On the first night of the new term, during the grand opening feast, Dumbledore introduced a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor—Remus Lupin—and emphasized that unless something "unexpected" happened, Professor Lupin would be teaching the subject for quite some time.
The Gryffindor twins nearly fell off their seats laughing."'Unexpected'? There's always something unexpected with Defense Against the Dark Arts!"
"I just hope he's competent enough," someone sighed.
For decades, Hogwarts' Defense Against the Dark Arts professors had been treated like consumables. No matter how many replacements Dumbledore brought in, there were always a few silver-tongued frauds among them—polished on the outside, hollow on the inside—and it was always the students who suffered. Especially those hoping to pass their O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. exams.
"Don't worry, Lupin's defense magic is excellent," Harry quickly spoke up for him.
And he wasn't lying—he had seen Lupin's skill firsthand during the summer. In fact, not only Lupin but Sirius was also incredibly powerful. Ron and Hermione joined in, echoing Harry's defense; they'd met Lupin on the train and already had a good impression of the man.
Of course, there was one person who wasn't happy—Snape.
At that moment, Snape was glaring daggers at Lupin, eyes filled with more hatred than he'd ever shown toward Harry.
After all, Snape's grudge against Harry was only an echo of his hatred for James—and sometimes, even that softened whenever those familiar green eyes disarmed him. It had shown last term: ever since Voldemort's defeat, when Snape no longer needed to single out Harry, he had occasionally drifted into daydreams and accidentally awarded him points… only to catch himself later and deduct them again.
Harry had experienced a rather confusing form of affection that year.
Many believed Snape had gone completely mad.
But Lupin was a different matter entirely.
Snape had once nearly died because of him.
"I can't believe—you would bring someone—so dangerous—into this school—" Snape said slowly, every word laced with venom. He didn't care that he was still in the Great Hall or that others could hear him; nor did he care if his words might wound Lupin.
Lupin, however, kept his calm smile.
Because of the Marauders' old mischief, he had long carried guilt toward Snape. Even though he rarely participated directly in their pranks, being a bystander made him no less complicit—and the fact that he had almost killed Snape once haunted him deeply.
As for Snape's biting remarks? Lupin was long past caring.
"I've never believed that Remus Lupin is a dangerous man," Dumbledore said evenly, his voice as steady as ever. He had always treated everyone as equals—no matter who they were.
That was why so many half-human and magical races respected him so profoundly.
And Lupin—infected with lycanthropy as a child—was hardly to blame for his condition. Wizards ought to look beyond that tiny measure of risk and see him without prejudice. Especially now, with Wolfsbane and immunity potions available, werewolves were less dangerous than ever before.
"You should have your eyes checked then—better yet, why don't you hand over your position? I'd say even Charles Gold would make a better headmaster than you!" Snape snapped.
"Severus! How could you say such a thing?" Professor McGonagall's voice bristled with anger—no one insulted her old friend like that.
But Dumbledore didn't mind in the slightest."Unfortunately," he said with a mild smile, "I'm still the headmaster for now. And Charles agrees that Remus is an excellent choice. As for him, he wouldn't take this job even if offered—he's actually suggested that Minerva might make a fine headmistress."
Dumbledore winked playfully and raised his goblet toward Charles Gold at the far end of the hall.
Snape's teeth ground audibly.
And then Dumbledore added, tilting his head with infuriating casualness, "Oh, and Remus's potion—Severus, I'll be counting on you to brew it."
"What?" Snape froze. "You want me to brew his potion?"
His face was a perfect portrait of disbelief.
It was bad enough that his nemesis was now his colleague—but to make him save that man's life?
"As long as you're capable of brewing it, you can report the cost of ingredients to the Board. You won't have to pay out of pocket," Dumbledore said generously.
If you make me pay for it, I'll resign this instant! Snape fumed silently.
Too angry to eat another bite, Snape pushed away his plate, his mood storming. Lupin's guilt only deepened—but he couldn't refuse the help. The Wolfsbane Potion was essential to his sanity.
"He looks like he'd murder Professor Lupin if he could," Ron whispered to Harry.
"I just want to know what potion Dumbledore asked him to make," Hermione said thoughtfully as she stroked her Pikachu, which purred softly in her arms.
Over the summer, Hermione had taken her Pokémon home—and during that time, her Pichu had evolved into a Pikachu. Interestingly, its tail was shaped like a heart, showing it was a female.
Harry was a little jealous. He couldn't take his Pokémon to the Dursleys; Hedwig alone had already driven them mad.
"I also want to know how to get a Thunder Stone," Hermione added.
"What? You're not planning to evolve Pikachu now, are you?" Ron asked in shock.
"Why not?" Hermione looked genuinely puzzled. "Evolution makes Pokémon stronger. Just look at Harry's Elekid—after it evolved into Electabuzz, it became a huge help."
"But I thought you didn't even like Pokémon battles," Harry said. "And Pikachu's already strong! The Professor's Pikachu is incredible, and mine gave Voldemort that scar last year. I heard he still had it when he fled the country!"
"I don't like battling, no—but after everything that happened last term, I've realized that having strength isn't a bad thing. If I—and my Pokémon—had been stronger, maybe I could've helped more," she said, her voice softening with guilt.
She was, of course, referring to the incident beneath the trapdoor. Facing that vicious Houndoom, she had felt utterly powerless.
"Anyway," Hermione said firmly, "evolution is the fastest way to grow stronger. It's written in every textbook: when a Pokémon evolves, its move power, magical resistance, and stamina all increase. This term, I plan to enter the competition and get all my Pokémon to evolve!"
"I don't think evolution should ever be forced," Harry said earnestly. "Sure, evolution makes a Pokémon stronger—but even a Pikachu can be the strongest. I've seen Charles's Pikachu take down a Houndoom with sheer power alone."
The next morning, Harry hurried to Charles Gold's office, eager to retrieve his Pokémon.
He wasn't the only young wizard waiting there.
"Ah, Harry, good timing," Charles said, handing him three Poké Balls. "Here—Pikachu, Electabuzz, and Houndour. They're all in good condition. In fact, your Houndour seems close to evolving."
Truth be told, Harry's Houndour had already surpassed the usual evolution level—but the real world wasn't a video game. Evolution levels weren't fixed; some Pokémon evolved earlier, others much later.
And unlike in the games, you couldn't just press "B" to stop it.
"Houndour's evolving?" Harry repeated, stunned.
"Not yet," Charles corrected him. "But soon. It's been restless lately, and the bone structure on its head is starting to shift—that's usually a sign. Feed it well and give it more battle experience."
"Evolution…" Harry muttered, remembering what Hermione had said at dinner.
"Professor—do you know where I can get a Thunder Stone?"
"Where? From me, of course." Charles chuckled, pulling one from his pocket. "Why? Planning to evolve Pikachu into Raichu?"
"Not me—Hermione," Harry said, shaking his head and explaining what had happened the previous night. "Professor, do you think an evolved Pokémon is always stronger than one that hasn't evolved? My Elekid did get stronger after evolving, that's for sure."
"So that's what's troubling you," Charles said with a knowing smile.
It was a timeless question—even in the Pokémon world, many trainers debated it, especially after the discovery of Mega Evolution. Was evolution truly a test of trainer and Pokémon alike?
"Let me put it this way, Harry. To answer that question, you first need to understand what evolution really means."
"What evolution means?" Harry frowned. He'd never really thought about it; to him, it was simply one of a Pokémon's many miraculous powers.
Charles gave him the answer:"Evolution is a Pokémon's response to change. When its current form can no longer ensure its survival or growth, when it must adapt to harsher environments or stronger enemies, it undergoes evolution. Through that process, it gains greater power, adapting, overcoming, surviving. Over time, that's how evolutionary chains formed."
"So evolution does make them stronger? Hermione was right?"
"Technically, yes—stronger on top of what they already are." Charles didn't deny it. "But think of it this way: if a first-year wizard suddenly gained the body and power of a seventh-year, would that make him the equal of one? What if he never learned a single spell?"
Harry shook his head.
He'd learned a great deal from Sirius that summer—enough to know that power without training was meaningless.
"It's the same for Pokémon," Charles said. "If they don't train their skills or hone their abilities—if they only evolve for power's sake—they won't truly grow strong. Evolution is just one path. There are others."
"I understand, Professor," Harry said, nodding firmly.
"So—what about this Thunder Stone?"
"I don't want it."
"You don't want it?"
In the Gryffindor common room, Hermione's voice pitched high enough to turn heads.
"Didn't you hear what the Professor said, Hermione?" Ron reasoned. "You haven't given Pikachu enough battle experience yet—evolving it now won't make it much stronger. I can't believe you'd make that mistake—you're usually the smartest of us!"
"I'm not using it on Pikachu right now! I just want to study it," Hermione huffed. "I've never even seen one before! Not in person!"
She wasn't stupid—if Charles Gold said it, she understood.But still… an Evolution Stone!
She had to see one.
"It's kind of green and shiny," Harry said, scratching his head. "There's a yellow lightning bolt shape inside it. If you can't picture it, just look at the scar on my forehead."
"You're the stone!" Hermione punched him square in the arm.
"Don't you ever wonder what's so special about Thunder Stones?" she went on. "Why do they work on Pikachu but not Electabuzz? Or Electrode? What makes them so selective?"
Her curiosity was in full bloom.
"So many Pokémon—and only a few need stones to evolve. And some evolve by communication! But we don't even have communication devices here. What am I supposed to do—call Haunter on the phone?"
"Er—what's a 'phone'?" Ron asked weakly.
"That's the mystery of Pokémon," Harry said with a grin. "But don't worry—Professor told me he's going to use some Evolution Stones as rewards this term. For good performance or winning competitions."
"Really? You can choose any of the three stones?"
"No—"
"I knew it!" Hermione interrupted. "Evolution Stones must be rare—you can't just pick any!"
"No, that's not what I meant," Harry said quickly. "There'll be ten kinds to choose from—and other evolution items too. Like, to evolve Electabuzz into Electivire, you'll need an Electric Engine and a communication exchange. And the machine's already been set up!"
"That's awesome! What about me?" Ron said eagerly. "Any of my Pokémon need that… um, 'phone evolution'?"
"It's called communication!" Hermione snapped. "And if you actually read your textbook, you'd know Ponyta and Sandshrew evolve by leveling up. As for Houndour, the Professor already said no!"
(End of Chapter)