Haunted by her second year and now with a murderer on the loose, Gwenevere Everill finds herself facing more battles that she does not think she can win.
Tormented by dementors and struggling under the impact of her new studies, will Gwen be able t...
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When Gwen, Harry, Ron 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 exams meant that everyone was taking full advantage of another Hogsmeade trip. Gwen, Ron and Hermione did not feel like joining their classmates, so they wandered the grounds with Harry, still thinking about the extraordinary events of last night and wondering where Sirius and Buckbeak were now. Sitting near the lake, watching the giant squid waving its tentacles lazily above the water, Gwen felt herself leaning back, enjoying the sun beating down and warming her face and legs. She glanced across the lake to the opposite bank and remembered, with a sharp thrill, her lynx from the previous 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.
'Know I shouldn' happy,' he told them, 'af'er wha' happened las' night-- I mean Black escapin' again an' everythin'-- but guess what?'
'What?' they said, feigning curiosity.
'Beaky! He escaped! He's free! Bin celebratin' all night!'
'That's wonderful!' said Hermione, flashing her dark eyes at Ron who 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 in the grounds, but Lupin says he never ate anythin' las' night...'
'What?' said Harry 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 in the grounds las' night. He's packin' now, o' course.'
'He's packing?' Gwen gasped. 'Why?'
'Leavin', isn' he?' said Hagrid, looking surprised that she'd even asked. 'Reisgned firs' thing this mornin'. Says he can' risk it happenin' again.'
Gwen and Harry scrambled to their feet.
'I'm going to see him,' Harry said.
'Me too,' said Gwen.
Ron and Hermione looked at them awkwardly.
'But if he's resigned--'
'-- doesn't sound like there's anything we can do--'
Gwen didn't care, and by the look on Harry's face, he didn't either.
'We'll meet you back here,' she said, and she and Harry set off, almost at a run, for Lupin's office.
His door was open when they arrived. He had already packed most of his things. The empty Grindylow tank stood next to his battered old suitcase, which was open and nearly full. Lupin was bending over something on his desk, and only looked up when Gwen and Harry knocked on the door.
