Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter.
"Um, Professor, Harry's not here, he's not feeling well," Ron tells McGonagall with an awkward cringe as she calls out his name on the roll.
"So you've said for the past three days, has he seen Madam Pomfrey?" Ron shakes his head.
"I-I'll get him to go this afternoon." McGonagall nods.
"See that you do, I expect him in class on Monday unless Madam Pomfrey tells me otherwise." Ron frowns, about to open his mouth and remind his teacher that it's Thursday when she gives him a rather significant look, then his eyes widen, he smiles, and he nods. She gives a slight lip quirk as well before returning to the class.
"C'mon Mate, it's been three days," Ron tells his best friend.
"Did those three days bring my parents back to life or change the fact that my Uncle and God-Father tried to kill me and did kill my parents by telling Voldemort where we were hiding?" Ron sighs, it's not as though he could tell him he was overreacting, Ron's counting himself lucky Harry hasn't declared his intention to murder the man like Ron surely would have in his place. Though, Ron supposes, I wouldn't remember loving him like Harry does.
"You can't hide out in your bunk forever."
"I can try."
"Look, why don't you go speak to Professor Moony...wait…Lupin…Professor Lupin." Ron shakes his head at himself, Harry looks at him, chuckling. Ron chuckles too, and then they are both laughing rather hysterically.
"I am calling him that in class now," Harry decides, Ron nods.
"Me too."
"I wonder how long it will take to catch on." Ron frowns.
"It'd happen quicker if you were in class tomorrow to do it as well." Harry fiddles with his quilt cover.
"He's still after me."
"I know mate."
"If he could escape all this time, why do it now?" Ron's brow furrows as he thinks about that.
"I don't know mate, but I know who might."
Knock Knock Knock
"Uncle Moony?"
"Harry! How are you?" Remus asks, looking up from the paper he's marking tiredly, Harry frowns.
"Are you all right?" Remus' smile grows rather forced in Harry's opinion as he nods.
"Oh yes, quite all right." Harry's frown deepens as he remembers a conversation from years ago.
"Mr Pettigrew, Mr Potter, where are the others?"
"They send their apologies, Headmaster, but Remus'-erm-condition was flaring up and Sirius didn't want to leave him alone. You know how he has flare ups on occasion."
"Yes, of course James, how thoughtless of me."
"Flare up?" Harry asks, Remus looks at him in surprise, "There was a meeting in our house. Not…not the one I remember the most. One I haven't remembered before, but it was ours. Dumbledore was there, so were Dad and Uncle Peter, so were Mum and I. Dumbledore asked where you a-um, where you were and Dad said your condition had flared up again." Remus nods slowly.
"You really do have an exceptional memory, Harry." Harry shakes his head.
"Not really. I forget things quickly but words or events or objects, smells, sounds, they bring back flashes of memories sometimes. I often forget them again but, not always. Apparently remembering things from early childhood isn't uncommon in kids who face trauma young…some things just aren't forgotten I suppose. Not completely." Remus frowns, looking him over.
"What else do you remember Harry?" Harry looks at him seriously, then he shrugs.
"Bunch of random stuff. Dad and the others giving you your suitcase. Me saying Moony before my other Uncles' names. You liking chocolate a lot. Dad drawing a snitch on my bedroom wall and enchanting it so that it moves over the walls and ceiling." Remus smiles fondly, misty-eyed.
"Lily almost murdered him for that." Harry frowns, "I hear you haven't been feeling well."
"Yes but um, I'm feeling better now," Harry lies, Remus raises an eyebrow at him, Harry just smiles slightly and nods.
"Very well, would you like some tea?"
"I'd like that very much." As Remus begins making tea, Harry reflects on his choice to say nothing about Black. He'd seen how Remus responded to his question on the train. It's clear he cared about the man a great deal. If Harry can barely deal with it while only knowing him as a vague shadow of a memory, how must it be for his Uncle Moony? No, Hermione was right, some things are better left in the past. Black will be caught and everything will be back to normal, and he'll have his Uncle Moony, "Oh, Ron accidentally called you Professor Moony, so that's sticking." Remus laughs as he pours the tea.
"You really are your Father's son."
Later that day Sirius tries to break into the tower.
"Did you end up talking to him about him?" Ron whispers to Harry as they lay in their sleeping bags, Harry sighs, shaking his head.
"No, I decided to just move on. I thought it might upset him, talking about it and knowing I remember him."
"I just don't understand why he's doing this, why he did any of it," Ron tells him, Harry looks up at the enchanted ceiling.
"You are so loved Harry." Harry blinks away the tears the memory of his Mother's voice brings.
"Neither do I," Harry replies, then determination fills him, "But I'm not going to let him kill me, and I'm certainly not going to lay around hidden in this blasted castle."
"Harry, what are you talking about?"
"He killed my parents, he tried to kill me, and he's trying again. Imagine what this must be like for Moony! No, if the Ministry is unable to find him, then I'll do it myself." Ron frowns, "He's coming after me. I hope he finds me. When he does, I'm going to be ready. When he does, I'm going to kill him."
The doors open and Snape walks in with Dumbledore. Ron knows he can't reply now, but he'll have to convince Harry to drop this somehow. Soon as Hermione is awake he's bringing her into this. Murderous cat or no.
Remus Lupin stands by a window, looking out at the Whomping Willow, and feeling his soul continue to slowly shatter as it has been for twelve years. He finally has Harry back, but with Sirius around, how long will that last?
'I have to tell Dumbledore about Padfoot,' Remus tells himself, blinking away the tears, 'I am not betraying him, he betrayed us,' He reminds himself, "I'm all Harry has left to keep him safe," He says aloud.
"Well that's not entirely true." Remus turns and sees Neville standing in the doorway to his office.
"Neville, can I help you with something?" He asks, forcing cheer upon his face.
"No Sir. I just, you seemed familiar somehow, so I owled my Gran about you. She sent me this," He replies, handing over a photo, "She sent two, she didn't think you were likely to have one. Something about a firework mishap?" Remus chuckles slightly as he looks at the photo. Graduation day, he's beside Frank who had pulled Alice out of the correct position to stand beside him. Remus had complained about being a third wheel and dragged his best friend to stand beside him, that best friend being Peter Pettigrew. Sirius and James would go off and do their own thing leaving Peter and Remus alone, they grew to be very close. Until Sirius took everything. Remus nods.
"Thank you Neville." Neville smiles awkwardly and then turns to leave.
"Professor," He says, looking back, Remus looks up, "He really isn't alone, you know. Half the school would come to Harry's side if he needed help. And we'd come to your side too." Remus smiles at the boy, a genuine smile this time, nodding.
"Thank you." Neville nods back and walks out. Remus turns back to the Whomping Willow before looking down at the photo. He spots all his old friends and sighs.
'I'm going to tell Dumbledore.'
Note:
So, checked back through the book and discovered that Sirius' first break-in is actually long before Malfoy's stupid dementor prank so, that's my bad. Somehow managed to forget the order of events in my favourite HP book, oops.
Anyways…for the sake of this we're all just going to pretend it happened the other way around 😊
