Author's note: Finally edited this one entirely. Someone should really tell me when my writing sucks! I have the magic in me to make it better should that be the case:) Anyway, everything in Chapter One is the way that I want it now. Please leave reviews and let me know what you think!

Chapter One- The Wolf in the Shack

Sirius Black was more than just a simple wizard. As a member of the Black family, a family with a legacy of great wizards, including a Hogwarts headmaster, Sirius came to Hogwarts with more than just a little knowledge of the magical arts. More than once in his last two years of schooling at Hogwarts, he had mastered and the most infamous spells for pulling pranks on others, and used them to hex fellow students. Though many times he got caught, his most favorite pranks to pull were always the most creative, and usually thought up by his best mate, James Potter.

In fact, James was with him now, wandering the ground, looking for their friend, Remus Lupin. Peter Petegrew, a pudgier and shorter boy than the other three, trailed along behind.

"Where could he have gone?" James was saying, heading up the search as they wandered the Hogwarts grounds just before morning.

"I don't know why we bother to look for him." Sirius wasn't taking this quite the same way as James. To him, it was more of an annoyance that they were looking for Remus, who disappeared around the same time every month. Often times, when he got back, Remus would claim that a member of his family had fallen ill. Although suspicious, in Sirius' opinion, it was none of their business where Remus runs off to. Maybe their little friend had a crush he snuck off to meet in Hogsmeade. It didn't matter to him.

"Sirius, please. You really believe that his family is that sick? One day its his mother, and another day it's his father. I'm telling you, something is very fishy about all of this!"

"Alright, alright! We haven't checked the Shrieking Shack yet." Sirius said it more as a joke than anything. If Remus was getting into the Shrieking Shack without getting bludgeoned to death by the Whomping Willow, he was, quite possible, going to grow up to become the best wizard on the face of this planet.

"There is a reason for that."

"What if Remus' family really is as sick as he says?" Sirius said, still trying to weasel his way out of this so he could go back to the the Griffindor common room for a little bit of sleep before morning.

"Than they should be well at rest in St. Mungo's." James said, still determined to solve the mystery. "Besides, I really don't think he ever truly leaves the grounds."

"I know, that's why we're out here wandering around."

"I'm tired, and hungry!" Peter whined from behind them.

"Shut it," James said. "We can't go back until we find Remus!"

"James, I still don't think we're going to find him. The only place we haven't looked is in the Shrieking Shack, and there's no way he got in there."

"He could have," James said. "Remus is the smartest of us all. He probably knows of some secret trick."

Sirius had to admit that it was at least somewhat possible. "What makes you think he's still on school grounds?"

"I've never heard of students leaving as often as he does." James said. It was a discussion the boys had had before. There was many speculations as to what their friend might be up to, most of which, however, were probably untrue.

Sirius sighed, once again making very clear his distaste for the situation, but continued to follow James to the Whomping Willow despite this. Somehow, Potter had become the undeniable leader of the small band of boys, who were apparently content to follow him off a cliff, or, as it would seem, into the dangerous branches of the Whomping Willow.

Once they reached the Willow, Sirius looked up into it's large branches. Immediately, something seemed somewhat off. At first, Sirius couldn't quite place a finger on it, but then it hit him: the cool morning breeze coming off of the lake should have made the branches sway ever so slightly, as all the rest of the trees were doing, but the Willow's branches stood completely still.

"James, what do you make of that?" Sirius said as he pointed up at the immobile branches.

James reared up right beside him and looked up.

"Well, isn't that peculiar."

James started forward, walking straight under the treacherous branches. Sirius winced ever so slightly, embraced for the tree to suddenly wake up, and start flailing, but nothing happened.

"James, you big oaf! What the bloody hell are you doing?" Sirius shouted.

"Not dying," James replied, and started dancing around under the branches. "Now come on, before the tree decides to wake up from it's nap!"

Sirius bolted under the tree, followed closely by Peter. They stopped at the base of the tree just as James stopped dancing, and looked around. A small hole at the base was covered with overgrown grass and roots. It seemed to Sirius that it was just marge enough for the boys to slip through, possibly excluding Peter.

"Remind me to ask Remus how he managed to disarm the Whomping Willow." Sirius said once he caught his breath.

"We have to find the bugger first," James said, then gestured toward the tunnel. "Ladies first."

Sirius rolled his eyes and climbed into the tunnel. After a few feet, he lost sight of the ground, the darkness swallowing him completely. His knees were beginning to hurt as he banged them on various rocks and branches.

"Lumos!" James whispered behind him, lighting up the room from his wand tip. "Do you walk into everything blind, Black?"

"No. Only the dark tunnels under dangerous, man-hunting trees."

"Paralyzed, dangerous, man-hunting trees." James corrected.

"Right, pardon me, I forgot about the paralyzed part."

Finally, Sirius was met with an exit.

He crawled out of the hole, throwing up his hand to block the blinding light bursting forth throw the windows. "Remus?" He shouted.

No reply.

"We'll check down here," James said as he crawled out of the hole. "You go check upstairs. Be careful, though, there is a reason it's called the Shrieking Shack."

"The reason being that it's supposedly haunted," Sirius said, still a little annoyed with James at this little venture. There was still no guarantee that Remus would be anywhere in here. Then again, how would the tree have been paralyzed?

"Right, that's what I meant."

Sirius smiled flatly and headed up the stairs. At the top, he turned into the first room on the left, glancing back and forth, and found nothing. He wandered further into the room, pulling out his wand for good measure. An adjoining room next to the room Sirius was in had a strange, acidic smell wafted out in waves. Sirius squinted, curious, and advanced forward.

The stench grew stronger as he got closer to the threshold. His wand at the ready, completely prepared for whatever might come out of that room, Sirius' foot crossed over the doorway and into the room.

Immediately, Sirius was horrified.

Blood danced on the walls, pouring down into small pools of red on the floor. Sirius stood there, longing for an understanding as to what he had just walked in to, but found none. His eyes swiveled around the room, seeing continued splatters of bright red throughout, until his gaze landed on a small, red headed boy crumpled up in the corner. It was Remus.

"Sirius," Remus said limply, pleading his friend with his voice, "Sirius please!"

Sirius' every instinct told him he was in danger, that he should run. His mind, however, fought with his instinct, telling him that nothing could happen now that the sun was up. Sirius' entire being seemed to be racking his brain for something to explain the gruesome scene unfolded in front of him.

"Sirius," Remus said pleadingly.

"Black!" Came James' voice from downstairs. "Did you find him?"

"Oh, I found him, alright." Sirius said, though not loud enough for James to hear. He looked back at Remus, only to see that the boy had buried his head in his arms. "You better come have a look," He said, this time loud enough for James to hear.

Daring not to look away from Remus, fearing that he might try to run, Sirius only listened a the footfalls indicated where the other two boys were. They got louder and louder, until finally they peaked in volume before stopping at what Sirius could only assume was the doorway of the very room he stood in now.

"Bloody hell! What happened?" James asked.

Sirius pointed to Remus, who was still curled up in the corner, his shoulders bouncing with great, silent sobs.

James walked up and knelt beside him, placing his hand on Remus' shuddering shoulder. "What happened, Remus?"

Sirius crossed his arms and looked over at Peter disapprovingly. However, Peter was watching James and Remus apprehensively, as if he feared some monster would suddenly materialize out of thin air.

Remus sniffled and wiped his nose on what was left of his robes. "I like rabbits." He said.

"Oh, this is ridiculous!" Sirius shouted, "He clearly..."

"Shut it, Black!" James said. "Rabbits, Lupin? What do you mean?"

Suddenly, Remus face snapped up, looking straight into James eyes. His jaw clenched and unclenched, tears still glistening as the sunlight hit his face. Nothing in the world would have prepred Sirius for his next sentence, "I'm a werewolf."

Looks of horror filled the eyes of each boy. James stumbled backward and scooted away from Remus as if he had just announced that he had a contagious disease. An intake of breathe sounded behind Sirius, indicating Peter's utter shock at what Remus had just said. But, other than widening his eyes, Sirius made no other reaction at the announcement.

Clearly disturbed by his friends' reactions, Remus' tears began anew, gushing like streams of water down his face.

Having been the only one who wasn't still having a fit about the announcement, Sirius said, "So all those times, when you disappeared out of the blue, you were sneaking out here to transform?"

Remus just continued to sob into his arm.

"Sirius," James said, having managed to find his footing and composure once again. "A word, please."

James' eyes remained glued to Remus. Sirius couldn't tell if it was his intention or not, but James no longer looked at all frightened by Remus' Lycanthropy. In fact, it seemed that look in James' eyes was more a look of concern than fear or anger. He turned to Peter and said, "Stay here with him."

"I'm not-"

"Petegrew! He's a bloody human being at the moment, he can't hurt you!" James grabbed Sirius' robe sleeve and headed out the door and down the stairs. Sirius had always known that his best friend was quite the athlete, Quidditch being his most favorite thing in the world, but James' strength still surprised him. He let go of Sirius' arm in the middle of what may have been a living room back in the Shrieking Shack's prime.

Sirius watched as James began pacing. A slew of emotions were welling up inside of Sirius as he thought of the events of the morning. One of his best friends was a werewolf. If that didn't put a kink on things, he didn't know what else would. What he was having a hard time understand was why Remus would lie to them?

On a very rudimentary level, Sirius had to admit that he did, in fact, understand. With werewolves being shunned away as if they were infested with Black Death, how could Remus not keep it a secret? That made his feel a little bit of pity for him.

James' face was screwed up and stern. His eyebrows, barely visible under his mess of hair, met in a very concentrated matter. His glasses, at some point, probably during his flight away from Remus, had been set askew.

Finally, James spoke, "It all makes sense now."

"What does?" Sirius asked.

"He's a bloody werewolf! All those times he disappeared, claiming his mother was sick... it never made sense that he came back black and blue. But now, I understand."

Sirius said nothing.

"We suspected it, I know we did."

"James, we said it in whispers, jokingly."

"I thought I was joking." James said, "But, to be completely honest, I had my suspicions."

"He's dangerous." Sirius said, almost inaudibly.

"What do you think the blood was from?" James cocked his head contemplatively.

"He said rabbits."

"Werewolves are only a danger to humans." James replied. "Yes, I pay attention in class... sometimes."

Sirius shuddered. He couldn't and wouldn't accept the fact that Remus may have hurt somebody. "So, you think he may have..."

"No, no," James replied. "I don't think so, at least. Or, I hope not."

James suddenly stopped right in front of Sirius, and grabbed his arms, his demeanor suddenly shifting to something Sirius thought was akin to psychotic. "We have to help him, Sirius!"

"What?" Sirius said, wishing James wouldn't squeeze so hard, "How?"

"I don't know yet, but we have to!"

"You're bloody mad, James! Where has your head gone?"

"I'm not mad, Sirius. I just think that we need to do our best to help our friend!"

"There is no cure, Potter!" Sirius shouted. "He's a bloody werewolf, and he always will be!"

"Remus," Peter suddenly shouted, causing James to let go of Sirius.

"I didn't hurt anyone!" Remus shouted, running down the stairs. "I've never hurt anyone."

Sirius gave a slight start as Remus landed on the bottom step and looked over at the two boys in the living room with pleading eyes. His tattered clothes made it so that Sirius could see the exact reason for the blood on the walls upstairs, and his entire perspective changed. Remus' body was covered in self inflicted scrapes, making him look like he had been beaten and tattered with a nine tail, glass shard whip. Sirius averted his eyes.

"Remus," James said, "What...?"

"I stay away from people. I promise I do!"

Sirius finally found the strength to look back up at Remus. There was a battle going on inside his mind, two voices playing themselves out. One voice said that Remus, a very close friend of his, needed their help in order to survive this. But, Sirius' instincts told him that werewolves were dangerous, and should be avoided at all costs.

Sirius reminded himself though, werewolves were only a danger to other human beings. From the sounds of it, Remus had, thus far, managed to stay far away from humans. Another thought occurred to Sirius, as well: Dumbledore would never have allowed a student to attend the school had he felt they would be a danger to anyone.

"I believe you, Remus," Sirius finally said. "I really do."