HARRY POTTER AND THE MIRROR'S GIFT PART II

By Kim

CHAPTER TWELVE

They were all gathered in the Great Hall for the start of term feast.

"Look, Harry," said Hermione, "Look who's at the staff table - it's Jeanne!"

Harry turned to look. Jeanne, in her usual green and brown outfit, was sitting between Hagrid and Professor Flitwick.

"We've got some new teachers, too," observed Ron.

At this moment, Professor Dumbledore stood up to speak.

"Welcome to another new school year," he said, beaming at everyone, his half-moon spectacles glinting. "Before we begin our feast, I have the pleasure of introducing two new members of staff to you.

"Firstly, we have Professor Marcus Flynn, who is here to conduct some research on Potions jointly with Professor Snape."

The students clapped politely. Professor Flynn stood up and bowed. He was tall and good-looking, but he had a rather innocent and childlike expression on his face.

Ron looked startled.

"Did he say Marcus Flint?" he asked. Marcus Flint had been the much-disliked (at least by the Gryffindors) Quidditch captain of the Slytherin team.

"It's Flynn, not Flint," said Hermione, clapping enthusiastically. "He's quite handsome, isn't he?"

Ron looked at him.

"Doesn't look very bright," he commented.

"And secondly," continued Professor Dumbledore, "we have Professor Venilda Maricai. She is temporarily here to replace Professor Trelawney, who is away on Sabbatical Leave."

Professor Maricai had large, green eyes, and her golden curls were twisted fashionably at the back of her head. She looked very glamorous, and looked as if she knew it. Harry privately thought she looked rather vain. Ron, however, looked as if he was pleased he hadn't dropped Divination.

After the feast, Harry went up to talk to Jeanne.

"You've grown taller, Harry," she said, looking pleased to see him. She put a hand on his shoulder, and kissed him affectionately on the cheek.

Harry was startled, but secretly rather pleased.

"I'm surprised you're here," he said.

She smiled.

"Hagrid dragged me here. I guess I can't always run away…and anyway, I'm not as frightened of crowds as I used to be."

Harry looked around.

"Where's Professor Lupin?" he asked.

"Over there," she said, smiling and pointing.

Lupin was leaving the Hall. Professor Maricai was with him, talking animatedly. For some reason, the sight of them together displeased Harry.

He turned to look at Jeanne, but she didn't seem to mind.

"Hagrid's leaving," she said. "I've got to go, too. See you all sometime for tea, as usual?"

Harry nodded, and she smiled, and left.

Friday afternoon found Harry on his way to Hagrid's cabin alone. Hermione was in the library, and Ron had gone to see Professor McGonagall about something.

He was halfway there when he heard footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw that it was Professor Flynn. He smiled when he saw Harry.

"Good afternoon," he said, turning his childlike gaze on Harry. "You're Harry Potter, aren't you?"

"Yes," said Harry.

"Just taking a look around the school," said Flynn, looking around him. "Do you mind if I walk with you?"

"I'm going to Hagrid's cabin," explained Harry.

"Wonderful!" said Flynn, smiling, "I'll go with you!"

Harry wasn't too pleased. For some reason, he found Professor Flynn rather irritating.

It was a stormy day. Dark clouds were gathering, and the wind was blowing strongly.

When they reached Hagrid's, Harry saw Jeanne outside at one of the enclosures. It was mating season for the Hippogriffs, and two males were sparring with each other while a female looked on. Jeanne was obviously trying to separate the two.

Professor Flynn's childlike face lit up when he saw her.

"Who's that?" he asked, excitedly.

"That's Jeanne," said Harry, surprised. "Hagrid's assistant. She was at your table, at the start of term feast."

Flynn was still watching. Jeanne was shouting at the Hippogriffs; her hair had come down, and was floating behind her in the wind like a silky black banner. She suddenly mounted one of the Hippogriffs, and it took flight. At this moment, the clouds broke slightly and a shaft of sunlight shone down on her, producing a very dramatic effect.

Professor Flynn couldn't seem to take his eyes off her.

"What a beautiful girl!" he said, looking spellbound.

Jeanne flew the Hippogriff to the end of the pen, and tied it up.

"Harry, will you introduce me to her?" asked Flynn.

"But you must have met her," protested Harry. "She was at your table - "

They had reached the pen. Jeanne saw them and came over, tying her hair up again. She was wearing her usual rather sullen expression.

"Jeanne, this is Professor Marcus Flynn," said Harry, feeling slightly awkward. "He wants to meet you. Professor Flynn, Jeanne Graham."

Professor Flynn didn't seem surprised to hear that Jeanne, though Chinese, had an English surname.

"But we've met," said Jeanne, surprised and not looking too thrilled. "I met you at the start of term feast."

"Have we?" said Flynn in his childlike way. "It must have been too confusing that night…so many new faces…"

She shook hands with him, then turned to Harry.

"I can't stay, Harry," she said. "I need to see Madam Pomfrey about something."

"I'll walk back to the castle with you!" said Flynn, enthusiastically.

"I beg your pardon, but I'm in a bit of a hurry," she said, giving him a polite smile. "Please excuse me." And she transformed into a hawk, and flew off toward the castle.

"What an amazing girl!" said Flynn, watching in an awestruck manner. He did not seem interested in staying with Harry, now that Jeanne had gone, and to Harry's relief he set off back to the castle.

"Looks like Jeanne has a new admirer," said Harry to himself.

Professor Flynn proved to be a persistent admirer. He began to come down to Hagrid's quite often, hoping to meet Jeanne. When Neville came over to Hagrid's to discuss his homework with Jeanne, he would hang around and try to contribute his own views. He would also enthusiastically join in the discussion whenever Jeanne went to talk to Professor Snape about potions.

Jeanne put up with it at first, but after a while she began to lose patience.

"I'm quite busy today, Marcus," she said crossly one day, when he had come round again. "Please don't bother me."

Flynn, however, didn't seem put off whenever she got cross. He was as persistent as ever.

Ron and Hagrid found the entire situation very funny.

"Professor Flynn's coming, Jeanne," Ron would say, looking out of the window. At first this had the effect of sending Jeanne running out the back door, but after a while she realised they were only pulling her leg. In the end, she stationed some of her bird friends on the roof of the hut to warn her if Flynn was coming. She would then transform herself into a bird and fly out the window, and perch on the roof until he left.

"Why don' yeh like Professor Flynn, Jeanie?" asked Hagrid one day. "Yeh get annoy'd when we tease yeh with him. Yeh never used ter get cross even when we teased yeh with Professor Snape, an' Flynn's much better-lookin' than him."

"Severus doesn't keep hanging around the way Marcus does," said Jeanne, looking up from a shirt of Hagrid's that she was mending. "And at least Severus can contribute something intelligent to the conversation. Marcus is incapable of uttering anything remotely interesting."

"But he's a Professor!" pointed out Hermione.

Jeanne smiled, then gave a small shrug.

"He's supposed to be doing research with Severus," she said, "but Severus seems to be doing most of the work."

"I'm not surprised," said Harry. "Flynn doesn't have time to do any work. He's always hanging around trying to get near you."

Jeanne frowned.

"I'm asking Neville to come to my room for tuition, from now on," she said.

"Neville doesn't mind Professor Flynn," said Ron. "He sometimes takes over our Potions classes, so that Snape can do his research, and he's a vast improvement on Snape."

"He's a playboy, though," said Harry. "We see photos of him every week in Witches' Weekly. He's always attending some ball or party during the weekend, and he seems loaded with money."

Jeanne looked rather disapproving.

"You shouldn't read tabloids like Witches' Weekly, Harry," she said reprovingly. "It's trash."

"I don't," said Harry. "Parvati Patil and Lavendar Brown are the ones who buy it. I just happened to see Flynn inside."

"Only bad thing I can see 'bout Professor Flynn is that he likes huntin'," said Hagrid.

"Flyin'-Fox huntin' an' all that. I tol' him no huntin's allow'd in Hogwarts here, though, if he wants ter, he has ter do it elsewhere."

Jeanne looked even more disapproving.

"Barbarian!" she muttered, turning back to the shirt. She ran the tip of Hagrid's pink umbrella over a rip in the sleeve, and it closed up, like, well, magic.

Jeanne was not the only one with a new admirer. To Harry and the others' astonishment, Professor Maricai appeared to have attached herself to Professor Lupin. She was not as obvious as Professor Flynn was with Jeanne, but Harry and the others noticed that she would always try to sit next to Lupin during meals, and she didn't have Professor Trelawney's preference for staying closeted up in her room. She would often be seen somewhere near Lupin's office, or waiting outside his classroom to ask him something when the class ended.

"It doesn't make sense," said Hermione, looking puzzled, after dinner one day. "I don't think she's really the type Professor Lupin would go for."

"I don't think Lupin likes her," said Harry. "He's his usual polite self with her, but that's all. She's the one after him."

"I wonder whether she knows he's a werewolf," said Hermione, thoughtfully.

"I didn't think he'd be the type she'd go after, either," pointed out Ron. "She's more Flynn's type."

"Flynn's too busy chasing Jeanne," said Harry. "And that only leaves Lupin. No one in their right mind would go after Snape, and I don't think she'd go for Flitwick."

"Things are pretty interesting this term, aren't they?" said Hermione. "Last year it was only Professor Lupin and Jeanne."

Harry said nothing. Although he knew Jeanne and Lupin were officially only friends, he somehow found the thought of either of them being with anyone else very offensive.

"Lupin will never go after Professor Maricai, anyway," he said to himself. "For the same reason he's refused to be with Jeanne."

Professor Lupin, however, showed no sign of being interested in Professor Maricai. If anything, Harry couldn't help noticing that Lupin and Jeanne seemed closer than ever. They were still discreet about their relationship, so that most of the school appeared to be unaware of it, but Harry, who knew about them, sometimes felt that each seemed to know what the other was thinking without saying anything.

Jeanne sometimes came for meals at the Hall now, but she hardly ever sat with Lupin. She usually sat with Hagrid, or Professor Flitwick, or even Snape. Harry sometimes saw her and Lupin exchange a look from opposite ends of the table. Sometimes they would just smile quietly at each other, as if at some private joke. Once, Harry saw Lupin looking at Jeanne as if asking her a question; she gazed back, as if listening, then gave a small shake of the head in reply.

Jeanne didn't even seem to mind the attention Professor Maricai was paying to Lupin. She would watch in amusement while he patiently listened to one of Professor Maricai's long and involved stories, and give him a mischievous smile if she caught his eye.

Harry couldn't quite understand, himself, why he felt concerned about their relationship working out. Perhaps because Jeanne had confided in him about it. Lupin had been one of his father's close friends, and Harry liked Jeanne. He knew her habitual sullen expression was partly the result of the misery she'd endured in Kamchatka. The sullen expression usually vanished into a smile, though, when she saw Harry. She had always seemed especially fond of him. She was giving Neville tuition, but she would also sometimes quietly ask Harry how his schoolwork was progressing, and Hagrid would occasionally let slip that she had been worrying about him behind his back.

Because of all this, Harry somehow found himself checking the Marauder's Map every full moon, without telling anyone, to make sure Jeanne was still helping Madam Pomfrey look after Lupin. He was pleased to note that they were also still roaming around the grounds at night, during that time, as wolves.

He had noticed some irregularities in the Map's behaviour, though. On one occasion, he had brought it out because he wanted to ask Jeanne something, and he wanted to check if she was in her room or down at Hagrid's. To his surprise, she was in Lupin's room.

"She must have dropped by to talk," he thought. "It isn't full moon at the moment."

Then he blinked. The two small dots in Lupin's room had disappeared.

"Where have they gone?" he wondered. Could they have Apparated out of the castle?

"But no one can Apparate from the castle," thought Harry. He carefully searched through the whole Map, but they were nowhere to be found.

He checked the Map more often after that. He began to notice that Jeanne sometimes didn't appear to be on the school premises at all, usually at night. He thought that she might have transformed into a bird, and flown out of the grounds for a breath of air; but the Map would then show that she was still absent, even four or five hours later.

"It's not possible; the Map must be faulty," Harry decided. "Lupin and the others must have made a mistake while writing it."

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Nothing much happens in the first half of the school year, so we now jump to the end of March.

Harry might find Professor Flynn irritating, but he definitely preferred it when Flynn took over the Potions classes from Snape. It was a relief for Neville too, for whom the memory of his disastrous Potions exam the previous year was still fresh.

Neville seemed to have lost all confidence in himself when it came to Potions. Snape was being as nasty to him as ever, and Neville even went to pieces when Professor

Flynn conducted the class, although Flynn was very kind to him, probably because he knew Jeanne was tutoring him.

On one occasion, the students were supposed to prepare a solution which was used to turn gemstones greener.

"Used in the jewellery business," said Professor Flynn, giving them his childlike stare. "Improves emeralds of poor quality, and deepens the green in jade."

Neville, his face screwed up in concentration, started work on his potion. Harry, sitting at the next table, noticed Trevor, Neville's pet toad, watching Neville with a rather bored look on his toady face.

Flynn came over to Neville several times to encourage him. Everything seemed to be going swimmingly, when all of a sudden, Pansy Parkinson, one of the Slytherins, let out a shrill scream.

Trevor had become tired of watching Neville, and had wandered off to watch some of the other students. He had come over to watch Harry for a while, then hopped over to the Slytherins' side. Here he suddenly felt sleepy, so he made himself comfortable on a pile of Pansy's luminous fungi - one of the potion's ingredients - and went to sleep. Pansy, intent on her solution, didn't notice him till she put out a hand to grab some fungi and caught hold of Trevor instead. She screamed.

Trevor gave an indignant croak and leapt up in the air - to drop right into Pansy's cauldron, which fortunately had cooled down. Solution splattered all over the place, onto Pansy, who continued shrieking, and Draco Malfoy, who was sitting next to her. Pansy grabbed her wand and whacked it at Trevor. Trevor, now a bright grass green, hopped desperately off the table back to Neville, who jumped up in excitement, and accidentally dropped a lump of sulphur into both his fire and his cauldron.

Flames sprang up, and the solution, bubbling furiously, shot out in a fountain toward the ceiling, raining onto the surrounding tables and students.

Pandemonium reigned. The girls all screamed, and everyone started scrambling for cover. Harry, peering out from under his table, saw that Neville's solution was turning everything blue, not green. Trevor, now an electric blue instead of green, came hopping over to take refuge under Ron's cauldron, which was lying overturned on the floor.

Professor Flynn, his face a bright blue colour due to the solution, shouted for calm and started searching around the floor for his wand, which Goyle had knocked out of his hand while running past for cover.

In the midst of all the confusion, the door opened and Professor Snape came in with something in his hand. The class, seeing him, suddenly fell silent.

Snape ignored the chaos in the class, and looked at Flynn with a strange glitter in his eyes.

"Donahue is dead," he said.

Flynn's face went a paler shade of blue.

"No!" he gasped. "You're joking!"

Snape said nothing, but merely held out a scrap of parchment.

Flynn read it, then looked at Snape.

"Murdered?" he said, almost in a whisper. "But - who would want to murder him?"

Snape's lip curled.

"That is not our problem, Flynn. Our problem is whether there is any point continuing with the research now."

Flynn seemed to be thinking, and then an expression of mulish determination came over his childlike face.

"We must continue, Severus!" he said. "How can we let our colleague down? We will find a way!"

Snape was wearing his usual sneering expression.

"It's up to you, Flynn," he said coldly. "It is of very little consequence to me whether the experiment is successful or not."

"How can you say that, Severus?" said Flynn, looking rather shocked.

Snape, however, was already leaving the room. He paused at the door, then turned around and snapped,

"We will be having a meeting immediately. The Headmaster wishes to see us."

Flynn, his mouth slightly open, watched as Snape disappeared through the door. Then, he suddenly turned to the students and said, "Class dismissed! Excuse me, I have an urgent meeting." And he hurried through the door after Snape.

Ron, fishing Trevor - now a mixture of electric blue and grass green - out of his cauldron, turned to Harry.

"What on earth was all that about?" he asked.

Harry couldn't sleep. He lay, wide awake, staring up at the canopy of his bed. Then, he got up and took out the album of his parents' photographs and looked through it. When he had finished, he placed it back in his trunk. He then caught sight of the bottle of stardust which Jeanne had obtained from the mirror in Deorg's fortress for him.

He took the bottle out, and idly turned it around in his hands for a while, watching the dust shimmer. Would it one day bring his parents back?

He put the bottle back in the trunk, then saw his Invisibility Cloak. He hadn't used it for a while.

Harry stared at the Cloak for a minute or two, then made up his mind. He would just walk around the castle a bit, until he felt a bit more sleepy. Taking up the Cloak, he went from the room.

He wandered down to the Great Hall, then over to the Charms corridor. At one point he saw Mrs Norris coming up a flight of stairs, and stopped until she passed.

"Just one more round, and then I'll go back to bed," he said to himself.

The route he was taking would lead him past Professor Lupin's room. He was just passing by when the door opened, and Jeanne came out. Harry stopped short in surprise. He pulled the Invisibility Cloak more tightly around him and looked at her.

Why was she with Lupin at this hour of the night?

Lupin was at the door, looking at her. For a while, they faced each other, and something seemed to pass between them, though they did not say anything. Harry could tell by their faces that something was wrong.

At last, Jeanne said softly, "Are you sure, Remus?"

Lupin's gaze fell to the floor.

"Forgive me, Jeanne," he said, quietly.

She looked at him for a moment more, then turned and made her way down the corridor. Harry could clearly see tears rolling down her cheeks as she passed him.

Lupin stood at the doorway as if turned to stone, watching her with an obscure kind of pain in his eyes. Then, when she had gone, he slowly turned around and shut the door.

Harry stood there, petrified. What had happened?

He headed slowly back to the Gryffindor common room, and up to bed, still thinking.

The only thing he could think of, that could explain what he'd just seen, was that Lupin had decided he liked Professor Maricai after all, and had dumped Jeanne. But this seemed so impossible that Harry dismissed it. He lay in bed for a while, and fell asleep still wondering about it.

Jeanne seemed very subdued over the next few days. She was wearing her sullen expression even more than ever. Hagrid was worried about her.

"She's almos' like she was when she firs' came here," he told Harry. "Not talkin' ter anyone."

Harry, however, didn't tell Hagrid what he'd seen. He knew neither Jeanne nor Lupin would care for anyone to know.

Professor Lupin was also looking rather sober. He even looked rather irritated by Professor Maricai's constant attention at times, which was unusual for him. Harry couldn't help feeling pleased when he noticed this.

"That rules out one reason, anyway," he said to himself.

During the next full moon, just a few days later, he checked the Marauder's Map.

Jeanne was in Lupin's room during the day, but at night she was back in her own room.

Harry felt his heart sink when he saw this.

He thought of trying to talk to her, but she seemed to be avoiding him.

He finally had his chance a few days later, when he happened to meet her one afternoon down at Hagrid's. She was sitting on the floor, reading a thick book. In front of her was an array of small jars full of unsightly solutions. They reminded Harry of the jars he had seen in Snape's study.

"Hagrid's gone to London on an errand for Dumbledore," she said when she saw Harry. "He won't be back till tonight."

Harry sat down next to her, but before he could say anything, there was a knock on the door, and Neville came in. He was holding Trevor, who was still a peculiar mixture of grass green and blue.

"I've tried to make Trevor take his medicine, but he just refuses to," said Neville dolefully. "Can you persuade him a bit for me?"

Jeanne took Trevor on her palm and said something to him. Trevor stared back at her, gulping gently and blinking.

Jeanne looked at him for a while, then smiled at Neville.

"He says you're trying to give him the wrong medicine, Neville. It should be from the bottle with the red cap, not the black one."

"Oh!" said Neville, going pink. He thanked her, and then trotted out the door, clutching Trevor.

Harry looked at the thick book Jeanne was reading.

"Journal of Medicinal Potions and Herbal Remedies," he read. He looked at her, puzzled.

"What are you reading that for, Jeanne?" he asked. "It can't be for Neville; it's far too advanced - those are published papers."

"So they are," agreed Jeanne. "Some of the terms are so technical I don't understand them." She shrugged, and said evasively, "It's just for general knowledge."

She picked up Hagrid's pink umbrella and started pointing it at the jars on the floor, labeling each one.

Harry sat and watched her.

"Are you still helping Snape?" he asked. "I would have thought, with Flynn around, you wouldn't have to, any more."

Jeanne pointed the umbrella at the last jar, but nothing happened. She whacked the umbrella on the floor, then tried again. A blank label appeared on the jar.

She gave a small sigh.

"Hagrid's umbrella is acting up again," she said. "I guess I have to do it the other way."

She pointed a finger at the blank label, and the word "Agapanthus" appeared on it.

Harry looked at her face. She was wearing her usual sullen expression, and there were shadows under her eyes, like Lupin sometimes had.

"Are you all right?" he asked. "You look tired."

She just sighed again, and stared at the jars.

They sat in silence for a while, and then Harry spoke.

"Something's bothering you, Jeanne," he said. "I don't want to pry, but both Hagrid and I are worried about you. Can't we do anything to help?"

She looked at him, then shook her head.

She was silent a while longer, staring at the floor, and then she finally spoke.

"A week ago I went to see Remus," she said. "I more or less begged him to change his mind, and to let us be more than friends. But he wouldn't agree."

Harry looked at her in surprise.

"But - I thought you told me you were content to just be friends!"

She bit her lip.

"Things have changed," she said, not looking at him. "Time is running out."

Harry looked blank.

"I'm sorry…I - I don't understand."

She sighed.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I don't really want to talk about it. Please try and understand."

She put all the jars into a box, and got up to go. At the door, she paused, and looked at Harry.

"And please don't tell Hagrid."

"All right," said Harry, feeling rather worried.

She looked depressed. Without another word, she turned and left, shutting the door behind her.

Harry knew he was being a busybody, but he was so worried about Jeanne that he started keeping tabs on her by using the Marauder's Map. She had been suicidal in the past, and he wasn't going to take any chances.

The Map seemed to be behaving better lately. Harry didn't notice any more people suddenly mysteriously vanishing, and Jeanne now always appeared to be in Hogwarts.

He noticed she seemed to be spending a lot of her time closeted in her room. Harry wondered what she was up to; at first he thought she was sick, but then he would see her later that same day looking fine, if a bit tired.

She was still giving Neville tuition; but she stopped attending Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures classes.

"Tol' her she needn' come," said Hagrid, when they asked about her. "She ask'd me if she could stop, an' I said yes, since she's not bin lookin' well lately. Guess it was jus' a matter of time before she has ter drop somethin', she can't keep havin' a finger in so many pies."

But the most extraordinary thing that Harry noticed from the Map was that Jeanne seemed to be spending more time with Marcus Flynn. At first, he thought she must be discussing potions with him, just as she did with Snape. But then, he saw them together in Hogsmeade.

Harry had just come out of Zonko's, together with Ron and Hermione, when the latter grabbed his arm and said, "look!"

Jeanne and Flynn were standing nearby, looking at jewelry. The jewelry shop was not Grenivere's, where Professor Lupin had obtained the wolf pendant, but a new and trendier looking shop which had booths outside so as to attract more customers. Signs stuck on each booth said, "Anti-shoplifting charm activated".

Harry couldn't believe his eyes.

"But - Jeanne doesn't even like jewelry!" he said. "I've seen her in a jewelry shop before, and she looked totally bored."

"She doesn't look bored, now," said Ron. "She looks like she's having the time of her life. And Flynn seems to be buying up half the shop for her."

They went a bit closer, close enough to hear what Jeanne and Flynn were saying.

"We might want to have a look at Grenivere's shop after this," Flynn said.

Jeanne frowned.

"I don't go to Grenivere's, Marcus," she said. "His wares are all of very low quality."

Harry couldn't believe his ears. He watched as Flynn bought five necklaces, and gave them to Jeanne. They then turned and disappeared into the crowd.

"Those necklaces cost a lot," said Hermione. "I didn't know Jeanne had such expensive taste."

"She doesn't!" said Harry, still unable to believe what he'd just seen.

"Looks like Flynn's persistence has paid off," said Ron. "Though I must say it's odd. He really doesn't seem to be Jeanne's type."

"No," agreed Hermione sadly, "I thought she and Professor Lupin made a much better couple."

Several days went by before Harry had an opportunity to talk to Jeanne.

His chance came when he met her one day, after his Herbology class. She had just collected some plant samples from Professor Sprout, probably for one of Snape's potions.

"Are you going back to the castle as well, Jeanne?" he asked, falling in step with her.

She nodded, but did not smile. She seemed rather distant, and there was a strangely resolute look on her face.

Harry looked at her.

"I saw you at Hogsmeade last weekend, with Professor Flynn."

He'd half expected her to look guilty, or start explaining why she'd been with Flynn, but she didn't.

"Did you?" she said quietly. "I didn't see you."

Harry felt something wasn't quite right.

"I thought you didn't like Flynn, Jeanne."

She didn't look at him.

"Things have changed, Harry."

Harry was nonplussed.

"Is - is everything all right?" he asked.

"It's as fine as it can be."

Harry couldn't stand it any more.

"Jeanne!" he said, coming to a halt, and looking at her.

She stopped, and looked at him. There was an odd expression in her eyes - determined, resolute and strangely despairing.

"What's happening? Why were you with Flynn? What about Professor Lupin?"

Jeanne looked slightly bitter.

"I told you already, Harry. Remus and I are through," she said.

"I don't believe it!" said Harry. "Don't tell me you don't care for him any more."

She looked at him, then looked away.

"I've made my choice," she said quietly.

Harry couldn't believe his ears.

"You mean, you're really going together with Flynn?" he said incredulously.

She nodded.

"But - how can you?" Harry asked. "You don't care for him, do you?"

"That's not important, Harry," she said.

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but she held up a hand.

"I've made my choice, Harry," she said. "I know what I'm doing. You don't understand now, but maybe you will, one day."

She dropped one of the plants, and bent to pick it up.

"I have to go now," she said, not looking at him. "I'll talk to you another time." And she walked off without another glance, leaving Harry staring after her in amazement.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Another Hogsmeade weekend had arrived. Harry, Ron and Hermione made their usual round to Honeyduke's, Zonko's and the Three Broomsticks. Then, since they still had some time left, they just strolled around the village, looking at the various shop windows.

They were passing Grenivere's shop when Hermione suddenly said,

"Can I go in for a minute? I just want to have a quick glance at the bracelets."

"No!" said Ron. "I know what you're like in a jewelry shop, Hermione…you'll be in there for hours."

But Hermione was already disappearing inside the shop.

"We'll give her five minutes, then go in and drag her out," said Harry.

Ron, however, had seen something.

"Take a look," he said, tugging at Harry's arm, "isn't that Jeanne in the shop?"

Harry peered inside. A lady was sitting at the far end of the shop, together with Mr. Grenivere.

"It looks like her," he said. "But I thought she told Flynn she doesn't like Grenivere's wares."

"Looks like Hermione hasn't seen Jeanne, she's at the opposite end of the shop," said Ron. "Let's go see what Jeanne's up to, now."

Harry didn't want to, but Ron was already dragging him in.

Jeanne and Mr. Grenivere were bending over something. They were so absorbed that neither noticed Ron or Harry approaching them.

"I can take these three, but not the other two," Grenivere was saying.

"That's fine," said Jeanne. "There's a pawnshop down the street, anyway."

Grenivere handed something in an envelope to Jeanne, and she tucked it away in her bag. Then she looked up and saw Ron and Harry.

"Hi there, Jeanne," said Ron, "what are you doing here?"

Jeanne looked rather dismayed. Mr. Grenivere, however, answered for her.

"Miss Graham and I have a secret arrangement," he said, looking at them with his piercing blue eyes. "She has been showing me some of my competitor's wares."

Jeanne looked at him gratefully, then swept the necklaces on the counter into her bag.

"I have to go now," she said. "Good-bye." And she hurried out of the shop, with a quick smile at Ron and Harry.

Grenivere watched her go with a mixture of pity and compassion in his eyes.

It was a Saturday evening. Harry and Ron had tarried at Hagrid's a bit longer than usual, and found themselves hurrying back to the castle before they were late for dinner.

When they reached the Entrance Hall, they stopped for a while to get their breath.

Ron nudged Harry.

"Look," he said. "It's Flynn. And he's got a new broom."

Professor Flynn was standing near the marble staircase, holding a very expensive-looking broom. Its body looked like it had been coated with gold. He looked up and saw them, and gave them his childlike smile.

"How do you like my new luxury broom, boys?" he said. "Latest model - Gemini 3000."

Ron's eyes were wide as he examined the broom. Harry looked at Flynn; he was wearing elegant new robes. They were black, trimmed with velvet.

"Are you going somewhere?" he asked.

"Count Erigon is having a dinner party," said Flynn. "I'm just waiting for Jeanne - ah, here she is."

Harry and Ron turned around. What they saw made them open their eyes wide in astonishment.

Jeanne was coming carefully down the stairs, because she was wearing extremely high heels. She was dressed in crimson satin robes. Rubies glittered at her throat, and her hair was piled high. She looked terribly sophisticated.

She gave Harry and Ron a small smile, then seated herself on the broom behind Flynn.

"Good-bye, boys," said Flynn, and then the broom lifted smoothly away from the ground, and sailed off into the sky.

Harry and Ron were still staring in amazement.

The classroom was almost empty now. Defence Against the Dark Arts had ended, and only Harry, Ron and Hermione were left.

"You go ahead," said Harry to Ron and Hermione, glancing at Professor Lupin who was still at his desk. "I need to ask Lupin something about the cockatrice essay."

However, he had barely walked over to Lupin's table when there was a knock on the door, and Professor Maricai came in.

"Remus, the chance has come!" she cried, ignoring Harry. "There's a Boggart hiding in my cupboard… it's the ideal chance for you to teach me how to get rid of it."

Lupin didn't look very enthusiastic.

"I'll come up in a while,Venilda," he said. "Harry and I are discussing something at the moment."

"No!" cried Professor Maricai. "You have to come now! I have an appointment soon...I'll need some of the articles in the cupboard."

Lupin looked slightly exasperated, but his voice was still polite.

"Very well," he said. "I'll come to your office now."

"It's not in my office cupboard, Remus," said Professor Maricai. "It's in my bedroom cupboard."

Harry could see from Lupin's face that he didn't relish the idea of being alone with Professor Maricai in her bedroom.

"Harry, why don't you come along?" said Lupin. "I'm sure this would be educational for you."

"OK," said Harry.

"Oh, he needn't come, Remus," said Professor Maricai. "I'm sure the boy has better things to do."

"He's coming along, Venilda," said Lupin firmly. "It will be a good experience for him."

Professor Maricai's bedroom was large and luxuriously furnished. Her four poster bed had silk curtains, and expensive-looking carpets lay on the floor. The rest of the furniture in the room had all been crafted in an ornate baroque style, including the cupboard where the Boggart was lurking.

Lupin patiently explained what Professor Maricai had to do. Harry noticed that she didn't seem to be a very competent witch, she was holding her wand - of carved ivory - wrongly.

"All right," said Lupin, "Ready? Here we go!"

He pointed his wand at the cupboard, and a bolt of light hit the handles. The cupboard door opened, and out came the Boggart. Harry was startled; it had taken the form of a hideous crone - matted strawlike hair, wrinkles on its face, and hands like claws. It had a pair of staring green eyes. Looking at it, Harry suddenly realised the Boggart was in fact Professor Maricai, in the form of a hag.

Professor Maricai seemed to have realised it too. She went deathly pale, and stammered, "No, - I couldn't ever look like that - no!" And then she started screaming hysterically.

Lupin gave an exclamation and quickly pulled her away from the Boggart, which was slowly lurching toward her.

"Harry!" he said sharply, "Take her to a corner, will you?"

Harry led Professor Maricai, still in hysterics, toward the bed. He knew Lupin would have no trouble with the Boggart; it would turn into the moon when it saw Lupin, before a wave of his wand made it disappear.

That was why Harry's blood suddenly went cold when he heard Lupin's voice saying, "Oh, my God."

Harry quickly deposited Professor Maricai onto the bed, and turned around. What he saw made his heart skip a beat.

The Boggart hadn't turned into the moon; it had turned into Jeanne.

She stood there, looking at Lupin with a stricken face, holding out one hand. The hand was bloody and mangled, as if some animal had savaged it.

Then she began to transform. Fur was growing on her body…her shoulders were hunching…

Harry stared in horror. She had become a werewolf.

Professor Lupin was standing as if he had turned to stone. His face was very pale.

The werewolf snarled viciously and started forward. Lupin didn't move.

Desperately, Harry ran forward, wand in hand.

"Riddikulus!" he shouted. The werewolf burst into wisps of smoke, and was gone.

Lupin stood there, still staring at the place where the werewolf had been. Then, he walked to a nearby chair, sat down in it, and buried his face in his hands.

Harry looked at him worriedly. He went over and sat down, next to Lupin.

"Are - are you all right?" he asked.

Lupin didn't answer for a minute. Then he slowly lowered his hands, and straightened up. There was a slightly haunted look in his eyes.

"Yes, I'm all right, Harry," he said, not looking at Harry. His voice was shaking slightly.

"I think - I need to be alone for a while."

He looked at Professor Maricai, who was still having hysterics on her bed.

"I'd be obliged if you would take Venilda to see Madam Pomfrey."

Harry got up slowly and began to lead Professor Maricai out of the room. He paused at the door, and looked back.

Lupin was still sitting there, staring at the spot where Jeanne had been standing.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

It was a fine, rather warm afternoon; the sun was shining, and a gentle wind was blowing up from the lake. Harry, Ron and Hermione were walking toward the castle, rather muddy and with their books in their hands. They had just finished their Herbology lesson.

At the entrance, they happened to meet Professor Lupin, coming from the direction of the lake. He was carrying a small tank of water containing a strange little black creature; it reminded Harry of the grindylow they had studied during their third year.

"Oh, a garrelynsk!" cried Hermione, when she saw it.

Lupin smiled.

"Right as usual, Hermione," he said. "I just found it in the small pool by the lake -"

He stopped, because someone was coming down the stairs leading from the Entrance Hall. It was Professor Flynn.

He was carrying an ivory quiver filled with arrows, and a golden bow, and he was wearing brown robes. Harry recognised them as the type of robes usually used for flying-fox-hunting.

Flynn beamed when he saw them, and gave them his usual childlike stare. He held up his bow and quiver proudly.

"Beautiful, aren't they? I just got them delivered."

Lupin looked at him with a peculiar expression in his eyes.

"You know hunting isn't allowed here at Hogwarts, Marcus," he said.

"Oh, it's all right, Remus," said Flynn, staring at Lupin in his childlike manner. "I'm just going to shoot a few arrows in the air, that's all."

He smiled like a small boy, and then continued on his way, walking to the far end of the field.

Lupin looked after him, frowning.

Ron was watching too.

"Good thing Jeanne isn't here," he said, without thinking. "She doesn't approve of hunting."

Lupin said nothing. Hermione gave Harry a quick look, and then tried to change the subject.

"So - is this garrelynsk for our next class?" she asked.

Lupin was still frowning and watching Marcus Flynn, but he now turned back to them and smiled.

"Not for you people. I was thinking of letting the third-years try it out."

He was about to continue, when Ron suddenly cried out.

"Look at that hawk! It's attacking Professor Flynn!"

A hawk was diving out of the sky. Flynn had let off an arrow at it, but the arrow missed.

The hawk lunged at Flynn, and he dropped his bow.

Flynn picked the bow up, and fitted another arrow to it. The hawk was circling, preparing for another attack.

Lupin had suddenly turned pale.

"That's not a hawk!" he said sharply, and dropping the garrelynsk, he pulled out his wand and started sprinting toward Flynn.

Harry and the others watched him, startled. It was a few moments before Harry suddenly understood what Lupin meant.

"Come on!" he shouted, and started running after Lupin.

Flynn had released the arrow, but it missed, and the hawk lunged at him again, giving out a piercing cry. This time, he didn't drop the bow. As the hawk rose swiftly up into the air again, he took three arrows, and aiming, shot them off rapidly in succession.

Harry and the others had stopped halfway across the field, and they stood there, watching. The hawk was high in the sky, circling around, getting ready for another attack. The arrows were moving in a curve, heading toward it.

" Flynn has put a spell on the arrows," whispered Hermione. "They're following the hawk."

Lupin raised his wand. The first arrow exploded in a small burst of light; so did the second. The third one, however, went straight into the hawk.

Harry heard the hawk scream; then it was falling, the arrow protruding from it. It was falling - and then, it wasn't a hawk anymore.

"Oh no!" whispered Hermione in horror. "It wasn't a hawk. It's Jeanne, Harry."

But Harry was already running forward again. He saw Lupin raise his wand again, and Jeanne started falling more slowly. Slower and slower, till she finally came to a stop just before reaching the ground. Her long hair had come loose, and it streamed out behind her.

She was lying on her back, conscious, when Harry ran up. Her eyes were wide in shock, and she was breathing hard. The arrow was sticking out of her left shoulder.

Lupin was next to her, holding her hands in his. He looked up when the three of them ran up, and said sharply,

"One of you, go and get Madam Pomfrey, quick!"

Ron immediately turned, and started speeding back toward the castle.

Jeanne was looking at Lupin, her eyes wide. Her hair was lying in a black pool around her, on the ground.

"You'll be all right, Jeanne," said Lupin quietly, holding her hands. "It's only a shoulder wound."

Her breathing seemed calmer now. She was still looking at Lupin, wide-eyed. Then, all of a sudden, she burst into tears, clutching at his hands.

"I'm so sorry, Remus," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry about everything!"

Lupin looked alarmed. He tried to calm her, but she kept on sobbing. Finally, he just quietly held her hands in his, until her sobs began to subside.

Hermione was looking back at the castle.

"Madam Pomfrey's coming," she called.

Harry turned to look. He could see Ron and Madam Pomfrey running down the castle steps.

He turned back to look at Jeanne. She was quiet now, staring to one side, avoiding Lupin's gaze. There was a look of despair in her eyes. Harry noticed, though, that she was holding on to Lupin's hands rather tightly.

Madam Pomfrey didn't take long to get the arrow out. She took hold of it, and itsuddenly dissolved slowly and vanished in her hand. Jeanne gave a little gasp; blood was flowing from her shoulder.

"I'll just fix that up in a jiffy," said Madam Pomfrey, calmly and cheerfully, and she did; the shoulder soon looked good as new.

"Bring her to the hospital wing, Remus," said Madam Pomfrey, getting to her feet. "She should get a few days' rest. She's healed physically, but being emotionally healed is another matter." Madam Pomfrey was looking at Lupin in a curious way as she said this.

Lupin, however, was busy conjuring a stretcher with his wand, and didn't notice. He laid Jeanne on it, and the stretcher then rose into the air, and started to move off.

"Can I do anything to help?"

Harry looked up. Professor Flynn had been standing by all the while, looking helplessly on.

Lupin, who had started off after the stretcher, turned around. Ignoring Flynn, he looked instead at the bow and quiver, which were lying on the ground nearby.

"We won't need those any more," said Lupin quietly. He pointed his wand at the bow and quiver. There was a cracking noise, and they broke into a hundred little pieces. Then, they slowly sank into the ground, and disappeared.

Flynn gave a cry of dismay. Lupin, however, simply turned around without even glancing at him, and strode off without another word.

Harry and the others turned to follow. Halfway back to the castle, Harry turned back to look.

Professor Flynn was standing like a statue, still staring at the spot where the bow and quiver had sunk into the ground.

Harry had thought that after the shooting incident, Jeanne would surely call it quits with Marcus Flynn; but he was wrong.

About a week later, he was just going to look for Professor Lupin in his office, when he ran into him in the Entrance Hall, instead.

"What is it, Harry?" asked Lupin, as Harry came running up.

"My - essay," panted Harry, gasping for breath. "I - know it's overdue, - sorry - about - that."

Lupin took the essay, then looked at his watch.

"I still have some time before my meeting," he said. "Since you're here, why don't we discuss your previous essay? The one about cockatrices…there were some points you weren't too clear on, if I remember rightly…"

They retreated to a nearby alcove to talk about it. Lupin was just beginning to talk about weasels and rue when he suddenly looked up, as if something had distracted him.

Harry turned around to look. It was Professor Flynn, with his luxury broomstick again. He was dressed in blue velvet robes this time, with a lacy cravat at his throat. Harry thought the cravat made him look terribly silly.

Flynn was looking at the stairs, as if waiting for someone. It can't be Jeanne, thought Harry. Surely, after what had happened, Jeanne wouldn't want to have anything more to do with Flynn.

Professor Lupin seemed to have forgotten about the cockatrice essay. He simply stood there, quietly watching Flynn.

Flynn suddenly smiled expectantly. Harry turned to look at the marble staircase, and his heart sank.

Jeanne was coming quietly down, dressed in purple velvet evening robes. The expression on her face could only be described as stoic.

She came up to Flynn and nodded at him in greeting. Neither of them had noticed Harry or Lupin.

Flynn looked at her.

"You look very nice in purple, Jeanne, but didn't I tell you, tonight's theme is blue?"

An unhappy look came into her eyes for a moment, as if she were remembering something. Then, it was gone.

"I told you, I don't wear blue any more, Marcus," she said quietly.

Harry stole a look at Lupin. He was watching them with a curious expression on his face.

Flynn continued to examine Jeanne's outfit.

"And the amethyst necklace would go better with this dress…you know, the one I bought for you a month ago."

"Oh, it's gone," said Jeanne, without thinking.

Flynn looked at her in surprise.

"Gone? You mean - lost?"

Jeanne looked dismayed for a split second, then recovered.

"I mean, it's gone, out of fashion," she said, and gave him a brilliant smile. "The one I'm wearing is better, believe me."

She made a move to mount the broom, but dropped her purse by mistake. It burst open as it fell to the floor, and something fell out.

Harry leaned forward to get a closer look. It was Lupin's wolf pendant.

Jeanne made a move to retrieve the pendant, but Flynn was faster, and picked it up first. Jeanne suddenly looked furious.

"Don't you touch that!" she cried, snatching it away from him.

He looked confused.

"Why are you still carrying that thing around, Jeanne?" he asked, fixing his childlike gaze on her. "I remember telling you to throw it away."

Her hands were trembling slightly as she dropped the pendant back in her purse. She seemed to be trying to compose herself.

"It has sentimental value, Marcus," she said, in a controlled voice. Then she looked at the time.

"It's getting late," she said. "We'd better go."

Harry watched as they flew off on the Gemini-3000. Jeanne, sitting behind Flynn, seemed to be staring daggers at his back.

He turned to look at Professor Lupin. Lupin's face was now thoughtful, and he was still staring at the Entranceway, although no one was there now. Then, he looked down, and saw Harry staring at him.

Harry knew he shouldn't say anything, but somehow the words just came out.

"She still cares for you," he said.

Lupin looked at him in surprise.

"She's only with Flynn because you wouldn't have her," said Harry. "She'd come back, if you asked her to."

Lupin looked at Harry, then at the floor.

"Has she - said anything to you?" he asked, not looking at Harry.

"N-no," said Harry, wishing Jeanne had.

Lupin was silent a moment, as if thinking. Then, he sighed.

"She's better off with him, Harry," he said, looking at the Entranceway again. "She'll have a better life with him than she'll ever have with me."

"But she doesn't care for him!" protested Harry. "It's so obvious - "

But Lupin was now suddenly looking at something behind Harry.

Harry turned around. Madam Pomfrey was walking briskly up to them.

"Have you forgotten the meeting, Remus?" she asked, sounding slightly out of breath. "We've all been waiting for you upstairs."

Lupin looked dismayed.

"I'm afraid I did, Poppy," he said, apologetically, and turned to Harry.

"I have to go, Harry. We'll finish up on the cockatrices another time, shall we?"

He gave Harry a nod and smiled, and then went off with Madam Pomfrey.

Harry found himself staring at the Entranceway, thinking about Jeanne. It just didn't make sense. Why on earth was she with Marcus Flynn?

Exams were coming. Harry knew he should be studying hard, but sometimes he found himself just staring at his books and wondering what the matter was with Jeanne.

As the days went by, she had become more and more withdrawn, and her expression now was more worried than sullen. The Marauder's Map showed that besides attending to her usual gamekeeping duties, she was either always closeted in her room, or else was with Professor Flynn. Harry couldn't understand her behaviour with Flynn: she was seldom alone with him; usually, there was a third person present. Twice Harry even observed her attending staff meetings with him, with Snape, Dumbledore and Lupin also present. Even stranger, he started noticing that very often, she would transform herself into a bird and fly to Flynn's office several minutes after someone - usually Snape - had come into his office to talk to him.

"Jeanne's going crazy," thought Harry. "I just can't imagine what she's up to."

Even worse, the last full moon before the exams, she didn't go to Lupin's room at all. In fact, neither she nor Flynn were in Hogwarts during that period. Harry later found out that Flynn had been in Edinburgh at the time, and felt sure that Jeanne had gone with him.

He assumed that Madam Pomfrey must have made the usual tonic for Lupin, but he looked so tired and ill when he came back for classes, that Harry started having misgivings. He casually broached the subject to Madam Pomfrey, but she merely looked surprised and said she thought Jeanne had prepared the tonic, as usual.

"That means Lupin went without the tonic altogether," thought Harry. "No wonder he looks so awful. And he isn't his usual cheerful self either."

Harry was beginning to feel very disappointed with Jeanne. Somehow the fact that she wasn't even bothering about Lupin when he was so unwell made Harry especially angry.

She now hardly seemed to notice Harry or any of the others whenever they met along the corridor, or in the grounds, and when they went to Hagrid's she was seldom there any more. Ron and Hermione didn't really seem to mind, but Harry found that he did, although he would never have admitted it to anyone.

Jeanne seemed to be ignoring Lupin as well. Harry had seen them pass each other along the corridor several times, without acknowledging each other's existence. She now came often to the Hall for meals, and always sat with Flynn. Lupin appeared his usual calm self on such occasions, but there was a certain look in his eyes whenever he happened to look at Jeanne and Flynn which made Harry feel uncomfortable.

Although he knew it was none of his affair, Harry couldn't help feeling that Jeanne had betrayed Lupin. He suspected that she must have accompanied Flynn to meet his family during the Edinburgh trip. Since then, she had ceased to look worried, and her expression could now better be described as resolute, or determined.

Harry had been doing so much spying on Jeanne that he was spending less and less time with Ron and Hermione. At first, they let him be, hoping that whatever was troubling him would go away. Then, finally, they confronted him.

"All right, Harry," said Ron one day in the Gryffindor common room, "Out with it. We know something's been bothering you for the last two months."

Harry looked at him and Hermione. Both of them were looking worried.

"Nothing's wrong," he said, trying to look noncommital. "It's just the exams."

"Exams never bothered you like this before," said Ron, disbelievingly.

Hermione was looking quietly at Harry.

"I know what it is, Harry," she said. "You're worried about Jeanne and Professor Lupin, aren't you?"

"There's nothing between the- " began Harry.

"Yes, there is, Harry," said Hermione, cutting him short. "You know there is, and I know it too. I've known it since the Christmas Ball, remember?"

Harry gave in. After all, Jeanne and Lupin were a thing of the past now. What was there to hide?

"You're wrong, Hermione," he said. "There was never anything. Jeanne told me Lupin didn't want to develop a relationship. He was afraid of harming her, because he's a werewolf."

They stared at him.

"What bothers me is," said Harry, "why is she with Flynn? I don't think she even likes him. It's as if she's after him for his money, or just to spite Lupin for spurning her."

"But - that's not like Jeanne at all," objected Hermione.

"That's precisely it," said Harry. "She's completely changed…and she's dumped all of us as friends too - she's not talking to any of us any more… she's stopped helping Hagrid with the Magical Creatures classes…she's even stopped giving Neville tuition."

"Actually, Harry, Neville said that he was the one who wanted to stop," said Hermione, glancing round the common room to make sure Neville wasn't listening. "He said Jeanne was looking so tired and worried, he didn't want to bother her."

"Maybe he's just saying it," said Ron. "Neville will never say anything bad about Jeanne."

"But, Harry," said Hermione, looking rather anxiously at him, "Jeanne doesn't have to do all that extra stuff, you know - tutoring Neville, and all that. Her job here is to help Hagrid as gamekeeper; that's what Dumbledore's paying her for."

Although this was true, it didn't make Harry feel any better.

"She should think of how Lupin feels," he said, grumpily. "Lupin's not well off, and for her to go after a man who's so obviously rich - well, it's cruel."

Ron was absently leafing through his History of Magic textbook.

"Lupin could have had Professor Maricai," he said. "She's definitely rich, the amount of jewels she wears every day."

Harry gave a snort of laughter.

"That's idiotic, Ron," he said. "You know ever since that incident with the Boggart, Professor Maricai's been terrified of Lupin. She now sits as far away from him as she can."

"What really happened, actually?" asked Hermione, wide-eyed. "What Professor Maricai's been telling everyone is that the Boggart turned into a wolf."

Harry felt that he couldn't tell them about Jeanne turning into a werewolf. He felt sure Lupin wouldn't like people knowing about his greatest fear.

"Actually, the Boggart changed into Professor Maricai herself, only she looked like a hag," he said. "Of course she wouldn't tell anyone that, so I guess she made the wolf up."

Hermione was now thinking about Jeanne again.

"You know, Harry," she said thoughtfully, "about Jeanne - well, it's her choice. It's her life. After all, it was Lupin who rejected her. Surely she's free to choose whoever she wants? Why should we judge her?"

Harry stared at them.

"Why are you all sticking up for her?" he asked, crossly. "I thought you'd be on my side."

"We are," said Ron quickly. "We're just trying to be - well, objective about it."

Harry sighed, and opened his spellbook again.

"Forget it," he said. "I guess I should just think of the exams now. I can continue being angry with Jeanne once they're over."

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The exams flew by faster than Harry expected. Before he knew it, it was the night before the last exam, which was Potions, to be held the following morning.

That night, most of the students were ready to unwind a bit. Only Neville was still sitting in a corner, anxiously trying to study. He was obviously afraid that the disaster that had occurred the previous year would repeat itself.

"You'll do fine, Neville," said Harry, trying to encourage him. "Last year you'd have done well, only Malfoy sabotaged you."

Neville still didn't look comforted.

"Something always happens," he said, his eyes still glued to his Potions textbook. "Jeanne and I worked on almost nothing but Potions this year. I don't want to let her down. This is the last chance I have to do well, for her."

"Last chance?" said Harry. "What do you mean?"

Neville looked up, surprised.

"Don't you know? Well, Professor Flynn probably won't be here next year - he'll have finished his research here. I guess if he leaves, Jeanne will probably follow him."

Something clicked in Harry's mind.

"So that's what she meant," he said to himself. "She said, 'Time is running out'; she was wondering whether to go after Flynn, and she knew she only had a few months to do it, because he was going to leave."

Harry had his chance to be angry with Jeanne earlier than he expected. Around ten that evening, a tiny owl flew in through the common room window and over to Harry, depositing a letter in his lap.

Ron looked shocked.

"That's my owl!" he said.

Pigwidgeon hopped onto Ron's shoulder, and gave him a peck on the ear.

Harry opened the letter. He looked angry after reading it, and crumpled it up and tossed it aside.

"What is it, Harry?" asked Hermione, anxiously.

"Jeanne," said Harry shortly. "Says she wants to see me."

"Why is she using Pig?" asked Ron indignantly. "He's never around nowadays. I've hardly seen him during the last few months, since the Easter holidays."

Harry was still looking angry. Hermione, seeing this, asked timidly, "Aren't you going to see her?"

"No," said Harry shortly. He looked at Pigwidgeon, who was still nibbling Ron's ear.

"You can tell her, the answer is no," he said to the tiny owl. "Tell her I don't want to see her!"

Pigwidgeon cocked his head to one side, looking at Harry. Then, he fluttered out of the window in a blur of feathers.

Ten minutes later, there was another flutter of wings, and a scops owl flew in the window, landing in front of Harry. It blurred, and Jeanne was standing there. There was a sudden hush in the common room, as everyone turned to look at her.

"Harry, I need to talk to you," she said, looking directly at him. "Outside."

Harry felt the anger rising in him. Now was his chance to tell her off.

Once they were outside, she turned to face him. There was a flicker of anguish in her eyes when she saw how angry he looked, but her voice was steady when she spoke.

"I need to ask you for a favour, Harry," she said.

Harry felt even angrier. After the way she had been treating all of them, how could she have the cheek to ask for a favour?

"What is it?" he said, controlling himself.

She had a resolute look on her face.

"I need to borrow your Invisibility Cloak."

"What?" said Harry, astonished. "What do you want it for?"

She shook her head. "I can't tell you."

"Then you can forget it!" he said angrily.

"Harry!" she said, looking at him, with pleading eyes. Her voice was shaking a bit. She took a breath to compose herself, then continued.

"I know you're angry with me," she said. "I don't blame you. But you don't understand what I'm doing. It's really important. Please, please lend me the Cloak."

Harry had been wanting for so long to tell Jeanne off that he wasn't really listening.

"The answer is no!" he said angrily. "Do you think, after the way you've been treating all of us lately, I'm going to do you any favours? Hagrid's a bundle of nerves during classes now, and it's all back to flobberworms again. And Neville… he's in such a state about the Potions tomorrow - and you've stopped helping him as well!"

He stopped to catch his breath. She had gone pale, and opened her mouth to reply, but Harry was already continuing.

"Hagrid… Neville… you've been ignoring all of us! You've dumped us for such a shallow reason - just because you wanted to spend time with Marcus Flynn! And you don't even care for him! If you did, it would be more forgivable, but you don't! You're just after his money!!"

She tried to speak, but Harry went on.

"But worst of all is how you've treated Professor Lupin! You deprived him of his tonic!

-"

"You don't understand, Harry - he can't take the tonic - one month before - "

"And he still cares for you!" Harry said angrily, not listening to her. "You don't know how much you've hurt him! Did you hear about the Boggart? Did you?"

"I heard - I heard it turned into a wolf!" she whispered.

"Not just a wolf!" he shouted. "It was you! It turned into you first, and then it turned into a werewolf! That's what Lupin's most afraid of! He still cares for you! You should have seen his face that day, the look in his eyes…"

Jeanne had turned away. She was shaking, but controlled herself with what seemed a superhuman effort. When she turned around, she looked quiet and resolute again. She came over to Harry and looked directly at him.

"You've said your share, Harry," she said quietly. "I know you hate me. But I'm desperate; I need that Cloak. You don't know how important it is! What do I have to say, to make you agree? Do you want me to get down on my knees and beg you? I swear I will, if I have to!" There was a note of desperation in her voice.

Harry's anger flared up again. After all he had said, how could she have the cheek to still ask for the Cloak?

"No!" he said. "You can beg me a thousand times, and I wouldn't lend it to you!"

He turned and marched away without a second glance, leaving Jeanne staring after him.

He spat out the password and entered the common room, slamming the portrait behind him.

The Gryffindors who had been crowding around the portrait hole to listen suddenly drew back when he appeared. He took no notice of them, but marched up to the bedroom. He was in no mood to do any more studying that night.

He lay in bed, ignoring the others when they came upstairs.

Harry looked at the time; it was one in the morning, and he still hadn't been able to fall asleep.

He turned and lay on his back, staring into space. The anger that had gripped him earlier had faded, and now he felt oddly ashamed.

"What does she want the Cloak for?" he kept asking himself. He was beginning to feel rather uncomfortable now. Perhaps he shouldn't have gotten so angry; he regretted some of the things he'd said, now. Hermione was right - Lupin had, after all, rejected Jeanne; and it was her own life - surely she could choose who she wanted to be with?

Harry sat up in bed. He was wide awake. He kept seeing the desperate look in Jeanne's eyes, kept hearing her say, 'Do you want me to get down on my knees and beg you? I swear I will, if I have to!'"

He stared out into the darkness, thinking.

"Jeanne never begged anyone for anything," he thought. "Even in Kamchatka, Deorg said she'd never begged him for mercy. What could make her so desperate -?"

He thought of how he'd first met her in the cave, of the horrible life she must have led during her three years there, with only the mirror for company. Staying with the Dursleys was nothing compared to that.

He shifted his position on the bed slightly, and something that sparkled caught his eye.

It was the framed photograph of himself and his parents that Jeanne had given him, which he kept by his bed. He stared at it a while, looking at the shimmering lights in the frame, and thinking of the time and effort she must have spent to capture all that starlight, to make a present, for him. Oddly, the sight of it suddenly made up his mind for him.

"I never gave her anything in return," he said to himself.

He got out of bed, and took the Invisibility Cloak out of his trunk. Wrapping himself in it, he went down the stairs and out of the common room, making his way toward Jeanne's room. He was just about to knock on her door when he heard footsteps approaching.

He looked up. It was Professor Lupin.

Harry quietly tiptoed to one side of the door. Lupin came right up next to him. He hesitated, then knocked.

Jeanne took a while to open the door. Her eyes widened when she saw who it was.

"Remus?" she whispered.

Lupin looked at her.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Of course," she murmured, letting him in. Harry didn't even think about whether he should be eavesdropping or not. For some reason, he simply felt that he had to get inside that room. He managed to slip in, just before the door closed.

Lupin looked around the room. "You've changed it back," he said.

Harry stared. Jeanne's room had reverted to what it must have been when she'd first moved in. It was a Hogwarts room, with stone walls. The cheerful floor to ceiling windows, the wooden panelling, were all gone.

Jeanne nodded. "I won't be here much longer," she said quietly, her eyes on the floor.

Harry was surprised, then remembered: she was leaving with Flynn. He looked around the room. It looked bare, as if Jeanne was already packed and waiting to leave.

Lupin had a rather set expression on his face. He turned, and faced Jeanne squarely.

"I'll make this short," he said, meeting her gaze directly. "You know that Snape and Marcus Flynn claim they have found a cure for me."

She looked at him, then nodded.

"They have been spending the last few weeks trying to persuade me to test it, even though it may be fatal if it doesn't work."

He paused, then said, "I've decided to give it a try."

She looked at him. There was a strange expression on her face.

Lupin forced a laugh. "Your faith in Flynn is touching."

She flushed slightly, but said nothing. Lupin smiled grimly.

"Well, I'm not so sure it will work." He stopped, then continued, looking at her, "I've come to say goodbye."

Jeanne went very pale, her eyes wide, looking at him. She seemed to be struggling with some kind of suppressed emotion. Finally, she lowered her eyes, and said in a low voice, "You hate me, don't you?"

Lupin looked at her a while, then said, "No, Jeanne, I don't hate you." He took a breath, "-I wish you and Marcus well. You'll have a good life with him - "

"Stop!" she said, covering her ears. "Please stop!"

She lowered her hands, and came closer to him.

"Please listen to what I have to say." She paused. "I believe the potion will work. Not because of Marcus," - she held up a hand, "- I believe it will work!

"When you are cured," - her eyes lit up as she said this - "I want you to promise me one thing."

Lupin's expression was wary. "What is it?"

"Promise me you'll forget me," she said. "Forget I ever existed. That we ever met."

He looked at her a while, and then asked uncertainly, "Are you all right?"

He might well ask; she was as white as a sheet, and shaking slightly.

"I'm fine," she said. "Promise me, Remus. Promise you'll forget about me."

Lupin looked slightly baffled.

"I can't promise I'll forget you," he said. "But I certainly can promise that I'll try."

Jeanne lost her composure.

"You have to promise!" she cried, almost plucking at his robes. "You must promise! - "

"Jeanne!" said Lupin, catching hold of her shoulders and giving her a shake. "Get a grip on yourself! What's the matter?"

She shrugged her shoulders, and he let her go. She stood a while, as if fighting with something within herself, then calmed down.

"I'm sorry," she said, looking at the floor. "I don't know what's come over me."

She raised her eyes to meet his, and the resolute expression was suddenly back on her face.

"You came to say goodbye, Remus," she said, "so let us do so."

She extended a hand to him. He looked at her a moment, then took it.

"I believe the potion will work," she said softly, shaking his hand, "and I wish you a happy life, all the happiness that you deserve."

Lupin said only, "Goodbye, Jeanne."

He released her hand, and went slowly to the door. He opened it, then turned and looked back.

"Tomorrow night, you know…" he said, "Don't come."

There was a peculiar expression on her face.

"Don't worry," she said, rather coldly, "you won't see me there."

He looked at her, then left without a word.

The minute the door shut, Jeanne ran over to it and leaned against it, listening as his footsteps died away. Then she crumpled up on the floor, and wept bitterly.

Harry watched in dismay. Was she losing her mind?

She cried a while, then recovered. Slowly, she got to her feet, then went over to the sofa and took something out from under it. She must have hidden it when Lupin came, thought Harry.

Jeanne placed the object on a table, and sat looking at it. Harry crept curiously over to have a look. It was a small green bottle.

There was suddenly a fluttering of feathers, and Pigwidgeon came flying onto the table. Harry blinked in surprise. The tiny owl had been sitting on top of the cupboard all the while, unnoticed.

Jeanne sighed, and looked at the owl.

"I've committed so many murders before, you'd think it would be easy for me to commit one more," she said to the owl.

Harry's blood ran cold.

Pigwidgeon hooted at her.

"Yes, of course I'm sure I want to do it," she said quietly, picking up the green bottle and looking at it. "It will be the last time I ever kill anyone, anyway. It will all be over, tomorrow night."

There were tears in her eyes. Pigwidgeon looked at her sympathetically. She put the bottle down, and stretching out her hand, she gently stroked him.

"It was easy, last time; but now it's so hard, because I've met him," she said softly, half to herself.

She sighed, and stopped stroking the owl. She stared at the bottle on the table.

"It's all your fault, Remus," she said sadly, "Why couldn't you have accepted me? Then I wouldn't have to do this." Her hands were stained red, with blood.

Harry was listening in horror. He wondered if this was some kind of nightmare.

"I don't believe it," he thought. "She's going to kill Lupin. She's going to poison him because he's rejected her."

At this moment, someone knocked on the door.

"Jeanne?" It was Flynn's voice. "I saw your light on. I know you're awake." Harry, seeing this was his chance to leave, quietly moved over to the door.

Jeanne snatched the bottle from the table and hid it in the cupboard. Then she went to the door and opened it. Harry just managed to squeeze himself out, past Flynn. He stood outside the door, listening.

"About tomorrow night," Flynn was saying, "are you sure you don't want to come?"

"I'm sure, Marcus."

Flynn looked disappointed.

"Well, in case you change your mind," he said, "Don't forget it's nine o' clock sharp, at the small room in the Astronomy Tower. Remus has to be exposed to the full moon when he takes the potion."

Jeanne must have nodded, because Harry didn't hear her reply to this. She then said good night to Flynn, and shut the door.

Harry waited till Flynn had gone, then walked slowly back to the Gryffindor common room, his mind in a whirl. He couldn't believe it - Jeanne was going to kill Lupin! It wasn't possible. And Snape and Flynn - they had found a way to cure Lupin of being a werewolf! So that was what their research had been all about.

"But it doesn't make sense," thought Harry. "Snape hates Lupin. Why should he try to find a cure for him? Unless…"

He stopped in mid-stride, and stood there thinking.

"Lupin said if the potion didn't work, it might be fatal," he said to himself. "Maybe Snape's doctored the potion. So Snape's going to try to kill Lupin too. Or is he in league with Jeanne?"

Harry was beginning to feel very confused. He continued walking back to the dormitory, and got into bed and lay there, feeling dazed.

"I ought to warn Lupin," he thought. "But how do I prove it? He won't believe me."

He was tired now, after all that had happened, and while worrying about it, he fell asleep.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The next morning, Harry woke up still feeling tired and confused.

He wanted to tell Ron and Hermione straight away about what had happened the previous night, but there was no time. He couldn't tell them during breakfast, because the rest of the class was there; and the Potions exam would be held right after.

"Are you all right, Harry?" Hermione asked, during breakfast. "You - you look terrible."

Harry looked at her and Ron; both of them were looking worriedly at him. Neville, Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, who were sitting nearby, were also looking at him.

"I'm all right," said Harry, "I - I just couldn't sleep last night, that's all."

Harry had been hoping Professor Flynn would be overseeing the Potions exam, but when he entered the dungeon together with the rest of the class, he saw Snape there instead. Neville looked even more dismayed than Harry. His round face was rather pale, but there was also a determined expression on it. He was evidently going to try to do his best for Jeanne.

Each student was given a cage containing a large bullfrog; they were to prepare a potion that would make the bullfrog sing like a bird.

Snape seemed to be going all out to frighten Neville. He would stand next to Neville's table, his eyes glittering, watching his every move. Neville was trembling, but with an effort he somehow managed to concentrate on what he was doing.

Finally, time was up.

"Stop working!" snapped Snape. "I will now test each of your solutions. Longbottom, we will leave you to the last, in case you are planning to provide us with similar entertainment as you did last year."

Neville went red, and stared worriedly at his cauldron. Draco Malfoy gave a sly smile.

Snape went around, a scowl on his face, testing each student's solution. Harry was relieved when his bullfrog gave a small whistle.

At last, everyone had been tested except Neville. Snape, his face looking more menacing than ever, drew some of Neville's solution into a dropper, and squirted a few drops onto Neville's bullfrog. The rest of the class all gathered round to watch, holding their breath.

The bullfrog blinked and looked around. Neville watched anxiously.

The seconds ticked past. The bullfrog gulped, but didn't make a sound.

Snape's lips curled into a sneering smile. He squirted a few more drops onto the bullfrog.

Neville gazed at the bullfrog, his eyes bulging with emotion, as if pleading with it to sing. The bullfrog just sat there, solemnly blinking its eyes. Then it looked at Neville, and gave a loud croak.

"Well, Longbottom," said Snape at last, a triumphant gleam in his eyes, "your solution does not appear to work. It looks as though I will have to fail you again this year."

Neville sat staring in front of him, as if he couldn't believe what was happening to him. The other students drifted back to their places to clean up, the Gryffindors casting sympathetic glances at Neville, and the Slytherins muttering sly comments among themselves.

Snape gathered up his books and strode toward the door. He had almost reached it, when Neville suddenly squeaked, "STOP!"

Snape wheeled around, his eyes glittering menacingly.

"What did you say, Longbottom?"

Neville was standing up. Shaking like a leaf, he pointed at his bullfrog.

"S-sir, h-h-he made a s-sound!" he stuttered.

Snape advanced slowly back toward Neville, his eyes glinting dangerously. Harry and the others stood where they were, watching Neville in silence.

Neville gulped, and stared at the bullfrog. The bullfrog also gulped, and stared back at him.

And then, it opened its mouth and began to sing. Not one note, not two, but a long, haunting, lilting melody, as clear as any nightingale might sing on a moonlit night.

The class listened, spellbound. Snape was staring at the bullfrog in disbelief. Neville stood there, transfixed, his eyes wide in astonishment.

The bullfrog sang for at least five minutes. Then it stopped, blinked again, and gave a small belch.

Neville looked at it, then turned to look at Snape, his face anxious.

Snape returned his gaze, his face expressionless. Finally, he spoke.

"Well, it looks as if Miss Graham's efforts have paid off at last, Longbottom," he said in his cold voice. "She will be pleased. Perhaps there is hope for you, after all."

And then he turned, and strode out of the room, his robes billowing behind him.

The minute he disappeared, the room erupted into loud cheers. The Gryffindors all crowded around Neville, hugging and shouting and laughing in delight. As for Neville, he just sat there, his face red, a few tears of joy rolling down his cheeks.

"Won't Jeanne be glad," he said, wiping the tears away.

* * *

Ron and Hermione were speechless when Harry told them about what had happened the night before.

"It can't be true," said Ron. "You must have heard wrongly, Harry. It's impossible; Jeanne wouldn't do such a thing."

"I didn't hear wrongly!" Harry insisted. "It wasn't just one sentence; it was several sentences, all talking about killing. I tell you, Jeanne's changed…she's not in her right mind any more; she acted really strangely, with Lupin, last night."

Hermione seemed to be thinking.

"It doesn't make sense, Harry," she said, frowning slightly. "If Jeanne wanted to kill Professor Lupin, she wouldn't have had to wait until tonight to do it. She could have done it any time during the year."

"That's right," said Ron, "and say we do manage to stop her tonight - what then? She's sure to try again, anyway."

Harry could feel his heart sinking. He hadn't thought of all this.

"I don't know," he said. "I only know what I heard last night. She said everything would be over by tonight, and the way she was looking at that bottle, I'm quite sure she intends to poison him."

Hermione was still thinking.

"All right," she said at last, "we'll just worry about tonight first, then. Here's what we can do : she probably won't start moving till evening comes. We'll keep an eye on her whereabouts till around just before dinner or so, using the Marauder's Map. Then we'll try and get near her. Once no one's around, we can do the full body-bind on her. We'll release her after tonight, when Professor Lupin's been cured."

"Hermione, you're a genius!" said Harry, grinning.

So that was what they did. The Map showed that Jeanne was staying closeted in her room for most of the afternoon. At six-thirty, she was still inside.

"All right," said Harry, "Let's go do the body-bind on her now."

Unfortunately, they met Filch on the way to Jeanne's room. Filch had borne a grudge against Harry ever since Harry had seen the Kwikspell letter on his desk, and he had adopted the habit of taking the smallest excuse to scold him. He now lectured them for half an hour about how they hadn't cleaned the Potions classroom properly after the memorable incident with Trevor the Toad.

By the time Filch let them go, it was dinner time. They started hurrying to Jeanne's room, but Professor McGonagall, who was passing by, saw them.

"Potter! Weasley!" she said sharply, "Why aren't you in the Great Hall? It's time for dinner."

"We're - we're just going to see Miss Graham for a few minutes," Hermione said, trying to look innocent.

"Miss Graham is not in her room," said Professor McGonagall. "I just saw her near the Gryffindor common room."

Harry was dismayed. Jeanne must have left her room while Filch had been lecturing them.

"Come along to dinner," said Professor McGonagall, "you can see Miss Graham later."

Harry was in an agony throughout dinner; he couldn't eat anything. Hermione and Ron looked rather worriedly at him. They didn't seem too anxious themselves, and he had a feeling they still only half-believed his story. Professor Lupin wasn't at the staff table during dinner, and neither was Jeanne, or Snape, or Marcus Flynn. Harry began to worry that Lupin had already been murdered.

They got away from the dinner table as fast as they could, and checked the Map. To Harry's dismay, Jeanne was now in Snape's office, together with Snape and Flynn.

"That's not good," said Harry, a sinking feeling in his stomach. "She must be hanging around there, waiting to pour the poison into the potion when they're not looking."

"I know!" said Hermione, "We'll go to Snape's office, and say we saw Jeanne entering it, and that we want to see her for a minute. Once we get her out of his office, we'll do the body-bind on her."

So Harry tucked the Map into his robes, and they made their way down to the dungeons, where Snape's office was, and knocked nervously on the door. Professor Flynn opened it.

"Harry?" he said, giving them his childlike stare. "What do you want?"

"We'd like to see Jeanne for a moment," said Harry.

Flynn looked surprised.

"Jeanne?" he said, "But she isn't here!"

Harry was nonplussed; he hadn't been expecting this answer. Was Flynn hiding Jeanne? He looked at Hermione and Ron.

Hermione stepped into the breach.

"But - but -" she said, "- we saw her coming in here!"

"What's this all about?" Snape was now at the door as well.

"We - we saw Miss Graham entering this room, sir," said Hermione. "We'd like to have a word with her."

Snape frowned at them, his eyes glittering malevolently.

"Miss Graham is not in this room," he said, coldly.

"That's impossible!" said Harry, "We saw her go in!"

Flynn was now looking at them in a perplexed fashion; he looked like a small boy who was lost. Snape, however, gave them a twisted smile.

"Come and see for yourself!" he said, standing aside.

They entered the office. The atmosphere inside was as threatening as it had ever been: the flickering fire threw writhing shadows onto the walls, which were still lined with jars of slimy things. A smoking cauldron lay on the long table at one end of the room; Harry assumed it contained the potion for Lupin. There was no sign of Jeanne.

They looked at each other in astonishment. Flynn was still wearing his perplexed expression, watching them, but Snape's mouth had now twisted into a sneering smile.

"Did I not tell you?" he said, his eyes glittering creepily in the firelight, "Miss Graham is not present in this room."

Feeling rather foolish, Harry and the others mumbled an apology and left the room.

"I don't get it," said Ron, "the Map clearly showed she was there - unless, she left while we were coming here."

"I don't think so," said Hermione, "or Professor Flynn would have told us."

Harry took the Map out again. It showed that Jeanne was still in Snape's office!

"It's impossible," said Ron, glaring at the Map.

Harry decided he'd better tell them.

"I didn't tell you before," he said, "but I've been noticing the Map behaving rather weirdly at times. There were a few times I wanted to see Jeanne, so I used the Map to find out where she was, and she didn't show up on it at all."

They looked at each other.

"Now what?" said Ron.

"I don't know," said Harry, feeling rather desperate. It was almost half-past eight, and they were running out of time.

Hermione was thinking again.

"We can use the Invisibility Cloak, and hide in the Astronomy Tower," she said. "Then when Snape brings the potion in, we can knock the goblet over, and make it look like an accident. That should take care of the poison. Snape will probably come back here and get another gobletful."

"You're not thinking clearly, Hermione," said Harry. "What if Jeanne's already poisoned the entire cauldron?"

They looked at each other. Harry was beginning to feel panicky; it was getting later and later.

"Let's just go get the Cloak first," Ron said at last. "Then we can continue thinking."

They went up to the bedroom. Harry looked in his trunk, but the Invisibility Cloak wasn't there.

"I - I can't find it!" he said, in dismay. He began to take everything out of the trunk, till it was almost empty.

"Jeanne's taken it!" he said angrily. "Professor McGonagall saw her near the common room. She must have taken it while Filch was lecturing us."

"But that can't be," said Hermione. "She doesn't know the password."

"She doesn't need the password," said Harry, impatiently. "She probably transformed into a bird and flew in the bedroom window."

He began to throw everything back into the trunk. Something on the floor caught Ron's eye.

"What's this?" he said, picking it up.

Harry and Hermione came over to look.

"It's a cassette tape," said Harry, puzzled. "But - who would use that inside Hogwarts?"

"What does it do?" asked Ron, fascinated; but Hermione had seen something else.

"There's a note inside," she said, opening the cassette case.

Harry unfolded the note, and recognised Jeanne's writing.

"You must listen to this by tonight," he read.

"That proves it," said Ron, "Jeanne's taken your Cloak."

There wasn't any time left; Harry made up his mind.

"I'm going to the Astronomy Tower," he said. "I'll go alone. If all of us go, it'll be easier for someone to spot us. You people can take the tape and go look for a cassette player. Look in Jeanne's room, or Flitwick's office - Jeanne told me Flitwick knows how to charm electronic stuff so that they work inside Hogwarts."

Hermione looked frightened.

"But what are you going to do there, Harry?" she asked, anxiously. "You don't have the Cloak, and they'll see you."

"If I go now, I can find a place to hide," said Harry, determinedly. "I'll worry about what I'm going to do later."

He was about to leave, when something glittering in his trunk caught his eye; it was the bottle of stardust which the mirror in the cave had given him. He snatched it up and tucked it inside his robes, and then sprinted off toward the Astronomy Tower.

"If Jeanne really succeeds in poisoning Lupin, the dust might come in useful," he thought to himself as he ran.

There was no one in the room when he arrived. He looked around; the room was a small one. There was a large cage by the window, with chains and manacles inside. The window next to the cage was covered with a thick cloth. There was a table in the middle of the room.

Harry suddenly heard footsteps approaching. In a panic, he ran over to a cupboard at one end of the room, which was the only place he could hide. But before he reached it, Professor Flynn had entered the room.

"Harry!" he said, "What are you doing here?"

Harry looked at him, trying to think of an excuse. For some reason, Flynn looked different; the childlike expression on his face was gone. He walked up to Harry, looking almost as menacing as Snape.

He stared at Harry for a while. Harry was still racking his brain for an excuse, and trying not to look guilty.

At last, Flynn spoke.

"You've come to see tonight's show, haven't you?" he said softly. Something about his voice made Harry's hair stand on end. "You must have found out about my little plan…"

Harry backed away. "He's in it, together with Jeanne!" he thought in alarm. He reached into his robes for his wand, but Flynn was faster. Whipping out his wand, he strode forward, and tapped Harry on the head. Harry fell to the floor, finding himself unable to move.

"I don't want to disappoint you," said Flynn, in the same soft, cold voice. He waved his wand, and the cupboard doors flew open. Another wave, and Harry found himself sitting inside the cupboard. The cupboard doors closed on him, leaving him in darkness.

"Don't worry, Harry," said Flynn, "I'll give you a good view."

Harry heard him tap the cupboard with his wand, and suddenly, the cupboard disappeared, and he could see the entire room.

Flynn smiled at him, no longer childlike. "The cupboard's still there, Harry. You can see out, but everyone else who comes into this room is only going to see a cupboard with its doors shut. Enjoy the show, because I'm going to finish you off when it's over."

He stopped speaking then, because footsteps were approaching. The door opened, and Snape came in, holding a goblet. Harry looked at Flynn; the childlike expression was back on his face.

Snape walked over to the table, still holding the goblet. Flynn went over to talk to him.

A slight noise attracted Harry's attention. He looked to the left, in the direction from where it came. There was a large basket in the corner of the room, and a goblet, identical to the one Snape was holding, had suddenly appeared next to it. The basket conveniently blocked the goblet from the view of anyone standing in the middle of the room.

Harry stared at the goblet.

"It's Jeanne," he thought, his heart sinking. "She's wearing the Cloak. She must have been in Snape's office all along, wearing it. No wonder we couldn't see her."

Jeanne seemed to be doing something. Harry heard her give a soft, sharp cry, as if in pain. Then, to his horror, he saw something red being poured into the goblet.

"She's poisoning the potion," he thought, feeling sick. He tried desperately to move, but couldn't.

The potion in the goblet had now changed to a pale golden colour.

"That's what she was doing in Snape's office," thought Harry. "She must have doctored Snape's potion to make it the same colour as her own, and been waiting to see what kind of goblet he was going to use, so that she could get an identical one."

Jeanne seemed to be doing something else now; Harry heard her catch her breath at one point. Then, the goblet disappeared. She must have picked it up again.

Harry looked at Snape. He was still holding his own goblet.

"Don't put it down," Harry thought desperately. "Please, don't put the goblet down!"

Snape did not seem about to put the goblet down. He stood there, holding it, and talking to Flynn.

Then, all of a sudden, he quickly set the goblet down on the table, and started sneezing. Flynn was startled, and stood watching him. Harry watched the goblet on the table. For a split second, there were two goblets as Jeanne placed her own on the table. Then, Snape's goblet was gone.

Snape had finished sneezing. He brought his handkerchief out, and blew his hooked nose.

"…dust in the room…" Harry heard him mutter through the handkerchief.

Harry was in an agony. Lupin's going to be poisoned in front of me, and I can't do anything about it, he thought.

He heard approaching footsteps again, and Professor Lupin came in. There was a quiet, resigned look on his face. He nodded at the others, but did not join them. Instead, he walked over to the cage and stood next to it, staring at the floor.

Before long, Professors Flitwick and McGonagall came in, together with Dumbledore, all with sober expressions on their faces. Dumbledore looked at Lupin.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Remus?" he asked quietly.

Lupin looked at Dumbledore, then nodded, a set expression on his face. Marcus Flynn gave a childlike smile.

Dumbledore sighed.

"Very well," he said, looking at Flitwick and Professor McGonagall, "let us begin."

Lupin stepped inside the cage. Dumbledore waved his wand, and the manacles flew up, and closed over Lupin's wrists and ankles.

Flitwick was next to the window. "Ready, Remus?" he asked.

Lupin nodded. Flitwick tore the cloth away from the window.

Bright moonlight shone in. Lupin went rigid, then began to shake; his shoulders were hunching… fur was growing on his skin…

Harry was watching in horror. The werewolf raised its muzzle and snarled, and thrashed about in the cage; but the manacles held.

The others had taken out their wands. At Dumbledore's signal, they pointed their wands at the werewolf. Beams of bright light shot out at it, and it suddenly stopped snarling, and seemed frozen in midair, its jaws apart.

"Now, Severus!" Harry heard Dumbledore say sharply.

Snape walked over to the cage, and reaching between the bars, poured the potion down the werewolf's throat.

The others lowered their wands, and the werewolf fell back to the ground, snarling even more ferociously than ever. It thrashed about violently, foam flying from its jaws.

There was a sudden pounding on the door. It flew open, and Hermione, Ron and Neville came bursting in. Hermione was holding a cassette tape player. Behind them came a stranger, a tall wizard with a long, white beard and a serious face.

"Stop!" screamed Hermione, over the werewolf's snarls. "You have to stop!-"

"Miss Granger!" said Professor McGonagall sharply, "what are you doing here?"

Hermione pointed at Flynn.

"He's trying to kill Professor Lupin!" she screamed.

Flynn was staring at the strange wizard. His face had suddenly turned very pale, and the childlike expression was gone. Dumbledore was also looking at him in surprise.

"Elfrid!" he exclaimed.

Suddenly, the werewolf stopped snarling. It lowered its head, and looked at them. Then it drooped its head, and whimpered.

There was a dead silence in the room. Every eye was on the wolf. It walked around the cage, the chains clinking, then turned back to look at them, and whimpered again.

Professor McGonagall was the first to break the silence.

"It - it didn't work!" she said in a hushed voice, staring at the wolf. "He's become an ordinary wolf."

Flynn was staring at the strange wizard again, a curious expression on his face.

Dumbledore came over to the door.

"Elfrid!" he said, taking the wizard's hand. "But how -? We thought you were dead!"

"Everyone thought so," said the wizard, "Especially Marcus. Didn't you, Marcus?" He looked over at Flynn, who was still looking pale.

The wolf whimpered in its cage again. Flitwick turned to look at it.

"Look!" he squeaked excitedly.

The wolf was transforming. Its legs were changing shape…its fur was disappearing…

Harry watched in disbelief. Professor Lupin was lying in the cage, a dazed expression on his face, the manacles still binding his arms and legs. Moonlight was shining through the window onto him. The potion had cured him!

Dumbledore gave an exclamation, and waved his wand. The manacles fell off, and the cage door flew open. He hurried over to help Lupin up.

Hermione's eyes were wide.

"But - but - it can't be," she whispered. "The tape - "

Dumbledore helped Lupin to a chair. Colour had returned to Flynn's face, and he was now beaming away.

"You see?" he said, his expression childlike again, "The potion worked."

The strange wizard walked a few steps into the room, his eyes on Flynn.

"Interesting, Marcus," he said. "Where, may I ask, did you get the final ingredient?"

Flynn stared back at him, the childlike expression gone again.

"I found a substitute, uncle," he said.

Snape looked surprised.

"Uncle?" he said, looking at Flynn. "Professor Donahue is your uncle?"

Flynn nodded. Harry thought he saw a peculiar flicker in his eyes as he looked at Professor Donahue.

Dumbledore looked at Donahue. "What final ingredient is this?" he asked.

Donahue sighed, and looked around.

"Where is Jeanne?" he asked.

Lupin, who was still sitting in his chair looking dazed, looked up at this.

Donahue took a letter from his pocket.

"She sent me a letter," he said, "saying I should get here by a quarter past nine."

Harry looked at the others. All of them looked astonished, except Dumbledore.

"She said she wasn't coming," said Flynn.

Snape was looking at Donahue, his eyes glittering.

"Our final ingredient was two leaves of silverblad," he said.

Donahue looked at him in disbelief.

"Impossible!" he said sharply. "That's impossible. The last person we tried silverblad on died within a minute of taking the potion."

Flynn had an innocent expression on his face now.

"It must have been due to the particular individual, uncle," he said. "As you can see, Remus here has been cured."

Dumbledore was looking at Professor Donahue.

"What final ingredient were you talking about, Elfrid?" he asked.

Donahue sighed.

"The ingredient that has been giving me and Miss Graham a headache this entire year, Albus," he said. "We've been trying for months to find a substitute, but to no avail."

Lupin, still seated in the chair, was looking pale.

"What ingredient is this?" he asked.

Donahue appeared to be in no hurry to answer the question.

"The reason only three people have been cured so far," said Donahue, "is that this ingredient is usually impossible to obtain. It has to be added, fresh, just before it is taken by the patient."

Professor McGonagall was beginning to look impatient.

"Professor Donahue, please do not keep us in suspense any longer," she said. "What is this final ingredient?"

Donahue looked at her gravely.

"It is blood, madam," he said quietly. "The blood of someone who is willing to sacrifice his life, for the patient."

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

There was a sudden silence in the room. Everyone was looking at Donahue, stunned.

Lupin was now on his feet, looking even paler.

"Jeanne…" he said hoarsely, looking at Dumbledore, "…I've got to find her - "

"Calm yourself, Lupin," said Snape coldly. "The blood has to be added fresh. I assure you, Miss Graham has not been anywhere near the potion in the last hour."

Flitwick was looking confused.

"But - that's impossible!" he said, looking at Donahue, "how could you have discovered such an ingredient? How can anyone even think of adding something like that?"

Professor Donahue gave a slightly bitter smile.

"Completely by accident," he said. "We've suspected, for many years, that blood was an important ingredient to be used in the werewolf cure. We tested many varieties - animal blood, then human. One day, we decided to add it fresh, just before the patient took it. The patient's father contributed the blood. However, just after the patient had taken the potion, the father had a heart seizure and died."

He paused. Harry looked at the others; they were all listening intently.

"This patient was the first to be cured. We were excited, of course - despite the father's unfortunate death. At the time, I didn't realise the significance of this death, but my sister - Marcus's mother - did.

"I thought fresh blood was the answer. We tried again, with another patient, but it didn't work. We tried all sources of fresh blood…from the different family members, friends…

"My sister was even more well-versed in this branch of research than I was. She had an added incentive, you see…her husband, Marcus's father, was a werewolf.

"She must have realised the significance of the father's death, because she volunteered to donate her blood for her husband. Just before I was about to give him the potion, she told me to go ahead, and excused herself from the room.

"I gave the potion to my brother-in-law, and he was cured. We rushed to find my sister and tell her the good news - only to find her dead on her bed. She had stabbed herself."

Donahue looked around. Most of those in the room were looking rather horrified.

"My sister left a long letter," said Donahue, "explaining about the cure. It has to be fresh blood from a person who then dies before or within a short period of the patient taking the potion. She'd tried blood from sick people who died shortly after, and who were not related to the patient, but it didn't work. She then tried another experiment with a patient whose mother said she was willing to take her life to cure her child. They tried the mother's blood, but so long as the mother was alive, it didn't work. They then tried

again. This time, the mother went upstairs and hung herself.

"The patient recovered, but when she found out what her mother had done, she committed suicide. My sister blamed herself for conducting the experiment. She felt so bad she wanted to kill herself. That was why she gave up her life, for her husband.

"Marcus was about seventeen at the time. I will never forget his face when we opened the bedroom door and he saw his mother lying there."

Harry looked at Flynn. He seemed to be shaking slightly, and his face was a peculiar green colour.

Donahue looked sadly at him.

"As time went by, I thought he had got over his mother's death. He went into the same line as I did, and took up the same field of research. However, I have reason to believe now that he never forgot what happened that day. He blamed me for what had happened; didn't you, Marcus?"

Harry was startled. Flynn was staring at Donahue with absolute hatred in his eyes.

"You tried to kill me, didn't you, Marcus?" said Donahue. "But Jeanne found out about it. I didn't believe her at first, but she came that night and helped me get away, just in time."

Flynn's eyes narrowed.

"Prove it!" he hissed.

Hermione, who had sat down on a chair to listen to Donahue, jumped up.

"We can!" she cried. "We have the tape! Listen!"

She bent over the cassette player, rewound the tape, and then pressed the play button.

Harry looked at Flynn. He was now pale, staring at the cassette player, and trembling slightly. Everyone else was listening with bated breath.

The tape crackled a bit, then a voice was heard. It was Flynn's.

"…everything has been going like clockwork…we successfully disposed of Donahue in March - there weren't even any remnants of him to be found; and in one month's time, I'll have my revenge on Lupin at last."

Lupin turned to look at Flynn in surprise. Flynn suddenly looked very tense, and seemed about to reach for his wand; but Dumbledore was faster.

"This room is getting a bit crowded, Marcus," he said, lifting his wand, "why don't you sit in the cage and give us a little more space."

He pointed his wand at Flynn, and he flew into the air, his wand falling from his hand. He landed in the cage, and the manacles snapped onto his wrists and legs.

The tape was still playing.

"…but what if something goes wrong?" Another rough-sounding voice said.

"Nothing will go wrong," said Flynn's voice. "I've got the girl in my pocket. Lupin is in such a suicidal state of mind, he's sure to agree to take the potion. After that, I can dump the bitch."

"What if someone finds out?" said the rough voice. "The other researcher - Snape - "

"He doesn't know a thing," said Flynn's voice. "He just follows all my instructions. He wouldn't care anyway, he hates Lupin as much as I do."

The tape crackled again, and Hermione pressed the stop button.

Lupin was frowning and looking at Flynn. Donahue, seeing this, came forward.

"We meet at last," he said, taking Lupin's hand and shaking it. "Jeanne has told me a lot about you. Such a serious young lady, but her face lights up every time she talks about you."

Lupin looked confused.

"I don't understand - " he began.

"Jeanne has been working with me to find a cure for you, Remus," said Donahue. "She found out that Albus knew me, and asked him to introduce me to her last year. She spent her one month's leave with me, during the school holidays, finding out about my research."

Lupin looked amazed.

"She kept it a secret," said Donahue. "She didn't even tell Albus, did she?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "After the introduction, she never said anything more to me."

"When school reopened, she continued her work in her room," Donahue went on. "We corresponded, and occasionally when we had to meet to compare notes, she would transform and fly to Edinburgh to see me."

Harry was dumbfounded. So the Marauder's Map hadn't been faulty after all; Jeanne really hadn't been in Hogwarts.

"When Professor Snape asked for someone to help him with the research, I recommended Marcus," continued Donahue. "I was collaborating with them all the while. But Jeanne didn't trust Marcus from the start, even though he was my nephew. She never told me why. She kept her research a secret from him and Professor Snape, and asked me not to tell them, either."

Lupin was looking more amazed than ever. Snape was watching Donahue with narrowed eyes.

"Jeanne overheard Marcus talking to himself one day, and realised he was up to no good. After that, she had him trailed. She asked some of her animal friends to follow him everywhere, and tell her what he had been saying. One of them was a small owl, I believe."

Ron looked startled.

"That's how she found out Marcus was planning to kill me," said Donahue. "And planning to kill Remus, too. Marcus hated your father, Remus," - turning to Lupin - "you see, my sister and I knew your parents. They were naturally interested in our research, because their son was a werewolf, and that is how they came to know us. My sister had written the letter to me explaining about the cure much earlier, but she accidentally left the letter at your parents' house, so she sent your father a message and asked if he could deliver it to us the day we gave the potion to her husband.

"Your father arrived just before the experiment and gave the letter to my sister. He was in a hurry that day, so he just delivered the letter and left. He didn't know the contents of the letter, but Marcus believed he did, and that he allowed my sister to take her life."

Lupin was looking pale.

"Your parents knew about the cure, Remus," Donahue told him. "Both were willing to sacrifice themselves for you, but neither would allow the other to do it. Marcus hated them; when they died in that accident, he found he had lost his chance for revenge, so his target became you, instead."

Harry looked at Flynn. He looked like a totally different person now, almost a stranger. The innocent and childlike expression was gone, and he was staring at both Donahue and Lupin with absolute hatred.

Lupin was shaking his head in disbelief.

"Jeanne never told me any of this," he said.

"She couldn't tell you, because then you would have found out about the final ingredient," said Donahue. "Because of the horrific nature of the cure, the results were never published. No one knew a cure had actually been found, except the patients who recovered, and their family, and those working in the field, and these were all sworn to secrecy. Your parents found out because Marcus confronted your father the next day. It was unfortunate" - he looked regretful - "that my sister asked your father to deliver the letter in person. She must have been afraid that, if it was returned by owl, someone else might intercept it."

He looked at Lupin. "Jeanne would not have told you, anyway, Remus; she didn't want you to know. If you found out what the final ingredient was, she was sure you'd stop her from continuing her research."

Lupin was silent. Donahue looked at him a moment longer, then continued.

"She couldn't expose Marcus without any proof," he said, "so she trailed him, hoping to tape his conversation. But at Hogwarts, no one knew of his plans…it was not until she followed him to Edinburgh that she managed to tape what she wanted."

It all fits together now, thought Harry, her weird behaviour, that time during full moon when both she and Flynn had been in Edinburgh…

"When she obtained the tape, I was in hiding," said Donahue. "She came to see me the next day. She was upset because she couldn't make the tonic for you that month, Remus. It would have interfered with the potion you took today.

"She told me she'd finally obtained evidence against Marcus. I assumed she would expose him soon…when she sent me this letter, I thought she must have done it. But she isn't here…where is she?"

No one answered. Obviously, no one knew where Jeanne was. Lupin looked rather pale, and he had a worried frown on his face.

Finally, Professor McGonagall spoke up.

"One more thing also remains unsolved," she said. "If Severus here prepared the wrong potion, how is it that Remus has been cured?"

A murmur went around at this. Everyone looked at Donahue, as if waiting for the answer.

He shook his head.

"I don't know…" he said, looking thoughtfully at Lupin.

Something cold crept into Harry's heart suddenly. Jeanne…! He had been so caught up with Donahue's story that the implications of what he'd seen hadn't hit him. She'd poured her own blood into the goblet, and switched it with Snape's…she was going to kill herself. She must have left the room when the others had arrived…

Harry tried desperately to move, but to no avail. He knew it was too late by now…if Lupin had recovered, Jeanne must already be dead.

Hermione suddenly realised something.

"Harry!" she cried. "Where's Harry? He's supposed to be here, he came here before we did…"

Flynn started slightly, and involuntarily looked at the cupboard. Lupin, noticing this, said, "There's something in the cupboard, is there, Marcus?"

He strode over to the cupboard and tapped it with his wand. The doors flew open.

"Harry!" screamed Hermione. "What happened?"

"Flynn did the body-bind on him, Hermione," said Lupin, bending down and tapping Harry with the wand. Harry suddenly found he could feel his arms and legs again.

Lupin helped him out of the cupboard.

"Are you all righ-"

He broke off suddenly. Harry looked up.

Lupin had gone deathly pale. He was staring at something in the corner of the room, behind Harry.

Harry turned to look. There, in the corner, next to the basket, was a small puddle of blood. It was growing; a thin trickle of blood was falling out of thin air, feeding the puddle.

Lupin crossed over to the corner in two strides. Bending down, he pulled the Invisibility Cloak off Jeanne's still form.

She was lying curled up in the corner, a small knife together with Snape's goblet and the green bottle in her lap. She had tied a handkerchief around the wound in her arm, but the blood was still seeping out slowly, feeding the puddle on the floor.

Everyone was standing as if frozen, watching in shock. Lupin knelt down next to Jeanne. He felt her pulse, then without a word, gently took her into his arms, and held her close to him.

At this, Neville burst into tears. Snape came forward, and picked up the green bottle, which had tumbled to the floor together with the knife and goblet.

"Poison," he said grimly, looking at it.

Neville was still sobbing. Professor McGonagall was shaking slightly, and Hermione had tears in her eyes. Dumbledore, Flitwick and Ron looked sober.

Marcus Flynn, however, laughed.

"Serves the little bitch right," he sneered. "She's done a better job than I could ever have. You'll never forget this, will you, Lupin - "

Lupin had put Jeanne down, and turned to face Flynn. There was a murderous look on his face, which Harry had never seen before. He was pulling his wand out.

"By God, Flynn, I'll kill you for this," he said softly.

"Remus! No!" said Dumbledore, sharply.

But to Harry's astonishment, it was Snape who stepped in front of Lupin, and placed a hand on his arm, so that the wand was lowered.

"Put the wand down, Lupin," said Snape, in a soft, cold voice. "You can't blame Flynn for this. Blame yourself, instead."

He looked at Lupin, his eyes glittering strangely.

"You have only yourself to blame," he repeated, in the same soft, cold voice. "You had her - she was yours, but you drove her away."

Snape's eyes narrowed, and his thin lips were curled into a sneer.

"Do you know how much she loved you, Lupin?" he said softly. "Tell me, what did she ever do that wasn't for you? Do you think all those hours she spent working on potions were for Longbottom, or to help me?"

Lupin was looking at him, his face pale.

"She was only interested in one potion, right from the beginning," whispered Snape. "The one you just drank."

He stopped, his eyes narrowing, then continued, still in a whisper.

"Do you think all that time spent with Madam Pomfrey was to learn healing for other people? You know she was only interested in healing one person - you. Tell me, how many hours did she spend watching over you, every full moon?

"And that imbecile, Flynn, do you think she cared an iota for him? Why did she put up with him, with his insipid company, with all the tedious cocktail parties and balls, which she found an absolute bore - why did she do it? Because Donahue was gone - Donahue was in hiding, and everyone thought he was dead, and the precious funds for her research had been cut off. She needed the money desperately, because the ingredients were expensive, and she didn't have much time, to prepare the potion for you."

Snape's skin had gone even more sallow than usual, and he looked at Lupin with as much loathing as Marcus Flynn had.

"Blame yourself, Lupin," he whispered. "You drove her to this. You had her, but you let her go."

"That will do, Severus!" said Dumbledore sharply. "I believe we can dispense with your presence here. Kindly await us below stairs."

Snape looked at Dumbledore, his lip curling. Professors McGonagall and Flitwick went up to him and firmly started leading him off. At the door, Snape shrugged their hands off, and turned around and looked at Lupin, one more time.

Lupin returned Snape's gaze, his face still pale.

"You cared for her too, didn't you, Severus," he said quietly, with a hint of wonder in his eyes. "And I thought - "

Snape's face had a twisted, bitter expression on it. "- that I was doing it to spite you?" His eyes narrowed, and he seemed about to say more, then thought better of it, and left.

"Minerva, could you inform Madam Pomfrey of this," Dumbledore said quietly to Professor McGonagall, as she turned to follow Snape. She gave a quick nod, and left.

Professor Flitwick was looking like a dim copy of his usual cheerful self.

"I'll inform the Ministry, Albus," he said, glancing at Flynn.

Dumbledore nodded, and he hurried out.

Lupin had knelt down and was holding Jeanne again. Dumbledore went over to him, and gently said, "let me look at her, Remus."

He examined Jeanne for a while, then shook his head sadly, indicating there was nothing he could do. He raised his wand, and was beginning to conjure a stretcher, when Lupin said quietly,

"Headmaster, let me do it."

He picked Jeanne up as if she were weightless, and carried her out of the room. Harry glanced at his face as he passed, and wished he hadn't.

"You may as well follow him to the hospital wing, Harry," said Dumbledore quietly, looking after Lupin with concern in his eyes. "Elfrid and I will wait here with Marcus till the Azkaban guards arrive."

Flynn heard this, and went deathly pale.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville set off after Lupin. Harry was silent; he was feeling terrible - he had totally misjudged Jeanne. Those things he'd said to her - he could never take them back now. He kept seeing her face that night when she'd begged him for the Cloak.

"Jeanne planned everything," Ron said, looking slightly shaken. "She somehow managed to get hold of a cassette player that would work inside Hogwarts, and gave it to Neville, and told him not to give it to us till ten past nine; she didn't want us to arrive there too soon, and stop Lupin from taking the potion."

Neville was still crying. Hermione put a comforting arm around his shoulders.

"I n-never got t-to tell her about the P-Potions exam," he sobbed.

"She framed Flynn too," said Ron. "She got Donahue to come a bit later as well, so that he wouldn't interfere with Lupin taking the potion either. We met him trying to find his way to the Tower."

Harry remained silent. He was feeling worse and worse.

"Don't feel bad, Harry," said Hermione, looking anxiously at him, and trying to think of something to comfort him. "Jeanne understood why you were angry with her. If you hadn't cared so much about her, you wouldn't have been so angry."

Harry felt even worse.

Lupin had reached the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey was at the door, her face sober.

"Bring her in, Remus," she said gently, and let him in. She refused, however, to let Harry and the others go in.

"He needs to be alone with her for a while," she said firmly, and shut the door in their faces.

They stood outside, feeling at a loss. Harry walked to a nearby window and gazed out unseeingly. His mind felt numb.

Neville was still sobbing slightly. Hermione, however, suddenly remembered something.

"Harry?" she said timidly, coming up to the window, "I forgot…Jeanne left a letter for you. We found it in her room when we went to look for the cassette player there."

Harry found his fingers shaking slightly as he tore the envelope open.

Hermione and the others were standing around, looking worriedly at him. Neville had finally stopped crying.

Harry looked at them. His mind still felt numb.

"She said 'I won't see you again'," he said, staring at the letter. "She didn't mean to kill herself inside that room. She was going to leave and do it elsewhere, where nobody would find her, so that no one would ever know what had happened to her. But she couldn't get out - the window was covered and she couldn't get to the door, they'd closed it too fast. She had no choice, because she had to do it before Lupin took the potion."

The others didn't seem to know what to say; they just stood there, looking at him.

"She said to thank all of you for your friendship," said Harry, and then stopped, because there was a lump in his throat.

He turned around and looked out of the window again, feeling sick at heart. As he leaned against the sill, he felt some hard object inside his robes poking at him.

He felt inside his robes, and brought the object out. It was the bottle of stardust. He looked at it. His mind felt so numb now that for a moment he couldn't remember what he was looking at.

Then, the words came back to him:

"One second chance will this stardust give…"

"The dust!" he whispered, his heart beating fast. "We can use the stardust on her!"

He wheeled around, and without waiting for the others, ran over to the hospital wing door and hammered on it.

Madam Pomfrey looked angry when she opened the door. Harry was so excited that he couldn't wait to explain anything to her. He merely pushed past her, and ran inside.

"What! - " she gasped, and then he could hear Hermione at the door too, explaining about the dust to her.

Jeanne's body was lying on a bed at the far end of the wing. Professor Lupin was sitting silently next to her, holding her hands in his, and staring into space. He looked up, startled, when Harry came dashing up.

"Sir - " Harry panted, holding the bottle up, "- we can use this on her. The mirror in the cave gave it to me."

Lupin's mind appeared to have gone numb too, because it took him a while to register what Harry was saying.

"The stardust?" he whispered, taking the bottle in his hand. He stared at it a while. "Yes, I remember her telling me about it," he said slowly.

He looked at Harry.

"Are you sure…?" he asked.

Suddenly, Harry wasn't sure. These two years, he had been wildly hoping the stardust might one day bring his parents back to life, however remote the chance might be. The image of the photograph that Jeanne had given him, of him together with his father and mother, came into his mind…

He looked at Lupin. The lines on his young face seemed more obvious than usual, and there seemed to be more grey hair mingling with the light brown. He was holding the bottle with one hand, but the other hand was still clasping Jeanne's.

Harry made up his mind.

"I'm sure," he said.

Lupin looked at him, then slowly opened the bottle, and sprinkled the stardust onto Jeanne's body.

The dust sparkled as it lay on her body, then suddenly flared up brightly for a moment, glowing blue-white. It then shimmered, and became dimmer, and seemed to sink into her, and disappear.

They waited. Lupin was watching tensely. Harry was holding his breath. He was vaguely aware of Madam Pomfrey, together with Hermione and the others, watching from behind.

The minutes ticked past. Jeanne lay there, still as ever.

Harry felt his heart sink. The dust wasn't working; the mirror had merely been playing a shabby trick on him.

Lupin's face had a set expression on it. He suddenly got up, and walked abruptly to the other end of the ward.

Hermione looked stricken.

"I'm sorry, Harry," she whispered.

Harry couldn't bear it. He turned and brushed past the others, and began walking out of the wing.

He could hear them following him. He had reached the door of the wing…

- And then, Madam Pomfrey suddenly called out shrilly.

"Remus! Come here quick!"

Harry felt his heart stop for a moment. He turned around, and saw Lupin darting back toward Jeanne's bed. He heard Madam Pomfrey saying, "she's breathing…"

For a split second, he, Hermione, Ron and Neville stared at each other, wide-eyed. Then, as one, they turned and ran back into the wing.

Jeanne was breathing. Some colour was back in her cheeks. Lupin was staring at her, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

She slowly opened her eyes. She seemed to have difficulty focussing her gaze. She looked at Harry, then Madam Pomfrey, then Neville, Ron and Hermione, as if she couldn't recognize them. Then, she turned her head slightly, and looked at Lupin.

Her eyes widened slightly.

"Remus?" she whispered.

Lupin was still staring in disbelief.

She looked at him, as if trying to remember something.

"The potion…" she whispered at last, "did it work…?"

He looked at her for a moment, then nodded slowly.

She stared at him, as if what she saw hadn't sunk in.

"It worked," she whispered, staring in disbelief. Then, suddenly, she started to cry.

Lupin looked alarmed, and caught hold of her hands.

"Jeanne," he said softly, "It's all right, Jeanne. It's all over."

She couldn't stop crying. It was as if all the tension she'd been carrying the past few months was finally being let out.

Madam Pomfrey turned and looked at Harry and the others.

"She needs to rest," she said, softly but firmly. "Time to leave them alone for a while. Out, out, all of you." She turned back to Lupin. "Let me do it, Remus. If you'll just step aside for a moment…"

Hermione caught Neville and Ron by the arm, and starting leading them out of the wing. Harry stared at Jeanne a moment longer, then turned and slowly followed.

He had almost reached the door of the wing when he heard Lupin calling him.

"Harry!"

He turned around. Lupin was standing behind him, looking at him. He seemed to want to say something, but couldn't find the words. There was a curious light in his face, as if a flame had been kindled within him.

"Thank you, Harry," was all he finally said in the end, but the grateful look that came with it said more than any words could.

Harry suddenly found his throat too tight to speak, so he just nodded. Lupin looked at him for a moment longer, then turned and went back to Jeanne's side. Harry watched him take her hands in his. She had stopped crying, and was now looking quietly at him.

Harry watched them a moment longer, then his vision blurred because there was a sudden wetness in his eyes. He turned, and went quickly from the room.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

It was several days before Harry had a chance to talk to Jeanne. He, Neville, Ron and Hermione, and even Hagrid took to haunting the hospital wing over the next few days, until Madam Pomfrey lost patience with them.

"When she's well enough to see you, we'll send for you," she said crossly. "The dust gave her life back, but traces of poison are still in her blood. It'll take time, to leach it out."

Finally, on the fifth day, Pigwidgeon brought Harry a letter.

"Jeanne says she's well enough to see us," said Harry, reading the letter, "but Madam Pomfrey says only I'm to go. She doesn't want all of us crowding around her."

Neville looked disappointed. Ron was petting Pigwidgeon; he was proud of the part he had played in exposing Marcus Flynn, and had stopped complaining whenever Jeanne used him to carry her letters.

Jeanne was sitting up in bed when Harry saw her. She still looked rather tired and pale, but there was a happy look in her eyes. She smiled when she saw him.

"It's good to see the old you back," said Harry, when he saw her smile.

She reached out, and took one of his hands in hers.

"Thank you for using the stardust on me, Harry," she said. "I'm sorry -"

"It wasn't anything," said Harry, interrupting her. "I'm the one who should say sorry. I'm sorry I said all those awful things…I didn't know…"

She smiled, and there seemed to be tears in her eyes. She gave his hand an affectionate squeeze, then released it.

Harry looked at her. He noticed the wolf pendant, sparkling at her throat.

"You really love him, don't you," he said, looking at her in wonder. "All the stuff you must have gone through…"

She looked more serious now, and gave a small sigh.

"Yes, I went through all of it," she said, "but in the end, it wasn't a thorough cure."

Harry looked at her, startled.

"What?" he said, "but -"

She had a resigned expression on her face.

"The following night, the moon was still full, and he transformed into a wolf again," she said. "The person who donates the blood has to be dead. Bringing me back to life must have interfered with the cure."

Harry stared at her, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"He only transforms into a normal wolf now, though," she said, "so technically he's not really a werewolf any more. Severus won't need to make the Wolfsbane potion for him again. And he doesn't fall as ill after that as he used to, either. I guess in a way I don't mind…I'm so used to him being a wolf during full moon, I think I would rather miss it."

Harry still felt disappointed. After all the heartache Jeanne and Lupin must have gone through, Lupin still hadn't been fully cured.

"I'm sorry I stole your Cloak, Harry," said Jeanne, "but I really needed it. I couldn't have done what I did, that night, without it."

"It's all right," said Harry. "I still wouldn't have lent it to you, though, if I'd known what you wanted it for."

He fell silent, thinking. Jeanne, seeing this, smiled and began examining the bunch of flowers he had brought, which were now sitting in a vase by the bed.

Harry looked at her.

"Jeanne," he said, "Professor Donahue said you didn't trust Flynn from the start. But you only overheard him later in the year. How did you know…?"

"…that he wasn't to be trusted?" she said. "I saw his face when he first saw Remus, at the start of term feast."

She had stopped arranging the flowers, and was now looking at Harry.

"There was a look of absolute hate on it, for a moment," she said. "It made my blood run cold. Later, when the feast was over, I tried to get to know him. I wanted to know if he was reliable. I was the one who persuaded Severus to get a research partner, you see. Severus knew I would be pleased if a cure for Remus could be found; I think that was why he agreed to take up the project in the first place, even though he doesn't like Remus. But I didn't trust him, so I suggested that Dumbledore ask Donahue to recommend a partner, someone who could make sure Severus wouldn't try harming Remus by doctoring the potion.

"At the feast, I found that Marcus wasn't interested in talking to me at all. He'd heard I was just the gamekeeper's assistant, and he didn't think I was worth noticing. It was only later, when he must have found out that Remus and I liked each other, that he started trying to pursue me. He wanted to spite Remus by breaking us up, you see."

Harry was listening intently. A lot of things were becoming clear to him now.

"At first, I thought he was just a shallow and worldly idiot," said Jeanne. "I hung around, trying to find out how the research was going. I would transform into a small animal, and eavesdrop on all the staff meetings that were held to discuss the progress of the research.

"It became clear to me that Marcus wasn't very interested in the project. Severus was doing all the preparation and testing. Marcus merely suggested what ingredients to use.

"One day, I overheard him muttering to himself, 'Lupin, you'd better watch out!' I became worried. Pigwidgeon was with me at the time, and he volunteered to help me eavesdrop on Flynn. I was afraid he would neglect his duties to Ron, but he was so enthusiastic about helping that I couldn't put him off.

"You can imagine my feelings when I found out what Flynn was really up to. I bitterly regretted the part I played in bringing him here."

She gave a small sigh, and looked pensive.

"I had no proof to expose Flynn. I hoped that Donahue and I would find an alternative cure, so that we wouldn't have to use Flynn's potion. But after Donahue went into hiding, the authorities cut off my research funds, because unlike Severus, I had no qualifications. I hoped Severus and Marcus would call off the project, now that their main collaborator was gone, but Marcus insisted on carrying on.

"I was beginning to panic. After Flynn's attempt on Donahue's life, I knew he was serious about killing Remus. I tried to persuade Remus to change his mind, to let us to be together even though he was a werewolf, and forget about the cure, and call off the project. But he was keen on it; he thought, if it worked, then we could be together at last."

She paused, and shifted to a more comfortable position on the bed.

"I told Remus that Marcus wasn't to be trusted, that he wanted to harm him. But he didn't believe me. He said there was no reason for Flynn to dislike him. I couldn't tell him about Flynn hating his parents, because then I'd have to tell him I'd learnt it from Donahue, and the secret of my research would be out."

She stopped, and looked thoughtfully at her flowers for a moment, then looked at Harry again.

"There were only two things I could do now. The best solution was to find proof of Flynn's plans; but I didn't know if I would succeed.

"The only other choice I had was to break with Remus and go steady with Flynn. There was no other way I could get money. Then I could continue my research, still keeping in touch with Donahue. And I could also buy ingredients for the known cure, so that if all else failed, I could donate my own blood and switch the potions."

She sighed, and lay back on her pillows, looking rather tired.

Harry, though, was thinking of something, and didn't notice her tiredness.

"When you finally obtained the proof, you could have exposed Flynn straight away," he said. "You didn't need to sacrifice yourself."

She sat up again, looking at him.

"Yes, I know," she admitted. "But I was under so much stress that I wasn't thinking very clearly, by that time. I knew I had hurt Remus a lot, by being with Marcus, and I felt he'd never trust me again, even if he found out in the end what I was up to. I felt I had destroyed our relationship, and it was gone forever. The only thing I could do for him now was to help him get cured. Besides, I felt I might one day be killed by Deorg anyway. I'd rather die, helping Remus - since we couldn't be together anyway - than die for nothing at the hands of Deorg."

A movement caught Harry's eye. Professor Lupin was standing behind Jeanne, listening. He now walked to one side of the bed, so that he was standing across the bed from Harry, and looked at her with a grave expression on his face.

Jeanne saw him and went pink.

"How much of what I said did you overhear?" she asked.

"Nearly everything," he said, still looking at her.

She went even pinker. She opened her mouth to say something more, but now Madam Pomfrey had come over as well.

"You've far exceeded your ten minutes, Harry," she said firmly, "Time for you to go… She needs to rest!"

"Hold on a minute, Poppy," said Jeanne, "give me another five minutes. I haven't told Harry the real reason I wanted to see him, today."

Madam Pomfrey looked at her, then sighed and nodded, and walked off.

Harry looked at Jeanne in surprise.

"Harry, what I actually wanted to tell you today," she said, blushing, "is that Remus and I are getting married."

Harry was dumbfounded.

"You are?" he gasped, looking at her and Lupin in astonishment. "When?"

"Next week," said Lupin.

"Next week!" said Harry. "But - but it's the holidays already! Me and the others won't be able to come!"

"It's going to be a very quiet affair, anyway, Harry," said Lupin. "Just the two of us, and the priest, and Dumbledore as witness."

He paused, looked at Jeanne, then back at Harry again. "So many things have happened these last few months, not all of them happy, that we're emotionally exhausted. We just want something simple, without any fuss."

"You can still have something simple, with us there," said Harry, trying to persuade him. "You could hold it this week, before school closes."

Lupin smiled, and shook his head.

"She's not well enough, Harry," he said, glancing at Jeanne, "and Dumbledore won't be free at that time."

"You could hold it next term, when we come back!" said Harry.

Lupin smiled, and shook his head again.

"No, Harry. We don't want to wait that long. We've waited long enough." He stopped, and looked at Jeanne again. "It's only a formality, anyway, - the ceremony; just a piece of parchment. I believe, in our hearts, we were already married a long time ago."

She smiled at him.

Harry didn't see Jeanne again that term, but he did pay Professor Lupin one last visit in his office, on the second last day of the term.

"This is for you and Jeanne, from me and Ron and Hermione," he said, heaving a large package onto Lupin's desk. "We got it in Hogsmeade yesterday…we got permission to go from Professor McGonagall first, of course," he hurriedly added.

Lupin looked speechless with surprise.

Harry racked his brains, trying to remember the words Hermione had been drilling him to say all morning. It had been something very long and flowery, but now he could only recall one line.

"We hope the both of you will be very happy together," he recited.

Lupin was still looking surprised.

"Why, Harry, you shouldn't have!" he said, at last. "We really didn't expect anything…"

He broke off, and examined the gift, still looking surprised.

"Hermione spent the whole night wrapping it," said Harry, watching him. "She and Ron didn't want to come; they seemed to think it was better, if I came alone to give it."

Lupin was smiling now. He looked at Harry.

"Thank you, Harry," he said, "and please thank them as well, too."

Harry felt slightly embarrassed.

"Neville and Hagrid each got something for the both of you, too," he said, "but they said they would give it to Jeanne when they see her."

Lupin lifted the parcel with both hands, as if testing its weight.

"I'll give it to Jeanne to unwrap," he said. "It's heavy…I sincerely hope you didn't go to too much expense…"

"Well - actually we got it at a discount," confessed Harry, going red. "It's a tea-set. I saw Jeanne admiring it, once. Grenivere let us have it at a good price…he was having a closing down sale."

Lupin looked surprised. "He's moving out, is he?"

Harry nodded, and fished out a small package from the depths of his robes.

"He gave this to me, to give to you. Said it's from your grandfather."

Lupin was looking astonished again. He took the package and turned it around in his hands, examining it.

"He didn't tell us what was inside, but said to open it straight away, before you went and bought your own," added Harry. "He - he said your grandfather had already carved the names on it."

Lupin looked thoughtfully at the package, then tore the wrapper off. There was a small box inside, similar to the one that had held the wolf pendant. Lupin opened it, and a look of complete amazement came over his face. Even Harry was too surprised to speak.

The box contained two rings, one smaller than the other. They were silver in colour, and shimmered with starlight. The large one was plain, but the smaller one had a very small gem, like a star, on it. Harry could see that some words were inscribed on the inner surface of each ring.

Lupin was looking completely thunderstruck. He took the rings out and examined them, read the inscriptions, and then tried the larger ring on. It fit perfectly.

"I really must go down and have a talk with Grenivere, before he disappears," he said, still looking amazed, and staring at the rings.

"I - I'm afraid he's already left," said Harry. "He told us yesterday he was leaving first thing this morning. Said that he'd finished what he came here to do."

Lupin looked at Harry. "He said that, did he?"

Harry nodded. Lupin turned his gaze back to the rings again, frowning slightly. He shook his head in astonishment.

Harry looked at the smaller ring.

"I'm sure Jeanne will like it," he said. "I know she likes Starlight jewelry. Is it silver?"

Lupin smiled. "No, Harry. These are made of peritin - platinum that has been treated with dragon fire. It's one substance that holds starlight very well."

He fell silent, looking at the rings again.

Harry watched him. There was something he wanted to ask Lupin. He felt he really wanted to know, before the term ended.

"Professor Lupin?" he said. "Can I ask you something about the Marauder's Map?"

Lupin was still absorbed in the rings, and it took him a moment to reply.

" - I do beg your pardon, Harry," he said, tearing his gaze from the rings, and looking at Harry. "What did you say?"

Harry suddenly changed his mind. It wouldn't be good if Lupin found out that he had been spying on him and Jeanne using the Map.

"Oh - er, nothing," he said, flushing slightly, and trying not to look guilty. "It's not really important."

Lupin put the rings aside, and looked directly at Harry.

"No matter if it's unimportant, Harry," he said, "What is it?"

At this moment, there was a knock on the door, and Madam Pomfrey poked her head in.

"Remus?" she said, "Could I have a word with you?"

"Just give me a few minutes, Poppy," said Lupin, "I'm just finishing with Harry here."

Madam Pomfrey nodded, and shut the door.

Harry tried to escape.

"It's really nothing…we'd better not keep Madam Pomfrey waiting…"

"Not at all, Harry," said Lupin, smiling and looking at him. "Tell me what it is."

"It's - it's about the Marauder's Map," said Harry. "I was just wondering - is there any particular case when a person might not show up on it?"

To Harry's surprise, Lupin laughed, and looked extremely amused. He also looked slightly embarrassed.

"Why do you ask that?" he asked, smiling at Harry.

Harry tried very hard not to look guilty. He felt sure Lupin could see right through him.

"No particular reason," he said. "I was just wondering, that's all."

Lupin continued to look amused.

"Why, in fact, there is, Harry," he said, still smiling. "When we wrote the Map, we felt there were certain rules we should follow, to avoid it being abused should it fall into the wrong hands. The objective of showing the location of people on the Map was so that we could avoid anyone who might interfere in the particular adventure we were embarking on, that day. In particular, the Map was not meant to be used to invade anyone's privacy."

Harry felt his face going red.

"Bearing this in mind, we wrote it so that certain individuals would not show up on the Map," Lupin went on, "especially those indulging in any form of, er, - romantic activity."

"Oh!" said Harry, his face suddenly flaming red. "You mean -"

"Precisely," said Lupin. His eyes were twinkling as he looked at Harry.

Harry could feel his face getting redder and redder.

Madam Pomfrey knocked again, and opened the door.

"I don't mean to rush you, Remus," she said, apologetically, "but I'm in a bit of a hurry. This will only take a minute…"

"It's all right," said Harry quickly, "I've got to be going…"

He rose and said goodbye, as Madam Pomfrey came into the room and deposited some pieces of parchment onto the desk.

Lupin's eyes were still twinkling.

"Thank you again for the gift, Harry," he said. "Jeanne and I will see you next term."

Harry was still blushing as he left the office.

THE END