"Honestly, there's no way you fit all of this in your trunk last fall." I muttered, squishing hoodies and quidditch robes tighter into the sides of Fred's trunk to no avail.
"Course not." Fred shrugged from his spot next to me, where he had sat nearly motionless the past fifteen minutes, not helping me pack his things at all. "George and I made all of those prototypes, I wrapped them in socks at the bottom. Can't leave those behind!"
"Yeah, we have to have something to do all summer." George called from where he sat on his bed, drawing lazy loops of colors into the air with his wand.
"We might need Hermione. She'll know how to do that spell, what is it..." I thought for a moment before the door to the twins room burst open, revealing a disgruntled looking Harry Potter. "Oh, good, Harry, have you seen Hermione? The twins insist on bringing the entire school home with them-"
"Lupin's resigning." Harry cut me off, his glare could cut diamonds.
"What?" I said, already on my feet. "He can't! Why would he resign? Are they making him?"
"I don't know. I was going to see him before he left. Thought you might like to join, Lee said you were up here..."
"Yeah... Yeah, I want to see him."
"Go on, then, tell him we said bye." Fred nodded, flicking his wand at the overstuffed trunk a few times with no results.
"We'll be back." I laughed, "Or I'll send Hermione to you."
Harry and I scampered down the steps of the tower and headed to the third floor, to the classroom we had met in so many nights before.
"You two should be packing." Lupin announced as we entered, sounding amused, but without turning around.
"How did you know it was us?" Harry asked, before Lupin held up the twin's old map.
"Professor... Did they ask you to leave?" I asked, shyly, jealous of the way that Harry felt he could speak to Lupin, like they were old friends.
"No, Miss Olsen, but I figured I would save Dumbledore the trouble. Once word gets out, the letters will flood in by the hundreds. Parents won't want a werewolf teaching their kids." He smiled at the two of us, sadly, arranging the contents of his desk into small boxes.
"You're the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had," Harry whined. "Don't go."
"Please don't. There has to be something we can do."
Lupin shook his head. "It's for the best, I assure you. What happened that night can never happen again. It's too risky, and I should have known better."
Before Harry or I could interrupt him again, Professor Dumbledore entered the classroom.
"Hello, you two. Remus, your carriage is waiting for you at the gates."
"Thank you, Professor. For everything." Lupin gave him a small smile, picking up a few boxes and flicking his wand at the rest. "Goodbye, Harry, it has been a pleasure teaching you. I'm sure we will see each other again. Miss Olsen, would you mind terribly getting the door for me outside?"
I looked to Harry who gave me a shrug, starting after Dumbledore who was on his way down the hall now. I picked up one of the floating boxes from the air just to feel a little useful and joined Lupin on his walk outside.
"I wanted to congratulate you, Cassidy. On all of your hard work this year, especially with your patronus. I hope you'll keep practicing, because I know you're close." He looked down at me, a kind smile painted on his face.
"I will." I nodded back, feeling devastated. Not only was Lupin the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we had ever had, he was one of the best professors in general. And the fact that we had to lose him over something he couldn't even control was disgusting.
"You and Harry look after each other, okay?" He gave me a serious look as I opened the carriage door for him and he set down the boxes he had been holding. "And Cassidy. If you ever need anything, you can talk to Dumbledore. He really can fix almost any problem if you let him. And you can always write me, for anything. Harry too." He took the last box from my arms and clapped me twice on the shoulder.
I couldn't help myself. I threw myself into the tall man's arms, giving him the hug I felt like I had owed him for months now.
"Thank you, for everything. You've helped me so much this year. I couldn't have... Just, thank you." I stuttered out.
He chuckled and patted the back of my head lightly.
"Have a good summer, Miss Olsen."
I watched his carriage pull through the gates on the path to Hogsmeade for a few minutes before turning back to the castle. I climbed the few steps and pushed through the wooden doors, spotting Harry and Dumbledore at the end of the hallway, deep in conversation.
"You think the dead we loved ever truly leave us?" I heard the words drift over to me, the rest of their conversation lost on my ears. It was strange, the feeling in my chest the past few days. Even now, amongst the sadness for Lupin, Sirius, Harry. Amongst the nerves and dread I had carried the past few weeks in fearful anticipation for leaving my father once and for all, there was a small bubble of excitement that had doubled in size at Dumbledore's words. As if Tommy was standing behind me, just out of sight. Proud and excited for me for getting out. Ready to see what the future had in store for me. Proud of just how brave I could be.
I trailed behind Hannah, Bri and Maddie, reluctant to leave our shared dorm room until the last possible second. But that second was here now. I hadn't even told the girls that I was going to the Weasley's this summer, knowing they would never let me live it down.
We walked two and two out of the bustling dorm room and past the kitchens, the house elves inside probably hustling to get the final breakfast cleaned up from earlier.
"You guys go ahead, I'll catch up." I called to them, setting my trunk down next to me and clicking it open. I had crammed everything I had inside, although it was much more organized than either of the Weasley's, and on top was the slightly tattered copy of the book I had left for this exact moment.
I pushed the swinging doors open and peeked inside the crowded kitchen, spotting who I had come here for immediately, as well as two tall red heads who I had not been expecting.
"What are you doing here?" I shouted at them, holding back a laugh as they accepted muffins and pumpkin loaves from the many House Elves, all grinning ear to ear at this last exchange with the twins.
"Oi! We were coming to get you!" George choked out through a muffin.
"Got a bit lost, then, huh?" I gave them a look and they began their train of goodbyes to the small elves.
"Teesy?" I called to the little elf who scurried to me after saying goodbye to the Weasley's.
"Miss Cassidy! So good to see you before you leave miss! Can I get you something for the train?' She rambled and I shook my head.
"I brought you something, actually." I knelt down and held out the book for her. "Since you liked the last one. Hopefully it can keep you busy this summer."
"Miss Cassidy, Teesy can not take a book from you for the whole summer, miss. No, Teesy couldn't!"
"You're not taking it, you're borrowing it! You'll be here in the fall right?" I ensured.
"Yes, of course." She whispered, her long skinny fingers closing around the hard cover of The Beauty and the Beast.
"It's another magic one. I have a few more I'll bring back next year if you want."
"Thank you, Miss Cassidy. You are very kind to all of us."
"Thank you for all the snacks all year and all of the help. Have a good summer." I smiled as the twins came to my side.
"Bye Misters Weasley, enjoy your summer!" She waved as the three of us headed back out to the hallway, our cheeks flushed pink by the heat of the kitchens.
"Got everything, Cass?" George asked, looping his arm around my shoulder as we made our way up to the entrance hall.
"Yes, I would ask you two, but I'm sure you have no idea." I laughed as we followed the crowds out to the sunny path to Hogsmeade.
"Oi, wait up you three!" Ron's voice carried through the crowd and we turned to wait for the trio.
"Yeah, you're gonna need Harry's patronus to get past the Dementors anyways Cass." George teased, jabbing me in the ribs lightly.
"They're still there?" I whined, looking to the gates up ahead.
"She's gonna do her own anyway, right Cassy?" Fred nudged me lightly.
"I doubt it." I bit my lip, gripping my trunk tighter with both hands.
"Just try." Fred whispered softly from my right. I sighed and pulled my wand out, focusing on the memory that worked last time. Fred and I in the astronomy tower. Fred and I huddled in the hallways. Fred and I now, heading to his house for the summer. A whole summer of fun and freedom.
"Expecto Patronum" I exclaimed, hearing Harry's voice behind me as a mist like silver cloud erupted from my wand, falling lower than it had last time. I felt my jaw drop as the mist dissolved into something almost solid. It was quite small, unlike Harry's giant stag trotting next to us.
"You did it, Cassidy!" Harry's shouts drew strange looks from nearly everyone around us, but for once I didn't care. I was too focused on the small lizard zipping in and out of our group, climbing the air as if there were invisible hills all around us.
"What is it?" Ron asked, craning around us for a better look.
"It's a salamander?" George laughed slightly, watching the white creature jumping around through hoops of what appeared to be blue and silver flames.
"It's a Fire Dwelling Salamander! Honestly, do none of you pay any attention? Hagrid told us about them! They live in the flames!" Hermione smiled between the friends, and by the time I looked up we were passing through the gates, the Dementors keeping a far distance from our glowing companions.
"That's wicked, Cassidy!" Fred smiled, reaching for the creature which scurried away from his touch, leaving a cloud of mist where Fred's fingers had grazed it.
"It's adorable." Hermione grinned and I nodded, watching the salamander scurry towards me and disappear into thin air now that we were away from the Dementors.
"Cass, where'd you go?" Bri exclaimed, racing towards our group and knocking against me for a hug.
"Got caught up." I nodded at the twins who wore matching smirks as Hannah and Maddie caught up to Bri.
"You always disappear so fast after we get back, so I'll say bye here. You have a great summer and write to us for a change!"
"Have a good summer Cassidy." Hannah and Maddie joined us in a giant hug.
"She will." Fred joked as the train's whistle blew loudly overhead and we all started to grab carriages before they filled up.
The compartment had been mostly silent for the first half of the ride, the twins quietly discussing their summer plans for their new products and Hermione getting what must have been her first nap all year. I had spent the entire ride so far absentmindedly picking at my fingernails until they were nearly gone before I realized Harry's eyes hadn't left the windows.
"What'cha thinking about?" I asked quietly, knowing the boy wouldn't want the entire car's attention on him.
"Sirius. I know that no news is good news, but I wish I knew where he was." He shrugged, trying to act like it hardly bothered him.
"He's getting settled somewhere, I'm sure. You'll hear from him." I offered him a smile. "I'm really sorry that it didn't work out. You going to stay with him. I know it'll make this summer even harder with the Dursley's."
I felt so sorry for him. While he didn't know the real reason I was staying with the Weasley's all summer, I wished that he could come too, that he could be rescued from his summer of misery as well.
"What's that outside the window?" Ron exclaimed, nearly climbing over Hermione in his attempt to slide the glass pane over, the world's smallest owl plopping into the compartment and zooming around in excitement, clutching a letter three times his size in it's beak.
Ron snatched the owl from the ground and read the front of the letter. "It's for Harry!"
Hermione was now awake and more focused than I had seen her since exams as we all watched Harry unfold his letter.
A grin lit up his face as he began to read. "It's from Sirius!"
"Read it out loud!" Ron and Hermione shouted, moving closer to Harry's side, and I took the opportunity to switch benches and sit next to Fred.
"Nervous?" He noticed, gesturing to my fingernails as the trio scanned through the letter.
"Obvious?" I whispered back, hoping George wasn't listening.
"Don't be. If I see him, I'm killing him. On sight." He shrugged effortlessly, as if murder was just a day in the life of Fred Weasley.
"Right, now I'm not nervous at all." I rolled my eyes, folding my arms over myself and leaning against his arm lightly.
"It's gonna be okay. Mum's meeting us inside the barrier, and he never goes through, right?" Fred reassured me, even though I had made him walk me through our plan a hundred times this week.
"Mhm."
"We'll be in and out in fifteen minutes. There's no way he'll see you in all the chaos. And you said he waits by the-"
"Far parking lot, yeah."
"Sirius says I can keep the owl?" Ron exclaimed, still holding the small creature in his grasp. He studied it for a moment before holding it out to Crookshanks. "What do you reckon? Definitely an owl?"
Hermione's cat offered him a lazy purr as the whole compartment laughed. "That's good enough for me." Ron grinned, letting the owl free in his lap.
I took a deep breath and felt Fred slide his arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer to his body so my head could rest on his shoulder.
"It's gonna be a good summer." He muttered softly.