NOTE: This is the SECOND PART of a three-part story. The first part (Lost: Small Boy) can be found on my profile. I hope you enjoy it.
Secondly, if you've already ready Lost: Young Man…welcome back! Unfortunately, the story was deleted by admin because I had review replies in the author's notes, which made me very sad…but my own damn fault, I know. Thank you to the 300+ reviews you wonderful people sent me, and now that the story is back, I hope you will return as well.
Any questions/criticisms you have will now be answered on my new Livejournal (link from my profile) or by email.
Lost: Young Man, Answers to Harry------------------------------
After the death of the Potters, life went on for Remus Lupin. In many ways, it was much the same as it had always been. In others, it was completely different.
He tried not to think about all the things he wouldn't have any more, but it was difficult not to. There would be no more late evenings spent sitting with Lily at the Potters' kitchen table, sorting through the situations vacant sections of newspapers. No more cheerful words of positive reinforcement from Lily, no more soft glances of support from her eyes, green as fresh young leaves. There would be no more of James cooking pikelets in the kitchen, and dancing out of the sky on his broomstick whenever he felt like visiting Lupin. No more of James' laugh greeting him whenever he came to stay, and no more of James endless brotherly love when Lupin lost another job, or felt a bit down, or had another painful transformation.
There would be no more late nights on the town with Sirius, no more Sirius asking for Firewhiskey in muggle bars just to see how the muggles would react, and no more sitting on Sirius' sagging couch playing Kings and Arseholes with a man who was a pathological cheater. No more uproarious stories about Sirius' adventures in Romania, or India, or distant New Zealand. No more of Sirius rushing up to Lupin in the street, crying, "why the long face, Moony?" linking arms with him and skipping down the street with a silly grin on his face.
And there would be no more Harry. No more of Harry's smile, quiet and full of intellect. No more of Harry's shrieks as his father hurled him into the air and his giggles as James caught him every time and set him back onto his feet. No more of Harry listening to his mother read with avid concentration. No more Harry curled on Lupin's lap, drooling on his shoulder. No more of Harry demanding piggy-back rides from Sirius. No more of Harry's questioning stare, with his eyes that were so much like his mother's, and yet so different. No more Harry.
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Two weeks after the Potters' death, there came a knock at the door, and Lupin leapt to open it. Somehow he knew, it had to be Sirius and Harry, just as Harry had knocked on his door on a rainy day not so long ago. But it was not. It was Andromeda Tonks, whom Lupin had never expected to see.
Andromeda and Lupin sat on the couch in front of the fire, and talked about memories and changing times and childhoods that were now long gone. Andromeda smiled, sadly, and touched Lupin's cheek.
"Why are you here?" he asked.
"Because you need someone," she said, "because you're alone now, and it will kill you."
"You told me you hated me. You called me a liar and a beast."
"That was a long time ago. I've grown up a bit since then," she leaned forward, "I don't hate you. I never did. I was just afraid."
He shook his head, and turned away, "you're married. You still hate me for what I am. And you're here because you pity me. Please, don't do that."
She got up, kissed him on the cheek, and left the cottage for the first and last time. Lupin sat and watched the fire burn down to ashes.
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One day in winter, a couple of years later, he opened the door to see Albus Dumbledore standing there in the snow, brushing flakes off his beard. Lupin invited him inside and made him tea with a shaking hand. He had not spoken to Dumbledore for two years, ever since Dumbledore had told him exactly why Sirius had fled the hospital with Harry.
"I'm sorry to see you're alone for Christmas," said Dumbledore, "it seems an awful waste of your fine company. I'm sure there many people who would love you to grace their table for dinner."
"Oh, well, Arthur Weasley invited me to dinner for Christmas Eve, but I thought, what with the full moon tomorrow night, I had better not," Lupin was lying as he went. Despite everything, he felt embarrassed that Dumbledore should know how lonely he was over Christmas. To change the subject, he asked, "why ever would you come all the way out here, Headmaster? Not for my cheery smile, I'm sure."
Dumbledore did not seem to hear the sarcasm in Lupin's voice. He replied brightly, "I just remembered how delicious your tea is. Absolutely exquisite. And also," he added, "I want you to come and teach at Hogwarts."
The kettle slipped out of Lupin's hand and boiling tea splattered over his bare feet. He yelped and sat down on the arm of the couch, and poured cool water from the tap over his scalded ankles, while Dumbledore flicked his wand and cleaned up the mess.
"I'm not a teacher. Wh-what could I possibly teach?"
"Defence Against the Dark Arts, of course."
Lupin raised one eyebrow. "You've already got a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. And it's the middle of the school year. And I don't know how to teach!"
"Those are all very weak excuses, Remus," replied Dumbledore with a smile. "Naturally, I wanted you to have some time to prepare for your new position, which I know you will do very well at. And as for the position already being filled, I'm afraid Professor Lockhart just does not quite fit at Hogwarts, and luckily, his contract only lasts until the end of this year. I feel he can be convinced to move on after that. I hope that having you as a professor will surely get my despicable students focussed on their studies. Not to mention giving you something to focus on as well."
"That's all very well, but that job is jinxed anyway! No one's ever lasted more than a year."
"Well," shrugged Dumbledore, "I didn't think a little prejudice would dissuade a man like you."
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So Remus Lupin became Professor R.J. Lupin, and for a while, he forgot about all the things he'd lost and let himself enjoy his new work. And enjoy it he did, from the constant accidents his first years seemed to cause simply by walking into a room, to the astute discussions he had with his sixth and seventh years about issues such as Moody's military command of the ministry, wizard intervention in wars between the centaur tribes, and the ethical treatment of werewolves. Lupin took both sides of the arguments and watched in fascination at the conclusions his students came to, none of them having any idea they were being observed by a real, live werewolf.
He also had the chance to teach two familiar faces: Nymphadora Tonks in third year and Charlie Weasley in fourth. He enjoyed the company of both of the students, intelligent and spirited children that they were, whose friendship had grown since their unusual meeting on Tonks' first day of school two years before. When they had first found out he was their new professor, they both managed to corner him alone and interrogate him about the fate of Harry Potter, whom they had made such an effort to protect and then never seen again. But Lupin avoided all their questions and the grim expression on his face was enough for them to wonder if they wanted to know the answers. Charlie, at the least, knew that Harry had not died at Lupin's claws, but Lupin would not fill them in on the events that proceeded that night.
But the end of the year, Lupin had neither been killed, maimed, or obliviated, nor had his unfortunate condition been revealed to anyone who might have exploited it, so he remained the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher for the next year, and the year after that, and the year after that. Charlie finished school and took a course in caring for magical creatures. Tonks left the year after and applied to become an auror, despite the turbulent stalemate between Moody's Ministry of Magic and the followers of the Dark Lord. Lupin tried to dissuade her, naming all the friends he had lost to Voldemort and all the aurors he had known who had ended up dead or permanently scarred. Tonks, however, would not hear a word of his advice and began her training anyway.
Lupin did not have time to stop his favourite student from pursuing her career because he had worries of his own to focus on. Life for Lycanthropy sufferers had taken a turn for the worst during the course of that year. The French Ministry of Magic, spurred on by rising werewolf attacks on wizards, began devising new legislation that would mean every werewolf in France would by physically branded so that they could be easily tracked down and identified. Inspired by the French Ministry's daring, the Ministry in England began to look at tightening their own laws on werewolves. Lupin went immediately to Dumbledore and tentatively offered him his resignation.
"Goodness, Remus," said the Headmaster, "you must have mistaken me for someone who fears werewolves. I assure you, they are the least of my concerns."
"But, if Moody passes a law like that," Lupin gulped, "well, you won't be able to keep my lycanthropy a secret any longer. Parents will pull their students out of Hogwarts as soon as they hear – you might even be arrested for hiding the truth…"
Dumbledore shook his head, "if my friend Alastor Moody had the power to arrest me, he would have jumped at the chance to do so many years ago. And Hogwarts is an asylum from both Voldemort's followers and the forces of the Ministry. Parents can complain all they like, but they will not put their children in danger by removing them from this school. Remus, go and burn your resignation. As long as I run this school, you will never need it."
"Alright," said Lupin, and was surprised to feel the relief flooding through him, "in that case, I was wondering if I could have your permission to spend the summer in France, supporting the pro-werewolf organisations. I've heard they're going to co-ordinate protests over the next few months until France scraps the new laws."
Dumbledore's eyes widened, he flung his hands in the air and he cried, "what are you, my house elf? Why on earth do you need my permission? Go to France, Lupin, and have some fun while you're there. Just don't forget to send me a postcard."
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TBC