Remus Lupin and the Prisoner of Azkaban (#Wolfstar)

Chapter Seven- The Conversation

Wordcount: 1667

In no time at all, Defense Against the Dark Arts had become most people's favourite class. When Professor Lupin had fallen ill for a few days last month, everyone seemed to realise that the subject was no fun without him.

The shock of how good of a teacher the shabby man has faded away and was replaced by the utmost respect. Remus felt lucky to be so easily accepted in the school's everyday life when really all he did was making it up as he went along.

Only Severus Snape, or Draco Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins had anything bad to say about Remus, but he ignored it in most cases.

"Look at the state of his robes," Malfoy would say in a loud whisper as Remus passed. "He dresses like our old house elf "

But no one else cared that Professor Lupin's robes were patched and frayed. His next few lessons were just as interesting as the first. After boggarts, they studied Red Caps, nasty little goblin like creatures that lurked wherever there had been bloodshed: in the dungeons of castles and the potholes of deserted battlefields, waiting to bludgeon those who had gotten lost. From Red Caps they moved on to kappas, creepy water-dwellers that looked like scaly monkeys, with webbed hands itching to strangle unwitting waders in their ponds.

Of course, as a teacher, Remus wasn't supposed to prefer anyone, yet his favourite class to teach was by far the Gryffindor third years. They got more and more comfortable around him and soon they started to talk carelessly around him, so he now got a view of things from a student's perspective.

Most wished they were as happy with some other classes. Worst of all was Potions. Severus was in a particularly vindictive mood these days, not only towards Remus, and no one was in any doubt why. The story of the Boggart assuming Snape's shape, and the way that Neville had dressed it in his grandmother's clothes, had travelled through the school like wildfire. Severus didn't seem to find it funny. His eyes flashed menacingly at the very mention of Professor Lupin's name, and he was bullying Neville worse than ever, which was mostly Remus' fault since it was his idea to put Mrs Longbottom's clothes on the potion teacher.

As October came to an end and the Halloween feast was the only thing separating them from winter, the students got their first Hogsmeade weekend. Some teacher decided to go too, and Minerva McGonagall invited Remus to come along to the three broomsticks with Flitwick, Sprout, and her, which Remus politely declined since he wasn't feeling so well. He promised to accompany them next time.

The older students started to leave for the village and the giant castle grew silent. It was afternoon when Remus was sitting in his office; he had just gotten a new creature for the upcoming lessons for his third and fourth years when he heard light footsteps down the hallway. He looked through the half-closed door, and like every time he looked at this boy, he saw James Potter for a second.

"Harry?" Harry doubled back to see who had spoken and met Remus' gaze, looking around his office door.

"What are you doing?" he asked kindly. One didn't see him often slumping along a corridor alone. "Where are Ron and Hermione?"

"Hogsmeade," said Harry, in a would-be casual voice.

"Ah," answered Remus. He considered Harry for a moment. The boy didn't look too happy. "Why don't you come in? I've just taken delivery of a grindylow for our next lesson."

"A what?" said Harry, already looking better now something caught his interest. He followed Professor Lupin into his office. In the corner stood a very large tank of water. A sickly green creature with sharp little horns had its face pressed against the glass, pulling faces and flexing its long, spindly fingers.