Crave

Remus had been dozing off the minute he had settled himself onto the Hogwarts Express. The ambiance of its rumble and the long days beforehand preparing to leave had him dragging his feet the entire distance to his compartment.

Remus was admittedly nervous at the prospect of teaching children for the first time. Magical children no less. And considering Hogwarts’ recent trouble, his afflictions would have to be treated with the utmost care. He believed one Severus Snape would be out to get him if one mistake was made on his end.

His thoughts had stressed him out ever since he had been accepted by Minerva. And having to take the train with said children had brought upon more of that stress.

He’s not quite surprised he ended up falling asleep entirely. He didn’t believe any students would willingly sit in a compartment with a professor, so he hadn’t quite felt bad about the situation.

Remus had not expected to wake up to a stopped train, frantic children, and a god-forsaken Dementor killing a boy. He had immediately sat up casting his Patronus onto the creature. It had chased the creature out and Remus sprinted right behind to make sure the Dementor had left the train. He paced through the train's hall peering into the compartments as he went, searching for any sight of the beast. Fortunately, the only thing Remus found were mildly frightened students. He’d rather have a scared child than a dead one.

Remus’ concern turned into anger as he hurried back to his compartment. How the hell had the Hogwarts Express been infiltrated by Dementors? The train was magically secured and never before had something so serious occurred on it. They had not only made their way onboard, but they had nearly ended the life of a student.

Remus shoved his rage down. He needed to check on the boy and make sure he didn’t require medical attention. He scolds himself for running after the Dementor, but had it remained aboard, it would have had to be dealt with.

When he reached his compartment he found the door still pushed open, and the voices of the frantic children from before speaking in harsh tones.

He was met with the gaping stares of two children. A platinum blond boy, the spitting image of Lucius Malfoy, and a young girl with mildly bushy brown hair and brown eyes. They both jumped up and away from the boy slumped on the seat, choosing to instead focus on Remus’ arrival.

“What happened? Why was there a Dementor on the train?” The blond child cut to the chase. He glared at Remus, a frown of disgust adorning the look. The girl’s eyes widened at the questioning.

“Draco! That man just saved us. Be grateful!” She hissed out. The boy merely scoffed and went back to fussing over the slouched boy.

“Sir, can you help our friend, please? He won't wake up. He won't die, will he?” The girl moved closer to Remus, pleading evident in her eyes and tone.

“The Dementor was-” Before Remus could properly answer her, two more boys ran into the compartment. The first was a tall darker-skinned boy with a buzzcut and the second was most certainly a Weasley, with the red hair and pale skin he sported.

They both shoved past Remus and the first of the two knelt in front of the unconscious boy. He grabbed onto his gloved hands, eyes seeming to scan for any external injuries. The second boy froze in his place when he saw the scene in front of him.

“What happened? We were at the front and heard screams from back here. Fred and George had us sneak past Percy so we could report back!”

“He was fine when I saw him earlier.” The other newcomer mumbled from his spot kneeling.

“There was a Dementor! Everything froze and I thought Dazai would be able to-” The girl made a squeak and slapped a hand over her mouth. Whatever she was going to say had everyone tense up in the compartment. Other than Remus. The man had no idea what she was talking about, but clearly, the girl had almost spilled a secret of some sort. The blond boy continued the story in her stead.

“As Hermione was saying,” the boy grumbled, seemingly displeased, “A Dementor somehow stopped the train and attacked us, well, Dazai at least. It tried to steal his soul! Then this guy fought it off.”

The boy pointed towards Remus and suddenly all eyes were on him. He figured now was a good time to continue where he had left off from. He slid the compartment shut before speaking up.

“Yes, that was a Dementor. And you are correct when you said it was attempting to steal your friend's soul. As to what it is doing on the train, I haven't a clue. Headmistress McGonagall and the Ministry will need to be informed of the situation. But first, your friend needs to be checked over.” He gestured to the still-unconscious boy. At that moment the kneeling boy stood up, in front of the other in a protective manner.

“Wait! Before you do, who are you? The only adults on the train ever are the trolley lady and the conductor. So what’s a guy like you doing here?”

“Blaise, be respectful, that's a professor!” The girl exclaimed, shocked at the boy’s tone.

“I don't care if he's a professor or not. The last two new ones tried to kill him and he's just been attacked again. Excuse me for being cautious.” He looked back at the boy he was speaking of, distrust etched into his features.

That made the boy's reaction much more clear. The child who'd been attacked was the so-called Demon Student of Hogwarts. Remus hadn't bothered with the slander of a child, unlike the other adults of the magical world. Quirinus Quirrell and Gilderoy Lockhart were both in the wrong both times. And people hurt by those who they should be able to trust will react badly in a situation that reminds them of previous events.

“I apologize if I seem to have any bad intentions. I understand your wariness, but I only wish to help. I suspect none of you are old enough to know what to do with your friend Dazai, right? I'm Professor Lupin, your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I'm trained to handle such things. So please, let me help.”

Remus may be getting in over his head trying to be calm with the children. But he was reassured of his position when the boy, Blaise, moved to the side. He crossed his arms and sat opposite Dazai with a huff.

Remus moved to Blaise’s former spot, kneeling, checking the boy over himself. He appeared to be fine, though he would have to see what happened when the boy woke up. He may have more mental effects from the Dementor.

“He should be ok. We’ll just have to wait and see once he is awake.”

That statement had the others sagging with relief. The blond boy leaned up against the outside wall, the Weasley moved to sit with Blaise, and the girl, Hermione, squeezed to sit with them. They all stared at Dazai.

“I apologize, but I must let the proper authorities know of the situation. Please, let me know if he wakes while I’m gone.”

————————————————————————-

Severus already had a headache and the students hadn’t even arrived yet. The opening feast each year was a grand event, and with the events of the past year, more work was put into the school event than ever. More eyes were also watching. To see if Minerva failed as Headmistress, to see what would happen when a new teacher had been hired for the third year in a row, to see if the Department of Education became more involved, and most importantly, to see what would happen regarding the “demon student.”

So all the staff had been preparing through the day. The only face missing from the bunch was one Remus Lupin. Severus was already displeased at the sour mood drifting about, and Lupin not showing up for his share of duties was mildly aggravating. His irritation brought him to the former office of Albus Dumbledore, which now belonged to Minerva McGonagall instead.

“That fool has not shown his face yet. Are you so certain hiring him was a wise choice, Minerva?”

“It’s pleasant to see you too, Severus. I’m doing quite well today.” The woman’s glasses sat at the edge of her nose, her eyes focused solely on the work in front of her. She did not give so much as a glance in Severus’ direction.

“Mock me all you’d like, but I will not have another Quirrell or Lockhart galavanting around the school causing problems. We’ve had a follower of the Dark Lord, an imbecile, and now what? A slacker?”

That got Minerva’s attention. Severus’ words must have set something off in the woman. Minerva slammed her palms down on the old wooden desk in front of her, quill and ink spilling as it shook. She let out a huff, removing her glasses while taking deep breaths. She pinched the bridge of her nose before continuing.

“Remus Lupin is not your enemy, Severus,” Minerva spoke in a strained tone.

“He took the train with the students seeing as he cannot apparate into the school himself. He thought it better to not disturb my work with a trivial trip.

I understand you are hurt. You were mistreated by him as a boy. But you can’t let that blind you. As you’ve said yourself, we have not had competent Defense teachers for the past two years. I could not let such an opportunity go to waste. Remus will be good for the children. He cares, Severus, and he has changed. Your judgment is too clouded to see that now, but hopefully soon your viewpoint will clear.”

Severus gaped at the Headmistress. Minerva’s tone had never been so exasperated in the time Severus had been colleagues with the witch.

“I want you to make an attempt at forgiveness. We will all benefit from it, and frankly, I have many things to attend to at the moment, so if you have nothing useful to contribute please see yourself out.”

The witch gestured to the elaborate doorway, letting out a heavy sigh. She began to reorganize the mess caused by her outburst.

Severus went to do as she asked, unhappy with the outcome of this chat, and mildly shamed at his assumptions. He did not like Remus Lupin, but his uninformed thoughts had spiraled and gotten the better of him.

A hissing filled the air. Such a sound only meant one thing. A Patronus message was arriving, and never did one carry good news.

Severus turned sharply back to Minerva, just in time for the patronus to be still, the blue distorted entity hovering in front of Minerva’s desk.

“There has been an attack on the Hogwarts Express.” The voice of Remus Lupin himself filled the silent office. Severus inhaled sharply, looking at Minerva for her reaction. The woman had her hands clasped together, holding them in front of her mouth. Her entire face cringed as the voice began once more.

“The train stopped abruptly. The children whom I shared a compartment with described the train becoming frigid and filled with dread. I did not see the creature fully, but what I seem to have driven off the Express was a Dementor.” Minerva gasped. The implications of such an event could ruin the school, the ministry even. The train, while under the school's protection, was also protected by charms placed by the ministry. For such a thing to enter was unheard of.

“Fortunately, yet unfortunately, only one boy was put in harm's way. I managed to fend off the Dementor before the boy was seriously injured. I was informed by another student that the victim in question is named Dazai. The other two students involved were a girl named Hermione and a boy named Draco. This boy, Dazai, fell unconscious but he is fine otherwise. I hope this message arrives to you promptly and the ministry is contacted accordingly. I apologize that this is how the year is beginning.” The Patronus dissipated away leaving a shocked Minerva and Severus to stare at one another.

And just like that, Dazai Osamu makes his way back into the forefront of Severus’ mind. The boy had yet to arrive at school and was already the victim of an attack. Unconscious but mostly unharmed. Guilt wrapped around his insides. Dazai always seemed to be found in some sort of troublesome problem.

————————————————————————

Dazai felt like a truck had hit him. It was not a new feeling. Just an unwelcome one. The last thing he remembers is the strange monster in the compartment. He had done nothing to attract its attention, and yet, something had happened. Dazai could not piece together the experience, only going off the fact that whatever took place rendered him unconscious.

He blinked his eyes open to the fluorescent lighting of the Hogwarts Express, scrunching his eyes as he went.

A hand grasped at his seconds later. Dazai was met with the concerned face of Blaise staring back at his own. When had he gotten here? And where were the others?

“Oh god! You’re okay. Don’t worry, the professor will be right back. Hermione and Draco split up to go find him and Ron went to tell the twins what happened.” Dazai could barely understand Blaise, he spoke so fast. He pushed away Blaise’s hand, not wanting to be trapped in the small space any longer.

Dazai went to stand, Blaise protesting next to him. He wobbled once before Blaise pulled him down to a seated position once more.

The compartment door slammed open. The face of the mystery man from earlier greeted him along with Draco. The man couldn’t have been any older than Snape, small wrinkles adorned his features. Dazai got a better look at him, now seeing the speckles of gray adorning the man’s light brown locks. Dull green eyes met his own, and the man crouched suddenly.

Dazai pushed back further into his seat. He had no clue what the man wanted. Draco huffed in the background at the man’s movement.

As he got closer, the dull buzz of No Longer Human made itself known across his skin. It wasn’t the feeling of the train and all its magic, but some other unknown source. It felt similar to the troll from his first year, but it was as if it was dialed back one hundred notches. The man appeared to be normal, but No Longer Human wouldn’t just go off without a reason. He’d have to share his thoughts with the others when they could meet in privacy.

“I’m sorry if I’ve startled you. Really I mean no harm.”

“Startled is not quite the word I would use sir, more like confused.” Dazai sat back forward in his seat, wondering how this situation would play out.

“Here, take this. It should help with the effects of the Dementor.” The man holds out a small bit of chocolate. Where he got it so randomly, Dazai doesn’t know. He doubts the trolley lady was still selling at a time like this.

“No thank you, sir! I will be perfectly fine if you let me go on my way. Sorry about the monster interrupting your nap! So scary isn’t it? Well, I will see you later.”

He goes to stand once more, and once again he stumbles. Stupid legs not obeying his needs.

“Oh, don’t go anywhere! You may be uninjured but Dementors take their toll on you. Please don’t move much!” The man stood back to his original spot near the door. The chocolate was still held out in the palm of his hand.

“No offense, but I don’t know who you are. I’ve always been told to never take candy from strangers.” He shrugged and leaned away from the man. He turned his head like a displeased toddler. Time to put his act back on.

“Will you eat this if I explain myself?”

“Hmm, maybe. I’ll see once you’re done talking.”

The man moves to sit opposite Dazai. He looks like he’s trying to come up with his next words.

“I… My name is Remus Lupin, though you all will be calling me Professor Lupin. I’m here because I will be teaching Defense against the Dark Arts this year, and hopefully for quite some time to come. I’m sorry you were harmed by the Dementor, but I stopped it as soon as I heard the commotion. I’ve let the Headmistress know about what has occurred here. And you’ll likely receive proper medical attention upon our arrival at Hogwarts.”

Lupin looked to Dazai with a hopeful disposition. He held out the chocolate once more, but Dazai was not yet satisfied.

“And that Dementor is what caused me to pass out? What about the screaming?”

The man looked confused but sighed and looked down, once again contemplating what he would say.

“The Dementors feed on your emotions, happy ones at that. They drain your soul and kill you. Which you are very lucky did not happen today. I’m unsure what the cause of the screaming may have been. Perhaps a memory played out before you were fully unconscious. We don’t have much information about what the Dementors can do.”

Dazai snorted at that. Happy memories, huh? If that’s what the Dementor was looking for, Dazai probably would have eventually bored the thing to its demise. And not knowing much about them? It sounds crazy. Why wouldn’t a magical society that’s been around for centuries know much about such a dangerous being?

“We were supposed to learn about them this year anyways, isn’t that right, Professor? I looked through the books early to see what we’d be discussing.”

“You’re starting to sound like Hermione, Blaise.”

Blaise shoots Draco a look of embarrassment, but it only seems to make Draco smirk. Lupin looked around at the three of them, Dazai becoming his focus again.

“So, are you satisfied now? I would like for you to eat this,” Lupin is offering the chocolate again that is now held between his index and thumb.

“Nah, I’m not in the mood for it!”

Lupin gave up at that notion, sighing and shoving the chocolate back in his pocket.

“So I suppose this is the third year you’ve had an interesting start. I’m sure they’ll fret when you arrive at school.” He gave the Dazai a warm smile and leaned back into his seat, more comfortable with the current situation.

“Don’t remind me.” Dazai groaned at the thought. Snape would be all over the incident like he’d gotten stabbed in the eye again.

Blaise let out a laugh and Dazai slapped his arm playfully. Draco looked unamused but gave no commentary. All of a sudden the door slammed open once more.

“Dazai, that man was the new Defense teacher. He’ll be back to help y-” Hermione’s voice filled the air as she entered the compartment. She looked at the older man, already sitting across from Dazai and Blaise, Draco sat to his left, seemingly realizing the four of them had been in the middle of a conversation.

“I suppose you’re already acquainted then.”

Now that had gotten Draco to join in their amusement.

———————————————————————

The rest of the train ride proved uneventful for Remus. His new students weren't particularly rowdy, but they were quite chatty. They talked about everything and nothing at all, laughing all together every so often. When the Weasley boy had returned from his escapades, Remus thought it better to leave. The boy, Dazai, was fine, and he was sure that the Dementor would not be returning.

So, he left the children to themselves and found himself looking for an empty compartment. He knew he would not find one. And he didn’t.

The trolley witch of all people had asked if he would like to sit with her in her area at the back of the train. With nowhere else to go, he resigned to the fact that the rest of this trip would be spent in one awkward manner or another. The woman had been in charge of the trolley at the very least since Remus was eleven years old on his first trip to Hogwarts. Most likely even longer, as she had already been an older woman when he had first seen her. She was not unpleasant, yet Remus was still not entirely happy with the seating arrangement.

When the train finally arrived at the station, Remus waited for all the students to disembark before grabbing his personal items from his original compartment, leaving his trunk to be moved with the others. He watched as a gaggle of house elves made their way onto the train and began moving the students' belongings. He politely slid by, hoping to keep out of the way so he wouldn’t disrupt their work.

By the time he had reached the carriages, only one remained. Yet, he was not alone despite his tardiness.

A light-blonde-haired girl stood petting one of the thestrals that was meant to pull the carriage. Another girl, whom Remus suspected was also a Weasley, was already sitting in the carriage. When she spotted Remus, she leaned down to whisper to the other girl. Both couldn’t have been older than the group he had encountered earlier. Remus decided he would try and make this less painful than the latter half of his ride here.

“You can see them too?” A common shared trait was an easy way to introduce oneself. Really, he should not be so nervous around the students, but it would be his first time teaching after all.

“Yes, sir. They are quite beautiful. Misunderstood if you ask me, but beautiful all the same.” The blonde girl resumed petting the horse.

“That they are. Do you interact with them often?”

“Oh, yes! I’ve always enjoyed playing with them since I was young. My mother died in front of me in an accident and then I found that I could see them. I’ve always been attached ever since. Nobody looks out for them.” The girl spoke softly. The heaviness and depth of her words floated out like they were just another thing to be said. She was unbothered.

“That is unfortunate. But it is always good to find peace in things that we may not have looked to in the past.” Remus hopes that he can connect with these students. He didn’t think he did a good job earlier, but this girl seemed to be more open to the idea of talking.

“Have you been able to see them for a long time too?”

“Longer than I would have liked, yes.” Remus’ work with the Order has left him knowing too many good witches and wizards who have died. He had been unfortunate to witness a few with his own eyes.

“We should get going. Wouldn’t want to be late to the feast.” The redhead spoke up from her seated position. She watched warily as Remus offered a hand for the blonde to enter the carriage. He followed right after, sitting opposite the girls. The thestrals understood that it was time to make their way to the castle, moving on their own accord.

“I know I’m not the most ideal traveling companion,” Remus said with a chuckle, hoping to ease the tension of the red-haired girl.

“No offense sir, but who are you exactly?”

“Ah, I’m Professor Lupin. I’ll be teaching your Defense Against the Dark Arts class this year. I do apologize for not introducing myself earlier.” The redhead still looked skeptical, but the blonde raised her hand in a manner that told Remus she was looking for a handshake.

“I’m Luna Lovegood, sir. And this is Ginny Weasley. We’re both second years.”

“I believe I met your brother earlier.” The girl looked mildly mortified.

“Which one?”

“His name was Ron.”

“Oh thank god. Fred and George can be a pain, and Percy is always a problem, sir. You should try to avoid him. He’s a real stick in the mud.”

Luna giggled next to her, most likely used to the behavior of the girl’s family.

“Did you meet the others? Wherever Ron goes, his friends usually follow. I know some of them were involved with the trouble on the train earlier.” The blonde spoke in a very matter-of-fact tone. Ginny grabbed her arm as if to scold her.

“Yes, I met his friends. Three boys, Draco, Blaise, and Dazai. And a girl by the name of Hermione.”

“Oh, Dazai was with them? That explains it then.”

“Hmm? Does he find himself in trouble often?” Excluding the two major events of the past two years, Remus has no clue what trouble this boy has found himself in.

“I wouldn’t say he finds trouble all of the time. But he certainly ends up in some crazy situations.” The Weasley girl mumbled. It wasn’t missed by Remus.

“I like him. He’s got something about him that’s mysterious. However, he’s rather pleasant to talk to. I’m sure he’d be in Ravenclaw if he weren’t in Slytherin.”

So Dazai was liked by some people? Remus knew he was right not to trust the Daily Prophet and those who spread its messages. This boy couldn’t be that bad. The Demon Student was simply an exaggerated tale told about a regular student.

“Yes, he did seem interesting when we met earlier.” Remus looked to the sky, finding it lit dimly by a sliver of the moon. The surrounding forest that the carriages traveled through was pitch black. Ginny began grumbling that they would be really late to the feast at this rate. Remus couldn’t help but agree with her sentiments.