In the end, the truth of that night was buried in darkness.
Officially accepted as the truth is that Harry and the others were walking across the school grounds with Professor Snape late at night when they were attacked by a swarm of Dementors and nearly all five of them had their souls sucked out. Strictly speaking, this was not a lie.
As for the detailed circumstances, with Professor Snape's support and the fact that the Dementors were proven to be completely uncontrollable, the Ministry of Magic finally issued orders to send the Dementors back to Azkaban.
And as for me.
"I saw you coming."
Standing on the Hogwarts platform, Professor Lupin turned back with a gentle smile.
"So… you really are resigning, aren't you?"
Professor Lupin lifted his trunk and answered, "Yes."
"Regardless of the reason, I committed a grave error by forgetting to take my Wolfsbane Potion."
It was rare to hear such a firm, severe tone from the usually gentle professor as he stated it plainly.
"Even if nothing actually happened, it was something that should never have occurred. That's why, as an adult, I have to take responsibility."
As he spoke, explaining that this was simply how the adult world worked, his words felt almost like a final lesson.
"But…"
"And when I checked, it turned out you were right about what you said at the Shrieking Shack."
Interrupting me, Professor Lupin showed a slightly self-mocking expression.
"It wasn't just you and Hermione. Percy, Penelope, Gemma, and Annelotte also seem to have noticed fairly early on while preparing for their N.E.W.T. newt exams."
"As expected of the Head Boy and the prefects," Professor Lupin said with a faintly pleased smile.
"But I can't keep relying on your goodwill, or on Headmaster Dumbledore's kindness, forever. That incident made me rethink things."
He added that he had also placed a considerable burden on Professor Snape with the brewing of the Wolfsbane Potion and covering his classes. Even if it was unavoidable, he must have struggled deeply with the fact that the strain had spread to his workplace just to support him.
"I see…"
That was all I could manage to say.
Despite how earnestly he had devoted himself to his work and how loved he was by the students, he still had to resign for a reason he never chose, simply because he was a werewolf.
And yet, strangely enough, there was no sense of despair on Professor Lupin's face. Instead, he looked refreshed, almost relieved.
"Professor… um, are you really all right with this?"
Before I knew it, I had asked.
Trying to persuade him not to leave would surely be wrong. This decision, too, must have been something Professor Lupin chose after much anguish, as the best way to draw a line.
I wanted to respect that resolve. And yet.
"Why… do you look like that, Professor?"
It was a little different from the expression I had seen at the Shrieking Shack the other day, when Sirius's innocence was proven and a great weight seemed to lift from him. This was a face that looked as though he had found some kind of hope.
"If there is one thing that makes me glad I came to teach at this school," Professor Lupin said, smiling warmly.
"It's that so many students knew I was a werewolf, and still continued to call me 'Professor.'"
His expression was incredibly gentle.
"You never called me Remus Lupin the werewolf. You called me Professor Lupin, right to the very end. For me, that is more than enough."
◇◆◇
I, Remus Lupin, once had irreplaceable friends.
I had believed that someone with a body like mine could never have friends, yet they approached me even as I tried to keep my distance, and became my friends. Even after learning that I was a werewolf, they remained my friends all the same.
Three precious friends. Thanks to them, I was able to enjoy a brilliant student life.
Then came the day James and Lily were killed, Peter was believed to be dead, and Sirius was sent to Azkaban. To the world, it may have been a day of celebration marking the fall of Lord Voldemort, but for me, it was the worst day of my life.
I lost all my irreplaceable friends at once, and it felt as though the ground beneath my feet was collapsing with a terrible roar.
The days that followed were unbearably empty.
I scraped by on day-to-day work, never growing close to anyone, wandering aimlessly in loneliness. Even when Dumbledore invited me to come to Hogwarts, I honestly did not have high expectations.
Sooner or later, my being a werewolf would be exposed, and I would be forced to resign. The students who admired me without knowing the truth would surely recoil in fear and flee once they learned what I really was. And indeed, that reaction would be natural and unavoidable.
I would never again be blessed with good friends like those I had in my school days.
That was what I believed.
"Sensei!"
With a lively shout, a blonde girl who was always bursting with energy leapt in front of the startled me and Elaina.
"Daphne!? And Astoria too, why are you here?"
"Elaina, you're trying to keep all the good parts to yourself again!"
"So you noticed," Elaina said with a small laugh, smiling at me as I stood there dumbfounded. Astoria looked slightly exasperated at the sight of the two of us.
"Professor, please take one last look at Hogwarts."
"I'm sure something good will happen!"
I knew those smiling expressions on their faces.
They were the same expressions James and Sirius used to wear whenever one of their pranks succeeded. I, who was always dragged along with them, must have been making a face just like Astoria's now.
"What are you talking about?"
As I was about to speak, I saw something glowing burst out from the direction of the castle. It soared high into the twilight sky and then exploded brilliantly against the darkening evening heavens.
"Fireworks…"
They were large fireworks created by magic. Red, blue, yellow, green. In the colors symbolizing each house, countless blossoms of light bloomed across the sky.
When I squinted and looked up more closely, I saw many students flying through the air on broomsticks, including the Weasley twins. Students wearing different ties held their wands aloft, smiling as they launched the fireworks.
Before long, the fireworks gathered together into a single formation, and large letters appeared in the night sky.
Professor Lupin, thank you for this past year!!!
The glittering fireworks shining in the twilight felt as though they were lighting the path ahead of me.
A sudden surge of emotion welled up inside me, tightening my chest.
What exactly was this feeling rising within me?
It was neither anxiety nor joy, but something else entirely. It felt like drifting within a soft, floating dream, wishing that, if this were a dream, it would never end.
"Professor."
Astoria spoke gently. Her expression was calm, unlike her usual self.
"I'm sure you'll be just fine, Professor."
At those words, I finally understood what this feeling truly was.
This feeling was surely loneliness.
On this day, I am leaving Hogwarts. I will no longer teach Elaina and the others, nor will I tell Harry stories about James and the rest of our past. I will never again feel the growth of my students through their exams.
Severus will no longer brew potions while muttering sarcastic remarks, and I will never again be dragged off to Hogsmeade by a crowd of girls and forced to go shopping with them.
The moment I realized that, the days I spent at Hogwarts this past year, every single day with my students, came rushing over me like a flood and swallowed me whole.
I have no regrets about deciding to leave teaching.
I knew this day would come. I had prepared myself for it.
And yet.
Only now do I remember just how painful, lonely, and heartbreaking partings can be.
How long had it been since I last felt like this?
"…"
I tried to say something, but faltered at the last moment.
I wanted to express my gratitude better. I wanted to convey a thank you far too great to be captured by words alone.
"…This is troubling. I don't think I can bring myself to say goodbye."
As I struggled to find anything better to say, it was Elaina who replied.
"In times like that, you can just say 'see you again.'"
"…Honestly, at this rate, I can't even tell which of us is the teacher."
Truly, I was blessed with wonderful students. Over the course of this year, I met so many exceptional students, more than I deserved.
So at the very least, let us part with smiles.
"I will never forget you. This past year was truly wonderful."
The train whistle signaling departure rang out. I boarded the train and leaned out the window. Then, with heartfelt gratitude, I called out to the students who had come to see me off.
"We'll meet again! Until then, farewell!"
Slowly, the train began to move.
It gradually picked up speed and carried me farther and farther away. Hogwarts receded into the distance, and Elaina and the others grew smaller and smaller.
＊＊
And so, my life as a teacher came to an end. Looking back, it was a year that felt both short and long.
I have no idea where I should go from here. Yet the anxiety and loneliness I once felt were gone.
When I look back, all I see are sparkling, beautiful, and gentle memories.
And surely, as I continue my journey, there will be many more to come.
They taught me that.
They reassured me, telling me everything would be all right.
So I, too, will face forward and take a step toward the tomorrow I have yet to see.
With that firm resolve in my heart,
I straightened my back just a little more than usual.
(End of chapter)
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