Harry Potter The Serpent

"Yes," Professor Lupin sighed. "as a werewolf there were very few people willing to hire me, things were made worse after the last war. Do you know who Fenrir Greyback is?" Professor Lupin asked.

"The name does sound familiar." Harry responded before he gave Professor Lupin a questioning look.

"He was the man who turned me, when I was a little boy he attacked my family and he had bit me before my fifth birthday." Professor Lupin said with a deep sigh. "Luckily my father was able to save me before Greyback could do anymore. Partway through the war the majority of werewolves joined up with Voldemort, Greyback being the most famous of them."

"You said his name." Harry noted in a surprised manner, it was odd to find an adult who was so willing to speak the man's name.

"Yes, I did." Professor Lupin said with a small smile. "Thanks to Greyback and his pack, people were more scared of werewolves than ever before, they to this day think that we are all blood thirsty beasts that would bite them and eat their children without a second thought. So, when the war ended, I realised very quickly that I would never be able to get custody of you. I mean…it would be hard for me to get custody of any normal child, but could you imagine what would happen if I had tried to go in front of the people of magical Britain and say 'please give me custody of Harry Potter, the son of a pureblood and your saviour'?" Professor Lupin snorted. "But…I have to admit, that wasn't my only reason for staying away from you."

"Go on." Harry said in a neutral voice, giving Professor Lupin his full attention.

"I….I was not mentally sound enough to take care of myself, let alone a child." Professor Lupin admitted in a pained voice. "Your father, mother, Sirius and Peter were the only friends I had ever had. Then I hear that two of them were killed by Voldemort and that the other was a traitor who had killed the fourth. And I learnt all that after years of that horrid war." Professor Lupin said, a haunted look in his eye. Harry was about to say something when the Professor continued speaking. "So….I left the country, I thought that you would be fine, that you would be placed with someone who would love and care for you, you would be somewhere safe and you wouldn't have to worry about an old wolf like me. I was cut off entirely from Magical Britain."

"Where did you go?" Harry asked.

"I visited various countries before I had settled down in Germany, werewolves are treated much better there, I was actually able to get a job after a short while. I did send a few letters to you around your fourth and fifth birthday but I never got any responses."

"Oh, I think Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia probably got rid of them." Harry guessed, he didn't feel like Professor Lupin was lying so that was probably the case.

"Hmm, maybe. Anyway, I was in Germany, I barely had any money and I had a bit of a drinking problem as well, thankfully I've been able to get it under control but it was really bad at one point." Professor Lupin answered. "The first time I actually came back to this country was a few days before I started working here. Professor Dumbledore had contacted me and asked me to be a teacher, he had told me that he would be willing to make arrangements to help me with my 'furry little problem' as you and your father would say. I transform in the shack like I did before, except now I have Professor Snape making me Wolfsbane potion. That's a potion that…"

"Helps you retain your mind during your transformation." Harry finished. "I know, but do you really feel comfortable trusting Snape to make something for you? I mean the guy has it out for my father, and I would assume you and Sirius by extension."

"The relationship between Professor Snape and your father is a complicated one," Professor Lupin responded. "I had hoped that the Professor would have buried it by now, but unfortunately not. Dumbledore trusts him and I trust him enough to believe that he won't try to poison me. Anyway, when I came back to Britain I started catching up on everything I had missed. It was then that I had learnt more about you, I learnt how you saved a girl, Miss Davis if I remember correctly, I also learnt about how Petunia and her family treated you. I wanted to talk to you about it, I've wanted to talk to you all year, but…I've been afraid."

"Afraid of what?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Professor Lupin sighed as he rubbed a hand over his face. "afraid that you would reject me, afraid that you wanted nothing to do with me, I was afraid I'd get hurt. I don't really know what to say, Harry, I really don't. All I can say is that I am sorry, I have failed you, I should have done more, I should have been better, but I failed you. I really do want to get to know you better, and if you are willing then I'd like for us to have the relationship we might have had if your parents were still alive. But if you aren't then I understand." Professor Lupin quietly added the last part.

The werewolf looked at Harry who was staring at him with a blank expression and narrowed green eyes, a shiver went down the Professor's spine, he recognised that look, it was a look that he had seen plenty of times on the face of Lily Evans. He always thought it was a look that she adopted when it looked like she was trying to decide if she should curse someone.

"I don't think that we can have the exact same relationship that we could have had if my parents were alive," Harry eventually spoke in a calm and measured voice. "but with that being said I won't object to a new relationship." Harry finished by offering his hand.

"Thank you, Harry." Professor Lupin said with a happy smile as he shook Harry's hand, when he tried to let go he found that he was unable to as Harry had not released his hand.

"I am not fond of giving out second chances, Professor, this will be your last one." Harry warned him, and it was a warning, despite the smile and calm voice that Harry was using. "I won't give out a third." He finished as he let go of Lupin's hand. On the one hand he was tempted to tell Lupin to shove it, but Lupin was able to give him decent reasons for why he did what he did and didn't try to make excuses, so Harry would at least give him a chance. The Slytherin part of Harry saw that Lupin would be a valuable person to have in his corner, and Harry could also admit to himself that he did want to give this a chance.

"I…I understand." Professor Lupin said as he scratched out the mental comparisons between Harry and his parents, the boy was most definitely taking after his grandfather.

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