Chapter 11
For a time, they gaped at each other. Students began to whisper between themselves and the teacher immediately broke eye contact.
"Oh, you must be a new student," he said calmly as if nothing abnormal was going on. But Emily could feel the fear hidden in his voice. "I suppose I should get you supplies from my office. Please follow. Class, read page…"
He was interrupted as Jon raised his hand. "Professor, I need supplies too."
Surprised, but able to keep the calm glamour that he had created, he invited Jon to his office too. "Everyone else, page 486. And don't skip anything; I'll be giving you a quiz on this afterwards!"
The class groaned, but pulled out their books.
Jon and Emily walked to the doorway at the side of the class where Professor Lupin was standing.
"So, Jon, I thought you were at Durmstrang. Did your mother decide to make you switch schools?"
Jon nodded, silently. "Sir, what's going on with you and Emily?"
"Em-i-ly." Lupin tasted the name on his lips, and shook his head. He shuddered, groaning, "Emily, why are you here? You were supposed to never come to Hogwarts!" Half-crying now, his hand was shaking, and he had gone as pale as a full moon.
"And how was I supposed to know that?" asked Emily, sourly.
"Your mom…"
"My mom never told me anything!" snapped Emily. "She barely taught me to do magic. I was living with muggles all my life. Sure, I knew not to come to Hogwarts, but where else was I supposed to go when that creepy rat man came to our house. I…"
Lupin's head shot up. "Rat man?"
"No, I'm sorry, did I say rat? I meant lovely, little doggie that scared me out of my house and made me come running to Hogwarts. No, wait a second. Hmmm…maybe I DID say creepy rat man. I suppose, it's just a possibility and I could've said cute, little dog, though!" she screamed at him.
"Emily, stop being so loud," hissed Jon, trying to pull Emily into a chair.
"Calm? How am I supposed to be calm?" she shouted. The curious noise of the students from outside the door grew louder.
"Emily," said Professor Lupin, the name sounding awkward coming from his mouth, "if the creepy, rat man you claim you saw is real, then we're both in danger. And your mom too. Where was Leila when all this happened?"
Emily was sitting in the chair Jon had forced her into, breathing hard. "How should I know? She said she went to visit old friends about something important. She left our thousand-year-old neighbor to watch me, but I can take care of myself. That's why I followed Jon here once I figured out he was a wizard."
Now, Jon too fell into a seat. "You followed me?" was all he could ask.
Emily nodded, tears in her eyes at this point. "What else was I supposed to do? Wait until the creepy, rat guy came back with You-Know-Who? He was seriously (Sirius-lee) evil."
"Yes," said Lupin, curtly. "Yes, you should've waited at home. You should've sent an owl to your mom, or gone to stay with your neighbor. Coming to Hogwarts was one of the stupidest things you could do."
"His bluntness shocked Emily. "But I don't have an owl," she said, quietly.
Lupin sighed and began to pace the room.
"Professor, I think the class is waiting…" Jon began
Lupin walked out of the room, leaving Jon and Emily.
Jon mouthed to Emily, "What was that about?"
Emily sighed, "He's my dad."
Jon nodded, as if that made perfect sense with the conversation that had just went on.
Lupin reentered the room. "I have dismissed the class. Both of you follow me to McGonagall's office." He said without feeling. Then he muttered, bitterly, "Because she was too busy to notice the danger herself. She could've at least told ME."
Emily and Jon rushed after their angry teacher, both worried and unsure.