Elegy//Harry Potter [3]

14

One day, during Defense Against the Dark Arts, Lupin asked to see Harry and Autumn after class. well, within thirty minutes of him asking, the bell rang and class was over. The four said their farewells and said that they'd meet in the common room later.

"I'm sorry to hear about your broomstick, Harry. Is there no chance of fixing it?" Lupin asked.

"No." Harry responded. "Professor, why do the dementors affect me so much?"

"Yeah, no one else fainted on the train, did they?"

"Listen, both of you. Dementors are the foulest creatures to walk this earth. They feed on every good feeling, every happy memory... until a person is left with absolutely nothing but his worst experiences. The dementors affect you worse than the others because there are horrors in your past that the others don't have. Horrors your classmates can scarcely imagine. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"Professor, I don't recall having a terrible past," Autumn said. "Unless," Autumn jokingly smiled. "that's the thing I'm forgetting."

Harry nearly dropped his books.

"I think he meant that we've defeated Voldemort twice." Harry squeaked out.

"Professor?" Autumn asked. "Is it normal to be scared of them? The dementors?"

"I'd consider you a fool if you weren't." Lupin said.

"You made the one on the train go away," Harry said suddenly. "I need to know how to fight them. We need to know how to fight them. You could teach us."

"There was only one that night." Lupin retorted.

"But you made it go away." Autumn said.

"I don't pretend to be an expert at fighting dementors, but. . . perhaps I should teach you. After the holidays. For now, I need to rest."

Harry and Autumn started to walk away, but Harry stopped and turned around.

"One more thing."

"Hmm?" Lupin asked.

"When they get near me -- I can hear Voldemort murdering my mom."

Autumn nearly dropped her books. Lupin looked as if he was going to hug Harry, or something of the sort, but he didn't do anything. He just sat in silence.

"Thank you, Professor," Autumn said, turning Harry around and pushing him out of the classroom.

Once they were out of the classroom by a short distance.

"You don't just say you hear your murdered mom, Harry," Autumn scolded. "But if any consolation, I'm sorry you have to hear that."

"What do you hear?" Harry asked, slowly changing the subject away from him.

Autumn thought back to the time on the train.

'This is all your fault.'

"I hear Cassandra say something to me. It's her saying it's all my fault. Problem is, I can't remember what she's talking about."

Harry seemed to freeze up, taking in the new information.

"You alright, Harry? Every time I mention me not remembering, you—" Autumn stopped mid-sentence. "You know something," Autumn muttered, making his eyes go wide. "Do you know something, Harry?"

Harry gulped as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Harry. . . Do you know something?" Autumn and Harry had stopped walking and stood in the middle of the hallways. Some students passed them, none paying attention.