Devin was hurrying through the castle, muttering curses and tucking the knife back into her tattered and dirty cloak. She should have known the Fat Lady wouldn't just let her in. Even with the threat, she—he hadn't expected her fleeing would keep the Gryffindor common room closed. Now, Sirius had to find his way out. He'd already found a few secret passages had been sealed up, which made things difficult. The longer he was in the castle though, the more risky it became. Even as a dog, it was dangerous.

"H-He's an Animagus," Devin muttered, somehow not having realized that from the other visions she'd seen.

Remus nodded. "Everyone was. All the Marauders. They did it for me. Did he make it out then?"

Devin grimaced, feeling a headache coming on as Sirius's shattered mind and frayed emotions merged with hers on top of the poor condition of his body.

"I-I'm not sure. I'm still looking."

Finally, he came upon a statue of a witch with a hunched back, hoping this passage had been missed. With a sigh of relief, he slipped down into the passageway and ran through the tunnel, just in time too. He heard footfalls pass through the hall he'd just been in but didn't take the time to worry about it. Very few knew about these secret paths. He was safe for now as he carefully climbed up inside the back room of Honeydukes. Now, he just had to get past the dementors.

Devin wished she could have pulled away now but her body refused to move, to lift her hand away from the portrait. After everything that had happened in the last month, the anniversary of her son's death, preparing for holidays, fighting with Remus, and how utterly taxing it was just being in the castle for so long she'd lost control of her Sight. She hadn't been able to ease herself into returning to the throngs of the wizarding world. She'd been thrown in and hadn't taken the proper measures to deal with things.

She should've taken more time to work it out. She should've paid more attention to her emotions and state of being. She should've been less paranoid of someone seeing her and finding out because her constant pushing away her Sights had led to this. She had no choice but to watch this vision in its entirety and it wasn't going to be kind.

"Devin?"

She could hardly hear Remus over the sound of Sirius's panting as he rushed through the village back toward the forest.

He loved the feeling of the wind in his fur and wished he could enjoy it more without the rippling pain in his joints and the stitch in his side. He wasn't in the right shape for this.

"Devin, did he get out? Is he safe?"

She struggled to speak, knowing she was still standing in front of the torn portrait with Remus just off to the side of her, eyeing her in concern. Yet, when her mouth opened, no words came out.

He rushed through the brush, being sure to pay attention to the smells around him. He had to steer clear of the western part of the forest, able to catch the scent of a herd of centaurs. They were the last thing he wanted to deal with other than the Dementors. The problem with them was that they didn't give off a scent. He'd usually be able to tell based on the chill that clung to their presence but the country was headed into winter now and with how slim he was, the cold was an uncomfortable companion that stuck around.

Devin was beginning to shiver now, feeling the same blanket of chill settling over her and swearing she could see her breath fogging up in front of her face. It was just her mind playing tricks on her but there was no way out of it. The vision would either end or she would have to pull herself out and neither was looking like a viable option right now.

He yelped, jolting to the side just in time to avoid sprinting right into the cloak of a Dementor. He growled when it turned toward him, hackles rising like a threat as he anxiously licked his chops. He couldn't fight like this and the Dementor seemed confused so he took the opportunity to run off.

"Devin? Devin!" Remus called, though his voice sounded like it was underwater.

Then, he grabbed her by the arms, pulling her away from the portrait and allowing the connection to sever. The vision was still there but was fading ever so slowly as Devin breathed heavily with exertion; his arms practically holding her up.

He kept running until he hit the edge of the forest that he was familiar with, checking behind him in case the creatures had followed but there was nothing. A sigh of relief escaped him as he sank to the ground, exhausted.

"Hey," Remus murmured, trying to get her to focus on the present. "You're okay. You're safe. You're standing in front of the Gryffindor common room. I swear, you're safe, Devin."

"S-Safe," she breathed, trying to bring herself back. "H-He's safe. In the forest. There was a… a passage to Honeydukes."

Remus let out a breath of relief and nodded. "Yes. Yes, okay. Behind the witch statue. I remember. Merlin, I'm glad he's okay."

"T-There were dementors," Devin muttered, gaze drifting as though she were still worried they'd come up behind her.

Remus reached up and placed his hands on her face, fingers splayed over her neck and cheeks as he drew her silvery eyes to his. "They're gone. You're safe, Devin. I swear."

She wasn't calming down though. Instead, it got worse. Her eyes went wide and she inhaled sharply as her body trembled. He wasn't sure what was wrong and went to say something only for her to jolt back away from him and stumble. He hurried to help her up but she pushed herself further away with a shout.

"Don't touch me!"

He flinched back, hurt and confused, only for his gaze to catch on her still-silver eyes. He'd made a mistake. She had warned him, told him about her abilities, and he had done the one thing she feared most; reached out and touched her. He took a step back, hands held up peacefully as unease trickled through him.

"I am so sorry, Devin. I didn't… I shouldn't have…" He swallowed, watching her fearful expression remain unchanged. "What did you See?"

He was afraid to ask but also unable to help but be curious. Devin was terrified by whatever it was but it could be anything. Maybe she saw something from his past like the war or what he'd seen while checking on the werewolves in the area for Dumbledore. It could also be something he didn't know about yet. Maybe he did something terrible in the future, maybe he killed someone or You-Know-Who got a hold of him. Her reaction worried him and he had to know.

"Devin, please," he begged, guilt swimming in his gut for causing this mess in the first place.

She opened her mouth, struggling to find words or even catch her breath with the panic settling in. She felt betrayed by so many people; Remus, Dumbledore, the other professors who had to have known. She'd had this nightmare before. She remembered the tunnel under the Whomping Willow, how she'd been tied up and led by a wand. This time though, she was someone else.

She was Sirius Black.

He was leading someone else with a wand, chatting with who could only be Harry Potter at his side.

Her mind spun, not understanding what circumstances would lead to this in the future, but the problem was the fact that she could now see who the werewolf was.

Remus was leading the short, sickly man in the front and was also tied to another student who couldn't be recognized in the dark. Then, the clouds shifted. Moonlight bathed the group in its eerie glow and Remus stiffened, pulling to a halt. The body Sirius was leading bumped into Remus's back and Sirius immediately recognized what was happening. This wasn't good. He swung a hand out, stopping Harry and the other female student behind him from continuing as the girl gasped.

"Oh, my—He didn't take his potion tonight! He's not safe!"

"Run," Sirius whispered, trying to keep them out of Remus's attention for their safety. "Run, now."

Harry tried to run past him, but Sirius grabbed him and threw him back with a shout.

"Leave it to me. Run!"

There was a snarl as Remus began to change; face elongating into a snout, fur growing all over his body, his nails sharpening into claws. Sirius had to keep the kids safe. He wouldn't let them get hurt and he knew how terrible Remus would feel if he did anything to them. So, he shifted and rushed at the werewolf the moment he'd fully changed, doing his best to haul him away from the students as they stared in shock.

Shocked much like she was now. She couldn't breathe. She was hyperventilating because this was worse than the nightmares she had, worse than what she'd originally Seen. She had finally felt like she had a friend, had someone she could talk to who wouldn't mock her for her abilities or beliefs. She'd just begun to like her job because of him and now this?

"W-Werewolf," she choked out, voice tight with fear and hurt and devastation.

Remus wasn't sure what she meant though. Did he hurt someone as a werewolf in the future? Did she see when he was first changed?

"Devin, I don't understand."

He took a small step toward her and she immediately scooted back to put space between them again. He felt like his heart was breaking and desperately wished she would explain but then it clicked. She was scared, yes, but not of what she Saw.

She was scared of him.

If his heart hadn't shattered before, it certainly did now.

"You… didn't know?" He breathed, throat tightening at the realization that all of their interactions up until this point had been because she hadn't known what he was. "But I thought… All the staff were supposed to have…"

That didn't matter, he knew. Her being told or not wasn't important. What was, was the fact that she'd found out and was shaking on the floor in front of him in fear.

"I… I won't hurt you," he offered, knowing it would hardly comfort her but having to try anyway. "Devin, I…"

Merlin, how he wished he could just kneel down and explain things properly. Explain that nothing had changed. He was still the same person. He was completely harmless even on full moons with the potions he was being given. He wouldn't hurt her with the precautions in place and if he'd known she'd not been told, he would have explained from the start. He would have demanded that Dumbledore tell her at the very least! He should have done it in the first place because now everything was ruined.

"C-Can you get back to your room?" Remus asked, heartbroken at what could have been if things hadn't gone so terribly wrong.

Devin didn't move, still shaking but at least managing to calm her breathing enough that she didn't look ready to pass out.

"Please. Just say something," he begged, sinking to the ground and dragging a hand down his face. "I'm sorry. Really, if I had any say—any say at all—I would've…" He shook his head and dropped his hands into his lap. "You can go. I won't stop you. I'll… leave it up to you as to what you want to do now that you… that you know. I'll tell Dumbledore you went to check the grounds and returned to your room."

Devin was still silent but after a moment she managed to pull herself up and take one last fleeting look before hurrying away. Still, her terrified expression was burnt into his head and he grit his teeth tight before slamming a fist into the stone wall behind him.

"Dammit all."

Minerva McGonagall was not someone who usually participated in gossip. In fact, she usually stayed well away from it other than potentially making a few comments if she was brought into a conversation. That being said, she wouldn't go out of her way to get involved with anything unless it drew her attention in some way or another. That is why she didn't get involved with the drama going on between the new Divination professor and Remus Lupin.

Poppy and Pomona were rather thrilled by the addition of the two younger professors and even more so when they began to see the two getting close. McGonagall had nothing to say about the two really. She felt that they were being a bit naive perhaps but that was it. Young people tended to do such things so she felt it wasn't any of her business so long as it wasn't causing a disturbance. Thus far, they'd both kept on top of their work as professors and the students often looked forward to their lessons, which was all she could ask for. However, she would admit to having accidentally stirred things up in regard to Devin.

She hadn't meant to but she had personal feelings about Sybill Trelawney and her beliefs as well as how she went about showing them. It was often hard for her to remember that Devin and Sybill were close and what was worse, was she honestly couldn't see how they had come to be that way. Both were eccentric in their own ways and had similar beliefs and abilities—something she just assumed was true because what Divination professor wouldn't have a connection with the Sight? However, Devin came off as very cool and level-headed. Perhaps with a bit of shyness and self-isolating tendencies but she felt like the opposite of Sybill Trelawney's rash, bold, and downright psychotic personality. Of course, with how Devin reacted to what she said, it was becoming apparent that there was a side to the late professor that McGonagall had never seen. Since then, she had learned to watch what she said while in Devin's presence and tried to respect the woman's beliefs at the very least.

Otherwise, McGonagall stayed out of the woman's business and occasionally tried to encourage Pomona and Poppy to do the same, to no avail. Not that she would have any problem should Remus and Devin end up having more of a relationship. Merlin knows the young man could do with someone to keep him out of trouble. She just wished it wasn't as messy as it was turning out to be.

She sighed lightly as she walked through the castle; having a free period that morning and considering heading to the library to read through a book she'd been eyeing. That being said, her mind was elsewhere given Devin hadn't shown up for breakfast that morning and Remus had looked even more downtrodden than usual. Poppy and Pomona had been gossiping about something happening. Rumors had spread through the castle that the two had gone out together to Hogsmead the day before but it either hadn't gone well or something else had occurred to disrupt the two lovebirds. She wasn't planning on getting involved with whatever was going on. It usually resolved itself. The two were adults who could manage their own problems and didn't need to be coddled. Or so she thought.

She was walking by a set of stairs and heard a commotion coming from above her. Frowning lightly, she checked her watch. It was well past the time for the start of class, so there shouldn't have been many students out. A quick mental check placed her at the base of the Divination Tower so she begrudgingly started up the stairs and cleared her throat when she came upon a group of murmuring students; who all went silent when she approached.

"What seems to be the issue here? You should all be in your lessons."

"Professor!" Hermione Granger stepped forward with a look of concern. "We came for our Divination lesson, but the door hasn't opened and I've not seen Professor Callahan."

McGonagall's frown deepened and she flicked her wand to get the door to open. "For now, I want you all to go inside and start some review. I will go fetch Miss Callahan. I trust you will all behave for when we return."

They nodded and headed up the ladder, murmuring the whole way, undoubtedly making up their own stories about what was going on. McGonagall, however, wasn't thrilled that the ongoing drama with Devin and Remus was getting in the way of the student's lessons and she stormed to the woman's room fully prepared to scold her for her lack of consideration and negligence. Upon reaching the door, she pounded a fist against it sternly.

"Miss Callahan! You have a classroom of students who have been expecting you for the last twenty minutes! I don't know what is going on with you and Mr. Lupin but that is no excuse to abandon your students!"

There was silence from the other side of the door and McGonagall's temper flared as she considered drawing her wand or going straight to Dumbledore. Then, slowly, the door cracked open. Immediately, the fire that had been building in McGonagall's gut faded and the scolding on her lips fell away at the sight of the woman standing before her. She looked like she'd met Voldemort himself. Dark bags lined her eyes as though she hadn't slept a wink. Her skin was ghastly pale, her short hair a tangled mess as though she'd been constantly pulling at it, and she lightly quivered as though waiting for something to jump out at her. Her eyes flittered around the hall behind McGonagall, almost as though she wasn't actually seeing the woman there.

"Mis—Devin? My word, is everything alright?" McGonagall asked, seeing now that things were far worse than she expected.

This felt like there was far more going on than she realized. Devin's gaze finally flickered to hers and for a second, McGonagall swore there was a hint of suspicion and anger before it had vanished just as quick as it had appeared.

"Sorry," Devin muttered lowly. "I'm not… feeling great. I didn't realize the time."

McGonagall eyed her for a moment, knowing that wasn't entirely true but she wasn't pushing it. The woman looked dead on her feet.

"Very well. You are lucky I have a free period this morning. I will oversee their study time for today, though I suggest you see Poppy if you're not feeling well. Do you have other classes today?"

Devin shook her head, already glancing back into her room in an attempt to retreat. "Just the Third Years this morning and office hours."

"I'm sure they can do without them for one day," McGonagall replied. "Get some rest. I will let them know you've taken ill."

Devin slipped back into her room and McGonagall eyed the door for a moment longer before stepping away. She would need to have a word with Remus to find out what happened.

Remus stood in Dumbledore's office waiting for the man as he rubbed at his face. He didn't need McGonagall showing up after his lesson that morning to scold him about Devin. He knew she was a mess, knew she was terrified of him now that she knew what he was. He had hoped… No, it was silly to have hoped their budding friendship would help her overcome being afraid of what he was. Werewolves were meant to be feared. She had every right to be scared of him. What she hadn't deserved was to not be told until now.

The door opened behind him and he turned with a light frown as Dumbledore strode into the room with a pleasant smile on his face, as though he wasn't aware of what he'd done and the consequences that were occurring because of him. Remus wasn't stupid. He knew Dumbledore had a wide information network, especially in the castle. Devin's caution about her secrets being overheard by him were absolutely understandable.

"Remus," Dumbledore greeted calmly as he moved toward his desk and took a seat behind it, gesturing to the chair across the way. "Do have a seat. Would you like some tea or a lemon drop?"

"No," Remus replied shortly, not wanting to sit but doing so anyway in case this might become a long discussion.

Of course, Dumbledore acted unbothered and poured himself some tea before sipping it and setting it back down.

"Now, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Remus struggled to rein in his temper. It was too close to a full moon for this.

"Please don't play dumb with me," Remus muttered, earning a chuckle from the headmaster.

"Well, I suppose I've heard a few things about you and the new Divination professor, but that doesn't explain why you're in my office."

In order to prevent himself from growing more frustrated, Remus got right to the point.

"Why didn't you tell her?" He growled, gripping the arm of his chair in annoyance. "Why didn't you tell her I was a werewolf?"

Dumbledore somehow didn't seem surprised by this inquiry. "It is your secret to share, Remus. Why would you assume I did?"

"Because you said all the staff knew!" Remus snapped. "You said they knew because I was a threat to the school if they didn't. This wasn't about what I wanted but what was safe for the students!"

If Dumbledore was bothered by his show of anger, he didn't show it; sipping his tea once more and lightly setting it back down.

"Miss Callahan may only be with us for a short period. Given how… uneager she was to take the position, I assumed she wouldn't choose to stay more than a year. As such, I made the decision to withhold the fact that you are a werewolf. That, and I had concerns about how she would react. I take it she found out?"

Remus dragged a hand down his face, trying to cool some of the fire burning within him. "Yes, and was then absent from her class today which resulted in Professor McGonagall questioning me about causing it."

Dumbledore hummed, glancing toward the window for a moment. "Yes, well, such a reaction isn't entirely unexpected given her history."

Remus looked at him in confusion and slight unease. "Her history?"

Dumbledore nodded. "You should know that I vet all my employees, Remus. I had Miss Callahan looked into the moment she was invited to visit Hogwarts to gather Sybill Trelawney's things. While there was quite a bit missing from my reports, there was one thing that stood out which only added to my reasoning to hide your secret from her." He looked at Remus seriously. "On Halloween night two years ago, her son was killed by a werewolf."

Remus felt sick. The blood had drained from his face as understanding dawned on him and it only made him feel even worse. He had no right to be anywhere near her. He had no right to wish she might get over her fear of him or other werewolves. Not when her son was taken from her by one. She had every right to run, to hide away in her room or the Divination Tower. He was honestly stunned she hadn't fled from the school the second she found out.

"I-I never thought…" He choked on his words, bringing a hand up to his mouth as bile burned the back of his throat.

"She was living in America at the time," Dumbledore explained further, ignoring his distress for the moment other than whisking some tea over toward him. "Having fled at some point during the war. There might have been some connection with the werewolf factions here but I have yet to find it. She keeps quite a few things close to her chest and her caution prevents even me from understanding everything."

Good, Remus thought, knowing how uneasy she was about Dumbledore and knowing how her abilities could be used to manipulate things. He didn't want to see her put under someone's thumb if he could help it but he currently had no say with what he now had to do. He wouldn't dare try to push her to change her mind or her feelings about him. He was the very thing that took her son from her and she had every right to feel and react the way she was, even if it hurt. He would have to give her space. As much space as she needed even if it meant he would never see her smile at him again.

"I will check up on her tonight," Dumbledore offered. "I have someone who might be willing to substitute for her for some time if she needs it, and we will go from there."

Remus nodded stiffly, getting up from his seat and abandoning his cold tea. Nothing Dumbledore or anyone else did would fix this. He just had to accept that whatever might have been between him and Devin was gone. So, once he left the headmaster's office, he trudged through the halls and did his best to repeat to himself what he was going to do. I need to stay away. For her sake, I need to stay far, far away.

Things at Hogwarts had gotten a bit hectic after the scare with Sirius Black. Teachers had to escort kids for a while and then Callahan stopped showing up to lessons. Lupin had grown even more weary than he usually was and his smile was forced when in front of the other students. The weather took a turn for the worst too; storms raging outside the castle walls and an icy chill flowed through the halls. Harry was glad he wasn't stuck in the dungeons like the Slytherins but then Lupin was absent and he was stuck with the cold Head of Slytherin House which was just as bad. Like he cared about writing an essay on werewolves when he had the upcoming Quidditch game to worry about.

Said game had gotten changed thanks to Draco complaining about his well-healed hippogriff injury and as the weather worsened, no one was looking forward to the match. It got worse from there, of course, since the gathering of cheering students attracted the Dementors from the grounds and Harry passed out. Of course, as if his week couldn't get any worse, his fall had cost him his broom. Madam Pomfrey insisted he stay through the weekend and he didn't even care given the state of things. What's more, he hadn't expected to see a familiar face sneak into the infirmary late that first evening.

He thought it was Madam Pomfrey at first since she should've been the only one to be up in the infirmary at such a late hour. When a crack of lightning from the storm outside lit up her white hair though, Harry let out a small gasp. Callahan let out a quiet curse, somehow managing to catch the potion vial she was slipping out of the cupboard before it hit the ground. She glanced toward Madam Pomfrey's office to make sure she hadn't heard anything before slipping over to Harry's bed and bringing a finger to her lips.

He stayed quiet as she silently pulled his curtains closed and withdrew her wand, casting a spell that sent a small shimmer through the air. She let out a sigh of relief and dropped down onto the end of his bed.

"Sorry," she croaked, voice hoarse and matching her exhausted features. "Didn't mean to wake you, Harry."

He shook his head. "I was already awake, Professor."

She wrinkled her nose. "We're outside of class. Devin is fine."

Harry managed a small smile at that, having always appreciated her informal attitude even as a professor. "Right. What, um… What are you doing here? You haven't been to class in a while."

They'd been told she'd taken ill and she did look pale and gaunt, with dark bags under her eyes telling of lack of sleep. Even her clothes were in a state of disarray and she was jittery, almost; uneasy as she rolled the potion vial between her hands.

"Dreamless sleep," she explained simply, lifting the vial. "Didn't want to wake Madam Pomfrey for it."

It felt like there was more she wasn't saying and Harry was tempted to ask but bit his tongue. Most adults didn't care for kids poking into their business and even though Devin wasn't "most adults," she was still deserving of her privacy.

"Has… Has someone been taking care of my lessons?" She asked awkwardly, as though questioning how her lessons were going in her absence was hypocritical of her.

"Professor McGonagall did a few," Harry admitted, rubbing a thumb over his blanket. "So has Professor Lupin."

He didn't miss the way she stiffened and this time he couldn't help but ask.

"Did something happen between you two? I mean, there are rumors but… Well, he sure is acting like he's guilty of something. We just thought… We were worried, is all. You two were happy and then…"

He wasn't sure what more to say and every word seemed to just make Devin shrink into herself a little, which felt wrong given how confident she always seemed.

"Professor?"

The woman sighed; the breath flowing out of her and appearing to take years of her life with it. "Can… Can you keep a secret, Harry?"

Harry went to respond but she glanced at him and his lips slammed shut at the look in her eyes.

"Even from your friends, from Dumbledore or the other professors," she pushed, her gaze searching his in a way that made him feel exposed.

There would be no lying here. He had to swear he wouldn't tell Ron or Hermione or anyone what she would say. Given he could barely hold back telling his friends about the Grim he kept seeing, he felt that whatever his professor was about to tell him would be far easier to hide.

"I won't tell anyone," he swore and she nodded, turning her gaze back to her hands.

"I recently learned something about Re—Professor Lupin that reminded me of something terrible that happened in my life. It wasn't him who did it, but someone like him, and now… even just thinking about him or catching sight of him in the halls…"

Already she looked ill as she brought a hand to her mouth.

"What…" Harry thought about asking what she'd learned but changed his mind mid-sentence. "What did he remind you of?"

Devin looked over at him with such sadness, that Harry's own throat went tight. "He… H-He reminded me of the night my son was killed."

Harry's eyes went wide, having not expected to learn so much about his professor with just that one sentence. She'd had a child. She'd been with someone to have said child. That child was then killed and who knows what happened to the man she'd been with. That, and something was connecting that tragic death to the one man at Hogwarts who she had been happy with. Keeping this secret may just be harder than he thought.

"But…" Harry swallowed, trying to hold back all the unimportant questions bubbling in the back of his throat. "But he didn't do it, right?"

Devin nodded, glancing away and looking through a gap in the curtain as another streak of lightning flashed outside. "He didn't and I know he didn't but what I learned is… is he has the power to do something like that."

Harry shook his head. "No. Professor Lupin would never—"

"This isn't about Professor Lupin," she argued, a hint of bite in her tone—not out of anger for what Harry was suggesting but frustration for what she was dealing with. "It is but… but it's not him I'm worried about. It's the—I-It's what he's capable of. What it's capable of."

Harry was growing more confused by the moment. Obviously, she wasn't telling him the whole story and was trying to away from the specifics—to protect whom, he didn't know. Devin knew this and let out a heavy sigh as she dragged a hand through her hair.

"Sorry. It's complicated and I can't tell you everything. The point is, I am… scared of him and what I found out about him. Even if it's stupid. Even if it's irrational or rational or whatever, I can't see him without thinking of that." She lifted her potion vial with a bitter smile. "I'm literally relying on sleeping potions to prevent myself from dreaming of him doing something like that."

She lowered the potion and sagged forward, dropping her face into her hand as Harry shifted uneasily.

"I just… I don't know what to do anymore. I feel like a coward. I've always been a coward."

Harry wasn't sure what to say. He wasn't used to trying to comfort people and even then, this was a child trying to comfort an adult. It felt almost silly to try.

"I… I'm a coward too," he admitted, looking down at his hands. "I don't know if you heard but… but during the Quidditch match today there were Dementors that showed up. The reason I'm here is because I fell off my broom. I passed out just being near them."

Devin immediately shook her head, shifting on the bed and drawing his attention. "No. No, that doesn't make you a coward. Dementors… Their whole purpose is to suck the life out of people, bring up their worst memories, and you…" She winced. "I'm sorry, but you've had a worse life than most because of what happened with you and the Dark Lord. However young you were, there's probably some part of you that remembers that. Passing out isn't surprising. Even I…" She offered him a small, broken smile. "Even I have trouble."

Harry felt a little better about that but it wasn't everything. "I haven't told Ron or Hermione… about the Dementors or… or the Grim I keep seeing."

Devin frowned, giving him her full attention. "You've seen it again?"

He nodded. "At the game. It was in the stands just before the Dementors."

Devin scratched at her head, thinking for a minute as she pulled her legs up under her; looking uncertain about something for a moment. "I guess it could just be a dog."

Harry gave her a disbelieving look. "You're the Divination Professor and you don't think it's a Grim?"

"Grims are a myth," Devin waved off, leaning back on her hand and giving him a calm look now that she was more in her element and had calmed down with the distraction. "People see shapes in the dark and assume they're death omens."

"Isn't that what tea reading is though?" Harry argued and she hummed.

"Yeah, honestly. People see shapes and give them meaning. The only difference between the two is the Sight. You can see a Grim in your tea leaves and give it meaning if you have the Sight, but you're not about to walk outside and see the Grim on your doorstep. They're symbolic in meaning, not physical beings."

"So, why am I seeing a Gri—a dog—whenever something bad happens?" Harry asked, confused.

"Happenstance," Devin said with a shrug. "It's entirely possible a stray slipped into Hogwarts. I can check the grounds if you like, but I can't go far into the forest."

"It's the same dog though," Harry pressed. "The exact same dog I saw outside my aunt's house in Surrey. How could it be here?"

Devin hesitated again and this time Harry wasn't going to let it go.

"You know something about it, don't you?"

She closed her eyes and tangled her fingers in her hair again. "Possibly but I can't explain it to you. It's something I only just thought about and if it is what I think it is, then it's a lot more complicated than just a dog."

Harry wasn't sure what that meant and really wanted to press for more answers but Devin was getting up, putting a subtle end to the conversation.

"Sorry again, for waking you," she apologized. "And bothering you with… everything."

Harry shook his head, ignoring his mind spinning with unanswered questions. "It's okay… Will you be coming back to lessons again?"

Devin paused by his curtains, peering out and lifting her wand to dismiss the silencing charm around them. She glanced back at him and offered a small, hesitant smile and a nod. She couldn't avoid it forever. And something told her she wouldn't be able to avoid him either.