Epilogue
Josephine skipped Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons. She copied all the work up from friends' books at night, and ignored any requests teachers made of her to go to lessons. Their treatment of her was surprisingly lax though, Josephine thought. However, she hadn't heard Professor Lupin's conversation with Professor Dumbledore, and she didn't notice that he made as much effort to avoid her as she did with him. They finally came face to face again when Josephine turned up for her Defence Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.s. She passed both the written test and the practical - 120% and 170% respectively. It wasn't until a beautiful, sunny June morning, when Professor Lupin didn't turn up at breakfast and some third years were admitted into the hospital wing that Josephine managed to think of him again without cringing. "Well didn't you all know.? The man is a werewolf." The Great Hall went deathly quiet. Professor Snape was the only teacher still in there at ten o'clock in the morning, and the students at each table stared at him in disbelief as he said this through a smirk. A Slytherin third year was the first to speak. He said in a loud voice, "A WEREWOLF? Just wait 'till my father hears about this! What was Dumbledore thinking? My father'll see to this one, no doubt!" Josephine felt her hands clench into fists. A few shrieks had echoed around the hall as the news sunk in, and heated arguments had sprung up all over the house benches. The third year was still shouting, telling anyone who would listen about how untrustworthy he'd always thought Professor Lupin was. Josephine stood up - she was just about opposite him across the Ravenclaw and Slytherin tables. "Professor Lupin isn't a bad man! It's not his fault he's a werewolf! He can't help it!" Getting over this second shock, the hall was quiet for another moment, then many Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs joined in the encouraging shouts from the Ravenclaw table. The third year stared at her. "No. He can't. Which is why he's so dangerous. Why he has to GO!" The Slytherins cheered. "How dare you!" Josephine began again, but a quiet voice silenced everyone. "Shh. Everyone either get on with your breakfast or leave the hall, please." Professor Lupin looked tired, pale and terribly pained. Josephine forgot about the boy totally and ran out of the hall after him as he turned and carried on walking through the Entrance Hall. "Sir! Sir I didn't tell them! I swear, it was Snape, I'm so sorry!" He looked at her in astonishment. "I know you didn't tell them. So why are you sorry because Snape did?" Josephine felt her bottom lip began to tremble and she clamped her teeth over it stubbornly. But her eyes were prickling and she didn't want to be stubborn anymore. For the first time in seven months she started to cry. "Jo!" He exclaimed, lifting an arm suddenly as though to wrap around her shoulders before thinking the better of it. "Come on." He whispered gently, leading her outside. Feeling extremely stupid, Josephine still cried as they stood in the shade of a tree. Lupin let her cry. He did want to hold her and help to put a stop to her misery, but he didn't. He wanted to but he didn't and he couldn't. Finally her tears finished. "I'm sorry." She sniffed. Then she laughed. "I just said that, sorry." She giggled again. Lupin smiled for a moment before turning serious once more. "Josephine, I just want to apologise for my behaviour. last year." She looked at him. "It's okay. I shouldn't have stayed. I should have just gone straight back to the dorms." He shook his head. "No, I mean I shouldn't even have tried to sort it out with your help. It wasn't right to involve you. You're right - I should have gone straight to Dumbledore. I was a fool. I only saw it after the damage had been done. Will you be able to forgive me? I'll understand if-" "Yes, I forgive you!" She said, shocked. "I wasn't exactly the most help I could have been." He opened his mouth to complain again, but she continued. "Don't - Okay, so we were both a bit stupid, really, but let's just leave it at that." He smiled again. "Thank you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and pack." "Pack?" She asked, alarmed. "I can't stay. Last night I was loose and I forgot my Wolfsbane. I could have attacked anyone here. I'm not safe to have inside these grounds. Plus thanks to Snape, I won't be welcome in these grounds any more even if I was completely harmless." Incredibly, Josephine found that she still had tears left. "No! Don't go! Please, sir!" But she couldn't think of an argument to battle the sad shake of his head as he walked up the hill towards the castle.
Josephine skipped Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons. She copied all the work up from friends' books at night, and ignored any requests teachers made of her to go to lessons. Their treatment of her was surprisingly lax though, Josephine thought. However, she hadn't heard Professor Lupin's conversation with Professor Dumbledore, and she didn't notice that he made as much effort to avoid her as she did with him. They finally came face to face again when Josephine turned up for her Defence Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.s. She passed both the written test and the practical - 120% and 170% respectively. It wasn't until a beautiful, sunny June morning, when Professor Lupin didn't turn up at breakfast and some third years were admitted into the hospital wing that Josephine managed to think of him again without cringing. "Well didn't you all know.? The man is a werewolf." The Great Hall went deathly quiet. Professor Snape was the only teacher still in there at ten o'clock in the morning, and the students at each table stared at him in disbelief as he said this through a smirk. A Slytherin third year was the first to speak. He said in a loud voice, "A WEREWOLF? Just wait 'till my father hears about this! What was Dumbledore thinking? My father'll see to this one, no doubt!" Josephine felt her hands clench into fists. A few shrieks had echoed around the hall as the news sunk in, and heated arguments had sprung up all over the house benches. The third year was still shouting, telling anyone who would listen about how untrustworthy he'd always thought Professor Lupin was. Josephine stood up - she was just about opposite him across the Ravenclaw and Slytherin tables. "Professor Lupin isn't a bad man! It's not his fault he's a werewolf! He can't help it!" Getting over this second shock, the hall was quiet for another moment, then many Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs joined in the encouraging shouts from the Ravenclaw table. The third year stared at her. "No. He can't. Which is why he's so dangerous. Why he has to GO!" The Slytherins cheered. "How dare you!" Josephine began again, but a quiet voice silenced everyone. "Shh. Everyone either get on with your breakfast or leave the hall, please." Professor Lupin looked tired, pale and terribly pained. Josephine forgot about the boy totally and ran out of the hall after him as he turned and carried on walking through the Entrance Hall. "Sir! Sir I didn't tell them! I swear, it was Snape, I'm so sorry!" He looked at her in astonishment. "I know you didn't tell them. So why are you sorry because Snape did?" Josephine felt her bottom lip began to tremble and she clamped her teeth over it stubbornly. But her eyes were prickling and she didn't want to be stubborn anymore. For the first time in seven months she started to cry. "Jo!" He exclaimed, lifting an arm suddenly as though to wrap around her shoulders before thinking the better of it. "Come on." He whispered gently, leading her outside. Feeling extremely stupid, Josephine still cried as they stood in the shade of a tree. Lupin let her cry. He did want to hold her and help to put a stop to her misery, but he didn't. He wanted to but he didn't and he couldn't. Finally her tears finished. "I'm sorry." She sniffed. Then she laughed. "I just said that, sorry." She giggled again. Lupin smiled for a moment before turning serious once more. "Josephine, I just want to apologise for my behaviour. last year." She looked at him. "It's okay. I shouldn't have stayed. I should have just gone straight back to the dorms." He shook his head. "No, I mean I shouldn't even have tried to sort it out with your help. It wasn't right to involve you. You're right - I should have gone straight to Dumbledore. I was a fool. I only saw it after the damage had been done. Will you be able to forgive me? I'll understand if-" "Yes, I forgive you!" She said, shocked. "I wasn't exactly the most help I could have been." He opened his mouth to complain again, but she continued. "Don't - Okay, so we were both a bit stupid, really, but let's just leave it at that." He smiled again. "Thank you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and pack." "Pack?" She asked, alarmed. "I can't stay. Last night I was loose and I forgot my Wolfsbane. I could have attacked anyone here. I'm not safe to have inside these grounds. Plus thanks to Snape, I won't be welcome in these grounds any more even if I was completely harmless." Incredibly, Josephine found that she still had tears left. "No! Don't go! Please, sir!" But she couldn't think of an argument to battle the sad shake of his head as he walked up the hill towards the castle.
