The Disgraced of the House of Black - A Multi-Character Fanfiction - Part One

24. Page 394

"Remus?" Eliana said softly, knocking on the closed door to Lupin's office, a large goblet in hand.

Opening the door, Lupin quickly took the goblet from her and began to drink even before he had finished opening the door. Running a hand nervously through his hair, he set the empty goblet on his desk, beginning to shake slightly as Eliana shut the door softly behind her, watching him cautiously.

"Remus, I can stay with you," she said gently.

"No, I couldn't ask that of-" he began.

Letting out a humourless laugh, Eliana interrupted, "You say that as though it would be the first time, Remi."

Remus looked up at her. She looked in the faint light like a star, glowing slightly through the white folds of her robes. Everything in his mind ordered him to reject her offer, but before he checked himself, he whispered, "Please, Ellie."

"Of course," she said with a kind smile.

As she sat down in one of the chairs by his desk, Remus paced restlessly back and forth, glancing at the clock every few moments until at long last, the moon rose. Under the influence of the potion, Lupin's transition was far from painful. It felt almost as easy and simple as falling asleep as he shifted, turning into the form of a harmless wolf.

"There, now," Eliana said with a teasing smile, scratching him behind the ears. "Not so scary, is it?"

The transition still took a lot out of him physically, but the pain was only felt the following morning when, coming back to himself, he found himself laying on the floor of his office, Eliana asleep in her chair, still looking as angelic as she had the night prior. With a pained groan, he attempted to sit up. At the sound of his struggle, Eliana woke, her head and eyes aching with tiredness.

"Here," she said, her voice hoarse as she quickly got to her feet and began to help Remus up and into his room which opened from a trick latch against the edge of his false window.

.

"Settle down," Snape snapped, instantly silencing the chatter around the room as he shut the door behind him with a sharp snap.

Althea shared confused looks with Hermione and Ron. Harry had been held up by Oliver Wood, the Quidditch Captain, to talk about tactics for the upcoming match. Instantly, several students raised their hands. Snape ignored them, moving over to Lupin's desk and beginning to look through it.

After a few minutes of searching, Snape got up with a satisfied sort of curl to the corners of his lips as he faced the class, his glittering eyes surveying them with a force that seemed to glue their mouths shut.

"It seems," he remarked slowly, his tone full of relish. "Professor Lupin has-"

Before he could resume his sentence, the door burst open as Harry dashed into the room, saying quickly, "Sorry I'm late, Professor Lupin, I-"

Harry broke off, his expression confused as he caught sight of Snape.

"This lesson began ten minutes ago, Potter, so I think we'll make it ten points from Gryffindor," Snape said coldly. "Sit down."

Staying still, Harry asked, "Where's Professor Lupin?"

"He says he is feeling too ill to teach today," Snape said with a twisted smile. "I believe I told you to sit down?"

"What's wrong with him?" Harry asked, still remaining still.

"Nothing life-threatening," Snape retorted in a bitter sort of tone that sounded vaguely like regret. "Five more points from Gryffindor, and if I have to ask you to sit down again, it will be fifty."

Dumbstruck, Harry took his seat, sharing shocked and concerned looks with Ron and Hermione. Althea was keeping her eyes resolutely on the book clasped tightly in her hands.

"As I was saying before Potter interrupted," Snape resumed in a low, cold voice, "Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topics you have covered so far-"

"Please, sir," Hermione interrupted quickly. "We've done boggarts, Red Caps, kappas, and grindylows. And we're about to start-"

"Be quiet," Snape snapped. "I did not ask for information. I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organization."

Althea quickly looked at him with a look of cold fury as she fought back the urge to comment on his lack of professionalism.

"He's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had," Dean Thomas said boldly.

"You are easily satisfied," Snape said in a still colder voice. "Lupin is hardly overtaxing you - I would expect first years to be able to deal with Red Caps and grindylows." He paused, his eyes fixed in mild surprise as he saw Althea's hand rise into the air. "Yes...Miss Black?"

The entire class turned, looking at her in surprise. Although they all knew she did very well in classes and was incredibly clever, she hardly ever, except in cases where it was a subject she was particularly interested in or no one else was engaging, spoke in class.

Letting out a long, soothing breath, she said in the calmest, most tranquil tone she could manage, "With all due respect, Professor, if you've come to this class to lecture us on Professor Lupin's supposed inadequacy instead of actually teaching us anything, would it not be better to use this time to bring your complains to Professor Dumbledore so that we may actually learn something in the meantime? Some of us are sagacious enough to judge a teacher's ability without help."

Any mutters or whispers instantly died as a few people gasped, instantly looking at Snape with wide eyes. Even Harry and Ron didn't dare to laugh. Only Althea didn't seem bothered by her words. She met Snape's blazing eyes unflinchingly, her expression as calm and pleasant as if she were outside in the warmth of the sun.

"Twenty-five points from Gryffindor," Snape spat. "And detention, Saturday, ten a.m. I had gotten used to not having to hear your opinions, Black. I implore you to not force anyone else to hear them, least of all me."

Indignantly, Neville opened his mouth to speak, but Althea, who looked as unbothered at having received her first detention in her entire life as to what she would eat for breakfast in fifty years, quickly caught him by the wrist, shaking her head slightly.

"Now," Snape said coldly. "Today we shall discuss...werewolves."

"But, sir," Hermione protested. "We're not supposed to do werewolves yet, we're due to start hinkypunks-"

"Miss Granger," Snape said in a cold enough voice to freeze boiling water. "I was under the impression that I am teaching this lesson, not you. And I am telling you all to turn to page 394."

As the class resumed, many thought nothing more of Althea, but as Hermione glanced over at her, she saw that she had hidden behind their textbook. Every few moments, she would ever swear she heard a sniffle.