Mischief Managed | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 66

"Good evening, Mr. Lupin." The old wizard kept on smiling. "I'm here regarding Remus's education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. If I'm not wrong, your son is now eleven years old?"

Lyall's brows furrowed. "What sort of rubbish is this?"

"I understand that you must think —"

"No, you don't understand," Lyall said sharply, pointing a finger at Dumbledore furiously. "Someone like him — someone with his condition — is not safe in our society. I'm not going to put my son in any more danger than I already have."

"Mr. Lupin, I assure you that Remus's condition will remain a secret if he wishes to attend Hogwarts —"

"No! Absolutely not!" Lyall shook his head firmly. "Do you know what they would do if they find out about him? Remus has been through enough."

"I understand," Dumbledore said again, as gently as before, "but if you could just listen to the situation I'm willing to offer Remus to help him complete his education —"

"It would never be enough," Lyall whispered reproachfully, slamming the door shut.

Hope stood there in front of her husband for long seconds, watching the tears resurface in his chocolate brown eyes. Lyall hid his face in his palms, his hands slightly trembling.

"My fault... it's all my fault..." he kept muttered, over and over again.

Hope reached out for him, bringing him into an embrace. It had been years since the incident, and yet Lyall's guilt never left him for even a second.

"We'll be with him," Hope whispered. "We'll never let him be alone."

But she knew this was a lie. There was only so much they could do. They could never be beside him whenever the full moon came around. They could never be there with him when he needed them the most.

Blinking the tears away, Lyall dropped his hands and walked back into the parlor with Hope by his side.

The moment they stepped inside the living room, they came to a sudden halt when they saw that Albus Dumbledore was sitting on the floor beside the fireside, playing a game of Gobstones with Remus as he took bites from his crumpets which he had taken from the tray nearby.

"Ah, exceptional move!" Dumbledore chuckled, making Remus smile proudly. Then, without even looking up, the old man said, "Mr. and Mrs. Lupin, may I kindly request to speak with Remus in private?"

    Hope and Lyall hesitated at first, but at last they left the two alone in the living room and stepped into the kitchen, waiting.

     "Now tell me, Remus," Dumbledore started, picking one of the stones off the floor and observing it in his hand. "Do you know where Hogwarts is?"

    "Of course, sir!" Remus nodded delightfully. "My dad told me all about it when I was a kid."

    "And would you like to study at Hogwarts?"

     Remus's head shot up at those words as he felt a jolt of excitement in his stomach and his smile widened uncontrollably.

     "Me? Can I really go!?" he said in pure disbelief, his face lighting up.

     "Of course!" Dumbledore chuckled. "Why shouldn't you be allowed to go?"

     Remus's smile faded again. He remained mutely on where he sat on the carpet, with his hands clasped tightly in his laps as he looked away from the old man, as soon as the truth of his reality hit him.