Professor Lupin was indeed a capable wizard—miles better than the cowardly Quirrell or the self-obsessed liar Lockhart. Blake, Cassandra, and Hermione all noticed this almost immediately, especially during a vivid conversation about Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Cassandra and Hermione were thrilled. Who wouldn't be? After two years of disrupted classes, having a competent and reliable professor felt like a gift.
But while the students were impressed by Lupin, Lupin himself was even more stunned by Blake. During their conversation, he couldn't detect any trace of childish immaturity in the boy. If he hadn't known Blake's age, he would've assumed he was speaking to a seasoned wizard—perhaps even someone like Aodu.
How did a teenage boy accumulate such practical knowledge?
Still, Lupin found the chat enjoyable. Especially with a nutritional potion in hand, his energy picked up, and the conversation flowed. Eventually, Cassandra and Hermione joined in, shedding their initial shyness. Lupin was quick to notice they were both sharp, dedicated students.
"Perhaps this is a good start," he thought.
"Tuk-tuk-tuk!"
The carriage door knocked again.
Lupin looked up and saw a familiar face.
"Um… Blake, do you still have a seat here? We got on late and all the other cars are full…" Harry asked, glancing warily at the unfamiliar adult in the compartment.
But he looked to Blake for reassurance—he was the only one Harry knew well.
Hermione and Cassandra, though familiar from school, weren't close to him.
"Of course," Lupin said before Blake could respond.
Harry turned to Blake again, and Blake simply nodded. He knew Lupin must've recognized Harry the moment he saw him. After all, as the old bat once put it: Harry had "James's awful face with Lily's lovely green eyes"—hard to miss.
Blake smiled. Of course, Lupin would welcome the son of an old friend.
"Come in," Lupin said warmly, shifting by the window. "There are two seats here."
"Oh… thank you, sir," Harry said, stepping in with Ron.
The atmosphere grew quiet. Sitting among strangers wasn't easy, and they wouldn't have asked if there'd been another option.
Blake broke the silence.
"So… what did you think of the magical zoo?"
Ron lit up. "It was brilliant! Merlin's beard, the place was packed! If Blake hadn't given our family tickets, we might've missed out completely!"
He chuckled. "Ever since Ginny rode that fire-dragon ride, she hasn't touched Fred's broom. Keeps begging to go back!"
Blake smiled. "Glad you had fun. There'll probably be new events over Christmas."
"By the way," Harry chimed in, "how do you have so many tickets? And not just regular ones—VIP tickets! We skipped queues, had our own boat transfer… Everything was free!"
"Oh, that," Blake said nonchalantly. "I own 50% of that zoo."
Everyone blinked.
"I have a lot of magical beasts there. Most are mine, the rest I helped tame. Otherwise, I'd be stuck managing the place full-time instead of being in school."
Ron gaped. It felt like discussing Disneyland only to have your classmate say he owned half of it.
If anyone else had said it, Ron wouldn't have believed it. But this was Blake.
"No wonder," Harry muttered, exchanging glances with Ron. "No wonder."
Blake, meanwhile, listened contentedly to the system update in his head—more treasure chests earned. Delightful.
"You mean that new magical zoo that opened recently?" Lupin asked.
Blake nodded. "Yeah. Dumbledore chose the location. We spent most of summer vacation there. Cassandra and Hermione helped out a lot too."
Lupin glanced at the girls, who nodded proudly.
He was beginning to believe it—but if Dumbledore really chose the site and helped oversee it... did that mean Blake's claim of being a Dumbledore himself might also be true?
No, impossible. Dumbledore was ancient. Unless… was he really getting stronger with age and… gnawing tender grass?
And Blake's eyes… they really did resemble Albus's.
Lupin shivered.
He decided then and there: he wouldn't pry once they got to school. Best not to end up fired for stepping into the office with the wrong foot first.
Then again… Dumbledore didn't seem petty. Maybe just a few questions?
At lunch, the trolley passed, and Blake bought heaps of snacks. They chatted and munched, swapping stories.
At one point, Harry began recounting his summer.
Lupin frowned when he heard about the Dursleys.
Harry described blowing up Aunt Marge, fleeing into the night, and stumbling toward Knockturn Alley.
"I saw a huge black dog," Harry added. "It was just… watching me. Scared me so much I drew my wand. And then… poof! Knight Bus showed up."
Lupin's expression darkened.
"A big black dog?" he asked sharply.
"Yeah… looked fierce, kept staring at me. I hit it with a disarming charm—it ran off."
Harry didn't notice Lupin's hands tightening.
That dog… Lupin knew exactly who it was.
Sirius Black. Unregistered Animagus. Only the original four knew that secret.
But two—James and Peter—were dead. Only he and Sirius were left who knew.
And now, after escaping Azkaban, Sirius was near Harry. Watching him.
Why? Was he planning to kill the boy? Had he really betrayed the Potters?
"Professor?" Harry said, noticing Lupin's expression.
"Oh—it's nothing," Lupin forced a smile. "I'm just glad you're okay."
Inside, he was anything but. He knew Sirius. A disarming charm wouldn't stop him. Something must've made Sirius retreat.
He felt grateful Harry was safe—but it also meant Sirius had a plan.
Blake, quietly chewing pie, listened carefully.
"Professor Lupin," he said, "I heard you were close with Harry's father at Hogwarts?"
"Er… yes," Lupin admitted, surprised Blake knew.
Harry looked equally stunned.
"You look like James, Harry," Lupin said gently. "But you have your mother's eyes."
That line again. Everyone who knew his parents said it.
"Were you really best friends?" Harry asked.
"Strictly speaking, yes," Lupin said. "We were."
Blake looked puzzled. "Then why didn't you say that earlier when you saw Harry?"
"I… I was overwhelmed with memories," Lupin said softly. "It brought back such a joyful time… then I got worried and forgot."
"Worried?" Harry asked. "About Sirius, right?"
Harry's face tightened. "Mr. Weasley told me about him… He was your friend too, wasn't he?"
Lupin sighed. "Yes… it was me, your dad, Peter Pettigrew, and Sirius. We were inseparable. But…"
"But you haven't seen how cruel Sirius Black is," Harry said bitterly.
Lupin didn't argue. The pain was mutual. He, too, had lost a friend… no, three friends… to betrayal.
He put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "We'll catch him. I won't let anything happen to you."
"I'm not afraid," Harry said fiercely. "If he comes for me… I'll kill him."
"Don't say that, Harry!" Lupin said urgently. "He's dangerous! Don't go looking for him!"
Lupin knew too well—Gryffindors at that age were impulsive enough to act on those words.
Blake observed Lupin closely. The professor had clearly figured out that the black dog was Sirius.
Blake, however, had another question.
If Sirius was wrongly accused by Peter Pettigrew, why didn't Lupin tell Dumbledore they were Animagi?
If Dumbledore had known, maybe he would've suspected Peter survived—possibly even fled as a rat.
Now that Lupin knew Sirius was the dog Harry saw, would he finally tell Dumbledore? Would he admit Sirius had the means to sneak into Hogwarts?
After all, Sirius knew every secret passage in the school.
Then, Blake noticed Ron munching a mint wand, unaware of anything.
And something caught his eye—a bulge in Ron's pocket.
Peter Pettigrew.
He was in that pocket right now.
Blake's eyes narrowed.
What if Lupin saw Scabbers transform back into Peter?
Would he recognize his old friend?
Sirius had figured it out from a newspaper photo.
Blake smiled slowly.
This could be interesting…