The evening air was cool and quiet when a gentle knock sounded on the door of Professor Lupin's office."Come in," Lupin called softly.
The door creaked open, and Roy Valvas stepped in — calm, collected, a faint smile on his lips. The firelight flickered across his eyes, reflecting a glimmer of the steel hidden beneath his composed exterior.
Lupin gestured for him to sit."Roy," he began kindly, "I wanted to speak to you about today's class. I hope you don't mind."
Roy shook his head. "Not at all, Professor. I assume it's about the Boggart."
Lupin smiled faintly. "You assume correctly. It's not every day one sees a Boggart shatter into mist. I'm curious — what was it trying to become?"
Roy tilted his head thoughtfully. "It tried," he said quietly, "but it couldn't find anything."
Lupin's brows rose. "Nothing? No fear at all?"
Roy's smile grew faint, almost wistful. "Everyone fears something, Professor. But I learned to control mine a long time ago. My grandfather made sure of that."
Lupin leaned forward, intrigued. "Your grandfather — Darius Valvas? Dumbledore spoke of him earlier. Said he was quite a man."
Roy chuckled softly. "That's one way to describe him. He believed strength wasn't about power — it was about will. When I was seven, I begged him to teach me swordsmanship."
Lupin smiled. "Begged him, did you?"
Roy's grin turned mischievous. "I used my 'cuteness' to convince him. My grandmother still teases him about how fast he gave in."
The professor laughed quietly, a rare sound in the dim room. "I can imagine. And did you take to it?"
Roy nodded. "He trained me every morning before dawn. Swordsmanship, discipline, control. He said that a blade isn't just a weapon — it's a mirror. It reflects who you are inside. If your heart trembles, the sword trembles too."
His gaze flickered with something deeper — a quiet, almost hidden sorrow."He taught me that courage isn't the absence of fear… it's mastering it."
Lupin studied him for a long moment. There was a stillness in Roy — not cold, but tempered, like a blade forged by both pain and resolve.
"Darius Valvas must be proud of you," Lupin said at last.
Roy smiled faintly. "He and my family… they've always been by my side. Even when the world thinks they're gone, they're still with me."
Lupin blinked, uncertain what he meant — but before he could ask, Roy stood up, offering a small bow.
"I appreciate your concern, Professor. And for the record…" His tone lightened. "If you ever need help with a sword, I can lend you a few lessons — courtesy of my grandfather."
Lupin chuckled softly. "I'll keep that in mind, Mr. Valvas."
As Roy turned to leave, the professor's warm, weary eyes followed him — thoughtful, faintly awed.
"He carries secrets," Lupin murmured to himself after Roy left. "But not dark ones. Just… heavy ones."