Grindelwald's Burden (Books 1-7)

46. Owl Post again.

When Harry, Ron, Y/n and Hermione left the hospital wing at noon the next day, it was to find an almost deserted castle. The sweltering, heat and the end of the exams meant that everyone was taking full advantage of another Hogsmeade visit. Neither Ron nor Hermione felt like going, however, so they, Y/n and Harry wandered onto the grounds, still talking about the extraordinary events of the previous night and wondering where Sirius and Buckbeak were now. Sitting near the lake, watching the giant squid waving its tentacles lazily above the water. Harry lost the thread of the conversation as he looked across to the opposite bank. The stag had galloped toward him from there just last night.

A shadow fell across them and they 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.

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

"What?" they 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?" said Y/n 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...He's packin' now, o' course."

"He is packing?" said Y/n, alarmed and annoyed. "Why?"

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

Y/n was the first to his feet. "I will not allow this!"

"But if he's resigned..." Hermione tried to calm him down.

"Doesn't sound like there's anything we can do..." Ron added.

"This is ridiculous, I am going to try and talk some sense into him." Y/n said turning around and walking away."

"I'm coming with you." Harry said as he paced alongside Y/n.

Y/n did not slow down nor did he say anything. He simply nodded his head.

Lupin's office door was open. He had already packed most of his things. The Grindylow's 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 Y/n knocked on the door.

"I saw you both coming." said Lupin, smiling. He pointed to the parchment he had been poring over. It was the Marauder's Map.

"We've just seen 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.

"But Professor you cannot..." said Y/n sounding devastated to hear it was true.

"The Ministry of Magic don't think you were helping Sirius, do they?" Harry asked him.

Lupin crossed to the door and closed it behind Y/n and Harry. "No. Professor Dumbledore managed to convince Fudge that I was trying to save your lives. " He sighed. "That was the final straw for Severus. I think the loss of the Order of Merlin hit him hard. So he... er...accidentally let slip that I am a werewolf this morning at breakfast."