Coup de Foudre [Fred Weasley] [3]

⚡️ Chapter 21 ⚡️

Vega and Harry reached Professor Lupin as the entire class filed out, and for a moment, they quietly watched the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor covering up the Hinkypunk's box with a cloth properly so the creature could stop making sounds at them. Vega looked around curiously.

"I heard about the match," Lupin said, turning back to his desk and starting to pile books into his briefcase. "Are you two doing okay?"

"Yes, thank you, Professor," Vega replied, giving him a quick small smile before looking back at the titles of all the books that he was setting down in his briefcase.

"You're welcome, Vega," Lupin said before glancing at Harry, who was standing cluelessly next to Vega. "And I'm sorry about your broomstick. Is there any chance of fixing it?"

"No," Harry answered, realising that Lupin was looking at him when Vega didn't answer. "The tree smashed it to bits," Lupin sighed.

"They planted the Whomping Willow the same year that I arrived at Hogwarts," Lupin told them. "People used to play a game, trying to get near enough to touch the trunk. In the end, a boy called Davey Gudgeon nearly lost an eye, and we were forbidden to go near it. No broomstick would have a chance,"

Of course, Vega and Harry – as well as Ron – knew this very well from their last adventure.

"Did you hear about the Dementors too?" Harry asked with difficulty. Lupin looked at him quickly. Vega somewhat wished he hadn't brought up that topic.

"Yes, I did," Lupin said. "I don't think any of us have seen Professor Dumbledore that angry. They have been growing restless for some time... furious at his refusal to let them inside the grounds... I suppose they were the reason you two fell?"

"Yes," Vega mumbled, now feeling a bit embarrassed as well – she didn't want to talk about this to a Professor so suddenly. She glanced over at Harry.

"Why?" Harry asked suddenly, bursting out with what was troubling him, having hesitated for a moment. "Why do they affect me like that? Am I just –?"

"It has nothing to do with weakness," Professor Lupin said sharply, as though he had read Harry's mind. "The Dementors affect you worse than the others because there are horrors in your past that the others don't have. Both of you,"

A ray of wintry sunlight fell across the classroom, illuminating Lupin's grey hairs and the lines on his young face. Vega remained quiet as she averted her grey eyes away from the situation around her.

"Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth," Lupin said. "They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them. Even Muggles feel their presence, though they can't see them. Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you.

"If it can, the Dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself – soul-less and evil. You'll be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life. And the worst that happened to you is enough to make anyone fall off their broom. You have nothing to feel ashamed of. Neither of you,"

"When they get near me –" Harry said as he stared at Lupin's desk, his throat tight. Vega knew what was coming and looked away awkwardly. "I can hear Voldemort murdering my mum,"

Lupin made a sudden motion with his arm as though to grip Harry's shoulder, but thought better of it. There was a moment's silence, then –

"Why did they have to come to the match?" Harry asked bitterly.

"They're getting hungry," Lupin said coolly, shutting his briefcase with a snap. "Dumbledore won't let them into the school, so their supply of human prey has dried up... I don't think they could resist the large crowd around the Quidditch field. All that excitement... emotions running high... it was their idea of a feast,"