2nd Year: The Forbiden Forest
The full moon cast an eerie yellowish glow as James Potter and Sirius Black walked from the castle to the edge of the Forbiden Forest. Behind them stood Professor MacGonagall walked behind them looking very angry, her nostrils flared. James nudged Sirius but he didn't dare talk to him while Professor MacGonagall was behind them. They continued to walk towards the Forbidden Forest until they saw a very tall boy who looked about seventeen. He had wild curly hair and he already had a few tufts of hair growing on his chin.
"Hagrid," Professor MacGonagall said curtly.
Hagrid looked up.
"I take it that you recieved the owl I sent you," Professor MacGonagall said.
"O'course," Hagrid said.
"Well then, these are James Potter...," she pushed James forward. James flashed Hagrid a smile. "...And Sirius Black," she said prodding Sirius forward. Sirius flashed an arrogant smile.
"And Hagrid they can stay here all night. I'm planning to change the password to the Gryffindor Tower," she said before marching off.
"Whew. I thought she would never leave," Sirius sighed.
"Yeah me too," James said.
"I thought that after I turned her classroom into a blackhole she would really give it. But can you believe it? The Forbiden Forest!" Sirius said.
"Yeah, I can't believe it either. How cool is this?" James smirked.
"All right yeh lot. The Forbiden Forest is a lot scarier than yeh think so yeh both of yeh have better listen and do exactly as I say, yeh hear?" Hagrid said.
Sirius and James nodded in mock solemn.
"Ok. Now Professor Sprout is needin' some Mandrakes and they're found in the Forbiden Forest. I want yeh two to have thse...," he said handing a pair of earmuffs to each of them.
"I want yeh to keep 'em stuffed in yer ears and you ain't supposed to take 'em off until I give you the signal. A Mandrake's cry is very fatal. Now I ain't making foolishness yeh two so I want yeh to take this seriously. Seriously," Hagrid said trying to sound stern.
"You hear that Sirius? We have to be serious," James said sounding not very serious.
"Oh yes. Now I'm Serious Sirius," Sirius said trying to choke back laughter.
"We'll be usin' an assortment of signals since we can't hear each other. This one means to take the earmuffs off," Hagrid said turning his hand into a circle clockwise.
"This one means to stay put," Hagrid said closing his fist.
"This one means to stop, obviously," Hagrid said showing them a stop sign.
"And this one means that we have to split up," Hagrid moved his hand sidewards.
"We're going to split up?" James said excitedly.
"That doesn't happen much. Only when we can't find Mandrakes. Now when we split up and yeh get into big trouble shoot out red sparks. If yeh're lost shoot green sparks," Hagrid said.
Sirius and James nodded.
"Ok. Now let's go. Yeh don't have to put the earmuffs on yet. Usually the Mandrakes hide in the deeper parts of the forests. I'm gonna hand you five pots each. The moment yeh see a Mandrake place it in a pot right away. All right then..."
And they slowly journeyed in the Forbiden Forest. James and Sirius fell back behind Hagrid talking, their illuminated wands held out.
"You know I just found out something funny about Remus today. His mother doesn't work in the Minsitry," James whispered.
"Really?"
"Yeah. My mom said that no Lupin works there," James said.
"You know, I reckon that Remus is a bit unlucky with the money and he's trying to hide it," Sirius said.
"Yeah, but don't you wonder why he's always...away?" James asked.
"Yeah I do. But if Remus doesn't want to tell us, we shouldn't wet ourselves trying to find out," Sirius said picking up his pace seeing as Hagrid was slowly starting to move faster.
Suddenly, Hagrid stopped. He slowly took his earmuffs and placed them over his ears and he gestured Sirius and James to do the same. Sirius and James quickly did it and they stood for a long time. Hagrid signalled them to stay put and he slowly went through a very thick bush. After what seemed like forever Hagrid finally emerged, signalled them to take their earmuffs off and said, "Seems like they had a big quarrel. I think we should split up. Now, James you go over there..."
Hagrid pointed to the bush where he just came from.
"You Sirius will go with me. The path we'll be takin' is a bit rough," Hagrid said.
Sirius looked dissapointed that he will still be with Hagrid but nevertheless he nodded. After listening to Hagrid repeat what he said all over again, they placed their earmuffs on and James went past the bush Hagrid just pointed. James kept on going forward as Hagrid instructed often checking the ground if a plant-like structure moved.
After going on and on for what seemed like hours he decided to rest for awhile feeling extremely tired. He looked around his surroundings for awhile when suddenly he heard a strange clicking noise coming from the back. Curious he turned around and he saw the most horrible thing he could probably imagine.
It was a giant spider with eight milky eyes and snapping pincers. It slowly advanced towards James and James who had little time to react pointed his wand at it and yelled, "Stupefy!"
The spell, sad to say did absolutely nothing and James who never once in his life ran away from something, ran away from something. In his haste he dropped his earmuffs and his pots. He sprinted in the opposite directions while throwing different spells at the spider. Suddenly, he tripped on a branch and his left foot landed on a gooey green muck that made his left foot stuck.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" James yelled and the spider hovered in the air snapping its pincers at him. Panicked, James sent green sparks instead of red. The spell faded and made the spider fall and hit the ground with a loud thud. It made a strange clicking noise which James took as wimper before slowly advancing towards him.
"Stupefy! Stupefy! STUPEFY!" James yelled in vain.
"STUPEFY!" another voice cried. Behind the spider was Sirius looking, for once, extremely startled. He had his earmuffs off.
"IT'S NOT WORKING!" Sirius yelled.
"I think I know that already!" James said trying desperatelt to unstick its foot.
"DISTRACT IT!" James yelled.
And Sirius did something which James thought was very wonderful, stupid, reckless and brave all at the same time. He leaped on the spider and began to poke one of its eyes with his wand. The spider began to shake angrily.
"Hurry!" Sirius said madly poking the eye.
"It's really...STUCK!" James yelled.
"Are you a wizard or not?" Sirius yelled seeing as James was trying to unstick his foot with his hands.
"Oh yeah..."
And after James yelled a spell and his foot was free the spider threw Sirius off his back and he hit James. After helping Sirius up they both ran as fast they can.
"Why isn't Hagrid with you!?" James said as they ran.
"Because you sent the green spark instead of the red one. So Hagrid just thought you were just lost," Sirius said.
"Oh. I never thought my rule breaking days will catch up to me like this," James frowned.
"I never thought that I would die like this. In detention!" Sirius groaned.
"Hey, that's a good one," James said chuckling.
"Yeah, I know," Sirius smirked.
"Where's Hagird?" James yelled.
"I forgot!" Sirius cried.
"WHAT?"
"Sorry. The spider got me excited," Sirius shrugged and they both continued to run with the spider.
"Come on! Let's hide in that tree!" James said pointing at a Willow Tree.
"And that will stop the spider?' Sirius said sarcastically.
"There are such things called miracles," James said and they both dived under the tree just as the spider sprang up.
Suddenly one of the branhces hit the spider-and James.
"I can't belive it! There are miracles!" Sirius cried.
"Okay, let's get out fo this tree," James yelled as the tree continuously hit him. Suddenly a darkness enveloped him and he felt himself fall and land on something soft.
"Lumos!"
A light glowed from the tip of Sirius's wand illuminating his scared face.
"Where are we?" James whispered.
"I'm not sure," Sirius said.
James said Lumos and his wand glowed to reveal a long tunnel.
"A passageway?" Sirius asked.
"I hope," James muttered.
They walked on the passageway for what seemed like a long time until they came upon a ladder with a trapdoor.
"Hogwarts, I pray," Sirius muttered.
"Let's hope for another miracle," James smirked.
They climbed up at the ladder and open the trapdoor but they didn't go up all the way through for through the trapdoor they saw big, brown wolf scratching its hindlegs. The room was in tatters and as James looked across the window he saw Hogsmeade and he could only assume that this was the shrieking shack.
"We have to get back," Sirius whispered.
James nodded. They were about to climb down when the wolf began to howl and it writhed in anger. It shook on floor howling and suddenly the hair became less, his snout started to shrink and his bakc grew straighter. And before them lay Remus who was breathing in slow measured breaths.
No bigger shock came to James than this. Beside him Sirius gave a low whsitle.
"Remus is a werewolf?"
...
Thanks for your review. I always saw Peter as stupid so I guess that explains it but if you think I should smarten him up then I'll try. Review again.