The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix - Part One

X: 1 September, 1993

"Welcome!" said Dumbledore, "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts!"

The headmaster stood at the edge of the plinth the staff tables were upon in the Great Hall of Hogwarts, and the lights of the floating candles overhead shimmered on his beard. Outside, there was a good deal of rain and thundering and above, the ceiling was overcast and dismally grey, reflecting the terrible weather outside, where the wind whistled and rattled the windows.

Remus stared at the table's wood grain, refusing to look up. On his way in, after bidding farewell to Professor McGonagall in the Entrance Hall, he'd passed the Gryffindor table and seen the Weasley boy, the bushy haired girl, and Harry Potter sitting on the benches, talking quietly. Remus didn't think he could stand setting his eyes upon Harry again - and he was already beginning to wonder how he would ever make it through the full term. He wondered whether anyone had ever been sacked so quickly as to be finished with their job at Hogwarts before the plates had even appeared at the tables for the Start of Term Feast. 

Albus Dumbledore adjusted his half-moon spectacles on his nose and smiled around at the students. "I have a few things to say to you all, and one of them is very... serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast."

Remus couldn't help it. He looked up at the side of Dumbledore's face. Was it his imagination, or had Albus paused there in the center of that sentence? Had his lip twitched on the sharp edge of amusement when he had spoken the word serious? Remus's stomach tightened into a knot. Surely, Dumbledore, of all people, would never turn this into a joking matter... But then, Dumbledore had always had an odd flair about him... but no... surely... Or could he? Could he have been playing the pun?

But as quickly as the little smirk had quivered across Dumbledore's lips, it was gone, replaced by a frown of disapproval.

Remus shook his head. Imagining things, he was... his head was buried too deeply in the past. Of course he would hear the pause that had always proceeded the word serious anytime it was spoken by any of his best mates. Of course he would. In his head, that's all it was. Just like every other bit of the ghost of Sirius Black.

"As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business. They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore continued, "and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not fooled by tricks or disguises - or even Invisibility Cloaks. It is not the nature of a dementor to understand pleading or excuses... I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you."

Remus nodded, his eyes slowly moving around the room, carefully avoiding the Gryffindor table. He knew all too well what the affects of a run-in with a dementor would look like, and how little they listened to pleading. He could still hear the begging and crying that had often plagued the wee nighttime hours with -- him -- after the dementor had taken root inside of him. He knew too well how a dementor could alter the mind and heart and soul of a man, twist him to become something so entirely, utterly different than what he'd always been... take the most loving man alive and make him into a traitor, a killer.

He'd been so entangled in his thoughts that Remus had missed a portion of Dumbledore's speech, and he was suddenly stirred to attention at the sound of his own name.

"I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year," Dumbledore announced. "First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

Remus's eyes were drawn to the crowd, where a smattering of unenthusiastic applause echoed about the four house tables, and he flushed a small bit, standing up as Dumbledore waved for him to do, wincing slightly at a pang that went up from his knee. Remus's eyes fell on Harry at the Gryffindor table. His heart clenched for when he spotted Harry, he saw the boy looking up at him with pride and respect, with enthusiasm, with joy. He was clapping, hard, and he smiled at Remus as he did.

Remus sat back down rather lamely and landed harder in his seat than he'd intended. He straightened his robes, shabby beside the other teacher's finery, and he swallowed hard, making sure his briefcase was still there by his feet, his hand clutching onto the worn, familiar leather, thumb running over the inscription of his name. James and Lily Potter were there with him now in more ways than one, Remus thought, stealing another glance at the wildly messy hair and round eyeglasses of their son, sitting just a few feet away.

When the feast had reached the conclusion, Remus gathered up his briefcase and tugged his robes closer 'round himself and snuck away, having only just barely touched his plate. He'd eaten so very little, a bit queasy from the moon cycle, but also having been so put off his guard by all the sightings of the miniature version of James Potter that he simply just wanted to go to bed and lay his head down on a pillow to sleep. He just hoped that sleep would not elude him long.

He was in the corridor, on his way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts wing, when a hand grabbed hold on his elbow and spun him 'round.

Cold, piercing black eyes stared into his.

"Severus," Remus said, his heart jumping into his throat for the depth of the loathing burning in Snape's glowering stare. "Hullo."

"What are you doing here?" Severus demanded, his voice low, menacingly so.

"I'm sure you heard in the Great Hall, if not before, when Dumbledore announced that I'd taken up the position for the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Remus tried to keep his voice steady, and his mind blocked -- he could feel Snape trying to press his way into Remus's mind.

Snape's mouth curved into a scowl. "I mean what are you really doing here?" he drawled darkly. "What are you doing here now?"

"As I've just said, I've taken up the position of --"

"Terribly convenient, isn't it, that you - of all people - are hired just as Certain People escape from Azkaban?" Severus's voice was a hiss like a snake.

Remus said, "Well, I will admit that Dumbledore did request my presence at the castle because of... the escape." He pulled his arm away from Snape's grasp, having just recalled that he was being held. "I would appreciate it if you would keep your hand off of me. My coat is dirty enough without you touching it."

Severus glowered all the harder. "Dumbledore doesn't think that you'd do anything to help Sirius Black along in his mission to kill Harry Potter, but if you think for even a moment that I am not onto your schemes, you are most certainly wrong. I trust you about as far as I could throw you."

"And I trust you even less than that, Severus," Remus murmured. "As though you give a damn about Harry Potter. Being a former Death Eater. Or is it former? Now that You Know Who has been seen again, have you reverted to your old ways?"

Severus's face turned even stonier. "I recommend, Mr. Lupin, that you keep your nose clean, if you know what's good for you."

Remus said darkly, "I recommend the same to you, Mr. Snape. Good night." With that, Remus turned and moved through the dark toward the living quarters that would now be his own, and he heard behind him the flapping of Snape's robes as he went off, bat-like, to whatever hole in dungeon he'd taken up for his own.