It All Fell Down | A Marauder's Story

Epilogue

"Mischef Managed." - J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

     Remus Lupin was packing. He was doing his best to not be bitter with Severus Snape for outing his secret because he had assumed he would be exposed at some point throughout the year. Lycanthropy wasn't exactly an easy secret to keep. And, because irony seemed to follow him throughout his life and the universe had some type of a twisted sense of humor when it came to him, it would be Severus Snape that would be the one to uncover it for everyone to see. Sirius was going to lose his mind when he found out. 

     A ghost of a grin passed Remus' face. Sirius. He was back in his life; a best friend that he thought he had lost years ago was back. And, he was innocent. Remus did his best not to dwell on that for too long because there was a piece of him that had always believed his friend was innocent, and he had been rotting away in a cell in the middle of sea. 

     How could I have known? Remus asked himself painfully. 

     He cleared his throat and looked for something to distract himself. A name on the Marauder's Map caught his attention. Harry Potter was quickly making his way down the corridor, right towards his office. Remus smiled. 

      There was a knock on his door. Remus lifted his head with a grin, never tiring of looking at the boy; it was like looking at James twenty years ago with those piercing green eyes of Lily's examining him. 

      "I saw you coming," Remus said, pointing to the map. 

      "I just saw Hagrid," he stated simply. He was upset about something; Remus could see it. He got that same crease between his eyebrows that Lily always did when something was bothering her. "And, he said you'd resigned. It's not true, is it?" 

      Remus felt his heart break a little bit. "I'm afraid it is." Remus began to busy himself with emptying the contents of his desk drawers, fearful that his face would betray just how sad he really felt. 

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

      Remus moved to shut the door behind Harry, not wanting any eavesdroppers to hear where this conversation was headed. 

      "No," Remus breathed. "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."

       Something flashed in Harry's eyes. "You're not leaving just because of that!" 

       Remus smiled wryly. "This time tomorrow, the owls will start arriving from parents...they will not want a werewolf teaching their children, Harry. And after last night, I see their point. I could have bitten any of you...that must never happen again."

       Remus tried to hide the undertone of pain in his voice; he could already see that Harry was upset. He didn't want to rub salt in the wound. 

       "You're the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had!" Harry argued. "Don't go!"

       Another crack seemed to press its way through Remus' heart, but he shook his head. His throat felt too dry to speak, so he busied himself emptying the drawers of his office. While he did that, Harry was busy thinking up different arguments to make him stay. 

      "From what the headmaster told me this morning," Remus finally broke the silence. "You saved a lot of lives last night, Harry. If I'm proud of anything, it's how much you've learned...Tell me about your Patronus."