Dark child

22

"Come on professor, you don't want to hurt a student, do you?" Elara snarled. "Muffliato" she muttered quickly, pointing her wand at the closed door to make sure no one can hear a thing from outside, and locked the door properly. Then, taking her time, turned to face the growling werewolf who had opened his mouth wide enough to be able to crash Elara's skull.
"Oh, please stop this Remus. I know you have had that wolfesbane potion my dad made. You have your full consciousness so don't act like you're a wild hungry wolf. You also may want to be reminded that I can easily kick your ass if you attack me. So be a good wolf and sit down; I need a word."
Werewolf-Lupin stared at her for a second or two, then turned to find the nearest chair to sit on.

"Good. Now we can go straight to the point." She went towards Lupin's desk and examined the books and papers on it. "Remember the last time I came to your office, professor? I offered you my friendship and you said we are nothing alike. Well, I quite agree on that. But now, we do have something in common. You see, a werewolf is a dark creature and I come from a family famous for dark magic. You can't say we have nothing in common anymore. I don't mind if you don't want to meet me as a man, but I shall visit you more often as you are in a wolf form. But unfortunately tonight is not the best night to start our get togethers, as the whole school is being searched and re-searched to find Sirius Black. I ditched my dad for now but he will notice my absence if I stay here too much. I need to leave but I will be back again. I can't wait to accompany you once a month. I can talk to you about my life and help you with your work, you know, like marking your papers for you. I can read books for you. I've got Loads of ideas."
Elara crossed the room to reach to the door, but in the middle of the room, she stopped and changed her direction. Lupin jumped back as Elara reached him, put her hands on his face, and kissed wolf's forehead. Then, turning slightly pink, she walked out of the room and rushed back to the great hall. Apparently, Black was nowhere to be seen. Severus, who himself looked frustrated and slightly angry, made Elara go to sleep as the search was finished. Elara didn't find the situation proper to resist his command. So she dragged a sleeping bag into a corner and pretended to fall asleep, while her heart was beating so hard in her chest. It took her a long time before she can calm herself down and fall asleep.

The school talked of nothing but Sirius Black for the next few days. The theories about how he had entered the castle became wilder and wilder; Hannah Abbott, from Hufflepuff, spent much of her time telling anyone who'd listen that Black could turn into a flowering shrub.
On the Slytherin house however, the Quidditch team members were beside themselves when Flint announced they have successfully changed the match schedule, as their Seeker's arm is still injured. Both Elara and Marcus Flint, the captain of Slytherin quidditch team, were aware that Draco's arm was perfectly well, they just didn't want to play against Gryffindor in such a terrible weather. Based on the new schedule, Gryffindor was now supposed to play against Hufflepuff. The day before the match, the winds reached howling point and the rain fell harder than ever. It was so dark inside the corridors and classrooms that extra torches and lanterns were lit. The Slytherin team was looking very smug indeed, and none more so than Draco.
"Ah, if only my arm was feeling a bit better!" he sighed as soon as he got into Harry's earshot at great hall.

Their next DADA class was even worse than the one with Boggart in Elara's opinion, as it was held by Severus instead of Lupin. This meant Lupin was still weak from his recent transition. Not much after the beginning of the class, the doors bursted open and Harry entered.
"Sorry I'm late, Professor Lupin, I —" But he didn't finish his sentence as he saw Snape.
"This lesson began ten minutes ago, Potter, so I think we'll make it ten points from Gryffindor. Sit down."
But Harry didn't move.
"Where's Professor Lupin?" he said.
"He says he is feeling too ill to teach today," said Snape with a twisted smile. "I believe I told you to sit down?" But Harry stayed where he was.
"What's wrong with him?" Snape's black eyes glittered.
"Nothing life-threatening," he said, looking as though he wished it were. "Five more points from Gryffindor, and if I have to ask you to sit down again, it will be fifty."
Harry walked slowly to his seat and sat down. Snape looked around at the class.
"As I was saying before Potter interrupted, Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topics you have covered so far —" "Please, sir, we've done boggarts, Red Caps, kappas, and grindylows," said Hermione quickly, "and we're just about to start —" "Be quiet," said Snape coldly. "I did not ask for information. I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organization."
"He's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had," said Dean Thomas boldly, and there was a murmur of agreement from the rest of the Gryffindor. Snape looked more menacing than ever.
"You are easily satisfied. Lupin is hardly overtaxing you — I would expect first years to be able to deal with Red Caps and grindylows. Today we shall discuss —"
Elara watched him flick through the textbook, to the very back chapter, which he must know they hadn't covered.
"— werewolves," said Snape. Elara's eyes widened.
"But, sir," said Hermione, seemingly unable to restrain herself, "we're not supposed to do werewolves yet, we're due to start hinkypunks —"
"Miss Granger," said Snape in a voice of deadly calm, "I was under the impression that I am teaching this lesson, not you. And I am telling you all to turn to page 394." He glanced around again. "All of you! Now!"
With many bitter sidelong looks and some sullen muttering, the class opened their books.
"Which of you can tell me how we distinguish between the werewolf and the true wolf?" said Snape.
Everyone sat in motionless silence; everyone except Hermione, whose hand, as it so often did, had shot straight into the air. Elara knew the answer, too. But she didn't want to say it out loudly, as if she was afraid that people find out about Lupin's secret. She kept her head down as Snape said "Anyone?" ignoring Hermione. His twisted smile was back. "Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic distinction between —"
"We told you," said Parvati suddenly, "we haven't got as far as werewolves yet, we're still on —"
"Silence!" snarled Snape. "Well, well, well, I never thought I'd meet a third-year class who wouldn't even recognize a werewolf when they saw one. I shall make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are..."
"Please, sir," said Hermione, whose hand was still in the air, "the werewolf differs from the true wolf in several small ways. The snout of the werewolf —"
"That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger," said Snape coolly. "Five more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all."
Hermione went very red, put down her hand, and stared at the floor with her eyes full of tears. Crabbe and Goyle giggled. Ron said loudly, "You asked us a question and she knows the answer! Why ask if you don't want to be told?"
The class knew instantly he'd gone too far. Snape advanced on Ron slowly, and the room held its breath.
"Detention, Weasley," Snape said silkily, his face very close to Ron's. "And if I ever hear you criticize the way I teach a class again, you will be very sorry indeed."
No one made a sound throughout the rest of the lesson. They sat and made notes on werewolves from the textbook, while Snape prowled up and down the rows of desks, examining the work they had been doing with Professor Lupin.
"Very poorly explained... That is incorrect, the kappa is more commonly found in Mongolia... Professor Lupin gave this eight out of ten? I wouldn't have given it three..."
When the bell rang at last, Snape held them back. "You will each write an essay, to be handed in to me, on the ways you recognize and kill werewolves. I want two rolls of parchment on the subject, and I want them by Monday morning. It is time somebody took this class in hand. Weasley, stay behind, we need to arrange your detention."
Elara listened to the crowd of angry students carefully, trying to find out if they have suspected anything about Lupin, but all she heard was rude names students were giving Snape. No one seemed to have suspected Lupin as a werewolf so far.