CURSES AND CANDIES - REMUS LUPIN

𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑟𝑡𝑦 𝑠𝑖𝑥.

The instant the door was shut, the four students felt outnumbered by the six Ministry workers standing in front of them. Usually, the government wouldn't be threatening thing, but ever since Voldemort started ordering his Death Eaters that already worked there to put their coworkers under the Imperius Curse, they could no longer be trusted as the 'good guys.'

There was no telling if any of the officials standing in front of them were acting on their own accord, or if they had been cursed like Hollis. For all the sixth years knew, they could be Death Eater spies sent in to check why Evans had failed his mission.

But, even were if they were completely in their own state of mind, these six particular men didn't seem like the kind of people who held any sympathy for the teenagers in front of them. All they seemed to care about was getting the information out of them and punish people, an odd sort of greed for knowledge to be turned against them.

Minks turned away from the door with a calm smile and towards the standing boys and girl slowly. 

"As I previously mentioned, all we're going to be doing here is figure out exactly what happened last night," he said with an annoyingly patronizing tone as if he was talking to a bunch of toddlers. "Please sit down."

Flicking his wand, the man made the four seats slide underneath the students, all still in their uniforms. 

"Sit."

Slowly, James was the first to sit down. Not because he wanted to obey Minks, just because he had no desire to make things any harder than they had to be for Hollis. And he knew there was zero chance she was going to be seated first.

Seeing James, Remus and Sirius followed, and Hollis was last, still staring daggers at the man. Although she was in a weakened state, that in no way meant she was weak. 

"Why are they here?" she asked, gripping the wooden armrest tightly as she nodded her head at the other Ministry workers. "If all you're going to do is ask some questions?"

She was smarter than he had anticipated, especially after just breaking free from a very powerful curse.

"Because if it's for intimidation, they might as well just leave," Hollis finished firmly, her eyes blazing.

It was one of the most comforting things in the world for the three boys to see their friend back to telling off adults and fighting through the pain with those flames in her brown irises. 

Minks flicked his wrist at the five tall men.

"You heard the girl," he said, and they exited, much to the student's satisfaction.

"Hollis," Remus said quickly before Minks could start talking again. "Her name is Hollis."

Teenagers were getting far too bold for their own good during these times.

"And why is the Ministry getting involved?" Sirius asked. "Shouldn't it just be Dumbledore, not you?"

His tone of disgust was not unnoticed by any of them.

"Because when it comes to matters such as the Imperius Curse, we tend to want to take a look ourselves."

All four of them tensed up at his knowledge.

"But how-" James started, not understanding how he could know and their headmaster not.

"This Ministry has its ways, Mr. Potter," Minks said. "And yes, we have also taken the effort to record all of your names along with this incident."

Sirius swallowed forcefully, and Hollis's knuckles started to turn white from gripping the oak armrests so tightly.

"But as I mentioned earlier," he continued with a false smile. "If you have nothing to hide, then there is nothing to worry about."