"Okay class, today we will be discussing the Fae." Professor Remus Lupin stated as his 3rd year Gryffindor and Slytherin students settled in their seats. Even though he had been teaching them for over half a year now, he couldn't help but sweep his gaze across the faces staring up at him, hoping to see the face of his best friend's child. But he wasn't there. He would never be there. Harry Potter had gone missing from his muggle family's home when he was only 8 years old. They didn't know where he went or if he was even still alive.
But Remus couldn't focus on the ghosts of his best friends yelling at him for neglecting to check in on their baby, he had to teach, he had to help the Order, and the world had to continue even if Harry wasn't here.
"Who wants to prove they did the weekend reading assignment? Tell me something about the Fae… Mr. Weasley." Remus called on the daydreaming ginger boy.
"Uh, well… there are two kinds of fae? Light and Dark." Ron answered hesitantly, face turning as red as his hair.
"There are two kinds of Fae and their magic does lean either Light or Dark, but they have proper names. Mr. Zabini, what are the proper titles?"
Blaise Zabini seemed surprised to be called on since he normally hid in the back of the class, but Remus enjoyed calling on those not raising their hands. "Seelie and Unseelie. The Seelie are considered to be the court of Light Magic or the Sun. The Unseelie court is the court of Dark Magic or the Moon." The boy answered in a confident tone that had Remus nodding in agreement.
"Very good, correct. We know very little about the Seelie court because they do not like to interact with non-Fae. They haven't been seen outside of their court and world for centuries. The Unseelie court on the other hand does enjoy causing mischief and interacting with the non-Fae world. Anyone else want to add anything?"
Hermione Granger started to talk before Remus could even attempt to call on another student, she had a terrible habit of bursting out with everything she knew on a subject, especially if ignored. "The Fae, both Seelie and Unseelie, have been known to tempt, steal, or manipulate mortals. Never give your full name to a Fae because then they can gain control over your soul permanently even into your next life. Fae will never give you their real name either, often being gifted names by those they interact with almost like stray cats or they will give you a made-up Fae name. Fae are also very prideful and mischievous. They are easily insulted, much like a Hippogriff. You can tell if a Fae is from the Seelie or Unseelie court by their wings. Seelie Fae have wings like a butterfly while the Unseelie Fae have wings like a moth. Oh! And Fae cannot eat mortal food, and if a mortal eats Fae food they too will no longer be able to eat mortal food."
"Yes, thank you, Miss Granger. Maybe let your classmates answer next time, okay? Anyone else?" Remus sighed, looking over the class, and was surprised to see one hand still up. "Yes, Mr. Nott?"
"The Unseelie will sometimes…mate… with mortals. The Fae are known for being Polyamorous and having multiple mates. It is thought that Fae will mate with mortals to have stronger children, especially with wizarding folk. These halfling children are often left in the mortal realm until they are old enough to withstand being in the Fae realm without becoming ill. The children are then spirited away or stolen back to the Fae realm. It is hard to confirm if these children survive to adulthood because they often change when they embrace their Fae heritage and just living in the Fae realm changes them. Mortals that get kidnapped to the Fae realm can become monstrous-looking creatures since the Fae Realm is overflowing with magic that changes how they look, act, and sometimes down to their souls. The Ministry only has a handful of confirmed Wizarding-Fae children that were spirited away and then found again as adults."
Remus was slightly surprised to find a child with so much knowledge of the Fae, and even more surprised that it was Mr. Nott. He hadn't said but maybe two sentences in his classroom all year. "Very good Mr. Nott! You are correct, although I did not expect any of you to know any of that since it was not part of your assigned reading. Now Class onto your group assignments-"
Once class was dismissed, Remus couldn't help but sigh heavily. Harry should have been here. Harry loved to hear stories about the Fae when he was a baby. He had no greater regret in his life, he should have never listened to Dumbledore when he told Remus to keep away from Harry after his parents were murdered. He should have checked in on him. Maybe then he would know where to look for the missing boy. He refused to believe that Harry was dead. He would know if Harry had died. He would continue to spend his free time searching for the boy. They would find him. Eventually. They had to find him.