Unfortunately, however, it wasn't all smiles for Blake, especially as he dragged himself to his next and final lesson of the year.
"Alright, Slytherin, settle down!" Lupin's usual cheerful voice rang out. Blake looked at the professor's face carefully. To most, nothing would seem amiss. Lupin was still Lupin - scruffy, tired, but smiling and happy nonetheless - but Blake knew better. The werewolf's eye bags were deeper than usual, and his smile ever so slightly too wide. Guilt stabbed at his chest again. If he hadn't forced Lupin into helping him find Sirius, none of this would've happened.
No, that's stupid, Blake tried to tell himself. Lupin would've confiscated the map and seen Harry, Ron and Hermione with Sirius anyway, and tried to intervene. This isn't my fault.
I don't know that though, a voice deep inside his head returned. I don't know. What if it all took was one different choice - one different action - and Lupin would still be teaching at Hogwarts next year. He wouldn't be back to an unstable, judged, poor life. Who knows? Maybe if I'd been smarter, Sirius would already have been proven to be innocent, and Pettigrew wouldn't have escaped.
Blake thought back to that moment in the Forest.
I couldn't make a corporeal Patronus. I failed. And everyone else paid the price.
If I'd been quicker - smarter - stronger - I could've held off the Dementors immediately, and Pettigrew couldn't have escaped, and we could've tracked down Lupin ourselves. Daphne wouldn't have been injured. None of the others too.
If I-
"Blake? Blake!"
"Huh?"
Blake snapped back to reality to see Lupin's smiling face looking at him.
"Sorry, Professor, what was the question again?"
His friends sniggered as Lupin asked the question again.
"Do you remember the name of the spirit that takes the form of your greatest fear ?"
"A Boggart, sir."
"That's right," Lupin said warmly. "And the spell that counters it?"
Riddikulus, sir - but it's not the spell that counters it - it's laughter."
"Precisely, Blake, well remembered! 5 points to Slytherin."
The sound of students rushing to their dormitories suddenly filled the outside corridors, and the class looked expectantly at Lupin to end the lesson and year.
"Well, everyone, it's been a pleasure. Stay on top of all the interesting things you've learnt, stay safe, and most importantly, enjoy your summer!"
Blake lingered behind as the class emptied out. From the corner of his eye, he saw Daphne stay behind too.
"Well, Blake, Daphne," Lupin said with a sad smile, as if he'd been expecting this conversation. "I'm glad you're both alright."
"Are you leaving?" Daphne asked bluntly.
Lupin's smile tightened.
"Direct as always, Daphne. Yes, I am."
"They can't-"
"Actually, Blake, it was my own choice to resign. Apparently, someone let the information about my… furry problem… slip to the general public."
"Snape," Blake snarled.
Lupin laughed humourlessly.
"Either way. It won't be long before the outrage from the parents kicks in - and rightfully so, might I add."
"What?" Daphne said incredulously. "Professor, you took your potion and posed no harm at any point under normal conditions! The only reason-"
"The reason doesn't matter, Daphne," Lupin said gently. "Because either way, I didn't take my potion. I put you all at risk. That is the fact of the matter."
"But-"
Lupin held out his hand, stopping their protest.
"What's done is done. And besides, if anything, I'm grateful for this opportunity to teach a subject I love to students such as yourselves. And beyond that, I'm grateful for both of you too."
An ugly mixture of guilt, shame and regret left a bitter taste in Blake's mouth.
"I'm sorry, Professor," he said, his head lowered in shame. "This was my fault. I should've never-"
"No, Blake," Lupin said with a wry smile. "I'll admit, perhaps blackmail was a bit too… Slytherin of you, but you did what you had to do for you and your friends. And besides, your intervention meant that after so long, I was able to learn the truth. You don't know how much Sirirus's innocence means to me," he said, his voice shaking slightly. "For so long, I was unable to forgive myself…"
Lupin shook his head, and cleared his throat.
"But despite that, both Sirius and I let Peter slip under our noses. He's probably out there as we speak, trying to bring Voldemort back. In that regard, perhaps it's a good thing that I resigned."
Daphne narrowed her eyes.
"You mean you and Black will be trying to track him down? That's risky, is it not? And besides, the Dark Lord is said to be roaming around in Albania, somewhere. Is that where you'll go? It'll be difficult to get Black out of the country."
Lupin sighed.
"I suppose we'll see. There's no doubt it'll be difficult, but it will certainly be easy."
Seeing their puzzled looks, Lupin laughed.
"For so long, I thought I'd lost everyone that I loved - dead, or in Sirius's case, worse. But now… for the first time in so long," he said, holding up a letter, "I'm not alone, and suddenly, I feel like there's nothing I can't do."
Blake thought about those words for a long time.
"Ah, that reminds me, Blake," Lupin said with a smile. "Sirius told me that you managed to broker a deal in your usual fashion. So, you've gotten what you need?"
Blake nodded.
"Yeah, we've got access to the library. Hopefully we'll get some clues from that."
"Excellent," Lupin said.
Suddenly, the door opened. The three of them turned to see who the newcomer was.
"Ah, Harry!" Lupin said with a smile. "Just who I was hoping to see."
The Boy-Who-Lived smiled back tightly at Lupin, before looking at the 2 Slytherins in the room.
"We should get going," Daphne said. "It was good to see you, Professor. Good luck and thank you," Daphne said with a rare, warm smile, which Lupin returned. "Potter," she acknowledged with a nod at Harry, before leaving.
Blake looked at Lupin.
"If there's anything I can do-"
Don't be silly, Blake."
"I mean it," he insisted. "If there's anything at all - promise me you'll ask."
Lupin laughed.
"Of course, Blake."
Blake didn't believe him.
"Ok, then, Professor," he said, walking up to him one last time, before extending his hand.
"Thank you - for everything. I hope to see you soon?"
"It's been a pleasure," Blake," Lupin said, shaking his hand firmly. "And remember what I said."
"For the first time in so long, I'm not alone, and suddenly, I feel like there's nothing I can't do."
Blake nodded, with a smile on his face.
"I will."
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