Chapter 22 - Suspicion in DADA
Harry yawned as he made his way down to the Great Hall for breakfast, bag over his shoulder. He absently thought over the schedule of classes for that day: Potions, DADA, Charms, and Care of Magical Creatures. A fairly busy day but it wasn't too bad, with the exception of Potions, of course. Potions were bad enough, but NEWT level Potions are undoubtedly worse. Mainly because Harry had chosen to take it this year.
He sighed inwardly as he made his way to the Gryffindor table, vaguely noting that the Hall was practically empty. He wasted little time as he took his usual seat and began filling his plate with food when a pair of hands came around covering his eyes.
"Guess who?" Said a voice in his ear.
A small smiled crept across his face, "Hermione." He turned in his seat to face her, his smile growing, "Madam Pomfrey let you out?"
Hermione nodded and smiled as she took a seat next to Harry, "Yep, she had to give me a final check up, but I'm healed so there was really little point in keeping me there."
"That's good to hear," Harry grinned. "What about Draco? When should he be getting out of the Infirmary?"
"Madam Pomfrey said he should be allowed to go within the next few days," Hermione answered as she put food on her plate.
"Guess what?"
"What?"
"We have Sirius and Remus in class today," Harry smiled.
"Oh! Do we?" Hermione said excitedly.
"Yeah, first thing this morning," Harry said.
Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment then giggled. At Harry's questioning expression she explained, "I was just thinking. It's almost natural to call Remus 'Professor Lupin', but to start calling Sirius 'Professor Black', should be interesting."
Harry chuckled but agreed, "I think it'll probably irritate him, he'll probably ask everyone just to call him Sirius or Padfoot."
"Or maybe Professor Padfoot," Hermione smiled.
"Morning Ron," Harry said as their other friend took his usual spot at the opposite side of the table.
"Morning, great schedule today," Ron said. "Well, except for Potions."
Harry and Hermione nodded. "What should we do about the DA?" Hermione asked hesitantly.
Harry glanced up, "What do you mean, we don't really need it. We've got Remus and Sirius to help us this year."
The girl sighed, "I know, but I think we should continue it. Even if the numbers slim down, I think it's still important that we continue."
"I agree, mate," Ron said watching Harry's reaction.
Harry frowned in thought for a moment, "I'll talk to Remus and Sirius today after class to see what they think. If they recommend we continue on our own, then we will."
The three fell into silence, finished their breakfasts, and headed toward the DADA classroom making sure they were well before anyone else. They wondered, curiously, what their teachers had in store for them.
"Good morning," Remus said as they entered the classroom.
"'Morning," Sirius said leaning back in the chair behind the desk, feet propped on the desk.
"Sirius, for Merlin's sake, get your feet off the desk!" Remus reprimanded.
The three students laughed at the face Sirius made to the other wizard once he'd turned back around. "Good morning, Professor Lupin, Professor Black," Harry said.
Sirius grimaced, "Damn, Moony, I certainly should have left this job to you."
Hermione made a mock-pained expression that looked very sincere to those other than Harry and Ron, "You mean you don't want to be here to help us learn to defend ourselves, Sirius?"
The wizard began to look guilty, "I didn't-I mean-I just meant..." He was cut off when the three burst out laughing. Sirius crossed his arms across his chest, "That wasn't funny, I really felt bad!"
"I'm sure you did, Sirius," Remus mused. "Just like you felt bad about turning Molly's hair pink."
Sirius rolled his eyes, "Enough about that. I learned my lesson, alright?"
"Only after been turned pink for a few days," Ron chuckled.
"What is this 'Pick on Padfoot Day' or something?" Sirius said, shaking his head.
"Every day is 'Pick on Padfoot Day', Sirius," Remus said, highly amused.
Sirius stuck his tongue out childishly at the rest of them, which just made them all laugh harder.
Harry composed himself after a minute and said, "Oh, we were wanting to talk to you two about something, that's why we came so early."
Remus and Sirius glanced at him curiously. "Alright," Remus nodded.
"It's about the DA. We were wondering what you two thought about continuing this year, seeing as Umbrage isn't here anymore. Do you think we should continue to offer the DA separately from the regular DADA classes?"
The two older wizards exchanged glances and looked thoughtful for a moment.
"I think it'd be a good idea, Moony?"
Remus was silent for a moment more, "I don't see how it would be a bad idea, but what do you intend to teach this year?"
Harry frowned a moment, "I'm not exactly sure. I figure I could reteach what I learn in the training I'm supposed to be receiving for the final battle. At least that way I'd have to learn it better myself in order to be able to teach those who come."
Remus nodded thoughtfully. "Talk to me later this week and perhaps I can help with a lesson plan," He said as the room began to fill with the rest of the students.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione quickly took their seats up in the front of the classroom. Harry gave his godfather, who looked ready to be sick, an encouraging smile.
After everyone had taken his or her seats and fallen silent Remus began speaking, "Alright, as you know, I am Professor Remus Lupin. This year, however, you will be having two teachers in this class, rather than one. The other is Professor Sirius Black."
There was a collective intake of breath as Sirius's name was said. Harry watched his godfather's expression fall slightly as though he knew that would happen.
Lavender raised her hand. Once Remus acknowledged her, she asked, "Um. Sir, Professor Black?"
Sirius looked at the girl oddly and got to his feet, "Miss Brown, correct? What can I do for you?"
She looked as though she was trying to figure out how she wanted to ask her question, "If I may, w-what made the Ministry overturn your conviction?"
Harry and Remus exchanged glances, but neither said anything. They knew that it was Sirius who had to gain the trust of the rest of the students.
Sirius frowned slightly as he perched himself on the edge of the desk, "Well, I assume you know all know what it was that my conviction was?"
Lavender nodded slightly.
"Please, if you'll share with the rest of the class, so I know how much you know?"
Lavender nodded again, "You were said to have killed thirteen people with one curse. Twelve muggles and one wizard by blowing up a muggle street."
Sirius took a deep breath, "Is that the story you all know?"
Everyone nodded. Harry noticed his godfather's expression had paled slightly.
"The first thing I think you need to know about what happened those--fifteen?--fifteen years ago. The wizard that I was said to have killed was named Peter Pettigrew, we were...friends when we were at Hogwarts."
"You killed your friend?" Dean Thomas asked.
Sirius blanched, "Merlin no, though given the chance now I most certainly would." There was an all around gasp. "Whoa, hold on, allow me to explain if you will. All right..." he pinched the bridge of his nose before continuing. "When I was in Hogwarts, Remus, Peter Pettigrew, Harry's father James, and myself were all the best of friends. After graduation, we all remained fairly close. Understand, this was during the time that Vol-" another round of gasps "demort was gaining power the first time around. For reasons that will remain unsaid unless Harry chooses to reveal them, Lily and James Potter, along with Harry, had to go into hiding from Voldemort. James insisted I become his secret keeper."
Sirius glanced at Harry and sighed before lowering his eyes and continuing his story. "Being James's best friend, I knew that Voldemort would suspect me to be the secret keeper and would come after me. I suggested that they make Peter their Secret Keeper, as Peter was not one to be quickly associated with being a 'close' friend of the Potter's. They agreed, however reluctantly."
"T-that," Sirius cleared his throat, "That Halloween I went to check on Peter to make sure he was still safe. He wasn't at the home he was supposed to be staying in; yet, there was absolutely no sign that he'd been taken by force. By the time I realized what had happened, the charm that had been hiding the Potter's had been broken, Lily and James, my best friend and his wife, had been murdered, my godson had nearly met the same fate and Voldemort had disappeared."
He glanced up noticing the slightly confused expression on the majority of the faces. "Peter Pettigrew had been a spy for Voldemort for the greater part of a year. As soon as he was made Secret Keeper, he'd told him where the Potter's could be found. I went after him, granted, with every intention of killing him. He must have known I would be after him, because he faked his own murder and the murder of twelve muggles, framing me."
"If you remember in your third year, my escape from Azkaban. I did come here to Hogwarts. I was here long before any of you had come by train. I spent my time in the Forbidden Forest, with the exception of the time that I came into the Gryffindor tower, and the brief time after I was caught," Sirius glanced at Ron with amusement in his eyes, "Did I ever apologize for that, Ron?"
Ron shook his head slightly, "No, you gave me a right scare though, standing over me with that knife."
Sirius smiled sheepishly, "The Fat Lady has yet to forgive me for the attack on her."
Parvati raised her hand. When Sirius nodded in her direction she asked, "I've got two questions before you continue. First, how did Pettigrew fake his own death? I mean would you see him run? Then second, how did you escape? I remember Professor Snape was furious after that. That was why he told everyone about you, wasn't it Professor Lupin?"
Remus rubbed the back of his neck, "You need to understand that Professor Snape was in the same year as Remus, James, Peter, and I during our time at Hogwarts and we didn't exactly...get along."
"That's the understatement of the year," Sirius muttered, earning several chuckled in response.
"Sirius," Remus warned. Sirius lowered his head in submission and grinned sheepishly. Remus shook his head and finished answering the question. "Black, here, and James tended to hex or prank him every time they got the chance for little to no reason at all. One such prank involved myself." Sirius's eyes shot to the floor; he knew what was coming next. "Sirius, here, decided it would be...amusing to send Professor Snape to get a peak of me on a Full Moon." A few people gasped, "James managed to pull him back in time, but Professor Snape never forgave any of us for that one. It took me long enough to forgive this prat here. When Professor Snape thought that I had aided Sirius in his escape, he thought it only fair that he share my...secret."
Sirius cleared his throat, "I was a prat, and I know it. Anyway, for your first question. As you know, Remus is a werewolf. It took up until our second year for James and I to figure out why he really disappeared every month. Once we did we started down a bit of...research on animagi. We studied the spell thoroughly until our fifth year when we were able to perfect it. James and I had to help Peter, Transfiguration was one of his worst subjects, but we figured it out and we became animagi in order to help Remus during his transformations. See, Werewolves are only danger to humans. As animals, we could accompany him and he'd be less dangerous to himself. I became a dog, James became a Stag, and Peter became a rat."
"So, when you went after Pettigrew, he blew up the street then transformed into the rat in order to fake his own death?" Seamus asked.
Sirius nodded, "Exactly, I, of course, was the one to be blamed for those murders and sentenced life in Azkaban. I used my dog form, however, to escape from Azkaban when I learned via Daily Prophet that Pettigrew had returned to Hogwarts."
"How? Wouldn't we have seen him?" Lavender asked, quizzically.
It was Ron who spoke up here, "Do you remember my old rat, Scabbers, Lavender?"
The girl nodded, still confused.
"He was Peter Pettigrew in his animal form, only I didn't know until third year."
Comprehension dawned across several faces. "So you came back here, in dog form, to kill Pettigrew?" Lavender asked.
Sirius nodded, "I suppose you remember the Hippogriff, Buckbeak. The one that got a hold of Draco Malfoy?"
There were a few snickers in remembrance of how Draco had acted after the attack.
"I'll take that as a yes," Sirius smirked. He gestured toward Harry, Ron, and Hermione "Well, when these three snuck down to Hagrid's to see if he was going to be alright just before the execution, I watched. When they headed back toward the castle, Pettigrew tried to run. Ron managed to catch him just short of the Womping Willow. I attacked. Though I went for the rat, I managed to get Ron's arm instead. There's a tunnel beneath that tree that leads to the Shrieking Shack that Remus used to use for his transformation before the Wolfsbane Potion was created, I dragged Ron, along with the rat into the shack. Harry and Hermione, for some reason, fallowed."
"Remus came in just in time to stop Harry from killing me for the betrayal of his parents," Harry gave his godfather an innocent expression. "Anyway, we forced Peter to resume his human form. After a bit of interrogation, we left to bring him to the castle. Having Peter would have cleared my name. Unfortunately, it was a Full Moon that night, and my dear friend Remus forgot to take his Potion. While I was pulling the wolf's attention away from the kids, Peter transformed and got away. And I was sent on the run," Sirius hesitated and glanced at Harry, unsure whether or not to tell how he actually escaped. He chose not to.
"You were innocent the whole time? Thirteen years in Azkaban for a crime you didn't commit?" Seamus mused.
Lavender's and rose again. When called upon she said, "Is Pettigrew still alive?"
Both Sirius's and Remus's jaws clenched. Sirius nodded, "He is. When Harry and Cedric Diggory disappeared during the TriWizards Tournament, it was Pettigrew that killed Diggory using Voldemort's wand." There was the sound of everyone whispering at once. "It was also Peter who cut off his own hand, and slit Harry's arm in order to bring Voldemort back to physical form."
Neville raised his hand shakily, "I know I shouldn't say much, but I'm sorry for what happened in June."
"That was far from being your fault, Neville," Sirius smiled. "It should be me to apologize to you for my cousin's actions."
The rest of the class looked puzzled but let it slip. Remus glanced at his watch, "Well, I do believe we've just about used up our time. We've got about five minutes before I dismiss the class, so it's pointless to start anything today. But prepare to work next class. If you have anything regarding what you've heard today or some other time, feel free to talk to either Sirius or myself."
The class began muttering amongst themselves. Lavender stood from her seat and approached Sirius. "Professor Black? I want to apologize for my earlier suspicions."
Sirius smiled, "Don't worry about it Miss Brown. I had assumed that there would be some skepticism on my innocence."
"Can you show us your animal form?" Parvati asked, curiously.
Sirius glanced at Remus as though asking permission. Remus gave an almost unnoticeable nod. The dark haired wizard grinned, "Of course." With a small 'pop' there was a large black dog standing in the middle of the DADA classroom.
"Wicked, he's a GRIM!" Dean said, sounding almost in awe.
"Hey, Harry. He must have been the Grim that Trelawney was always seeing around you!" Lavender gasped.
Harry chuckled, "I might want to warn you, he's yet to grow out of his pranking stage, right Padfoot?"
The black dog barked before changing back into Sirius, "Harry! I'm appalled by your insinuations."
Remus chuckled, "I'll be sure to inform Tonks and Mrs. Weasley of your thoughts, Sirius. Class Dismissed."
The students exited the room chatting excitedly about the day's class and the story they'd heard. None of them seemed to doubt it in the slightest. They all trusted Remus, and if Remus trusted Sirius's story, why shouldn't they?
-->