Easy - The Girl who Lived Forever (Harry Potter's Sister)

The Aftermath [UPDATED]

When Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ashley and I left the hospital wing at noon 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. 

No one was in the Common Room, so we all wandered into 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.

A shadow fell across us and we looked up to see a very bleary-eyed Hagrid, mopping his sweaty face with one of his tablecloth-sized handkerchiefs and beaming down at us. "Know I shouldn' feel happy, after wha' happened las' night,' he said. 'I mean, Black escapin' again, an' everythin' – but guess what?"

"What?" Harry, Ron and Hermione asked, pretending to look curious. Ashley and I exchanged a sly smile.

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

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

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

"What?" I frowned. 

"Blimey, haven' yeh heard?" Hagrid's smile faded 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 in the grounds las' night. He's packin' now, o' course."

Of course he did. 

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

"Leavin', isn' he?" Hagrid said, looking surprised that Harry had to ask. "Resigned firs' thing this mornin'. Says he can' risk it happenin' again."

Harry scrambled to his feet. "I'm going to see him," he said to us.

"But if he's resigned –"

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

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

Harry walked off, and I bit my lip. "I was going to speak to him anyway," I said. Ashley stood up as well. 

Harry and Lupin were talking, so we waited outside. Dumbledore arrived a few minutes later. "Your carriage is at the gates, Remus," I heard him say. 

"Thank you, Headmaster," Lupin replied. "Well – goodbye, Harry," he said, smiling. "It has been a real pleasure teaching you. I feel sure we'll meet again some time. Headmaster, there is no need to see me to the gates, I can manage ..." 

"Goodbye, then, Remus," Dumbledore said soberly. 

Lupin left the classroom, spotting us in the hallway. "Can we talk, professor?" Ashley asked. 

Lupin checked his watch. "I have to get to my carriage. We can talk while we walk, if that's okay?" he said. We nodded, and set off. "I heard you two and Harry set off quite the light show last night. I'm assuming you both had a doe?" Lupin said.

"How did you know?" Ashley asked.

"Iman could turn into a doe, and her patronus was a doe. Lily's patronus is also a doe," Lupin explained. "I'm assuming Iman was the one who taught you how to cast a patronus? She was always rather good at it, claiming she could cast one since she was thirteen."