"Professor Lupin? Can I come in?" Harry knocked again, then, when he heard some funny noises
from inside, he carefully opened the door.
What he saw made him snort in laughter. Professor Lupin, once again teaching Defense against the
Dark Arts in what was now Harry's seventh year, was balancing a huge pile of parchment rolls.
However, they steadfastly refused to let themselves be moved in the direction Lupin wanted them to
go.
"Next time you'll remember to take them one by one, Remus! Damn, how do I get rid of them
without creating a complete mess? Remus, you're a complete idiot!" Harry heard his teacher mutter
under his breath.
Lupin was so involved in fighting with the rolls of parchment that he hadn't heard Harry entering.
"Wait, I'll help you", Harry said and closed the door behind him. Startled,// Lupin jumped, and the
pile of parchment started to sway dangerously. Harry leaped forward and just managed to stop the
rolls from clattering to the floor by pressing his body against Lupin, effectively capturing the
parchment rolls between them.
"Just great!" Harry sighed. Between the rolls he saw Lupin's eyes flashing impishly. "Kodakmoment
!" he grinned. After a second he snorted with laughter. Again, the parchment rolls began to
rock precariously. Harry grabbed Lupin even tighter and pressed his body to his. Then he started. In
his inner eye flashed a rather amusing picture of their current predicament.
Harry Potter and Remus J. Lupin lying in each other's arms like lovers, the whole scene decorated
with parchments sticking out in every direction. Perfect! Harry desperately tried to hold his breath
but it was too late. A nasty laughing fit hit him with full power. The parchment rolls landed with a
great clatter on the floor, scattering in all directions. Lupin had tears of laughter in his eyes. No longer
able to control his own muscles, he lost his balance as he tried to grab one of the parchments.
Breathless with laughter, he grabbed Harry and pulled him down with him to the floor when his legs
refused to carry him any longer. Minutes later they were still wiping the tears of laughter from their
eyes.
"Something like that should happen to Snape!" Lupin said when he found his breath.
"Highly unlikely", Harry answered laconically.
Lupin snorted approvingly and rose from the floor. "Now, one at a time." He bent down and picked
up one roll of parchment.
Harry started to collect the other parchments and passed them to Lupin. "Hey, isn't that mine?" he
asked, waving one of them.
"Hm, yes, it is. Good work, but nevertheless you'll have to wait for the day after tomorrow until you
get your mark." Professor Lupin stored the parchments on a shelf beneath his desk. It had
compartments for his classes into which he sorted the rolls. "White ribbon, First years. Green, Fourth
years. Black, Seventh years. White, white, black, green, black, white. That's it."
Lupin turned around and held out his hand to help Harry to get up from the floor. "Thanks for your
help." Lupin looked searchingly around. In addition to the desk and the shelves, the office was
furnished with two old armchairs positioned left and right of the fireside and a small table with a
teakettle, cups and some small paperbags on top. Under the table stood an old, lockable bedside
table. It began to sway as Lupin looked to see if he really hadn't lost a parchment under it. "The
boggart for the Second years", he explained with a smile. The wall was covered with bookshelves. In
one corner lay a pile of blankets that Lupin tugged into a nest while in his wolf-form. Lupin
straightened himself and stared at the table for some seconds, obviously lost in thought. Then he
picked up one of the small bags and turned to Harry.
"Would you like some tea? I can offer Chinese jasmine tea today."
Harry sat down in one of the armchairs and nodded. "Yes, please!"
Lupin tapped the kettle with his wand. Instantly, white steam shot out of the spout. Then he put his
wand away and put a tea filter into a slightly chipped teapot. Carefully, he spooned some loose tea
leaves into it and covered it with the by now slightly cooled water. "Green tea is best when you
prepare it without magic", he explained to Harry. A flowery bouquet drifted through the room.
"I actually came by today because of the photo album, Professor", Harry said as he took his cup of
tea.
A smile washed over Lupin's features. "The photo album. Yes, Harry, I didn't forget that." He put his
cup down, pulled a book out of one of the shelves and vanished through a secret door next to the
fireside into the adjoining room. Curiously, Harry rose to have a look. Directly next to the secret
door, that didn't look secret at all from the other side, was another fireplace that was somehow
irritating. In front of it stood a comfortable set of mismatched armchairs and a sofa that was
overflowing with pillows. On the other side of the room stood a four-poster bed that looked like the
ones in the Gryffindor dorms. This one wasn't decorated in red and gold, though. Its curtains were
drawn open and the setting sun made them shimmer in an almost golden looking warm green. On the
comforter lay a bedspread that seemed to be sewed out of one thousand and one patches. Stripes,
squares, floral designs and plain patches where sewn wildly on top of and next to each other. At first
glance, the thing looked gaudy, but on a second one, it looked so inviting and comfortable that Harry
wanted to wrap himself in it and sit down in front of the fireplace. At the foot of the bed Professor
Lupin was busy rummaging through the contents of a large chest.
"Gotcha!" he muttered. He closed the chest and got up, triumphantly waving a worn-looking book
bound in reddish-brown leather.
When he turned, he saw Harry standing in the door. "You're right. Get the teacups, it's much more
comfortable here in this room." He pointed his wand at the fireplace and with a soft hissing sound a
fire began to spread its soothing atmosphere. When Harry came back with the two teacups, he
noticed what had irritated him about the fireside. The one in this room and the office seemed to be
one and the same. Or at least existing at the same place at the same time, for the one in the office
was still cold. Two firesides, wall to wall were not possible; they were both too deep for that.
Harry shook his head and put the cups down on the table. Lupin squeezed himself between the
pillows on the sofa and motioned for Harry to do the same. "Let's go then. In here will be some
things you'll like to see."
He took the album and opened it. Harry leaned towards him and examined the old pictures that were
glued to the pages.
"These early photos won't be of interest to you. These are my parents", Lupin explained. A young
couple eyed Harry curiously and then began to whisper. "The picture is one of the oldest inside this
book. Oh! Er, that's me. The only picture of me before I was bitten."
Lupin slumped down a bit. Harry shot him a glance. Despite the fact that everybody at Hogwarts
knew about his 'disease', Lupin didn't talk about it. Harry examined the photo more closely. A boy,
about three years old, his shirt hanging halfway out of the waistband of his shorts, stood with his
thumb in his mouth in front of a house that was overgrown with ivy. Next to him lay a wooden
scooter. The boy looked at Harry and scratched a grazed knee with his free hand. When Harry
looked even closer to catch a glimpse of today's Lupin in this young face, the boy took his thumb out
if his mouth, put his tongue out at him, grabbed his scooter and scooted out of the picture.
Lupin cleared his throat and grinned, embarrassed, at Harry. "Quite cheeky, me, then."
Harry grinned back and turned the page. The next set of photos had been made in his time at
Hogwarts. Harry started. "Aren't there any pictures of your childhood?"
Lupin didn't look at him when he answered. "No, Harry. My parents.... they didn't feel it necessary
to photograph a werewolf. Perhaps they were afraid my photo-me could attack the other photopeople
at the full moon", Lupin joked. But his smile didn't reach his eyes.
Harry felt a sting of pity inside. But Lupin had already pointed to the next photograph and was
putting names to the faces of friends from long ago. It was obvious that he didn't want to talk about
this episode of his life. Harry concentrated back on the album. But the thought of how Lupin's
childhood might have been still nagged on his mind.
When he turned the page he flinched. Sirius Black's face in close-up, making funny faces at him took
up one whole page. "That was in our first year. Before he knew what I...." Lupin hesitated. "....that I
was a werewolf."
He turned the page. "This picture was shot directly after James and Sirius told me they knew. And,
that they didn't mind." There sat Lupin in the Gryffindors' common room, which hadn't changed a bit
in these many years, in a huge armchair. He looked exhausted and as if he'd cried, but he beamed
with joy. Left and right of him on the arms of the chair sat James Potter and Sirius Black, hugging
him. "Sirius said that we had to capture this moment for eternity. As if I would forget it!" Lupin
sighed.
There were more photos of James, Sirius, Peter Pettigrew and Lupin himself. Later, Lily Evans
joined them. For every picture, Lupin had a story to tell. "In that one, James had visited the kitchens
one night, hidden under his Invisibility Cloak. We had to roll him to class next morning, for he had
had to taste everything down there." The James on the photo suddenly held his hand on his mouth
and ran away. "And that's Sirius with red hair. I must say that Snape had to run around bald that day
until our healer had mixed up a hair-restorer. Unfortunately, he refused to let himself be
photographed. It was a sight for the Gods!"
Further at the end of the album Harry found photos he already knew. He had copies of them in his
own album. Pictures of his parents' wedding, with Sirius as their best man. "I shot most of these
pictures", Lupin explained. "That's why I'm not in them. Only on one...." He turned the pages
searchingly. "....there, the one we're all in."
The picture he pointed to was a large size group photo with Harry's parents in the middle. Sirius was
standing on their right side, Peter on the left. Lupin was half hidden behind Sirius. Amidst the many
other wizards and witches, Harry spotted Hagrid, Professor Dumbledore and Professor
McGonagall. "I had no idea they had been present at my parent's wedding!" Harry said astonished.
"Dumbledore was the one who lead through the ceremony. It was wonderful." Lupin smiled. "As
wonderful as the couple it was meant for." He turned the page.
In one of the following pictures Lily Potter was sitting exhaustedly on a chair, stretching her legs.
When she noticed somebody was watching her, she straightened, held her tummy and waved. "She
was so proud when she was pregnant with you, Harry. She showed her swollen tummy to
everybody, interested or not." Lupin's gaze veiled in the memory. "I remember exactly the day you
kicked me through her tummy the first time." Harry stared at him. Lupin grinned. "You were pretty....
active, you know? Sometimes one could see how Lily's belly stretched and dented under your
movements."
Harry didn't know what to say, so he just smiled and turned to the next page. "But, that's me!" On
the next photo James Potter was holding a bundle that was wrapped in a white blanket. He turned a
bit and pushed the blanket away. A shock of black hair came into view and then baby Harry blinked
sleepily into the camera.
"Yes, Harry, and it is the only photo I have of you. And it's the last one in this book." Lupin started
to close the book, but Harry stopped him. "Wait! What's that?"
Lupin opened the album again. Glued to the last page was a large brown envelope that looked
slightly burned. In ornate letters the name "Remus" was written on it. Harry looked questioningly at
his Professor.
Lupin had slumped down dejectedly. He looked sad and proud at the same time. "Harry", he
started, "I don't know if you...." He stopped and Harry could see in his face that he was making a
decision. "This letter is from your father. It was one of the few things that were recovered
undamaged from the ruins of Godric's Hollow. It's more a diary than a letter. I don't think James ever
intended me to read it, although my name is written on the envelope. But the wizards of the ministry
who found it passed it on to me."
Carefully, he detached the envelope from the album's page and weighed it in his hand. "What is
written in this diary will not be what you would expect from your father. But is also is something that
as much a part of James as possible. When you read these pages, the image you have of your father
will change. Perhaps a lot. It is your decision if you want to read this or not. But if you want to learn
of how your father had been, deep inside, then read."
He gave Harry the packet. Spellbound, Harry took it. It was heavier than it looked. Lupin placed his
hand on Harry's arm. "But I want you to promise me something. What is written in this letter is very
private. To James, and to me. Please show these pages to nobody. Even Lily didn't know they
existed. Sirius doesn't know about them, either. They are.... very precious to me."
Harry looked at Lupin's face. The room's atmosphere had changed to something solemn and grave.
Harry sensed that Lupin was going to share something with him he hadn't shared with anybody
before. "I promise, Professor." Solemnly, he took Lupin's hand in both of his and shook it firmly.
Lupin smiled at him and rose. "I bet you can't wait to read the diary. Don't judge too quickly, though.
Come back to me when you've read it. You'll have many questions, then." He shot Harry a look that
was almost scared.
Harry said goodbye and left the room through Lupin's office. What could be so mysterious about this
diary that Lupin secretly dreaded him reading it?
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