Chapter 218: Doubt
Chapter 218: Doubt
A little later, Dobby returned to report to Felix—
"Mr. Heap, that Skeeter woman has agreed. And during the process, that silver bird on my head..."
"I understand, Dobby. This was the test I mentioned to you, and the results are better than I expected."
...
In the evening, Felix walked into the Great Hall in a cheerful mood.
'Hmm, which house table should I choose today?' he mused, one of his pleasures was always hearing interesting news during meals. 'Ravenclaw, perhaps. The young eagles have been rather quiet lately.'
His peripheral vision caught the Slytherin Quidditch players entering the Great Hall, chatting and laughing as they carried their brooms. He knew the Quidditch season was about to begin.
Felix aimed for a small group of Ravenclaw students, preparing to sit next to them. A somewhat chubby boy with freckles was enthusiastically discussing something.
"… We've been learning about kappa recently. Yes, they're web-footed aquatic creatures—like scaly monkeys—Professor Lupin is quite good—"
Felix instinctively glanced at the staff table and, as expected, saw a slightly weary figure.
"Professor Lupin?" Felix changed direction and sat next to the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, greeting him warmly.
"Professor Heap", Lupin responded gently, "I apologize, I still have a cold." He fiddled with the scarf around his neck.
"October is indeed a high season for flu. I remember it was the same last year", Felix smiled, adding some smoked beef and potatoes to his plate. "Madam Pomfrey must be quite busy."
Lupin's face took on a nostalgic expression. "She is indeed a dedicated school nurse. She helped me a great deal when I was a student."
Felix had misinterpreted Lupin's words, thinking he was referring to fights with Slytherin students during his school days, which would inevitably involve Snape. He chose not to comment and changed the subject.
"Have you received the schedule for the Dueling Class, Professor Lupin?"
"Hermione Granger gave it to me last week", Lupin said thoughtfully. "I noticed the disarming charm. It could be useful against Grindylows…"
"Those green water spirits with horns? I remember there are some in the Black Lake, though they should be tamed by the merpeople", Felix remarked.
"Indeed", Lupin reached for a distant dish of sauce. "That makes my teaching easier. Oh, thank you—"
"You're welcome", Felix pushed the sauce towards him, their arms brushing against each other.
He lowered his gaze, the strange sensation returned. From the first time they shook hands, he had noticed that Lupin's hand hair was unusually dense and much harder than normal.
Lupin didn't seem to notice and continued, "Grindylows have very strong fingers, but they are also fragile. The trick to getting rid of them is to prevent them from grabbing onto you."
"The strongest and the weakest?" Felix said with interest. "It's similar to Professor Flitwick's view. He believes that a wizard is strongest when attacking but also exposes their weaknesses. So, when casting spells, one should be as quick and concise as possible, while leaving room for maneuvering…"
Lupin smiled. "Professor Flitwick is indeed very experienced. His dueling championships are well-deserved."
"Speaking of which…" Felix said slowly, "Flitwick once wanted to join the Ministry of Magic when he was young, but was rejected due to his blood status."
Lupin paused, listening quietly.
"… Of course, the reason wasn't stated outright, but everyone knows the Ministry's track record. Professor Lupin, what do you think about the Ministry of Magic's discrimination issues?"
Lupin smiled. "That's not a new accusation. Even when I was a student, people criticized the Ministry for being rigid and ineffective. But after all these years, it hasn't changed much."
"Perhaps it's time for the Ministry of Magic to undergo some changes?"
"Difficult", Lupin mused, "unless a more decisive minister takes over. As for Fudge, he's just a politician, a coward", he said bluntly, "living by the book has already drained all his courage."
Felix was taken aback by his harsh attitude toward Fudge, unsure where such disdain came from. After all, Fudge's moderate stance was quite popular.
At the very least, the Wizarding community didn't want a minister who meddled too much in their lives—except during wartime.
The conversation then turned to Sirius Black.
"Hermione Granger once asked me a question, but I couldn't answer it", Felix said. "She asked why Black, after spending over a decade in Azkaban, suddenly chose to escape. After all, if caught again, he would likely face a Dementor's Kiss."
"Professor Lupin, you must know him well. Do you have any theories?"
Lupin frowned. Felix's words struck a chord with a long-buried confusion and an unrealistic fantasy that had been gnawing at him. This notion made him relive past happy times in the quiet of the night but also left his weary heart scarred.
'Lupin, Lupin, what are you expecting? Has your long life of wandering completely muddled your mind?'
But on the surface, he said coolly, "Ever since Black betrayed us, I've been unable to understand his thoughts."
"Such a shame", Felix said softly. "Harry and the others have been asking me about Black's secrets. They're worried they might encounter him one day."
Lupin couldn't help but repeat his stance, "Hogwarts is very safe."
...
Back in his office, Felix reviewed his conversation with Lupin. On a piece of parchment, he wrote 'Remus Lupin' and 'Sirius Black,' drawing a line between the two names and adding a question mark. He then fell into deep thought.
He knew very little about Black, aside from the stark contrast between his teenage years and his adult life.
As for Lupin, Felix always felt something was off.
Dumbledore trusted him, and Felix had seen his presence in the memory fragments of Frank and Alice, indicating that Lupin was almost certainly a member of the Order of the Phoenix.
But Snape's malice toward him was unmistakable. In Felix's view, the only reason Snape hadn't cast a hex was because of Dumbledore's presence.
Felix had reviewed the records from the past. Snape's conflicts were primarily with James Potter, followed by Black. However, Lupin and Peter Pettigrew were rarely involved in these disputes.
Was it a case of hating by association?
But Snape's view of Peter Pettigrew was not negative. He referred to him as 'Peter Pettigrew' rather than 'Pettigrew,' which, given Felix's understanding of his Head of House, was quite remarkable.
If Lupin were to die, Snape wouldn't change his name to 'Remus.'
Felix began to write down his suspicions about Lupin—
'Gentle demeanor, yet Snape harbors extreme hatred toward him;'
'Exceptional abilities, beloved by young wizards, yet once destitute;'
'Frequent illness, easily overcome by a cold, is Madam Pomfrey's potion ineffective?'
'Unusual hair growth on his arms;'
'Unusual animosity toward Minister of Magic Fudge;'
Felix heavily marked 'Fudge's' name. The minister had only been in office for a few years, and his policies were few and far between, easily counted on one hand.
Before long, he recalled Belby's complaints from last year about the Ministry of Magic—
"Look at the recent newspapers! It's all about 'blessings for werewolves' and 'amendments to the werewolf registration act.' Only registered and monitored werewolves have the right to purchase Wolfsbane Potion. The Ministry of Magic is using my potion to gather stray werewolves..."
(End of Chapter)
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