 Remus Lupin was starting to wish he hadn't ever come back to Diagon Alley. He'd thought it might be good for him, taking in some magic, being reminded that the wizarding world did exist in places other than his dreams. Working in a Muggle library sometimes made it hard to remember. Sometimes he spent days without touching his wand, avoiding the thought, pretending Hogwarts had been a dream. After all, Remus Lupin the Muggle librarian had never seen friends shredded in front of him, had never had to attend more funerals in the course of a year than anyone should have to attend in a lifetime. But sometimes he woke up drenched in sweat and bolted to the kitchen and made tea without touching the kettle and couldn't let go of his wand for hours, terrified that it had been a dream, that all his friends were figments of his imagination. The latter had been happening more often as of late - he'd begun to wonder if he was crazy - and he'd thought it might help to come back, just for a little while, see how everything had changed. A few minutes of walking down the street, unfortunately, had disabused him of that notion.