ad astra per aspera - {♕ f.w.}

8. Unavoidable Family Lineage

Professor Lupin was quickly becoming Hogwarts' hottest topic. By dinner on Friday, every student had taken a lesson with him. By Monday morning, three of the four houses agreed on one thing: his lessons were the best of the term so far. In some people's cases, the best they'd had in all their school years.

It was easy to separate him into a teacher and an uncle now that you knew him as both. It was easier for you to only imagine him as one, which helped you not be bothered that he was the only thing anyone could talk about. You'd had five teachers before him, and still felt that Lupin wasn't comparable to his predecessors. He left a much more memorable impression in one class than teachers had left in an entire year. Even better, he didn't have to let loose a cage of Cornish Pixies or have Lord Voldemort on the back of his head for you to think so.

People flocked out to the grounds once the weekend arrived. Hogwarts was beautiful basking in the late summer sun. The bricks, though thousands of years old and faded by time, glistened. Full green trees lined the yards and grass blew in a soft breeze. The Black Lake sparkled and the giant squid frequented the surface.

Unfortunately, you only experienced the beautiful weekend sunshine through your dormitory window. You sat inside from breakfast until dinner, working through twelve classes worth of homework. Not even the several essays and charts you had to draw could make you less excited for the school week to resume. Besides feeling eager for another Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, you couldn't wait to get back out on the Quidditch pitch.

Monday's lessons went well, as did your first practice. After a long welcome back pep talk and a lengthy review of his play boards, Wood worked you right until curfew. He left your muscles to ache dully during your first Prefect patrol and all the way through Tuesday.

Owls brought news during breakfast on Wednesday that pushed all thoughts of classes and Quidditch to the back of your mind. Sirius Black was on the front page of the Daily Prophet again. Not to report his capture, but to reveal that the Ministry was confident he was heading North from Dufftown.

Hogwarts was North of Dufftown.

Teachers kept you exceptionally busy during the morning classes in an obvious attempt to avoid students speculating about Sirius Black with their friends. A few brave people raised their hands and asked questions about the convict, but most of them were shut down.

By lunch, students were aching to talk, and the Great Hall was particularly loud. There were a select few who weren't engaging in conversation about Black. Mostly, it was those of you who weren't surprised the man was heading in the direction of the school. Those of you who knew he was after Harry.

You noticed that even the teachers seemed to be talking more than usual. They didn't appear worried, but you often caught McGonagall slipping behind a folder to whisper to Dumbledore. You could only guess they were talking about something important, and you highly doubted it was Hagrid, who had yet to return.

Care of Magical Creatures had never been a favourite class of yours, but Hagrid's absence around the castle wasn't going unnoticed. A week had passed, his classes still replaced with double periods of Transfiguration. McGonagall refused to answer questions of when he would return. You had a feeling that she herself didn't know.

The Slytherins weren't bothered that Hagrid wasn't around. Although his cast should've been long gone, Malfoy walked around like every step caused him excruciating pain. He bragged about his father's plans for getting Hagrid in trouble, increasing his volume when Harry, Ron and Hermione walked past. Commonly, he came right up to the table to start trouble.

Today, lunch almost went by uninterrupted by the Slytherin boy and his goons. You didn't feel like you had to keep an eye out for Malfoy in case he needed someone to remind him to keep himself in line. Harry, Ron and Hermione were left to eat in peace.