Friday 23rd April 1976
"Good afternoon, Mr Lupin," Professor McGonagall smiled as he entered her office.
"Good afternoon, Professor." He replied politely, sitting on the chair opposite her desk.
"All ready for your exams?"
"Er... I think so."
"I have every faith in you," she smiled - McGonagall's smile was given only when she felt the situation deserved it. For this reason, Remus smiled back.
The middle-aged witch looked down at a pile of parchment smoothed out before her. Notes from his other professors, perhaps. She cleared her throat, looked up, and smiled again, "You have received consistently strong results during your time at Hogwarts."
"Not the whole time," he murmured, thinking of those wasted months in first year.
"You are a prefect," McGonagall continued, "A generally well-behaved, thoughtful young man. You seem to excel in your Charm work, and History, and I hear you have even gathered some pupils of your own?"
"I just don't mind helping out," he explained, embarrassed. "If people get stuck."
"An admirable quality, Mr Lupin."
"Er... thanks."
"So," she said, briskly, "With all of these good things in mind, have you given any thought to a career to pursue once you have completed your education?"
He was nervous, he realised. More nervous than he expected to be. He rubbed his damp palms on his trouser legs, and tried to make eye contact.
"I'll have to register myself. With the ministry."
He saw her purse her lips, but she didn't interrupt.
"And... I mean I don't know much about it, not as much as I ought to, maybe, but... the war..."
"What about the war, Lupin?" She snapped.
"Well... people - wizards - they don't want someone like me, with my problems to have jobs at all, so I thought--"
"We cannot submit to others low expectations of us, Lupin. You have done great things, at Hogwarts, and I have no doubt you are capable of greater things still."
"Maybe," he shrugged, "But I won't get the chance unless I... unless I get involved, I suppose."
"Get involved." Any trace of kindness or encouragement had left her face.
"Yeah."
"Mr Lupin." McGonagall's brow furrowed. She looked tired, as though she'd been working on a difficult problem all day, "You know that I have already spoken with Mr Black, about his own plans."
"Yeah." Remus wasn't sure what that had to do with anything.
"And I'm sure you can imagine exactly what Mr Black's plans are."
"Er... I could guess..."
He didn't need to guess. they had all discussed it last night, all four of them on James's bed.
James had always been the head of the group - the leader. His innate goodness, his confidence and his easy going demeanour had ensured this from their very first meeting on the Hogwarts Express. But now, to Remus, at least, he seemed to have taken on a new dimension of wise heroism in his decision to join Dumbledore and pit himself against Voldemort.
If James was doing it, then they were all pretty sure it was the right thing to do. Sirius had spoken at length, and with some emotion, about his own desire to beat 'them'. Remus had the impression that Sirius didn't see the war as political, so much as extremely personal. Voldemort might as well have been his mother, or his father. Peter was always excited to begin a new venture, and Remus had to admit that he was impressed - Wormtail was usually the first to point out the risks in a such a plan. But James made it all seem so easy; so simple.
