Chapter Text
Professor Lupin was leaning against his desk, his hands resting on the edge. With a faint smile on his lips, he watched the third-year students take their seats on the old wooden benches he himself had once sat on.
A new week was beginning, and Remus had decided to cover trolls and the various ways to defend against them. He had finished the chapters on boggarts and stranglers, which had fascinated his young pupils.
Once the pupils were settled and the room was quiet, he greeted them before announcing the topic of the day’s lesson.
“Trolls? Like the one that got into the castle in Harry Potter’s first year?” exclaimed a student admiringly.
Lupin couldn’t help but smile.
“Exactly, Thomas. I’m surprised you’ve heard of that story.”
“Everyone knows the adventures of Harry Potter, sir,” replied another pupil.
“You’re right,” replied Remus thoughtfully. He was rather proud to know Harry personally, and he wasn’t really surprised to find that every wizard in Britain knew him, along with all his adventures and exploits.
“So, can any of you tell me what a troll looks like?” Remus continued, scanning the class.
A few seconds passed, then two hands went up.
“Yes, Brianna?”
“Big and ugly?”
Lupin chuckled.
“Yes, you could say that. How big?”
More hands went up.
“Henry?”
“At least 5 metres, sir!”
Remus’s smile widened. He loved seeing his pupils so enthusiastic—and sometimes a little too enthusiastic.
“Not quite that tall, Henry, but not far off. Trolls can grow up to 3 metres tall and weigh nearly a tonne. They are very strong but not very intelligent, and above all violent and unpredictable. They originate from Scandinavia, but they are now also found in Great Britain and other countries in Northern Europe. There are three types of troll. Can anyone name them for me?”
This time, no hands went up, but the students had their eyes fixed on their teacher, listening intently.
‘There are mountain trolls,’ Remus continued, ‘forest trolls and river trolls. ”
Professor Lupin went on to describe their physical appearance, their diet and the way they move.
“But then, how do we protect ourselves if we come across one?” Remus let the suspense hang for a moment before answering, the pupils still completely captivated.
“The most effective thing is, above all, to disarm him. He usually carries weapons that aren’t very sharp but are very heavy. One blow would be enough to knock you out. Once disarmed, you’re not out of the woods yet, as they’re very rough and heavy and won’t hesitate to destroy everything around them to get their way. Either you use their own weapon against them, or you can stun them, for example.”
Just as he was about to continue, a hand rose gently in the middle of the class.
“Yes, Joy?”
She seemed hesitant to speak.
“Did… Did you fight any of them during the battle?”
All eyes turned to Joy and then to Professor Lupin. He watched her for a few moments. Joy was a young Hufflepuff who had lost her father in the Battle of Hogwarts just under a year ago. According to her classmates, Joy was just like her name: full of life, always there to help others, a good student, and curious. Since the loss of her father, her light seemed to have faded; her smile appeared only on rare occasions, and her eyes had lost their sparkle.
‘Yes, Joy. There were several of them during the battle. I must have come across one or two. And I also saw your father fighting bravely against one of them. ”
At the mention of her father, Joy sat up straight and a faint smile touched her face.
The classroom had fallen completely silent again.
“Please know that if you have any questions or need to talk about the battle, about what you experienced or heard, I will be happy to answer your questions. You have a right to know.”
The pupils seemed to relax and Remus resumed the lesson.
Shortly before the end of the lesson, he noticed that some students at the back of the class seemed distracted. They were glancing round, whispering and smiling. He said nothing at first, but when the glances and whispers reached the middle of the class, he fell silent. He couldn’t understand this sudden change. His pupils had been fully focused from the start; what could be distracting them so much? Facing the middle row, he moved to stand facing an aisle, and what he saw quickly melted his heart.
Between the desks, a little boy barely a year old, with sparkling turquoise hair, was wandering about. His precarious balance seemed to falter with every step, but as soon as he wavered, a pupil would hold out a hand for him to steady himself and carry on.
Remus was overwhelmed with emotion. His son always filled him with joy, and the gentleness and kindness of his pupils filled him with wonder.
Too engrossed in what he was doing, Teddy hadn’t yet spotted his father, but when Remus crouched down and their eyes met, Teddy’s face lit up.
Remus held out his arms to encourage Teddy to bridge the short distance between them, and when he reached him, he gave him a hug before standing up, holding him in his arms. A few pupils clapped, and Remus felt his eyes well up with tears of pride.
“Well done, Teddy! So, you want to help us fight the trolls, do you?”
There was some laughter in the classroom, but Remus heard one laugh he would have recognised anywhere. He glanced towards the back of the classroom and a broad smile spread across his face once more. Leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, her pink hair a mess, Tonks watched the scene, hidden in the shadow of the doorway.
Remus looked away, remembering he had a class to teach, and concluded the lesson, Teddy still in his arms. He didn’t set any homework this time, and his pupils thanked him enthusiastically.
As they left, the pupils passed the Auror, well known to all, and several greeted her whilst others smiled tenderly at her.
When the last pupil had left, she joined her little family. Remus watched her walk towards them with a light step, as if she were walking on clouds, her face beaming.
Seeing her so happy did him a world of good. After everything they’d been through, he hadn’t thought he’d ever feel so fulfilled.
Before Remus could even ask the question, Tonks seemed to read his mind.
“We had quite a hectic day at work today, so I let the team leave a bit early. I went to pick Teddy up from my mum’s and then came here, thinking you’d be happy to see him. I hope I haven’t disrupted your lesson too much?” ”
Remus, still holding Teddy in his arms, kissed his wife on the forehead.
“You never disturb me, and you know the students adore you.”
A little later...
As Mrs Pomfresh was tidying her infirmary, a movement in the park caught her eye. She moved a little closer to one of the windows and saw three people walking along the water’s edge. A tall man with greying hair, a slightly shorter woman holding his hand, and in front of them, a small child walking with a determined yet cautious step. He turned around from time to time to check that his parents were still there. Suddenly, the man began to run gently and caught the little boy, who burst out laughing. The father spun his son round in his arms before hugging him close. The woman finally caught up with them and kissed her husband tenderly.
Mrs Pomfresh could not hold back the tear that rolled down her cheek. She was so happy for this man she knew so well. This man whose wounds she had tended year after year. This man who had long believed himself condemned to a life of pain and loneliness. This man who had lost everything and who had finally been given the most beautiful things he had never dared to dream of.