Disclaimer- I don't own Harry Potter.

It occured to me not long ago how different things would have been for Harry, maybe even for the entire Wizarding world, if Remus Lupin had taught DADA his second year, not his third, and it's been bugging me to write it ever since than. This is just a tiny bit of what's to come. :3

Enjoy! :)

Albus Dumbledore sighed as he dipped his quill into his ink, wishing he could think of some possible alternative for what he was about to do. As last year with Quirrell had proved, Harry was constantly in danger. He needed a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who knew what he was talking about, who could teach him something, not some buffoon with a useless Order of Merlin and an inflated head.

He put the ink to parchment and began to write 'Dear Mr Lockhart,' when he happened to look up and see, balancing precariously on top of Lockhart's other books, Wanderings with Werewolves.

Albus put his quill down and picked up the book, running his thumb over the word Werewolf, his mind whirring. Maybe...no...could he? It had been dangerous enough when he had gone to Hogwarts, there had been that incident with Severus...an image came unbidden into Albus's mind of Severus's face if he hired him...if he remembered correctly, he got an O on his Defense Against the Darks Arts N.E.W.T...in fact, Albus remembered him getting something like ten N.E.W.T.s, his pale, defiant face staring up at Albus on graduation day, daring Dumbledore to tell him he couldn't make it in the Wizarding world. Albus wondered with a faint prick of guilt exactly what had become of him after the war.

Yes, Albus decided, setting Wanderings with Werewolves down. Yes, he liked this idea. Mentally patting himself on the back for dually getting rid of Lockhart and managing to procure someone who would be excellent with the students, he crumbled up the first parchment and replaced it, picking up his quill again.

'Dear Mr Lupin,' it began.

Reviews are love! :)