Chapter 145 - Guest Speaker Ⅱ

A shaggy-haired witch with large wire-rimmed spectacles raises her hand. Pointing at her, Lyall motions at her to speak. "Dorothy Cabot, sir," the shaggy-haired witch proudly said. "And as to your question sir, it would frankly be impossible. As the required magic for such a feat would be enormous. We are not discussing ten or twenty witch or wizards; we are discussing some of the most powerful witches and wizards combining their energy in an effort to form something that does not exist.

Even if they were to be successful, the very nature of each individual has a different idea on the final product which would impact the creation of said apparition and produce something rather different. But most importantly of all, there is no guarantee that the apparition would remain in existence for very long without draining the collection of witches and wizards of their entire magic and very lifeforce."

"Thank you, Miss Cabot, that is correct," Lyall said earning a pleased expression from the shaggy witch directed over at Pandora. Pandora merely ignored the triumphant witch as she kept her eyes solely focused ahead.

"I must say, Professor Kettleburn, you have a bright batch here," Lyall admitted earning smiles all around including that from Kettleburn. "Now, then, if reach the point of our topic. If apparitions are born out of belief, then what still keeps them alive? Why have they not gone out of existence so to speak? Any idea?"

After a moment, a dark-eyed, slightly tanned youth raises his hand. "Yes, young man?"

"Vasco Vespucci," said the light-haired boy with dark eyes. "It must be a pool of energy that or source if you will that keeps it alive. Take for example our own poltergeist, Peeves. It is a school full of children full of mischief and by our very nature, we are. Therefore, our combined energetic playful thoughts brought forth the creation known as Peeves. But each subsequent generation has kept him alive and going. I can only imagine that if children one day ceased to attend Hogwarts, Peeves would simply fade from existence, or be forced to move to new grounds which would provide that same source of energy."

"Exactly, Mr. Vespucci," Lyall said rather delighted.

"But that does not explain the existence of dementors," Rowan interjected. The entire room grows silent as they wait to see whether Lyall Lupin is insulted or not.

Lyall frowns as he stares at the tall, slender, dark-haired girl. "And you would be, Miss-?"

"Rowan Prince, sir," Rowan firmly replied.

Lyall blinks in startled recognition of the name from his son's Remus letters. Apparently, this girl was one of his son's good friends. Although the image he had in mind certainly did not match the cold-faced girl before him. "Yes, it does not as we believe that Dementors are a product of dark magic," Lyall finally said.

"But that does not explain how they reproduce nor their need to feed on the joy of others," Rowan stubbornly countered.

"No, it does not, but we are not here to discuss the unique existence of Dementor's," Lyall gently chided. "Now, if we would return to the subject on hand. How can we continue to coexist with Poltergeists ensuring that troublesome ones aren't created? Well, allow me to explain-."

The rest of the lecture goes by rather quickly full of questions and rapt students. In the end, Kettleburn is forced to end the lecture to the dismay of most of the class. "Now then, please thank, Lyall Lupin for spending his time most graciously with us."

"Thank you, sir!" The class said, before clapping once more in thanks and grabbing their things. At the door, Lyall shakes the hands of each student, before sending the excitedly chattering students on their way.

The second to last student was Rowan and just as she extended her hand, Lyall said, "A word after this, Miss Prince."

Puzzled, Rowan withdrew her hand as Pandora shoot her a worried glance, but Rowan shook her head and gestured to the blond girl to go on. Pandora shoots Lyall Lupin a firm glare, before rushing out of the classroom. Seeing Pandora gone, Rowan raises an eyebrow even more as Lyall says to Kettleburn, "Can I have a private word with her? You can wait outside the door." Professor Kettleburn reluctantly agreed as he closed the door behind him and stood guard outside of the classroom.

"Sir?" Rowan warily said as she carefully eyed, Remus Lupin's father.

"Sorry, about that," Lyall sheepishly apologized. "I didn't mean to cause you any worry, I just wanted to thank you for being friends with my son, Remus."

Rowan's face softens as she says, "He's a good one."

"I must admit, I did picture you looking rather differently," Lyall chuckled.

"How so?" Rowan tilted her head back in puzzlement. "I am in Slytherin, I would have thought you'd have a cold impression of me, sir."

"Slytherin?" Lyall blinked in surprise clearly not having expected that.

"Is that a problem, sir?" Rowan carefully asked as she eyed his troubled expression.

"It's just a surprise that is all," Lyall admitted. "But I'm told you have a twin brother as well and that he is friends with Remus's other three friends in Gryffindor, Sirius, James, and Peter."

"Yes, my brother is on friendly terms with Remus, but not as much as Terry Greengrass, my brother's friend and dormmate."

"A Greengrass?!"

"Yes, he's from one of the branches. Quite delicate-looking really."

"I see," Lyall fell silent have heard the name, but never having failed to imagine that the other friend his son wrote about so often was a Slytherin.

"You seem to have a rather bad impression of us, Slytherins, sir," Rowan pointed out.

Lyall visibly blinks as he carefully arranges his emotions. "I'm just surprised that is all."

"Mm, well it's no surprise to me," Rowan frankly said. "I'm used to it by now."

Traces of guilt and shame appear in Lyall's eyes as he says, "I didn't mean anything by it, truly. It's just that the house members rarely ever seem to become friends while still in school."

"They're probably not trying hard enough then," Rowan bluntly said, before gazing up at him with a touch of impatience in her eyes. "Is that all, sir? I'd like to leave now."

"Yes, of course, you may go!" Lyall said as he moved out of the way for her to go.

Rowan moved past him and was about to open the door, before she pauses and turns around. "Sir, why didn't you want to discuss the creation of Dementors?"

Lyall Lupin carefully eyes the young solemn witch before him. With a sigh, he says, "Because if their existence is a product of our minds then just what is that fuels them?"

"Ah, I see how that could be controversial," Rowan said as it suddenly clicked in her mind. Her mind is working on overdrive as she suddenly grabs onto the idea of a Patronus. A Patronus was created with the intent to drive Dementors away, but what about if the trick was if one had the intent to kill. It would require the same exact process only the difference would lay in the intent. Tricky, yes, but far from an impossible feat.

After that long pause, Rowan sincerely says, "Thank you, sir," before leaving out the door.

Lyall Lupin watches the girl go with mixed feelings. Professor Kettleburn who had been waiting at the door turned inside to glance at Lyall Lupin. Stepping inside, Professor Kettleburn says, "Why the long face, Lyall?"

"She wasn't at all what I was excepting her to be," Lyall bit his lip in thought. "The girl in my son's letters seemed a lot brighter-."

"Well, we paint each other in the best light," Professor Kettleburn said. "And though she is a tad cold, she has quite a bit of friend's in each house both muggleborn and purebloods."

"Really?" Lyall said with evident surprise. "In each house?"

"Mm, Gryffindor's and Slytherins mostly, but I've seen her be on friendly terms with a least two Ravenclaws and a Hufflepuff."

"I find that hard to believe," Lyall lamely said.

"Are you still bias against Slytherin, Lyall?" Professor Kettleburn furrowed his brow. "Even after all this time?"

Lyall looks away a bit uncomfortable. "I assure you, Kettleburn, that I have put my past behind me," Lyall paused. "But I just don't want my son to make the same mistakes that I did."

"And he won't, Lyall," Professor Kettleburn promised as he clamped an arm around the mild man and recalled the dragon incident with Hagrid. The girl could have easily gotten Hagrid in trouble and instead had come straight to him. Anyone, who was that kind to others, couldn't be all that bad.

Clearing his throat, Professor Kettleburn says, "Now, then what say ye that we have ourselves a pint at Hog's Head?"

"That would be most delightful," Lyall warmly said as the two men walked out of the classroom. It was just one drink, what could possibly go wrong?