Chapter 563: Walking Into the Darkness
"This weekend, then."
With those final words, Dumbledore turned and stepped back into the Headmaster's
office. Sean stood in the corridor for a moment, the name Horace Slughorn
echoing in his mind, before making his way toward the Defense Against the Dark
Arts floor.
The door to the office was standing open.
Professor Lupin had already packed most of his belongings. The empty glass tank
that had held the Grindylow sat beside his battered leather suitcase; the case
was open and nearly bursting at the seams. Lupin was leaning over his desk,
engrossed in a piece of parchment, and only looked up when Sean offered a polite
knock.
"I saw you coming, Mr. Green. Good afternoon," Lupin said with a faint smile,
gesturing to the parchment—the Marauder's Map.
"You're truly leaving?" Sean asked seriously.
"I'm afraid so," Lupin replied, beginning to pull items from his desk drawers
and tucking them into the case.
"You looked much healthier while you were teaching here, Remus," Sean said,
unsure of how else to convince him to stay.
"That I did." Lupin's smile brightened. The afternoon sun, thick and golden like
honey, washed over the castle stone and softened the weary lines around Lupin's
eyes.
"Then you shouldn't go," Sean pressed.
"You're right," Lupin nodded, placing a stack of books into his trunk. "But tell
me, sir—isn't the study of magic more fulfilling than the hunt for Horcruxes?"
Sean let out a soft sigh. "I understand."
"There are things that simply must be done," Lupin said. He adjusted his hat as
the brilliant sunlight flared against the window, casting a sharp shadow across
his face.
It was true; he had been happy at Hogwarts. If it were up to him, he would have
let that peace last forever. But the mission to find Nagini... since the moment
Sean had mentioned it, the task had become an obsession. He wasn't blind; if
their "Seer" wanted the snake tracked in secret, it meant the information was
too sensitive for the public. It meant the responsibility rested solely on him
and Sirius.
Responsibility. A word as heavy as lead, yet as intoxicating as firewhisky.
"Perhaps I'll return when it's all over," Lupin said, bending down to latch his
suitcase. "Do not worry for me, sir."
Sean felt a flicker of disorientation. Without realizing it, had he truly
exerted this much influence over Remus Lupin?
Lupin watched the young wizard with a look of quiet amusement. He knew Sean
Green had no idea how many wizards were currently orbiting him like planets
around a sun. Lupin believed that if Sean truly desired it, he could become the
leader of the entire wizarding world tomorrow, triggering a revolution far
grander than anything the Dark Lord had ever dreamed of.
Fortunately, that power belonged to a boy who didn't seem to care for it at all.
"I believe this belongs to you," Lupin said, handing the Marauder's Map to Sean.
"I'm not entirely sure how you liberated it from Mr. Filch's office, but since
it found its way to your hand, it clearly belongs there. I'm no longer your
professor, so I can return it without a single pang of guilt."
Sean took the map, feeling a rare sense of reluctance. He knew where Lupin was
going—Albania. He knew the scale of the danger the man was about to face.
He let out another sigh.
"Don't fret, my dear Mr. Green. When it comes to danger and sacrifice, no wizard
can match the burden you carry. It's for that reason that Sirius and I never
question your resolve. But tell me... when this is all over, what is it you
actually want to do?"
A beam of winter sun sliced through the room, illuminating Lupin's grey-streaked
hair and the youthful spark remaining in his eyes.
"Study magic," Sean said after a moment's thought.
"And then?" Lupin prodded, his smile widening.
"What do you mean, 'and then'?" Sean asked, genuinely puzzled.
"Ah..." Lupin's smile faded into a look of deep, scrutinizing focus. He stared
at the boy for a long time, speechless.
Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door.
It was Professor Dumbledore. He didn't look surprised to find Sean in the room.
"Your carriage is waiting at the gates, Remus," he announced.
"Thank you, Headmaster." Lupin hoisted his old suitcase and the empty water
tank. "Well then—goodbye, Mr. Green. It was a true pleasure to teach you. I have
no doubt we shall meet again. Albus, no need to see me out, I can find my own
way..."
Lupin's stride was firm and steady as he walked down the corridor, casting one
last look at the ancient stones of the castle. Inside his trunk, something
clinked rhythmically.
It was the Wolfsbane Potion.
There were many reasons for his departure. He couldn't accept Snape's charity,
yet the potion was too valuable to waste, so he had accepted it as "advance
payment" from Sean for his scouting mission. He knew his task was too dangerous
to bring near a school; he was one of the few men actively hunting the Dark
Lord's shadow.
And then there was Snape. Lupin realized with a start that Snape had seen
something in the boy that Lupin was only just beginning to grasp. If all these
powerful, broken men were to inhabit the same castle, Sean Green would be the
only thing keeping them from tearing each other apart.
At the end of the corridor, where the light met the shadows, Lupin pulled his
hat low and stepped into the darkness.
The news that Sirius Black was innocent—and that the "hero" Peter Pettigrew was
the true traitor—swept through Hogwarts like a tidal wave.
It completely eclipsed the hype for the upcoming Ravenclaw versus Hufflepuff
Quidditch match. Sean had been too busy to pay much attention to the gossip, but
the whispers eventually reached Dumbledore's ears.
"A pleasant weekend, isn't it, Mr. Green? Why not join me for some tea—or
perhaps a pumpkin juice?"
Dumbledore smiled as he watched Sean feed herbs to Fawkes in the office. "And
then, perhaps you can tell me what the students are so rioted up about?"
Sean chose a glass of pumpkin juice with an almost lethal amount of sugar. He
squinted as the sweetness hit his tongue. The two wizards sat in silence for a
moment, peering at each other over the rims of their glasses.
"What are you going to teach me, sir?" Sean asked. He had been looking forward
to Dumbledore's tutelage for weeks.
"We shall discuss that in due time. The knowledge is safe in my head, dear boy;
it will find its way to yours soon enough. There is no rush..." Dumbledore
paused. "What is a matter of some urgency is our dear Professor Snape. He has
been pulling double duty as the Defense teacher for several days now, and I
suspect he..."
Dumbledore trailed off. He thought of the look of smug satisfaction on Snape's
face lately, and the fact that Sean had been effectively running the Potions
classes in his stead. He offered a knowing smile.
Perhaps our Assistant could simply be promoted to Professor? Dumbledore thought,
then immediately dismissed it. It would be a tragic waste of the boy's potential
to tie him to a grading desk so soon.
"Prepare yourself, child," Dumbledore said, standing up. "Today, we go to find
an old, retired colleague. When we return, we shall have our first lesson of the
term."
"Do I need to bring anything?" Sean asked. Fawkes was currently using Sean's
hand to scratch an itch on his neck.
"Not at all," Dumbledore said vaguely. "Once he sees you, he'll understand
everything."
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