Sean was the first to board the train, and Professor McGonagall's gaze remained fixed on it the whole time.
Only after the young wizard's figure flashed past one of the windows did she calmly disappear from the station.
At the place where she vanished, beside the third pillar, Mrs. Weasley gave Harry an extra-tight hug. Harry felt a little embarrassed, but he was happy all the same.
"Take care of yourself, alright, Harry?"
she said, straightening up, her eyes shining with a curious light.
She opened her enormous handbag and said,
"I made sandwiches for all of you. Remember to give this one to that Green boy…
Though it really is odd—he's always with Professor McGonagall…
Here you are, Harry, and you too, Ron… no, not the corned beef one… Fred? Where's Fred got to? Here, dear…"
"Harry,"
Mr. Weasley came over and said in a low voice,
"come over here for a moment."
He tilted his head toward a pillar, and Harry followed him behind it, while the others boarded the train after Sean.
On the train—
Sean walked down the corridor. They weren't late, but most of the compartments were already full, except for the ones near the very end of the train.
"Sean—slow down a little, will you—"
Justin was the first to catch up, with Hermione beside him carrying a pet basket.
Sean paused, and the three of them entered a compartment together.
There was only one person inside: a man asleep by the window.
Justin and Hermione stood at the door and took a look.
The Hogwarts Express was usually just for students. Aside from the witch who pushed the snack trolley, they had never seen any other adults on board before.
This stranger was wearing a neat wizard's robe, but it had been patched in several places.
He looked sickly, as though he had no strength at all.
Though he still looked fairly young, his light brown hair was already streaked with gray.
"Um… who is he?"
Hermione asked in a whisper as they shut the sliding door and chose seats as far from the window as possible.
"Our shop manager,"
Justin said cheerfully.
"What shop manager?"
Hermione blinked, confused.
Before Justin could answer, Harry, Ron, and Neville burst through the door.
"Everyone's here!"
Ron said happily.
The compartments on the Hogwarts Express were quite spacious. Six young wizards were a squeeze, but with Ron and the others having left their luggage next door, it was easy enough for them to stay here for a while.
"Your sandwiches,"
Harry said, not forgetting Mrs. Weasley's instructions.
"Steak sandwich—thanks, Harry,"
Justin said, happily taking his.
"Blueberry…"
Hermione said with delight, peeking inside hers.
Then they all turned to look at Sean. Unsurprisingly, the sandwich in his hand had practically been made into a pumpkin pie.
Sean carefully put the sandwich away.
"Who's that?"
Ron had noticed the sleeping wizard.
"Professor R. J. Lupin,"
Justin immediately said in a low voice.
"How do you know?"
Ron asked curiously.
Hermione was confused too. Hadn't Justin just said something about a shop manager?
Still, she did know that Justin and Sean had opened a bookshop. The old manager there did not appear all the time, but he was often seen wearing a hood and tidying up the shop all day.
She had heard that recently he was about to leave, which apparently meant that for several days in a row he had been intensely interviewing new wizard shop managers.
Hermione had also heard his standards were absurdly high...
"He's from Green Bookshop—"
Hermione began automatically.
"It says so on his trunk,"
Justin said instead, pointing to the luggage rack above the man's head.
There sat a battered little case, tied up with all sorts of ropes, the knots fastened very neatly. On one corner, the name Professor R. J. Lupin was printed, though the letters were a little worn.
The little case looked as though it might fall apart at any moment, but it was wrapped in a magical vine. Whenever the shaking of the train bent it out of shape, the vine tightened around it like a living thing.
No one knew who had Transfigured it like that.
Except Lupin himself, and—
"Oh, Sean, look at that—what brilliant Transfiguration…
I know you did it. Honestly, it's not fair."
Justin whispered, sounding half-admiring and half mock-annoyed.
"You don't have a broken trunk,"
Sean said.
"I could."
Justin's eyes lit up.
"Oh, honestly—"
Hermione couldn't take it anymore.
"I wonder what he teaches,"
Ron said, staring with great interest at Professor Lupin's lifeless-looking figure.
"What else would it be?"
Hermione whispered.
"There's only one vacancy, isn't there? Defense Against the Dark Arts."
The young wizards had already had two Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, and both had only lasted a year.
There were rumors—in fact, Hagrid had said it outright—that the position was cursed.
"Well, I hope he's up to it,"
Ron said doubtfully.
"Look at him—one powerful witch could finish him off, couldn't she…"
This time even Hermione frowned.
They had gone to great lengths to get rid of that fraud Lockhart, and now a bookshop manager was showing up to teach them Defense Against the Dark Arts. However one looked at it, it did not inspire much confidence.
"Sean…"
When in doubt, Hermione chose to ask the young wizard.
"Mr. Lupin is more than qualified,"
Sean said.
"Oh?"
Hermione looked pleasantly surprised. She wanted to ask more, but Ron interrupted again.
"Sean, can you go to Hogsmeade now? If all of us go together,"
Ron said eagerly,
"then Black won't dare—"
"Oh, please, Ron, don't be ridiculous,"
Hermione snapped, still annoyed.
"Black murdered a whole crowd of people in the middle of a busy street. Do you really think he wouldn't dare just because we're there?"
As she spoke, she fiddled with the straps on Crookshanks's wicker basket.
"Stop! Stop! You're opening it—don't let that thing out!"
Ron said, but it was already too late.
Crookshanks sprang deftly out of the basket, stretched, yawned, and leapt straight onto Ron's lap.
The lump in Ron's pocket started trembling violently, and Ron shoved Crookshanks off angrily.
"Get away from me!"
"Ron!"
Hermione said furiously.
Ron was just about to answer when Professor Lupin suddenly stirred.
They all looked at him nervously, but he merely turned his head the other way, his mouth slightly open, and went right on sleeping.
The Hogwarts Express sped northward, and the landscape outside the windows grew bleaker and bleaker.
As the clouds thickened overhead, the light gradually began to fade.
~~~
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