BLACK HOLE SUN, oliver wood

Chapter 6

6.
The Low Hanging Fruit

THE second class starts, it's chaos. Early in the morning, Remus is met with the cries of thirteen years demanding that they never be left with Snape again, proclaiming him as the worst Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher they've ever had the misfortune of having (and they were taught by Lockhart, as Seamus reminds him). He listens patiently because they seem genuinely upset and he doesn't want to make them feel unheard. But he doubts, even if he wanted to, he wouldn't have a chance to speak over them.

"We don't know anything about werewolves!" One student calls out, high above the rest. It's the first insight Remus has been given into what exactly Snape taught them — as both he and the Potions master have been avoiding one another since the full moon — and the revelation rolls over him like a cold shower. The choice to skip ahead to the very affliction that caused him to be absent from the class feels like a pointed jab, a threat. As more information on the lesson is revealed, it starts to feel even more nefarious.

Two rolls of parchment worth of information on how to spot and kill a werewolf. That had been Snape's homework. As far as Dumbledore had made clear, the other professor has promised not to expose Remus as a werewolf — which Dumbledore trusts, which means Remus trusts it as well. But that doesn't mean Snape can't give the students all the information they need, guide them to the right conclusion, and have them do all the work for him. It doesn't mean he can't fill their heads with all the fear and hatred he has, and ensure the next generation comes out just as prejudice as he is. The slimy bastard.

Though all Remus feels is anger, he has no choice but to smile kindly at the students as he tries to calm their woes.

"Don't worry, I'll have a word with Professor Snape." He says, once they've all had their say. "You won't have to do that essay. Though I hope you all won't mind if we touch on that topic again later, when we're actually up to it. I'd like to make sure you're taught what I think you need to know."

The rest of the class passes easily. He teaches them about the wispy Hinkypunk, which looks more like smoke than anything corporeal, and they seem to engage with the information easily. The small glass box is passed around the classroom, with the promise that they all be incredibly careful — because if the glass shatters, they could all be in severe danger. Or so he tells them, to ensure they really are careful. The danger is real, but Remus is confident he would be able to get it under control if a situation would occur. He wouldn't put them in any situation where the danger couldn't be easily controlled.

"They like to lure travellers off their paths, at night. I suppose they get fewer muggle victims since the invention of cars — muggle transportation, for those who don't know." He explains. "The glass has confined this one to its natural state but, usually, they disguise themselves as a helpful friend with a lantern. They act as though they are leading you to safety, and instead lead you straight into a bog."