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 it suddenly 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."