Entry #68 (Saturday June 16, 1973) – One Day After

This year, I was not allowed to ride home with everyone else on the Hogwarts Express. It was a safety issue, as the train ride coincided with a full moon. It would have been quite unpleasant for the other passengers if we didn't make it to London by nightfall. I'm a little disappointed I wasn't on the train with everyone else, but I understand why it had to happen. Still, it would have been nice to get that last amount of time together before having to part ways for the summer.

So, instead of riding the train yesterday, I found myself by the front gate Thursday morning, waiting for the carriage that would take me to Hogsmeade. There, my parents would be waiting to take me home. Until the carriage arrived, however, I had to stand awkwardly with my trunk in the warm summer morning, hoping no other students would see me and wonder what I was doing by myself.

Voices came from behind me, but I didn't react, thinking the speakers to be some older students and wanting to stay as inconspicuous as possible. "Ah, Mr. Lupin!" one of the voices called, and I jumped a little. I had already said goodbye to anybody who might want to talk to me. When I turned around, I saw it was Professor Coyle and Headmaster Dumbledore, and Coyle had a suitcase in his hands.

Dumbledore smiled at me. "I hope you don't mind the imposition," he said, his voice pleasant and his eyes twinkling. "But Douglas here is in need of a carriage. I thought it would save a bit of trouble if the two of you shared."

Not sure what to say, I just nodded my agreement and did my best to ignore the rest of their conversation. It was hard, though. They were talking very loudly, almost as if they wanted to be overheard.

"It has been a pleasure, Albus," Coyle was saying. "I thank you for the opportunity, and I wish you luck next year."

"And you're sure you don't have anything more to say on the matter?" Dumbledore wondered. "This whole thing could be resolved differently if—"

"No, sir. I assure you it was my fault, my responsibility. No need to be getting anyone else involved." He sounded contrite, if not a bit exasperated, and the Headmaster seemed to take that statement as the final word. Dumbledore nodded solemnly, bid the teacher and me farewell, and strolled back towards the castle.

I stared at my feet, not wanting to be in that odd moment. I didn't know what was going on. I liked Coyle, though, so I attempted to start a conversation. "Are you looking forward to the summer holiday, Professor?" I asked, trying to sound as polite as possible.

"Not as much as you assuredly are, Mr. Lupin," he replied. "Tonight notwithstanding."

I knew he knew, of course, but it was always a little disconcerting when someone spoke so plainly about my lycanthropy. It was how James and Sirius talked about it, like it didn't matter. It was strange, but I appreciated it. "Sir?" I ventured.

"Yes, Mr. Lupin?"

"I just wanted to say you've been a very good teacher," I said. "I feel like I've learned a lot from you so far."

He smiled, but bitterly. "I do hope you have the same praise for next year's Defense teacher. A pity to leave such apt pupils at the mercy of someone inadequate in the subject."

"Next year's teacher?" I wondered. "Aren't you coming back?"

Coyle shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Dumbledore feels—well, we both feel— it would be for the best if I did not continue my employment at Hogwarts. This will be my only year."

I couldn't keep the shock out of my voice. "But why?"

"I'm afraid I don't quite know the answer to that," he sighed. Coyle shifted the suitcase in his hands. I could tell he was hesitating, debating with himself about whether or not to tell me the truth. In the end, he shrugged, evidently deciding that it could do no harm for me to know. "The reason I've been fired is that the red cap I had caged for exams escaped. It took up residence in the dungeon, and a girl was injured last night. The why, of course, is the true mystery. I know for a fact I had that creature properly contained. There was no way for it to leave its cage, unless someone meddled with the lock or, even more simply, let it out."

"Who would do something like that?" I asked, though I wondered if I didn't already know the answer.

"Who, indeed," he replied.

I could tell from the expression on his face that his guess of the culprit—or culprits—was the same as mine. James and Sirius have hated Coyle since day one, and they never did tell me about that prank they were working on. I had assumed they didn't go through with it, but maybe they just delayed it so long that even they hadn't seen the results of their trick yet. If Coyle knew, though, why wouldn't he say anything? The Headmaster would believe him if he did. Surely Dumbledore knew who had tampered with Coyle's cages, and surely Dumbledore knew Coyle knew who had tampered with his cages. Talking about the incident in front of me must have been his last attempt at saving the Defense teacher's job. He probably hoped I would know what they were discussing and volunteer the information. Of course, I wouldn't have said anything even if I had known, and that's when the answer came to me.

Coyle didn't want to get James and Sirius in trouble. If the punishment of a teacher for accidentally loosing a dark creature in the school was dismissal, what would the punishment be of a student who had done it on purpose? Coyle had decided to take the fall, knowing it would ruin their education to turn them in. It would be a lesson in consequences, seeing a girl hurt and a teacher fired, without actually giving them the consequences. I just hoped that, once they found out the damage their prank had caused, James and Sirius would be appreciative enough of the gesture to actually learn the lesson.

I didn't know what to say to Coyle, so I shuffled awkwardly on my feet until the carriage finally arrived. We travelled to Hogsmeade in silence, only making the occasional comment about the weather or scenery. Once we reached the village, however, I broke the quiet by telling Coyle I would miss him as a teacher, and I shook his hand. He smiled, instructed me to keep up my studies and to enjoy the summer, and then he strode down the side of the road, suitcase in hand, to one of the inns.

My parents found me, then. We got ice cream together, to celebrate the end of another successful school year, and then we all got in the car and began the long drive home. It's always nice, seeing mum and dad again. I'm always reminded how much I missed them, and my house, and even my basement, while I'm at school.

I hope I get to talk to my friends soon, though. I have a few questions for them.

Entry #69 (Sunday June 24, 1973) – Nine Days After

When I put on my Sunday best today, I didn't instantly feel uncomfortable and rush to change into something else. I actually felt underdressed and thought about asking my father if I could borrow a tie, before I realized how absolutely ridiculous I would look showing up in a tie. I didn't know what to expect from dinner over at Allie's house with her family, but I knew I had to look nice. Looking that nice, though, might have been odd.

Dad took me over around 4:00pm, so Allie could show me around the place and settle me in before dinner started. Her sister Erin answered the door, and the older girl's eyes grazed up and down as she looked at me. "You look nice," she grinned, though it didn't sound entirely like a compliment.

Erin stepped aside and motioned for me to enter. From down the hall, I heard hurried footsteps coming down stairs, then a thumping sound, and then a voice calling in slightly pained tones, "Erin, I said I would answer the door!" Allie stumbled into the entryway a moment later, wearing a very pretty blue dress and cradling her right elbow. She smiled at me and laughed in an embarrassed sort of way. "Tripped by the banister," she said.

"That excited to see me, are we?" I wondered. "Can't even maintain coordination?"

She scoffed in pretend offense. "Shut up," she said, and then turned to her sister, who was still standing there. Allie gave her a pointed look. "Thanks for getting the door, Erin."

"Not a problem," Erin said.

The older girl didn't move. She continued to stand awkwardly with us in the entryway, clearly enjoying the discomfort. After a moment, Allie cleared her throat, and when that didn't work, she said, "Do you mind?"

Erin smirked. "Mind what?"

"Ugh, forget it!" Allie said. She reached forward and grabbed my wrist, pulling me along with her down the hallway. "I'm going to show Remus around the house. Tell mum and dad he's here."

"Keep your door open!" Erin hollered after us. I heard her laughter receding as she went the opposite way, presumably to where Allie's parents were located.

When we were a fair distance away from the door, Allie halted. She checked to make sure Erin was actually gone, and wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug. "I've really missed you," she said. Her voice was right next to my ear.

I could feel her breath on my neck and it tingled. Her hair smelled like blackberries. To distract myself, I thought about the significance, if any, of the fact that Allie hadn't wanted to hug me or say that she missed me in front of her older sister. Embarrassment? Erin had seemed in a tormenting mood, so perhaps Allie didn't want to risk the mocking that might follow. I let the thought rest at that and hugged her back, muttering, "I missed you too, Allie."

She pulled out of the embrace, smiling. "I should show you around," she said.

The house was rather larger than I expected, and I had expected a large house to begin with. We didn't linger long in any of the rooms, and when we reached Allie's bedroom she only allowed me a fleeting glance inside before moving along. The tour concluded in a spacious, sunken room near the back of the house with a sectional sofa, a few recliners, and a cozy looking fireplace, which Allie pronounced as the den. She claimed it was the place where they spent time as a family, but it didn't seem very lived-in. Only one spot felt like someone had been there recently, a chair by the fireplace with a tiny stack of books on the floor next to it and a pillow that didn't match. I could imagine Allie sitting there, with or without a fire going, reading one of those books until she fell asleep, like she did frequently in Gryffindor tower.

"What do you want to do until dinner?" Allie wondered, taking a seat on the sofa. "It's at six, so we've got at least an hour before we have to wash up."

I sat next to her with a shrug. "What do you suggest?"

She pondered for a moment, her mouth pursed to the side. Then she hopped up from the sofa and went over to the Wizard's Wireless in the corner, turning it on. Some crackling came from the speaker, but Allie switched the station to a catchy song I'd heard before at my aunt's house. It was an old song, and she wrinkled her nose at the music, clearly displeased. I suppose she decided it was good enough, though, and she turned to face me. "May I have this dance, Remus?" Allie offered her hand in a decidedly gentlemanly manner.

"I can't dance," I protested, probably a bit too quickly.

Allie dropped her hand, frowning. "Everyone can dance," she said. "It's just moving your body." When she said the word 'body,' she gave a little wiggle of her hips, making the skirt of her dress flutter. "It's easy."

I shook my head. "It's not easy," I said. "It's humiliating."

She shrugged. "Okay, you're right, but who's here to see you? Me? I'll humiliate myself, too. I only know, like, the quadrille, from two hundred years ago because my parents made me take a dance class with Erin when I was eight."

The expression on her face, the unabashed way she asked for what she wanted, made me give in and stand up, laughing. "You know the quadrille?"

"Yes," she said. "But I shan't teach it to you. You're far too uncivilized." She grabbed my hand anyway and pulled me into a starting position. She grinned. "I shall, however, teach you the waltz. It is only slightly less ridiculous, but just as pompous."

"I suppose you'll take the lead, then?" I asked.

"Of course," she said, and took the first step.

What followed, naturally, was humiliation on my part and laughter on hers. Though, after I tripped for the fourth time I started to find it funny as well. It is three simple steps, over and over again in a square, and it shouldn't have been so difficult, but I kept forgetting to bring my foot over. Allie was a patient teacher, however, and eventually I started to get the hang of it. And I really do love the sound of Allie's laugh, even if it is at my expense.

After I had mastered the waltz to her liking (which, if I am honest, was only passable at best), she tried to show me a few of the other dances she learned in that class. My clumsiness made this rather impossible, and I had a moment of silent anger at the fact that this would be effortless for someone like Sirius. He probably took the same sodding dance class and breezed through it as if he were born in tap shoes.

Luckily the second round of lessons didn't last as long as the first, as Erin interrupted to inform us that dinner would be ready in a few minutes. The older girl raised her eyebrows to the embrace we were in for the polka, but did not say anything as she wandered back to the kitchen.

Allie released my hand, though she was still smiling. "You were right," she concluded. "You can't dance. Absolutely hopeless."

"Maybe it was the teacher."

"No, phenomenal teacher," she said, shaking her head. "But what is a girl to do when her student has two left feet?" She laughed again. "Come on. We're having alfredo and chicken florentine. Probably my mum's best dish."

I followed her into the dining room and took the seat next to hers when she gestured. Erin was already seated on the other side and I briefly wondered where Mitchell was, before remembering that he had moved to his own flat in London, where he had a new job. Allie's mother was arranging the food on the table, and a moment later, Mr. Bond joined us, a glass of brandy in his hand. Once everyone was seated, Silvia said to me, "It's wonderful to have you here for dinner, Remus."

"Thank you for allowing me over," I returned. "Everything smells wonderful."

Her mother batted a hand. "Oh, they're just a few recipes my grandmother taught me, nothing special," she said. "Everyone tuck in."

While we ate, Allie's parents discussed one of Mr. Bond's clients. Erin tried to listen in on the conversation, being on track to go into magical law herself after her N.E.W.T.s, and Allie kept muttering things like, "Yes, they're always this boring," and, "I can't believe they're making us sit through this," to me under her breath. I tried, and probably failed, to keep my face straight.

Suddenly I heard my name, and I glanced up. Richard Bond was looking at me, and I realized he must have asked me a question. "Pardon?" I asked, slightly worried.

"I was wondering what electives you were taking for your third year," he repeated. He sounded so stern, like he was angry with me, but his face showed a genuine interest. Maybe he just always sounds like that.

Under his gaze, it took a moment for me to remember the classes I had registered for only last month. "Er, Muggle Studies…"

"Muggle Studies?" Allie interrupted. "I thought James convinced you to take divination."

I shook my head. "Couldn't pay me to take that rubbish class," I said. "Why?"

"I'm taking Muggle Studies," she said, smiling.

I smiled back. "Oh."

I heard her father clear his throat. When I turned my attention back to him, he looked rather amused. "And the other classes?" he prodded.

"Oh," I said again, rather more flummoxed. "Arithmancy and Care of Magical creatures."

Mr. Bond opened his mouth to respond, but Allie beat him to it. "Arithmancy? Why not Ancient Runes?"

"I thought Arithmancy would be more practical," I said. "Sirius is taking Ancient Runes, though. You won't be alone in the class."

"Do you know anyone else who's taking that class?" she asked. There was a note of desperation to her tone. "Or are you telling me I have to sit in a stuffy classroom, alone, with Sirius Black for an hour?"

"Are any of the girls in our house taking it?" I tried.

"Unfortunately, your thought process was remarkably similar to that of the other thirteen year old girls in our house," Allie said. She let out a heavy sigh. "They all thought it would be more practical, too. I can't believe we didn't talk about this before we finalized the classes we were signing up for."

"As you recall, James and Sirius beat you to it," I reminded her. "Also, did you just call me a girl?"

"I may have," she said. "What's wrong with being called a girl?"

I chose not to reply to that question. Instead I asked, "Why didn't you take Arithmancy too? It is more practical."

"Ancient Runes seemed more interesting." Allie shrugged.

"That's what Sirius said." I grinned.

Allie slumped in her chair and her father cleared his throat again. I looked up, startled to remember that it wasn't just Allie and me at the table. Erin and her mother were exchanging glances, while Richard kept his eyes on me. "Any thought behind your class choice, Remus?" he asked. "Erin here took Arithmancy way back when because she knew it would be helpful in her magical law studies."

"It's that kind of forethought that makes one a Head Girl," Silvia added. She gave a bright smile to her eldest daughter, who blushed. "Mitchell did that as well, didn't he? Taking Muggle Studies in school really prepared him for his new position as a liaison between the Ministry and Muggle justice system."

I felt a bit bombarded, and entirely unprepared for their line of questioning. My choices had been made based on interest, not for some deliberate career path. Thankfully, I was saved from answering when Allie blurted out, rather loudly, "You're Head Girl?"

Their father seemed just as surprised, and Erin smirked. "I got the letter this morning," she said. "And the badge. Head Boy is Braxus Valery, in Slytherin." She glanced at her mother. "I wanted to tell everybody during dessert…"

"I'm sorry!" Silvia laughed. "I'm just so proud of you, sweetheart. I couldn't help it."

"That's wonderful, Erin," Richard said. "I told you taking those extra N.E.W.T. level classes would pay off in the end."

Erin beamed. "Thank you, daddy."

"Do you want a trip?" Richard asked. "We went to Rome when Mitch made Head Boy."

For the first time since realizing her sister's news, Allie perked up. She glanced at me, an excited grin on her face. I wasn't sure why, until her mother spoke up. "I already bought four tickets to Paris," Silvia said. "We leave next week."

Allie would be going to Paris with her family. She seemed so excited, and I felt utterly dejected. Before, when Mitch chose to go to Rome, Allie told me they had been gone the entire summer, and that meant I wouldn't get to see her.

The rest of dinner passed with the Bond family discussing their travel plans. I stuck around for another hour after we were done eating, and Allie and I only played a few card games. When dad picked me up, I told Allie I would like a letter or two while she was gone, wished her luck, and left with the knowledge that I wouldn't see her again until she got back at the end of summer.

*A few words from Aquira: Okay, I've had this written for a while, but I've been debating how to continue with this story. It's clearly not easy for me to keep up with writing this story while working and having a life, but I AM writing and working on this. So I have a question for the few readers I might still have. Would you rather I update when I can, or resort to Plan B? Plan B is jump ahead in the story (I have a somewhat reasonable way to do this), and post the ending that I already have written, so you guys can know how it ends without having to wait for forever. With Plan B, I might still add in the occasional update as I write more entries, but you would have the ending. So, now, my dear readers, what would you rather? Plan B, or slow, somewhat irregular updates?

I really appreciate all the reviews I've gotten for this, and I wish I was able to write more consistently. I'm glad you all enjoy this story so much, and I want to do you justice. Thanks for everything :)