The Now of Wolf Thought

Headmaster Dumbles

Remus stood at the door of the Headmaster's office waiting to be let in. When the invitation wasn't forthcoming, he touched the door with the palm of his hand and the heavy door opened without the use of a password.

"Hello? Professor Dumbledore? Sir?"

Remus walked into the parlor of the office and looked around and noticed that there wasn't any sign of the elder wizard anywhere. The thought had occurred to him to use the floo, talk to Sirius and then use the floo to return. But he simply couldn't do it...there would be hell to pay if he were caught and he was certain that he'd be caught.

He turned on his heel to find the Headmaster staring at him from the door.

"Mister Lupin?"

"Sir! There you are! Your door was...open. I was hoping that you weren't sleeping."

Albus Dumbledore approached him. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, I thought that...I think that I'd like to be sorted, Sir. Also, I wanted to ask if you'd heard anything regarding the device and if it can be repaired? If so, how long will it take and when can I go home?"

The Headmaster nodded. "Hmm." He walked past Remus. "You wish to be sorted?"

"Well, yes. Especially if I'm going to have to be here for a while."

"Did Sirius put you up to this?"

"I beg your pardon, Sir?"

"I see his likeness firmly planted in your mind."

Remus blushed. "Well...I don't suppose I can or should hide something like this from you, especially since I know it's something that you'd understand..."

Dumbledore nodded and smiled. "You love him."

"Yes Sir. I believe I do."

"Well, it's not really a secret, Remus."

"Is it because you know the adult me?"

The elder wizard shook his head. "Oh no, I knew back then."

"Oh."

"Miss Granger is going to be heartbroken..."

"I think she'll get over it."

Dumbledore chuckled and nodded. "I think you're right. So, why don't you tell me why you're really here, because the face of Sirius Black that I see, is not the seventeen year old Sirius Black you know and love..."

Remus swallowed hard. "Bleedin' legillimens," he grumbled, causing the Headmaster to chuckle.

"Well, Sir...He did something awful in our sixth year. Something involving Professor Snape and myself. Something that should have gotten him expelled. I got the impression that he wasn't. I want to talk to him at great length about it. I need to know what his motivations were...are...will be."

"You can't fix it, Remus," Dumbledore whispered. 'You know the laws."

Remus nodded.

"Just like you can't prevent the deaths of James and Lily Potter. If you do," he began, "All hell will break loose! We have a way to take him down, Remus and Harry is the key."

"This is why my father removed me from school, isn't it? You obliviated me after I returned, didn't you?"

Albus Dumbledore removed his glasses and tossed them on the desk, then leaned against it, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I told you everything I knew, didn't I?"

The Headmaster nodded. "Lily Potter must give her life to protect her son."