Four To The End (prev Shifting Lines) Book Three (Marauders Era)

Chapter One Hundred-Forty-Six - Au Revoir

Author's Note: Okay first of all I want to say I had to slightly change chapter 144. I completely didn't think about the fact James and Sirius would know what cannons are, as there is an entire Quidditch team named after them. So I slightly adjusted that. Also... CW for era appropriate queerphobia.

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DEFENSE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS CANCELED FOR REMAINING WEEK

The sign made no sense whatsoever to Remus. Where was Charlemagne? What was going on? Why in blazes was Defense Against the Dark Arts canceled for the rest of the week? He struggled to remember the last time he had seen Professor Charlemagne, and didn't think he had been at breakfast at all. He tried picturing the High Table but sometimes the teachers weren't there anyway. Had he been at supper the night before? He couldn't remember.

"Maybe he's in the hospital wing?" he asked, mostly to himself.

"We can go look," Peter offered.

Remus tore himself away from the door and headed off to the hospital wing with his friends. Inside, Madame Pomfrey was bustling around with a few students who had been bitten by a swarm of jolticks that had invaded part of the castle. They were all humming with electricity, their hair standing on end, little bolts of light appearing whenever their body touched the bedsheets. Pomfrey barely gave the Marauders a second glance, insisting she was too busy.

"Professor Charlemagne?" she asked when they mentioned him for the third time. "No, he isn't here. He's left."

"Left?" Remus asked. "You mean... for the summer...?"

Pomfrey gave him a strange look. "No, Mr. Lupin. He's quit. Now, if you'll please excuse me... NO! Miss Plumly, Mr. Everleigh, don't touch—"

There was a loud zapping sound and sparks flew, catching one of the curtains on fire. Pomfrey shoved the Marauders out of the wing without another word, shutting the doors in their faces.

Quit?

Charlemagne?

Hadn't... hadn't he just said on Saturday he wasn't going anywhere?

Rumors of Orion Black being at the school the previous evening.

"Rems?" He was vaguely aware of a hand against his back and he turned, finding himself looking up into Sirius's face. "You okay there?"

"I—I'm just confused. Why would he quit?" He looked at his friends even though none of them had any answers.

"Maybe he decided he didn't like Hogwarts," James suggested. "After half the Governors tried to sack him for celebrating a French holiday, he might've been mad about it."

Remus slowly shook his head. "He told me on Saturday that—that he wouldn't be leaving." He didn't want to point out the rumors, didn't want Sirius to think about that if he wasn't already. "I don't understand. What... what about Jean-Marie?"

Sirius looked annoyed. "He's probably gone too, then, wouldn't he?"

James now put his hand on Remus's arm, giving him a little rub. "Sorry, mate. Didn't realize you liked Charlemagne that much."

Remus stammered for a second then closed his mouth, trying to sort through his thoughts. "He is a good teacher. And... he... even though he held some... ideas about werewolves... he never treated me less for it." Remus wrapped his arms around himself. "He made sure I was comfortable with the werewolf lesson. Plus all the help he let me give him..." And I was going to be his aide next year.

Peter hugged him, saying how sorry he was. James hugged him too, and then Sirius. Remus sorta hugged back, feeling too distraught to even hear them. They didn't seem to fully understand what Remus lost. Not just a good teacher but—but one who was... giving him the opportunity to do something no one else had...