Lupin was back the following week for Defense Against the Dark Arts, and within a minute of getting into the classroom, everyone began to yell.
"It's not fair! He was only filling in, why should he give us homework?"
"We don't know anything about werewolves."
"Two rolls of parchment!"
"Did you tell Professor Snape we haven't covered them yet?" Lupin asked, frowning slightly. The babble broke out again.
"Yes, but he said we were really behind,"
"He wouldn't listen,"
"Two rolls of parchment!"
Professor Lupin smiled at the look of indignation on every face. "Don't worry. I'll speak to Professor Snape. You don't have to do the essay."
After the bell rang and Rebekah was ready to leave the room, Lupin stopped her. Her friends gave her a concerned glance but she waved them off with a nod.
"I heard about the match, and I'm sorry about your broomstick. Is there any chance of fixing it?"
"Nah," Rebekah said and crossed her arms, Emperor sat by her feet as she leaned against a desk, watching Lupin pull books into his briefcase. "Too many pieces. I've already ordered a new Two Thousand and One but it won't come for several weeks. I have my Two Thousand for now, though."
Lupin sighed. "They planted the Whomping Willow the same year that I arrived at Hogwarts. People used to play a game, trying to get near enough to touch the trunk. In the end, a boy called Davey Gudgeon nearly lost an eye, and we were forbidden to go near it. No broomstick would have a chance."
"Heard about the Dementors yet?" Rebekah asked. "I'm not bothered if people ask anymore. It happened and I survived."
"Yes, I did. I don't think any of us have seen Professor Dumbledore that angry. They have been growing restless for some time . . . furious at his refusal to let them inside the grounds. . . . I suppose they were the reason you fell?"
"Yeah…" She paused, wondering if she should tell him about the dog. "First the storm made it hard to fly already, then a flash of thunder caused the silhouette of a dog, a Grim I presumed. It flashed against the clouds but I mostly ignored that and went after the Snitch. I knew the Dementors were below me but I had to get the Snitch. I heard screaming, high and loud. My mother screamed in my head and Voldemort just laughed as he killed her."
Rebekah refused to look up, staring into the floor as the memories came back. She shoved them as far back as she could, her unshed tears disappeared and she was emotionally numb again.
"Why do they go after me? I mean, there were a dozen other people in the air and a thousand in the stands,"
Lupin sighed as the sunlight hit his tired face, the full moon had taken a toll on him. "The dementors affect you worse than the others because there are horrors in your past that the others don't have.
"Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them. Even Muggles feel their presence, though they can't see them. Get too near a dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you. If it can, the dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself . . . soul-less and evil. You'll be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life. And the worst that happened to you, Rebekah, is enough to make anyone fall off their broom. You have nothing to feel ashamed of."
"I'm not ashamed!" Rebekah said sharply. "I'm disappointed that I allowed them so close. I'm mostly annoyed with how they decide to go after me constantly. You're a Defence teacher, sir, you must know a way to make them leave you alone."
"I do but it isn't easy, I don't pretend to be an expert at fighting dementors," He said, his eyes lighting up a smidge as he looked up. "I can teach you it if you want."
"I'd appreciate that, sir," Rebekah hesitated, shuffling her feet before asking, "How are you feeling, sir? I know it's not my place to ask but I feel like I should."
"I—" He started suddenly and then smiled warmly, letting his shoulder slope down. "I'm fine. It happens every month and I'm used to it. It's definitely difficult but no one can help it. I appreciate that Professor Snape makes me the potions each month, they're hard to make and harder to get the ingredients for." He paused as he saw the determined look grace Rebekah's features. "What are you thinking? Lily had the very same face when she was going to do something."
Rebekah let out a half-laugh, nodding with amusement. "I'll have to ask Snape to teach me to brew the potion then. Good practise and gives the excuse to experiment with other potions." Rebekah lifted her left wrist to glance at her watch. "Five seconds."
"Till what?" He was uncomfortable by the way her grin crept up, much like how Sirius did it when he knew he was going to be caught and still did it anyway.
"Three. Two. One,"
BANG
"REBEKAH POTTER!"
Past-Rebekah ran past the classroom, giggling and smiling until she threw the Invisibility Cloak over her head and disappeared.
Rebekah flinched and chuckled, clasping a hand over her mouth. "That'll teach Travers for hexing me last year."
McGonagall stormed into the classroom with a pale and angry face, Charlotte Travers came in behind her with green smoke coming out of her hair. Stink Pellets were stuck in it as she tried to pull them out.
"Yes, Professor?" Rebekah asked innocently.
"Did you or did you not put Stink Pellets in Miss Travers' hair?"
"I did not,"
"You liar!" Travers yelled, coming forward but McGonagall's hand stopped her from reaching Rebekah. "You did this! You've ruined my hair twice now!"
"Well, I can say that last time was not my fault. You did try and hex me last year and hit Emperor instead," The Familiar in question, sashayed from beneath the desk and sat and glared at her. Travers gulped and sneered. "I couldn't really defend myself, I was only a Second year being attacked by an older student. I apologize if you think I have had something to do with this."
Lupin's lips tugged up. She reminded him of her father when she did that stance, arms crossed with a slight head tilt.
"I was speaking to Miss Potter since class finished, I don't see a time when she could have done it without being in two places at once,"
McGonagall sucked her teeth for a moment before sighing, she turned to the fuming Travers. "I can't argue with that. I, myself, didn't see Miss Potter do anything that you stated so I can't very well punish her without the proper evidence. Sorry for the interruption, Professor Lupin."
"It's fine, Professor McGonagall," He smiled wider. The same smile he used in his youth when he knew the truth, McGonagall quickly saw this and ignored it completely.
"Unless Travers wants to blame me for another thing that wasn't my fault, can I go?" With McGonagall's stiff nod, Rebekah strutted out of the room and sent Travers a quick glance over her shoulders.
Nice try.
After getting a note saying that the Anti-Dementor lessons would begin on the Sixth of January, Rebekah dove into the books of the restricted area. It was surprising with how many books Rebekah already had copies of, the Potter Vault had plenty of Dark books. Many she had finished now but she would have to reread them soon enough.
The weather cleared up as time passed and the Yule holidays were coming. Everyone but Rebekah planned to leave Hogwarts and visit this place or that. Draco was going to be off to Dubai, Blaise to Italy to visit family, and Pansy to Spain for a nice tan and shopping, while the others would simply stay home with their families. Rebekah wasn't allowed to go home, which didn't make a difference but it greatly grated on her nerves.
Daphne, Draco and Blaise were off to Hogsmeade the day before the Hogwarts Express was going to take people home. Pansy and Theodore had gotten themselves detention with Flitwick for not doing their Charms homework. Rebekah had reminded them several times, now she just smiled and waved as they trod up the stairs to clean bedpans in the Hospital Ward.
When Rebekah started to walk away from the side hallway, Emperor pounced on the flashes of ginger that grabbed her arms.
"Call off your ratbag!" George Weasley said as Emperor climbed his frame. Fred laughed until Emperor jumped onto him. "HA!"
"Emperor, down," Rebekah said and gestured to her feet, he leapt off and sat by her feet before circling her ankles. "Sorry, boys. Snape said that I had to have Emperor with me at all times, Sirius Black and all that. What's up?"
Fred gave a wary look around the hall and gestured to go into a classroom. "We've got something for you."
"Anything dangerous?" Rebekah's curiosity was piqued and she quickly went into the room.
"If you know how to use it,"
Her nose twitched as excitement filled her. What did they have? What could be dangerous if she used it right?
An empty piece of worn parchment. It was very large but folded up nicely.
Was this it?
Rebekah was confused and she was never confused.
"The secret to our success," George said fondly.
"Your needs are greater than ours," Fred sighed.
"Anyway, we know it off by heart," George nudged her. "You're a Slytherin but you're alright. Bit bitchy but that can't be helped."
Rebekah fayed shock but laughed. "I can't disagree with that." Rebekah nodded to the parchment. "What's this do?"
"Well . . . when we were in our first year, Rebekah— young, carefree, and innocent —"
"Yeah, innocent as I was," Rebekah snorted.
"— well, more innocent than we are now — we got into a spot of bother with Filch."
"We let off a Dungbomb in the corridor and it upset him for some reason —"
"So he hauled us off to his office and started threatening us with the usual —"
"— detention —"
"— disembowelment —"
"— and we couldn't help noticing a drawer in one of his filing cabinets marked Confiscated and Highly Dangerous."
Rebekah raised a hand to her hairline, rubbing the side of her face. "You went into it."
"Well, what would you've done?" Fred asked. "George caused a diversion by dropping another Dungbomb, I whipped the drawer open, and grabbed — this."
"It's not as bad as it sounds, you know," George said "We don't reckon Filch ever found out how to work it. He probably suspected what it was, though, or he wouldn't have confiscated it."
"How does it work then?" Rebekah said. "Come one, you've wound the anticipation up enough."
"Oh, have we?" George said, then aiming his wand at the parchment. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
The top page was a simple display of a couple of names:
Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present
THE MARAUDER'S MAP.
"Right into Hogsmeade," Fred traced a passage with his finger. "There are seven in all. Now, Filch knows about these four, but we're sure we're the only ones who know about these. Don't bother with the one behind the mirror on the fourth floor. We used it until last winter, but it's caved in — completely blocked. And we don't reckon anyone's ever used this one, because the Whomping Willow's planted right over the entrance. But this one here, this one leads right into the cellar of Honeydukes. We've used it loads of times. And as you might've noticed, the entrance is right outside this room, through that one-eyed old crone's hump."
"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs," George sighed.
"We owe them so much."
"Noble men, working tirelessly to help a new generation of lawbreakers," Fred said solemnly.
"Right," George said swiftly. "Don't forget to wipe it after you've used it —"
"Or anyone can see it," Fred said. "Just say 'Mischief managed' and it will all disappear.."
"You boys don't know what you have in your hands," Rebekah said as she pulled the first page open.
The ink from within the parchment outlined the whole Hogwarts Castle as it bled through. Several dozen dots stood where the person was: Dumbledore paced in his office, Snape was in his private labs, Peeves and the Blood Baron were in the trophy room.
"Yeah, of course, we know," Fred said, crossing his arms. "Don't we, George?"
"Yeah,"
Rebekah allowed the top page to fall back, lifting the whole thing as it became a smaller, folded square. "This is my father's, well, my father's and his group's. My father was Prongs because of his Animagus form."
"Wait—"
"Your father was an Animagus?" Fred said. "And—"
"—Are you one too?"
Rebekah froze and quickly stepped back with the Marauder's Map in hand. She retreated out of the room and blew a kiss to them. "Thanks, boys, see ya around or in detention."
"Who decided to not tell me that Sirius Black was my GodFather?" Rebekah said and stormed into Lupin's office when she knew he would be in. The man abruptly got up from his seat and knocked the chair back as he slammed the door closed.
"Where did you hear that?"
"One of my friends overheard the Minister and some of the teachers speaking at the Three Broomsticks," Rebekah lied. She had found the passage and made it all the way to Hogsmeade to stay the day with her friends. "I swear the adults try and keep me from knowing and I still find out anyway. They might as well tell me and stop me being angry with them for withholding information."
"You're only a kid, Rebekah," Lupin said with a concerned tone.
"The kid who has gone against Voldemort twice, and then his younger self and a Basilisk," Rebekah stepped forward and snarled. "I don't need babying, I need answers. How did they know that Sirius Black killed the whole group of Muggles? Did they not think to take memories from the person they were convicting?"
"Sirius was standing in a crater with several bodies around him. The Muggles were screaming. Peter was dead, only bloody robes left with his finger," Lupin hurled the words out.
Rebekah froze. Ideas in her head connected as her own knowledge filled in the blanks. She licked her lips as she leaned against a desk, pulling a hand to the base of her neck and rubbing the tension away.
"All of the group were Animagi, correct?" Rebekah hummed and he nodded. "And what animal was Peter Pettigrew?"
"A rat,"
Rebekah chuckled grimly. "Thought as much. This is brilliant."
"What is? What have you figured out?"
"Rat; small, compact and easy to move form, don't you think? Squirm out of his clothing if he chose to?"
"Yes and…" It connected in his mind. He scoffed and said, "You don't think he escaped?"
"And why would he escape?"
"To evade capture… Does that mean Black is innocent? Was he framed?"
"That's what he told me,"
"What?"
"I met Padfoot the night I ran, he was checking on me. Emperor ran off and found him, I found them playing together and I trust Emperor's judgement," Rebekah said as the feline jumped to lay his whole body over one of her shoulders. "I, of course, almost attacked him while I was in my Animagus form but he said that he didn't kill them. He knew me. I just had to listen."
She then explained her theory on why he would escape only after twelve years of imprisonment when he could have before.
Lupin had said not to tell anyone else, she hadn't planned on it. She did make a small plan for herself though. She'd have to see if she could make it possible.