I do not own Harry Potter nor World of Darkness

Trophy Room, Hogwarts, 11th May 1994 (Wednesday)

Buckbeak's trial ended with a victory for Hagrid. The Hippogriff would live, but he wasn't deemed suitable for a school environment and had to be sent to a herd in Greece. Hagrid wasn't happy about the result, but he begrudgingly accepted the verdict when it was pointed out that the herders would send one of their own Hippogriffs in exchange.

The Werewolves Containment Act had passed on the Wizengamot with a significant margin, but the proposal had been neutered somewhat: all werewolves had to be added to a registry open to the public, de-clawed and they were forced to within designated areas during a full moon. Apothecaries were now forced to have a certain amount of Wolfsbane potions in stock, but they were now deemed a controlled substance, significantly increasing their cost.

a-W.O.L.F. had made a scene in front of the ministry, hurling insults and demanding the names of those who had voted 'yes' on the proposal, while at the same time offering shelter to all werewolves and their families somewhere in Greenland, who seemed like it was going to turn into some kind of werewolf enclave away from the ministry. Which, as it turned out, seemed to be a perfectly acceptable solution for the ministry.

Harry had shared his suspicion regarding Professor Lupin with his friends and they had started to investigate. They had started by asking their relatives, but unfortunately for them, there really wasn't much about him. He was a half-blood, son of a ministry worker who retired a few years before his son entered Hogwarts. Sorted in Gryffindor, graduated in 1978 with an O in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Phantasms and Spooks, Dueling and good grades in both Magizoology and Ancient Studies, joined the war against Voldemort and somewhere in there got himself a teaching license. Worked some odd jobs here and there after the war, but never managed to hold down a position for long due to 'health concerns', with many people speculating it was the aftermath of a nasty curse he took during the war. Harry didn't believe that, and would have bet his new Firebolt that the man was some kind of Ghoul.

Apart from that very basic description of Remus Lupin's past employers… was pretty much it: a grand total of nothing. He was one of James Potter's most trusted friends, but why didn't he try to take custody of Harry? Or at least try to contact him? He was the only one of his father's friends that wasn't dead like Peter Pettigrew or Edgar Bones, imprisoned in Azkaban like Sirius Black or hospitalized like the Longbottoms, yet he never even tried to reach out to him. That fact alone made Harry incredibly suspicious. He even followed the man for a whole weekend under his father's invisibility cloak, but with the exception of a rather tense conversation between him and Professor Severus 'Snivelius' Snape handing him a mysterious potion that seemed to be made of boiling quicksilver that Harry failed to identify, there wasn't really anything to go by.

So, he decided to recruit the two best pranksters in Hogwarts: Fred and George Weasley. The duo had tailed Professor Lupin for a grand total of three days, when their attitude had suddenly shifted. The irreverent duo of pranksters who never showed as much as an inch of respect to an authority figure were now following the man around like a pair of experienced bootlickers. Ron had actually seen the twins actually bowing down to the man!

Thus, the group had cornered them in the Trophy room.

"Spill it out. What happened to you two?" demanded Ron.

"What are you talking about, Ronnikins?"

"There is nothing…"

"...unusual going on…"

"...about the two of us." finished Fred and George in chorus.

"Sure. Because you've always been the teacher's pets."

"Always have been…"

"...and always will be."

The twins barely held on their laughter at Ron's face as their brother looked at them in disbelief.

"Very funny. - commented Harry. - Now, what actually happened?"

"Nothing happened."

"We just discovered…

"...that Professor Lupin…"

"...is a great guy…"

"...and deserving of our respect."

"Have I ever told you that I find their twins-talk creepy?" whispered Sally to Hermione.

"What did Lupin do to you two?! You sound like Percy! You sound worse than Percy!" shouter Ron.

The twins grinned at each other, clearly enjoying messing with Ron. Harry sighed.

"Does this have anything to do with the Marauders?"

"We should be impressed…"

"...that you know about them."

"But we suppose it makes sense…

"...for you to know about them."

"Isn't that right…"

"...Mr. Prongs junior?"

The group looked at Harry, waiting for an explanation.

"That's what my dad and Professor Lupin's friend group was called. Apparently they were rather notorious pranksters back in their school days."

"So… you respect Professor Lupin because… he used to be a prankster?" asked Ron in disbelief.

"One of the best. We have been trying…"

"...to out-prank them since Peeves told us…"

"...about their accomplishments."

"That's it? That's all it took you two to become a copy of Percy!?"

"Oh, Ronnikins…"

"...that's not all of it."

"We decided to play the part of a teacher's pets because…"

"...we thought it would be funny."

"And it was!" said the twins in chorus, before offering an exaggerated bow and leaving the room.

"Well…that was a colossal waste of time." huffed Daphne.

"Why did we think asking them for help was a good idea again?" asked Hermione.

"Because I couldn't find anything about him." said Harry.

"Well… maybe you didn't find anything because… there's nothing to find?" offered Sally

Harry shrugged. Were his friends correct? He was convinced Professor Lupin was hiding something, but… was he just being paranoid for no reason?

DADA classroom, Hogwarts, 6th June 1994 (Thursday)

Exams were nearly upon them and the students were forced to remain inside the castle, trying to bully their brains into concentrating while enticing wafts of summer air drifted in through the windows. Even Fred and George had been spotted working for their O.W.L.s, probably inspired by something Professor Lupin told them. Percy was getting ready to take his N.E.W.T.s and had spent the past few Fae Studies meetings discussing with Madam Pince on some kind of qualification to have his work in the club be officially recognized. From the way they talked about it, it looked like Fae Studies would become an elective for the next year and, since Percy hoped to work for the Ministry of Magic, he needed top grades and every qualification he could get his hands on. The only person who seemed more anxious than Percy was Hermione.

That afternoon they had Potions which was an unqualified disaster. Try as Harry might, Harry couldn't get his Confusing Concoction to thicken, and Snape, standing watch with an air of disappointment, scribbled something that looked suspiciously like a zero onto his notes before moving away.

Their second to last exam was Defense Against the Dark Arts, where Professor Lupin had compiled the most unusual exam any of them had ever taken: a sort of obstacle course outside in the sun, where they had to wade across a deep paddling pool containing a Grindylow, squish their way across a patch of marsh while ignoring misleading directions from a Hinkypunk, then climb into an old trunk and battle with a new boggart.

"Excellent, Harry. - Lupin muttered as Harry climbed out of the trunk. - Full marks."

Flushed with his success, Harry hung around to watch. He grinned, thinking back at the boggart test, where his nightmare, a ferocious and snarling Garou, had turned into a furless, barking poodle.

Theo reached the end of the course with half- eaten clothes thanks to the Grindylow, Ron got confused by a Hinkypunk and sank waist-high into the quagmire, Daphne almost destroyed the trunk as she started to panic and rapid-fire Incendio spells, while Sally barely got to the end, covered in mud and Grindylow bite marks. Hermione did everything perfectly until she reached the trunk with the boggart in it. After about a minute inside it, she burst out again, screaming.

"Hermione! - said Lupin, startled. - What's the matter?"

"P… P… Professor McGonagall!" Hermione gasped, pointing into the trunk. "Sh… she said I've failed everything!"

It took a little while to calm Hermione down. When at last she had regained a grip on herself, the group went back to the castle.

Ron was still slightly inclined to laugh at Hermione's boggart, but a stern look from Sally silenced him before he could say anything stupid.

The group split up, with Daphne accompanying Theo to his Music exam, Harry and Hermione went to Ancient Studies while Ron and Sally headed to the Divination tower.

They walked up the marble staircase together all the way up to the seventh floor, where many of their class were sitting on the spiral staircase to Professor Trelawney's classroom, trying to cram in a bit of last-minute studying.

"She's seeing us all separately. - Neville informed them as they went to

sit down next to him. "Have either of you ever seen anything in a crystal ball?"

"Nope." said Ron in an offhand voice.

"I have! - answered Sally with pride. - I saw a Hippogriff flying south the week before Hagrid's trial."

The line of people outside the classroom slowly shortened. As each person climbed back down the ladder, the rest of the class hissed

"What did she ask?"

"Was it okay?"

"Is it tea reading? Please tell me it's tea reading."

"She says the crystal ball's told her that if I tell you, I'll have a horrible accident!" squeaked Neville as he clambered back down the ladder.

"That's convenient. - snorted Ron. - You know, I'm starting to think Hermione was right about her."

"Ron, I don't think you paid enough attention during class to comment on it. You spent half of the time trying to catch up on Ancient Runes."

"No, I didn't!"

"We all saw it, Ron. You're not as sneaky as you think you are."

Ron's face turned bright red.

"Wish she'd hurry up..." he mumbled.

Parvati came back down the ladder glowing with pride.

"She says I've got all the makings of a true Seer! - she informed Ron. - I saw loads of stuff... Well, good luck!"

She hurried off down the spiral staircase toward Lavender, while Sally smirked at Ron's confused face.

"What?"

Sally rolled her eyes.

"Nothing."

"That wasn't nothing! Why did you roll your eyes?"

"Ronald Weasley." said the familiar, misty voice from over their heads.

"Go. Maybe you'll see it during the exam." she said, pushing the redhead towards the ladder out of sight. Sally was now the only person left to be tested.

Finally, after about twenty minutes, Ron's large feet reappeared on the ladder.

"Rubbish. - said Ron. - Couldn't see a thing, so I made some stuff up. Don't think she was convinced, though…"

"Meet you at the Clock Tower courtyard once I'm done." Sally muttered as Professor Trelawney's voice called for her.

The tower room was hotter than ever before; the curtains were closed, the fire was alight, and the usual sickly scent made Sally cough as she stumbled through the clutter of chairs and table to where Professor Trelawney sat waiting before a large crystal ball.

"Good day, my dear. - she said softly. - If you would kindly gaze into the Orb… Take your time, now... then tell me what you see within it…"

Sally bent over the crystal ball and stared, stared as hard as she could, willing it to show her something other than swirling white fog. The heat was overpowering and her nostrils were stinging with the perfumed smoke wafting from the fire beside them. As the smell overwhemed her senses, images started to take shape in the crystal ball.

"It's… a dark shape... with red… it's hairs! It's someone with red hair."

"Who does it resemble? - whispered Professor Trelawney. - Think, now..."

"Ron." she said firmly.

"Indeed! - whispered Professor Trelawney, scribbling keenly on the parchment perched upon her knees. - My dear, you may well be seeing the outcome of poor Ron's exams! Look

closer…"

"He is… smiling… and he's hugging more figures… a blonde and… - She focused, forcing the shapes to change in color. - "They are… Ah! They're Daphne and Hermione! That means he passed Ancient Runes!"

"Are you sure? - Professor Trelawney urged her. - Are you quite sure it is a hug of celebration and not one of comfort, dear?"

Sally frowned. She was jumping to conclusions. She needed more information: a cleaner image, something that would point towards happiness or sadness… More figures appeared in the frame."

"They are in Hagrid's hut… he's offering them cake… maybe they're celebrating?"

"Or they might be trying to console him. You don't see him tearing up? Is he smiling or saddened?"

Sally focused on Ron's face, but the features were constantly morphing, his facial features in a motion that made it impossible to figure out his expression.

"No… I'm sorry, professor, I can't focus on his face." said Sally.

"Do not worry, dear. Shall we move to something a bit clearer? Tea leaves perhaps?"

With a nod, Sally stopped staring at the crystal ball and the swirling smoke stopped moving.

As Professor Trelawney handed her a cup of tea, Sally drank it in one gulp. Was it always this hot in this room?

She started to look at the cup, when a loud, harsh voice spoke behind her.

"IT WILL HAPPEN TONIGHT."

Sally shot up to her feet, almost dropping her cup. Professor Trelawney had gone rigid in her

armchair; her eyes were unfocused and her mouth sagging.

"S - sorry?"

But Professor Trelawney didn't seem to hear. Her eyes started to roll, and she looked as though she was about to have some sort of seizure.

"THE DARK LORD LIES ALONE AND FRIENDLESS, ABANDONED BY HIS FOLLOWERS. HIS SERVANT HAS BEEN CHAINED THESE TWELVE YEARS. TONIGHT, BEFORE MIDNIGHT... THE SERVANT WILL BREAK FREE AND SET OUT TO REJOIN HIS MASTER. THE DARK LORD WILL RISE AGAIN WITH HIS SERVANTS AID, GREATER AND MORE TERRIBLE THAN EVER HE WAS. TONIGHT... BEFORE MIDNIGHT... THE

SERVANT... WILL SET OUT... TO REJOIN... HIS MASTER..."

Professor Trelawney's head fell forward onto her chest. She made a grunting sort of noise. Harry sat there, staring at her. Then, suddenly, Professor Trelawney's head snapped up again.

"I'm so sorry, dear. - she said dreamily. - the heat of the day, you know... I drifted off for a moment..."

Sally stood there, staring at her.

"Is there anything wrong, my dear?"

"You… you just told me that the… the Dark Lord's going to rise again... that his servant's going to go back to him. You just had a Prophecy!"

Professor Trelawney looked thoroughly startled and utterly horrified by the contents of her Prophecy.

"The Dark Lord? He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? My dear, that's hardly something to joke about…"

The Professor looked pale, her hands shaking as she tried to deny what Sally had just told her.

"But you just said it! You. said the Dark Lord…"

"I think you must have dozed off too, dear! - said Professor Trelawney, her own voice cracking in denial. - I would certainly not presume to predict anything quite as far-fetched as that!"

"But professor…"

"That's enough, Miss Perks. - Ordered the professor in a trembing voice, denial evident in her voice. - Tea leaves, if you don't mind."

Notes

A bit of a filler chapter before the grand finale of Prisoner

Buckbeak's got the good ending thanks to the second year's aftermath taking the sail out of Mafoy senior's boat. Not that great of a deviation from canon, but stil noticeable

I felt the need to add some interraction between upin nad the twins, even if just in the background, and while this scene isn't exactly my favourite, I think it does a serviceable job at hinting at what went down between the three of them.

Divination is a much more solid magic than it is in canon (Time is one of the Spheres in Mage, after all), but it's better explained here because, unlike canon, one of the character is actually able to use time magic and Divination properly. Sally does take Harry's position in istening to the Prophecy, but regardless... things are very much in line with canon events.

Next chapters we rush back into action with the confrontation with Sirius!

Speaking of new chapters... next week I'll be traveling to Italy with my family for Christmas and then to Sweden with some friends to spend the week of New Year's Eve playing Warhammer. I' do my best to be consistent, but since I will be traveling, updates for the next 3 weeks are not guaranteed and entirely dependant on how good of an internet connection I'll get while travelling (my phone, despite having an european sim card and a data pack that's supposed to work all over europe has a bit of a history for just refusing to connect for no reason). Regardless, in case I can't update, I wish you all a merry Christmas/Yule/New Year/Boxing day/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Las Posadas/Soyal/Saturnalia/other winter celebration that falls between tday and the 4th of January