*This is cross-posted from my Google Docs account. It was written for a "course" I took on Shelfari.*

Sorry, this is my first foray into Potterverse fanfiction, so it might be a little OOC and such. I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters or settings.

Set during the school days of the Marauders in the point of view of Remus Lupin. This occurs after his friends have found out about his being a werewolf (second year) but before they figured out how to become Animagi (fifth year), so I placed it in their third year, where they learn about Animagi in their Transfiguration class.

Factoid: The Wolfsbane potion is the only thing that can help a werewolf stay in his human mind during transformations. It was developed by Damocles sometime after the mid-1970s, meaning during most of Lupin's school years (1971-1978) it was not available for his use.

More information on these subjects is available on the Harry Potter wikia. It is also the source for much of the information on here.

Remus Lupin's head throbbed. It wasn't the lecture, since he was normally good at Transfiguration, but it was time. The full moon was drawing near, he could feel it in every cell of his body. He leaned on the cool stone wall beside his desk. He should've faked another illness, but he was trying his best to keep others from suspecting too much. The day couldn't be over fast enough.

"Professor McGonagall."

Remus straightened slightly. That was Severus Snape's voice. A quick glance over at Snape's accusing glare had Remus feeling nervous. He couldn't know, could he?

"Yes, Mister Snape?"

"What about Human Transfiguration?"

Remus felt James tense up beside him. Peter's quill started tapping the desk nervously until Sirius snatched it, giving Peter a glare for good measure. Remus ran a finger over one of the scars he acquired during his last transformation when he bit himself.

"That is an excellent example of Transformation magic. Ten points. As you have no doubt read in your textbooks, there are three types of transformations possible, discounting partial transfigurations which should be avoided, students, because you never know if you might get stuck that way. Now, who can tell me the names of the three types and how they differ from one another? Yes, Miss Evans."

Remus saw both James and Snape's heads turn in the pretty witch's direction as she answered. "There are Animagi, which are wizards who learn how to transfigure themselves to become specific animals. Metamorphmagi, wizards who are born with the ability to change their bodies however they wish. And finally werewolves, who are infected by other werewolves and involuntarily become wolves during full moons."

"Excellent, Miss Evans. Ten points. Now, as you know-"

"But werewolves," Snape interrupted, emphasizing the word. "are dangerous, aren't they? They shouldn't be allowed near normal people."

Professor McGonagall frowned at him. "Five points from Slytherin. You would do well not to disrupt my class without raising your hand, Mister Snape." Remus saw Snape's pale lips tighten slightly in displeasure, but Professor McGonagall continued. "Werewolves only become a true threat during the full moon. During the rest of the time, as long as they don't attempt to bite you, they are normal people."

James raised his hand in the air and wiggled his fingers a bit to get the Professor's attention. "A question, Mister Potter?"

"Is it true werewolves aren't a danger to animals, only humans?" Remus narrowed his eyes at his friend. What on earth was he doing?

"You are correct, Mister Potter. While we don't know the exact reaction of werewolves toward animals, humans are the only ones susceptible to lycanthrophy through a werewolf-bite."

Remus caught James and Sirius exchanging a glance, and as Snape opened his mouth to speak again, Sirius put his own hand in the air.

"Mister Black?"

"What about the other human transfiguration Lily talked about? Animagi or whatnot? How would one learn to do that?"

Professor McGonagall's eyebrow rose as she appraised Sirius for a moment, no doubt trying to guess his intentions. She spared a small glance at James as well, before she cleared her throat to answer. "Becoming an Animagus is a long and arduous task, only to be accomplished with a great deal of skill and power. Many things can go wrong in the process, causing permanent disfiguration or worse. It is not something one learns on a whim, Mister Black."

She added the last with a severe look at the young wizard, but Sirius merely smiled, running his fingers through his long black hair. Remus thought he heard a few witches behind him sigh in admiration. Peter tried to imitate Sirius's casual movements, his own chubby hands moving nervously through his own mousy brown, but to no avail. Girls hardly noticed Peter when Sirius was around.

James's hand lifted into the air again, a mischievous grin on his face. "Mister Potter?"

"Can you morph into any type of animal you want? Because it would be brilliant to become a dragon or something."

"Can anyone answer Mister Potter's question? Ah, yes Miss Evans."

Lily fidgeted a bit as she became the focus of the class's attention. "You cannot choose which animal you become. It is determined by the personality of the wizard and their inner traits. Furthermore, the animals will retain an identifying mark, something that reflects the wizard that is transforming. Like the glasses markings on the cat you transform into, Professor."

Professor McGonagall smiled at the witch. "Twenty points. Nicely put. Now when you become an Animagus, if any of you ever decide to pursue it, you must register yourself at the Ministry of Magic in the Improper Use of Magic Department. There you will provide your name, the animal you transform into, and those very identifying markings Miss Evans so recently mentioned. This register is made open to the public, so Animagi do not abuse their powers." Her gaze lingered a bit on James and Sirius as she continued. "The punishment for being an unregistered Animagus is a sentence in Azkaban."

Several witches gasped. The wizarding prison was a terrible place, swarming with dementors who stole your happiness away. Remus shivered at the thought of any of his friends being imprisoned there.

A bell tolled in the distance. Professor McGonagall adjusted her glasses as she moved toward her desk. "Please write five-hundred words on the differences between the three different Human Transfigurations. Essays will be due next class. You are now excused."

Remus put his head down on the table as his friends started to engage in their friendly banter, James's hand coming every so often to pat Remus on his back.

"Are you quite alright, Remus?" a female voice inquired.

Remus's head rose to find James frozen in shock and Snape glaring evilly at him as Lily Evans stood in front of his desk, concerned green eyes trained on his pale face.

"Ah, yes Lily. Just feeling a bit... sick," he finished lamely.

"What, Evans, no concern for me?" James interjected, eager to catch the pretty witch's attention.

Remus felt a little relief when Lily's gaze shifted to his friend, even when her expression of concern melted to annoyance. "You look like you're doing just fine, Potter."

"I'm not really," James disagreed, affecting a slightly hurt expression. "My heart is broken because you still won't go out with me."

Lily huffed exasperatedly. "Get over yourself, Potter." She turned her attention once more to Remus, sitting with a slight smile at their antics. "I do hope you feel better, Remus. If there's anything I can do..."

"He'll feel better once the full moon is over, isn't that right, Remus?" Snape bit out. Remus's smile faded.

"Shove it, Snape." Sirius's leg came down from where it was perched on a nearby chair with a thump. "Unless you want to end up upside down in front of the whole school again." He pulled out his wand, twirling it casually, but the threat hung in the air. Snape swallowed loudly.

Lily stepped between them and glared at Sirius. "Don't you dare, Sirius Black." She turned and placed a hand on Snape's arm. "Let's go, Severus."

Remus watched them go, the little witch with her bright red hair and the thin skulking wizard with his stringly black hair, before he turned to his friends, a worried expression on his face. "He knows."

"Don't worry about that git," growled Sirius, grey eyes narrowed. "He won't say a word if I can help it."

"Or me," piped Peter.

James waved his hand negligently. "Snape's a slimy git. We all know that. What I want to talk about is how to become an Animagus."

Remus's eyes widened. "James, you can't. You heard what Professor McGonagall said. Something could go terribly wrong, and even if you do succeed, you'll likely end up in Azkaban."

"She also said werewolves can't infect other animals. If we were animals too, we could help you and stay with you during full moons."

Remus shook his head frantically. "I can't ask that of you guys, even if you are my best friends. I can't!"

"I'm in," laughed Sirius. "We have to do research for our paper anyway, right Moony? And weren't you always telling us we had to excel in our classes?"

"This is not what I meant, Sirius, and you know it," said Remus pointedly.

"I'm in, too." Remus spun his head to look at Peter. Blue eyes stared back at him, frightened but determined. "We're your best friends, you said it yourself."

"We're doing this, Remus, with or without your approval." James's hazel eyes were steady, quieting the rest of Remus's objections. "Now," he said, pulling Remus to his feet. "let's go to the library. I'm sure they've got books on this stuff somewhere. Sirius can probably sweet talk it out of the librarian."

Sirius mock groaned. "You mean I have to flirt with that ancient witch again? The things I have to do to get good marks around here." He sighed dramatically, only the twinkle in his grey eyes giving away his amusement. He stood and clapped Remus on the back. "At least the werewolf part should be a piece of cake. You'll give us some inside information, won't you, Moony?"

Remus laughed, and for the first time since he had been bitten as a child, he felt a little less apprehensive about the approaching full moon. "You'll still have to write your own paper, Sirius."

With friends like these, anything was possible.

- End -