The Room of Requirement

Chapter Three

The next day Evelyn went to the Room of Requirement, which today became a meadow with a grassy hilltop, where Evelyn sat to think. There was a slight breeze through the poplar trees growing on one side of the hill.

Evelyn was quiet for a long time thinking, and she smiled as her mind returned to the first time she had come here. It was Neville's present to her last Christmas. Strawberry Fields Forever.

Suddenly Evelyn gasped. She had asked Neville about basketball and he had said for her not to wish Muggles into the Room of Requirement. He said Muggles. Not people. Maybe it could be done.

Evelyn rushed to Albus's office. She explained her theory to him as they descended the stairs and made their way back to the Room of Requirement.

"Wait," Albus cautioned her. "Let me think this through before we do anything rash."

"You think, Uncle Albus," Evelyn teased, and drifted through the door.

The room was a very cozy and comfortable den with a large fireplace and tea on the table. Had she been alive, Evelyn would have breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Remus sitting on a chair next to the fire.

Albus rushed into the room.

"Hello, Albus, Evelyn," Remus greeted them. "It's good to see you. Really, it is. But how did I get here?"

"I wished you into the Room of Requirement," Evelyn answered.

"Ahh. I see."

That afternoon they learned that Remus could only come to the room in a ghostly state. Despite Albus's insistence that he come to Hogwart's immediately, Remus was set on remaining transient. Nor would he listen to Evelyn. He assured them that he was in no danger, nor was he in violation of Muggle relation laws, as he did not initiate the robberies and was only defending himself. He was unconcerned with Albus's argument that the robberies commited by Remus were indeed in violation of both their laws and Muggle laws. There was no choice but to wait for another day to convince him.

They told the others about Remus in the Room of Requirement, and suggested that each try to convince Remus to return if possible. Evelyn had high hopes for Hermione, with her logic, and with Remus's respect for her mind. Severus would not even try; neither he nor Remus had any wish to be in the presence of the other, if they had any choice in the matter. Severus agreed to put his mind to the task of finding Remus in some other way.

Unfortunately, Hermione's logic failed to sway Remus's decision to remain away. And as long as he retained his amulet, he could stay away indefinitely. So he did.

Of all the people who summoned Remus to the Room of Requirement, only Sybil did not try to persuade or frighten him into coming to the castle.

"So you don't want to come back, is that it, Remus?" she asked.

"No, Sybil. I don't. Not at the moment."

"So... are you happy?"

Remus stared at her in amazement. She was the first person who had thought to ask something like that. They all worried about his health and safety, but none cared whether he was happy.

He decided that although this may be just another wacky Sybil statement, he would take it as it seemed to be, and so he told her some of his exploits in the Muggle world.

After a few moments of stories about the robberies and some of the close calls he had had, he turned to see Sybil staring at him in horror.

"It's not all like that, Sybil," he assured her. "I have met some really wonderful people in my travels. Muggles are just like us, you know, only without magic. Not so different really."

Sybil told him she would rather hear about the good times. "But please be careful, Remus," she added. "We do worry."

So Remus complied, telling her of the people, but modestly never mentioning how their lives had changed because of his help.

Evelyn drifted through the door to Severus's office and was surprised to find Ginny sitting there near tears.

"What the Hell is going on here, Sev?"

"Miss Weasley is going to help me find Remus. But she seems to be somewhat upset by this notion," Severus answered her.

Evelyn could see that Ginny was upset by Severus.

"Dammit, Sev! Go get Hermione."

He looked at her in confusion.

"GO!" she shouted, making Ginny flinch.

"Oh, I am so sorry, dear," she told Ginny. "I just wanted him to go, now." She whispered to Ginny, "He always listens when I yell at him."

Ginny smiled.

Severus fumed as he drifted toward the Potions classroom and his old office. He door was open but she was riveted to a book, as usual. Since it took extreme concentration and effort to knock, he called out softly, "Professor Granger..."

She looked up. "Good afternoon, Professor Snape."

"Good afternoon, Professor Granger," he replied. "Evelyn would like to see you in my office when you have a moment."

Startled by being summoned by Evelyn to Professor Snape's office, Hermione stood and announced, "I have time now. What's going on?"

Severus explained as they made their way back to his office.

By the time they got there, Hermione knew exactly what was bothering her best friend. Ginny had grown up hearing the stories about Snape. And had been his student for years. It would be a long time before everyone believed how changed he was now that he was dead.

In the office, Hermione mentioned that it was getting near dinnertime, and perhaps they should meet later. Anything to get Ginny out of the office.

The rest of the evening was spent in Evelyn explaining to Severus that he remained scary to most of the students, and Hermione trying to convince Ginny that he was harmless.

"After all, Ginny, you are the top student in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Does he ridicule you in class? Ignore you? Take points from Gryffindor?"

"No," Ginny admitted.

"He did me," Hermione told her. "I wanted to throw a potion at him, or a large book or something. We all know what an ass he was, when he was alive."

She looked at Ginny and told her, "He is very different now. Surely if you think on it you will see that he changed when he died, or maybe a few months before his death. Because of Ev. Did you know that their mothers were best friends and they were together from birth until the age of five? Evelyn told me that they used to think they were brother and sister, until they were almost four. At five, they were separated when Ev's mother ran away to the US. That is part of the reason he was the person he was. He never got over losing Evelyn. I think he lost half his heart when she left. Evelyn told me that her mother gave no warning, but left with her in the middle of the night. She left nothing but a note for Aberforth, her father, and a note for Eve, Severus's mother.

"Evelyn was something of a rebel in her youth, as was Professor Snape." Hermione grinned. "You should really hear the whole story one day. You would see him in a whole new light. We'll get Evelyn to tell it one day. It's so Romeo and Juliet. You'll love it."

Hermione laughed. "Of course, though, we know how it ends."