Not mine.
Chapter 24- Of Prejudices and School Grudges
"So you're telling me that there were three unregistered Animagi at Hogwarts keeping you company every month?" Dumbledore sounded almost impressed.
"Yes. James could turn into a stag, Peter into a rat, and Black could turn into a dog that looks like a Grim. When we told you Harry saw him at Privet Drive, he was in his Animagus form. Harry recognized him because I'd told him what form he took."
"I see. And you're sure it wasn't an ordinary dog?"
Remus shook his head.
"Harry described the size of it. No normal dog is that large, not even the biggest breeds. And I know Harry isn't the type to exaggerate things or let fear influence him. Harry recognized the eyes too. They were the same ones he saw in the photo of Black on the news."
Dumbledore was silent for a moment.
"We can place an anti-Animagus barrier around the grounds. It won't keep him out in human form, but if he tries entering the school as a dog he should be easily recognized. Is there anything else?"
Remus thought a moment. Filch had confiscated the Marauders' Map years ago and as far as he knew it had been in the caretaker's office ever since. He'd checked the tunnels his first night as a professor and found one caved in. The others were all known to Filch or Pomfrey.
"Nothing that I know of that would help Black."
"All right then. Thank you for telling me this information Remus. It may save a life."
"I hope so, sir." For the briefest second Remus felt guilty at telling Marauder secrets, but he sadly thought to himself that the Marauders no longer existed. How could they when only one faithful Marauder was left alive?
Harry wasn't sure which was more annoying, the teachers taking every opportunity to walk with him to his classes or the constantly changing passwords. Sir Cadogan, the only one willing to take the Fat Lady's place until she was prepared, changed the passwords at least twice a day. Worst of all, the weather was continuing to get worse and Oliver Wood was on the borderline of obsessive about winning the Quidditch Cup that year since it was his last at Hogwarts. That meant practice in the rain every free hour the team could get together. Oliver's enthusiasm was so high the rest of the team felt it though, so they didn't mind the weather too much. Especially since the first match of the year was supposed to be against their biggest rivals, the Slytherins.
Then at their last training session before the match, Oliver came into the locker rooms in the worst mood Harry had seen him.
"All this time we've been training to go against Slytherin, and do you know what that git Malfoy does? He claims he injured himself in practice and can't play."
"He must be faking it," Harry said frustrated. "Madame Pomfrey can fix broken bones in no time at all, and if he's able to talk it can't be worse than a broken arm or something."
"I know," Oliver said. "They just don't want to play in this weather. So now we have to play against Hufflepuff, and they have a completely different- What's so bloody funny?" The three girls on the team were giggling.
"Hufflepuff has that good looking seeker don't they? Cedric Diggory?"
Oliver went red at that and he went even redder when the twins started talking about how the match was already won since Harry had caught the snitch in no time the last time they'd faced each other.
"We can't just relax! Diggory is an excellent seeker and he's put the best team together Hufflepuff's had in a long time. And last time we didn't play them in weather like this. We must keep our focus! This is my last year to see my name on that cup!"
"All right, Oliver. All right. Don't hyperventilate yourself into heart failure," Fred said.
"Yeah, we'll give them all we've got," George agreed.
It was only after practice had made him late that Harry remembered this was the day after the full moon. Even with the potion his dad would need today to rest and that had meant getting a substitute, and Harry remembered with horror who the substitute was. Snape wasn't likely to let him come to class late without at least taking points off, although he knew Malfoy could be late for class anytime he wanted without trouble.
"Sorry I'm late," Harry panted as he rushed into the classroom. Snape didn't look at him, but said
"Since you're ten minuets late that will be ten points from Gryffindor. Take your seat."
"Harry, where's your dad?" Hermione asked.
"He's- not feeling well today," Harry answered, but he was more concerned about Snape taking off ten points. It seemed harsh, but Harry knew Snape was letting him off way too easily. It was bound to get worse.
"It appears that Professor Lupin has been entirely too easy on this class. You've been covering dark creatures I'd expect a first year to be able to cope with. So today we'll be covering something a bit more challenging. Turn to page 394. We'll be discussing-"
Oh no! Harry hadn't memorized his books the way Hermione had, but he had a guess what was on that page. Snape was looking directly at Harry with a very twisted smile.
"Werewolves."
"But- but we're not supposed to study werewolves yet," Harry said quickly, hoping to get the rest of the class to agree.
"Do you have some special reason for not wanting to learn about werewolves?" Snape asked.
"It's- it's just that we weren't due to start learning about them yet," he said, and Ron took the hint.
"We were just about to start hinkypunks."
"I will be teaching this class today Weasley, not you or Lupin. Page 394."
The rest of the class obeyed, and Harry and Ron slowly turned to that page.
"Who can tell me the difference between a true wolf and a werewolf?" Snape continued. Hermione's hand shot into the air. Nobody else seemed to know anything about werewolves though. Harry hoped it could stay that way.
"No one?" Snape ignored Hermione.
"Please sir," she spoke up. "A werewolf has a shorter snout and-"
"Five more points from Gryffindor, Granger. Maybe then you'll be able to refrain yourself from being an insufferable know it all."
"You can't-" Ron started to say.
"I'm a professor here Weasley, so you'll find I can take points as well as give detention, and you've just earned yourself one cleaning the bedpans in the Hospital wing without magic." Snape glared at the rest of the class. "Any of you dunderheads have anything else to say?"
Nobody did.
Finally class was over, but Snape had one last blow to give.
"You will each write two rolls of parchment about werewolves for me by Monday with particular emphasis on recognizing them."
Harry had to stop the class from doing that essay. Except for himself and Ron all of them had grown up with prejudices against werewolves, and if any of them realized his dad was a werewolf-.
"But you're only a substitute! You can't give out homework unless the regular teacher assigned it beforehand. We don't have to do the essay! Da- Professor Lupin teaches this class." The rest of the class murmured their agreement.
"Fifteen points from Gryffindor. That makes thirty points your house has lost today. Care to try for fifty?"
The rest of the class was leaving the room as quickly as they could. When the room was empty except for himself and the potion master and Harry was sure nobody else could here he shouted
"Why did you do that? My dad's been trying so hard to be civil with you and then you try to lose him his job."
"It's not as if I told them directly, and if your father doesn't care for the way I taught this lesson perhaps he should have been more careful when he taught about boggarts."
So Snape was still bitter about that.
"He was just trying to help Nevlle. You bully Neville so much someone has to give him his confidence back."
Snape stood up and for a moment looked ready to grab Harry by his neck, barely restraining himself from doing so.
"You can join Weasley when he serves his detention."
How unfair and cruel could one person get?
"And then he gave the class a two roll essay on how to recognize werewolves. What if someone realizes you're always sick at the full moon?" Harry shouted out.
Remus tried to remain calm, but Harry could see in his face he was worried too.
"You said you told the class they didn't have to do the essay?"
Harry nodded. "And I don't think they will. Nobody seemed eager to do it even before I pointed out Snape was only substituting."
"Maybe that will be all right then. Pass the word to all of them that I said they won't have to do it to be sure they won't, although even if any of them have already done it there's still a good chance they won't figure out our secret."
They were both quiet a minute and then Harry said "Why does Snape have to hate you so much? Why does anyone have to hate werewolves? You've always made sure you could never hurt anyone, and you're only transformed for a few hours one night a month. Why can't they just accept that you're the same as anyone else most of the time?"
Harry had never cried for himself even after all he'd been through, but now he was close to crying for his dad, close to screaming in fury at the injustice of how people treated each other. Here his dad finally had his dream job and it could be taken away because of the hate of one person.
"Harry," Remus said sadly. "It must be hard for you to understand, but prejudice isn't something easy to overcome. People are raised with it and those beliefs become part of the way they think, sometimes without even knowing it. Most times they never even question if those beliefs are wrong or not. Not many people can honestly look at themselves, see what has to be changed, and then change it."
"They should try," Harry said. "Look at all the hurt it causes. The way muggleborns are treated, Hagrid being expelled for a crime he didn't commit. People were afraid of me most of last year just because I'm a parselmouth. And the way Fudge made things so hard on you-"
"I know, Cub," Remus answered gently. "I know prejudice is an ugly thing. It sounds horrible, but there will always be people who are against others because of what they can't help. We can't change them if they aren't willing to see others for who they really are. All we can do is treat them like we wish they would treat us and hope they eventually learn."
"What happens when that doesn't work? You've been decent to Snape ever since you got the job."
Remus paused.
"I can't say I helped anything with the boggart lesson," a mischievous grin, an expression that was one of the few reminders Harry got that his dad had been a Marauder, was on his face a moment before fading. "I shouldn't have done that." There was another pause, a more painful one. "And I know you don't think of me the way other people do," He seemed to half choke on his next words. He couldn't have even begun to describe how much he hated having to remind one of the few people who weren't afraid of him that he was dangerous once a month. Especially his son. Yet it was the only way to explain things. "But you have to remember I nearly killed Severus when we were in school."
"But that wasn't you're fault! You were in the Shrieking Shack like you were supposed to be. You didn't know Black told Snape to go after you."
"That doesn't change what I almost did though. I would have been just sick over it the rest of my life," an odd shiver went through him. "Which wouldn't have been long if I'd have bitten or killed him. I'd never wish what happened to me on anyone else. But regret can't undo a curse or bring someone back from the dead. And Severus can't forget what nearly happened. I'll have a word with him though and see if I can persuade him to let you and Ron out of detention."
He looked tired yet, and Harry had a flash of guilt remembering the reason Snape had been teaching Defense that day in the first place, but Remus said "After I talk with him I'll be sure to get a good rest. I wouldn't want to miss your first Quidditch game of the year."
Harry looked at him in surprise. "But won't you be tired yet?"
"A little perhaps, but it will be worth it."
Snape let Lupin wait a long time before answering his knock, and when he did finally answer he said "I do not recall inviting you here, Lupin."
"You didn't," Remus answered evenly. "But I still need to speak to you. Don't you think you're taking a school boy grudge too far?"
Snape gave him a cold stare and said "Are you saying you aren't doing the same?"
"I admit the boggart may have been uncalled for, but I don't see that as a reason for you to give a class on werewolves or to give my son and his friend a detention for trying to keep my secret safe."
Snape shrugged. "Your son had better get used to the idea of what it means to have a werewolf for a father. The world doesn't see your kind any differently than I do. If he hasn't learned by now he's overdue for that lesson."
If he expected the remark to affect Remus, it didn't. Or at least he didn't show it.
"You know Severus, we both have something in our lives we'd rather not have talked about."
Snape's expression hardened. "I don't know what you mean." But he pulled his left sleeve down further. Even though everyone knew he'd once been a Death Eater, everyone also knew it was something nobody mentioned.
"I may enjoy a good laugh, but I never intend to hurt others. Have I given a lesson on Death Eaters?" Remus used that tone of voice that could make a person feel about an inch tall. He knew it wouldn't have that effect on Snape, but he wanted to make his point. "And when did I ever take out my dislike of others on people who just happen to be connected to them? I'm not asking you to put the past entirely behind you. I can't blame you after everything that happened during our school years. But I do ask that you don't punish Harry and his friends when you're angry at me. I would appreciate it if you would forget about their detention."
"Anything else before you get out of my office?" Snape said in an icy tone.
"No, just that you think about what I said."
"Perhaps I'll think about it if you stop talking to me as if I were a student in your classroom!"
Remus got in the last word. "I don't think we're ever too old to learn something new Severus."