I was able to fully integrate into the educational process and simply pull myself together only after a month and a half of my studies at Hogwarts. Winter was already in full swing outside the window, and I had just finished mastering the knowledge I inherited from Remus... It took me just over forty days to master the curriculum of two and a half years of the magic school.
And there is something to be proud of here, let me tell you! Still, surprisingly enough, the teaching at the school is of quite high quality. We are given plenty of simple spells, we also dabble in transfiguration on a regular basis, not to mention Potions, which caused the most problems in terms of theoretical retraining, and Defense Against the Dark Arts, where, on the contrary, some problems arose with practice.
In general, Defense Against the Dark Arts did not imply the study of such a large number of spells. But almost every one of these spells, excluding the very simple ones applicable only against all sorts of magical trifles, was quite difficult to master. And I also tried to practice these spells, knowing from my own experience that in a closed boarding school, where every teenager can almost freely use their own magic wand, one could not do without magical self-defense skills.
And even though most of these skills were drummed into Remus before he entered Hogwarts, his father did not hesitate to teach his offspring everything at once, apparently wanting him to leave his father's house as soon as possible. But even in Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, quite interesting spells were sometimes encountered. It wasn't for nothing that this year the defense classes were taught by a retired Auror — Ernest Eberwein, who coped with his work very well, even if he was overly harsh towards negligent students...
Especially often, by the way, it was me and the guys who got it from the no longer young Auror. Ernest, like every teacher in the school, knew about my nature, treating me somewhat biasedly... Well, he simply disliked Sirius and James because of the sabotages periodically arranged by our group. Our mentor only left Peter alone, for some reason believing that it was us pulling the intimidated boy into all this disgrace.
"What are you thinking about this time, Remus?" Sirius pulled me up, tactlessly waving his palm right in front of my face.
"Nothing, just sleeping with my eyes open," I brushed the guy off, immediately making him burst into sincere laughter. "By the way, don't forget to remind me tonight to return those books on mental magic to you. I'm already done with them."
"Ah, forget it. You'll return them by the Christmas holidays, I'm not going to return them to my parents before that time anyway," laying out his own parchments on the desk, as our Charms class was about to begin, the dark-haired boy snorted.
"Just don't forget to read them yourself before returning them. I assure you, the literature is extremely interesting. I even got a couple of ideas on how the spells from the book could be used for a little revenge on Snivellus," I smiled, knowing exactly what to press in a conversation with Black. And I also recently found some murky potion in my breakfast, which also could not be ignored.
"Oh, it's not often lately that one can hear such lovely speeches from you, my fanged friend. Spill it, what interesting things did you sniff out?" the teenager immediately flared up with enthusiasm, moving a little closer to me.
"Mental illusions are a very interesting thing, let me tell you," I squinted conspiratorially, beginning to initiate the guy into the details of my idea... Not that I wanted to mess with the big-nosed Slytherin so badly, rather the opposite — I frankly didn't care about this boy, but it wasn't worth breaking away from the collective too much either.
Besides, the joke I came up with, even if it should become very offensive to Snape, could not bring direct harm to the teenager. And the boy definitely won't find out that it was mental magic that was used against him. After all, illusions are different, including those created with the help of charms or potions, which the big-nosed fan of this subject simply cannot help but know.
So let him dig in that direction, I might even leave a couple of empty vials at the scene of the future crime so that Snape definitely won't think in the direction of mental magic. Because as I remembered from my past life, the greasy-haired potions master was exactly a master of mental magic. Which means he had some talent for this direction, which in my situation could complicate matters very much.
It will be problematic if Snape, during his revenge on our group, thinks of getting into my head... I am not yet confident in my own skills in this field, having only just begun to train in the methods of control and defense of my own mind. So in this field, I need to be really careful so as not to create a whole bunch of problems for myself out of nowhere.
Especially since in the Hogwarts library, as I recently found out, there really were books on Legilimency and Occlumency. Not a match for those tomes that Black provided me. The reading list sent by his father had never heard of any censorship, abounding in a variety of, sometimes advanced, schemes, spells, and techniques for working with consciousness.
In the library, however, I managed to find so far only books of rather... doubtful usefulness. There is painfully too much water, unnecessary reasoning, and outright philosophy in them. But even from the books I found, one can learn a lot if desired. Besides, Snape is still from Slytherin. You never know which of his housemates will condescend to share knowledge with the young prodigy... Not for nothing, of course, but it is still worth thinking about such things well in advance.
"Mr. Black! Mr. Lupin! I ask you to keep quiet in the classroom. Just because I was a little late for class does not mean that you can disturb your fellow students!" Flitwick pulled us up at some point, noticing that Black and I were whispering too actively about the future sabotage towards Snape.
"Sorry, Professor," Black and I apologized almost synchronously, not wanting to anger the miniature professor without a good reason.
Flitwick may be a half-goblin, which is why many wizards, especially purebloods, treat him with some disdain. But as a teacher, our Charms professor was truly a virtuoso and an enthusiast of his craft. A teacher, as they say, not by profession, but by calling. For no one else can so sincerely and selflessly direct the minds of young wizards to the speedy study of the mysteries of magic...
In general, the Charms professor is loved in our school, and therefore there are no fools who would anger him without reason. Otherwise, you might need help mastering something difficult, and there will be no one to really approach. Not everyone has extra pocket money to ask for help from senior students.
For me, in this regard, everything was completely dead. My father did not spoil me with large sums of money, leaving me for my studies the very minimum with which I could treat myself to buying something sweet a couple of times a week. My funds were no longer enough for larger expenses.
And there is nothing I can really do about it yet. There are generally few ways to earn money at Hogwarts, and those that exist have long been divided among the senior students... Well, it's okay, at the moment I can't say I'm in dire need of money. In the end, I have already decided on my goal for the near future, and to realize it, I practically don't need money.
But I do need the library, a magic wand, and a lot of diligence, because I don't see any other ways for myself to become a strong and skillful wizard... And this is exactly the goal I have set for myself at the moment, feeling very keenly the attitude of wizards towards truly powerful individuals. They are either feared or exalted... But the essence is the same — as long as I am strong, and my skills are something unique and valuable, no one will dare to utter a word about my nature.
And if I can somehow get rid of this need to release my inner beast every full moon...
Yes, no miracles happened in this regard. The very first full moon after my appearance in this body became for me a more than vivid demonstration of why my predecessor reacted so sharply to his "furry little problem".
The feeling when your mind is pushed somewhere into the background, while a real monster inhabits your body... Oh, I remembered hundreds of such moments from the teenager's mind, but having experienced these sensations on myself, I can safely declare — I did not like it. I didn't like it at all, to the point of wet pants, I would say.
"Still, it's not for nothing that lycanthropy is considered exactly a curse. A werewolf is a truly dark and terrible creature, capable of bleeding a whole Muggle village dry during a full moon, simply by being nearby," I accepted the truth obvious to the locals with an inner tremble...
And yet I, in secret even from myself, still hoped that with me everything would not be so critical. I hoped that due to a highly specific anomaly in my mind, and probably not only in it, the beast would not manifest itself. Well, or it would manifest itself somehow less... disgustingly.
But no, my hidden hopes were not justified. Lupin's furry problem remained completely unchanged. Although no, there were still some changes... Although, this might be a simple trick of the mind, but I seemed to feel the beast's rampage much better than the original Remus.
Well, at least the guy himself remembered almost nothing about those hours while the beast controlled his body. As for me... I also remembered everything rather vaguely. And what I did remember — I barely comprehended due to the difference in perception. But even so, I will never, ever forget that animal fury, terrible hunger, and insane bloodlust!
Such emotions were too unnatural for me, and the next full moon is coming soon...
"Hey, Sirius, Remus, what were you whispering about so much in Charms?" James flew up to us as soon as the class came to an end... He and Peter were sitting at the front desk, which is why they never heard Sirius's and my "cunning plan."
"Yeah, Moony suggested an awesome theme here, listen..." Black immediately grinned, starting to initiate the guys into the essence of my idea.
"Hmm, not bad. We'll just need to learn these spells," Potter quickly acknowledged my idea, his eyes flashing maliciously. "This time Snivellus will definitely crap his underpants."
"Yeah, just hold your horses. The spell there is clearly not a simple one, even I don't know how to really approach it yet..." I hastened to calm the guy down before he ran off to implement the plan right now.
"That's true, mental magic has always been considered one of the most difficult disciplines... But you've already figured it out, Moony, right?" James looked at me hopefully, adjusting the enchanted glasses on his nose.
"I just started," I shook my head negatively. "So in any case, you'll have to at least try to master the mental illusion spells along with me. Alone, I'll be messing around with this task for a long time."
"Oh, damn... Well okay, Peter, are you with us?" Potter asked, still not losing his enthusiasm.
"Of course," came the obvious answer from the boy, who wouldn't dare think of objecting to a couple of slightly arrogant heirs of noble houses.
I just mentally shook my head at all this childishness. Sirius and James — maybe they can be pretty good friends... Especially the completely loyal Sirius, who had already promised me to beg his parents for books on topics that interested me, if necessary. The guy understands the full seriousness of my problem, sincerely wanting to help me with it.
Which is why I treated him with outright sympathy, being grateful for such help and support. But to be honest, as good friends as Black and Potter could be, they could be equally disgusting people to everyone else who wasn't in their immediate circle of friends or at least buddies.
In this regard, Peter and I are even somewhat similar. Only if Pettigrew attached himself to our group, most likely instinctively fearing becoming a target of bullying, then I... I have quite selfish thoughts regarding the two teenagers, behind whose backs stand more than influential and serious magical families.
Which, of course, does not paint me in a good light... But honestly, I know how to be a grateful person. If Sirius or James need something from me later — I will help them with it... Within reasonable limits, obviously, and not forgetting about banal common sense, but in situations where the help the guys need will not exceed certain limits, outlined mainly by the legislation of magical Britain, I definitely won't abandon them.
I gave myself such a word, and I do not intend to break it.