Bound To You

Chapter 10: Saving Grace

It was a surprise for the Headmaster of Hogwarts when the new DADA professor, Remus Lupin, and minister Fudge himself came to visit one summer night. "Cornelius! Remus! What a surprise!" And that wasn't a lie.

"Headmaster," Lupin nodded with a smile.

"Albus," Fudge said heartily.

"Lemon drop?" he offered, to which both visitors declined. "What brings you here?" he asked after the three got comfortable.

"Ah, I have a proposition for you," Fudge said seriously.

"What will it be?"

"So you see, the ministry had just employed a very special, talented young man, but he needed to get a mastery first before we officially employ him," Fudge nodded to Lupin, who smiled shyly.

"He requested for me to take him into a defense mastery, seeing that I have one myself." Dumbledore nodded, seeing where this was going.

"And you want him to assist you in this year's teaching, I assume?" he asked, looking from above the rim of his half moon glasses. Lupin nodded. "Well, I'll need to check on his background, and--"

"You wouldn't find much about him, I've tried," Fudge said with a slight grumble. "He's been homeschooled in the muggle world with his magical family. His guardians had recently died, and he had just taken his OWLs and NEWTs a few months ago. All we know is that he'd just turned 20 last January and that he's especially talented. His family was exiled a few generations ago and is not well-known in just about anywhere."

"Ah, but he is far too talented to just pass up?" Fudge usually wasn't one to see one for their talents, but it seems like this young man was an exception. As Fudge nodded, Dumbledore nodded jovially, in his mind, a plan evolving into something more, far more... A plan to manipulate such a strong ally... He didn't know whether or not it would be too much for him to chew, but if worse comes to worst, he'll have a backup plan... yes. If the best case scenario comes, though...

"I understand, I shall prepare a separate room for him," Dumbledore nodded.

"Thank you, Albus," Lupin said with a smile. He couldn't believe the Headmaster's kind heart, what with his other mission, to find Sirius Black... After all these years, too, he didn't know what had motivated him to actually escape Azkaban. And because of that mission, he'd also given the werewolf a guest room. Well, two guestrooms, in hopes that he could spend some time with Harry. He wasn't his godson, but he was his cub.

And Pack is the most valuable thing to him, and cubs are revered in one. His inner wolf had howled in joy when Dumbledore had sought him out, and he intended to follow his instincts this time.

"On another note, I might as well check on this apprentice's background," Dumbledore said, and Fudge sputtered and was about to say something when Dumbledore stopped him. "One can't be too careful, now can we?" Fudge understood the implications; when one is a little bit too unknown, no one would be able to know exactly what to expect. So when Dumbledore asked for his name, he gave it to him readily.

"His name's Thomas Eoin Marvolo."

Sirius Black was horrified...

... which is to put it lightly.

He knew how Voldemort smelled, his scent had been deeply ingrained in his mind the day the Potters died and Harry had vanquished him as a baby. He'd come to their safe house to find Hagrid taking baby Harry away, telling him that he will take Harry to Hogwarts so that the Headmaster would be able to check whether he was alright or not.

Which allowed him to make the decision to go and chase after Peter Pettigrew and leave Harry in the capable hands of Dumbledore. He'd planned on taking Harry to his and Remus' place after he was done with Peter but he didn't expect to get himself incarcerated. He'd been trying to get out of it since, and he'd found the perfect time to get out years ago. Now finding Harry was the difficult part.