Look out for them
Remus walked slowly through the halls of Hogwarts. Thinking over and over what he was doing. It had taken James and Sirius a lot to convince the werewolf to do this. Something Remus had been in turmoil with for a while. But with how Dumbledore has been acting recently, towards his pack and others. It was as good a time as any to do this. He had planned a meeting with his former head of house and transfiguration teacher.
They had tea every once in a while anyways, so the meeting wasn't out of place for them. Since it was spring break, the halls of the school were empty for the most part. Only dotted with a few students who stayed behind at school for the holiday. Remus made his way to the transfiguration classroom. Opening the door to see McGonagall sat behind her desk at the front of the room. The older woman looked up at the creek of the door. A smile gracing her usually cowling face.
“Ah, Lupin. Right on time. I was just finishing up some last minute grading.” she said as she got up from her seat. Remus smiled at his old professor, following her through the door to her office. “I'm glad we could meet, it's been a while since we had tea together.” Remus spoke, trying to hide his nervousness. Sitting down at the small table they always sat at. There were biscuits and tea already waiting with steam coming off the tea.
“You seem pale today, are the transformations affecting you more lately?” McGonagall asked as she took a sip of her tea. Remus shrugged awkwardly, “well, not as much as it usually does…” the gray wizard said with a small grimace. He still wasn't used to speaking so casually about his…ailment with others besides his pack. The professor nodded with a knowing look. She had been teaching for a very long time now, and knew many of her students; especially her lions very well. “Is what happened with Pettigrew still bothering you then? I…heard about what happened a while ago…” Remus grimaced at McGonagall's words. That had happened quite a while ago, but it would be a lie to say it still didn't affect him a little. But in this moment that's not what bothered him “well there was a specific reason I wanted to meet you. Not just to have tea with you…” Remus said, sighing as he started to broach the topic he came here for. The woman furrowed her brows, seeing this was going to be serious. “What is it you wanted to discuss with me?” she asked curiously. The werewolf rang his hands under the table nervously. Knee bouncing as he tried to form his words.
“Well…this has been something that I've been wanting-...needing to bring up for a while…James and Sirius had always said it would be good to say something I just…I didn't want to talk about it…” Remus said hesitantly. McGonagall sat her cup of tea down, putting her hands in her lap. Waiting patiently for the man to continue. It was like they were back in school and Minerva was waiting for a student to open up to her for the first time. It brought her back some nostalgia with the one sitting in front of her now. It had taken a lot of work for Remus to trust her in the beginning.
“So…I know I tried to keep my…problem a secret through most of my Hogwarts years. Of course it didn't work out that way. People found out and…well it's obvious things change…” Remus took a deep breath. Thinking about how things changed in his 4th year when people found out about him being a werewolf. How some people looked at him differently, even teachers. “well…Sirius and James…finally convinced me to talk to someone other than them about it…” it made him feel a little better that he had a reason to talk about it, other than for himself. It made it a little easier to talk about when he had an objective.
“I know you know some of the things that happened after people found out. Though there are things that you don't know about…which is reasonable, you were our professor. You had a lot of students to care about. You were one of the only teachers other than Slughorn that didn't treat me much differently…” Remus’ voice was strained a bit as he spoke. Minerva had a grim expression as the man mentioned that. Many of the teachers did not outwardly show their change in behavior, but to a child like Remus it was obvious. And the things adults say behind closed doors made the Transfiguration teacher sick.
They may have not done anything to Remus, but that lack of action to stop others was a glowing red sign. “Yes…I remember this…” the professor confirmed. Remus nodded awkwardly, clearing his throat even though he didn't have to. “Um…well, I wanted to discuss some of the things I know didn't get your attention?” the gray wizard scratched the back of his head as he spoke. Eyes darting around the room.
“I know I've already graduated and it's been such a long time, it's not like you can do anything about it now…it's probably useless to bring it up besides for my own closure…” Remus said softly, not bringing up James’ plan for obvious reasons. The light witch looked stunned for a moment before a smile broke out on her face. Hand over her heart. Despite the serious topic, her heart warmed that Remus still felt like he could come to her and trust her like this. “It is completely fine Remus. Even if it's a decade from now, it won't bother me if you come to me” Remus shrunk a little in his seat at the positivity directed at him. Scared cheeks going a little red, giving an awkward smile.
“Thank you…um well” Remus took a deep breath. Although he agreed with his pack he would do this, there was something else he was going to add to the plan without wanting them to know. At least not yet. It would help the plan nonetheless either way.
“I wanted to share with you something I haven't even talked about with Sirius, James, nor…Peter”
Minerva adopted her stunned face once more. She thought there was nothing those boys didn't share with one another. It felt like they could read each other's minds at times. The professor motioned for him to continue. The werewolf locked his hands together. “I'm not even sure if it was my mind just jumping to conclusions. I thought that at the time but…as I got older, it started to make less and less sense with how I remembered things. And with future events that have happened…”
Remus said in a tense tone. His expression grim, grinding his teeth as he willed himself to continue speaking.
“A Lot of things that happened in fourth year went right under a lot of the professors' heads, even yours. And I don't blame any of you! Don't misunderstand. I know you and the other teachers had so much to do, and other students with other issues.” Remus heaved a sigh. He was beating around the bush. Just get to the point dammit, he scolded himself.
“When I was discovered to be a werewolf. At the time I had no idea who could have said anything, for what I am to be spread. James, Sirius, even Peter at that time would never have told anyone. Despite what Peter had done now. We never dwelled on the how or why. The students became so nasty…we didn't have time to think about it” the grey Wizard explained. The older Witch had a looming feeling where this was going.
“There were times I was caught alone. Rare but it happened. There was this specific group, Ravenclaws…they were…cruel, more so than some others. They only did something when I was alone. It's so obvious now but as a child, i was such a gullible kid” the werewolf gave a self deprecating laugh. Minerva chided him with a noise that made the man smile a little. “Well it's true, no matter how I look at it. Because there was only one man that found me when that group had me in a corner or empty classroom…” his face hardened, jaw setting in a hard line. Looking at his old professor with a deep breath. “It was Dumbledore…he always was the one that found us. And scolded them but…it seemed it only made them stay away for a few days until they started again…you…you would think being scolded by the headmaster himself you would stop all together. No?”
The Professor's expression turned stony, “children can be cruel…they choose what to listen to or who to listen to” the light witch responded curtly. Remus knew that McGonagall would respond that way. The witch was very close to Dumbledore, so it was only reasonable she would react in such a way to the man's implications.
“That's what the headmaster had said… ‘boys will be boys’ he had told me. But they also don't keep secrets very well, at least the group of Ravenclaws. Using taunts like ‘even the headmaster doesn't care enough to stop us’....” the werewolf said bitterly. Rubbing his temples as he cleared his throat. Minerva didn't say anything, just a stormy look in her eyes. A war going on in her mind. Seeing that the man probably overstayed his welcome he got up slowly. “I'm not asking you to believe me. Just…I brought it up because of the torment I went through. And that other children like me will go through no doubt. And I know how much you care about the students that go to Hogwarts…”
The grey wizard said gently. Downing the rest of the tea that was left in his cup. Giving a small smile to his old professor. “It probably would never happen again but…if there were to ever be. That there be another child like me. Whether a werewolf or otherwise…”
“Look out for them”