Birthdays – a Reviews Lounge Challenge
(A/N: I wish the Reviews Lounge a very happy birthday for April 21st! This story is in response to the official prompt (spark word: Birthdays). Character - Remus Lupin!
Kindly review, RKC x)
Birthdays
Date: March 10th.
There are two times in a year when a person truly appreciates their friends and family. One is Christmas, when one shares food, gifts and happy memories with friends and family. The other is the day that you are officially one year older, one year nearer to a specific mark, whether it be seventeen, 21 or even a 100. To some people a birthday was just another day of the year, no different to any other day of the week, the month, even the year. I suppose that's why I'm writing this, to be honest.
Why you ask? No one is ever going to read the journal of Remus J. Lupin. Well, except a 40 something Remus laughing at how silly he sounded writing all though years ago, I suppose.
Well, regardless of why I'm writing this today was my birthday. The day of the year when I truly realise how lucky I'm am to be where I am now. Namely Hogwarts with James, Sirius and Peter. I honestly thought they had forgotten the day when we went down for breakfast, an event that dampened my spirits, I must admit. It was like the small things that a person doesn't really notice were making a mockery of my mood as well, the sun shining brightly through the ceiling of the Great Hall, the professors all cheery and smiling, and the laughter that rose up from the four house tables.
But like I said, they surprised me.
The lessons progressed as normal. James and Sirius went about their normal antics, this time picking on Slughorn as their prank victim. They set off a chain reaction which made all the potions turn all the colours of the rainbow. My own potion turned the lightest shade of blue I have ever seen. McGonagall was her normal self, although she did take me aside at the end of the class and wished me a quite 'Happy Birthday'. She even gave me a couple of the sweets that she keeps carefully hidden in her desk. Suffice to say I didn't tell the others about that.
Dinner was pretty much normal. The others though, they were starting to act a little strange. You know? Shift looking. Like they had done something that was quite in the boundaries of the school rules. Of course, they wouldn't tell, not in the Great Hall with so many other people potentially listening on what we had to say.
We didn't head straight back up to the common room. We just wondered the halls and corridors for a while, talking of nothing in particular. James, once again, had his usual rant about Snape and his friendship with Lily. Between me and you they'll probably end up together before school finishes. Who knows? Stranger things have happened. Oh! Back to the story.
Peter started leading us towards a disused section of the school on the third floor. There were tables upturned and a few chairs scattered about the place. As soon as we entered the room Sirius locked the classroom door. I should have realised something was going to happen then, but it locking doors when we wander the school this time of night was common practice. Especially when the others are planning pranks. Usually on the Slytherin's.
As they turned to me I began to walk backwards. There was this glint in their eyes. The one they got when they got an idea about a huge prank. What had they planned for me?
Well, the short answer is that they planned the best birthday I have ever experienced.
They gave me this speech about how we were all best friends, about how we all went through thick and thin together. About how we would always be friends. And about how annoyed they were when I didn't remind them that my birthday was coming up and they had to rely on their own brains to remember. I was still expecting a prank of some sort.
Instead I got the biggest shock of my life.
One by one, James first, they began to change. To transform into animals. James, a magnificent stag. A characteristic that suited him as he strutted around the small class room. Sirius a big black shaggy looking dog. The characteristic also suited him, as he would always remain loyal to James, simply because of their friendship, and the circumstances surrounding its formation. Peter's transformation also suited him, although more subtly. He was a rat, small, fast and clever.
I wonder how many other people can say that their friends became animagi for their lycanthrope friend? I'm willing to bet all that I have that the answer is none.
They transformed into animals, undertook the most dangerous (not to mention illegal!) magics for me to help me when I transform into a werewolf. This has been the best birthday I have ever had, and has truly reminded me of the friends that I have. And that I should never doubt them in forgetting my birthday.
Of course, they also gave me a book to keep me occupied whilst they ran around in their transformed states. Well, I have to keep busy somehow now, don't I?
Remus.
(Hope you enjoyed! I enjoyed writing this. It's in a somewhat experimental style whi I know won't have agreed with everyone, nonetheless, I would like to hear what you think!
RKC x)