“Oi! Wake up!” Ron yelled, kicking Harry’s bedpost extremely hard and then howling in pain.
Harry woke up with a start as Neville fell over the side of his bed, laughing at Ron’s misfortune.
“It’s about time!” Ron cried out after shouting a string of curses. He grabbed his bag and mumbled something about breakfast that Harry did not catch. No sooner had Harry put his glasses on, than Ron was heading down the stairs leading out of the boy’s dormitory.
“Had a nice sleep?” Neville asked congenially enough.
“It was alright,” Harry told him, stifling a yawn.
“Not going back to bed are you?” Neville said, eyeing him with great suspicion.
“I’m up,” Harry assured him.
“Good, because if Ron finds you sleeping again when he returns I’m afraid he’ll be more inclined to kick you than the bed.”
Harry grinned as Neville grabbed his school bag and hurried after Ron. He lazily fell back onto his pillow and thought back to the previous night. He and Ginny had spoken for hours on end about various subjects: her upcoming O.W.L.S., Gryffindor’s chances for the quidditch cup, the many complicated relationships of those around them, who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher could be, how long Hagrid was going to stay, what he was doing with the giants, and when Charlie would be back at Hogwarts to mess with Malfoy again.
He let his imagination return to the day he had been kissing Ginny, only this time there was no Hermione to interrupt, and snuggled further into his bedcovers. With an unholy BANG the door of his dorm room flew open and a demented looking Ron crossed the threshold pointing his wand menacingly at where Harry was still lying in bed.
“I’m up!” Harry yelled, afraid that his friend would, as Neville forewarned, do something rash. He clumsily jumped from the bed and got caught up in his blanket. It coiled around his feet sending him crashing to the floor where he shot the still looming Ron a hesitant smile. Ron, however, looked to have had enough of Harry to last a lifetime. He doused him in ice cold water using the charm Flitwick had taught them earlier that year. He left Harry struggling on the ground and headed off to the common room where Hermione was waiting.
“Well?” Hermione asked in amusement.
“He’s definitely awake now,” Ron told her with a smug smile.
“It’s about time,” Hermione sighed, “We’re already late for breakfast as is. I don’t want to be the last one in Defense Against the Dark Arts or the new professor won’t think very highly of us.”
“Is Ginny up yet?” Ron asked begrudgingly massaging his tummy which was demanding nourishment.
“Now she is,” Hermione told him with a sly look over her shoulder at the door where the girl’s common room stood. “I gave Pig a ditzy blitz and left him in the room with her.”
Ron chuckled as he and Hermione headed off to breakfast, he never knew his girlfriend had such a sadistic side…but he liked it.
Harry and Ron took their usual seats for Defense Against the Dark Arts while Hermione and Ginny elected to sit to the front of them room.
“I don’t understand what they’re so nervous about,” Ron grumbled, simultaneously taking out his textbook and laying it on his desk.
Harry could see that Ron, too, was apprehensive, though they were both trying to mask their anxiety. He took a moment to consider the wild possibility that Dumbledore may not have found a new teacher. Would they be forced to take end of the year examinations if that was the case? Ron gave a disgruntled look at the door and Harry followed his gaze to see what had caused it. Dean and Seamus were entering the room. Harry turned his gaze away when he noticed that people were now staring at him and Dean. Perhaps they were hoping for a re-match, but Harry was not going to oblige. It seemed that Dean was also not fond of that prospective, he quickly took his seat and looked intently into his textbook.
Warily, Harry ventured a gaze in Ginny’s direction. She had not broken her flow of dialogue with Hermione and did not look as though she would do so anytime soon.
“Shouldn’t the new professor be here by now?” Draco was saying loudly to Pansy Parkinson as he stretched out his arms and yawned. “I wonder what halfwit Dumbledore’s got in store for us now,” he continued, seeing that he had captured the attention of the entire class.
It was in that moment that Harry realized that the Slytherin’s had been unnaturally noncommittal about his fight with Dean. As he began to wonder why that was the doors of the classroom blew open and the billowing ropes of their new professor pushed all thoughts out of his mind. They had a frayed and tattered look that was somehow reminiscent as the new professor dashed by their desks and moved to the front of the room. Harry caught Ron’s stunned gaze before returning his attention to where the professor was now laying his bag and rifling through some papers. When he turned to face them with the attendance sheet there was no denying who the new professor was.
“Professor Lupin!” Parvati confirmed who it was with a look of relieved awe.
“Yes Ms. Patil?” Lupin responded shortly.
“You’re back!” Lavender spoke up in an extremely pleased tone.
“So it seems,” Lupin nodded and began taking attendance as everyone broke out in excited whispers.
Even the Slytherin’s took this new event in stride and Harry wondered once more why they were all acting so amiable. As Lavender waved happily at Lupin when her name was called Harry shot a glance at Hermione and Ginny. They looked as shocked and confused as he felt. When Lupin called “Granger, Hermione” Harry took the opportunity to give him a through once-over. If possible, Lupin looked shabbier than ever before. Harry would have bet all the money in his Gringotts account that Lupin had only just come out of hiding. His face looked whiter than ever and stretched like taunt wax over his skeletal features. Only his eyes remained the same as the last time Harry had seen them, angry and extremely hurt. He had an unearthly look about him.
It took Ron elbowing him hard in the ribs before Harry noticed that Lupin had skipped his name. When he called “Weasley, Ginny” and “Weasley, Ronald” Harry knew that it had been intentional.
“Now that everyone’s been accounted for,” Lupin said in somewhat of a gruff manner, “break off into pair’s and continue practicing Volcency and Occlumency.”
They all rushed to do as they were bidden and Lupin walked around the room scrutinizing their efforts. Harry tried to keep his mind on the task at hand but soon found the comments that Lupin was making to the Slytherin’s much too distracting. Every now and then he would stop to compliment the Slytherin’s on the progress they were making, though he had few words of encouragement for the Gryffindor’s. The idea the Lupin was showing favoritism was laughable in Harry’s opinion, so he could conclude only one thing: The SSS was now working on Volcency and Occlumency. Harry felt slightly flushed when he realized that the DA had fallen behind their opposition in training. There was no way he could teach the DA Volcency, as he had not mastered the subject himself, but he resolved to ask Ginny if she would be up to the task.
Time passed by slowly and Harry was painfully aware that Lupin was going to great lengths to ignore his existence. Admittedly, this worked to his benefit as both he and Ron were unable to focus on their assignment, but a pang of remorse ate away at him. Perhaps Lupin had not received the letter of apology he had sent him. He did not share this thought with Ron because he had not told him or Hermione about the letter. It was on a mere whim that he had taken Hagrid’s advice and sent a short and somewhat contrived apology to Lupin.
“Alright,” Lupin’s voice from the front of the room broke into his thoughts, “we’re done for the day and you are free to go.”
The Slytherin’s seemed particularly eager to go, though surprisingly they were not wearing sneers on their faces, but rather proud grins.
“Ms. Weasley, if I could have a moment.” Lupin said as Ginny and Hermione slowly began to collect their things.
From Harry’s perspective, it looked like neither Ginny nor Hermione had any plans to leave the classroom before talking to Lupin anyhow. Hermione sat down in her seat and in a sort of nervous action began twirling her hair between her fingers. Ron gave him a slight shove waking him up to the fact that he had not gotten his things together. Instead of doing so, Harry marched right up to the front of the class determined to talk to Lupin once and for all.
“…tomorrow afternoon at four…” was all Harry caught of what Lupin was saying to Ginny, he had stopped mid-sentence when he noticed that Harry had approached them.
“It’s Dumbledore’s order that she continue her Volcency lessons,” Lupin told him in a tone that did not bear argument.
“I know,” Harry replied instantly. He was fully aware that Lupin had misinterpreted his reason for coming to speak to him.
“Then I’ll have no argument about it,” Lupin said in a hurried nervousness.
Harry could feel Ginny and Hermione looking at him with pleading eyes as Lupin quickly got his things together and prepared to leave. As he stood up Harry felt the urgency to say something.
“Did you get my note?” Harry asked in somewhat of a soft tone. He was certain that Lupin heard him, for he froze and looked down onto his empty desktop in a melancholy way. Earlier, Harry had dismissed the thought that Lupin had not gotten his note because Hedwig had never failed him…but now, the possibility came crashing down realer than ever before.
“I said I’m sorry in it,” Harry told him without delay. When Lupin continued to stare off into space Harry felt plagued as though bricks were settling into the pit of his stomach one-by-one.
“He was just mad,” Ginny said, looking hopefully from Harry to Lupin.
“He didn’t mean any of it,” Hermione said simultaneously.
Harry felt Ron come to stand by him but didn’t take his eyes off Lupin.
“What more do you need?” Ron’s annoyed voice confirmed that he was standing to the right of Harry, “We’re all really sorry about what happened that day.”
They all looked hesitantly at each other, unsure of what to do, when Lupin finally spoke.
“It’s not you,” Lupin said in a hallow sort of way, “this is entirely my fault.”
As Lupin collapsed back into his seat Harry felt as though the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders.
“It’s not your fault,” he reassured Lupin, “I just got hot-headed...”
“No,” Lupin replied harshly, like a man full of self-hatred and loathing. “You were right, I used Ginny. I didn’t think about the consequences. It never occurred to me that I was putting her in harms way.”
“It’s ok,” Ginny broke in.
“It’s not ok,” Lupin said, slamming the desktop with his hand. “I should have said something. I should have told you about Gaia. I should have mentioned my suspicions about Lily. I should have…”
Harry watched as Lupin shook his head dejectedly in his own hands.
“Who found you?” Harry asked, hoping to get Lupin out of his miserable mood.
“Tonks,” Lupin said woefully.
Ron’s eyes became round as saucers as he signaled to Harry that this was probably the cause of Lupin’s anguish. Harry looked to Hermione for some sort of advice on how to tackle this difficult terrain, but she merely shrugged her shoulders. As he cast Ginny a glance he was hit by her strange look. It was as though someone had bleached her face entirely white save for her eyes, they were stinging with tears that she was fiercely holding back. Judging by her appearance, Harry guessed that Lupin would not be able to share how Tonks had reacted when she found him. He was slightly grateful for this, as it seemed to be a rather sensitive topic that guys did not discuss.
“How did you get to school?”
Harry felt a wave of relief when Ron changed the subject.
“I came yesterday,” Lupin told them still wearing a haunted look in his eyes, “I asked Dumbledore for the job and he gave it to me.”
Harry and Ron shared an inquisitive look.
“Why?” Harry finally asked.
“To make things right,” Lupin answered promptly.
“We’re going to be late for class,” Hermione announced tentatively and Lupin looked up at her with a grin.
“You had better get a move on,” Lupin told them, coming out of his shell a little.
“Go on,” he reassured them. “You can’t afford any more detentions from what I hear,” Lupin said with a genuine smile as he got up from the desk and walked them out of the room, giving Harry a knowing pat on the back.