A Lion's Honor & Pride (Harry Potter) (Under Editing)

Chapter Fourteen: Professor Moony

Professor Lupin wasn't there when they arrived at his first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson.
They all sat down, took out their books, quills and parchment, and were talking when he finally entered the room. Professor Lupin smiled vaguely and placed his tatty old briefcase on the teacher's desk. He was as shabby as ever, but looked healthier than he had on the train, as though he had had a few square meals.
"Good afternoon," he said. "Would you please put all your books back in your bags? Today's will be a practical lesson. You will only need your wands."
A few curious looks were exchanged as the class put away their books. They had never had a practical Defence Against the Dark Arts before, unless you counted the memorable class last year when their old teacher had brought a cageful of pixies to class and set them loose.
"Right then," said Professor Lupin, when everyone was ready. "If you'd follow me."
Puzzled and yet interested, the class got to their feet and followed Professor Lupin out of the classroom. He led them along the deserted corridor and around a corner, where the first thing they saw was Peeves the Poltergeist, who was floating upside-down in mid-air and stuffing the nearest keyhole with chewing gum.
Peeves didn't look up until Professor Lupin was two feet away, then he wiggled his curly-toed feet and broke into song.
"Loony, loopy Lupin," Peeves sang. "Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy Lupin—"
Rude and unimaginable as he almost always was, Peeves usually showed some respect towards the teachers. Everyone looked quickly at Professor Lupin to see how he would take this; to their surprise, he was still smiling.
"I'd take that gum out of the keyhole, if I were you, Peeves," he said pleasantly. "Mr. Filch won't be able to get to his brooms."
Filch was the Hogwarts caretaker, a bad-tempered, failed wizard who waged a constant war against the students and, indeed, Peeves. However, Peeves paid no attention to Professor Lupin's words, except to blow a loud wet raspberry.
Professor Lupin gave a small sigh and took out his wand. "This is a useful little spell." He glanced at the class over his shoulder. "Please watch closely." He raised the wand to shoulder height, said "Waddiwasi!" and pointed it at Peeves.
With the force of a bullet, the wad of chewing gum shot out of the keyhole and straight down Peeves's left nostril; he whirled right way up and zoomed away, cursing.
"Cool, sir!" said Dean Thomas in amazement.
"Thank you, Dean," said Professor Lupin, putting his wand away.
They set off again, the class looking at shabby Professor Lupin with increased respect. He led them down a second corridor and stopped, right outside the staff-room door.
"Inside, please," said Professor Lupin, opening it and standing back.
The staff room, a long, panelled room full of old, mismatched chairs was now empty except for one teacher. Professor Snape was sitting in a low armchair, and he looked around as the class filed in. His eyes were glittering and there was a nasty sneer playing around his mouth. As Professor Lupin came in and made to close the door behind him. "Leave it closed, Lupin. I'd rather not witness this." He got to his feet and strode past the class, his black robes billowing behind him.
"Now, then," said Professor Lupin, beckoning the class towards the end of the room, where there was nothing except an old wardrobe in which the teachers kept their spare robes. As Professor Lupin went to stand next to it, the wardrobe gave a sudden wobble, banging off the wall.
"Nothing to worry about," said Professor Lupin calmly, as a few people jumped backwards in alarm. "There's a Boggart in there."
Most people seemed to feel that this was something to worry about. Neville gave Professor Lupin a look of pure terror, and Seamus Finnigan eyed the now rattling doorknob apprehensively.
"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces," said Professor Lupin. "Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks— I once met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. This one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the Headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third-years some practice."
Hermione put up her hand. "It's a shape-shifter. It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."
"Couldn't have put it better myself," said Professor Lupin, and Hermione glowed. "So, the Boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a Boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears."
"This means," continued Professor Lupin, choosing to ignore Neville's small splutter of terror. "That we have a huge advantage over that Boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?"
Trying to answer a question with Hermione next to him, bobbing up and down on the balls of her feet with her hand in the air, was very off-putting, but Harry had a go. "Er— because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?"
"Precisely," said Professor Lupin, and Hermione put her hand down, looking a little disappointed while the Marauders smiled at Harry in approval. "It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a Boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a Boggart make that very mistake— tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening. The charm that repels a Boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a Boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing. We will practise the charm without wands first. After me, please... riddikulus!"
"Riddikulus!" said the class together.
"Good," said Professor Lupin. "Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And this is where you come in, Neville."
The wardrobe shook again, though not as much as Neville, who walked forward as though he was heading for the gallows.
"Right, Neville," said Professor Lupin. "First things first: what would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?"
Neville's lips moved, but no noise came out.
"Didn't catch that, Neville, sorry," said Professor Lupin cheerfully.
Neville looked around rather wildly, as though begging someone to help him, then said, in barely more than a whisper, "Professor Snape." Nearly everyone laughed. Even Neville grinned apologetically.
Professor Lupin, however, looked thoughtful. "Professor Snape... hmmm... Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?"
"Er— yes," said Neville nervously. "But— I don't want the Boggart to turn into her, either."
"No, no, you misunderstand me," said Professor Lupin, now smiling. "I wonder, could you tell us what sort of clothes your grandmother usually wears?"
Neville looked startled, but said, "Well... always the same hat. A tall one with a stuffed vulture on top. And a long dress... green, normally... and sometimes a fox-fur scarf."
"And a handbag?" prompted Professor Lupin.
"A big red one," said Neville.
"Right then," said Professor Lupin. "Can you picture those clothes very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your mind's eye?"
"Yes," said Neville uncertainly, plainly wondering what was coming next.
"When the Boggart bursts out of this wardrobe, Neville, and sees you, it will assume the form of Professor Snape," said Lupin. "And you will raise your wand— thus— and cry 'Riddikulus'— and concentrate hard on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well, Professor Boggart Snape will be forced into that vulture-topped hat, that green dress, that big red handbag."
There was a great shout of laughter. The wardrobe wobbled more violently.
"If Neville is successful, the Boggart is likely to turn his attention to each of us in turn," said Professor Lupin. "I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you the most, and imagine how you might force it to look comical..."
The room went very quiet. Ariana thought... What scared her most in the world?
Her first thought was that horrible dementor. That thing had made her feel cold all over, making her feel as if she would never be happy again. A rotting, glistening hand, slithering back beneath a black cloak... a long, rattling breath from an unseen mouth... then a cold so penetrating it felt like drowning...
"Everybody ready?" said Professor Lupin.
Ariana felt a lurch of fear. She wasn't ready. How could you make a Dementor less frightening? But she didn't want to ask for more time; everyone else was nodding and rolling up their sleeves.
"Neville, we're going to back away," said Professor Lupin. "Let you have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward... everyone back, now, so Neville can get a clear shot—"
They all retreated, backing against the walls, leaving Neville alone beside the wardrobe. He looked pale and frightened, but he had pushed up the sleeves of his robes and was holding his wand ready.
"On the count of three, Neville," said Professor Lupin, who was pointing his own wand at the handle of the wardrobe. "One— two— three— now!"
A jet of sparks shot from the end of Professor Lupin's wand and hit the doorknob. The wardrobe burst open.
Hook-nosed and menacing, Professor Snape stepped out, his eyes flashing at Neville.
Neville backed away, his wand up, mouthing wordlessly.
Snape was bearing down upon him, reaching inside his robes.
"R-r-riddikulus!" squeaked Neville.
There was a noise like a whip-crack. Snape stumbled; he was wearing a long, lace trimmed dress and a towering hat topped with a moth-eaten vulture, and swinging a huge crimson handbag from his hand.
There was a roar of laughter; the Boggart paused, confused, and Professor Lupin shouted, "Parvati! Forward!"
Parvati walked forward, her face set. Snape rounded on her. There was another crack, and where he had stood was a blood-stained, bandaged mummy; its sightless face was turned to Parvati and it began to walk towards her, very slowly, dragging its feet, its stiff arms rising—
"Riddikulus!" cried Parvati.
A bandage unravelled at the mummy's feet; it became entangled, fell face forwards and its head rolled off.
"Seamus!" roared Professor Lupin.
Seamus darted past Parvati.
Crack! Where the mummy had been was a woman with floor-length black hair and a skeletal, green-tinged face— a banshee.
She opened her mouth wide and an unearthly sound filled the room, a long, wailing shriek which made the hair on Harry's head stand on end—
"Riddikulus!" shouted Seamus.
The banshee made rasping noise and clutched her throat; her voice was gone.
Crack! The banshee turned into a rat, which chased its tail in a circle, then— Crack!— became a rattlesnake, which slithered and writhed before— crack!— becoming a single bloody eyeball.
"It's confused!" shouted Lupin. "We're getting there! Dean!"
Dean hurried forward.
Crack! The eyeball became a severed hand, which flipped over, and began to creep along the floor like a crab.
"Riddikulus!" yelled Dean.
There was a snap, and the hand was trapped in a mousetrap.
"Excellent! Ariana, your turn!" Lupin shouted.
Crack! Quite a few people screamed. A dementor and hovering in the air, was advancing on a defiant Ariana.
"Riddikulus!" yelled Ariana.
There was a snap, and the dementor was turned into a black stuffed cat.
"Well done! Ron, you next!"
Ron leapt forward.
Crack!
Quite a few people screamed. A giant spider, six feet tall and covered in hair, was advancing on Ron, clicking its pincers menacingly.
"Riddikulus!" bellowed Ron, and the spider's legs vanished. It rolled over and over; Lavender squealed and ran out of its way and it came to a halt at Harry's feet.
He raised his wand, ready, but—
"Here!" shouted Professor Lupin suddenly, hurrying forward.
Harry huffed; even the DADA teacher thought he was too weak to even handle a boggart.
Crack!
The legless spider had vanished. For a second, everyone looked wildly around to see where it was.
Then they saw a silvery white orb hanging in the air in front of Lupin, who said "Riddikulus!" almost lazily.
Crack!
Conor's face paled at the sight while Devin patted his shoulder reassuringly and the other secret Marauders gazed at Conor sympathetically. Harry glanced at Conor, forgetting his earlier annoyance.
"Forward, Neville, and finish him off!" said Lupin, as the Boggart landed on the floor as a cockroach. Crack! Snape was back. This time Neville charged forward looking determined.
"Riddikulus!" he shouted, and they had a split second's view of Snape in his lacy dress before Neville let out a great "Ha!" of laughter, and the Boggart exploded, burst into a thousand tiny wisps of smoke, and was gone.
"Excellent!" cried Professor Lupin, as the class broke into applause. "Excellent, Neville. Well done, everyone. Let me see... five points to Gryffindor for every person to tackle the Boggart— ten for Neville because he did it twice— and five each to Hermione and Harry."
"But I didn't do anything," said Harry.
"You and Hermione answered my questions correctly at the start of the class, Harry," said Lupin lightly. "Very well, everyone, an excellent lesson. Homework, kindly read the chapter on Boggarts and summarize it for me... to be handed in on Monday. That will be all." Lupin studied Harry for a little. "Please meet me after class, Mr. Potter." Harry looked a little nervous, but his friends looked at him encouragingly, which boost his courage and hope.

Harry lingered behind after class to chat with Professor Lupin. The man gazed at Harry, then motioned for him to sit down at the chair in front of his desk. The boy walked to the chair, and sat down, peering up at the professor, questionably.
"Harry?" Lupin spoke softly, looking at the young teenager.
Harry tentatively met the man's eyes and whispered, "Yes?"
Lupin looked back at him with a sharp look; in fact, this was the most earnest Harry had seen him since the dementor attack. "Harry, do you remember?"
Harry stared at the professor with scarcely restrained alarm while feigning in nervous innocence. "Remember what?" The professor gave him a look, as if he could see through the lie.
"Fine." Harry breathed. "Maybe I do remember you a little bit, but only from one memory. You, Sirius, and Dad were babysitting me, and I —uh— said something." He reddened at the memory. "But I don't know anything else about you."
Lupin observed Harry with an expression of both confusion and a hint of entertainment. "Ah. Yes... You were in that stage when you repeated everything someone said, and I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time." Lupin chortled. "Although, I'm surprised that you can remember that, kid. It was over twelve years ago."
"I have a long memory, I guess," Harry responded easily.
Remus considered the boy in front of him before sighing. "Harry, I'm no expert, but even I can tell somethings bothering you."
Harry's shoulders drooped, while he let out what he had been holding in all day. "Just, why didn't you ever visit me at the Dursleys before now? Why did I never hear so much as your name?" His eyes betraying him by showing bits of the hurt he was feeling.
The man only stared, looking at Harry for a few moments, prompting the boy to squirm in his seat a little. "I wanted to Harry. But I wasn't able to do it. My condition won't allow me to look after you. I've been traveling for a while." Remus's voice cracked with sincerity. "I asked if I could once, but they told me no, even if your parents would have wanted it. I gave up then, thinking you would be better off without me. For that Harry, I'm sorry."
"Why wouldn't they let me go with you?" Harry asked. Staying with Remus would have been much better than staying at the Dursleys.
"I'm very poor Harry and no one will hire me, mainly for the same reason they wouldn't let me see you," said Remus.
"What's that? I'm sure it's not a good reason." Harry gazed at Remus in concern.
"It is. You see Harry, I'm a werewolf." Remus's hazel eyes locked with Harry's bright green eyes.
"So, it's not a good reason," said Harry boldly. "You're only one on the full moon. It's only a problem for one day of the month. Nothing huge, so why wouldn't they let you take me!"
"You're just like your father." Remus smiled sadly at Harry. "He used to call it my furry little problem, people were under the impression I owned a horrible bunny or a cat. But not all wizards are like you and James. They think because some werewolves are evil, we all are."
"But you're not!" exclaimed Harry.
"I'm one of the few good ones Harry," Remus said softly. "It's hard to see past all the horrible stories and things people say about werewolves."
"It shouldn't be," insisted Harry.
"No it shouldn't. James, Athena, Peter and Sirius." Remus winced at the last name. "They saw past all of that. They cared that I was their friend and not a werewolf."
As they walked downstairs Harry and Remus talked more discussing a number of things. Mostly, Harry smiled feeling like he had even a part of his family again. Remus, he felt the same. Having Harry there was like having Lily and James, or pieces of them. Harry wasn't either of them, but it was nice to have just a bit of his family again.