The Marauders: Year Six Part 2 #Wattys2017

Doing a Study

Doing a Study

"Have a licorice snap," Dumbledore offered, waving his palm at a bowl of wriggling licorice candies on his desk. "Though I warn you, they're a rather sharp lot."

Ned Veigler glanced at the sharp teeth of the licorice snaps and sat in the chair across from the Headmaster's desk without taking one - he was in enough pain without adding to it a nasty nip from a bit of licorice. Newt Scamander, however, took one up as he flumped into his own seat, interestedly studying it, even as it snapped and tried at biting nose.

Dumbledore sat behind the desk and he leaned back, lacing his fingers over his chest. "I've ordered for an elf to fetch Remus Lupin," the headmaster explained, "He should be along shortly." He watched as Newt lost control of his licorice snap and the vicious little candy only just missed catching the magizoologist's nose as Newt ducked and the snap landed pathetically on the floor behind his desk, having spent its magical energy on the jump. Dumbledore's eyes turned to Ned Veigler. "And how has the renovations of Fallengunder been coming along?"

"They were going rather well until recently," Ned answered. "The past few days has been rather rough, however... Which is why we're here." He glanced a Newt, unsure how much Mr. Scamander had already told Dumbledore of their purpose for visiting.

"Have you heard from - from any others?" Newt stammered, recovering from the near-miss with the Licorice Snap. For all his brushes with truly dangerous magical creatures, the snap had given him quite the turn.

"I have very few relations with other werewovles," Dumbledore replied, "And there is little news of them throughout the magical community due to the taboo nature of the condition..."

There came a knock upon the door at that moment and Dumbledore waved his palm, unlocking and opening the door easily - and there stood Remus Lupin. His hair was disheveled and his shirt half untucked, but Dumbledore's smile was wide as we waved the boy in, "Welcome, welcome, Master Lupin," the headmaster said, his eyes twinkling.

"Hullo," Remus replied, and he limped through the door, which closed behind him with a wave of Dumbledore's palm. Remus glanced back at the door, and then turned back and realized who it was sitting in the seats before Dumbledore's desk. "Professor Veigler! Mr. Scamander!" he said, his voice carrying as much excitement as it could given his condition. He struggled to hurry forward and give the pair of them each a hug before Dumbledore conjured another chair for him to sit in on the opposite side of Newt. "What are you lot doing here, at Hogwarts?" Remus asked, realizing that Ned and Newt hardly had a thing to do with their most recent adventures at Durmstrang, rescuing James Potter.

Newt's eyes were gentle. "I got a - a uh, a letter. From your friend. From Sirius - Sirius Black," Newt said. And he reached into his coat pocket and produced a small scroll that did, indeed, have Sirius's messy scrawl across it. "He - he was concerned about your condition, with the moon not yet at it's full status and -- uh - and your health de-declining as though it were..."

"I, too, have been experiencing it," Ned filled in. "Newt contacted me immediately and we came to see you, to see Dumbledore --" Ned turned to the headmaster, "To see if there was anything that we, between the four of us, might know of that could be causing the effects..."

In spite of himself, a bit of relief trembled through Remus. "It isn't just me, then?"

Ned shook his head, "Not at all, Remus."

"And we're going to help to figure it out and stop the pains from bothering you both," Dumbledore supplied. He waved his wand and a teapot with four cups on saucers appeared and began to pour itself out. Remus thought it might be aconite tea, but it was plain tea instead and Dumbledore magicked a bit of milk into his. "Now, Mr. Lupin, when did you begin to feel the pains?" Dumbledore asked patiently.