A/N: When the Marauders learn about their friend's condition in their Second Year, they begin attempting to learn how they can help him out. Marauder's Era.
Submission for:
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments): Speed Drabble - "You dirty stinking little traitor!", "Forgive me please.", "I swish my tail back and forth, I swish my tail back and forth.", scream, sniff
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
"Come on, Sirius. Concentrate," James said as he sat in the dark classroom with his two best friends. They had been coming to this classroom three nights a week for the past six months, working hard to accomplish something some wizards didn't even attempt.
It all started in their second year with James' brilliant deductive skills regarding their other best friend. James had been watching his friend for some time and had always felt like there was more to him than met the eye. It took him a while, but James figured it out.
"Remus is a werewolf!" he whispered loudly to his friends one night when Remus was "visiting his mother".
"James, have you been sniffing the ink again? Remus isn't a werewolf," Sirius said dismissively as he lounged on the common room couch.
"He's got to be. He's always missing every month," James said.
"He's visiting his mother. She's gravely ill," Peter said meekly.
"No one gets sick that often, Peter," James said. "And what about the scratches he always come back with?"
"He's got a vicious rabbit," Sirius chuckled. "He should stop feeding it."
"They're not rabbit scratches and you know that, Sirius. They're too big," James said.
Sirius frowned, "That doesn't mean he's a werewolf, James."
James then dragged his friends off the couch and towards the window. He pointed up at the large glowing orb in the sky. "It's a full moon tonight. It can't be coincidence that he's always away when there's a full moon. And he's always tired, especially after he comes back, yet he sleeps more than Peter does."
Peter blushed but Sirius looked pensive. Sirius then said, "Forgive me please for not wanting to think the worse of our friend, but let's just say you're right, James. What do you want to do about it?"
"I say we help him during his 'time of the month'," he said with a smile and air quotes. "He's our friend and it's gotta be rough on him."
"But he's a werewolf," Peter said with frightened eyes. "It's dangerous to be around them. They're not human."
"Remus is just as human as the rest of us," James defended. "He just has a furry little problem. And I want to help him."
Sirius looked between Peter and James before he sighed, "Then we're going to have to do a lot of research on how to get close to a werewolf."
James grinned and then pulled his friends towards the portrait hole, "To the library!"
That night led to this one. They found out that werewolves reacted better to animals than people, which led to them learning about becoming animagi. After a few long years, they finally found enough information to feel confident about attempting.
Sirius let out a loud scream as he put all his effort into transforming before there was a strange tingling feeling.
"Wow," James said as he looked at Sirius in awe.
"What?" Sirius asked.
"Look, Sirius," Peter said as he pointed.
Sirius looked down and saw a short black tail at the base of his spine. "I'm going to be a dog!" he shouted elatedly. He then took a long sniff, "And I can smell the chicken grease you wiped in your pants, Peter."
Peter blushed while James stepped forward and grabbed Sirius' tail. "Can you feel that?" he asked.
Sirius nodded before trying to make it move, resulting a quick wag. "I swish my tail back and forth, I swish my tail back and forth," the boy sang excitedly.
"Calm down, Sirius. Now, try to get rid of it," James said with a grin. He too was happy for his friend and for the first sign of their progress.
Sirius was about to concentrate again when the door burst open. There stood Professor McGonagall with stern look on her face. Behind her stood Sirius' brother, Regulus. Sirius glared while James and Peter looked sheepishly at their Head of House.
"Three Gryffindors out of bed after curfew. Detention for all of you," Professor McGonagall said. She then turned to Regulus, "Thank you, Mr Black, for alerting me."
Regulus smiled proudly at the older woman.
"You dirty stinking little traitor!" Sirius shouted. "You ratted us out!"
"Mr Black, calm yourself before I double your punishment. Mr Black was simply doing his prefect duties," Professor McGonagall said. Then she moved out of the doorway, "Come and I'll lead you all back to the common room."
The three boys filed out of the room. Sirius wanted to slap the smirk off his brother's face but couldn't while the older woman was there. She said to the younger Black, "Continue with your patrols, Mr Black."
Sirius was seething as he walked behind their professor. "That little rat will pay for what he did," he whispered.
"So where will we practice now?" Peter asked.
James shrugged, "We'll just find another classroom. We have to continue working on this for Remus."
The other two boys nodded and chorused, "For Remus."