Remus was sitting under a tree when Dumbledore came to visit him. This too was different than last time when Dumbledore had hunted him down and offered him the defense job. Remus rose and greeted him and Dumbledore smiled a warm real smile. He was happy to find Remus here and Harry too with a family that cared about him! He did not want to believe that the Dursleys hated Harry and he did not know fully how they had raised him. He would find out but not today, no today he had a job offer for Remus. Yes Severus was very upset that once more he was overlooked and a dangerous creature was to teach and he had made his feelings very clear to Dumbledore very nearly quitting. Yet he had not as who would take care of his Slytherins?
Discover moreFan fiction writingComicsMobile app marketingWatch Classic CartoonsStory writing softwareDumbledore as always needed a new defense professor and he had looked and looked but had not found anyone. He knew Severus would ask as he did each year and like each year he turned him down, he would never be able to find a potions master of his caliber to come and teach his students. Of course when Dumbledore brought up having Remus Lupin come teach and that he was going to find him and ask him to come Severus had exploded in rage. He screamed and ranted and raved and foamed even and swore he would quit but in the end he had come to Dumbledore and told him he had seen Remus with Harry Potter in Diagon Alley. That had led to Dumbledore tracking Remus down to Longbottom Lodge.
Discover moreBooksCartoonsCookiesWriting workshopsFan fiction forum"Hello Remus good to see you here." Dumbledore said taking out his lemon sweets. "Lemon sherbet?"
"No thank you headmaster, I am so very lucky to be here, madam Longbottom is a great woman." Remus replied, "she even allowed Harry to stay here."
"How is Harry?" Dumbledore asked.
"He was a bit quiet at first but he has started to open up, I have had to teach him about his place in the world as he did not know." Remus said, "but then I doubt he would have realized his father's place in the world. I am sure Lily did not tell her sister just who her husband was fully."
Discover moreFan merchandiseFan community platformMobile app developmentRead Graphic NovelsApp store optimization"No I am sure she did not, but I am here to offer you a job." Dumbledore said.
"History teacher?" Remus said his face brightening knowing that was not the job but playing along.
"No I need a defense teacher." Dumbledore said, "I know you would rather teach history but Binns will not leave and I don't have the heart to make him. You know a lot about defense, please say yes."
"I will come, but it is a hard job you ask, I know the role of the defense teacher, but I am sure you wanted someone who could help protect the school as well?" Remus said, "I want to speak to Severus, to let him know I will not let Black into the castle and will defend the school as best I can."
"He will come around." Dumbledore said.
"Well if he does not I cannot blame him, after what happened in our sixth year." Remus said, "he will make the Wolfsbane at least? I will pay him for it if he asks, in fact if he is at the school now I could come and speak to him?"
"Of course." Dumbledore said.
Remus was more nervous about this than anything. He knew Severus feared him and hated him, but if he could show Severus he was really on the side of light and good maybe he would not hate him so much. He let Mrs. Longbottom know where he was going and that he would be back later. Then he Apparated to Hogwarts with the headmaster. He looked up at the castle all kinds of emotions going through him, many happy wonderful memories, many sad as he remembered his lost friends. He walked up the path to the school and entered and realized Fate had it in for him as who should he run into but Severus Snape himself?
"Severus ah h-hello h-how are you?" Remus stammered out keeping his head lowered eyes down in sign of submission, he hoped Severus saw it for what it was.
"What is this mutt doing here headmaster?" Severus asked Dumbledore. "Had to rub it in did you?"
"Severus he needs to be here, he can help protect this school, I made a mistake with the last defense teachers but not this time."
"He is a monster headmaster!" Severus hissed.
"I promise to be good, please Severus give me a chance?" Remus pleaded.
"You step out of line wolf and I will have your transformed hide on my office floor!"
Now Severus had been having a good day, he had just finished up helping Poppy stock the infirmary as school began in five weeks. He could now work on his studies and such and he had even had been working with Hagrid on some wards around his hut against the Dementors. He was glad Hagrid had a wand, he knew Hagrid was a powerful wizard, he had managed spells with a broken wand for years (unofficially of course) and now with a new wand he was on par with any seventh year and had just finished his NEWTS. He was in fact forgetting one important thing, that of a certain werewolf coming to teach. He looked up and snarled as the werewolf came into the school and dared try to convince him he was submissive!
"Headmaster are you sure this is wise he is a friend of…"
"I am no friend of a traitor and murderer." Remus said, "I will not let Black get into this school Severus, I will take my job seriously. Which is why before I take this job there is something I must tell the headmaster."
"What could you possibly have of use to the headmaster?" Severus said coldly.
"Severus!" Dumbledore warned him.
"Well when I was at school we meaning James, Peter Sirius and I made a map as we learned a lot about the school. We found there are several tunnels out of the school. I can show you them and I think Filch would love to shut them up."
"Where is the map now?" Dumbledore asked.
"I don't know sir, and no Severus we did not use it all the time, you know the Ravenclaws would have figured out about the map if we used it all the time."
"I see you could do the defense job, however if you step out of line just once Remus I will beat you myself you understand?" Severus hissed.
"Severus!" Dumbledore said.
"No he has a right headmaster." Remus said, "if it makes him feel better he can keep me in line as he wishes. Um there is one more thing Severus, I am going to need Wolfsbane and I will pay you Severus, I mean I haven't money but if you need me to work for it I will."
"So you wish to make me look bad?" Severus said coldly, "make it out that you have to pay for a potion from me that you need?"
"Please let me Severus, I owe you for being a git in school." Remus said.
"Yes you do, however you will not pay for the Wolfsbane but if I wish to test improvements on it you will take them." Severus said. "You understand me?"
"Of course, of course Severus." Remus said, "I would say you are a kind caring wonderful man but something tells me that would ruin your reputation among the students."
"They would not believe you anyway Lupin," Severus said glaring at Remus, "I still hate you, you know."
"Yes I do." Remus said hoping it was not fully true.
Remus went over the school with Filch after that with Severus trailing behind his robes billowing about him like a small black storm. His thin lips were drawn into a line in his pale face and his black eyes glittered as he followed the pair. He watched as Remus levitated a rock or two here, locked a wall into place and strengthened the wards around windows, doors and the like. He even helped mend cracks in the walls and windows to the outside and when done Snape was impressed though he did not show it. At least they would have a defense teacher this year with brains.
"I saw you with Potter in Diagon Alley." Severus said when Remus had finished his work.
"He is staying with Neville this summer, I am tutoring both boys." Remus said, "they are smart, both just needed a fire lit under them as it were."
"Teaching them any of your special skills are you?" Severus said coldly.
"Well humor is needed Severus," at the look from Severus he added, "besides they promised to follow some basic rules."
"What rules could those be?"
"No pranking professors, no jokes that could harm that sort of thing." Remus said, "we don't need anyone hurt do we?"
"What you did in the Shrieking shack…"
"I knew nothing of it, if I had I would have not allowed it." Remus said, "turning your robes red that is funny, having you turned into my chew toy not funny." At the wince of Severus, "if it will make you feel better I can get a handgun and silver bullets."
"You are an animal Lupin, dangerous and the headmaster will see it was a mistake to hire you." Severus hissed.
"I promise not to harm anyone I would rather be dead than hurt a child, you know that." Remus said holding out his hand, "truce please?"
"Very well truce." Severus said.
"Oh brilliant!" Remus said and actually hugged Severus.
He realized that was a mistake as Severus threw him off him and chased him out of Hogwarts aiming stinging hexes at the werewolf. Remus did deserve it but the hug had been funny at the time but the stinging hexes? Not so much as Severus made sure they hit his rear causing him to yelp in pain. He wondered if Lily had taught him how to weld that hex well (it was her trademark hex in school and beyond) as he realized he was not going to be able to sit comfortably for quite a long time. He made it to the gates, bowed to Severus and Apparated back to Longbottom Lodge. Severus went back to the school and set up wards to keep a certain werewolf out of his dungeons so he could have some peace this year.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Harry could not believe how fun his summer had been. True he had spent most of it studying and true he had read lots of books with Hermione. Together they learned all about Wizarding world customs and social standings. They learned about the magical races and Hermione took to learning all about house elves. The book they read about these helpful creatures was written by an Australian who had spent a lot of time working with and learning about each different magical being. Hermione found that the house elves loved to serve, in fact if they did not have a family to serve they could die. However much of what was done in Europe regarding house elves was wrong, treating them like slaves was not the right way to go about things.
That was not all, when Ron had come back he had actually read the book on manners and loved shocking Fred and George with what he learned. He still did not know it was really Harry who had sent the book and Harry was thinking of not even telling him now. Ron's rat was not doing well as he was stressed (Remus knew why of course) and so Remus had on hearing this from Harry kindly offered a cage he had charmed to be nice and dark and warm for the rat as stage one of his plan on trapping Wormtail. Ron had not shown him the rat as it was Harry who gave him the cage and Remus had to wait to get the rat. Still this would help as it was charmed to give Scabbers aka Wormtail a sense of security and hopefully get him to let his guard down.
Now they were on the train headed back to Hogwarts with Neville sitting by them Trevor in his new wicker basket charmed to keep him in and keep him happy as it was charmed so that he could have soil and plants he liked from home. Hermione had got Crookshanks in Diagon Alley as both cat and girl had found they liked each other and Crookshanks chose her. Hedwig dozed in her cage and Harry pulled out a pack of exploding Snap cards.
"I still don't know why you got that thing." Ron grumbled looking over at Hermione who had a very contented Crookshanks on her lap. "It's a monster!"
"He is not, he is sweet!" Hermione said, "besides he cannot get to Scabbers he is safe in the cage professor Lupin gave Harry to give you."
"Professor Lupin is brilliant." Neville said from where he sat by the window. "He stayed with me this summer, helped me learn some new stuff, I can even do a Patronus Charm now, his way of teaching it can make the Patronus a spell most students could do third year and up!"
"So can I." Harry said then at the look from Ron, "hey you got to go to Egypt and I bet you got to see some cool stuff."
"I did, there were some places mum would not let Ginny go, mad if you ask me, there were just mutated skeletons and stuff." Ron said. "Then again it might have given her ideas, she is scary when she gets mad."
"I will remember not to get her mad then." Harry said.
"That is the wisest thing I have ever heard you say Harry." Remus said from the doorway, "mind if I join you?"
"No Remus, I mean professor Lupin," Harry said, "Ron this is Remus Lupin, Remus Lupin Ron Weasley."
"An honor to finally meet you." Remus said taking a seat and stifling a yawn as he was still tired from his change, "Harry has nothing but good things to say about you, how you came and rescued him last year and drove to school when you both missed the train last year."
"I almost got us expelled." Ron said turning a bit red, but you could tell he was pleased.
"Well you wanted to get to school, that is dedication, I am sure you will do great this year." Remus replied.
The teens would have found a professor sharing their compartment strange if they did not know Remus as well as they did. Ron soon warmed up to Remus and found he was a nice person, in fact he was very friendly and caring. Crookshanks even decided he liked Remus when Remus charmed his basket so that when the cat had to use it the basket was as comfortable as could be. Crookshanks took residence on Remus's lap and purred as Remus scratched his head in all the right places. Pretty soon though he fell asleep and the teens started to talk about their summer and what classes they would take once they got to school. Ron was surprised Harry would not be taking Divination instead taking ancient runes but he was pacified that Neville and Hermione would.
They woke Remus up in time for lunch, Neville pulled out a hamper of food to share and every one had quite the lunch. There were ham sandwiches, boiled eggs, cold chicken, treacle tart, chocolate cake, tea pumpkin juice and Coca Cola ™. They got sweets off the trolley and traded chocolate frog cards and played a few games of exploding snap. One of the highlights of the day came when the door to the compartment opened and Draco Malfoy looked in ready to cause trouble, that is until he saw Remus Lupin who woke from a doze to look up at the son of Lucius Malfoy. Draco stammered he had got the wrong compartment and fled with his friends. Harry just grinned at the look on Draco's face and shuffled the deck of cards and the teens went on with their game. A few hours later Harry looked up as the train slowed down and came to a stop.
"It's a bit early for us to be there." Harry said.
"You stay here, I am going to go have a word with the conductor." Remus said getting up, "wands out, be on the alert."
"There are people boarding the train." Neville said.
"You stay here," Remus said to the teens, "those are not people, they are Dementors from Azkaban, Harry, Neville, Hermione you know how to cast the Patronus."
"Yes sir." Neville replied looking a bit pale.
"Good, I am sorry Ron I could not teach you yet, but I will this year." Remus said, "I will be back, but take this and start eating it."
He handed each some chocolate and they did as he asked. He left and as soon as he did the lights went out. Harry felt scared, he knew what a Dementor was and what it could do and he did not want to face that. He cast the luminous spell and saw his friends looked just as scared. The door to the car opened and he saw a figure in rotting black robes enter the carriage.
"Sirius Black is not here." Neville said in a strange but strong voice, "go and leave us."
"What is that spell he taught you?" Ron asked weakly.
"Expecto Patronus." Harry said weakly as the world was starting to go black.
"Leave now!" Hermione said her wand pointed at the Dementor a fierce light in her eyes, "Expecto Patronus!"
A large silver otter burst from her wand and ran towards the Dementor and the Dementor glided away from the teens. Harry shook his head as if he had a fog in it and took a seat, he remembered Remus's lessons about eating chocolate after a Dementor attack and he did so eating several chocolate frogs. Remus came back and saw Ron looking at Hermione with awe and Harry calmly sitting chewing on chocolate.
"So what did I miss?" He asked.
"Hermione she cast a spell and this silver otter rushed the Dementor." Ron said.
"A full Patronus? Brilliant Hermione!" Remus said smiling, "against your first Dementor, you are indeed a very powerful witch Hermione."
"Thank you sir." Hermione replied beaming. "Harry and Neville were just about to cast theirs but I got to it first."
"I have to learn that spell, I really have to learn it." Ron said.
"You will, I promise you that." Remus said. "I have a new technique that seems to work for everyone I teach."
"I could not cast mine though." Harry said.
"That is because Hermione got to hers first." Neville replied.
"You should see Harry's, his is a stag." Hermione said.
"You can do fun things with them too, like annoy Percy." Harry said smirking trying to forget the horrors of the Dementor.
"Really you will have to show me that." Ron said perking up.
The train started back up and in short order came to the school. The four teens all got into a carriage together and went up to the castle in good spirits. Harry's mood was dampened as they went by the Dementors at the gate but Neville managed to cheer him up as they got to the castle. They got out of the carriages and entered the school only to be confronted right away by Draco Malfoy who looked as arrogant as ever. He had heard the rumors and wanted to know if they were true, a third year doing a Patronus charm? He was put out he had not learned that as of yet himself.
"So it true then?" He asked. "One of you cast a Patronus?"
"I did, Harry and Neville would have but I was too fast." Hermione replied.
"I don't believe Potter can cast a Patronus." Draco sneered.
"I can watch." Harry said taking out his wand.
He cast the spell and at once a large silver stag came out of his wand, now that there were no Dementors around he could do this easily. Draco stared wide-eyed as the stag walked around the hall gracefully. He was beautiful and it was a connection Harry had with his father, what he did not know was that all the male Potter's Patronus were stags and had been since Patronus were created. His was a five point and cheered up the hall quite a bit. That is until Severus Snape stepped up behind Harry and glared getting the hall to hush. Harry turned slowly but instead of scowling at Snape he did what Remus told him to do when meeting Snape, he grinned brightly at him. Severus glared down at him and Harry looked up at him innocently as he could.
"Spells in the entry hall Potter?" Severus said glaring at the boy for all he was worth.
"Well sir I wanted to cheer everyone up sir?" Harry replied, "Hermione chased a Dementor out of our compartment on the train it was brilliant sir, you should have been there."
"Get in the great hall now." Severus snarled.
"Yes sir!" Harry said cheerfully actually enjoying the look of puzzlement on Snape's face, this year was going to be fun! "I am so looking forward to potions this year, I have studied hard sir."
Ron was not sure what Harry was doing, he watched as Harry was so cheerful to Snape. Why was he so nice to Snape? Hermione on the other hand was pleased to see Harry being so polite and nice to Snape. Neville was smiling too, he was getting over his fear of Snape as he was doing as Remus taught him and picturing Snape in various outlandish costumes. All four friends took a seat at the Gryffindor table and the twins sat by them.
"Harry that was brilliant!" Fred said.
"Yes the Patronus was great but you completely bewildered our dear potions master!"
"Thanks guys, that was the idea." Harry said grinning.
"You are being nice to professor Snape to annoy him?" Hermione huffed.
"That is brilliant," Ron said, "hey if I did that he would really be annoyed right?"
"Yea and he could not take as many points!" Neville added.
"Harry you are brilliant." Ron said, "this year is going to be great."
Harry enjoyed the sorting this year and the feast and he knew he was going to have a great year. True he could not go to Hogsmeade and that was a definite down side to the year but on the plus side he could spend that time doing productive things. Planning pranks or studying as he knew he had a lot to learn, he grinned as he realized he was starting to be like Hermione in liking his studies and he found there really was nothing wrong with that at all. He was surprised after the feast when Hermione had to go see McGonagall but headed to the Gryffindor common room to play one last game of exploding Snap before heading to bed.