attend Hogwarts".
"Beauxbatons? Did you study abroad?"
"Yes". — She replied fast, having no idea what he meant by Beauxbatons.
"Was Madame Maxime the headmistress back then?"
Laurel could feel how, despite the cold in the dungeons, small beads of sweat were beginning to appear on her forehead. She got up without answering him and pretended she was pouring herself more tea to escape Harry's piercing emerald gaze.
"Miss Laurel" — Harry said turning slowly to her. — "I haven't seen you using a wand at all".
"Yeah, well" — Laurel laughed nervously. — "I am not that good with wands; I'm more into academic research and potion making".
Harry couldn't stop himself. If Hermione were present, she would have scolded him for his indelicacy.
"Are you a Squib?"
"A Squib?" — Her mind raced to search for that term she had heard before. She remembered; Severus had told her what the Squibs were when they gossiped about Filch.
"I will not tell anyone if you are". — Harry said, realizing the woman was quite flustered by his question. — "You know, Hermione is a Muggle-born and though she is brilliant, some stupid Sly…—I mean— People, may look down on her. Or Hagrid…"
"I am not a Squib, Harry".
Laurel sat back down and leaned toward him, whispering:
"Are you good at keeping secrets?"
"Like I said, I certainly won't go around the school telling it".
Laurel smiled, pleased.
"Probably Mr. Filch carries much more magic in his blood than I could ever dream of having".
"You mean you're a Muggle?" — Harry jerked his head back in disbelief.
"Yes and no. I am an Akardos".
"That is how Lupin was calling you! But what does it mean?"
"It means I can't be affected by magic. No spell or potion will work on me. And of course, as you've already noticed, I can't do magic".
"I have never heard…" — Then he stopped, briefly remembering Professor Binns, the ghost who taught History of Magic, mentioning in his droning, reedy voice about some extinct race that caused serious trouble in the wizarding world a long time ago. It would have been an interesting topic to listen to, if it had not been for the lethargic way in which the ghost read from his endless notes during the entire class.
"How did you end up in Hogwarts?" — He finally said. — "How can you be working with Snape if you cannot do magic?"
"Professor Dumbledore put me in here". — She half lied. — "And I am useful because my blood is an important ingredient in the potion that can completely cure Remus".
"But isn't your race supposed to be extinct?" — The question escaped Harry. — "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude".
"It is fine, that's a good question". — She answered. — "Probably not. Until recently I did not know that I was Akardos myself. There are probably many in the same condition".
"How did you learn that then?"
"It's a long and boring story, Harry". — The woman stood up, walked behind the desk and began to rummage through the drawers. — "Sorry I don't have anything to offer you, Severus doesn't keep much to nibble on in his office".
"Alright. I'm not hungry. I can never work up an appetite when I am in this office".
"Snape's always been hard on you, huh?"
"Snape hates me guts. Since my first year".
"No, he doesn't". — Laurel lifted her gaze from the bottom drawer she just opened. — "Why would he? I know he can be tough and a real pain in the arse, but he does it with everyone".
"I am a special case". — Harry smiled sadly remembering that time he saw the memory of Snape being hung upside down by his own father. — "But I see that he is different with you. You shouldn't trust him too much anyway. He used to be a Death Eater. Have you heard of Death Eaters?"
The teen looked up when he realized the woman wasn't responding to him. Laurel had kept her eyes glued to the drawer she was about to close, a mixture of consternation and shock contorting her face.
"Laurel?" — He called worried. — "Miss, are you alright?"
Laurel looked up and quickly closed the drawer.
"Yes". — She said in a shaky voice, her gaze locked on Harry's.
"Looks like you've seen a ghost". — He muttered nervously, seeing the woman's sudden paleness. — "A real one, this time".
"I'm fine". — Laurel cleared her throat. —"You know Harry? It's foolish to wait for Professor Snape. God knows when he'll be done with at the Shrieking Shack. Go to your common room or maybe the Great Hall, surely as soon as you leave here your appetite will return".
"But… Snape will kill me. Or will give more detention".
"No. I'll tell him I gave you permission." — She said standing up and urging Harry to do the same. — "And don't worry about detention, I'll make sure you have time for Hogsmeade and for your Quidditch practices. I've seen you fly, you're great".
"I, I'm not sure I should…" —Then Harry thought he understood why Laurel had reacted so suddenly. —"What I said about Snape, it's true, he was a Death Eater, but Dumbledore trusts him, I just wanted to tell you to keep your eyes open".
"I know he is a Death Eater. Thank you for your concern, Harry". — She was almost shoving him out of the office at that point. — "Please, keep our little secret safe, okay? Good evening, dear".
And then Harry was left standing in the corridor outside Snape's office door, his mind still trying to comprehend what had just happened. Despite all the incredible events he had witnessed, only one thing had caught his attention so much as not to let him sleep that night, Laurel's voice, loud and clear, repeated:
"I know he IS a Death Eater".
. . .
Laurel was sitting in Severus' chair. The silence in the office was sepulchral. It was very late by now, but she remained anchored in the same place without moving.
On the desk was an old photograph. A photograph that Laurel had heard about years ago.
"Here it was. I photographed it. The summer before they left for Hogwarts. Have you taken it?"
She closed her eyes and let that voice comfort her through the rest of the night. A tear slipped down her cheek, but this time Tobias Snape wasn't there to wipe it away.
"He has his mother's eyes."
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