Stay - Mattheo Riddle

Chapter 105

Lupin threw his last few books into his case, closed the desk drawers, and turned to look at Kirra. "Here — I brought this from the Shrieking Shack last night," he said, then held out the Marauder's Map. 

"I am no longer your teacher, so I don't feel guilty about giving you back this as well. It's no use to me, and I daresay you, those twins and your Slytherins friends will find uses for it. And not to mention, if anyone should have it, its you. It is our legacy after all and James would have wanted you to have it" 

Kirra took the map and grinned and gave Remus one last hug, "I miss him"

Remus let out a soft sigh, "Me too. I lost anything I had left that night you know... you were gone, that almost killed me, but then that night i lost James, Peter and Sirius" he choked out

There was a knock on the door. Kirra hastily stuffed the Marauder's Map into her pocket. It was Professor Dumbledore. He didn't look surprised to see Kirra there. "Your carriage is at the gates, Remus," he said. 

"Thank You, Headmaster." Lupin picked up his old suitcase and the empty Grindylow tank. "Well — good-bye, Kirra, until we meet again" he said, smiling. "Headmaster, there is no need to see me to the gates, I can manage..." 

Kirra had the impression that Lupin wanted to leave as quickly as possible. "Good-bye, then, Remus," said Dumbledore soberly. Lupin shifted the Grindylow tank slightly so that he and Dumbledore could shake hands. Then, with a final nod to Kirra and a swift smile, Lupin left the office. 

Kirra sat down in his vacated chair, staring glumly at the floor. She heard the door close and looked up. Dumbledore was still there. 

"You should be very proud of yourself after last night." 

"It didn't make any difference," said Kirra bitterly. "Pettigrew got away. And I lost Remus and Sirius all over again" 

"Didn't make any difference?" said Dumbledore quietly, "it made all the difference in the world, Kirra. You helped uncover the truth. You saved an innocent man from a terrible fate... your best friend" 

Terrible. Something stirred in Kirra's memory. Greater and more terrible than ever before...Professor Trelawney's prediction! "Dumbledore — yesterday, when I was having my Divination exam, Professor Trelawney went very — very strange." 

"Indeed?" said Dumbledore. "Er — stranger than usual, you mean?" 

"Yes... her voice went all deep and her eyes rolled and she said... she said Tom's servant was going to set out to return to him before midnight... She said the servant would help him come back to power." Kirra stared up at Dumbledore. "And then she sort of became normal again, and she couldn't remember anything she'd said. Was it — was she making a real prediction?"

 Dumbledore looked mildly impressed. "Do you know, Ophelia, I think she might have been." he said thoughtfully. "Who'd have thought it? That brings her total of real predictions up to two. I should offer her a pay raise..." 

"But —" Kirra looked at him, aghast. How could Dumbledore take this so calmly? Kirra was growing angry once again "He betrayed Lily and James, he betrayed all of us, we should have killed him!" 

"This is magic at its deepest, its most impenetrable, Kirra. But trust me... the time may come when you will be very glad that Harry saved Pettigrew's life." Kirra couldn't imagine when that would be and she didn't trust the old man at all. 

Dumbledore looked as though he knew what Kirra was thinking. "I've known you for a very long time Ophelia, and I know that you have a pure heart, made of gold, and I cannot blame you for getting angry as the time goes on, you have gone through more pain than anyone could ever fathom, but I know that if it truly came down to it, you ould never be able to hurt, let alone kill someone" he said gently.