Remus' Return to Hogwarts – Part One: Getting In and Bumping Into People
It was one of those piercing bright winter days when the snow and sky conspire to blind everyone with the audacity to look directly at them. The air even smelled sharp. Remus absentmindedly wished he'd worn sunglasses. Cherry didn't seem to notice anything amiss as she frolicked in the snowdrifts on either side of the path, barking. The werewolf smiled at his excited pet – Cherry loved being off her leash, and for whatever reason winter seemed to be her favourite season.
He had managed to get a Portkey to Hogsmeade and was now walking up to the school. The scenery was quiet and peaceful, and when he wasn't making sure Cherry wasn't up to mischief he let his mind wander freely.
The other Marauders had teased him about how he was bound to become a teacher when he grew up – "And of course, you're the only one who actually will grow up," Sirius would always add. Remus' eyes stung, and he told himself it was from the glare and the wind, even though everything but him and his dog was still.
I wonder how the boys are holding up? He hadn't told them he was coming, deciding that stealth would be a much better way to keep an eye on them … perhaps he could get the Map back from Filch. If some clever student hadn't somehow liberated it, at least.
He hoped his predecessor had left some manner of lesson plan. It was two days until term started up again and he hadn't had time to plan anything. I suppose I can always just spend the first class teaching about werewolves, he thought with an ironic smirk.
There was another round of barks, these ones deeper than he thought Cherry's voice could go … Remus looked around. Ah, yes, there was Fang. Hagrid had adopted the boarhound puppy the day before Harry had been born. Now the black blur was bounding across the ground to greet the newcomers, Hagrid not far behind.
"Remus Lupin!" he roared, and threw his arms around the younger man. Fang and Cherry were going through the traditional doggy greetings and apparently decided they liked each other. "Dumbledore told me yeh were comin'. Here, lemme help with tha'." He picked up the heavy trunk Remus had dropped to return the hug and lifted it like a bag of feathers.
"Thanks, Hagrid … it's good to be back at Hogwarts!" Remus smiled fondly up at the castle.
"Sure yer nephews'll be glad ter see yeh, too," said Hagrid amiably, resuming the trek through the snow.
"Neph – oh, Harry and Dudley? Do you see much of them?"
"More so Dudley, Harry sorta follows his lead. Haven't seen either of 'em since Christmas and – y'know." Remus nodded. An escaped murderer would tend to keep students inside the school. "'Fore then, I had Dudley down by me hut every other weekend, and Harry a' least once a month. Sometimes a few o' their friends, too. Decent kids."
"Was there every any doubt?"
"No' so much with Harry, I remember his folks and even 'im when he was just a wee little thing. But Dudley … ter be honest, Remus, I had me doubts 'bout Dumbledore leavin' Harry with those Muggles, an' then I caught Dudley pokin' 'round on the edge o' the forest – stopped him 'fore he could go in, o' course. But he's a good lad, great with animals, and if Dudley's parents are anythin' the like o' their boy, I'll say Dumbledore made the bes' decision."
The dogs, probably playing some variety of 'tag', raced between their owners. Following in Hagrid's wake, Remus no longer had to wade through the snow and was making good time on this last leg of his journey.
"That Draco, now he was a surprise," Hagrid continued. "Never thought I'd meet a decent Malfoy. 'M glad, though, seein' he's in Harry's dorm."
"Yes, it's good to know Harry has somebody to watch his back. He and Dudley sounded happy in their letters."
Hagrid grunted and shoved at the door, then remembered it opened outward and yanked on it.
"Yeh'll be goin' ter the Headmaster's office first?"
"I know the way, Hagrid." He smiled and admitted, "What I don't know is the password."
The massive man shrugged.
"Keep guessin' Muggle sweets. Las' time I was there it was min'-chocolate truffles."
"Thanks, Hagrid." Remus took back his trunk – a Christmas gift from Vernon and Petunia two or three years ago, along with a week-long vacation at a Spanish resort to thank him for all the babysitting he'd done – and started climbing the first of many, many staircases. Cherry, finding herself inside a strange and confusing place, attached herself to his side.
"All anyone would have to do," he overheard a young female voice explaining somewhere along his route, "is dose everyone in school with an emotional suppressant, or even just a powerful Calming Draught. Poof – no more poltergeist."
"Wouldn't that be unhealthy, though?"
Dudley? Was that Dudley's voice?
"Oh, incredibly. I'm not saying it's a good idea, just saying it would work."
Dudley almost walked straight past Remus and Cherry, engaged in conversation with a black-haired girl about the various ways to get rid of poltergeists. He froze in mid-step and did a comical double-take.
"Uncle Remus?"
"Hullo, Dudley."
Even without his cousin there to join in, Dudley still seemed to think tackling Remus made the most appropriate greeting.
"It is so great to see you – what're you doing here – ?" The boy froze up. "Did something happen to my parents?"
"No, no, nothing's happened to them – Headmaster Dumbledore invited me to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts, since Professor Quirrel apparently had to take a leave of absence."
"Why didn't he ask Professor Snape?" inquired the girl, reminding Dudley of her presence.
"I'm not sure," Remus admitted.
"Oh, Uncle Remus, this is Sandy Quartz. She's in Slytherin with Harry."
"Who speaks highly of you," Sandy added, holding out a hand for the werewolf to shake.
"Nice to meet you, Sandy – " (the handshake was firm but brief) " – If you two will excuse me I still need to inform Dumbledore I'm here."
"And we'll go tell Harry you're here," Dudley agreed. "Hey, Cherry," he added, scratching the dog's ears and getting his hand licked. Sandy smiled and offered her hand for the dog to sniff, getting licked as well, before the younger pair made to leave.
Sandy froze after taking two steps.
"Both traitors are loyal. At least one intends to set things right." Her voice was strange, like someone else was forcing their words through her throat. Her eyes had drifted out of focus as she spoke. Now she blinked and continued to walk like nothing had happened.
"Sandra!" called Dudley, startled.
"Yes?"
"What was that?"
"What?"
"Y-you froze up and said – something – and then you blinked and started moving again."
"Oh." Sounding almost as confused as they were, she stopped walking and turned around. "Well, Granddad will be pleased. There's a drop or two of Seer blood in the family, so – "
"Wait." Something clicked in Remus' memories. "Quartz? Any relation to Nigel Quartz?"
"Yeah, that's Dad."
"He used to say there were Seers in his family," Remus mused aloud. "I suppose he was right. I mean … to be honest, Divination and all that never struck me as …"
"Plausible?" Sandy offered. "Keep it vague enough and anything can mean anything else, especially if you use metaphors. What'd I say?"
"Something about traitors being loyal and setting things right." Dudley frowned. "Like you said, that could mean almost anything."
"Weird." Sandra shrugged it off. "Prophecies are usually self-fulfilling. Unless I revealed a cure for a disease or something, I don't think we need to bother spreading this around. C'mon, Dud, let's find Harry, he's probably in the library. Again."
"Or still," Dudley added in a mutter. He offered Remus a helpless shrug before following his future-telling friend.
Remus shook it off as one of the many quirks of living in magical society and continued on his way to the Headmaster's office, dog still on his heels.
"Remus Lupin?"
Two corridors to go and he was waylaid by one of his new colleagues.
"Hello, Professor McGonagall."
"You needn't use formalities anymore, Remus, I haven't taught you in years. Albus told me you'd be joining the staff; as such you may call me Minerva."
Cherry barked a greeting, perhaps somehow smelling McGonagall's cat-Animagus form, but more likely wanting attention from this new person. McGonagall looked startled.
"I must confess, Remus, you never struck me as the animal-keeping type."
"Yes, well … do you remember how Lily used to look at people when she really wanted something?" McGonagall's expression softened and she nodded fondly. "Her son inherited that skill. It was impossible to refuse him … though I'll confess," he added, a touch ruefully, "I'd expected the spell to wear off in a few weeks at most."
"What spell?"
"This," scratching his dog's ears like she always enjoyed, "is Cherry. She was a stick, presumably from the cherry tree in my back yard, that Harry transfigured into a puppy."
McGonagall's eyes widened behind her spectacles.
"Mr Potter is one of the most gifted Transfiguration students I've ever taught, but – when did he do this?"
Remus frowned and started counting back.
"About six years ago, when he was five. It was summer then, so it would be six and a half years."
A woman with less self-control than Minerva McGonagall would have gaped open-mouthed at Remus for some time.
"A five-year-old boy Transfigured an inanimate object into a living creature that survives to this day?"
"Said that way I suppose it does seem hard to believe."
"Is he intending to pursue Transfiguration as a career?"
"I … don't know. Isn't he a little young to be planning for that?"
"Remus Lupin, it is a crime to let a talent of this nature go to waste! I must speak to Mr Potter … beginning this term I will offer him extra lessons in Transfiguration, perhaps even an apprenticeship if everything works out …"
"What are you doing here?"
Remus turned on his heel to see Severus Snape approaching fast, face like a thundercloud.
"Severus, I – "
"Severus!" Minerva stepped around the werewolf, positively starry-eyed with excitement. "I must discuss with you one of your Slytherins, I believe he may have great potential – "
"Not now, Minerva, I want to know – "
"Professors!"
Reflexively, all three of them turned, Minerva and Severus to the title, Remus to the sudden sound.
A pale boy with white-blond hair, probably a first-year by his height, was shaking at the end of the corridor.
"Mr Malfoy, what on earth is the matter?" Minerva demanded.
"Professor Snape – Madam Pomfrey said to find you, but you weren't in the dungeons – something's wrong, some students got sick and Pepper-Up potions just made things worse – "
Snape took off, Lupin forgotten, the pale boy on his tail.
"Every year," Minerva muttered, watching him go. "Every year we find a handful of students allergic to Pepper-Up potions. Every year I suggest we remove it from the infirmary, but Poppy refuses and Severus won't stop brewing it …"
"The students should be fine, then?"
"Oh, they will be; between Poppy and Severus they'll make a full recovery."
"It's been lovely seeing you, Pr – Minerva – but I really must be getting to the Headmaster's office."
"Good day, then, Remus."
Now, what had Hagrid said the password was?
