Chapter 9
October 5, 1975
Remus
‘I need to tell you something.’
Remus raises his head from the book he’s been reading and looks up at Regulus, sitting on the corner of his bed and biting his nails. Evan and Barty have left for a party thrown by Ravenclaw after they beat Hufflepuff in the last Quidditch match, but neither Regulus nor Remus wanted to join them, preferring to spend Sunday evening at a quiet dorm in each other’s company.
‘Sure. What is it, Reg?’
Regulus takes a deep breath and exhales, closing his eyes in an attempt to concentrate. Remus noticed a shift in Regulus’ mood after receiving a letter two weeks ago, but he hasn’t spoken a word about it. Remus simply assumed it was from Walburga, trusting Dorcas’ gut. Ever since then, Regulus has been more reserved and quieter than usual. He’s been avoiding Remus in the common room and ignoring him in corridors, he hasn’t been showing up to the Great Hall at all, and Remus is worried that it’ll only get worse. Regulus isn’t the kind of person who accepts help and comforting easily, and unless he decides so himself, there’s only so much Remus can do.
‘Bella sent me a letter.’
Remus looks at him confused. ‘Your cousin, you mean?’
‘Yeah,’ Regulus replies dryly. ‘I’d never got a letter from her before so I was afraid it might have been something terrible.’
‘And?’
‘Well, do you think I’d be freaking out over it for two weeks if it was good news?’ Regulus takes something out of his pocket and hands it to Remus. ‘It was attached to the letter. She said to hide it somewhere and tell no one.’
‘Is that why you’re telling me about it?’ Remus raises an eyebrow as he tries to examines the object Regulus gave him. Remus thinks it looks like a tiny cup, way too small to be in use. It must have been reduciod.
‘Exactly,’ Regulus says. ‘Do you feel anything when you hold it? Because I swear that whenever I touch it I can feel dark magic. And trust me, Remus, as a Black I know exactly what I’m talking about, but I’ve never faced anything this dark. I can literally feel shivers down my spine.’
Remus furrows his eyebrows. He hasn’t dealt much with dark magic but he can surely recognise it, holding the tiny cup in his hands. This object feels really heavy, like a thick fog of darkness covers it all over, making it feel more massive than it actually is, and Remus thinks he can even smell the magic. ‘Me too. Any idea so far on what it can be?’
‘No. I think it’s under the shrinking charm but I haven’t had a chance to check it yet. Too many people around all the time.’
‘I see. Well, shall we, then?’ Remus grabs his wand and points it at the object. ‘Engorgio!’
The tiny cup in Remus’ hands keeps growing and growing until it assumes its original size. Remus and Regulus examine it for a minute, trying to capture every single detail. The cup has two finely-wrought handles with a badger engraved on the side and a few jewels, reminding Remus of something way too familiar.
He stares astonishingly at it and exchanges a glance with Regulus.
‘Are you thinking what I’m thinking it is?’ Remus asks.
‘If you think that it’s fucking Hufflepuff’s Cup, then yeah,’ Regulus replies, staring at the Cup as if he doesn’t believe his own eyes.
‘How the fuck did your cousin even get it?’
Regulus looks at him wordlessly and shakes his head. ‘I have no fucking idea,’ he whispers. ‘Remember the books Potter threw in my bag? Those from the restricted section? I think we might find something useful in them.’
‘We don’t even know what we’re looking for, Reg,’ Remus sighs.
‘Literally anything,’ Regulus sinks his head in his hands.
‘Ok, let’s go and grab them, then. We’ll start there.’
Regulus reaches out for his bag and takes out two massive books. ‘No need to, I’ve got them here.’
‘Wonderful. I’ll start with the ‘Magick Moste Evile’, d’you mind?’
‘Not at all. I’m not sure I’ll find anything in this potions’ book, though.’
Regulus hands Remus the book on dark arts and he starts reading thoroughly through every page. Remus learns about various jinxes, hexes, curses and moves forward, trying to gather more information on dark objects. His eyelids are already heavy by the time Remus reaches the middle of the book. He curses when he realises after about two hours in that it’s mostly a spell book which only briefly mentions the deathly hallows and something called a horcrux, so he puts it aside and closes his eyes.
‘Reg, have you found anything?’ asks Remus finally.
‘Nothing. It’s a fucking disappointment,’ sighs Regulus closing ‘Monte Potente Potions’ and throwing it back into his bag.
‘Me neither. Never thought that a dark book like this could be such a waste of time,’ murmurs Remus.
‘Guess we should’ve started with the history of the Cup. Might’ve found something more useful.’
Remus nods in agreement. ‘What are you going to do, though? Will you hide it here, at Hogwarts?’ he opens his eyes and looks wonderingly at Regulus.
‘I don’t really have a choice,’ Regulus smiles wryly. ‘I want to find out everything I can before I put it somewhere safe. I don’t know if Bella decides to show up one day to check its location, I can’t risk lying to her.’
‘Reg, we’ll deal with this together, okay? I’ll help you through every step, we can continue doing the research together,’ Remus squeezes Regulus’ hand in support.
‘I appreciate that, Remus, but you’ve already done enough. You’re not safe anymore because I’ve told you about the Cup, and I don’t want you to be in more danger just because of me.’
‘It’s up to me to choose. We’re friends, Reg, and that’s what friends do. Stop trying to be a hero and let someone take care of you.’
Regulus lets out a laugh. ‘I’m a bad influence on you, Remus.’
‘I’m literally a werewolf, Regulus. You can’t be any worse than me,’ Remus says.
Regulus bites his lip, trying to find the right words. Remus thinks that no matter what Regulus says, he will do anything he can to ensure that Regulus is safe in what he’s doing, and that he’s not alone. After all, for years it’s been him who’s been taking care of Remus after every full moon, making sure he has enough chocolate, a book and a nice company. All this time Regulus has been the only one who would ever care about him just because he wanted to, just because it was so natural for him to be there for his friends, in good times and bad. Remus doesn’t think he deserves half of what Regulus has done for him and the only thing he can do now is be the same for Regulus. Be the friend he deserves and the friend he needs when it feels like everything around is falling apart.
‘Thank you,’ Regulus whispers. ‘I don’t—I’m sorry. I just really don’t know what to do. I hoped that at school I would be safe, I hoped—It was much worse this summer, you know,’ he says quietly.
Remus looks at him worryingly. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I’ve done horrible things, Remus, and I have to keep doing them because I have no choice,’ Regulus’ voice cracks. ‘And don’t tell me that there’s always a choice, because there is no way I change my mind. I just—didn’t think it would hurt so much, and I feel like I’m drowning in the destruction I’ve inflicted.’
Remus moves closer to Regulus and throws his arms around his body. ‘C’mere. I don’t care what you’ve done or what your motives were. You are and you’ll always be my friend, and nothing you do will ever change that. I love you, okay? We’ll get through this together.’
Regulus’ body is very tense in Remus arms but he doesn’t cry. He just holds tight onto Remus and breathes heavily while Remus strokes his hair and keeps whispering ‘we’ll be alright’.
October 9, 1975
‘What d’you think we’ll do today?’ Barty asks as he draws in Evan’s textbook.
‘Nothing, I hope. I've had enough the last time we had double Potions with Gryffindor,’ Remus replies, propping up his head with his elbows and looking around the classroom. It is half empty, most of their classmates are still at lunch. He notices Lily reading quietly her Potions book and making notes occasionally and he wonders if she can feel Snape’s piercing gaze on her.
‘It was fun! I still don’t know what to do with my Felix Felicius, though,’ Barty adds thoughtfully.
‘I wish I hadn’t skipped that class, I would do anything to see Dor attacking Snape,’ Evan sighs regretfully.
Remus wonders if Dorcas is snogging Marlene in some cupboard right now, and smiles to himself.
‘Have you submitted that essay to Slughorn?’ Remus asks Evan.
‘Yeah. He took 10 points because I handed it in two weeks later but, well, at least I handed it. He should be glad I wasted my time on that assignment instead of not doing it at all.’
‘Exactly my thoughts,’ Barty agrees.
The doors open and three people walk into the classroom, filling it with noise at once.
‘Pads, I told you it was a bad idea! You just reconciled and now you’ve already upset her,’ Remus hears a familiar voice. He doesn’t even need to turn his head to know that it belongs to James Potter.
‘Fuck’s sake, how was I supposed to know one of her fucking cats died?’ Sirius exclaims as he sits on the chair and throws his bag on the floor exasperatedly. Remus raises an eyebrow and looks at him with interest.
‘What did you do?’ Lily turns to Sirius. He looks at her guiltily but doesn’t say a word. Remus finds the whole scene amusing, Barty and Evan throw a wondering look at the lot.
‘He left a stuffed dog on her bed who sings “My name is Pads and I love Mary more than her stupid cats” whenever you press the button on its back,’ Peter replies.
Lily’s eyes widen and her face turns red. If Pandora were here, she’d say that this classroom’s energy needs to be cleaned.
‘What the fuck, Sirius?’ growls Lily. ‘Merlin, I swear, one day I will—’ she suddenly stops and looks angrily at James. ‘You! James, you’re the reasonable one, how did you let him do it?’ Lily points at Sirius.
Remus, Barty, and Evan try to hold back their laughter, glancing at each other and waiting for the show to keep going.
James puts his hands up to show that he was not involved in the incident. ‘Lils, I swear I told him it was stupid but how was he supposed to know that her cat died?’
Lily looks at James as if he just said the dumbest thing ever. ‘You were supposed to fucking think with your brain. Or do you only think with your dick?’
‘I’m sorry,’ James murmurs.
‘I’m sorry, too,’ Sirius adds quietly.
Lily sighs and runs her fingers threw her hair. ‘I’ll go find Mary. And you,’ she turns to Sirius again, ‘don’t even come near her,’ she throws before leaving the classroom, the door slamming behind her back.
Barty and Evan burst with laughter, and Remus turns away suppressing a smile on his face. Maybe Sirius and Mary aren’t as close as he thought, after all.
When the class is over, Remus heads straight to the library to write one letter to Hope and one to Alwyn. He misses his mum badly and he wishes he could see her for at least a couple of minutes, just to give her a hug and tell her he loves her. She’s been spending lots of time with Alwyn’s mom, Carys, and Remus is beyond happy to know that Hope has finally made friends with someone who treats her as equal, instead of degrading her at every possible opportunity, like Lyall does all the time. In her last letter Hope told him about a picnic she had in the forest with Carys and Alwyn, and how nice it was to be in their company on one of the last warm sunny days this fall. Remus wishes he had been there with them.
Alwyn has already started his training in the Auror Recruitment programme and complains about his lack of knowledge in potions. He’s made friends with Frank Longbottom and Alice Fortescue, both graduates from Hogwarts and ‘Gryffindors to the bones’, according to Alwyn. Remus remembers Frank as the former captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, just before James took his position. He wonders if Frank is just as annoying in real life as he seemed to be at school.
Finishing writing the letters, Remus grabs his bag to leave when he hears someone sobbing somewhere behind the bookshelves, and then there’s a loud ‘shut up!’ Remus takes out his wand and holds it tight, moving quietly towards the sound. He hides behind a large bookcase with glass doors, trying to get a better look at the scene.
‘I need it now! I fucking warned you about the consequences!' Snape hisses at a younger boy wearing a red and gold tie.
‘I’m s—sorry,’ the boy murmurs holding back his tears. ‘He came in when I was looking for it- I had to sneak out.’
‘I.Don’t.Care. Go and fucking bring it to me!’
Remus peeks out from behind the bookcase and notices a wand pointed at the younger boy’s throat. He holds tighter onto his own wand and reveals himself, leaning casually on one of the shelves.
‘Bullying Gryffindor kids now, are you?’ asks Remus coldly.
Snape turns his head sharply and gives him an annoyed look.
‘None of your fucking business, Lupin,’ he snarls.
‘We’ll see about it,’ Remus replies and points his wand at Snape.
But before he manages to cast a spell, he has to avert from the one Snape throws at him. The spell hits the bookcase, shattering the glass which scatters all over the floor. One of the shards hits Snape in the face and he curses, meanwhile the kid, seeing an opportunity to flee, runs away at full speed.
‘Expelliarmus!’ Remus shouts and then wordlessly causes the shelves to fall, blocking Snape on either side.
Remus leaves Snape there, wandless and helpless, screaming at his back. He runs after the boy while students at the library throw worrying and scared looks at him. The boy slams the doors behind himself and rushes to the ladders which change their direction the moment Remus runs out of the library. He looks down at Remus with triumph, turning his back and climbing up the stairs. Remus cuts the way using a secret passageway, hoping that the kid is moving towards the Gryffindor Tower, just where Remus is heading.
Five minutes later Remus runs right into the kid, knocking him off his feet and falling to the floor with him.
‘Are you hurt?’ Remus asks getting on his feet and holding out his hand. The boy looks at Remus’ hand with suspicion and gets up on his own.
‘No. What do you need from me?’ he demands.
‘What did Snape want from you?’ Remus asks in return.
‘What is in it for you?’ the boy crosses his arms on his chest and looks at him askance.
‘You’re a tough one,’ Remus says. ‘I only wanted to help you but I also wanted to know what Snape asked you to do for him. You see, even among us, Slytherins, he’s not a trustworthy person. He’s a troubled guy and I wouldn’t want someone like you end up anywhere near him.’
‘Are you a trustworthy person, then?’
Remus smiles at him slyly. ‘Let’s say, you’ll never catch me asking second-year students to steal something for me.’
The boys’ cheeks turn red. ‘I’m a third-year!’ he says loudly.
‘Okay, okay, easy there,’ Remus lets out a laugh. ‘What’s your name?’
'What's yours?'
'Remus Lupin.'
‘Clyde Wilson.’
‘Nice to meet you, Clyde,’ Remus extends his hand which Clyde shakes rather hesitantly.
‘So, now that we’re on a first name basis, will you tell me what Snape wanted from you? I promise I’ll make him pay,’ he says and looks at Clyde expectantly.
‘Will you curse him?’
‘If you want to.’
‘Please, don’t. He’ll hurt me,’ the boy pleads.
‘Okay, I won’t. But I swear he won’t hurt you, we’ll figure something out.’
‘Promise?’
‘Yes.’
Clyde sighs. ‘You know James Potter? He’s in your year, I think,’ Remus nods and Clyde continues. ‘Well, Severus asked me to steal his cloak. I don’t know why he needs it but he said he’d help me ask out Dorcas if I did as he’d said.’
Remus furrows his eyebrows at the mention of the cloak but his lips broaden in a smile when Clyde says he’d like to take Dorcas on a date. If only he knew…
‘I see. Well, don’t bother yourself with either matters. I’ll take care of the cloak to make sure Snape doesn’t get it,’ Remus says reassuringly. ‘But Dorcas…She is already seeing someone.’
Clyde looks at him in disappointment. ‘Oh, I didn’t know.’
‘That’s okay, Clyde, I’m sure you’ll find someone else who will be single, and probably your age. You have all the time in the world,’ Remus claps him on the shoulder. ‘Let me see you to your dorm. I don’t think Snape will follow you there but just in case,’ he suggests.
‘Thanks,’ Clyde murmurs and leads them to the Gryffindor Tower. Remus tries to think of what he’ll say to James about his invisibility cloak (which he isn’t supposed to know about) and sighs heavily. That’s not how he expected to spend his Thursday afternoon.
When Remus is sure Clyde is safe and sound in his dorm, he waves him goodbye and heads to the field where James is supposed to be having a Quidditch practice with his team. If he hurries now, he’ll be able to catch him before the practice begins.
Ten minutes later Remus stands in front of the Gryffindor changing room and tries to act as casually as he can. He still hasn’t come up with how he will tell James about the whole situation, so he leans on the wall and tries to come up with the most believable explanation which won’t involve telling James he knows about his invisibility cloak.
What Remus doesn’t expect, however, is Sirius coming out of the changing room with a broom in his hands and humming to himself. Remus moans quietly and wonders if at least something today will go according to his plan.
‘Black,’ Remus nods at Sirius, his expression blank. Sirius looks up at him and almost trips.
‘What are you doing here?’ he asks suspiciously.
Remus rolls his eyes. He’s literally acting in everyone’s best interests. Why does no one trust him?
‘A little bird told me that Snape wants something of James’ possession. Tell Potter to take care of his cloak and put some protective charms over it,’ Remus says unemotionally.
‘What do you mean?’ Sirius looks at him in surprise. ‘What—How do you—Which cloak?’ he goes pale.
‘We both know which cloak I’m talking about, Sirius. Don’t be stupid and make sure Potter hides it better,’ Remus replies in an annoyed voice and turns to leave.
‘Wait— If that’s true, why are you telling me this?’ Sirius throws at his back.
Remus sighs. ‘Because no matter how irritating I find you lot, I will always hate Snape more,’ he retorts and leaves confused Sirius in an empty corridor. Remus doubts that Gryffindor’s practice today will be productive.