A/N: Thanks to SortingHat47 for her love and support and for saying, "You can do better!" even when I've rewritten a chapter 50 times already; she's almost always right! And thanks, too, to Zarathustra who is helping me understand that I should belong to a 12-step program for Comma-aholics...
And thanks to those of you who have reviewed and put this on alert and made it a favourite. This story has taken so many twists and turns--thanks for staying with it and with me! (Even though I did resort to a cliffhanger at the end of the last chapter...)
Disclaimer: Need I repeat myself? Not mine; JKRowlings. And Warner Brothers, apparently. Does anybody have an address where I can write to complain about the treatment of HBP?
Chapter 22: Catharsis
Tuesday, 8 October, 1985--9:52 a.m.
Severus Snape selected a bottle of horned slugs from the cabinet and carried it to his desk. Scanning the list of ingredients that the Hufflepuffs would need for their upcoming class, he realised he had forgotten the armadillo bile. As he turned to fetch it, there was a slight popping noise, and a house elf appeared beside him.
"Please, Master Snape, sir, the Headmaster is asking for Veritaserum."
"What?" Severus couldn't help the incredulous tone. Veritaserum was very rarely used at the school, and when it was, it could only be used with the agreement of the parents of the student involved. He hadn't heard that there had been an incident worthy of the potion.
"The Headmaster is saying to bring it to his office, sir," the house elf continued.
"Yes. Right away," Severus said quietly, turning away and heading for the locked cabinet where such dangerous and important potions were kept.
He took the time to snap his fingers at the chalkboard, upon which the words, "Page 319, Start immediately—work separately" suddenly appeared and then he left the dungeons for the long climb to the Headmaster's office.
The door at the top of the spiral stairs, which led into the Dumbledore's office, was closed, but he could almost feel an uneasy tension seeping through the thick wood. Something wasn't right. Lightly, he tapped at the door.
"Enter, Severus," the Headmaster called.
Upon entering the room, the Potions Master quickly scanned the room. There were seven men, including Dumbledore, Lupin, and Moody. The four men that were unfamiliar to him were attired in varying Ministry robes. It was a very impressive gathering, with the possible exception of Lupin, of course.
He approached the Headmaster's desk and placed the bottle of Veritaserum in front of Dumbledore. "The potion you requested, Headmaster," he said softly.
Dumbledore gave him a smile to thank him, but it seemed forced. There was a decidedly worried look in his eyes when he then asked, "What would you consider an appropriate amount for Remus?"
Snape tentatively eyed the werewolf. Lupin was leaning forward in his chair, with his left elbow on the Headmaster's desk, and his forehead resting in his hand. He looked utterly miserable, and for a moment, Severus nearly felt sorry for him. "I'd say three drops would be more than enough," the Potions Master replied.
"Would you administer that dose then, please?" Dumbledore asked quietly.
Snape gave him a surprised look. This was serious.
Without wasting another moment, he conjured a small glass and filled it a fourth of the way with water. Gingerly, he added three drops of the Veritaserum.
"Should we test the effectiveness of it?" someone asked.
Severus bristled at the thought that anything he brewed would be substandard, but a quick warning look from Dumbledore made him hold his tongue.
"I'll do it," the young Auror offered.
"No," Moody growled. "I'm not going to have anyone saying later that you faked the results." He pointed to the Ministry official that had a "Beast Division" badge pinned to his robes. "You take it."
"Me?" The man reared back, startled. "Why me?"
"Because of everyone here, you're the only one that we would all trust to give us an honest reaction."
The man glanced around the room nervously.
"We won't take advantage," Moody suddenly added.
The Ministry official finally gulped and nodded. "All right."
"It is best to drink the entire dose in one swallow," Severus recommended as he slid the glass across the desk toward the other man. He glanced at Lupin. The werewolf hadn't moved at all. Allowing his curiosity to show the tiniest bit, the Potions Master looked at Dumbledore. The wizard had his eyes on the Ministry man who was now drinking the potion and didn't notice Snape's curious gaze.
The empty glass was plunked onto the desk. "How long until it takes effect?" the man asked Snape.
"Results are nearly instantaneous," Severus told him. "How many years have you worked at the Ministry?"
"Ten," the man replied easily.
"Try lying," Moody suggested. "What is your full name?"
"Derrick Na-Na-Barnabas Alla-Alexander. Damn!" His face was pink from the effort of lying.
The older Auror turned to the other two Ministry men. "Acceptable, then?"
They both nodded curtly, and Moody motioned to Lupin. "Hit him up, then, Snape."
Again, Severus filled the glass about a fourth of the way and added three drops of the Veritaserum. Slowly, he pushed the glass in front of Lupin's gaze.
The werewolf regarded the glass for a moment then slowly straightened. When he looked up at Severus, there was a coldness in his eyes that made Snape instantly wary.
"Double it, Severus, if you please," he said quietly.
"The dose will not be as effective if there's twice as much water —"
Lupin was already shaking his head. "No, not the water. Double the dose. In fact, add five drops to it."
"Remus, no!" Dumbledore said sharply at the same time that Moody growled, "You're mad, Lupin!"
"It's what you gave me four years ago," Lupin's gaze snapped to stare unflinchingly at Moody. "The Aurors didn't believe me until there were eight drops in every dose. You think they'll believe me with only three?" The hard blue eyes bored into Snape's black ones. "Five more, Severus. Now."
"Eight drops can cause irreparable damage," Severus pointed out.
"Tell everyone you told me so at my funeral," the werewolf snapped. "Just do it."
The Potions Master could have argued with him, but he recognized the futility of it. Besides, what did it matter to him anyway? It was just Lupin…
Over the young Auror's protests, Severus added another five drops to the water. Immediately, as if worried that someone was going to interfere — or that he was going to lose his nerve — Lupin downed the potion.
They all stared at him. His face contorted briefly as he fought with the nausea that came with Veritaserum overdosing.
"Are you all right, Remus?" Dumbledore asked after a few minutes.
"Y-y— Oh, hell. No." Remus chuckled bitterly. "Can't even bloody lie about that."
And then the questions flew, fast and furious. Severus retreated to a vantage point behind the Beast Division official. The class of Hufflepuffs was forgotten as he listened, fascinated, to Lupin's story of all that had happened at the carnival.
Long days of captivity, the shredding of pride and dignity, anger, frustration, fear — there was little that was left untouched by the men. The struggle to master wandless magic and the devastation that had led to the loss of it — Lupin answered every question put to him, pausing only to control emotions that he had deliberately exposed to their probing.
It wasn't until near the end of the interrogation — for there was no doubt in his mind that's what it was — that Severus became aware of the original reason for the presence of so many Ministry officials in one room. The centaur, Libertas, lived and breathed once again there in Dumbledore's office. And, then again, he died at Lupin's hands because of his plea for mercy.
Finally overwhelmed and having given more than he should ever have been asked, Lupin collapsed, sobbing, his head buried in his arms on Dumbledore's desk. Severus found himself intrigued at the fact that the Headmaster and Moody had allowed the questioning to take the twists and turns that it had. Considering how they felt about Lupin, why had they allowed the other men to ask Lupin about the Torpeus Draught? Why had they allowed Lupin to answer questions about the degradations that Bill Parsons had put him through, both as man and wolf?
The Headmaster suddenly stood and gently placed a hand on Remus' back. "Are there any other questions, gentlemen?"
If there were any remaining questions, they were shoved aside. Even Taylor seemed to recognize that any further questions were superfluous.
Alexander cleared his throat. "I am willing to accept Mr Lupin's explanation of events as fact. As far as I'm concerned, restitution by Mr Lupin is not necessary"
Garrison and Moody immediately agreed. Then they looked to Taylor and Higgins.
Taylor nodded curtly. "I see no reason to continue with this: questioning or trial."
Higgins was the Ministry worker most shaken by Remus' account, yet he hesitated before giving his verdict. "I think it's obvious that Mr Parsons misrepresented things greatly." It seemed as if he wanted to say something else, but shook his head instead. "I need to return to work," he said. "If you gentlemen will excuse me…"
Slowly, the others left as well until only Snape and Dumbledore remained with Remus, who still hadn't moved. The Headmaster went to a cabinet and removed a bottle of wine and three glasses. As he did so, sudden realisation set in. "Do you not have classes, Severus?"
Snape looked startled for only a moment. "The Hufflepuffs were given their instructions." He glanced at a clock on one of the Headmaster's bookshelves. "The Ravenclaws should know what needs to be done and have the intelligence to do it. I will only miss a small part of their class."
The werewolf lifted his head and his eyes rested on Snape's and, for just a split second, resentment and anger were in his expression. But, just as quickly as it had appeared, it passed. "Thank you, Severus," Remus said quietly.
The dark-haired man lowered his eyebrows. "I have done nothing."
"You did exactly as I asked you to, even though I know it was something you had no desire to do." Lupin wiped his eyes on his sleeve. "You'd have been as glad to see them…" He stopped, obviously with an effort. "Damned stuff," he muttered.
The Headmaster gently placed a goblet in the Potion Master's hand and gave the third goblet to Remus, who downed the wine in a few quick swallows.
As Dumbledore reached to refill the glass, Lupin shook his head. "If you have no more torture planned for me, I'm going to try to make it back to my room without getting sick."
"I know you must be exhausted," Dumbledore said. "Get some rest. I will be by in a while." He waited until Remus had gotten unsteadily to his feet then reached out to put his hand on Remus' shoulder. "You did well. For what it's worth, I am very proud of you." The werewolf merely nodded then limped out of the office. They listened until they could no longer hear his uneven footsteps on the stairs.
Severus sipped at his wine and watched the Headmaster closely as he said with a sneer, "Obviously, Lupin could no longer hide behind you and your mercy."
"The main issues — the charges that had been brought against him — could not be avoided, no matter my position. I would have stepped in had I seen it was too much for Remus to handle," Dumbledore said staring pensively out the window. "However this was the one chance that we were going to have to get the complete, truthful explanation of what happened while Remus was at that carnival. We needed to know so we can help him heal. We needed to know so we can help him find peace. And, most of all, Severus, he needed to find his own answers."
He sat down behind his desk and smoothed his robes over his legs. After a moment, he continued: "You and Remus have both come to rely on walls and masks to conceal your fear and anger, and as a result you also hide away passion and joy. Remus needed today — as terrible as it was. So much had been stripped away from him, leaving him with no idea of who he was, or even why he was. Through telling his story, he was able to see for himself where he'd changed, how he'd changed — and how he has gotten stronger. Yes, Severus, there is no doubt that he is a much stronger person for what he's gone through. Before this ordeal, he would never have demanded that you give him eight drops of that potion. Four years ago, he was in this same sort of situation because of his friendship with the Potters. It nearly destroyed him. This time, yes, he was broken, but we both know you can't fix something if it isn't broken. I think he can begin to heal now."
He fell silent, stroking his beard. "He was angry at me for making choices for him. I see now how wrong I've been. He took control from all of us. He did it the moment he asked for the increase of Veritaserum. I have severely underestimated him yet again." He sighed. "That seems to be a chronic failure of mine."
Severus waited a moment for the older wizard to elaborate. When it became obvious that he wasn't going to, Snape finished his wine and took himself back to the dungeons and the Ravenclaws.
1:15 p.m.
Remus was lying on his back in the middle of a grassy expanse. The sky was bluer than he'd ever seen, and the clouds seemed as lazy as he felt right now.
A face suddenly blocked out his vision of the sky. "Moony, shouldn't you be working?"
"Bugger off, James."
"Ooh, he's testy!" The bespectacled young man plopped himself on the ground next to the werewolf. "What's got your knickers in such a twist?"
"Thinking," Remus replied.
"Idiot. We know how you are when you start thinking. You'll be miserable for the rest of the day."
"No," Remus said thoughtfully, "I won't. Not this time."
"What's different, then?" James asked.
Remus considered the question and was as surprised as James when he smiled and replied, "Everything."
1:20 p.m.
Albus Dumbledore smiled. He hadn't seen Remus Lupin look that peaceful in years. He closed the door very, very quietly so he wouldn't awaken the young man and then went in search of Filius Flitwick. He had a small matter he needed to discuss with him…
Wednesday, 9 October--3:42 p.m.
"Minerva, I can't find Remus. Have you any idea of where he might be?"
Her quill didn't stop moving. "I was unaware that it was my turn to watch him, Albus."
"I thought perhaps you might know where he had a habit of going when he needed to be alone."
She pursed her lips, scrawled, "Ask someone for the answers if you're not going to read the book! Dreadful!" at the top of the essay in front of her, then rested her quill in the small pot of ink. "I don't know whether his habits now would be the same as they were eight years ago, but I know he liked to walk out to look at Kettleburn's creatures."
"Ah. That is one place I never thought to look," Dumbledore admitted. He smiled broadly. "Thank you, Minerva."
The Transfiguration professor wondered why he looked like he was inordinately pleased with himself.
4:12 p.m.
Remus pulled his cloak tighter to his body. The rain that had been threatening to fall all day had let loose at last, in what felt like freezing needles.
As he reached for the latch on the small door that would open into a hallway near the Potions classrooms, the door was jerked open. Surprised, he reared back, almost losing his balance. Strong fingers grabbed his sleeve, pulling him forward and into the dryness and relative warmth of the hallway.
"There you are, Remus!" The Headmaster said cheerfully.
Remus lowered the hood of his cloak and gazed with surprise at the man. "You were looking for me?"
"As a matter of fact, I was. I need to talk to you about something. Why don't you take your cloak up to your room and then come up to my office? I'll have some hot cocoa ready for you."
Remus tilted his head and gave the older man a wary look. "If this visit to your office is anything like the visit yesterday morning, I'd just as soon give it a miss, thank you all the same."
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "I do not doubt that at all. No, this is for a much different reason. I have a proposition for you."
Remus' lips twitched and then quirked into a half-smile as he said, "It doesn't entail any removal of clothing or money exchanging hands, does it?"
The Headmaster looked at him for just a moment and then began laughing heartily. "No, it does not!" He shook his head. "Alastor would have appreciated that." He clapped Remus on the shoulder. "I'll see you in about fifteen minutes, all right?" And without waiting for an answer, he turned and walked away.
4:30 p.m.
Even though Remus trusted that there were no unpleasant surprises waiting for him in Dumbledore's office, he still felt a twinge of trepidation as he knocked on the door to the Headmaster's Office.
Within a few minutes, however, he was ensconced in a chair in front of Dumbledore's fireplace with his chilled fingers wrapped firmly around a mug of hot cocoa.
"I won't be so cruel as to engage you in idle conversation and make you wonder why you're here," Dumbledore said, placing his own mug of hot cocoa on the small table in between them. "I've been talking to Madame Pomfrey. She tells me that while your leg has improved greatly, you would benefit from another month of rest."
Considering how his leg was aching at that moment, Remus thought he might agree with that assessment. However, he couldn't stay here for another month — could he?
"I have an idea that will give you something to do: something challenging but very rewarding. In exchange, you'll get free room and board here, as well as more time to recover and find a more substantial position elsewhere. Would you be interested?"
"I suppose it all depends on what it is," Remus replied, running his thumb thoughtfully across his bottom lip.
Dumbledore steepled his forefingers and watched the werewolf over the tips. "There is a student in Ravenclaw — a fifth-year — who has been having some problems. In fact, it was debated last year if he should repeat his fourth year studies."
Remus suddenly thought of the young man he'd met at the top of the Astronomy Tower just a couple of days ago. "Jonathan Blotts," he murmured.
The Headmaster's eyebrows rose. "Exactly. How –?"
"I met him day before yesterday. At the top of the Astronomy Tower."
The older man didn't ask what either Remus or Jonathan had been doing there. Perhaps he didn't want to know. "Jonathan is extremely bright. When he has been shown how to do something, he can perfect it quickly. However, when it comes to theory or writing essays, he has difficulty. He does well in a few classes —"
"Astronomy, Creatures, and History," Remus said without thinking.
"You two must have had quite a lengthy conversation," Dumbledore said with a chuckle. "But you're right. He's had tutors, and he's exhausted several. I wondered if perhaps you would tutor our young Mr Blotts."
Remus gave him a sceptical glance. "You think more tutoring is going to help?"
"I think tutoring with the right person will help," Dumbledore corrected.
"How do you know I'd be the right person?"
"First of all, you're here," the Headmaster said simply. "You need something to occupy your time and to keep you busy. Tutoring Jonathan Blotts will accomplish that. But most importantly, I've seen the reference that Pindar Alatza is going to give you. You have a great deal of patience with your students — which by all accounts, he needs. I will be expecting him to work with you at least two hours every night — more if you can convince him of it.
"You know, Jonathan's father might also be convinced to give you a substantial discount at their bookstore in appreciation for your work," Dumbledore mused. "And you'd have another favourable reference."
"If I can do miracles. What are you hoping I can accomplish? Getting him caught up to the fifth year standards? Giving him enough confidence to do well on his O.W.L.s? What?"
"If I said I'm hoping for both of those, would you still accept the challenge?" Dumbledore asked. His blue eyes were fastened intently on Remus' face, trying to see beneath the carefully maintained façade.
"How long are you expecting this to take?" Remus asked.
"However long you can give me," Dumbledore replied.
"What about my lycanthropy? Are you going to tell Jonathan's father that a werewolf is in the school and teaching his son?"
"No."
Remus sipped at the hot cocoa and then, realising that it had cooled enough to comfortably swallow, took a longer drink. The truth was, he had few options at this moment, and he knew it. This would keep him fed and housed, and, as Dumbledore had pointed out, would give him something worthwhile to occupy his time.
"I have taken the liberty of asking each of Jonathan's professors for a short assessment of what skills he is most lacking in," the Headmaster said, interrupting his thoughts and pulling a folded piece of parchment from a pocket in his robes.
Remus took it from the older wizard's hand and opened it. As he scanned it, his eyebrows lowered until he was scowling. "You want me to teach him all of this?" he asked incredulously.
"No, no," Dumbledore said, with a wave of his hand. "Not all of that." Then he smiled. "Just as much of it as you can."
Remus stared at the Headmaster. A chuckle escaped him. "I don't know whether you think I'm so daft that I'll agree to do this or you have that much faith in my abilities."
"Oh, definitely the latter," Dumbledore assured him, "though I hope for enough Gryffindor bravery from you to attempt it."
"I'm not anywhere near good enough in Potions to satisfy Snape," Remus said, eying the dark, angular script that listed Jonathan Blotts' disabilities in that subject.
"Then don't worry about Potions for now," Dumbledore said. "Concentrate on things you know you can do well. Leave Potions for another time."
Remus looked at him sharply. "Another time? I'll barely be able to fit a fourth of this," he held up the piece of parchment, "in a month's time."
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he said, "Then you'll just have to stay longer."
The werewolf froze. It couldn't just be that simple, could it? "How long are you suggesting I stay?"
The Headmaster picked up his mug. "Stay until Christmas. That will give you two and a half months to work with Jonathan. During that time, you can start looking for another placement. You can use the Christmas holidays as a chance to set up interviews. If nothing presents itself, you can stay even longer." He took a drink, keeping his eyes on the younger man. "It's a good idea, Remus. And even you can't deny it."
It certainly seemed as if Dumbledore had thought things through carefully and thoroughly. Of course, Remus would not have expected anything less. However, there was still one thing — always the same thing — that stood in the way of Remus accepting the proposition immediately and unconditionally.
"What if he figures out what I am?" Remus asked. "He loves magical creatures, and while he may not hate me for being a werewolf, he may very well be so excited about it that he'd tell everyone. Starting with his friends and parents. And his friends will tell their parents…"
"Remus, must you borrow trouble when there is none?"
"It's preparing for the inevitable."
"I can see now why you were often accused of being a pessimist," Dumbledore mused.
They both ignored the fact that it had been Sirius that had made that accusation — frequently and loudly.
"I'm a realist," Remus protested, as he always did when faced with that indictment. "I have to prepare for what I know will happen."
"If the fact of your lycanthropy becomes known, it will be me who shoulders the responsibility. They will question me about the wisdom in hiring such an individual. You, on the other hand, will have already helped young Mr Blotts enough that they will appreciate what you have done, even if they fear what could have happened."
Remus was silent, considering the consequences.
"What are you thinking, Remus?" Dumbledore asked gently.
"I want to say yes," the younger man admitted. "It's — it seems perfect. For now, that is," he added hastily. "It somehow seems too perfect, though."
The Headmaster chuckled. "Oh, it will be far from perfect. Jonathan will no doubt test your mettle. And don't forget—Severus will no doubt take every opportunity to tell you that you're here taking Hogwarts charity because of my pity."
Remus felt his heart clench with the realisation that Severus would be saying things that Remus himself would be thinking.
"Are you strong enough to face Severus' scorn?" Dumbledore asked. "That might be the most difficult thing about this position."
"He really will be annoyed at this," Remus said slowly.
"Most probably," the older wizard agreed.
James would have laughed and said, "Take it, Moony! It's a great opportunity even if Snape will be picking at you." Peter would have agreed and said, "You won't have anything to worry about for a couple of months, Moony. Won't that be a good thing?" Sirius, however, would have howled with laughter and said, "You have to take it! If only to twist Snivellus' knickers into knots! Thousands of teensy, tiny knots! What kind of Marauder would you be if you turned this down? In fact, do you think you could get me a job there too?"
Remus was smiling as he said, "Let's give it a go."
Thursday, 10 October—8:47 a.m.
Jonathan Blotts entered the Headmaster's office looking more curious than frightened. Remus could only guess it was because the boy knew he hadn't done anything wrong. Or, the werewolf reflected, suddenly recognizing the expression that had been plastered on his own face more than once, Jonathan was reasonably sure he hadn't been caught.
While Remus thought about the reasons why he himself had been called to the Headmaster's office as a student, Dumbledore greeted Jonathan.
"I understand you have already met Remus Lupin."
Jonathan smiled and nodded, extending his hand. "Yes, I have. Mr Lupin, how are you, sir?"
"Doing well, thank you for asking. And you?"
"Well, you know," Jonathan rolled his eyes. "Potions is still Potions."
Remus choked down the need to laugh. "And always will be so, I fear," he replied.
Dumbledore waited until they were seated before continuing. "Mr Blotts, several of your professors have expressed concerns that you are unable to perform at a standard fifth-year level. What are your thoughts on this?"
The boy's face fell.
Caught, thought Remus.
"It's true, sir. I suppose there's no use in saying otherwise."
"Very wise," Dumbledore said. "And that could be one reason the Sorting Hat chose you for Ravenclaw."
The boy muttered something, of which Remus heard part. He chuckled before he could stop himself.
"Care to share the joke?" the Headmaster asked, looking from the current student to the former one.
Remus glanced at Jonathan, who flushed slightly, but didn't try to stop him from answering.
"I do believe Mr Blotts was implying that the Sorting Hat might have, at least on one occasion, overindulged in firewhiskey."
Dumbledore smiled. "Well, I would suppose it does seem like that to you, but, Mr Blotts, I am going to give you a chance to prove and improve yourself."
"How so, sir?"
"I have found you a tutor," the Headmaster said. "Not a fellow student, but someone older, very capable and very skilled. He will be working with you from now until at least Christmas to get you caught up to your classmates."
The boy's lips twisted into a contemplative frown. "Until Christmas? Do you think that's enough time?"
"It should, at the very least, be a good start," Dumbledore assured him, "especially as I'm going to expect you to work at least two or three hours a day with your tutor. And this is in addition to your classes—not in place of them."
Jonathan's frown deepened. "But I won't have time for anything else!"
"Mr Blotts, I think you have definitely reached the point in your academic career when other interests must be put aside," the Headmaster said in an almost severe tone.
The boy bit his lip.
"Mr Lupin has a list of the things that the professors would like you to work on, and he will decide which things he will address and the order in which he will teach them. I expect you to cooperate fully with him."
The Ravenclaw looked at Remus. "You're going to be my tutor?"
Remus shrugged. "I have nothing better to do."
"Mr Lupin will decide when you will meet, and nothing — nothing, Mr Blotts — should keep you from meeting him at that exact time and the exact location which he selects. If he tells me that you have been even the slightest bit delinquent in your responsibility to him and your studies, there will be consequences to be paid. Do you understand this?"
Jonathan nodded. "Yes, sir." His manner was very subdued. Remus wondered if it was because he was overwhelmed, fearful, or angry.
Dumbledore must have had the same thought, for he sat back. "Jonathan, I suppose this seems exceedingly strict, but you are already in jeopardy of having to repeat your fifth year. I need you to understand the seriousness of the situation."
"Do my parents know about this?" Jonathan asked.
"Yes," Dumbledore replied. "You already know they have received owls from your professors as to your struggles. I sent them an owl this morning telling them that I had found a qualified tutor to help you."
Jonathan sighed.
Dumbledore suddenly smiled. "Although he may be firm, I think you'll find Mr Lupin easy to work with, so I don't think you'll find it nearly as much of a hardship as you believe it to be. Now, do you have any questions?"
"No, sir."
"Good. Now," the Headmaster again leaned forward and picked up a quill, "if you gentlemen will excuse me, I have some business to attend to. Remus, if you'd be so kind as to escort Mr Blotts to his Transfiguration class and offer my apologies for his tardiness, I would be grateful."
Jonathan and Remus made their way down the stairs and several feet along the corridor before the boy spoke. "Tutoring me is better than throwing yourself off the Astronomy Tower, then?"
Remus smiled. "I would say so, yes. Certainly less messy. It remains to be seen which is more painful."
Jonathan gave him a quick glance. "You've got an odd sense of humour."
"Oh, just wait until I find something truly amusing," Remus said.
The boy was silent again until the neared the Transfiguration classroom. "Mr Lupin," he stopped, seemingly uncomfortable with whatever he was going to say.
"Yes?"
"Do you think there's any hope that you will get me caught up to my classmates?"
Remus cocked his head to one side and regarded the boy thoughtfully. "Do you want to catch up?" he asked.
Jonathan nodded.
"I'm the best shot you have at it then. And I'm certainly motivated. If you don't get caught up, Dumbledore might bloody well push me off the Astronomy Tower." Remus smiled and waited for the boy to do the same. "I'll meet you at six o'clock in the library. Bring your Arithmancy and Ancient Runes texts with you." Without waiting for a response, he opened the door and said, "Professor McGonagall, forgive the intrusion…"
Yes, yes, I know you all saw it coming. But tell me it wasn't a good idea! I dare you!
Thanks for reading!