[CANCELLED] The marauders solemnly together

CANCELLED

Last time: Remus is back from the hospital wing and is anxious about his classmate's reaction to his scars. His dad sends him a letter and a package. Remus gets an owl named Galaxie. The boys talk about Wolf-powers. Sirius makes sure Remus is okay.

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Blaming wolves.

More than a week had passed since they found out about Remus' condition - or furry little problem. James was confident there were no more secrets between them, and honestly, it felt nice. They no longer had to hide from Remus to find out what was going on with him.

Remus seemed more relaxed too. Not much, but enough for him to notice the difference. James quickly realized why. Remus no longer had to worry they would discover his secret and kick him out of the group. And out of Hogwarts for that matter. Plus, they had done a pretty good job convincing him they still liked him.

He was still a little hesitant sometimes and seemed surprised every time Sirius hugged him. James and Peter had also begun being more affectionate, but Sirius took up most of it.

They were all wandering towards the Great Hall when they heard the first sign something was wrong.

Rumour had it that Professor Eckbird had left the school.

They had arrived a little late because Sirius had been impossible to pull out of bed that morning. The Great Hall was almost full yet had never been quieter.

Many of the older students appeared tense. This had affected many of the younger students as well, even though they weren't sure why. The boys tried shrugging it off, but it was impossible to ignore the gloomy atmosphere.

They glanced at each other and quietly found their seats at the Gryffindor table.

James eyed the staff-table. There was an empty seat where Eckbird was supposed to sit. He glanced around the hall, but nothing gave away why everyone was quiet. Slowly, they began filling their plates with uncertainty.

Suddenly Dumbledore stood up and immediately had everyone's attention. He had never given an announcement at breakfast before. His eyebrows were furrowed in concern.

"As I'm sure many of you are aware of, Professor Eckbird has left the school and will not be coming back. Defence Against the Dark Arts will be cancelled the rest of the year. But those who have N.E.W.T.s and O.W.L.s coming up will be getting the opportunity to go over the necessary subjects in Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology and Charms. I will encourage each and every one of you to go over your textbooks, so you don't get behind. And again, if you need assistance you can always ask an older student or the Professors."

He paused, making sure he still had everyone's attention.

"The Daily Prophet released an article this morning concerning an event which took place last night. Several muggles were injured and killed, including a young muggleborn witch who previously worked at the Ministry. For the sake of her privacy, her name has been excluded from the article. This is a serious threat. The Aurors has been investigating these attacks for months, and need as much manpower as they can get, thus Professor Eckbird has gone to help them. Until the situation is further under control Hogsmeade visits are cancelled indefinitely."