CHAPTER SIX: GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER.
REMUS:
I stayed in the room of requirement for a while. I was shocked.
I was now pretty much convinced that Sirius was innocent, and that Peter was alive. I had looked at his auror's file and when I read it I remembered how Sirius was. He would have died before betraying James and Lily. And I could clearly remember a number of time when he had risk his life to save James. He could have killed him or the rest of the little family any time he wanted. I remembered that back then we didn't see much of Peter anymore. He didn't really fight when you looked at it closely and I was pretty sure they suspected me being the spy, maybe sneaky little Peter suggested it. When I was thinking of Peter it was so obvious now, he had always tag along, he wasn't really courageous. And he was a good liar. For goodness sake his animagus form was a rat. It should have been a big warning sign.
Sirius had always been reckless it was so much like him to go after Peter alone, and knowing him there was a possibility he may had have some genius plan about telling everyone he was the keeper to protect Peter. It was how Sirius worked. He was reckless, and always came up with the craziest plan. That was what made him a good auror. With James they had taken down so many death eaters. They were brothers. Maybe not by blood, but by heart and spirit they were. They were like twins.
There were still things to sort out but it was a relief to know that no matter what happen Sirius wasn't a danger to Harry. I didn't know why he had escaped, and I didn't know if he was sane after twelve years in Azkaban. But something big had been lift from my chest. I felt lighter. I longed now for the company of my old friend. I wanted to help him, have answers. But I was afraid. And I felled guilty. So guilty that I didn't believe he was innocent. But like Ana had pointed out, in the last couple of days I had thrown off multiple spells. Memory charms and compellation spells. There were still some memories that were blurred. I was slowly regaining them and I needed time to recover.
I couldn't trust Dumbledore blindly anymore. It seems that the headmaster was playing with our lives for some plan he might have. And from what Ana told me he had done something to me, and I was afraid it has to do with me being a werewolf. When I thought of it now, Moony had been unusually quiet the past couple of day, he had started to wake up since the start of the year, since I had seen Harry. Or maybe it was Ana; he was always close to the surface when she was nearby. I didn't really know. But I was suspicious. I was wondering if it was normal that Moony hadn't talk to me for so long, he was a lot more talkative when I was younger.
What Dumbledore had done to me?
It seems Ana could feel in a way the presence of my inner wolf, maybe it had to do with her patronus. Maybe if she knew… but I wasn't ready to tell my secret to someone I barely knew.
Ana. That girl was damn confusing. But now that she was my assistant, I could keep an eye on her, and maybe I will learn more about her.
It would be interesting.
ANA:
The week passed slowly and was quite uneventful.
I laughed my ass off, internally naturally, when Lupin announced on Monday that I was going to be his new assistant. The Hufflepuff boy shouted me a dark look, so much that I maybe feared for my back for the next couples of weeks. Or maybe not. But the most hilarious thing was the other Ravenclaw girl. She was ready to cry her eyes out because her skills at seducing a teacher didn't work. She then came to me like a little angry cat, wanting to know what I did do to for and I quote" her Remus" to reject her. I would have laughed at her face but I had a reputation to maintain and I couldn't rub it in her face. So I just told her off. Sometimes it was sad that I couldn't be myself.
Lupin and I had come to an unspoken accord that our serious discussion would be kept for later. So I passed two evening in the week in his office, grading boring paper like the good student I was supposed to be. Well not exactly. I made a point to complain as much as I could. But Lupin was patient, polite and had a wicked sense of humor. There was some common ground there, after all I hanged around the twins and I was good at pranks. He knew how to appreciate a good sarcasm, good for him I had a tendency to put out a lot of sarcasm. It's something that comes with having a shitty life. For me and maybe for him as well, it was a way to make fun of something that really wasn't supposed to be. It was a way for me to make my life a little more bearable.
Somehow, all of those little things made up for the long borings hours passed at grading papers. Like I said before, he was an intelligent person, had good references, and interesting conversation when he wanted. He knew a lot on DADA, and was a good source of information I was using shamelessly.
Oh, and I had also discovered his Achill's talon, the man was a chocolate addict. He was worse than a kid looking for his favorite chew toy. If I was honest with myself it was kind of cute for a grown man.
But I wasn't stupid. The man was clearly attempting to bring my guards down. There were hints there and there, for little bit of information. I think he still hadn't understood that I was never going to let it down. I learned it the hard way. Never let your guards down. Never.
REMUS:
She was playing smart ass with me, god she was impossible. Even if she did tell me that she would not hold back with me she was keeping a careful and well-constructed façade. She had let it down a little a few times, essentially to say some sarcasm she seems to love, but apart from that she didn't let slip anything. All I got out from her, I did get it by making observations.
I got to know her a little. I was starting to think that she may hang out with the Weasley twins because I suspected her to have pulled one or two pranks on me but I didn't have any proof apart from a slightly sadistic grin. She was smart. Like brilliant. But it wasn't anything really new. She liked to wear muggles closes when she was alone with me, maybe one of the few things she didn't keep as a façade. And they were frankly out of place at Hogwarts. She wore some sort of baggies that looked like training army trousers, and rangers. She wore sweaters that hung to her form. But she didn't look like a boy at all. Hell, no. I was a teacher, but I was also a human male and it really was sexy as hell. She didn't seem to realize she was attractive, she was wearing it like an everyday things to do. It was obvious she did feel better in those trousers than in her school skirt uniform.
She had a way of moving and behave herself that was strange. If it wasn't for me being a werewolf I wouldn't have notice it. The gracefulness of the cat could be seen in her human form, but she had this edge about her, like she was always ready to attack. It was animal, but it was also something else. She had training in fighting or something, it was in the way she moved. But there was more and I couldn't tell what it was. She was aware of her surrounding as much as I was, and that part was the animal in me. Very curious.
I had tried to hint a few things but I certainly hadn't fouled her. The more reaction I got from her was when I mentioned something about family. She closed up faster than I could blink, if I hadn't a good sight I would not have seen it. In a matter of second the conversation had turned to another subject and she was more closed up than ever before if it was possible.
Disturbing.
But Ana wasn't the only one that preoccupied me. Now that I wasn't constantly checking if there was a murderer around Harry I had observed him more closely.
He had probably been obliviated as well, he didn't seem to remember me anymore and his classmates and friends didn't seem to know either. It angered me, but there was nothing I could do for now. I hoped I could talk to him soon.
I had gotten a hold of his Hogwarts file; I copied it with Albus being none the wiser. His grades were averages and he seemed to struggle to have his grades up. James a Lily were genius, it was strange that their son didn't inherit at least some part of their intelligence. The only area he seemed to excel was DADA. Something that pleased me, but I was sure he could do so much more. Apart from his grade, the only thing he seemed to stand out for was quidditch. I had yet to see him flying but I was impatient. I heard rumors about his flying skills; he certainly did live up to James on that point.
But the most disturbing thing was Harry's infirmary's file. He had been there an abnormal amount of time for quite serious injuries and magical exhaustion. There seems to be some document missing. And he didn't have the normal check out that was done on all students. He didn't appear to have been immunized against common muggle and wizarding diseases. And there wasn't the usual background information on his health. It ringed alarms in my head. I knew there were rumors about my cub's great's adventures that maybe could justified the fact he had end up in the hospital wing, but it was suspicious. There was something hidden there and I was worried about his health. Maybe I should talk to Poppy, she and I were good friend.
I needed to talk to Harry, without Albus knowing. I didn't really know how to do that. Maybe Ana would have some idea, but I didn't really know if I could count on her on that one. She had asked me about Sirius, she didn't appear to be concerned about Harry.
Maybe it was time to finish our little discussion.
I send her a note during class, discreetly, asking to meet her in the same place at the same time than the last time. I was feeling like an old dirty man giving a secret "rendez-vous". It was kind of kinky. It was the kind of thing that Sirius would have done, certainly not old Remus Lupin.
I was impatient and anxious. I had a lot of time to think this week. I had come up with some reasons on Dumbledore's actions; it was mainly because I had remembered a few things that I didn't forget completely. I think they were pushed artificially at the back of my mind. I didn't know Ana enough to tell her everything, but I could tell her enough. It was not like she was going to reveal her deepest secret to me. And I needed to test the ground with her about Harry. With what I remembered I had to be sure of her intentions. I wasn't ready to trust someone again. I could recall a bit of what happen in the headmaster's office, and he was lucky I couldn't do anything about it for now. When the time would come I had a feeling that there will be hell to pay.
When she entered the Room of Requirement, she was wearing her usual muggles closes. I was sitting across from her, hands crossed in my lap; I was certainly calmer than the last time. I didn't think she could drop something bigger than she had the last time. Or maybe she was reserving me something for later. Yeah. Certainly. She probably had a lot more to pull out of her bag. I was pretty sure a file on a mass murderer was nothing for her, she was pretty cool about it, and she was sneaky. I should ask her how she ended up in Ravenclaw; Slytherin would have suited her so well.
There was always something imposing about her. I was an observant man, but I found it amazing that she could have stayed that much invisible. I had mentioned her name once to a few of my colleagues, just by curiosity. I think they didn't have a single idea of who she was. She was the average blond Ravenclaw who sit in the middle rank that no one noticed. I wouldn't have noticed her if it wasn't for the dementor in the train, but then again I think it was not me that noticed her. It was Moony. I had tried to talk to him, but he was stubbornly silent. He just spends all if his free time nagging me about her. She didn't leave my mind. Well, not always. The rest of the time he was nagging me about Harry. And he didn't leave my mind either.
Moony wasn't really talking like before, I could sense maybe his feeling or his though lately. But he had become more present. And I really was ready to strangle him. My mind was split in four. One case for Moony, one for Ana, one for Harry, and thanks god one case for me. Really I had possession of 25% of my mind. Very reassuring. It was a miracle I was functioning at all.
Ana cleared her throat.
"Good afternoon, professor."
"Good afternoon Ana."
She nodded and installed herself on the chair. She wriggled a little, unsatisfied with her position until the chair transformed into comfortable armchair. She installed herself comfortably, her legs put across the arm of the chair.
"Tea?" I asked.
"Coffee." She replied. "and chocolate." She smirked.
I can't help it if I love chocolate. She had already laughed at my expense. She said I looked like a kid. I didn't really know how to take that one.
"Right." I muttered.
It was becoming a routine between us.
"So," she started, "Any idea on why Dumbles altered your memory and sent Sirius Black straight to hell?"
"Yes, I do have some idea." I replied. "But I am quite interested with what you come up with."
"Hum…" she observed the ceiling for a few minutes. "He doesn't want you or Sirius Black near Harry Potter, I just don't understand why. You are closer to the subject at hand you must have more answers than I do."
"I think he wants to control Harry, before you ask, yes I think I know why, and no I can't tell you everything. Just know that it has to do with Harry being the-bloody-boy-who-lived. I don't know what he wants to do with Harry. But knowing Albus like I do, it is going to be for his grand scheme for the greater good."
"The greater good?" she asked. "Does he think he is better than anyone that he can control everyone and everything? Does he think that he knows better than anyone?"
"The more I see, the more I think he really does think that."
"How old is he?"
"I don't know."
"I think we have a case of senile dementia." She said sarcastically.
I snorted.
"You know, the worse is that it is highly probable." I replied.
"Probably." She said. "So, what about you and Sirius?"
"I think Sirius ended up in Azkaban because he is a wild cart that can't be control. He doesn't trust anyone lightly, and I think he never trusted Dumbledore, he didn't want him to be the secret keeper and neither did James. He would have raised Harry to be his own person; he would have been too strong to Dumbledore to take control. As for me, the only reason I didn't end up in Azkaban for a reason or another is because I trusted Albus, and because I owe him so much I couldn't imagine him doing something wrong. That is why I believed him."
"You know, professor, I think your mind is so fucked up right now that the possibility that he placed some fidelity compelling spell is pretty high."
"Language Miss Parker."
"Sorry." She said not really concerned.
"You're not sorry." I replied.
"Yep, not at all." She smiled. I sigh.
I was looking for a way to approach the Harry subject with her. I didn't know what to say. Ana was often blunt; maybe she wouldn't be offended if I asked directly?
"What do you think of Harry?" I asked.
"Wow, that was incredibly blunt for you Lupin." She said with some mirth in her voice. "Am I already influencing you?"
The little devil. That was Lulu talking there. Yes I had started differencing Ana the silent school girl, and Lulu the real Ana. Makes it simpler. After all LuLu showed so much more of her true self.
"Language Ana, it is Mr Lupin or Professor." I berated her, knowing it would be useless.
"Er…" she said. "It seems I still have some work to do here."
"It will be useless; Miss Parker, Sirius and James tried for years. So, Harry?"
"Too bad. But I still have hope for you, professor." She said sweetly. "As for Harry," she said more seriously, "There is something seriously wrong with the kid."
Guh. That was LuLu for you. I grimaced.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"He ran away from his home this summer. I have seen him in Diagon Alley. He was too thin, was wearing some hand me downs that were ten times too big for him. I don't know where the old coot sends him to live, but I am pretty sure it is not where a kid should be."
"He ran away?" I asked dumbstruck.
"Yep" she replied. There was something in her eyes I had never seen before. I couldn't identify it.
"I don't know where he lives; all I had succeeded to learn from Dumbledore is that he was in a safe and loving environment to grow up." I didn't talk about the ward and the darks creature. I certainly wasn't going to tell her about my little fury problem.
"No offence, professor, but you are a stubborn man. You wouldn't have abandoned your son's best friend that easily. I barely know you, and I can already tell you care about the kid more than anything else."
"Yeah, I did try to contact him, I can remember now that I spend quite a lot of time harassing Albus about it. Anyway, I have Harry's infirmary's file. You might want to see it."
She did take a look at it and scowled darkly.
"Dumbledore had put his nose in there, it is written old coot all over it. Even I have the annual checkup with Pomfrey, and she is a good mediwitch. He had been regularly in her care she must have do it. The files had been taken out. And she probably doesn't remember the diagnostic."
I grunted. This was what I had thought. I wanted to sneak in the hospital wing, or talk to Pomfrey, but it would probably be useless.
She kept going.
"No vaccination whatsoever, no background information on his health, multiple magical exhaustions. Someone doesn't want some stuff to get out. Let's think… ok… one we don't know where and with who he lives, two we don't have any information on his past health, and he never had vaccination, his health has obviously been neglect. Three the boy is to thin, four he wears hands me down, ah yes five he had ran away from home, and six… it's not really objective, but there's something about him he is always aware of his surrounding like he is waiting for something…"
The last part reminded me of her. There was the same way about her. And for a time back then there had been the same way about Sirius. She had close up about family faster than I could blink. But she hadn't signs like Harry or like Sirius. It was strange.
Sirius. He had run away from home at sixteen, he had come up to the Potter's manor, beaten, bleeding, and thin. He was in a pretty bad shape. Harry was thirteen. What does it take to a thirteen years old boy to run away? Frankly I was worried. I had been for some week since I had met him. Well, no, I was lying; I had been worried for the last twelve years, since this night in 1981.
"It's obvious, professor, the kid is not properly taken care of, he doesn't have the minimal health background, he is too thin, we don't have enough to say if he had been abused, but I am not eliminating it for now. And he ran away. It takes a lot to run away. Lots of courage." She murmured the last part.
She was thoughtful. I was starting to get really curious about her background and her family. Her own file didn't state anything out of the ordinary, but she was a pro at not standing out.
"I need to talk to Harry without another Albus intervention. I am getting tired of it. I have every right to get to know my son's best friend."
"Chill Lupin, before you blow up another room. I agree you have to talk to him. You have to find out about his living condition. If it's bad, we'll need to get him out of there. Sirius is still his legal and magical guardian because he never got a trial, in fact there never was any charges pressed against him. Dumbledore can plot all he wants with the ministry; under goblin's law Sirius is still Harry's guardian. But we have to prove Sirius innocence."
"We need Peter." I said. That fucking traitor. I was glad Ana couldn't hear my thought. Her head was already big enough. I was not going to satisfy her with swearing. It would make her too happy.
"How do we find the bloody rat?" asked Ana.
"That's the problem Ana; he is bloody rat in every sense of the term."
She gave me a puzzle expression.
"Mind and form." I added.
"You mean to tell me that he is a rat animagus?" she asked with incredulity.
"Yes." I whispered.
"Bloody morons. All of you. No one told you to never trust a bloody rat?"
I glared at her. She had no right to talk like that. She wasn't there. She didn't know how it was during the war. She was a little baby in diapers while we were fighting for our lives. She didn't know how hard it was to trust someone back then. She couldn't judge us. Me.
She hangs her head, ashamed of herself.
"Sorry." She mumbled. "It was out of place."
I sigh.
"It's alright Ana."
"Anyway, I don't know how to find him, he could be anywhere, and I don't know how I can talk to Harry with Albus breathing down my neck like he does."
"Maybe with little luck he'll come to talk to you. He probably has questions about dementors."
"I am surprised he didn't come to see me about why I didn't let him affront his boghart. It is a dementor by the way." I said smirking a little. I could annoy her too if I wanted to.
"Why do I feel there is a double meaning here? I already told you, that there are things that are better left alone."
I rolled my eyes.
"I know." I said. "But I am still curious about it, maybe there's still some chance I'll discover it."
"Maybe in another life, professor." She muttered darkly.
"Ok, Ana, I think you can go enjoyed the rest of your afternoon, I'll see in class on Monday. We will plan the rest later, once I talked to Harry."
"See you, professor."
She left the room without a backward glance as usual.
ANA:
Thursday came, and with it the DADA class. Lupin was cheerful as always, still annoying, he didn't left me alone, but I was starting to get used to it.
"Alright, today we are going to do a practical lesson, I am pretty sure you will all enjoyed. Today we are going to test your capacities in a duel."
There were some cheers in the class, I groaned inwardly. It was no fun. I could beat all their asses in the blink of an eye, and I was pretty sure Lupin would want to see what I really could do. God there really was time I hated him. Lupin took a glance at me; there was some mirth in his eyes. I was pretty sure his inner old prankster was dancing with joy. I scowled at him. He got the balls to wink at me. Bugger.
"Come on, everyone pair up!"
I looked around, wondering who would want to pair up with me. The ravenclaw girl who I still didn't remember the name was glaring at me. That one wanted to prove herself in the eyes of her beloved professor. God, I hate lunatic girl like her. They are so annoying and predictable. I rolled my eyes at her and let her pair up with me. I could deal with her easily it would not be a problem. Maybe it would even be funny.
I let her start the duel, I wasn't really enthusiastic about it, but she clearly was determined to prove herself. She send me a disarmament spell, I stepped aside and watch as it goes directly in the butt of a Slytherin who cried in indignation. I smirked, at least it was entertaining. She tried a stupefy, I blocked it quickly with a low level shield, and watch quite bored as she send a petrificus totalus. This one ended up on a Gryffindor. She tried various spell who fails one after another. She was getting frustrated.
Lupin passed behind me.
"Stop teasing her Ana, and start dueling." He muttered so only I could hear.
I sigh. And send a little changing color spell to her hair. She didn't notice. I kept going with her skin who takes a delicate blue color to match her robe. I stared at her a few second. I changed her hair color again, to a blond color, conjured a white hat, and transfigured her closes into a white dress. She shrieked. It alerted Lupin who stared at her a few second, trying to control his laugher. He sends me a reproachful glance.
"Miss Aubrey makes a wonderful shtroumpfette Ana, but I would like you to duel a little more seriously."
I scowled. The girl couldn't even block a few color changing spell, if it had been a killing curse she would be dead. I decided to end up this before Lupin gets too annoying and conjured some water on the floor that I congealed. She slipped and ended up on her ass, losing her wand in the process, I summoned it. Three seconds. That's all it takes me to incapacitate her, and it was the slow and really nice way.
The professor sighed a little, it was evident that I didn't took it seriously. Miss Aubrey was fuming on the floor, ready to cry. I didn't like the girl but I wasn't cruel. I change her back to her normal state and handed her wand to her. She didn't thank me, I didn't take any offense, I wouldn't have thank me either, it wasn't very nice. But maybe she would leave me alone.
Lupin paired me up with the best Gryffindor student in the class. I let the guy showed up during a few minutes. He wasn't bad, but he wasn't quick enough and he had a tendency to overpower his spell he was tiring quickly. I dueled him for a few minutes so he could train, there was a purpose to this exercise after all I wasn't stupid, and ended the duel by a quick disarmament spell. He was no match to me.
The guy started saying that he had let me win because I was a girl and that the next time I wouldn't be so lucky. I raised an eyebrow at that but didn't comment. Let's them believe I was defenseless it always was more peaceful that way. Lupin glared a little at his student but didn't make a comment either, ha had the decency to respect my wishes and did not attract more attention on me.
If I was honest with myself, and if I didn't mind Lupin discovering I was pretty dangerous when I wanted, I would have asked him for a duel, just to see if I could beat him. The class ended and as usual Lupin asked me to stay behind.
"I am curious," he said, "about your real level in dueling; it clearly was a piece of cake to you."
I shrugged and smiled sweetly at him.
"It is with great regret, professor that I have to tell you that it is unfortunately none of your business."
He rolled his eyes grumbled something under his breath about annoying girl and said:
"Fine. Get out of my sight before I get to tempted to provoke you in duel to satisfy my curiosity."
"Alright. See you professor."