A Little Help from a Snake // Tomarry

25: The Man Who Cried Werewolf*

Revised: August 5, 2021

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Defense Against the Dark Arts had quickly become everyone's favorite class. Lupin brought in Red Caps and Kappas to study, and they each proved to be just as intriguing as boggarts.

The only person who didn't seem to like Lupin was Snape. The potions professor was noticeably more surly thanks to the Gryffindors' boggart lesson. It had taken on his form for Neville, and to counter it, Neville had it dress in his grandmother's clothes. Harry had teased his professor, telling him he bet Snape looked good in a lace-trimmed dress and a vulture hat.

"You know, a handbag might be useful to carry potions," he said cheerfully. "Although I don't think red would be a good color on you. Too Gryffindor-ish."

"Three points from Slytherin," Snape snapped. To his annoyance, the brat merely grinned and sauntered off.

Harry's mood dropped soon after, though, when Snape approached him the morning of the first Hogsmeade weekend. "What do you mean I can't go?" he protested.

"The headmaster" — Snape sneered at this — "thought it would be safer if you remained here for Hogsmeade."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that the headmaster cares for my safety," Harry replied dryly. He went to tell his friends the bad news.

"We'll bring you a treat, okay?" Draco suggested.

Harry nodded, grateful but still disappointed.

Feeling dispirited, he wandered up toward the Owlery. He hadn't seen Hedwig much since arriving and thought maybe a visit would cheer them both up.

"Harry?"

Harry doubled back to see Professor Lupin looking around his office door.

"What are you doing?" he asked. "Where are Draco and Pansy?"

"Hogsmeade," Harry said.

"Ah. Why don't you come in? I've just taken delivery of a grindylow for our next lesson."

Curious, Harry walked in. A large tank stood in the corner of the office with a sickly green creature inside. It was pulling faces and flexing its fingers as Lupin approached it.

"Water demon," he said. "We shouldn't have much difficulty with him, not after the Kappas. The trick is to break his grip. You notice the abnormally long fingers? Strong, but very brittle."

The grindylow bared its teeth and buried itself in the weeds.

"Cup of tea?" Lupin said, looking around for his kettle. "I was just thinking of making one."

"Sure." Harry waited patiently as Lupin filled a chipped mug and handed it over.

"Anything worrying you, Harry?" he said, taking a sip from his own mug.

Plenty, he thought, but he didn't say that aloud. "No. But I was wondering why you stopped me from facing the boggart."

Lupin looked at him. "I thought it would be obvious."

The lack of denial took Harry aback. "Er, no."

"I thought it would be Voldemort. But it seems as though I was wrong."

"Actually, now that I think about it, I think it might have become a dementor," Harry told him. "But that wouldn't have been good either, I bet."

Lupin chuckled. "No. But at least we wouldn't have had to worry about it sucking your soul out."