Harry Potter's Coolest Aunt

I solemnly swear i am up to no good

It was a relief to return to the noise and bustle of the main school on Monday, where he was forced to think about other things, eve', if they had to endure kris Puecy taunting. He had finally taken off his bandages, and celebrated having the full use of both arms again by doing spirited imitations of Aishi falling off her broom. Puecy spent much of their next Potions class doing dementor imitations across the dungeon; Ron and Malfoy finally cracked and flung a large, slippery crocodile heart at Pucey, which hit him in the face and caused Snape to take twenty points from Gryffindor and Slytherin.

Professor Lupin was back at work. It certainly looked as though he had been ill. His old robes were hanging more loosely on him and there were dark shadows beneath his eyes; nevertheless, he smiled at the class as they took their seats.

They had a very enjoyable lesson. Professor Lupin had brought along a glass box containing a hinkypunk, a little one-legged creature who looked as though he were made of wisps of smoke, rather frail and harmless looking. "Lures travelers into bogs," said Professor Lupin as they took notes. "You notice the lantern dangling from his hand? Hops ahead -people follow the light -- then --"

The hinkypunk made a horrible squelching noise against the glass. When the bell rang, everyone gathered up their things and headed for the door,Aishi among them, but --
"Wait a moment, Aishi," Lupin called. "I'd like a word."

Harry doubled back and watched Professor Lupin covering the hinkypunk's box with a cloth as Aishi went to him."Sir?"

"I heard about the match," said Lupin, turning back to his desk and starting to pile books into his briefcase, "and I'm sorry about your broomstick. Is there any chance of fixing it?" "No," said Aishi. "The tree smashed it to bits."

Lupin sighed."They planted the Whomping Willow the same year that I arrived at Hogwarts. People used to play a game, trying to get near enough to touch the trunk. In the end, a boy called Davey Gudgeon nearly lost an eye if a fellow hufflepuff had not saved him, and we were forbidden to go near it. No broomstick would have a chance.""Did you hear about the dementors too?" said Aishi with difficulty. Lupin looked at her quickly.

"Yes, I did. I don't think any of us have seen Percy Jackson that angry......pretty sure he will be mad too if he was alive. They have been growing restless for some time -- furious at her refusal to let them inside the grounds.... I suppose they were the reason you fell?"

"Yes," said Aishi. She hesitated, and then the question she had to ask burst from her before she could stop herself." Why? Why do they affect me like that? Am I just --?" "It has nothing to do with weakness," said Professor Lupin sharply, as though he had read Aishi's mind. "The dementors affect you worse than the others because there are horrors in your past that the others don't have."

A ray of wintery sunlight fell across the classroom, illuminating Lupin's gray hairs and the lines on his young face. "Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them. Even Muggles feel their presence, though they can't see them. Get too near a dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you. If it can, the dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself... soul-less and evil. You'll be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life. And the worst that happened to you, Aishi, is enough to make anyone fall off their broom. You have nothing to feel ashamed of."

"When they get near me --" Aishi stared at Lupin's desk, her throat tight. "I can hear my dad....i never heard his voice before."