Megan Potter - A saga of the Heart - Book 3 - Past and Present

Chapter 31 - Consequences

Madam Pomfrey released them from the hospital the next day. And they found themselves in a deserted castle, with bright sunlight pouring in through the windows. The heat and freedom from the end of the exams had drawn everyone outside in the sunlight at Hogsmeade. But neither Ron, Harry, Cedric nor Hermione felt like going. Megan was glad they were staying. After everything, she really didn't feel like staying alone. So they stayed in the grounds, still hardly believing so much had happened in a single night. They had found out their teacher was a werewolf, that everything they had believed about Sirius had been wrong, and saved two innocent lives. Of course, it sounded a lot cooler than it actually felt. Meagan leaned into Cedric's shoulder, wondering where Sirius and Buckbeak were now... far away and safe, she hoped. Megan was watching the lake where she had conjured her phoenix Patronus. Why a phoenix, she didn't know... she was interrupted in her thoughts by the shadow of Hagrid.

"Hi, Hagrid," she smiled.

"Hey, you lo'."

He was beaming.

"What are you so happy about?" Harry asked.

Ron looked about to say something but Cedric nudged him in the back.

"Well, I know I shouldn' be happy," Hagrid said, but his grin was too big to hide behind his beard. "Yeh know, what with Black escapin' an' all, bu'... guess what happened: Buckbeak got away last night!"

"No!" Megan gasped.

"You're joking!" Harry exclaimed.

"He actually flew away?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah! Broke 'is chain and took off!" he said proudly. "Wonder where 'e is, mind."

"I'm sure he's fine. He's strong." Cedric said.

He and Megan glanced at each other knowingly.

"Yeah... glad he did leave, yeh know... couldn' stand the thought of 'im..."

He gulped and didn't finish, but he didn't need to.

"We couldn't either," Hermione said.

Ron suddenly snorted with laughter.

"I bet the Malfoys are green with fury," he sniggered.

They laughed and had a lot of fun imagining the scowls they would see on Malfoy's face next time they saw him.

Megan, who wanted to see how Lupin was after the previous night, reached the classroom and climbed the staircase to the office.

"Hello, Megan," Lupin said when she was about knock.

She glanced at him in surprise. He has his back to her, how had he seen her?

"I saw you coming," he smiled, indicating the map.

Megan smiled back and stepped in. Then, she saw he was packing.

"You were fired?!" she asked in outrage. "I don't believe this! They don't think you were helping Sirius, do they?"

"No," he said. "Dumbledore convinced Fudge I was trying to save you. And I was not fired, actually. I resigned. It was easier for everyone."

Megan gaped at him.

"What?! But why?! You're the best teacher we've ever had!" Megan said.

Lupin gace her a small smile.

"Thank you, Megan. But trust me, it is better this way. You must understand that Sirius's escape and my being left unconcerned was the last straw for Snape. He didn't take losing the Order of Merlin too well, so he... let slip I am a werewolf."