Chapter 23: A Secret in the Dungeons
As the days leading up to Al and Scorpius' plan neared, the two friends couldn't help but contain their excitement at the prospect of discovering what might be down in the restricted section of the dungeon. Many nights had gone by where Al laid awake, straining to hear a muffled sound like the agonizing cries that had paralyzed him on that fateful night out with Jade and Natalia. He knew several other of the boys' fears had been replaced by curiosity, triggered by the girls' safe return, but as the early hours would pass without any unnatural commotion to puncture the peaceful gurgles of the Great Lake, most had let the incident settle comfortably in the back of their minds.
Other Houses were also curious about the incident, as the sounds had traveled so forcefully through the school that only the Ravenclaws sequestered high in their tower had not been awoken, though none had experienced the proximal terror of the Slytherins. Both Rosie and James had approached Al in the breakfast hall the day after, asking about the monster. Al had shared in great detail the terrible fear they had felt knowing the twins were outside at the time but neglected to mention his and Jade's escapade- he needed to make sure his next request wouldn't raise any suspicions.
A little over a week later, Al found James coming in from the Quidditch Pitch, fresh from practice. The Gryffindors would be playing against Slytherin first thing in the new year, and Josie Rivers wanted to establish a few formation drills to be practiced over winter break.
"Oi Al, I'm not tolerating any spies from Slytherin," He jokingly shoved Al as they headed up the grounds to the castle, "You need anything?"
"Yeah actually, I heard that there's a new Charms shop open in Hogsmeade… I wondered if I would be able to check it out… I know I could wait until the holidays but I wanted to see if they had a present for Lily or something" He side-eyed his brother, carefully gauging his expression.
James chuckled, "Ah so you want the cloak." He glanced at his brother mischievously, stopping further explanation, "And no need to make excuses Al, breaking the rules for its sake is good enough for me. Glad to see you warming up to these antics- I always said there's loads more to do than read." He ruffled Al's hair, "I think you're thinking about the new 'Enchanting Modern'- a bit pricey for a gift but the products are cool anyway. Why don't you meet me near the Gryffindor dorms tomorrow, near curfew so there won't be a ton of people around, er sorry about the hostilities lately."
Al shrugged. Since being kicked off of the team, Adrian had been pointedly ostracizing James while also increasingly harassing Al, though he never went as far as a hex. Apparently even one more incident could suspend him for the semester and that was something he was not willing to risk. Instead, the rest of his goons had filled in his absence, probably under his command. James had definitely lost a lot of the privileges that came with running with an older crowd, but Rosie mentioned she much preferred him less inflated and so did a number of the younger Gryffindors.
"Sure thing James- and it's no problem really." Al smiled.
"The next Hogsmeade trip isn't for a few weeks though, why'd ya try to find me all the way out here?" James questioned.
Al shrugged, "Oh you know, I just didn't want any of my housemates overhearing, I'm not the only one who wants to sneak over to that town you know."
In truth, Al wasn't avoiding the suspicions of students, but rather Headmaster McGonagall. He'd noticed that after her curt message in his Common Room she had paid particular attention to him during meals and he'd often see her patrolling his usual way to classes. Although she never explicitly acknowledged him, Al couldn't help but feel her presence was an invasion of his privacy.
Presently, Al and Scorpius were strolling near the Great Lake, trying to stay out of McGonagall's line of sight. Had the Headmaster managed to glance near the shores, she would have seen a lonely Scorpius leisurely throwing pebbles through the paper-thin ice forming on the Great Lake. Minutes would have gone by along which the tall, pale boy traced the edge of the water and McGonagall would have astutely concluded that the poor, taunted boy was seeking some quiet and reprieve away from other students. Reasonably, she would have gone back to the many more pressing matters that filled her highly stressful semester and probably missed the odd appearance of a second boy stepping out of thin air, startling the first.
"Blimey you really got the silencing charm right that time," Scorpius jumped as Al appeared in front of him, "I was sure you were still here," He gestured to his left side.
"Think we're ready to try this tonight," Said Al and Scorpius nodded excitedly.
At supper, Al nibbled on the meat turnovers and stole glances at Scorpius, who also seemed too preoccupied in the evening's events to eat much.
"Yes thank you Professor!" The two boys glanced up near the head of Great Hall where McGonagall was now engaged in an animated conversation with Professor Longbottom, "If I could see them tonight in fact, this is really perfect timing…"
"Maybe she won't even be on guard!" Mused Al. This night seemed to be laying out perfectly.
Al and Scorpius laid silently awake, listening as their classmates slipped into bed, one-by-one. The amber shadows of the late autumn moon were now replaced by more opal white hues, matching the first December snow. It now hung, almost full, near the edge of the Lake, leaving long shadows to creep into the boys' dormitory. Reggie and Malachi had come and gone into heavy sleep, but Milo, again, was nowhere to be found. Becoming impatient, Al decided rouse Scorpius and head out. Milo wasn't one to notice much and might not even see that they weren't in bed, should he come around.
The boys draped the Invisibility Cloak around them, making sure the folds fell evenly to their sides, not revealing their feet. They crept out of the closing walls of the Common Room entrance just as Gabrielle entered, finished with her Prefect hall monitoring. The hallway was considerably colder than the dormitory and combined with the excitement of the plan, Al could feel cold beads of sweat running down the back of his neck and shivered. Though mostly imperceptible, the emptiness of the hall and the boys' heightened senses heard the slight disturbance of the cloak against Al's trembling.
"Mufflissimo!" Al whispered, swooping his wand towards the empty hall ahead. Should anyone be in the vicinity, their ears may prick momentarily with the sensation of being submerged in water, the air and sounds moving slower.
Carefully, they scampered near the entrance to the Dungeons, where it seemed as though no one was on watch. Turning towards the Restricted Area, the two paused and looked at each other, nodding in solidarity.
They began to descend into hall and Al soon realized that the dungeons could become a place of absolute unnerving darkness without torchlight here and there. Still, he was too afraid of McGonagall appearing to light their path. After a few minutes, they came upon a split in the hall, where the space ran into five separate tunnels. Al paused and considered his options, but jumped when the area suddenly filled with lamplight. Scorpius steadied him and backed the pair near the wall as, again, they heard the unmistakable footsteps of McGonagall.
Soon, she appeared at the crux of the tunnels and headed steadfastly into the second from the right, clearly not detecting the boys. For a moment they listened to her steps receding into the tunnel, before Scorpius whispered, "We should follow her, who knows how many halls this place splits into."
"Mufflissimo!" Al directed a second spell into the hall for good measure and the two bounded into the tunnel after the Headmaster.
Scorpius' intuition was right. The hall branched and weaved through the underground and Al wasn't even sure he was under the castle anymore. They kept a safe distance from McGonagall, just out of sight but clear enough that her footsteps indicated the correct turns. It was unfortunate that they had to keep a steady pace to chart their course as some of the halls quickly ended in intriguing rooms. In one glance, Al thought he saw a small meadow of low-growing blue flowers, lit by a false light of stars.
Finally, the footsteps stopped, signaling that McGonagall had reached her destination. Performing one more silencing charm, the boys sauntered forward into the last tunnel and came upon the Headmaster muttering a slow incantation and prodding the air in an archway just before another more open space. Al realized that she seemed to be sweeping away an invisible barrier, as the air would shimmer slightly at her touches. He nudged Scorpius and beckoned him to move forward. Imperceptibly, the pair edged near the side of McGonagall, who gave no indication that she'd become aware of her presence. As she slipped through the invisible wall, Al held his breath and followed, hoping the opening would allow their passage. Luckily, the barrier let them through, perhaps giving a little more violent of a ripple than usual, but McGonagall was too preoccupied to notice.
Apparently, the subject of her suppertime talk with Professor Longbottom regarded the Shrivelfigs currently blossoming in the greenhouses. The rocky, alpine growing conditions had proved to be the more effective method of propagating the plant and Professor Longbottom had dedicated no less than three additional greenhouses to their cultivation, stacking rows of boulders along the walls from which large purple blooms protruded. She carried a bag bursting with petals into the center of the space, where a small, stone platform stood, filled with several cauldrons, all lit and boiling with potions. She hoisted the bag unto a counter and began grinding the petals into a deep indigo powder, "So sorry for the wait but I believe the symptoms are alleviated much better with a fresh stock. And now that Professor Longbottom has built up his supply, I do believe we will no longer rely on mail-in shipments."
Al riveted his eyes away from the center of the room to the edges, where several other arches seemed charmed with the same watery wall, lying just beyond each was a small chamber, also lit by an enchanted ceiling, holding a small bed, desk, sink, and another cluster of pillows that looked like a dog's bed. It was like a prison except the desks were filled with books and class practice sets, and in some cases, paints and toys, and the furniture looked charmingly inviting with overstuffed bedding and homey patchwork quilts. A mound underneath one of quilts stirred, causing Al and Scorpius to gasp and start in a fright, before remembering they were safely silenced. Milo rose from the blankets and made his way over to the entrance of the archway, pausing as McGonagall swept her wand at his direction, opening the wall and allowing him through into the central space. As he neared Al gazed at his features, which seemed stretch and unnatural. His eyes, too, looked oddly golden and dilated and Al recalled their similarity to Natalia's on the night she freaked out, now clearly not a result of some unknown hex…
"Milo quickly, take this." McGonagall had carefully measured a few ounces of Shrivelfig powder into a small cauldron, which suddenly turned into the milky lavender substance he'd recognized on her person now countless times. "Is your sister turning as well?"
"No Headmaster, she's had a mild one this time I think," He twitched involuntarily and whimpered, "Per-perhaps I should just skip to the wolfsbane tonight… I feel it coming early." He gestured to another pot, separate from the others and glowing in alluring blue.
"Tsk" McGonagall strode near her student and assessed his features. Again, Milo seemed to jerk reflexively and grimaced, his eyes dilating more and his neck and shoulders hunching. She looked saddened at the boy but nodded.
"Yes I think if you're up for it, that would be the safest course- I'm sorry for the delay." McGonagall strode to the glistening blue cauldron and filled a sizable goblet with the airy substance. Although it was attractive to look at, the potion obviously tasted horrible as Milo gagged often as he sipped the potion, the rising gases making his eyes water. McGonagall rubbed his back gently and tipped the last of solution into his mouth. She nudged a bucket underneath him. A few seconds after the solution had been down, Milo gagged violently but kept the potion down.
"Good, that's it then for you. My apologies again Milo I didn't realize the symptoms came on this early."
Milo nodded, settling into only a slightly sick state, "It's really fine, it happens in the winter more, when the nights get longer. I can be a whole day early… Martin and Rowan don't change that way but Natalia and I are… more volatile I suppose."
McGonagall listened with clinical interest and Al spotted a Quill writing notes feverishly on the counter. Scorpius tapped Al lightly, "Mate, they're all here…" and pointed to some of the other rooms, where other blanketed mounds stirred and revealed themselves as Natalia, and Rowan and Martin White. Four other children that Al didn't recognize also emerged to the edge of their rooms. They looked rather young but also unmistakably were two sets of twins.
"That's good Milo, any details on your condition will be of great help. Now, the rest of you line up!" McGonagall swept her wand across the chambers and the children emerged, looking less…altered… than Milo, but distinctly sickly. The Headmaster ladled the milky substance into more goblets and offered them to the students. This potion must have been pleasant as even the younger children drank enthusiastically. As they finished their drinks, McGonagall tipped an hourglass, sighing, "And now we wait."
The students sat on benches surrounding the platform and McGonagall busied herself by assessing their features while taking notes. She conversed lightly as well, "Natalia I heard you made it to Charms this morning and was pleased. I'm hoping last month was simply a fluke of stress. I've already informed your brother but she's doing much better after the medical scare… much more stable and improving quickly, you might even be able to visit over the break."
Al and Scorpius gave each other confused looks but Natalia brightened considerably. McGonagall passed onto Rowan, who seemed by far the healthiest of the bunch, "The exercising seems to be working I see- do you want to go out tonight again?"
Rowan nodded, "Yeah it helps a ton."
"Good well I hope to see you on a broom next year for Hufflepuff." McGonagall nodded and continued sympathetically to the younger children, "Now I know a full turn is scary the first few times but it's much more pleasant with your faculties am I correct?"
The younger pairs of twins gazed at the Headmaster nervously and shrank as the far cauldron coughed more sapphire clouds. McGonagall returned an empathetic stare, but quickly jumped to apprehend Milo, who, though no longer nauseous from the potion, was hunched over the bucket she'd given him and gripping the edges with white, knotted knuckles. He was spasming regularly now and Al was certain he'd break his own neck in the violence of the thrusts. In fact, Al had half a mind to run out from under the cloak to aid his classmate in some way…
The only thing impeding his movement was Scorpius, whose hands also gripped Al painfully tight. Al glanced backwards at his friend. Under the shadow of the cloak, Scorpius looked translucent, the tendons in his neck wrung taut like the grooves of the twisted Whomping Willow. It occurred to Al that Scorpius was not feeling concern for Milo, but unbridled fear, for he had seemed to solve the mystery of this whole setup…
"Al," he rasped, strained, "They're… they're like Lupin…"
Al knit his brows in confusion, "Teddy?"
"Like Fenrir…" Scorpius was nearly paralyzed. Suddenly Al harkened back to their last History of Magic lesson, which involved the statutes regarding mixed magical folk… Remus Lupin, Fenrir Greyback.
Al snapped his head back to where Milo stood, well where he was now kneeling, an inhuman whine coming from him. His face was lengthening slowly, and this seemed to be deeply uncomfortable, if not downright painful. He was blinking rapidly, and Al could glimpse the punctured transformation of his pupils, ever stretching into the whites of his eyes, and burning a great neon hue. He was screaming now, filling the space with a sequel of the horrific sounds the school had heard almost a month ago, though Al guessed the Headmaster was present this time to muffle the noise with a wave of her wand. Milo's ears stretched agonizingly and turned pointed and lupine and when he stood again, steadied by McGonagall, he now towered above her, his haunches tearing through his nightclothes. After a few moments in his werewolf state, Milo whimpered and looked down at McGonagall. The Headmaster sighed, "Are you sure? It may do you good for a run like Rowan."
But Milo, shook his head and stepped gingerly back to his room. Before passing through the rippling of the archway, he suddenly turned and fixed the spot where Al and Scorpius stood with such an accurate stare that Scorpius bore his hands into Al impossibly harder. Still, he yawned and entered his room, taking the blanket from the bed and curling up in the fluffy platform on the floor. McGonagall had already turned attention to the others. In the process of Milo's transformation, the hourglass had emptied, and she now spooned the acrid blue potion into the goblets for the other students. Although looking far from appetizing, the milky potion must have masked the worst flavors of the wolfsbane because even the younger twin could down their drinks with little more than a determined gulp. McGonagall collected their flasks, checking to see if they'd finished all the potion.
"Ah Theo, see you had nothing to worry about!" She patted the smallest boy's head as he showed her his finished cup. He blinked gratefully but soon began twitching, his features morphing into a snout and filling with sharpened teeth.
"Ah now, come to your rooms, its better with the spasms if you steady yourself or lie down, see, just like Martin there." McGonagall gestured to the Ravenclaw boy, who had already passed into his room and was gripping his sheets in bundled fists, jerking slightly as he morphed into a smaller, frail-looking wolf, fuzzy with the same light red hair as his human head. Rowan was sitting up as she turned, growing to a towering height and build. After a few moments breathing deeply, she looked up at McGonagall and, in the most wolfish features, seemed to grin.
"One moment dear and I'll let you out." McGonagall was checking the younger twins as they finished transformation. The milky solution must have also dampened a bit of the pain during changing as none of the others reacted in a manner as grotesque as Milo. Two of the twins looked exhausted and flopped miserably into the floor beds, willing themselves to sleep as they uncomfortably folded their limbs, however the others were in well enough spirits to read and play. McGonagall smiled fondly.
"Alright now, to the track." The Headmaster waved her wand again and Rowan padded out, stretching her long back legs like a sprinter before a race. The two headed towards the entrance of the chamber and Al had enough sense to push Scorpius to the floor as Rowan, too, pivoted sharply in their direction.
"Is something wrong dear?" McGonagall puzzled as Rowan sauntered near the spot where the two boys crouched. She sniffed the air inquisitively but seeing nothing but an empty corner, returned to McGonagall's side. Al suddenly became aware of the predicament at hand. He was fairly certain they would need to cross the archway barrier with McGonagall, but the werewolves could definitely sense their presence in a way beyond sight and sound. Still, he'd seen enough to not want to be stuck in the dungeons the entire night. Scorpius had a similar idea, whispering, "We'll just have to take the chance mate, but we are leaving…now"
The wall was rippling more so as Rowan stepped through with McGonagall. Lithely, the boys sprang up from their position and eased through the barrier, hold their breaths and wishing they'd had either washed up more or less, whatever masked their distinctive smell better.
Thankfully the night was considerably luckier than Al's also excursion. Rowan, excited about the prospect of the "track", had bounded into the tunnels, with McGonagall rushing to keep up. Al, breathing a sigh of relief, now looked at his friend searchingly.
"Mate no." Scorpius didn't like the gleam in Al's eye, "Your brother is wearing off on you ya know… why push our luck?"
But the blonde boy sighed as Al crept stealthily forward, "Just a look"
The 'track' as it so happened, was one of the enchanted rooms at the edge of a nearby tunnel. Also gleaming with a false ceiling, the space was guarded by another rippling door and filled with vibrant ferns and fireflies, with a solitary worn path leading off into an unknown depth.
'Alright, this is one hour." McGonagall turned two tiny hourglasses in unison, attaching one around Rowan's wrist. "I'll be back then and you'll get some sleep after- I want to see you in class bright an early." Their classmate bounded happily down the path.
McGonagall turned and yawned, slouching a little as she made her way back toward the tunnel entrance. The boys followed behind, they passed the eerie blue meadow again and McGonagall paused, checking the hourglass, before performing a bubble charm around her head and entering the space. Procuring several amber jars from her cloak, she began harvesting the flowers and Al watched a familiar cobalt mist rise in disturbance, the poison swirling around the Headmaster and turning the white, charmed moon a light periwinkle. There was a long way to go before the night would be done for her and Al felt a pang of sympathy as he recalled how stressed she'd been to discover him. Wandering students with werewolves to tend to was an unnecessary burden. Scorpius tugged Al insistently, "C'mon mate, I remember the way out from here."
As the boy's neared the stretch of stone that would shift aside to their Common Room, Scorpius tapped Al on the shoulder, "We're talking about this, now!"
Entering the Slytherin dorms, they headed straight for their secret room, entering the moonlit space with astounded relief. Al turned and grinned wildly at Scorpius, "How? How did that not go wrong?" he laughed and ruffled his unkept hair, realizing he'd been in a cold sweat for the past hours as his hand ran through damp, cold locks. Scorpius, too, looked beyond pleased to be back in one piece, but after a few deep gulps of air he sat down in an armchair somberly. "Al, this… this is something strange…"
Al took a seat opposite his friend, "I know, I think I get why Jade was so elusive. Obviously, she saw Natalia turn that night… somehow she was protected. But we can't tell anyone Scorpius, they'll be complaints for sure and who knows where they'll go if they can't stay here."
That clearly was not where Scorpius' train of thought was headed, he took in Al's statement momentarily and nodded numbly, "Yeah sure mate. Of course we can't tell students…"
Al interrupted, "Anyone Scorpius, not Jeya, not Rosie or James…My Dad, he mentioned Remus Lupin and how hard his life was when he was outed…"
"Al!" Scorpius drew Al forcefully from his sermon. He looked petrified once more, "Al this is more than some issue on a poor bitten wizard trying to fit into school," He jumped up suddenly and began pacing the short length of the room, wringing his hands, "Those extra children, they were also twins…"
"Yeah…" Al watched his friend stride side to side, his pale face wrought with worry, "Do you think they were all bitten by the same werewolf? Maybe one who liked to target twins…"
"No, no," Scorpius stopped and turned towards Al, "I don't think they were bitten at all, Al… I think they were born that way."
Al did not like the feeling that began to prickle his skin as the rationality of Scorpius' inference dawned on him. "So… if they weren't bitten, then their parents…"
Scorpius nodded furiously, "Yes! Al their parents must be werewolves! And there must be a lot of them too." He paused, catching his breath, "Did you see all the empty chambers in that room? There must have been at least fifty…"
Al tried to picture the chamber again and noted that even the empty rooms were filled with trinkets and pillows, "It's like they're expecting more…" he paused, "And those twins, two of them were definitely not eleven yet…."
"Uh huh!" Scorpius was now pent up with a terrible glee, "Al, McGonagall is housing child werewolves, werewolf wizards, without their parents. Now why would she do that?"
Al considered the number of werewolves that sided with the Death Eaters during the Second Wizarding War. He'd overheard Dominique once hysterically describing some of the gruesome crimes their kind inflicted when she covered the topic in Defense Against the Dark Arts. "They… their parents, they probably aren't good people Scorpius."
Scorpius flared his nostrils and gazed out the misty windows of their hideout, "My Dad, he lived with a terrible werewolf for almost a year… they can, if they want, they start controlling their transformations and if they fall far enough down that path, they never become human again."
"Do you think McGonagall stole them from their families?" Al surmised, "Are they looking for them…"
Scorpius considered that theory thoughtfully, "I… I just think we would have heard something from the Ministry if that was the case. Attacks or sightings at least…"
"So do you think they were abandoned then?" Al offered.
"I don't know," Scorpius finally conceded, "But I can't imagine something small could scare so many werewolves into leaving their kids in the care of wizards…. " he paused, "Al, the werewolf my dad knew- it was Fenrir Greyback."
Al looked at his friend, intrigued. Scorpius reddened , embarrassed, but continued, "He escaped custody you know… well I'm sure you know, because your Dad hunted him for years…"
"My Dad?" Al's response, in turn, surprised Scorpius, "You didn't know? Well I suppose we were both young and maybe your Dad doesn't bring his work home with him…anyway, its, well my Dad and I know some others, believe that Fenrir was the one that confounded him so powerfully on a mission."
Al froze. He definitely remembered that happening to his father, but he'd been so upset that he'd never asked about the details surrounding that particular excursion.
"You okay Al?" Scorpius blinked sympathetically, "Sorry, erm, my dad was paranoid for years that Fenrir would target me… my grandfather leaked his initial whereabouts after he'd seen him lurking around the manor…. That's partly why I only knew Jeya before coming here- they kept me isolated from most wizarding hangouts…needless to say I'm not taking this revelation lightly." He gestured in the direction of the dungeons.
"Fenrir was a wizard apparently, but he never went to Hogwarts and I don't think he ever even had a proper wand… but my dad said he could do magic… untrained, but definitely magic." Scorpius muttered as Al stayed still, "It was always very destructive and unpredictable… and could be confounding…" He offered.
Al nodded weakly, considering the eight students in the chamber.
Scorpius looked out sadly, "I don't know mate, I kind of wish we'd been caught before we saw anything. Maybe Vanessa isn't as wrong as we thought. It's not a trivial thing… that condition"
A small part of Al agreed with his friend while another part dug into his memories to a Christmas morning long ago in the Burrow…
"Al honey, go fetch your father and cousin before they start flying," Ginny called a much smaller Al off the couch, "Tell them they need a good breakfast first..."
Al found the pair in Arthur's garage, among the piles of trinkets that escaped a destiny in the trash.
"Teddy what's up? I thought you could fly in any weather…" Harry found his godson in a corner, idly turning his new broomstick in his hands.
Teddy hadn't been himself during that holiday. His hair had not turned a single interesting shade, nor did he seem up for making animal faces for the younger kids. Harry stared at the young man for several seconds.
"I know something's up, but I have to say, you look so much like Remus when you keep your hair like that."
Teddy twitched and looked up soberly at his guardian, "Did he know?"
"Know what?"
"That there was a chance that he could pass it on? That I could have caught it too?" Teddy's eyes were uncharacteristically severe as he searched for answers in Harry.
Harry paused thoughtfully and sat near Teddy, "There was always a chance I think, but it's quite low when you're only bitten and its only on one side…"
"But its not impossible, we learned in class…" Teddy began, but Harry put his hand up to stop him.
"Teddy, don't think about the 'what-if's'. You came out healthy and safe. Besides, we would have afforded the treatments, unlike your Father who had to go without…"
But Teddy shook his head, "Why though? Why was it worth the risk?" he continued when Harry tried to interrupt again, "You know Lester Grimes? The beater from my second year?"
Harry's face fell, "Yes, you know I do." Al also remembered that name from a radio bit about an especially heinous crime involving a horribly bitten corpse…
"He was fine until he graduated you know, but it catches up… the condition" Teddy sneered, hurt and angry.
Harry drew himself sternly, "Ted, I don't want to hear that type of insinuation from you- you especially." He drew a measured breath, "You consider it an injustice being born with the risk of complications… Teddy there's always risk that something won't go right! Me personally-the fact that you'll never truly know how much your werewolf father loved you and was scared for you- I consider that your greatest injustice."
Harry stood as Teddy turned to wipe a few small tears from the corners of his eye. "I once envied how Remus knew my father far more than I did, but now seeing you, I prefer the jealousy to the pain that I feel that I can never truly make him real to you. But Teddy, he was an exceptionally compassionate man and I believe with all my heart that if we were only as kind, that there would be far less stories like Lester Grimes ending up in an Azkaban cell… after no Quidditch league would sign him, after he couldn't find steady work or a place to rent, after he lost his friends, after his family abandoned him, after he ran out of money."
Al followed the features of Scorpius' contorted face, processing the state of his classmates with fear. "Scorpius, I know this is scary, but I think we need to be brave- we shouldn't leave the twins behind."
"I figured you'd say that "Scorpius sighed, "I'll try."