Participants:
| Scene Title | The Late Post |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | After exiting the Post Office and running into Ichabod, Holly encounters Remus. They have dinner. |
| Location | Hogsmeade - Post Office and Hog's Head |
| Date | Oct 30, 1994 |
| Watch For | Holly freaking out. A little. |
| Logger | Holly |
*CRACK*. The ear-splitting sound of Apparation echoes off of the cobblestone streets and rickety old buildings of the village of Hogsmeade. Unsurprisingly, barely anyone - not that there are too many people out and about at the moment - even turns to look. The sun has been down for an hour or so, and there's just a faint hint of light-blue toward the western edge of the sky. Ichabod glances around slowly as if to make certain he is exactly where he should be before setting off in the direction of the post office, his long coat flapping about his thin body in the chilly autumn breeze. Two large off-white envelopes are tucked under one of his arms, making the purpose of his visit relatively clear.
—-
With the upcoming trial, Holly's been at the post office a lot lately, sending letters to those involved with the case. Unfortunately, it's hard to jump head first into something like this, so testing the waters has been a long process, and she's still not entirely sure she's where she needs to be. Too late, though. With the arraignment date set, things are moving into high gear, and—
She nearly runs right into someone on her way out.
"S'cuse me," she says, American accent apparent in those two words. Not long after that, an owl can be seen heading off in the general direction of London, its wings making no noise as it leave the post office. She looks up toward it, then back to Ichabod. "Better hurry. I think they're closin' soon so the owls can hunt.
—-
When he is nearly bumped-into, Ichabod halts in his tracks quite suddenly, his pale gray eyes coming to rest on the offending figure of the American woman as she issues the warning to him. His thin lips quirk into something between a smirk and a sneer. "Thank you, but I have.. arrangements with the post master to drop off my letters after-hours." At this point, he takes a moment to look her over appraisingly. Eventually his expression becomes slightly less owlish and he offers a nod as a sort of greetings. "Ichabod Noble. Pardon my curiousity, but I know the vast majority of this village's occupants. I do not, however, know you. Did you recently move overseas?"
—-
Is this guy for real? It's one of those moment where she's kind of dumb-struck by the man's demeanor. 'Pardon my curiosity?' Holly tries to hide the half smile, but fails, and rubs the back of her neck, stepping out of the way so he has access to the door. "Holly Maplewood. Yeah, I just moved in not too long ago." Feeling that needs explanation, she adds, "I'm surprised you haven't heard of me." Pause. "…It's actually kind of refreshing, actually. I was a little tired of the raw produce fights. I do have enough vegetables in my kitchen to make a giant salad now, though."
—-
"Holly Maplewood," Ichabod repeats. After a few seconds the name seems to strike a chord. "Ah.. you're the lawyer. Of course." He doesn't really seem to approve or disapprove of this fact; instead, his statement is made in the same way one might say 'Ah, so you're the bloke who owns the supermarket'. "Yes, I'm certain you must be learning exactly how opinionated the British can be, hm? And how willing they are to make their opinions heard to outsiders." His smirk widens a little.
—-
There's a slight roll of her eyes before she looks off to one side. "Yeah. Opinionated isn't quite the word I would use. Let's just say that the vast majority of Hogsmeade isn't exactly glad to see me." She's even had people cross the street when she walks down it. Not exactly thrilling, though she can deal with it. "Still, I'm sure it could be a whole lot worse. No one's tried to hex me for a full week, so maybe they're getting to a point where they can tolerate me, huh?" She shrugs. "I guess I don't blame 'em. Not every day there's a trial like this. People believe what they want to believe."
—-
The old man chortles lightly at this revelation. Not that it's much of a revelation - he could have predicted as much without being told. "Well, you show a remarkable amount of empathy for someone in your position. But I'm not so sure you're entirely right. People more often believe what they're told to believe than what they /want/ to believe," Ichabod muses, tapping the end of his cane on the ground. He looks away from the younger lawyer with a slightly thoughtful expression, and continues on in the same tone of voice: "But, you know, it does make me curious. Do you actually believe Sirius Black is innocent?" Snapping his head back to stare at her, he trains his eyes on hers with an unusual amount of focus..
—-
Empathy. It's kind of like that, yeah. But more like if she didn't see the other side's side of things, she'd go insane. And no one likes to see a killer go free… it's just that she's not so sure Sirius Black is really the one who deserves all their ire.
And therein lies Ichabod's answer. She's leaning toward believing his innocence, actually, because there's so much evidence that he didn't actually commit—
He'll at least get that much before his thoughts slam right into a brick wall. She should be angry. Really, there's just a steely disappointment etched across her face as she presses her lips together, continuing to meet his eyes, arms crossed over her chest. "Mister Noble, I make it a habit of telling the truth. If you wanted it, you could have waited for my answer."
—-
It's a quiet day, and Lupin needs some fresh air away from London. That and if he can talk to a certain American lawyer it would be made all the more better, but that is only secondary to him. His thoughts have been wild lately, and he needed to think, go somewhere that he can sort through everything that is going on and perhaps see if there was anything that he had missed in all the excitement. Maybe a detail unchecked in regards to everything: His job, which he was glad to have; the werewolf attacks in Manchester; the new legislation; and of course, Sirius. So now he walks down the main street of Hogsmeade.
—-
A flash of surprise very briefly flits across Ichabod's mien at that sudden mental crash into iron-hard will. It is very quickly replaced with a slightly wry, and perhaps just mildly impressed, smile - well, if you can call a close-lipped smirk a true smile. Still, he got what he wanted - and apparently it was what he'd wanted to see, since he seems to be almost.. pleased. "My apologies, Miss Maplewood. You'll have to excuse me for being initially distrustful - I'm old and a long life has taught me that most people will do nearly anything for a perceived personal gain." He doesn't seem to be especially embarrassed about being caught 'peeking'. He's about to say something else when he notices an approaching form. A form that is beginning to look quite familiar. "Ah.. Mr. Lupin." One gloved hand reaches into the air to catch the man's attention. "Good evening."
—-
Her dark eyes are focused on Ichabod at first, so she doesn't even see Lupin coming. The new knowledge that Holly has about him is… surprising, to say the least. She's not even sure how she'd react, should she run into him again. Little does she know, she's probably about to find out.
In any case, annoyance is the most of any temper she'll display, at least for now. "If I was in it for personal gain, it wouldn't be worth the trouble," she says. Actually, there's not a damn thing she'd gain from this, except maybe a concussion, or a coma, or some other horrible thing happening to her person. It doesn't seem like too many people want to see Sirius Black freed, with the exception of very few of his closest friends and relatives.
There's a moment when Holly looks toward Lupin, then back at Ichabod, then back at Lupin in a sort of classic double-take expression. Is there a full moon tonight? No? She's not sure. Maybe she should look to the sky to find out. No, that would be rude. At the very least the fact that she knows is written across her face, but in the end, facing him, she just looks bemused, rather than fearful or hateful. "Hi," is her eventual greeting.
—-
There's a small smile that crosses his face as Lupin approaches the pair. He bows his head to Ichabod. "Mr. Noble, how nice it is to see you outside of the office." He says in a pleasant tone. His eyes gaze secondly to Holly. "And Ms. Maplewood. It is good to see you as well. And…by the look on your face, you know about my condition." He shakes his head. "Well, what's done is done. I would like to speak with you about Sirius' case, however. I believe I still may be of service."
—-
"That all depends on what you consider personal gain, young lady - you can't deny that your present circumstances are bringing you a good deal of public attention. And, if you win your case, quite possibly some degree of fame within your profession," Ichabod responds pointedly, although his attitude seems to have warmed considerably in comparison to when he'd first began speaking to her. Lupin's nod is greeted in kind, the gaunt old man inclining his chin a bit and then chuckling. "Well, I spend far too much time there already. Sometimes it's healthy to come up with an excuse or two to get away." When the conversation turns slightly more serious, his lips thin out a bit, and he contents himself with listening to the discourse.
—-
In reality, Holly really doesn't care. See, it doesn't matter, as long as said werewolf isn't a snarling, raving beast who wants nothing better than to tear out your throat. And pancreas, and maybe even your eyeballs and left lung. However, the fact that it should matter, because the rest of the world thinks it matters, and she's sort of been blind-sided by all this makes her do the worst thing possible.
Overthink it.
"I— No, I don't— I mean, it's not a condition. Well, it is, but it's not like — I'm okay. With it, I mean. With the whole… I wasn't. Thinking about. That. Or rather, I was, but I don't care that you're here. Now."
So much for unshakable. Holly runs her fingers through her hair, looking at the ground. Right, that wasn't one of her smoother moments. Thankfully, she doesn't have those in the courtroom, and in any case, Lupin's given her something to focus on. "I'm out to make sure a man gets a fair trial." And she is. "That in mind, Mister Lupin, nothing's changed. There's no 'still.' Just because your name was published in a paper doesn't mean your testimony suddenly means nothing." Her eyes do roll skyward for a brief moment, though it doesn't seem like she's looking for the moon. "You just caught me off guard."
—-
Lupin nods ever so slightly to Holly. "Aye. I can certainly understand. Getting outside helps keep you healthy, doesn't it?" He chuckles and shakes his head at Holly. "Miss Maplewood, I am glad that you are fine with it. Even if you were not, that is your prerogative to feel as you do." There's another nod, however. "Well, I do not like to openly publish what I am, as per most peoples' bad reactions to me."
—-
Ichabod glances idly between the other two and leans on his cane. He looks a little more amused by the girl's reaction than he should, although he doesn't add anything to further compound her state of mind. As temptingly easy as that would be to do. Instead, he arches one thin brow and glances over at Lupin. "…hm. Mr. Lupin, it's true that you'll be testifying in the Black trial, then?"
—-
Composure regained. See? That wasn't so bad.
"I have to admit, I was a little surprised to see your name in the paper," she says. "The registry doesn't really … serve its initial purpose. I said as much in a letter to the ministry." Actually, it was a fairly scathing letter, calling them foolish, and calling for the termination of whomever saw fit to publish the list in the Prophet for everyone to see.
"Well, at the moment, I'm gathering evidence," she says. "And testimony. If I had my way, this trial would work a lot differently than they usually do around here, but it'd take years to effect a change of that magnitude, so… Yes. He is."
—-
Lupin bows his head again in a nod to Ichabod. "Yes, Mr. Noble, I shall be testifying at the Black trial. He is, well…he's an old school friend of mine. The oldest either of us have, in all honesty. And I perhaps know him better than almost anyone alive. I shall not try to deny it. Doing so would do him more harm than telling the truth as I see it, which could be quite beneficial to him." He nods to Holly. "Well, I shall give my testimony for him. And, I was thinking…I an expert of sorts on the Dark Arts and dark creatures, I might be able to give testimony as to the long term effects of Dementors on a person?"
—-
"I see.." Ichabod taps his walking stick on the ground once again. It seems to be a sort of way to punctuate the fact that he's thinking to himself. "Well.. I am afraid I really ought to be going; these letters still need to be delivered, and then I have a long night ahead of me, I'm afraid." Which might strike Holly as a little odd, seeing as how it's already nearly bedtime for most people his age. The old man offers a curt bow to the pair and tips the brim of his hat down for an instant. "Mr. Lupin, I shall see you in the office soon. Do remember we've got that.. slight issue in Hyde Park to see to. And Miss Maplewood - my apologies again for the slight breach of courtesy. Good luck with your case." With that, he sweeps off in the direction of the post office.
—-
It seems that she has, at least outwardly, gotten used to the idea of a werewolf being in their presence. Truthfully, not everyone in the world can possibly fear them, and Holly's no schoolchild, believing in rumours and falling in line with what everyone around them believes. Really, logically, you probably miss out on getting to know a lot of interesting people that way.
Oh, right. Mr. Noble had those letters to deliver at this curiously odd hour. Some people would be able to put certain things together like that — if they were horribly paranoid. Holly just chalks it up to the idiosycracies of an old wizard. "No, it's fine," she says. And it is. Altercation already forgotten.
After watching him go, she turns back to Lupin. "Well, by my estimation, it's about time for dinner," she says. "I'll buy it for you, if you want to chat." She pulls a notebook and a pen out of one of the pockets of her robe. Starting with the Dementors would be awesome, actually. Ms. Tonks took me to Azkaban not too long ago… I got to experience them for myself. From a distance."
—-
Lupin bows to Ichabod. "Good night, sir. May it be a good one." He smiles softly. "And yes, I haven't forgotten about Hyde Park. I received notice just earlier today, in fact, that we have approval to go ahead whenever we are ready." He explains and then turns back to talking to Holly. "That sounds like a good deal to me. Might I suggest the Hog's Head however? The Three Broomsticks has been quite busy due to the fact that it is a Hogsmeade Weekend for Hogwarts, I believe." He smiles softly. "And we're more free to speak at the Hog's Head as well."
—-
Holly nods… As if she knows exactly where the Hog's Head is. Then she'll proceed to look around for anything that looks like both a Hog and/or a head. "I… actually haven't seen everything here yet…" So, in other words, if Remus could lead the way, it'd be something much appreciated. The Three Broomsticks has always been just fine for her. And then there's the snacks that her sister sent from the States.
Those poor owls.
"There's something I kinda want to talk to you about, too. All this stuff about werewolves. Back in the U.S., I pushed for legislation to… Avoid this." The whole fear thing and restricting people who weren't dangerous most of a month, et cetera. "Not avoid it, I guess, but change things. And I wonder how hard it'd be to do the same thing here."
—-
Lupin nods firmly and leads up the street and down the proper side street, Lupin listening along as Holly speaks. He doesn't say anything until they are firmly into the Hog's Head, a more grungy, dark looking place, and seated. "If you were to try to push some sort of legislation that would be considered to be 'pro' werewolf, if might not get very far. I'm not saying it is not worth it, however, just that it may be blocked by two points: A, that Delores Umbridge who is the current Undersecretary to the minister of magic is firmly against werewolves, and B, that as an American lawyer, you do not have as many credentials as you might over there."
—-
The Hog's Head isn't quite what she expected. Maybe Holly thought it'd be more like the Three Broomsticks, only more out-of-the-way, but it's sort of like the stereotypical dive tavern, isn't it? In any case, after looking around and making sure that nothing can be lifted off her person, she follows Remus to a table.
"It's more about convincing people that there's no 'pro-werewolf.' It's pro-basic rights. Seriously, you think any sanctions against werewolves are doing any good? It's just making a whole population of people angry. And - no offense - angry people do stupid things. It's true for anyone." The ministry is making werewolves dangerous. It's as simple as that.
Shaking her head, Holly agrees that she doesn't have the footing here in the UK to really enact anything. "It only takes a spark to make a fire, though. So I figure if I can rattle a few cages, someone'll catch on."
—-
Lupin smiles softly at Holly. "I know. And I'm in full support." He doesn't seem phased by the appearance of the bar, not the fact that anyone could steal anything from him. It doesn't cross his mind. "I just worry that certain people might take it as pro-werewolf when they are fully against werewolves. But I digress in the matter. You are the legal expert, not I. I, in fact, only work for the Ministry now. For Mister Noble, if that hadn't been obvious."
—-
It'll never happen overnight. "I gathered," she says with a smile which touches her brown eyes. "That's a start. It's an establishment that's so set in its ways that there hasn't been any reason to change things in the past. Now they're finding that they have to."
That little notepad and pen that she took out of her pocket earlier is set on the table. No fancy quills or quick-quotes writing tools for her. Just good old-fashioned ink on paper. "I still need to speak with Sirius Black regarding everything, but you mentioned telling me about the Dementors," she prompts.
—-
Lupin nods firmly. "Yes. Of course. And a start can bring much to the end, for better or for worse." He says quietly. "Sirius…no doubt you'd be asking him about the fateful events of that night and the consequential meeting thus with Peter Pettigrew." He nods. "What a night that was." He shakes his head. Waving down the bartender, some of whom know as Aberforth, he nods to the man. If they show recognition of knowing each other, it's not too visible for others to see. "I'll get myself a steak, medium-rare and butterbeer." He motions for Holly to give her order. Once done so and Aberforth is left to get the orders, Lupin continues. "But yes, Dementors. Ghastly creatures. If you didn't have a direct confrontation with one, you are lucky. But even being in proximity of them, as you now know, is difficult."
—-
"I've learned a bit." There's still a lot to learn, but the time has to be right. Opposing counsel needs to know that she's questioning him, and she also has to figure out exactly what the Wizengamot is going to do with this trial. She's trying to act like she knows what she's doing, but Holly's already in this up to her neck, and she's trying to stay afloat. Keep ahead of the game.
"Shepherd's pie," she says. She has absolutely no recognition of the man, of course. "And a butterbeer." Normally, it'd be water, but she's not so sure she wants the water from this place.
"I never even really saw them," she admits. "Except out of the corner of my eye. I knew they were following us. Ms. Tonks taught me the Patronus charm. I've gotten a little better at it since I've been there." Folding her hands in front of her, she looks at the table. "At the time, I was absolutely sure I couldn't ever go back there. Like it hurt to be there. I guess the people who have to visit… must get used to it?"
—-
Lupin considers Holly for a moment. "Might I suggest…" He starts off slowly, "That you speak with Professor Albus Dumbledore. He would be able to fill you in quite well about what to expect. He is still, I believe, the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and is always more than happy to assist those who are needing it." And then the talk is back to the Dementors, and he thinks for a few moments. "The Dementors are…for lack of a better term, perhaps the most foul creatures on this earth. They feed off happiness. They relish in making people relive their most dark moment over and over again until there is no happiness left in them. And they do not need water or walls of any sort to keep their prisoners in. Not usually." He adds the last part, thinking of Sirius. "They have no eyes either, however, so they do not normally distinguish people too much but by their emotions and feelings. Prisoners end up being trapped within their own heads because of the Dementors' effect. They end up not being capable of even the slightest happy thought. And most go mad within the first few weeks."
—-
Now Albus Dumbledore is a name she's heard. Even people across the ocean know that name, along with names like Voldemort and Grindlewald. "The headmaster of Hogwarts?" she says, just to clarify, and writes it down.
She further continues writing as Lupin explains the Dementors. This is what must have been happening to her, though she didn't realise it. They were too far away, not bothering with her, and yet they still made her feel like she was as sad as she was the day her father died.
"It sounds horrible," she says, feeling cold despite the relative warmth of the tavern. "Why, though? Why would a creature like that even come into existance? Were they made, or are they like … gryffons and dragons? Are they bred?" The more she knows about them, the better, as far as she's concerned. "Sorry for all the questions, it's just… I've never had to deal with anything like this before. Our prison guards are well-trained witches and wizards back home, not… creatures that suck out your happiness. It seems cruel. I don't know how even the most hardened criminal could be subjected to something like this."
—-
Lupin nods firmly. "That is correct. He is the headmaster of Hogwarts." He explains of Dumbledore before continuing on with Dementors. "It is very horrible, I must say. Even being close to them causes side-effects, as you no doubt know." He sighs softly. Their food and drink arrives and he nods before continuing on. "They were not made. They are just like gryffons, dragons, and gnomes. They are not bred, they breed themselves. Often times if you notice somewhere that there is an unusual amount of fog where there should not be, that could be the result of Dementors breeding in large numbers." He smiles and shakes his head. "No need to apologize. The more knowledge you have, the less ignorant you are." He says kindly. "Not only do the Dementors suck out all your happiness, but there is something called the 'Dementor's Kiss'. When this is performed, the Dementor literally sucks out the person's soul and the person becomes nothing but a lifeless being, a vegetable as it were. That is what would happen to Sirius if he went back to Azkaban."
—-
Holly continues taking notes, pausing only when the food arrives so she can take a drink from the butterbeer, which, as far as she can tell, tastes okay. Look for dense fog. That means there could be Dementors breeding. How they go about the whole breeding thing makes little sense to her, though, as there must be some sort of liking between two creatures to make more of themselves. And what the baby dementors look like?
Heck, at the moment, she'd settle for knowing what an actual Dementor looked like.
This Dementor's Kiss sounds impossible. A Muggle would say you can't suck the soul out from a human being… There's just no way. It's incorporeal, and some would even believe it's non-existant. "What happens to the soul?" she asks gently, almost timidly.
—-
Lupin sips his butterbeer slowly as he considers the question. "What happens to the soul…a good question. I do not believe anyone knows for certain what happens. I believe, however, that the Dementor 'eats' the soul. At least in a fashion." He says thoughtfully. "It adds to who they are. It may even be part of what gives them their strength to breed."
—-
The look on Holly's face is horrified. So essentially, it's a literal dead end for the person. End-of-the-line. No Afterlife, nothing. You lose your soul, and then your body is an empty husk until it dies. "Yeah, that's not happening," she says after what seems like forever. It's at least a couple minutes between the time she pondered it and the time she speaks. Sirius can't end up like that. Sure, he's a little weird, but he's a good person. Of that, Holly has no doubt.
"No wonder they're trying to move this so fast," she mumbles, mostly to herself. She gets a feeling that the fact that there's already a trial in the planning phases means they're trying to catch her off guard. Her mistake. She'll just have to work faster and smarter. "You work in the Ministry now," she states. "Can you find out if they're… planning anything with the Dementors? If they're going to try to end this trial before it even begins?"
—-
Lupin shakes his head. "No, I don't want it to happen either. I am certain of his innocence, Miss Maplewood." He says, taking a couple bites of his steak. "No doubt they'd like to feed him to the Dementors right away without a second thought. Of that I am certain." He takes a deep breath in. "He's afraid that some of his guard is out to get him as well." He states.
—-
Holly swears inappropriately, jabbing a fork into the shepherd's pie, which emits a cloud of steam and a pleasant scent - cooked vegetables and chicken. Smashing it apart so it cools, Holly continues. "So essentially, the Ministry isn't holding up their part of the bargain. We'll need proof." They're trying to beat the system. Well, Holly can be just as good at this game as they are. It seems that doing things the fair, legal way isn't going to win them this case.
"I'm going to be calling an aide from the States to help me with the case. Hopefully she can be here soon, and she can handle some of the paperwork. I can see I'm going to have to spend more time with my client."
—-
Lupin raises an eyebrow and merely nods. "Well, good. We need all the help we can get. I'm already going to do some digging in the Ministry myself. There's one person on his guard that we're suspicious of. I don't want to give you details as yet, as they are not fully mine to give, but there's a nasty feeling about one of them and the possibility that they have a more…sketchy past as they let on."
—-
Holly's problem is that she's moving too slowly. Waiting for details past a point where it's logical, if her suspicions about the Ministry are to be believed. She doesn't usually jump to wrong conclusins, either. "Well, if you have anything, let me know. You know where I live." They're not going to be able to do much tonight, though. It's already too late in the day. Getting ahold of anyone would be difficult at best, and tomorrow is Halloween. "Maybe I'll head up to the castle for the Halloween festivities. I hear it looks pretty sharp." Finally satisfied that her pie is cool enough to eat, she takes a bite. It's surprisingly good. "After that, though, I need to kick this thing into overdrive."
—-
Lupin nods firmly. "I shall certainly do so, Miss Maplewood. I'd daren't keep anything from you as it could pertain to the case…" There's a short pause for a minute or two. "Have I mentioned that we know that Peter Pettigrew is alive?"
—-
Holly wraps her hands around her butterbeer for a moment, before she jots something else down in her notes, punctuating it with a question mark. "Sirius mentioned that he was in hiding," she says. That much she remembers from the initial meeting with the accused man. She flips back a few pages, where she wrote down what happened as soon as possible. "He's the one who killed those Muggles," she says in a hushed voice. "Sirius saw him over the summer again, but he got away…" And she goes on to read, "Because there was a full moon that night."
She's not entirely certain, but she looks up at Remus when she reads this off. Swears again. "You were there, weren't you?" He's Black's friend. They knew Pettigrew. Remus is the only werewolf she actually knows…
—-
Lupin nods solemnly. "Yes. Pettigrew was the one who killed the muggles. And he was the Potters secret keeper who betrayed them to Voldemort." He doesn't know if she'll cringe at the name or not, but he usually says the name, not fearing it. There's a nod from him. "Yes. I was there. I taught at Hogwarts last term. And I saw Peter. The only reason Peter got away was because I had not taken my potion, I'd forgoten in the curfuffle of it all, and he…got away as I transformed."
—-
She does have some reaction to the name. There's a slight shiver, and her eyes turn downward to the table. There aren't many people who are immune to it; it's almost sacred. Taboo. Though she plans on using it during trial, either to draw a reaction or add some credibility to the entire thing. It won't be easy.
She gives Remus a Look. Frustrated. Annoyed. It's hard not to, even if it really wasn't his fault. The real criminal was so close.
The look vanishes, though. He's probably already kicking himself for letting the real criminal slip away. No need to add her own how-could-yous to the mix. "It's not your fault," she says consolingly. "Still, that would have fit everything together nicely."
There's a sigh, then she takes another bite of her food. "Unfortunately, with you being a werewolf, we're going to have to find something to add credibility to whatever you say in court. It shouldn't be necessary. I'm sorry that it is. Can I ask you some questions about yourself?"
—-
Lupin has already done so very much on a number of occasions to date, but he is quite adept and showing his true feelings, which could be either good or bad depending on the situation. "I know better than anyone, other than perhaps Sirius, how nice it would have been to have Peter Pettigrew here with us instead of in hiding. But what is done is now done and cannot be undone." He nods firmly at Holly. "Of course. Ask me whatever you like. My life is as open a book as one can be."
—-
"I know. We'll have to find a way around not having Pettigrew present for trial. It can be done, though. It will be." This can't all be some elaborate hoax set up by many different people, and the more she hears, the more she's assured that this man she's defending must be innocent.
The questions she asks are fairly sensitive, though they are asked with respect, and non-accusingly. These are things that Holly has to know in order to use Lupin as a witness. To ensure that the Ministry doesn't strike his testimony from the record. They'll have to be exceptionally careful. "Have you ever hurt anyone?" she asks, "As a result of what you are? Accidentally or otherwise. Have you ever passed on your condition?"
—-
Lupin takes a deep breath in and thinks it over. Finally, he shakes his head. "No, I have never hurt anyone nor infected with lycanthropy. I came close this summer, but I was luckily prevented doing so by none other than Sirius Black. He was able to prevent me from doing so. You would have to ask him how, as I was not away of most of what was happening that night. Otherwise, I have been locked away in a secure position where I would not be able to hurt a soul. During my school years, precautions were made as to secure a place where this could be done."
—-
Lupin takes a deep breath in and thinks it over. Finally, he shakes his head. "No, I have never hurt anyone nor infected with lycanthropy. I came close this summer, but I was luckily prevented doing so by none other than Sirius Black. He was able to prevent me from doing so. You would have to ask him how, as I was not aware of most of what was happening that night. Otherwise, I have been locked away in a secure position where I would not be able to hurt a soul. During my school years, precautions were made as to secure a place where this could be done."
—-
That's a very good answer. Holly's pleased with it. She could have checked his registry file to be certain, but she'd rather get it from the source. She'd rather trust. Of course, she'll need it eventually… There shouldn't have to be any investigation into your witnesses before you call them, but this is the Ministry of Magic they're talking about here.
"My god, you've been living with this since you were a child?" she asks, surprised, as she temporarily stops her note-taking. Frowning deeply, she considers, starts to move her hand toward his to hold it or give it a pat or something, but then realises that might come across as patronising. "That… must have been hard for you."
—-
Lupin nods ever so slightly. "Yes, since I was a child. Around the age of five or six, I'd say. Old enough to know what happened, and be frightened of it, but also young enough not to understand it in it's complete entirety." He nods once more. "I have lived with this for…well, in a year or two I shall be entering my third decade living with this."
—-
She shouldn't think of it as a curse, really, even if it is. This is a person. He probably doesn't want her pity, but even so, it's hard to imagine a man living with this once a month for his entire life. He never got to be a kid.
"Maybe there'll be a cure one day," she says. That would, of course, require people to start thinking of werewolves as citizens, and not monsters to be shunned. It could happen. Moving on, though… She has more questions to ask. "Have you ever had your wand taken away for suspected violent activity? Don't… count any ordinances passed by the Ministry at any point. Hexes cast on people, dangerous or dark magic… Anything of that nature." She pauses, then says, "They'll ask this in court. I'm not saying I think you're a dark wizard."
—-
Lupin shakes his head firmly. "No, never. I've been careful not to bring any attention to myself. During the wizarding war I fought against the Death Eaters along side Dumbledore and many others including previous auror and current professor at Hogwarts, Alastor Moody. Although I am an expert at the Dark Arts, I do not perform them, as I do not agree with their usage."
—-
By now, her Shepherd's pie is mostly gone. There are a few lingering bits on the plate, and her butterbeer is half empty. She takes another drink of that, before setting the mug aside so she can take notes. "A clean record will look very good for you." There's a 'but' that she's not saying. Honestly, she has no idea how the Wizengamot will react to having Lupin as a witness. Holly will do her best to ensure that he isn't overlooked, though.
"Do you have anything else you'd like to tell me right now, Mister Lupin? If not, you can always stop by or send me an owl. My door's always open." Unless you're there to hex her or throw vegetables or the like. Then? Not so much."
—-
Lupin shakes his head. "I've not much else to add, to be honest. Though I am open to questions always. Your best way to reach me is to contact me at the Ministry. Vampire Liaison office." He says with a small smile. She probably would have expected more something along the lines of Werewolf Liaison office or some such. "Look, Sirius is my friend. Has been for most of my life. He helped me through a hard time during school. He along with James Potter and Peter Pettigrew. With the last two obviously out of the picture, he is one of the few friends I have left. I'd do anything for him. I'd take the blame for everything if I thought it would help. Please…clear his name. It's a lot to ask of anyone, but I have faith that you can do it." He looks down at his empty plate for a moment and takes a drink from his own butterbeer, which is now only a quarter full.
—-
"All right. Thank you."
When their bill is brought to the table, Holly removes a few sickles from her pocket and hands them over - tip included.
"Taking the blame won't help anyone, unless the person who committed the crime is brought to justice. I you take the blame, another innocent man ends up in jail, and then we're right back where we started. Still, I'm going to have to put a good spin on this story." She won't be lying, exactly.
Standing, she offers what she hopes is a comforting smile. "I'll do my best. I think we have a good case here. We just need to make sure we have the opportunity to bring this case to court. And we have to hope that someone else doesn't try to dole out justice before it's time. G'night, Remus. And take care."
Heading for the door with her notepad, Holly decides that it's time to go home. She has more to add to the file now, and increasingly less time to do it.
—-
Lupin nods ever so slightly and holds up his hand to Holly. "Just try, that's all I ask." He knows that to ask her to flat out win would not be wise. At this point, it's not clear either way what will happen. "Good night. See you soon."