Lupin came back early the next morning.
Tver had just gotten up when he heard some movement from next door and immediately went over to check.
Seeing Lupin's exhausted, stifled expression, Tver couldn't help wondering whether he'd run into a she-wolf in the Forbidden Forest.
Werewolves lose their reason and memories while transformed, but once they return to human form, they can recall everything that happened during the change.
"Drink some restorative potion as soon as you can," Tver said lightly, handing him a brimming cup of pumpkin juice. "Want me to add a little extra of that stuff?"
"Thanks." Lupin took a small sip, his expression hard to describe. Color visibly returned to his face, though his spirits remained low.
Tver looked at him with some confusion.
"Seriously? I remember the bracelet was supposed to protect your mind. Did it not work?"
"It worked very well," Lupin sighed. "This one's on me."
Seeing that Lupin clearly didn't want to talk about it, Tver tactfully let the matter drop.
"By the way, how are Harry and Black?" Lupin asked, forcing himself to sound more alert. "What happened after I turned into a wolf?"
Tver was just about to explain everything that happened after he arrived when the office door was suddenly knocked.
"This early? Don't tell me Snape was so furious he didn't even let you sleep," Tver joked darkly as he went to open the door.
Outside stood Black and the trio.
"Remus… oh, Professor Fawley?" Black froze in surprise when he saw Tver at the door.
Black still looked unkempt, as if he hadn't slept at all the night before, but his mental state was clearly far better than the last time they'd seen him.
"Professor?" Harry poked his head out from behind Black. "Are you here to visit Professor Lupin too?"
"That's right."
Tver's gaze shifted to Ron's leg, which was wrapped in a thick bandage. Judging by how easily he was moving, it didn't seem too serious.
Noticing the professor's look, Ron quickly lifted his leg a little.
"Madam Pomfrey said it's almost healed. As long as it doesn't split open again, there won't be any problems."
"That's good. Come to think of it, I thought you'd be heading to Hogsmeade," Tver said, stepping aside from the doorway with a teasing tone. "After all, Harry can go there openly now."
As he spoke, his eyes met Black's.
Or rather, Black had been studying him all along, and Tver was simply returning the look.
At the mention of this, Harry broke into a grin so wide he could barely close his mouth.
He and Hermione had gone to the Hospital Wing that morning to visit Ron, only to run into Black on the way, just as he was leaving the Headmaster's office.
After hearing everything, they learned that the Ministry had temporarily set aside the charges against Black. At the very least, he would no longer be treated as a criminal.
Now, just as the professor had said, Harry could openly have a relative who cared for him.
Lupin didn't know any of this yet, so Tver sat quietly to the side, watching Harry and the others excitedly talk over the Ministry's current decision regarding the traitor incident.
"By the way, Professor Lupin… are you really not planning to keep teaching?" Harry asked suddenly at the end.
"Yes," Lupin replied, looking at them with quiet satisfaction.
Although Black hadn't yet been fully cleared and Peter had escaped, the return of an old friend was enough to leave him content.
Now, he could finally say that he had no lingering worries holding him back from pursuing what he truly wanted to do.
"Why don't you come stay at my place?" Black suggested tactfully. "The house is huge. Cleaning it all by myself won't be easy."
"No, I'll pass," Lupin said with a smile. "You can handle the work yourself."
He took out the Invisibility Cloak he'd retrieved earlier that morning, then picked up the Marauder's Map from the desk.
"I brought this back from the Shrieking Shack. And this map as well."
"This is the Marauder's Map we made back then?" Black asked in astonishment.
"Yes. Now that it's ended up in Harry's hands, it feels like a kind of inheritance," Lupin said as he handed both items to Harry.
"Use them well. You need them more than anyone else, and you're the one who can make the best use of them."
Harry nodded solemnly.
After chatting for a while, Harry and the others decided to take Black on a tour of the castle, introducing him to their many years of… impressive achievements at school.
What they didn't know was that, aside from the absence of Voldemort stirring up trouble, Black had been even wilder than they were back in the day…
Just before they left, Harry suddenly spoke up.
"There's something strange I want to tell you."
"Oh?"
Tver, Lupin, and Black all turned their attention to him.
"Yesterday, right after the Divination exam," Harry said slowly, "Professor Trelawney suddenly sat bolt upright in her chair. I couldn't wake her up no matter what I did."
"Then she started saying strange things in this really harsh, piercing voice. I don't know if she was deliberately messing with me, but it felt… really unsettling."
Harry lowered his head, frowning at his shoes, clearly uneasy and reluctant.
"No matter how strange it sounds, just say it," Tver said with interest. "We'll decide for ourselves."
Black frowned, clearly displeased.
"If Harry doesn't want to talk about it, then he doesn't have to," he said firmly, meeting Tver's gaze.
"No, I think I should tell you," Harry said at last, making up his mind.
"Professor Trelawney talked for a long time. I don't remember the details, but I remember the general meaning."
"She said the Dark Lord lay alone, betrayed by his followers, and that his final servant had been bound in chains."
"Tonight… well, last night," Harry corrected himself, "at midnight, that servant would set out to reunite with the Dark Lord."
"With that servant's help, the Dark Lord would return and carry out their inevitable destiny."
"But what stuck with me the most," Harry said, swallowing hard, "was the last thing she said."
"She said… a new Dark Lord will rise."
The office fell into silence.
Even Tver frowned deeply.
Seeing their reactions, Harry hurriedly added, "Actually, I don't think Professor Trelawney has ever made a successful prediction. Maybe this was just like before, something she said at random."
"No, mate," Ron said. "Professor Trelawney did predict Hermione dropping Divination."
Hermione immediately bristled.
"That was my own decision, because that class is completely unreliable!"
"And take Harry, for example. Do you think he's ever run into anything ominous?"
Harry immediately broke into a goofy grin.
What he'd encountered wasn't bad luck. It was family.
"Alright," Tver said, cutting off Ron before he could argue further. "I'll inform Dumbledore about this prophecy. We'll handle it."
At the word "prophecy," Harry's smile vanished.
"Professor… do you think this was a real prophecy?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Because… if Voldemort really comes back with Peter's help, wouldn't that be my fault?" Harry lowered his head, guilt written all over his face.
Tver looked at him helplessly.
"You should think about it this way. If you hadn't stopped Black and the others from hurting Peter, wouldn't Black still be carrying the label of a murderer?"
"Would you really want to miss the chance to stay at Black's place during the holidays?"
"And besides, even without Peter's help, Voldemort still has other ways to come back."
"Compared to taking away one of Voldemort's servants, I'd much rather see Black living freely."
That said… this prophecy was rather interesting.
Harry finally relaxed, while Black stared at Tver in surprise, suddenly recalling his conversation with Dumbledore the night before.
"If something happens to me, the Order of the Phoenix will be led by Tver."
"He's so young. Can he really handle it? And his thoughts always seem… unusually deep."
"No matter what," Dumbledore had said calmly, "his goal is to destroy Voldemort. As long as we're certain of that, it won't work against us."