𝒫𝓇𝑜𝓅𝒽𝑒𝒸𝓎 ~𝙷𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝙿𝚘𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛

~𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕰𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖊𝖊𝖓~ (edited)

𝙳𝚎𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎

"ᴡᴇ ᴀʟʟ ᴡᴇᴀʀ sᴄᴀʀs- ғɪɴᴅ sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ʏᴏᴜʀs ғᴇᴇʟ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛɪғᴜʟ" ― ᴀᴛᴛɪᴄᴜs

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*

When Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I left the hospital wing at noon the next day, we were left to find an almost deserted castle. Not many students were seen anywhere.

The sweltering, heat and the end of the exams meant that everyone was taking full advantage of another Hogsmeade visit. None of us fancied going so we decided to wander around the castle. I couldn't stop thinking about where my father and Buckbeak might be right now.

Sitting near the lake, watching the giant squid waving its tentacles lazily above the water, I lost the thread of the conversation as I looked across to the opposite bank.

A shadow fell across us and we all looked up to see a very bleary-eyed Hagrid, mopping his sweaty face with one of his tablecloth-sized handkerchiefs and beaming down at them. It made me happy to see him back to his old, more cheery, self.

"Know I shouldn' feel happy, after what' happened last' night," he said. "I mean, Black escapin' again, an, everythin' - but guess what?"

"What?" we said, pretending to look curious.

"Beaky! He escaped! He's free! Bin celebratin' all night!"

"That's wonderful!" said Hermione, giving Ron a reproving look because he looked as though he was close to laughing.

"Yeah... can't've tied him up properly," said Hagrid, gazing happily out over the grounds. "I was worried this mornin', mind... thought he mighta met Professor Lupin on the grounds, but Lupin says he never ate anythin' las' night..."

"What?" I said quickly.

"Blimey, haven' yeh heard?" said Hagrid, his smile fading a little. He lowered his voice, even though there was nobody in sight. "Er - Snape told all the Slytherins this mornin'... Thought everyone'd know by now... Professor Lupin's a werewolf, see. An' he was loose on the grounds las' night. Then Snape told everyone what he did to yer Ara... He's packin' now, o' course."

"He's packing?" said Harry, alarmed. "Why?"

"Leavin', isn' he?" said Hagrid, looking surprised that Harry had to ask. "Resigned firs' thing this mornin'. Says he can't risk it happenin again."

I jumped to my feet quickly and noticed Harry doing the same.

"I'm going to see him," Harry said to Ron and Hermione.

"Me too." I agreed.

"But if he's resigned -"

" - doesn't sound like there's anything we can do -"

"I don't care. We still want to see him. We'll meet you back here. Come on Ara."

We both set out for the DADA classroom, sprinting down the halls in a blur. Until eventually we reached his door, which was wide open.

He had already packed most of his things. The Grindylows empty tank stood next to his battered old suitcase, which was open and nearly full. Lupin was bending over something on his desk and looked up only when Harry knocked on the door.

"I saw you coming," said Lupin, smiling. He pointed to the parchment he had been poring over.

It was the Marauder's Map.

"I just saw Hagrid," said Harry. "And he said you'd resigned. It's not true, is it?"

"I'm afraid it is," said Lupin. He started opening his desk drawers and taking out the contents.