Chapter 553: Five Thousand Galleons
Kyle had expected to find Lupin waiting for them at The Three Broomsticks, but it seemed he'd been mistaken. As they approached the entrance to the pub, Sirius strode right past without even a glance.
The trio continued down the street, passing the Quill Shop and the Gladrags Wizardwear, before turning onto a familiar path. It wasn't long before they arrived at their destination: the Shrieking Shack.
Lupin was standing by the broken fence surrounding the shack, carefully setting the pieces back in place one by one.
"Professor Lupin!" Harry called out, running ahead and waving enthusiastically. "You don't have to bother with that. The fence was already falling over the first time I came to Hogsmeade, and no one seemed to care."
Lupin looked up and smiled warmly. "Hello, Harry. It's wonderful to see you again. But you don't need to call me 'Professor' anymore. Just Lupin, or like Sirius does—Remus, or even Moony."
"Okay, Professor Lupin," Harry blurted out without thinking.
Lupin's smile froze momentarily. It was clear Harry wouldn't be able to drop the title so easily. With a resigned sigh, Lupin gave up on correcting him and returned his focus to the fence.
Harry hesitated, tempted to point out that no one in Hogsmeade cared about the Shrieking Shack or would ever bother coming here. But before he could say anything, Sirius interrupted with a chuckle.
"Let him be," Sirius said, shaking his head. "It's something that needs doing anyway."
Harry frowned. "What do you mean? Why does Professor Lupin need to fix up the place?"
"Because I bought the Shrieking Shack," Sirius replied, his tone as casual as if he'd just purchased a Butterbeer.