A/N: It's my birthday today and so I really wanted to finish this next chapter in celebration. I hope there are not too many typos. If there are, I'm sorry - I blame recovering from a concussion. Anyway, if you want to give me a little birthday present, leave a review. :)

59. Old Friends and Foes

"I don't know where he is, Dumbledore."

It was more of a growl than a greeting. And if that hadn't been dismissive enough, the half-hearted attempt to shut the door in his face would have made matters perfectly clear.

With a quick flick of his wand Albus got an invisible foot in the door before it could close. It wasn't the most polite thing to do, but it had taken him quite some time to track down this tumbledown cottage in Yorkshire and its occupant. He was determined to have a conversation at least. By the looks of it, he should have done that a lot sooner.

"I didn't think you did and that's not what I came here to talk about," he said clearly. "Can I come in?"

Remus Lupin eyed him warily. "Someone from the Ministry already came by to check that I'm not hiding Sirius Black in this house."

That confirmed Albus' suspicion that Remus was merely tired of being pestered for information about Black. He would have to do better than Fudge's people. "I can promise you that I'm not here on behalf of the Ministry. But I'm not used to having conversations in the doorway. Also, I'm a ridiculously old man and would like to sit down for a bit."

Lupin gave a husky laugh that did wonders for his appearance. He stood six feet tall, his height of course corresponding to the full length of a wolf's body, but his pale face had more premature lines and his light brown hair more patches of grey in it than should have been the case, considering his young age. The laughter hadn't changed, however, and it allowed Albus to catch a glimpse of the kind-hearted man he remembered.

It faded quickly and it was only with great reluctance that Remus stepped aside. "It's not much, but go ahead and take a seat then." He offered him the single chair in the room that looked as derelict as the rest of the cottage.

It became painfully clear to Albus that Remus hadn't tried to be curt with him. He just hadn't wanted Albus to see that he lived in poverty like this.

"Can I get you anything? I only have tea, though, well, tea bags actually, and just the one type. Camomile. I find it soothing," Remus explained, sounding a little awkward. He probably wasn't used to having guests.

"I love camomile," Albus said brightly. He didn't want to make Remus feel worse by voicing his actual thoughts. Remus wasn't the one who should be embarrassed about the way he was forced to live. It was this community's attitude towards lycanthropy that was truly shameful.

Remus pointed his wand at the teakettle on the stove until it whistled. Then he poured the hot water into two cups, put in the tea bags and handed one to Albus before he sat on the edge of his old bed while Albus took the proffered chair.

"So how are things at Hogwarts? I heard something about Dementors being posted around the school?" Remus asked.

"Yes, unfortunately there'll be a few changes this year once again," Albus nodded. "But Hogwarts will endure. We always have."

"I suppose it's better to be safe than sorry if it's Harry's life we're talking about," Remus mused. "At least that's what those charming people from the Ministry said when they couldn't figure out how else to threaten me."

Albus watched him curiously. "Do you not believe that Harry's life is in danger?"

"I honestly don't know. I wouldn't want to think so. Then again, I never thought that James and Lily were… that he would…" Unable to finish that sentence, he took a large sip of his tea that was still scorching hot. He didn't seem to notice. "How is he doing? Harry, I mean," he asked after a moment of quiet.

"Oh, he is very much the son of his parents. Truly remarkable," Albus told him.

Remus smiled sadly. "I figured."

Albus leaned forward in his chair. "Perhaps you would like to come to Hogwarts and meet him in person."

"Oh no. I was happy to send Hagrid those pictures when he asked for something of Lily and James' to give to Harry. But other than that I don't think Harry has much use for an old… friend of the family."

"I think we can all use good friends in our lives," Albus replied gently. "But there's something Harry needs more urgently and that's a new teacher for Defence Against the Dark Arts. We seem to keep running out of them pretty quickly."

Remus looked baffled. "I'm sorry to hear that. But why are you telling me this?"

"Well, I thought I should at least mention it since I'm here to offer you the job," Albus said cheerfully.

There was no reaction other than a blank stare. "Is this a joke?"

"I don't see why it would be."

"Why?" Remus put down his cup with such force that the tea spilled over the rims. "Because I haven't heard from anyone in the Order for twelve years and now you just show up on my doorstep, invite yourself in and tell me you want me to come back to teach for you?"

Albus held up a hand in a gesture of apology that was of course sorely lacking. "I'm sorry I couldn't offer you the position sooner. It's somewhat more complicated than it sounds."

"Complicated?" Remus pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes for a second. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'll be forever grateful that you let me come to Hogwarts when no one else in their right mind would have allowed a werewolf to attend a school full of innocent children. I was too young to understand the risk back then. But I know better now. I won't ever endanger other students' lives like that again."

"That is very considerate of you. But I'm sure I don't have to tell you that there is this wonderful invention called the Wolfsbane Potion now."

The expression on Remus' face darkened further. "Oh, I know about that. I know that it's incredibly difficult to produce and requires a lot of exceedingly expensive ingredients. I can neither afford it nor do I have the skills to make it."

"Luckily, Hogwarts has one of the most accomplished Potions masters in all of Britain and the necessary funds to procure the potion for you. Although we could certainly deduct the cost for the ingredients from your salary if that made you feel any better." Albus winked at Remus, having no intentions of paying him anything less than what he deserved and what he should have been able to earn ever since the Order of the Phoenix had disbanded.

Remus still didn't look any happier. "Have you talked to Snape about this? He's the Potions master you're talking about, isn't he? Because I can tell you right now that he will flatly refuse to do this for me – and I can't really blame him either."

"As I'm headmaster of Hogwarts castle and you would both be working for me, that is my decision to make, not anyone else's."

Remus stared at him in disbelief for a little while longer before he finally gave up. "Why are you doing all of this for me?"

Albus smiled at him ruefully. "My motives aren't nearly as altruistic as you make it sound. I'm doing this first and foremost for Hogwarts. If I don't find a good teacher for us this year, I might just have to suspend myself all over again." He sighed. "And in all fairness, I do need to warn you, Remus. There's a bit of a curse – for lack of a better word – on this particular post."

All of a sudden Lupin tossed back his head and let out a bark of laughter. "A curse, Dumbledore? Look around you. Do you really think that's something you could scare me with? That there is any kind of curse worse than the one that has ruled every day of my life?"

Now it was Albus' turn not to find this very amusing. "I see your point," he said gravely. "But there's a chance that more people could learn about the true nature of your… life and thus make it even more difficult for you."

"Are you trying to talk me into this or out of it?" Remus asked, still smiling lopsidedly.

Albus met his gaze openly and said, "I do hope you'll accept my offer and join the Hogwarts staff. But I also care about you, Remus, despite all evidence to the contrary, and I cannot promise you that this will work out well for you."

After he had overcome his initial surprise, Remus shrugged. "Well, the fact of the matter is, I owe you…"

"That is where you're wrong," Albus interjected. "You clearly don't owe me anything."

"I really do," Remus insisted stubbornly. "And I always will. But even if I didn't, I have nothing to lose here. If you need me, if I can be of any use to you, I'll do it. I have no idea if I'll be a good teacher, but I'd love to give it a try."

Allowing himself to hope for the best, Albus smiled. "Excellent."

There was a pause during which the shadows in the room seemed to stretch as long as the silence. "But if you're hoping that I can tell you anything about what Sirius…" Remus broke off and quickly corrected himself, "what Black is doing or what he's thinking, I'm sorry. I still don't know. If I ever really knew him, I don't anymore." He said it matter-of-factly, coolly, but it wasn't enough to cover up the pain underneath. It was a wound too deep to heal, even after all this time.

"I think none of us are quite the same as we were before the war," Albus hedged. He trusted Remus' assurances that he didn't have any information about Black's current whereabouts. But when it came to the question of whether or not he knew Sirius Black, was in fact the only living person who still did, they would have to agree to disagree.

Remus noticed the veiled nature of his answer, but he accepted it without comment. "You don't look all that different to me," was all he said.

"That's a very kind lie. Of course what's on the outside matters little compared to what's on the inside. And I have been rather fortunate in some ways," Albus said softly and set down his teacup. "But what's of actual importance now is to make sure that Harry stays safe. And I would feel much better about that with you as his teacher. As a matter of fact, would you mind coming to Hogwarts by train?"

"You want me to take the Hogwarts Express? Why?" Remus looked surprised and not entirely pleased. Perhaps he had hoped to leave this house as soon as possible rather than to wait until the start of September.

Albus sympathised and explained, "The Minister for Magic and I haven't seen eye to eye on the issue of Sirius Black. Cornelius insisted that dealing with Black's recapture and protecting Harry in the process should be left to the Ministry. But once Harry boards the Hogwarts Express, that will no longer be the case. In fact, it's likely he'll need protecting from the Ministry's chosen means of protection."

"The Dementors," Remus said shrewdly.

"Yes."

"All right, I guess it could be, uh, charming to board the Hogwarts Express again. 11 o'clock from Platform 9¾ was it?" he asked, not really serious, though. "That hasn't changed?"

"No, there are some things at Hogwarts that are still exactly as you remember them. The food, for example." Albus didn't want to imply that Remus looked as though he could use three healthy meals every day, but he sort of did.

And he didn't disagree either. "Something to look forward to then. Is there anything else I should know or prepare for before the start of term?"

"I don't think so. Although Minerva might have already chosen the set books for your classes for you. She had to send out the booklists and I was a little late in getting to you. I'll ask her to send you a few copies with your contract."

"I'm sure whatever she picked will be just right," Remus replied.

Albus rose from his chair. "A wise answer. I think Hogwarts will be very happy to have you back indeed."

"Hogwarts is the only place where I remember ever being happy," Remus said thoughtfully, "so the feeling is mutual."

"I'll see you on the first of September then." Albus' smile was bittersweet when he left.

Minerva had fallen asleep while reading when Albus found her after he had returned to the castle. He woke her with a soft kiss so she wouldn't have to complain about a stiff neck tomorrow. She sat up in her armchair and was instantly wide awake.

"How did it go? Did you find us a new teacher?"

"I did." He tried not to sound too pleased with himself.

Minerva pursed her lips. "Then will you finally let me know who it is?"

"I wasn't trying to be secretive. I just wanted to give him the chance to say no. But he has agreed and so Remus Lupin will be our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher." Albus braced for her objections. After all, Minerva had been sceptical, if not critical of all of his recent appointments.

This time she was quiet at first and then she leaned back in her chair with a broad grin on her face. "Brilliant."

"That sounds as though you approve," Albus noted hopefully.

"Approve?" She laughed freely, as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "This is like a birthday and a Christmas present all wrapped into one."

"You don't particularly enjoy presents, though," Albus pointed out for whatever reason.

"Don't ruin it, Albus," she chided him.

He chortled and perched on the armrest of her chair. "Then you're not worried because Remus was friends with Sirius Black?"

"Being friends with someone doesn't make you complicit in their crimes. I've taught many students in my life and I think I've become a pretty good judge of character." She gave a little self-deprecating snort. "Obviously, I was wrong about Black. But I'm not wrong when I say that Remus Lupin, the Remus Lupin I used to know anyway, is a good man. And the kind of teacher Hogwarts deserves."

Albus smiled happily down at her. "Then we are, once again, in perfect agreement."

"Of course we are. And if the governors give you a hard time because they still haven't understood that him being a werewolf doesn't make a difference whatsoever, let me talk to them," she said, her zeal getting the better of her just a little. "I've been meaning to give them a piece of my mind ever since they caved to Lucius' threats like a bunch of cowards and suspended you last term."

"Let's hold off on that for now, but I appreciate the sentiment – on both Remus' and my behalf." He kissed the top of her head. "Just as I appreciate everything else about you."

"Don't get soppy now, Albus. I have one more piece of Hogwarts business to discuss with you." Minerva got up to get a piece of parchment. It looked like a letter she had written to someone.

"I'm pretty sure I'm capable of both, being soppy and taking care of Hogwarts business," he told her cheerfully.

"That was just my way of telling you that this is really important to me," she warned him.

Albus settled back in the chair she had vacated. "Then I'm listening. What's important to you is important to me because I love and care for you deeply. See, both at the same time."

Minerva rolled her eyes at him. "You're impossible. Which is right on cue. Miss Granger wishes to take all of her core classes next year as well as all of the electives Hogwarts currently offers. That, too, is impossible unless I get permission from the Ministry and from you to give her a Time-Turner."

"Ah," said Albus, a little surprised, but also not at all.

Minerva seemed to interpret that as a request to explain further. "You stopped me from taking too many subjects when I wanted to do the same thing. I'm not saying that was wrong. You let me figure out for myself that there was no point at all in me studying Divination and you always championed me or whatever cause I had chosen – even at a time when witches weren't necessarily given the same opportunities as wizards." She paused with a bright gleam in her eye. "I want to do the same for Miss Granger. I want her to know that she can achieve whatever she sets her mind to because she has one of the most brilliant minds I have ever taught. I want to do this for her as a teacher and as a woman."

Albus stood. "Then I wouldn't dream of standing in your way. I'd offer you help convincing the Ministry, but that feels like an unintentionally patriarchal answer to your passionately feminist argument."

"Miss Granger is a model student. Well, unless she gets involved in the trouble that seems to follow Potter everywhere. But that only proves that she's got backbone, too. So I can certainly handle the Ministry."

"Oh, I have no doubt," Albus said, thinking that Miss Granger wasn't the only one with backbone.

"Why the undue haste in this case, Barty?"

"Undue haste? Our world is in complete chaos, Albus! With You-Know-Who gone, we have Merlin knows how many Death Eaters trying to sneak back into our ranks without punishment and no way of knowing who's telling the truth and who isn't. But Black made matters perfectly clear."

"I'm surprised at you, Barty. I thought you of all people would believe in the right of the accused to have a trial – no matter how clear matters might appear."

"Oh, don't worry, Albus. There will be trials, a whole bunch of them – in cases where we don't have a whole street of Muggle witnesses and a vital piece of evidence you can attest to. Or are you changing your testimony that the Potters chose Sirius Black to be their Secret Keeper?"

"I am not."

"And are you refuting the fact that the Fidelius Charm was performed and that only the Secret Keeper could have betrayed the Potters by telling You-Know-Who where to find them?"

"No."

"Well then, one and one equals two or, in this case, thirteen counts of murder and a life sentence in Azkaban. Now I'm done talking about Black and I don't have much time. So if you want to talk to me about Severus Snape again, you better do it now…"

"Excellent idea, because he also wants to talk to you."

Albus looked from the twelve years younger versions of Barty Crouch Sr. and himself, who were still talking in front of him, to the very current version of Severus Snape, who was suddenly standing next to him, and after a brief moment of disorientation, he shook his head and left the Pensieve.

Once he found himself back in his office with Severus still right by his side, he gave the Potions master a cold look. He had clearly barged into the room – and his memory – uninvited. The door to his office had been thrown open and left that way.

"If you wish to talk to me, now or ever again, I suggest you knock first next time," Albus said with more than a hint of warning in his voice while he waved his wand, closing the door and dissolving the memory of his conversation with Barty Crouch Sr. in the Pensieve.

"No time for that, Dumbledore. You asked me," Severus lingered on the word 'ask' as though he took issue with it, "to help you protect Potter. And so I must tell you that you're about to make a terrible mistake."

"Am I?" Albus asked, completely uninterested. He already knew that he stood nothing to gain from this conversation and since Severus hadn't been polite enough not to interrupt him, he wasn't inclined to hide his irritation.

But Severus welcomed the antagonism in Albus' voice. It fuelled his own anger that was boiling right underneath the surface. "I've been told that you hired Lupin."

"I did."

"Surely you realise that you could just as well hand Potter over to Black right now and be done with it."

"And why is that?" Albus asked against his better judgment.

Severus knew that Albus was only humouring him, but he was too upset to care. "Because if Black didn't know how to get into the castle so far, all he now has to do is ask Lupin to let him in."

Albus heaved a sigh. "You're convicting Remus of a crime he never committed."

"Only because he didn't have to. He has always been content to watch and allow Black to do all the dirty work," Severus hissed.

"There's not a shred of evidence that Remus knew about Black's actions – and that goes for the murders he committed later in life as well as the one he might have attempted here at school," Albus reminded him.

"Did you even look for that evidence or were you too busy defending your little pet project in front of the school governors? After all, it wouldn't have looked good if the werewolf you let into the school had actually managed to kill a student, even if nobody cared about that particular student. Imagine how bad it will look if he kills the famous Harry Potter."

Knowing that Severus was merely trying to get a rise out of him, Albus said calmly, "Thankfully, that won't happen because you will provide Remus with the Wolfbane Potion regularly once he's here."

Severus recoiled as though Albus had slapped him in the face. "And what if I refuse to do that, Dumbledore?" he asked, his eyes glittering dangerously. "What if I'm sick of being at your beck and call while you refuse to listen to anything I have to say?"

"Oh, I'm listening, Severus, and it's a good thing I do. It's how I know that you're not really this man, who feels the need to make idle threats. That you're only allowing your dislike for Remus and his former schoolmates to cloud your judgment."

"Just like you're letting your fondness for them cloud yours!" Severus spat.

"Unfortunately for you, it's my opinion that matters here," Albus was forced to say bluntly. Then he met Severus' glare and patiently stared him down.

It didn't change much about his nasty tone. "You're not infallible, Dumbledore! They were best friends! Inseparable, insufferable, parading around the school like they owned the place! Have you forgotten all of that?"

"On the contrary. But hasn't it occurred to you that this could be useful to us? We know virtually nothing about Black's current state of mind, nor what to expect from him in the future. Wouldn't you agree that someone who used to be friends with him would be most likely to understand him?" Albus tried to reason with Severus one last time.

But as clever and calculating as he usually was, right now Severus was beyond reasoning. "You're a bloody, old fool if you think Lupin will stay loyal to you. Mark my words, Dumbledore, when push comes to shove, he will run right back into Black's arms. And I won't help you clean up that mess."

"That's all right. I just need you to brew the potion. Or look for employment elsewhere," Albus said dismissively.

There was a hint of surprise in the blackness of Severus' eyes. "You're the one who wanted me here, Dumbledore!"

"Actually, you barged in here without asking and forced this rather unpleasant conversation on us. Should you however manage to rise above your demons, I'd be happy to keep talking to you. Perhaps not about this exact topic, but nearly anything else that's on your mind," Albus told him and he did mean that.

Severus bared his teeth, turned on the spot and swept out of the office without another word.

"You should have sacked him outright, Dumbledore," said one of his predecessors behind him. Albus didn't turn around to see who it was. "Such insolence wouldn't have been tolerated in my day!"

"It's not without reason. We all have our blind spots and this just happens to be his," Albus replied thoughtfully.

"You're too soft, Dumbledore."

"Is that such a bad thing when the rest of the world is often so hard on us all?" Albus mused.

There was no answer and he hadn't really expected to get one.

Only time would tell.