Chapter 208: A Conversation with Lupin
Chapter 208: A Conversation with Lupin
Harry woke up in the bed of the Hospital Wing, his eyes meeting the white ceiling.
"Here, Harry", he heard Hermione's voice. He reached out and took his glasses.
After putting on his glasses, Harry's vision cleared, and he saw Hermione and Ron sitting beside him. Madam Pomfrey was mixing potions at the small table by his bed, and Professor Lupin was leaning over to check his condition.
Across the aisle, Professor Hep sat calmly on the opposite bed, flipping through a copy of the Daily Prophet.
"Professor—"
"Child, drink this first", Madam Pomfrey said. Harry struggled to protest, "I feel fine!"
"Oh, really?" she said absentmindedly. "That doesn't stop you from drinking the potion. Hurry up, or I'll give you the Elixir of Life and Death instead."
Harry downed the liquid in one go and turned to Professor Hep, eager to ask, "Professor Hep, did I hold on for two minutes?"
Professor Hep put down the newspaper and smiled, "Your last move was quite impressive. I was about to start the timer."
It took Harry a couple of seconds to understand what Professor Hep meant, and he looked surprised, "So, I... I did?"
"Yes", Professor Hep winked at him, "You can take your time to think about your wish, but don't make it too difficult, or I might refuse."
Without hesitation, Harry blurted out, "I want to know about my father and Sirius Black!" He glanced at Professor Lupin, who was staring at him in shock, and whispered, "Thank you for coming to see me, Professor Lupin."
Professor Lupin said gently, "It's nothing, I happened to be free tonight. Harry, about your father—"
Madam Pomfrey brought over a blanket, "It's a bit chilly at night, cover yourself with this." She turned to the two professors, looking impatient, "The patient needs rest. Keep it short."
Professor Lupin changed his tone, "Harry, I understand you have some questions. You can come to me this weekend. I won't disturb you now, Professor Hep, shall we go together?"
Felix stood up, "Of course."
The two professors left the Hospital Wing and walked down a corridor. Lupin stopped, "Professor Hep, we need to talk."
"About Potter?"
"Exactly, about Harry", Lupin said calmly. "It's clear you have a special interest in him. But don't you think some of your methods are unsuitable for a third-year student?"
"Such as?" Felix asked curiously.
"The summer training, for instance. I overheard some of it when they were in the same compartment as me. From Harry's description, he fainted at least ten times during your training—"
Felix said nonchalantly, "It might have been more. If my records are correct, it was 32 times."
Lupin looked at him seriously, "Don't you see the severity of the problem? He's only thirteen!"
"What does age matter? Would Black spare him because he's young and wait until he's an adult to strike?" Felix said with a mocking smile. "If you're worried about his health, there's no need. I've made adequate preparations."
Lupin tried to suppress his anger, "Harry will be safe at school. And not everything can be excused by 'adequate preparations.' Have you considered his psychological resilience? What were you doing at his age?"
Felix looked at him expressionlessly and said softly, "To me, your reasons are just excuses. At the very least, I won't rely on others and pretend everything is fine."
Lupin calmed down and hesitated, "I don't want my words to sound biased, but you are from Slytherin and were Snape's student..."
"What do you want to say, Lupin?" Felix knocked on the window frame in front of him. "I'm in a hurry."
Lupin took a deep breath. "I care about Harry's safety more than anyone, and your influence on him is significant. Snape and his father were bitter enemies when they were students, and I'm worried that Snape's attitude might affect you."
Felix's gaze shifted to the window. "Severus can't control me, but I don't plan to change my teaching philosophy. Professor Lupin, you're overstepping. What does Harry have to do with you? Let's part ways."
He took a few steps, counting silently in his head: one, two, three...
"I knew Harry's father! We were close friends, and much more than that. I owe him a great deal of gratitude", Lupin said suddenly.
Felix, with his back to him, curled his lips. He turned to look at Lupin. "You expect to convince me with vague words?"
"Harry's father, James Potter, was a prodigy in school. He could pick up anything instantly and was one of the top students. There was also Sirius... I mean, Black." Lupin stood beside him, looking out the window as the sky grew completely dark. "I was an outsider back then, but James accepted me."
"James and that person, Sirius, were young and full of energy, with charismatic personalities. They were very popular among their classmates. James even joined the Quidditch team. On the other hand, they also became targets for Slytherin."
Felix asked with interest, "Could you elaborate?"
Lupin thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "Slytherin during that time was different from what you might have encountered. The Dark Lord's ideology was very popular, and many students joined the Death Eaters right after graduation. We privately referred to them as Death Eaters in training."
Felix nodded. "I've heard something about it."
"James and that person, Sirius Black, were good men back then", Lupin said hesitantly. "They quickly became symbols of Gryffindor. James was carefree and loved pranks, but he had a strong sense of justice and always stood up for his classmates. Black, on the other hand, strongly disliked his corrupt family and had no love for Slytherin. He even cut ties with his family at 16. I just never expected him to betray James." He shook his head, not continuing.
Felix understood the unspoken meaning and sighed. "A righteous young man turning into a dragon of evil—how could it not be a cause for sorrow?"
Lupin continued, "James and Black made many enemies. Some definitely hated them because of the pranks, but they didn't care. Peter Pettigrew and I were also involved to some extent. Looking back, I find it hard to believe how foolish we were then."
"You didn't come here just to tell me about your past experiences, did you?"
"Almost there. James and Black had a sworn enemy at the time, the current Potions professor, Severus Snape. They were in constant conflict, and for various reasons, this rivalry intensified in their later years."
"Because of Harry's mother?" Felix interrupted, asking. From the information he had gathered, it seemed to be mostly about emotional entanglements. "Please forgive me, but I did some private digging."
Lupin stared at him with a complex expression, finally saying, "You are a true Slytherin, Professor Hep. I don't mean it as an insult, but you knew some of the inside details and kept quiet..."
Felix said briefly, "My knowledge is limited, and I can't see the full picture of those days, but it's enough to spot some inconsistencies. Please continue, Professor Lupin..."
Lupin said, somewhat at a loss, "It's far more complicated than that. I'm one of the few who truly understand the situation back then, Professor Hep. I hope our conversation remains confidential."
"At least I won’t say anything." His gaze slid to the corner of the corridor, a playful smile spreading across his face.
But what if someone was here?
"Harry’s mother, Lily Evans, was good friends with Snape even before they started school. James and Black hit it off immediately, and a strange twist of fate put them in the same compartment during their first train ride. But that meeting wasn’t pleasant. After they started school, James complained to Lily about her friendship with a Slytherin, calling them all a bunch of scum, but Lily ignored him."
"Before long, I became friends with James and the others, and I brought Peter Pettigrew into the fold. The four of us were inseparable, much like Harry and his two best friends." He smiled, and it was clear that this was one of the happiest memories of his life.
"As I said before, James and Black quickly rose to prominence, gaining a large following. As for their relationship with Snape, it was somewhat similar to the current dynamic between Harry and Malfoy. Snape had many traits that James despised: he was unkempt, studied dark magic, was a Slytherin, and constantly pestered his classmates."
"Why 'pestered'? I remember you saying that Snape and Harry’s mother were good friends", Felix asked.
"That’s true, but you can’t expect an eleven or twelve-year-old boy to calmly analyze the situation, especially not James and Sirius, who were both impulsive."
"The conflict between James and Snape escalated quickly. James cast hexes at Snape, who in turn developed various spells to retaliate, while Lily always stood up for Snape and found James increasingly unbearable."
"This went on for a few years, and then James’s feelings began to stir", he smiled, "he suddenly developed a crush on Lily, who had always been at odds with him, and tried to talk to her, but why would she listen to him? James soon changed himself, becoming less arrogant and less showy, showing a more mature side..."
"Their conflict shifted to the shadows, out of Lily’s sight. We didn’t think anything of it. By then, Snape had already demonstrated his exceptional talent in potions, earning Professor Slughorn’s favor and receiving special attention. We all agreed that if he graduated, he would significantly bolster the Death Eaters’ strength."
"During this time, due to some particularly nasty incidents, Lily and Snape ended their friendship, and James took advantage of the situation, showing her a lot of care and attention. I apologize for the term, but it’s more or less accurate."
"About a year later, James and Lily got together in their seventh year, and his relationship with Snape became even more complex—personality clashes, ideological differences, and then there were the emotional issues."
"If I had to say, Snape hated James the most, and possibly Black, who acted as a spy for the Dark Lord, revealing the location of Harry’s family. Oh, I don’t know how to tell Harry that James trusted him so much, even making him Harry’s godfather..." Lupin’s eyes were red with emotion.
"Professor Hep", Lupin looked at him earnestly, "we don’t interact much, but I can tell you’re a dedicated and responsible professor. Many of my students like you, even though they’re not old enough to take your elective courses."
"I’m telling you this so that you won’t be influenced by Snape. Please believe me, my feelings for Harry are sincere."
Felix was silent for a moment. "Professor Lupin, you’re overthinking it. Harry is a student I hold in high regard, and I look forward to his future."
Lupin left, and Felix’s gaze followed him to the corner of the corridor, where he sighed softly and then walked away from the other direction.
In the corridor’s corner, Harry sat silently on the ground, while Ron and Hermione looked at him with complex expressions.
(End of Chapter)
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