The Marauders: Year Six #Wattys2017

Tell Me About Faere Dhu

Tell Me About Faere Dhu

Pleiades Gaunt was not in his office when Minerva McGonagall knocked upon his door. She used her wand to unhinge the lock and stepped inside, her eyes roaming the office space. It was dark, the lamps burning low, glowing off of various muggle artefacts that cluttered the shelves, rows of moldy-looking books crammed amongst things like old fashioned toasters and trays of hair curlers. She could smell the floo powder still burning off in the dying embers of the hearth. Her lips twisted, upset, and she backed out of the room, pulling the door closed behind her and marched up the stairs to the Defense Against the Dark Arts corridor.

"Elphinstone," she said, entering his office without even knocking.

Elphinstone Urquart looked up. He was sitting in a plush chair, his feet up on an ottoman by the fire, a thin blanket over his lap, glasses low on his nose, a book clutched in his hand. He dog eared the page and sat up, dropping his feet to the floor and putting his book down on the little table at his elbow. "Minerva?" he said in surprise, then, seeing she was a bit distressed, he added, "Are you alright?" His eyebrows folded in concern.

She went over and sat on the ottoman before him. "What do you know about Professor Gaunt?"

"Professor Gaunt?" Elphinstone mused, "Nothing much, besides his appointment as Muggle Studies Professor here at the school. I've never crossed his path prior."

She frowned. "Nothing?"

"Unless he's of the Gaunt family, of course... But I don't know of a man named Pleiades even then... Perhaps another Gaunt? Although... not a very common name, is it? I would assume Albus Dumbledore would be the better source for your inquiries," Elphinstone said. He studied her a moment.

"Of course," she nodded. Honestly, Minerva didn't know why she hadn't gone to Dumbledore in the first place. A twinge deep inside her whispered perhaps to visit Mr. Urquart and she flushed and diverted her eyes from his, unable to look at the man as she suddenly realized she had avoided him ever since the night with the warm milk and tea in the kitchens.

Which explained the surprise in his voice when she'd first entered the room unannounced.

He sat forward, "Has something come up concerning Professor Gaunt?"

"He's given one of my students detention, citing an act of insolence, for voicing concerns on the lessons he's been teaching," McGonagall replied. "Remus Lupin."

Elphinstone raised an eyebrow, "Remus Lupin? Insolence?" He chuckled, "Are you sure he hasn't mistaken him for Sirius Black? They're so rarely seen apart that perhaps Mr. Gaunt has them mixed up which is which."

Minerva's lips twitched in amusement. "Mr. Gaunt has little experience with Mr. Black. Sirius does not take the N.E.W.T. Muggle Studies class."

"Well then, in that case, there must be some other sort of misunderstanding. I doubt Remus Lupin could be insolent if he was dared to try." Elphinstone rubbed his chin, "Did Mr. Lupin share with you the nature of the lessons he was questioning?"

Minerva nodded, "Aye. It's... rather disturbing, if Mr. Lupin did not misunderstand the Professor. It seems he's been teaching the sixth years of the history of muggle-wizarding relations... rather graphically... with a decidedly anti-muggle bend, as Mr. Lupin worded it. It would take a good deal to press Remus Lupin into an upset bad enough to bring about a detention," she added. "Mr. Lupin also said that there was a reference made to the Greater Good, and he was disturbed enough by the event to get up and walk out of the classroom - something I have never seen Mr. Lupin do in six years of teaching him."