Whoosh!
With the Dementors gone, the train shuddered back to life, its whistle piercing the air as it resumed its journey. Inside the carriage, the lights flickered back to their normal brightness.
Cassandra, still visibly shaken, nestled closer to Tom. "Professor, what were those things?"
Tom replied calmly, "Dementors. They usually remain in Azkaban. They've likely been released to hunt down Sirius Black."
A shadow of sadness flickered across the face of Remus Lupin, sitting in the corner, upon hearing that name.
Cassandra looked up at Tom, her eyes filled with determination. "Professor, I want to learn the Patronus Charm."
She remembered reading that the Patronus Charm was the only known defense against Dementors. While she suspected Tom possessed his own methods, like those strange gray chains he'd used, they were likely unique to him and difficult for others to master. Learning the Patronus Charm seemed the safest bet. Cassandra was determined to never feel that helpless again.
"Professor Tom, I also…" Harry piped up.
"Alright, alright, come find me when we arrive at Hogwarts," Tom said with a dismissive wave.
Harry visibly cheered at the prospect.
But before he could say anything more, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to find Malfoy, who had been discreetly observing Remus Lupin.
"Harry, did you see that bloke draw his wand when the Dementors attacked?" Malfoy whispered, his eyes gleaming. "This new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor might actually be competent. I thought he was just another vagrant."
Intrigued, Harry also glanced at Remus Lupin.
To their surprise, the man turned and nodded, acknowledging that he'd overheard their conversation.
Harry felt a flush of embarrassment creep up his neck.
"What are you scared of? I'll just go ask him," Malfoy said, realizing they'd been spotted. He straightened up, walked past Harry, and approached Remus Lupin.
...
A few minutes later, Malfoy returned, armed with information.
"His name is Remus Lupin, and he's definitely the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor!"
Harry nodded, absorbing the information.
"Anything else?" Hermione asked, her curiosity piqued. She was keen on gauging Lupin's capabilities and shuddered at the thought of another incompetent teacher like the previous year. If Tom and Snape hadn't stepped in during the latter half of the term, she doubted she would have learned anything useful beyond the textbook material.
"Uh… that's it. He wouldn't tell me anything else." The image of Lupin's polite, yet evasive smile flashed through Malfoy's mind, making him scratch his head awkwardly.
"You really are useless," Harry said with a sneer.
"Oh yeah? Scarface, if you're so clever, you go ask him!" Malfoy retorted, stung by the insult.
Tom smirked knowingly. "He might have a point, Harry."
"See? Even the master agrees I'm better than you!"
Tom merely shook his head at Harry's smugness and Malfoy's crestfallen expression. "Harry, didn't you want to learn about your parents?"
Tom's question took everyone by surprise, including Lupin, as it seemed completely irrelevant.
"…Yes," Harry replied, still confused.
"That man was friends with your parents. Go ask him." Tom gestured toward Lupin.
Lupin visibly froze under Tom's "benevolent" gaze, realizing what he was implying. He was at a loss as to how to approach the subject with Harry. He wasn't sure how to broach the past, what Harry's reaction would be, or even…
But honestly, none of that was the main reason for his hesitation. The real reason was… Damn it, Harry is with Tom Riddle!
Remus Lupin was consumed by shame. He felt he'd failed James and Lily, and now Harry!
Like Sirius, he blamed himself for not protecting Harry, for inadvertently giving Tom the opportunity to manipulate him.
Tom, on the other hand, would likely say, "What does any of this have to do with me? Dumbledore was the one who abandoned Harry to the Dursleys in the first place. Blame him!"
But that reasoning was inherently flawed, so Lupin was left with no choice but to answer Harry's questions, unable to brush them aside, especially since Harry now knew of his connection to his parents.
…
But ten minutes later, the conversation took an unexpected turn.
"What?! You're saying Sirius isn't a Death Eater?!"
And what about my reward money…? Wait! What about everything I've believed all these years?
Lupin's composure shattered; his face twisted in a mixture of shock and disbelief.
Harry had immediately questioned Lupin about Sirius Black.
Lupin had initially reminisced about their shared past and their close bond, then expressed his regret for not recognizing Sirius's true nature.
That's when Harry realized Lupin, too, was under the impression that Sirius was a Death Eater.
Harry then declared his determination to uncover the truth about his parents' deaths, casually mentioning that Sirius Black wasn't a Death Eater.
When Lupin learned that Harry had obtained this information from Tom, he weighed the possibility of a lie, explored other potential explanations, but he couldn't shake the thought… What if? What if Tom Riddle was telling the truth?
Had Sirius Black been wrongfully imprisoned for over a decade?!
Lupin ran his hands through his hair in frustration, consumed with conflicting emotions: sadness, grief, self-reproach… and a glimmer of hope—Sirius hadn't become a Death Eater, and perhaps there was still a chance to prove his innocence and save his friend!
But that meant finding the real culprit.
Back then, only a select few had known the Potters' location!
If it wasn't Sirius, and it couldn't be himself, then who…?
Various figures flashed through Lupin's mind, but he lacked enough information to reach a conclusion. He couldn't imagine any of them as the murderer, so even as he racked his brains, he couldn't identify the true killer.
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