Chapter Text
Monday 9th August 1971
The sun was standing low on the horizon indicating the end of another day. The last streaks of light that were making their way through the windows of Professor Albus Dumbledores office painted buttery-yellow patterns on the stony floor. Professor Dumbledore himself was sitting behind his grand desk, generously decorated with ornaments like all the furniture the old man possessed. His face was, like always a mask of calmness and composure, his blue eyes twinkling in the dying light of the sun.
The room was almost completely silent, the only noises being the low whispers and bickering of the many paintings hung on the walls as well as Fawkes ruffling its feathers. The phoenix seemed to have been reborn not a long time ago. His feathers were still growing and the ash grey fluff under his flaming coat was still visible.
It was Minerva who dared to break the uncomfortable silence. “A werewolf, Albus. Here, in Hogwarts?”
Despite her anger, she tried to keep her voice calm and factual. It was almost unbelievable to her that Dumbledore made a decision that could affect everyone so gravely all by himself. On the other hand, it was certainly nothing new.
It was something Dumbledore did since the day she met him. It was also something that would never change. Scheming and making decisions without anyone knowing and expecting everyone to follow and come to terms with it all by themselves. But nonetheless, she would always be loyal to him and the school, trusting his judgement proved by centuries of success. What she would not accept though, was him endangering the school and the students she swore to protect until the day she would take her last breath.
“This is a great risk to all of Hogwarts, especially the students. What would happen if he escaped? There are no students at this school who are able to defend themselves against a real werewolf. Even if he is still a child, he will become a mindless beast every month.”
From the corner of her eye, she could see some of the paintings nodding in approval.
“There is almost no research in this field, no medication, no possibility to make the wolf less dangerous, is there, Horace?”
Horace Slughorn, who had been fishing for the last Sherbert lemons in Dumbledores colourful bowl of sweets straightened his back abruptly and cleared his throat.
“You are right, Minerva, dear. There is no cure for lycanthropy as of this point. And there is also another danger we need to take in consideration.”
He lifted his forefinger and turned to Dumbledore.
“If the information that there is a werewolf inhabiting Hogwarts reaches the students, families, possibly the whole wizarding world, Hogwarts would lose all the trust we slowly gained all these years. The families, especially the sacred twenty-eight trust us to take proper care of their children. What would Hogwarts do if these families would begin sending their promising young talents to different schools?”
He shook his head as if it was too horrible to even imagine.
There was silence for a few seconds again and when Minerva thought that Dumbledore would finally explain himself, another person began to speak. It was Poppy Pomfrey, who had been standing quietly next to Dumbledore, listening to the things that were said.
“You speak of Remus as if he is an object, a curse brought in the safe halls of Hogwarts, a bloodhungry beast, ready to jump at you with fletched teeth and feed on your bodies.”
Her voice was trembling and her eyes seemed watery as if she was on the brink of crying.
“But first of all, he’s just a boy. He’s a poor boy with a terrible disease and he is in pain. Albus told me how he’s treated in the place he lives in. He tears his body to shreds every month without anybody treating his wounds properly.”
Minerva could see her knuckles turning white when Madam Pomfrey grabbed forcefully onto Dumbledores desk.
“He lives with muggles. They will never know how to properly treat a magical wound, even if they wanted to, which they certainly don’t. If we do nothing, he will die in a crowded boy’s home near Birmingham either because the wolf ripped open his stomach from the outside or because his suppressed magical abilities ripped him apart from the inside.”
There was a strand of her hair that had loosened itself from her tightly pulled back hair and was now hanging in her face.
“It may be to your discomfort, but this boy is a wizard as much as everyone in this very room, he deserves to learn magic.”
There was the silence again, but it was different from how it had been before. Slughorn’s eyes were focused on the ground, looking taken aback.
Madam Pomfrey’s voice was pleading now, “I believe I can help him, let me try!”
A single tear was running down her face and she wiped it away quickly with the red sleeve of her healer-uniform. Minerva had the urge to walk up to the women and lay a hand on her should. To tell her that she was right, that no one should go through all the terrible things young Remus had gone through in just eleven years. But she didn’t.
Dumbledore cleared his throat, “Thank you, Poppy.”
He turned to the others and his eyes were clouded when he said: “I saw too many times what can happen to young, promising wizards who never learned how to use their powers. I will not let this happen again when I am able to prevent it.”
Minerva knew that she would never be able to imagine the gruesome things Dumbledore had encountered throughout all these years in this world. She lowered her head to express that she accepted his decision.
“When no one else has something more to add to this discussion, -” Dumbledore let his gaze wander over the teachers present in his office.
“- I would like to explain the rules everyone has to follow when Remus attends this school, which he will.” His gaze stopped at Slughorn and he gave him a stern look.
“There will be no chatter about this situation, to no one. The knowledge about Remus’ condition will not, in any case leave this room. The boy will have to be informed about this so that he keeps quiet about it, even to friends.”
The sun has now already set and the candles scattered about the room were magically lighting up, illuminating the room and throwing long shadows.
“In the nights of a full moon, he will be locked in a space distant from Hogwarts and sealed with spells.”
Minerva nodded, her mind already seeking out as many spells as possible that were fitted to seal off the door most efficiently.
“And who knows, maybe this terrible circumstance will be of use for us one day.”
A shiver ran down Minerva’s spine as she realised that Dumbledore already made a plan for the life of this small unknowing child to fit in in the games he was playing. Everyone would become a piece in the headmaster’s chess and the more she thought about it, she hoped that Remus wouldn’t become part of a gambit.
***
Tuesday 10th August 1971
The heavy wooden door of the hospital wing creaked when Minerva pushed it open. The room held a certain smell that brought back old memories from her school years. The passed days when she had spent sometimes a whole week in the hospital wing after Quidditch games, healing broken bones and recovering from countless concussions.
It smelled of different herbs, of freshly washed bedding and something Minerva had never been able to recognise. It was a rare thing to see that each one of the neatly tucked in hospital beds was completely empty, but it was to be expected, the school year wouldn’t begin for almost a whole month.
Madam Pomfrey was standing beside the door and in front of a great wooden shelf filled with potions of all sorts. Each potion was carefully labelled and sorted on the shelf boards, creating a perfect order. Madam Pomfrey’s brows were knitted together while she frowned on two vials she was holding in her hands.
The door closed with a loud thump and Madam Pomfrey finally looked up, noticing Minerva. She smiled. “Professor, how can I help you?”
She put the vials back in their place on the shelf and came closer.
“Oh no, I don’t need your help but thank you. I wanted to talk to you.”
Madam Pomfrey looked surprised. “Is that so?”
“Yes. I was impressed by how you spoke up for the Lupin boy the other evening. I–“ Minerva noticed that she didn’t really think about what exactly to say.
“It is not easy to change my mind, but you managed to do it in just a few seconds. And I’m glad that you did. I believe it was the right choice to take him in.”
A smile appeared again on Madam Pomfrey’s face. “I am pleased that you share my passion for the protection of children that have been neglected by their fate.”
She turned back to the shelf, took the vials again and faced Minerva again. “I asked Professor Slughorn to help me brew strong sleeping potions. Maybe the solution to our problem is easier than we think.”