The Girl Who Found Hope [2]

Year 3 - 42

Harry made his way through the Defence Against The Dark Arts room, towards the office. He walked up the stairs and was just about to knock, when the Professor spoke.

"Hello, Harry." He spoke, he turned around. "I saw you coming." He explained, pointing to the Marauders Map. Harry looked to him in worry, his face was covered in a long scratch and other scratches along his cheek. The Professor noticed where he was looking. "I've looked worse, believe me." Harry walked in and saw the Professor was packing.

"You've been sacked?" Harry asked.

"No, no. I resigned, actually." Professor Lupin explained.

"Resigned?" Harry asked. "Why?"

"It seems that somebody let slip of the nature of my condition. This time tomorrow, the owls will start arriving. And parents will not want, well, someone like me, teaching their children." The Professor replied.

"But Dumbledore-" Harry started.

"Dumbledore had already risked enough for me." He replied. "Besides, people like me are, well let's just say I'm used to it by now." There was a silence while the Professor used his wand to pack a suitcase, he looked back over to see Harry looking upset. "Why do you look so miserable, Harry?"

"None of it made any difference." Harry said. "Pettigrew escaped."

"Didn't make a difference?" The Professor asked. "Harry, it made the world of difference. You helped uncover the truth. You saved an innocent man of a terrible fate. It made a great deal of difference. If I am proud of anything, it is of how much you've leant this year. And now, since I am not your teacher, I feel no guilt- what's so ever- about giving this back to you. And now I'll say goodbye, I have no doubt that we'll see each other again. But until then..." The Professor tapped his wand on the map. "Mischief Managed." He said and with that the map returned to its blank state and he handed it to Harry. Harry smiled and took the map. He then walked to the door of the office and watched as Remus Lupin walked out of the Defence Against The Dark Arts classroom. Off to start another chapter in his life.

Harry walked back down to the Great Hall, where he met Cassiopeia on the way. The pair walked in and Harry was immediately called upon by Neville.

"Harry. Where on earth did you get it?" Neville asked.

"Can I have a go, Harry. After you of course." Seamus added.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked.

"Quiet. Let the man through." Ron said, from where he was standing besides the Gryffindor table, broom in hand. "I didn't mean to open it, Harry. I mean it was badly wrapped, and they made me do it." Ron said, pointing to the twins.

"Did not." The twins replied. Harry pulled back the wrappings and was met with the sight a broom.

"It's a firebolt. The fastest broom in the world." Fred commented.

"For me?" Harry asked. "But who sent it?"

"No one knows." Ron said.

"This came with it." Hermione replied, holding up one of Buckbeak's feathers. Harry looked to it with a smile. He grabbed the broom and rushed to the entrance of the Great Hall.

"Cass?" Hermione called. She looked to see that she was one of the only ones that remained, besides Amelia. "This was with it." She said, holding out a small box, a lightly bigger box and letter with her name on it. She took it from him.

"Why would he give something to me?" She asked the pair. They shrugged.

"We'll let you open it alone." Amelia said, and herself and Hermione went to join the group outside who were watching Harry on his broom. Cassiopeia sat on the Gryffindor table, not caring about the looks. Only caring about the letter and the two boxes in her hands. She opened the letter first with shaky hands and was met with the messy writing of Sirius Black.