Lupin left the Great Hall frowning and spotted Cedric Diggory in a corridor.
"Is something wrong, Mr. Diggory?"
Lupin had no idea why Cedric wanted to see him. They hardly interacted, and if it was about schoolwork, today was an odd time to bring it up.
"Professor Lupin, I have something very important to tell you." Cedric glanced around and lowered his voice. "It's about—"
Before he could continue, a cry came from around a nearby corner. "Ow!"
Someone sounded as though she had fallen. The voice was loud and unmistakable: Umbridge. Both men recognized it at once.
Lupin's face darkened. "Come on. We'll talk in my office."
Cedric glanced toward the corner and nodded.
They hurried back to Lupin's office.
"Sit down. Would you like something to drink?" Lupin offered Cedric a seat and went to prepare him a drink.
"No, thank you, Professor." Cedric shook his head. "You have to leave Hogwarts!"
"What?"
Lupin looked puzzled.
"You have to go, quickly!" Cedric looked tense. "People know what you are!"
Lupin's heart clenched. "What?"
Cedric seemed to steel himself. "A lot of people already know you're a werewolf! Even here at school, plenty of people are sure of it."
For a moment, Lupin couldn't speak. After several minutes, he managed a smile. "Ah, no, Mr. Diggory. I think you've misunderstood."
"Professor!" Cedric said firmly. "I don't mean any harm. It's not just me—lots of students have noticed. When Professor Snape covered your classes the year before last, several of the top students spotted the clues."
By now, many people had confirmed Lupin's identity.
"And you really should leave as soon as you can, preferably in the next few days, or you might not be able to leave at all! The full moon is on November seventh!
"The students here