Chapter 14: Chapter 14
[T/N, YEAH 400 collections!!~ This will be the last bonus chapter this week...I think. Also think about checking out the P@treon we are at chapter 33 out of 43]
Despite the different things Harry could do until the start of the school year he spent the remaining two days looking at his new books. The
third-year material was just as fascinating as that of the previous two courses and he was already looking forward to starting... especially the subject of ancient runes, because from what he had seen, a whole world full of possibilities for different spells opened up… he was dying to start.
His school schedule was given to him the day before classes started, although it wasn't that complicated to know, he just had to ask his new classmates for regular classes. So, the day classes started, it was easy for him to know what he should do. The first class he had was charms and very quickly he showed that, just like in previous courses, that was too easy for him, since he mastered the spells they taught him with incredible speed. An incredible speed of learning, was demonstrated in all the classes that day, including Ancient Runes, which he was so eager to start.
From that moment on, it was easy to see him with his friends in the library to study (we must not forget that for the rest of the students, final exams were approaching) or to research... after all, Harry had realized that despite how well equipped his private library was, it seemed that concerning the runes he was currently studying, there was more information in the school library... of course, than once he knew the basics...
[T/N, Huh? I don't if I'm tired but I can't understand this, does anybody know and is willing to explain]
The Care of Magical Creatures course was also turning out to be great… they were studying diricawls and Harry loved them. Maybe the fact that all magical creatures and animals felt comfortable in his presence had something to do with it, but very soon, it became one of his favorite classes. Furthermore, it was always fun to see how the rest of their classmates had silent disputes over who would be their project partner during class,... although, since it was a class shared with Gryffindor, it was always the twins who won.
"Mr. Potter is... impressive," Professor McGonagall murmured approximately three weeks later. "I thought that perhaps we would have reached a point where he would have the same level of learning as the rest of his classmates, but it is obvious that still we have not reached that point. I wonder if we will be able to reach it."
"I wonder too..." Professor Flitwick said. "It seems that the more we demand of him, the easier it is for him to do what we ask. In my classes, he learns the spells of the regular class faster than his classmates and he has almost advanced to the point where the rest of the students were when he joined third grade... I don't know if the same thing happens to the others in their classes."
"I rather wonder if we will be able to challenge him." Professor Irons murmured. "Sometimes I think that even if we put him in the last year, it wouldn't be a great effort."
Albus Dumbledore watched the aforementioned student from the staff table while listening to his staff talking about him. The boy was supposed to be a mystery, something he couldn't foresee, and he didn't like that. He had always enjoyed having everything around him in his control and now it seemed there was a wire that was out of place in all of his projects. For years, he had worked hard to ensure that Brian was well cared for and trusted. He hadn't worried about Harry, because after all he wasn't important, the prophecy gave importance to Brian... plus, as the years went by, James and Lily had assured him that the boy was nothing more than a squib... nothing could be more false. What should he do? Should he try to gain his trust? The best thing would be to keep an eye on him and see how everything developed, after all, Brian was the important Potter. But still, despite knowing that it was his brother who would one day prove to be fundamental to the world around them, the eldest was still an unpredictable variant, and as far as Brian went he had not shown any type of exceptional ability for the moment, of course, Harry didn't before Hogwarts either... yes, the best thing would be to wait.
Unaware of the headmaster's thoughts, Harry remained calmly eating breakfast and talking with his different housemates, or in other words, with his friends from the same year and with his second and third-year classmates. It was quite funny to see him having different conversations at the same time, especially because almost everyone was waiting to see if he made a mistake and in the end, he got confused, something that didn't seem to happen. He was talking calmly about some kind of charm they were learning with Flitwick, when a beautiful dark brown owl landed right in front of him offering him a letter. Curious to whom he had written, he soon freed the bird from its burden and gave it some of his own breakfast. It was from Remus, obviously the reply to the letter he had sent him two weeks ago.
'Dear Harry,
I don't want to make you too dizzy, so I'll be quick. Your letter baffled and surprised me a lot, I must admit that you experimenting with some of the most complicated potions there is, did not cross my mind.
I've been thinking about it a lot, more than you can really imagine, so I really understand what you're asking of me, so don't say that I haven't studied it well. I'll tell you what I think about it, it doesn't hurt to try it on another werewolf, Harry, because then you'd have to register, and I remind you that you have to be a certified potions master first... you won't be able to do it, and someone else would take over the recipe.
It is for this reason that I have decided to be the one to test the potion. Send it to me and tell me what I should do, after the full moon I will inform you of the result.
Uncle Remus'
Harry frowned at the missive. He already knew what Remus' answer was going to be in advance, but knowing it and confirming it were two different things and that doesn't mean he liked it. Against all odds he had hoped, he had hoped that Remus would allow him to try the potion at a later time or with another werewolf... He should have known better.
Angry with himself, he got up from his table and walked to what had become his own room (if it weren't for the fact that it would cause strange questions among his roommates, he would have moved there permanently). Once in his own potions lab, he could once again start making a new batch of the new and improved Wolfbane, and that way he could send it to Remus. The potion was complicated and had to be made with precision, but luckily, it was not necessary to be aware of it twenty-four hours a day, because otherwise, there would be several quite complicated questions to answer.
"What are you doing rookie?" Asked the already familiar voice of Fawkes right behind him.
"A potion." He responded calmly, already accustomed to the bird's unexpected visits.
"Don't tell me, mind you, I hadn't noticed that detail" The phoenix responded sarcastically. "I mean what kind of potion and why"
"It's a new version of the Wolfbane, and it's for Remus. I told him that I thought I had improved the standard version of the wolfbane and if he knew of any way to test if it worked... I was wondering if he could tell me of any other werewolf who wanted to be the test subject, but he offered to test it himself."
"And what did you expect, rookie? His response is normal"
"I know, but I didn't want to try the potion on him... I love him too much to want to use him as a guinea pig."
"Well, it's no longer a question of saying no... You'll have no choice but to use him, and besides, you haven't forced him or asked him to... On the contrary, he has offered."
"I know. What have you come for?"
"Ahhh... I wanted to ask you if you wanted to fly for a while. Since I finished teaching you everything important for the moment, you hardly come to see me." He answered with a reproachful look.
I've been busy, Fawkes. It's not easy to catch up on six months of classes... you know that." He answered distractedly while measuring the unicorn horn powder. "And regarding the flight, if you wait a while, I'd be delighted... I need a good distraction."
"Perfect." The bird laughed.
It was a bit complicated to find some time for all his different activities, especially when exams were approaching (of course from the boy's point of view, there was still a long time left), so at some point he was forced to choose between some activity or the Wolfbane potion, obviously, he chose the second but that did not mean that Harry wanted to do other things.
His friends knew that he was up to something, but even though they knew most of the boy's secrets, they were aware that they were not capable of knowing everything. In fact, when asked, he just shrugged, gave a half-smile, and said he wanted to confirm an important experiment. Knowing him that could mean anything, but one thing was for sure... it wouldn't be anything within the reach of any average wizard/witch.
Luckily, the potion could be prepared with enough time to be able to send it by owl... it would not be a good idea if the Wolfbane was prepared but did not have time to reach the werewolf... Of course, Harry knew that even if the potion did not. If it worked, it wouldn't mean Remus would have to go through the usual transformation. If there was something that hadn't changed since the Marauders went to school, it was that on full moons, they stayed together in order to make the transformation more bearable, so Harry wasn't afraid of that.
Careful not to be discovered by anyone (he did not want to have to explain what he was doing, nor what the package contained) and infinitely grateful for the help that Hogwarts itself gave him, he went to the owlery a week and a half before the full moon, with the package with the potion very well protected with different spells. Once up there, he approached one of the owls that had practically become his own, since he always used the same one.
"Hello girl... I need you to do me a favor, you must take this package to Remus Lupin. You already know where he lives." Said the boy while stroking her feathers, unlike most students, he always treated all beings with respect. That's why that owl, known for being surly with everyone, allowed him to use it. "It must be carried with great care because it is something very fragile. What do you say? Will you do it?"
The owl responded with a soft hoot, an affectionate pinch on his fingers, and extended its paw for him to tie his load. Anyone who saw it at that moment would not be able to believe that it was the same sullen and aggressive owl.
"Thank you very much, girl. I knew I could count on you..." The boy told her, tying his load. "I leave it to your choice, you can stay and wait for a response, or you can return immediately."
After that, he threw the owl into the air and watched as it flew south, towards Remus's house. After a few minutes of watching her, and once she was out of sight, he left the owlery with a feeling of apprehension inside him.
The following week and a half turned out to be true torture for the boy, as he feared that he had made some kind of mistake and condemned his uncle to a painful transformation that was even worse than the previous ones. That his father and Sirius were there to ease the transformation was a small relief, but not by much. Every day he used to look at the calendar until the full moon nervously, but unable to do anything else for the moment.
His nervousness was noticed by everyone, his classmates, dormmates, and Professors, but assuming that it was more due to the approaching end of the school year, no one gave it much importance. Only his closest friends knew that it was not because of the end of the course, but because of the experiment he was carrying out. Attempts to calm him were of no use, there was only one thing that could do it, but it wouldn't happen until the full moon passed.
The morning after the last day of the full moon, they found Harry much more nervous than he had been during the previous days... Rationally, he knew that it was impossible to receive any kind of answer at the moment, but that did not prevent him from giving glances nervously at the windows waiting for the arrival of the mail. Reprimanding himself for his own stupidity, he returned to his breakfast just as the mail arrived, not noticing, therefore, how a black owl was heading straight for him... of course, when it landed right in front of his plate did he notice.
" Girl!" He exclaimed excitedly. "Did you bring me the answer?"
The owl hooted in the affirmative before extending her paw so that he could take the letter away so she could eat some of the nice bacon that the boy had on his plate. While the owl was eating the student's bacon, Harry took the letter and put it in his backpack... he didn't think it was a good idea to open it in front of everyone else, so he would open it after class.
The next few hours were quite annoying, Harry wanted to open his letter, but that would be impossible if he was still accompanied. It was necessary to wait until lunchtime to escape long enough to read it.
'Dear Harry,
First of all, I want to thank you for all the effort you have had to make to have the potion ready in such a tight time frame.
I followed your instructions to the letter and kept the potion in a dry, moisture-free place, and took a dose once a day for the previous week. Despite that, I didn't know very well what I should expect during the moment I had to act... I didn't feel anything. No pain, no discomfort, nothing. It was as if I were an Animagus too, because the change was as gradual and painless as one. So, I guess you could say that the experiment was a success, don't you think?
I hope school goes well for you. A hug.
Uncle Remus'
After reading the letter, Harry smiled. He already knew that he had a new responsibility every month.
[T/N, YES!!! Justice for my boy Remus!!! I loved this chapter soo much, if you also LOVE! Remus then drop a stone, leave a comment, and do a review. If you hate Remus tell us why in the comments so we can proceed to cast stones at your head! Much love everyone and join the P@treon if this chapter has made you crave more.]
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