Chapter 198
Chapter 198
Night.
“Would you like a cup of tea, Remus?” Dumbledore regarded the rather uneasy man before him with a kindly expression.
“Anything will do, Professor.”
“Tea, then.” Dumbledore lightly snapped his fingers. A teapot, two empty cups and a dish of sugar cubes immediately appeared on the small round table between them.
“You still enjoy putting sugar in your tea.” Lupin accepted a cup that filled itself, took a sip and smiled.
Dumbledore lowered his head and tasted his own tea. His brow relaxed, and he smiled as he nodded.
“Old men tend to enjoy anything that makes life a little sweeter.”
“How does it feel to be back in the castle?”
“I could not ask for anything better.” Lupin nodded, rose and gave a slight bow, gratitude in his voice. “This place is full of memories. I have dreamt of returning here. Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity.”
“That is unnecessary, Remus.” Dumbledore waved a hand. “Is there anything we should note?”
“Black, he…” Lupin hesitated.
“He will come here.” Dumbledore nodded, his gaze grave. “A Muggle in one of the nearby villages saw him.”
“You were once the closest of friends. I hope…”
“I shall show no mercy if I encounter him.” Pain flashed through Lupin’s clouded eyes. “James and Lily trusted him so completely…”
Dumbledore sighed. “No, Remus. I hope you will help me watch over Harry. You know the prophecy. Voldemort chose him, and Voldemort’s followers believe the same.”
“Azkaban has been in turmoil since Black’s escape, consuming a great deal of the Ministry’s attention. You understand what that means…”
Lupin lowered his head and remained silent for a long while before nodding. “I understand.”
“What about the other boy?”
“Severus will teach him well,” Dumbledore said with a quiet laugh.
“Severus? Aren’t you afraid…” Lupin looked surprised, then seemed to remember something and smiled too.
“Of course. He will.”
…
A new week began, and Hermione once again vanished for long stretches of time.
Snape was in a dreadful mood. For several days, Suer prepared potion ingredients while trembling beneath the professor’s icy presence.
Suer knew the reason perfectly well. It was a pity that no one had photographed Professor Snape in a lace-trimmed dress with a little pearl handbag.
Under the circumstances, Suer naturally cancelled their training on his own authority.
One could easily imagine Snape taking out his temper upon him.
Hagrid ran into trouble. Officials from the Ministry of Magic arrived over the weekend and took him away.
“That great oaf isn’t coming back.” A certain Slytherin still wore bandages, with one white end protruding from the collar of his robes. He boasted smugly in the Great Hall, “My father will teach him a proper lesson.”
Whenever that particular Slytherin was present, Harry and Ron were never far away.
“Hermione, don’t forget.” Suer ignored Harry and Ron baring their teeth towards the Slytherin table. He knew Hagrid would be safe. Hermione’s recording orb was enough to prove that Hagrid had repeatedly warned the class about the danger. As their teacher, he had fulfilled his duty.
Suer already possessed the two decisive pieces of evidence. At the critical moment, they would turn the situation around.
The most important matter now was the first full moon of the school year.
It would arrive during the second weekend after term began.
“The full moon is this Friday night. You can begin then.”
“All right.” Hermione nodded, excitement flashing in her eyes. She had prepared for this for a long time.
“I’ve already thought of a place where you can brew the potion. What about Hagrid’s teaching area? There is a small clearing behind it, and no one but Hagrid ever goes there. As long as we conceal it properly, even he won’t notice.”
Suer carefully explained his arrangements to Hermione while Ron and Harry continued indignantly defending Hagrid.
“Hagrid!” Ron suddenly shouted, interrupting Suer.
Hagrid, the Care of Magical Creatures professor whom Malfoy claimed would be tried for injuring a student and sent to Azkaban, was walking through the doors of the Great Hall.
Malfoy’s smile vanished, his mouth turning down unmistakably.
Harry, meanwhile, was already beaming at Hagrid as he approached.
“Malfoy said the Ministry summoned you!” Harry called loudly, glancing towards the Slytherin table. Malfoy’s face had turned thoroughly sour.
“What could happen to me?” Hagrid strode up to them. “You helped me enormously. The Ministry let me go as soon as they saw that evidence. The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures gave me only a warning, but…”
Hagrid stopped himself. Harry immediately pressed, “But what?”
A bitter expression crossed Hagrid’s face. He shook his head. “Nothing. I’ve prepared the next lesson. I’ll see you then. I have something to do, so we’ll talk later.”
Harry stared in confusion as Hagrid’s moleskin coat receded into the distance. Ron was already shouting taunts towards Slytherin.
“I knew the Ministry wasn’t Malfoy’s private kingdom. Everyone can see the truth.”
Suer shook his head. He decided to visit Hagrid after his afternoon lesson. He could probably guess what lay behind that “but”.
“Let’s continue, Hermione.”
…
That afternoon, after a sleep-inducing History of Magic lesson, Suer parted from his roommates and went to Hagrid’s hut. Hagrid sat inside with a cup beside him still one-third full of drink, looking utterly dejected.
Drinking in the middle of the day. Suer shook his head and knocked firmly upon the half-closed wooden door.
“What’s wrong, Hagrid?”
Suer used both hands to fend off Fang’s welcoming tongue. Hagrid raised his head blankly towards the doorway, white foam from the drink clinging to his beard.
It took him a long moment to realise who had arrived.
“How are you, Suer?”
“I’m well, but you don’t look particularly good.” Suer wiped Fang’s slobber onto the dog’s coat and shook his hand dry.
“Me? I’m fine.” Hagrid shook his head, trying to clear it.
“Hmm. Let me guess–Buckbeak?”
“How did you know?” Hagrid’s eyes widened, surprise in his voice.
“Was it difficult to guess? Malfoy practically told everyone what happened. His father must have approached a great many people.” Suer raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, you’re right. Nothing happened to me, but Buckbeak might…” Hagrid said sadly. “I raised that creature from this small to full size…”
Hagrid stopped halfway through and raised his head, his eyes becoming enormous. Merlin, what was he seeing? Suer had taken two orbs from his pocket.
“Things may not be quite so hopeless.” Suer smiled at Hagrid.