Harry Potter: Raised by Wolves.

"When I told you months ago that you used to call me Uncle Remus, I suppose I was lying to you a little," Lupin told him, making Harry blink at the change of subject. "Remus is a little hard for a one year-old to say, after all. You much preferred to call me Uncle Moony. Well," he added, smiling wryly, "it came out more like 'Uncle Mooey', you struggled with your N's, you see."

Dragging his eyes down to the greeting at the top of the map, Harry stared back up at his professor in dawning shock. "Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black and James Potter. Also known as Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. The Marauders," Lupin announced, offering a little bow. "At your service. Well, what's left of us, at least."

"What?" Harry could hardly believe it. "The map was my dad's?"

"Not solely his. It took all four of us to figure the spells out. Three, really; Peter was never that great with a wand. We finished it early in our fifth year, to help aid in our mischief-making ways. It got confiscated in our seventh year. I hadn't expected Filch to keep it." Lupin looked at him curiously. "I have to ask, Harry how did you come to own the map?" "A friend gave it to me," he said evasively, not wanting to get anyone in trouble. Lupin stared him down for a long moment, then smiled.

"The Weasley twins, I presume? That would explain an awful lot about them. Well, I suppose I can't ask for a much better successor. Some of their work is really quite fantastic. I thought Severus would never get his hair back the right colour after that little prank they pulled before Christmas."

"They worship you," Harry blurted. "The Marauders, I mean. Think you're the best thing ever." He wondered what the twins would do if he told them they were being taught by a real live Marauder. That made Lupin chuckle. "I'm glad our good work is being continued. But that doesn't mean you can tell them, Harry," he added. "I'm telling you because it's James, and because I need you to understand why it's so dangerous to have this map. Sirius Black helped create it. If it ended up in his hands, he could find you anywhere in the castle. I can't let you have it back, I'm sorry."

Harry winced; if he'd known, he never would have kept the map. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. "Don't take it to Dumbledore."

"Beg your pardon, Harry?"

"Don't take Dumbledore.

the map Please." If

to Professor Dumbledore found the map, if he had another way of monitoring Harry… he was screwed. Lupin's brow furrowed.

"I wasn't planning on doing so. But why don't you want it going to the Headmaster?"

Harry glanced down at the map, then back up at Lupin, deciding to throw caution to the wind. Lupin had been good about being honest with him so far. "Professor Dumbledore put a curse on my magical core to block me from my family magics."

Lupin's eyes went wide in alarm. Harry blurted out the whole story of his trip to Gringotts, including the Compulsion charm, explaining why he thought Dumbledore was the one who did it. "And I shouldn't have told you that, because he can read minds, and if he finds out then he'll know I know, and I'm done for!" he finished, somewhat panicked. Lupin's hands came down on his shoulders, squeezing gently.

"You're fine, Harry. Your secrets are safe with me. I have… let's call them natural mental defences. Dumbledore has never been able to read my mind." Harry let out a sigh of relief, and Lupin let him go, turning to pace the length of the desk. "Of all the things… I knew he was bad, but I never thought… Merlin, to block your family magics!" He turned to Harry abruptly. "You're sure the block is gone?"

"The goblins said it was, yeah." Lupin sighed in relief. "Good. Good. When James turned seventeen, the boost in magic from his family line just about cracked all the windows in the dorm. That combined with the Black family and Slytherin! Good grief, to have that sort of power surge trapped inside you with a magic blocker could level the school when you come of age!" His head snapped up, colour draining from his face. Harry's heart skipped a beat, his blood turning to ice.

Was that what Dumbledore wanted?

"Who else have you told?"

"Neville knows about almost all of it. The twins know I'm taking up my family seat, but they don't know about the block. And a few other kids — apparently word got around amongst the heirs that the House of Potter is back on the playing field."

"You have to be incredibly careful, Harry. If the wrong person should find out what you know… I don't have to tell you how badly that could end up for you." Lupin's words made Harry's stomach churn. No, he was well aware of the line he was treading.

"I don't know what to do," he admitted in a meek voice. "I've been reading up as much as I can about the old bloodlines, and what it means to be an heir, and family magic, but… I don't know what I'm doing, and I don't know why Dumbledore wants to keep it from me, and I don't know who I can trust and if I tell the wrong person I could die!" All of a sudden, Lupin's arms were wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him in close. Harry couldn't help the way he buried his face in the man's robes, eyes squeezed shut against the tears threatening to spill forth. "Easy, cub, easy. It's alright," Lupin soothed, one broad hand rubbing across his shoulders. It was a hug unlike any Harry had experienced before. Lupin looked like a strong wind would blow him over, but there was wiry muscle in his arms, and it made Harry feel safe. Secure. Like… like a parent would. Not even like Mrs Weasley hugging him, where she tried to crush the life out of him. Just… warm.

"Albus Dumbledore is not going to hurt you anymore, I promise you that," Lupin vowed fiercely, his lips pressed against Harry's hair. "You've done so well, cub. You've been so brave. But you don't have to do this alone anymore."

"I'm always alone," Harry muttered bitterly. Lupin pulled back enough to look Harry in the eye, and he could've sworn the man's eyes flashed gold for a second. It was probably just the light.

"Not anymore," he growled firmly. "Never again. I've let you down for far too long." He seemed as reluctant to break the hug as Harry was, but they parted nonetheless, Lupin unsuccessfully smoothing Harry's hair down. "That's a lost cause," he said ruefully, making Harry snort. "Just like James'."

Stepping back, Harry took a breath. "I'm sorry I didn't tell anyone about the map."

"I'll forgive you, but know in future you can come to me about anything, okay?" Lupin told him, brown eyes serious. "Absolutely anything. You can trust me, Harry." He glanced down at the map. "You should go. Your friend Miss Granger is on her way up here, no doubt looking for you."

"Right, yeah." Harry had told Hermione what happened. She seemed to think it served him right to get the map confiscated. Ron was less pleased by it. "I'll, uh, see you later, then. Thanks."

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