Professor Lupin's Apprentice

XI: So Help Me, Dog!

I ripped open the letter.

Dear Miss Rhoades,

I have written to Professor Lupin, telling him I would eventually be writing you, as well. No doubt by now he has told you all about Hogwarts and the special charm I had to place on the castle to prevent you, in particular, from seeing it.

"What's this about a special charm?" I asked.

"Well," Remus replied, "I said before the castle was charmed against Muggles seeing it."

"Why did he need a special charm for me?"

"I would have thought that was obvious ... You aren't a Muggle."

"I'm not?"

"No, love, you aren't. It was still the same principle, although I knew your concentration would defeat it. But let's not tell the headmaster we know that. Agreed?"

I nodded, smiling, and continued reading.

I would like to see the two of you in my office at Hogwarts at your earliest convenience in order to discuss your belated admission. Enclosed is a list of supplies you will need, should you decide to enrol. Professor Lupin will, I'm sure, be kind enough to help you purchase these supplies.

I am looking forward to speaking to you both.

Sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry

"So," Remus asked when I'd finished, "do you want to go to Hogwarts?"

"Do I?" I asked. "Of course I want to go! I've been waiting to do something like this my entire life!"

He looked a touch wounded. "I'm not a good enough teacher for you, then?"

"Oh, Remus, you're an excellent teacher, but you know you can't teach me everything."

With a nod, he patted my leg. "Well, we'll need to go to London to buy your supplies."

"I suppose they have everything in London, then," I said, looking over the list.

"If one knows where to look," he said with a wry grin. "Do you want to talk to Dumbledore first, or go to London?"

"Let's talk to Dumbledore first," I said. "I think I'd very much like to meet him."

"You'll want lunch before we go."

"Yes, that's probably a good idea. I'm famished."

After dressing and going downstairs, we had a hasty lunch. I was disappointed when Remus told me we couldn't merely Apparate to Hogwarts, as I couldn't Apparate without a licence—besides not knowing how—and the charms on the school grounds prevented that. So we drove as far as we could without attracting too much attention and walked the remainder of the way. As we walked, he gave me some general information about the school, the professors, the classes, the grounds, and the Houses—mentioning that almost all those who embraced the Dark Arts were from Slytherin House.

We passed several students in the Entrance Hall, most of whom regarded Remus with fear. One boy, however—whose hair was so light blond it was almost silver, and whom two thuggish-looking boys flanked—openly sneered. Remus had explained werewolves were considered an abomination by wizarding folk, so I was prepared for adverse reactions. Despite this, I found myself badly wanting to slap the blond boy.

"Werewolves and Mudbloods," he drawled. "They'll let anyone in these days."

I shot him a murderous glare.

Headmaster Dumbledore's office was well hidden, but Remus seemed to know the way. We walked toward a stone gargoyle in the middle of a hallway, which Remus approached.

"Bubbling butterbeer," he said.

The gargoyle came to life and jumped aside, revealing a secret passage. Behind this was a spiral stone staircase that revolved slowly upward. Up the staircase we went, stopping outside a polished oak door with a large brass knocker. The door stood open, revealing a circular office. An old man with long silver hair, a long silver beard, and half-moon shaped spectacles sat at the desk within. When Remus knocked on the door, the headmaster looked up. At this point, I didn't know him well enough to read his expressions well, but he took in Remus' appearance with what looked like a twinge of alarm. Then his knitted brows relaxed.

"Ah, the moon was full last night, wasn't it?" he asked.

"Yes," I answered.

Dumbledore turned his gaze on me, then back to Remus. "I'm glad you've told her. That will make my explanations simpler."

"I didn't tell her, actually," Remus answered, after either coughing or clearing his throat. I'm not quite sure which. "She discovered it on her own."

"I thought as much," the headmaster said softly. I was about to ask him what he meant, when he stood and crossed the room, shaking Remus' hand warmly. "Apart from post-transformation exhaustion, you're looking well."

"Thank you, Albus," Remus said. "Melinda's been taking good care of me."

I smiled, thinking of how he always told me not to fuss.

"Any wedding plans in the near future?" the headmaster asked then, with a distinct twinkle in his eyes.

Remus and I both blushed and shrugged simultaneously.

"We haven't discussed marriage," Remus said, finally. I was a little saddened when he said this, almost as if he'd never considered the possibility. When he added, "We've had too many other topics to cover lately," my mood improved instantly.

"Well, Miss Rhoades," the headmaster continued, "I'm pleased to meet you finally."

"Likewise," I said, shaking his outstretched hand.

"Pray take a seat," Dumbledore said, ushering us both into chairs and seating himself behind the desk. "Remus has kept me apprised of your progress, Miss Rhoades, and I'm hoping you will seriously consider attending Hogwarts. I know you are somewhat ... older ... than the remainder of our students, but this need not affect your attendance."

"Can I ask you something, Headmaster?" I asked.

"You appear to be perfectly capable of doing so," he answered, and my eyebrows rose. "But if you have another question, I will answer it if I am able."

"If I'm a witch, why wasn't I asked to attend before, when I was the right age?"

"Yes, why wasn't she, Albus?" Remus asked, adorably puzzled.

"There are two reasons. First, I thought you might be able to accept Remus' ... condition ... better if you came to know about it from the viewpoint of a Muggle, since wizards and witches are a highly superstitious lot. You were Muggle-born, so you would have no such prejudices. In fact, Muggles tend to find lycanthropy fascinating, at least in theory. I think Remus can tell you the second reason."

"No, you have me at a loss, I'm afraid," Remus said, after a moment's thought accompanied by scratching his head.

Professor Dumbledore smiled slyly. "My dear boy, it would have been entirely too dangerous if I'd let this girl come to school with you at Hogwarts. I couldn't take that chance."

"You took every precaution you possibly could with me," Remus answered. "Why would Melinda's presence make me any more dangerous?"

"Think for a moment, Remus. You are thirty-six; she is thirty-two. You would have been a 5th year when she arrived."

Remus shrugged. "So?"

"Has love dulled your intellect?" The old man's eyes twinkled as Remus blushed. "She would have been eleven when she arrived ... still living with her parents ... And you were in possession of a rather interesting map..."

Remus gasped, his eyes growing wide. "You knew about the Maraud—"

The headmaster nodded. "I was quite impressed, as well. Have I mentioned that before? No, I suppose I haven't. Anyhow, there is little that goes on inside Hogwarts—or outside of it, for that matter—that I don't know about."

"I'm sorry, Albus," Remus said, hanging his head. "I betrayed your trust."

The old man turned toward me. "He's always been too hard on himself." When Remus looked surprised, Dumbledore continued. "If I thought there were any danger, I would have put a stop to your nocturnal wanderings. But I knew Padfoot and Prongs would keep you well in check."

"Then you know everything?" Remus asked.

"I do," Dumbledore replied.

"Are Padfoot and Prongs Sirius and James?" I asked.

Remus nodded. "Their monikers derived from the animals they became—Sirius was a grim, and James was a stag. My nickname was Moony, for obvious reasons."

"You were in good hands," Dumbledore continued. "And I placed a charm on the doors to keep the other students inside whilst you were outside. I knew your life in later years was going to be difficult enough, Remus. I had no wish to deny you as much enjoyment as you could possibly have during your childhood."

"I am eternally grateful, Albus ... But I still don't understand why it would have been dangerous for Melinda and I to be at school together."

"Then it appears yet again I know you better than you know yourself."

Remus thought for a moment, and then his jaw dropped. "Are you suggesting—?"

Dumbledore nodded solemnly. "I am, Remus. They were hardly innocent, but I certainly didn't want to see you end up before the Committee."

"I'm afraid I don't follow," I interjected.

Remus turned to me. "He's saying, if we'd become close at school, eventually you would have confided your situation to me. And I, acting the part of the white knight, would have killed your abusive parents—in wolf form, of course."

"Without a moment's hesitation, I imagine," Dumbledore added. He then turned to me again. "Whatever he did as a wolf, however, he would be punished for as a man. An unfortunate situation, of course, but the world is full of unfortunate situations."

"Still, sixteen-year-old boys do not normally spend a great deal of time with eleven-year-old girls," Remus said. "How did you know she and I would even become close?"

"That was obvious. The same way I knew Lily and James were made for each other before I ever sent owls to them. And I was correct, because the two of you found one another anyhow. Each of you has been seeking the other since the moment you were born. And each of you resigned yourselves to spending your lives alone, didn't you? Lone wolves, if you'll pardon the expression." Dumbledore's smirk was nearly hidden under his beard.

"I think I will ... just this once," Remus said. "But why not simply cast a charm to keep us from noticing one another?"

"I fear that wouldn't work either," Dumbledore said. "There are only two things magic cannot conquer. One is death; the other is love." The headmaster turned back to me. "I hope you will forgive me, dear lady. Since I couldn't have the two of you here together, I had to choose one of you. I chose Remus because I knew his life would only become worse as the years wore on, whilst yours would only become better."

"Certainly I forgive you, Headmaster," I said. "You were only trying to protect Remus, as I have, and I expect it was a difficult decision to make."

The old man nodded. "One of the most agonising choices with which I've ever been confronted. I didn't want to see talents like either of yours wither on the vine. But, since you live so near Hogwarts, I see no reason why you cannot begin your studies immediately.

"I am bending a few rules, of course, to allow you to enrol, but as Remus here will tell you, I never mind bending the rules when the cause is good. In fact, I normally cannot resist." He chuckled quietly. "We are only two days into the new term, but you've already missed quite a few classes. Nevertheless, with Remus' help, I'm sure you'll be able to catch up. If I know Remus at all, I suspect you're already ahead of the other students. The only important thing you've missed is the Sorting Ceremony, but we can take care of that."

"The Sorting Ceremony?" I asked.

"To tell you which House you'll be in," Remus said.

"Just a formality," Dumbledore added, "since you won't be living in the Houses, and I doubt you'll be going in for the Quidditch team. But you need to be Sorted to determine your schedule, as all first-years in the same House take their classes together."

Remus and I stood as the headmaster walked across the room toward a battered old witch's hat sitting on a stool. When he touched the hat, it came to life. Two bumps on its surface blinked open into eyes and a tear above the brim cracked into a yawn.

"Is it that time again already?" the Hat asked sleepily. Then it suddenly looked alarmed. "I haven't prepared my song yet!"

"That's quite all right," Dumbledore assured. "This is a private audience. We have a straggler this year."

"Well, well," the Hat said, regarding me. "I'll just have to improvise." If the Sorting Hat had hands, I'm sure it would have been rubbing them together at this point. It cleared its ... throat ... and began to sing:

What's this that I behold?
She looks a little old.
Dumbledore's condoled,
And he would not be consoled.

Your skills he has extolled.
And now you've been cajoled
To come into our fold.
You've crossed the great threshold.

Your fate is not foretold
But now that you've enrolled,
Your mind must be patrolled
That your future may unfold.

After I have trolled,
Your head will I enfold,
And at last you will be told
To which House will you be doled.

"Very good," Dumbledore said, clapping politely and then lifting the Hat by its point.

"Thank you, Headmaster," the Hat replied. "I was a bit impressed myself."

"Now, Miss Rhoades," the old man continued, "if you will kindly sit here, we'll find out where you belong."

Remus watched expectantly as I settled on the stool and Dumbledore placed the Hat on my head.

"Hmmm," the Hat said. It sounded as if it were whispering in my ear. "Well, you have a lot of messy stuff in here. Something of a mire. Not as bad as some I've seen, but much worse than most."

Tell me something I don't know, I thought. I've had to live in here for thirty-two years.

"Quite right, quite right. Well, you've been through a lot, and that isn't going to change you know. Of course, I don't have to tell you that, either. After all, you're in love with a werewolf!" The Hat broke into a fit of laughter at its own joke.

Um, whenever you're finished ridiculing my boyfriend, I'm ready to be Sorted.

"Oh, sorry about that. I don't get to converse with adults very often, you know. Well, you're a survivor, in more ways than one. You fit three of the four Houses down to the ground, you know. Courageous, loyal, clever ... but not ambitious at all. That's probably best, though. Remus would have a conniption if you ended up in Slytherin House, wouldn't he?"

I imagine he would.

"I don't know. What do you think?"

Aren't you supposed to tell me? You are the Sorting Hat, aren't you?

"If you get snippy with me, young lady, I'll put you in Slytherin!"

Sorry.

"You wouldn't be at your best either if you were woken up from your nap three hundred and sixty-two days too early, you know."

I said I was sorry.

"Oh ... Apology accepted, then ... Where would you like to go?"

Personally I don't care, as long as it isn't Slytherin.

"Don't want to go into Gryffindor, since Remus was there?"

Not if that isn't where I belong. I love Remus, but I wouldn't follow him off a cliff.

"Are you sure about that?"

What?

"I'm getting side-tracked again. I know you're brave because of that time you stood up to your father ... Only thirteen and you managed to hold off a grown man. Impressive."

I did what I had to do.

"That's what they all say ... Oh, I think I've finally got it."

Where?

"No, 'What?' would be the correct question. In case this clinches it, I should probably tell you something first."

What?

"Keep in mind that as long as he's taking his potion, Remus will never hurt you."

I know that.

"You may know that, but he doesn't."

How do you know?

"I was inside his head at one time, too. Now, pick a number between one and ten."

Five.

"Damn! All right, it looks like you need to be in..."

Yes?

"GRYFFINDOR!" The Sorting Hat said the House name aloud.

"Finally," I said, taking the Hat off and rising. "I didn't think it was ever going to make up its mind."

"Some students are more challenging than others," Dumbledore said. As he laid the Hat on the stool, it began to snore softly. "I remember the Hat had a time with Harry Potter, too," the headmaster said, returning to his desk. "Of course, I think it was just teasing the boy." Dumbledore opened a drawer and pulled out a sheet of parchment. "Well ... He's your Gryffindor class schedule, and I suppose we'll see you first thing Monday morning, Miss Rhoades?"

"I suppose so," I said.

"Would you like to give her a tour?" Dumbledore asked, looking at Remus and smiling. Remus looked slightly alarmed at the suggestion, but the headmaster added, "As it is Saturday, most of the staff are in Hogsmeade, but those who remain know you have my full permission to be on the premises."

"In that case, it would be my honour," Remus answered, putting his hand to his chest and bowing slightly.

As we started out the door, Dumbledore called after us. "Just the standard corridors, if you please."

Remus grinned.