AN: Here it is.  Finished.  And I made it before OotP!!!  Hope you like it. Many thanks to Durayan, Thing1, and  Gryffinjack for the beta reads.  And a special thank you to the Tann, Gryff, Doc M, and Mel from the WWR chat room for the help with Remus' wand. 

Chapter Thirty-Three

Saying Goodbye

The grounds were very still.  The bright sunlight broke through the early morning mist and cast an ethereal glow on the forest.  It looked so peaceful – so welcoming.  But Remus knew better.  That forest had deceived him so many times, and last night was no exception.  He paused at the edge, not wanting to enter its shadowed paths, but knowing that he had no choice.

His wand was still in there.  He dropped it during the transformation, after all.  And it wasn't as if he could simply go into Olivander's and buy himself a new one.  Oh, no.  Werewolves generally weren't granted the privilege of owning a wand.  But Dumbledore had insisted and Remus was allowed to purchase a wand. 

"Here, let us see how this one responds."

Mr. Olivander held out the wand to Remus who took it in his quivering hand.  The first two wands had been nearly unresponsive, and the third wand hadn't done anything at all.  Remus was beginning to worry that he wouldn't be able to do magic at all.  But the wand maker explained that they simply hadn't found the right combination of wood and core for Remus yet. 

As Remus took hold of the wand, a strange sort of feeling came over him.  Something tingled in his arm. If he hadn't known any better, he would have guessed that the wand were alive.  Surely, that had to mean something important. 

Pointing the wand at a book on the counter, Remus cast a spell he had heard his mother cast far too many times.  "Accio book."

The book flew towards him in a rush of wind.  It thudded against his chest knocking the breath out of him. 

"I'd say your wand has finally found you!"  Mr. Olivander said with a broad smile.  "Ash, ten and one quarter inches, with a hair from the tail of a Sphinx."

Remus couldn't contain the joy he felt.  He had a wand!  He was a wizard!  He could do magic!  And he would be going to Hogwarts.  It almost didn't seem real. 

"You must be very careful with it, Remus," his father admonished.

"I know.  I won't break it."

His mother gave him a very pointed look.

Remus rolled his eyes.  "Or scratch it, or lose it, or anything.  I promise."

His father clapped his hand on Remus' shoulder.  "You're very fortunate that Professor Dumbledore trusts you. You should feel good about that.

 "Yeah, I know," he said casually.

His father looked down at him in earnest.  "Remus, don't take this lightly.  Dumbledore has given his word on your behalf. His trust is something that many wizards spend years trying to gain.  Never take that for granted."  

Remus brushed the memory aside as he trod a path to the Whomping Willow along side the menacing forest that teased him now with its tranquility.  He remembered it was just after they had come out of the willow that he had fatefully lost himself to the moon.  His wand must be close to where he had transformed.

Without hesitation, Remus stepped into the shadow of the Whomping Willow, just out of reach of its branches.  Very slowly he retraced the path the group made the previous evening, keeping his eyes focused on the ground.  The further away from the willow he walked, the more caution he took to not step on any piece of wood, twig or other stick-like structure, for worry that it just might be his wand.  

A soft bunch of fabric lying in a heap on his left caught his eye.  He squinted, not knowing exactly what it was.  And then it hit him – the invisibility cloak!  He remembered tucking it into his pocket just before leaving the Shack last night.  How could I have forgotten about this?  Harry must be worried that he'll never see it again.

Remus picked it up and shook it out.  Turning it inside and out, he searched for any holes or rips.  Harry deserved to have his property returned to him in one piece.  If there were any tears, Remus would have to have them repaired by a special weaver, and that was certain to be expensive.  Testing it out, he slipped under the cloak and glanced down at his body – or rather where his body should be but wasn't.   The cloak was a bit rumpled but in good shape.  He only hoped his wand was in just as fair condition.

He slipped the cloak off, tucked it in his robe, and continued his search of the ground.  It was only a few moments later that he spotted his old wand.  Relief coursed through him as he expelled a breath he didn't even realize he was holding.  He had lost many things last night.  It was a comfort that he hadn't lost his wand as well.

***

Remus entered his office for what would be the last time.  He had already packed up his belongings from his room in the staff wing.  Now it was time to tackle saying good-bye to the room that held so many personal memories.  It was a task he most certainly wasn't looking forward to.   He licked his lips and set his tattered brief case up on top the desk, right next to the Marauder's Map.

Remus paused and just looked at it, not really noticing who was in what room and not really searching for any information either.  He simply looked at it in silence.  His world had changed so much since he had last looked at this map. How stupid he had been to not wipe it clean before he ran off to find Sirius and Peter!  He left the map right where Snape could get a good look at it.

Wonderful.  One more thing I can feel guilty about now.  Perfect.

Remus sighed and pushed the map to the side.  It wouldn't help to dwell on the past right now.  There was so much to do.  He pulled the invisibility cloak out from under his robes and hung it gently over the back of his chair.  Hopefully he would be able to see Harry for a moment before he left.  If not Dumbledore give it back to him. 

He went to work straight away on his files, making sure to leave behind those that the next Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher might find useful.  He made a note listing everything the students covered in the year along with some special concerns he had pertaining to a few students.  Hopefully, who ever would take over in his place would find the information helpful in planning their lessons for the next year. 

He stuffed some of his own more personal files into his brief case and turned his attention to the grindylow in the corner.  It wouldn't be wise to leave it here unsupervised.  And the thought of traveling all the way home with the tank didn't appeal to Remus at all.  After careful consideration, Remus decided to free the grindylow into the Hogwarts lake.  There were plenty of merpeople with whom it could find a home.  After all, merpeople were known to keep grindylows as a sort of pet.

He summoned a house elf through his fireplace.  In no time, a small, squeaky male house elf appeared eager to provide any assistance needed.  Remus told him to take the grindylow out to the lake and set him free.  Apparently thrilled to be given such an important task, the house elf snapped his fingers and the two creatures vanished.  Remus emptied the water from the tank and placed it on the desk next to his nearly full briefcase. 

Something on the map caught his eye.  A dot was moving very quickly in his direction – a dot labeled Harry Potter.  Remus smiled.  Indeed, he would get that chance to talk to Harry.  He needed to return the cloak as well as another item.  And…he needed to explain a few things. 

The dot was now in the hallway.  Footsteps sounded just outside the door.  Remus looked, still smiling, as Harry came into his classroom.  "I saw you coming," he said, indicating the map.

"I just saw Hagrid," Harry said, nearly out of breath.  "And he said you'd resigned.  It's not true, is it?" Harry seemed quite distressed.

Remus sighed.  "I'm afraid it is."  He opened up the top drawer to his desk and continued packing his things into his briefcase.

"Why? The Ministry of Magic don't think you were helping Sirius, do they?"

Remus looked up at him.  Harry apparently didn't want any small talk this time.   But Remus wanted to keep the conversation private, so he moved to the open door and closed it behind the young boy.

"No," he said once the door was shut.  "Professor Dumbledore managed to convince Fudge that I was trying to save your lives."  He sighed.  "That was the final straw for Severus.  I think the loss of the Order of Merlin hit him hard.  So he – er –" blabbed my secret to the whole school?  No, too childish. "… accidentally let slip that I am a werewolf this morning at breakfast."

"You're not leaving just because of that!" Harry protested.

Remus chuckled softly.  "This time tomorrow, the owls will start arriving from parents…. They will not want a werewolf teaching their children, Harry. And after last night, I see their point. I could have bitten any of you…. That must never happen again."

"You're the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had! Don't go!" Harry pleaded.

Remus just shook his head and emptied out another drawer.  Changing the subject, Remus said, "From what the headmaster told me this morning, you saved a lot of lives last night, Harry.  If I'm proud of anything I've done this year, it's how much you've learned."  Remus stopped packing and looked Harry in the eyes.  "Tell me about your Patronus."

The question clearly took Harry by surprise.  "How d'you know about that?"

"What else could have driven the dementors back?"

Harry thought for a moment.  "I didn't know I could do it until…until right when I needed to do it.  And it just sort of – burst out of me!  And it wasn't like the ones I conjured in the classroom at all.  It was brilliant!  And huge!  And it charged at the dementors, pushing them away from…from us."

Harry hesitated a moment.  "It was a stag – an enormous, silver stag."  His eyes fell to the floor.  "You told me that a Patronus is a shield – that it's a guardian.  You said they change shape depending on the wizard conjuring it.  Well…I reckon mine is a stag because…because of my father."

Remus smiled sadly.  "Yes, your father was always a stag when he transformed.  You guessed right…that's why we called him Prongs." 

The last drawer held a few books.  Remus placed them in his brief case and closed the drawer.  He turned to face Harry and handed him the cloak from off of the back of chair.  "Here – I brought this back from the Shrieking Shack last night."  Harry nodded in reply.  A sense of mischief filled Remus with delight as he picked up the Maraurder's Map.  "And…. I am no longer your teacher, so I don't feel guilty about giving you back this as well.  It's no use to me, and I daresay you, Ron, and Hermione will find uses for it." 

Harry beamed in delight as he took the map.  Remus suppressed the urge to laugh.

"You told me Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs would've wanted to lure me out of school…you said they'd have thought it was funny."

Remus closed his case to hide the look on his face.  "And so we would have.  I have no hesitation in saying that James would have been highly disappointed if his son had never found any of the secret passages out of the castle."

A gentle knock on the door stopped Remus from saying anything more.  Remus noticed that Harry very quickly hid the map and the cloak in his pocket.  A true Marauder!  James would be pleased!

The door opened to reveal Dumbledore standing outside in the hall.  "Your carriage is at the gates, Remus."

"Thank you, Headmaster."  Taking a deep breath, Remus gathered up the empty grindylow tank and his briefcase.  He had been dreading this moment all morning.  But it was inevitable.  It was time to leave.

He smiled down at Harry.  "Well – good-bye, Harry.  It has been a real pleasure teaching you.  I feel sure we'll meet again sometime."  He turned to Dumbledore and quietly said,  "Headmaster, there is no need to see me to the gates, I can manage…."

"Good-bye, then, Remus," the Headmaster replied evenly, offering Remus his hand.  Holding the large tank and heavy case with one arm was difficult, but Remus managed to free his right hand.  The handshake was firm and powerful.  Remus could tell that Dumbledore still trusted him, and that meant everything to him. 

Before his will power failed him, Remus nodded towards Harry and left the office.  He would soon be on the train home.  He would soon see Katie again.  And maybe, just maybe he would see Sirius again someday.  He hoped that when that day came, Sirius would forgive him for everything that happened.  For only then would he truly be able to forgive himself.