I am not the heir of Slytherin, I am Slytherin.

Chapter 20

No one POV

Defense Against the Dark Arts had become most people's favorite class. Only Draco Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins had anything bad to say about Professor Lupin.

"Look at the state of his robes," Malfoy would say in a loud whisper as Professor Lupin passed. "He dresses like our old house-elf." But no one else cared that Professor Lupin's robes were patched and frayed. His next few lessons were just as interesting as the first. After boggarts, they studied Red Caps, nasty little goblinlike creatures that lurked wherever there had been bloodshed: in the dungeons of castles and the potholes of deserted battlefields, waiting to bludgeon those who had gotten lost. From Red Caps they moved on to kappas, creepy water-dwellers that looked like scaly monkeys, with webbed hands itching to strangle unwitting waders in their ponds.

People were swapping rumours about Hermione's Boggart and Lupin kept sending her confused looks, but she paid no mind to them.

Harry sure did though. After one DADA class, he stayed back to speak with Moony.

"May I help you, Harry?" Remus asked pleasantly when he noticed Harry standing in front of his desk.

"Yes professor. I wanted to explain you Hermione's boggart since I know she won't be able to. I have noticed your confusion," Harry took a deep breath before continuing, " That was Hermione's cousin who had been brutally murdered a couple of years ago and Hermione had seen the corpse, which looked exactly like that boggart had." Lupin looked confused but sympathetic.

"I take that they were quite close?" Remus asked. Harry stared at the floor and nodded.

Remus nodded and dismissed Harry, finally getting some clarity. But why on earth did the said cousin look like the Grey Lady and why did she wear such old fashioned clothes?!

Harry had sent the memory of Neville's boggart to Sirius with Hedwig. Sirius contacted him on the two-way mirror he had give Harry before school.

"That was fun pup! Give Neville a box full of chocolates on my behalf. Did you talk to Moony about me though?"

"No, I did not. What do you want me to say? Hello Professor Lupin, I am Harry Potter and I lived with Sirius Black who told me stupid stories about your time at Hogwarts and that you are a werewolf and your friends became animagi to help you during full moons and you wanted to keep it a secret but Sirius told a thirteen year old kid?"

"Well that does sound quite stupid if you put it like that. Why don't I speak to him? Give him the mirror when he is free so that we can catch up?"

"Fine, I will give it to him on our first Hogsmeade weekend."

It was a week before Halloween. A week before their first Hogsmeade weekend. So they decided to compose a letter to Augusta Longbottom.

Dear Gran,

How are you? Hope you are doing well. School is much better this year and I am enjoying it. I wanted to ask you something though.

Will you be available on Halloween? We wanted to meet you. Me and Harry Potter. We have a Hogsmeade trip on that day, so we can meet you.

Reply whether you are okay with it.

Love,

Neville.

They sent the letter off with Hedwig.

The classes were fun. Harry had decided to join the reserve quidditch team because of his busy schedule and Ginny became the Gryffindor seeker. Oliver was not happy, but he couldn't do anything. Harry bought Ginny a new Cleensweep seven (the Weasleys were a proud family and would not accept anything costlier than that), which she was thankful for.