Chapter III -- Plotting
A month came and went, and the Marauders found themselves pranking a bit less without James' usual brilliant planning. Everything usually ended in him sweeping Lily off her feet and becoming the hero of the evening. Although they all went along with it, the others had become a bit annoyed at Lily's presence, which was a first. Over time she objected to James being around less and less, so he stuck with her more and more. As the full moon neared, Sirius finally came up with a brilliant plan of how to get some time to think of the real plan, but he needed all three of the others to pull it off.
"Since you're Head Boy, you really ought to start thinking about sticking with your duties. It'll only be every other full moon." Sirius' silver-blue eyes were fixed on James, who sat stubbornly on a squishy armchair in the Gryffindor common room.
"Since when do you start actually thinking about duties?" James scoffed. "And you say I'm the one who's being un-Marauder-like."
"All I'm trying to say is that if you don't keep to your duties as Head Boy, someone might start wondering about where we all go every full moon. We may get found out, and then Moony'd get expelled and the rest of us would have detention for the rest of our lives. We're unregistered, Prongs." Sirius hushed his voice. "You know what the Ministry would do to us if they knew?"
James adjusted his glasses and leaned back in the chair, putting his feet up on a table. "Dumbledore would get it all sorted out."
"Maybe, but we haven't exactly been on his good list since first year." Sirius hoped this would convice him to stay behind, at least this once. "Just think, Lily's Head Girl. That means you'd be having to patrol the halls and do whatever else Head Boys and Girls do -- together."
James looked up, interested, but had second thoughts. "But are you sure Remus---"
"I'm okay with it." Remus appeared on the stairs not too far off. He looked as though he had the flu; his skin was once again pale and his eyes shone with almost a yellow light. He looked tired, though he had woken up not long ago. "I don't mind if you stay this time."
Before James could say anything more, the three boys heard something outside the common room. There were a few quick footsteps on stone, then a familiar voice asking about a password. A password was given, but the portrait hole didn't swing open. The Fat Lady's voice sounded a bit questioning before a female voice began to shout. It sounded mad; very mad. The Fat Lady's voice rose, and for a moment there was the loud sound of arguing. Then, all of a sudden, the portrait hole swung open and in stepped a flustered-looking Lauren, followed by Rosemary, who had a slight surprised look on her face. The boys seemed to share Rosemary's surprise.
"She wouldn't let us in because I'm a Slytherin and Rosemary's a Ravenclaw." Lauren sat violently down on the crimson sofa next to Sirius. Rosemary sat beside her. "Said something about me planning to murder the Gryffindors or something." Lauren shot a death glare at the back of the portrait. "I'll show her a murder."
"How did you get her to open the portrait hole?" James asked.
"I told her I'd tell Dumbledore and he'd let that foolish old knight have her job instead." Lauren grinned triumphantly. "I also happened to mention that her portrait would look lovely above the fireplace in the Slytherin dungeons."
"I didn't think she'd actually let us in this time without you guys there." Rosemary commented with a laugh, sweeping a lock of dirty blonde hair behind her ear. "I guess now we know how to get in next time you guys aren't with us. What's going on?" She asked as she noticed James' annoyed look.
"Apparently, I've got to stay here and take care of Head Boy duties tonight so we won't get found out."
"You're okay with that?" The Ravenclaw's eyebrows raised a little.
James grumbled and shifted in his seat. "Yeah, I guess. I'll come next time. Just don't have any fun without me. If anyone gets killed, I want to know."
Sirius smiled. "Glad we could come to an agreement. If anyone's killed, you'll be the first person to know."
Brown eyes narrowed slightly, but it was hard to keep a smile off his face. "Yeah, well just be glad Lily's Head Girl. Otherwise, I'd never agree to this."
Remus moved towards an empty armchair nearby, wincing as he went. He was beginning to grow sore, a sign that he would be transforming within an hour. His eyes shifted towards the window not far off. The sun was setting; he could tell by the changing colors of the sky.
"We might want to get a move on soon." He commented nonchalantly. "I'm starting to feel it coming on."
Everyone but James began to move, standing up and shifting in their spots, trying to remember everything they'd need to take with them. James' Invisibility Cloak? That could stay. The Marauders' Map? They'd bring it just in case. Wands? Might be a good idea to take those along. Within minutes, everyone was packed up and ready for the trip to the Shreiking Shack. They said their goodbyes to James, whose answering goodbyes sounded a little dull, but the others weren't concerned.
Outside, the small group made their way towards the Whomping Willow, careful to avoid the usual spots that Prefects were found roaming. With each minute, Remus found himself in more and more pain, nearly doubled over by the time they made it to the knot on the great tree. Sirius, Lauren, and Rosemary had transformed quickly into their animagus forms (which, coincidentally, were all canine). Looks like it'd be a Dog's Night Out tonight.
Padfoot gently pushed the knot on the tree with a forepaw, causing the branches to slow and trunk to relax with a creaky groan. Through the newly-revealed tunnel the three canines went, followed by Remus.
It was a difficult trek to the shack for Remus. Padfoot led the way and Tyra took up the rear to make sure Remus didn't bolt in either direction when he transformed. Breen walked at his side, but lagged a little, watching him better. She'd let either of the other two know if she saw anything start to happen. Remus stretched out a shaky hand to pat Breen's head; she whined slightly, tail wagging slowly. They'd all make it there safely, she told herself.
The quartet eventually made it to the shack. Moonlight streamed in through the boards, lighting up Remus' scarred face. He grimaced as they moved up the stairs, but his pace had slowed nearly to a stop. Padfoot had to nudge him along just so he would make an effort to move upstairs, where it was safe. When he reached his cot, Remus pulled a piece of parchment out of his pocket and handed it to Padfoot, who tried not to drool on it too much. The dog set in on the floor nearby, recognizing it as the Map.
Remus settled into a corner nearby, eyes turning from the canines around him. They watched him breifly before settling themselves. He hated that they had to be something other than human to be safe from him. He could not talk to them tonight; he would't understand them either way. The sixth year shuddered as he could feel his body changing. Some bones stretched as others shrank, and he let out a pained yell. The canines shifted nervously. Padfoot looked away, and one of the she-wolves whined loudly. There were a few cracks and more painful noises from his direction. In a matter of ten or fifteen minutes Remus lay slumped in the corner, no longer a human, but a wolf. He was still; very still. It was likely he fell asleep from exhaustion, which was not ucommon. Padfoot glanced over at the still, furred form and moved a bit closer to it before beginning to talk.
"What are we going to do about James?" His voice was soft, and sounded a bit awkward after what had just happened. Breen's eyes shifted towards the wolf in the corner before returning to Padfoot.
"Moony will be okay." Tyra's jaws parted in a semi-pant as she glanced sideways towards Breen. It was hard to tell whether she was talking to Breen or reassuring herself.
Breen looked down at her paws. "Maybe we can trick him or something. James, that is."
Padfoot flopped over onto his side. "Yeah, but how? We can't tell him she secretly hates him. He'd just confront her about it, she'd tell him it's not the truth, and then they'd make up and go out and we'd lose a valuable member of our team."
"You make it sound like we're some secret agency or something." Tyra gave a bark-like laugh.
"Yeah, and it's not like two of us actually help out in the prank-pulling..."
Breen received a slight growl from Tyra for this. "Hey, I help out when I can."
"Yeah," the grey she-wolf snorted. "But why am I here?"
"Because you're with me." Tyra licked her right forepaw. "I don't know. Why do you ask such stupid questions? You're here, aren't you?"
"Yeah..." Breen answered a bit slowly. "Well, since I'm here I might as well contribute my part. I'll think of something."
Padfoot sighed heavily. "I half wish Remus wasn't like this right now. We might be able to get a good plan from him."
As if hearing his own name, the werewolf began to stir, sitting up in his spot in the corner. The golden eyes that searched the room were human, but his mind was all wolf. Padfoot looked over for some sort of sign, but none was given. The wolf simply leaned into the corner, his eyes closing for a moment. Breen and Tyra rose to their feet and moved a little closer, as if to comfort the wolf.
"What about it, Remus?" Padfoot kept his eyes on the wolf. "You got any brilliant plan to help us out?" There was no answer, just a whine from the wolf, who opened his eyes and looked in the dog's direction. "I didn't think so." The dog closed his eyes in thought.
"Maybe we can lure her here..." Breen suggested nonchalantly.
Tyra turned, surprised, towards the grey she-wolf. "Are you crazy? He'd kill her!"
"Or just turn her into a werewolf." The black dog sat up and began to scratch his left ear. This time, there were no flea jokes. There was a plan to be hatched. "Then we'd have her on these escapades, too, and Gryffindor would be out both Head Boy and Head Girl."
"Maybe we just let them do their thing." Tyra suggested. "If they go out, he's bound to calm down about it all in about a week. You said it yourself, Breen. His head's deflating and he's starting to mature. Not by much, but still."
Hearing such odd noises, the wolf stood and stepped over to the three other canines. He settled between Padfoot and Breen, listening to the noise of their talking. Moony seemed almost fascinated for a moment. Never before had this much talking occured here. It almost excited him, and he began to gnaw at his front paw. Padfoot looked up at him for a moment, trying to decide if he should do anything. After all, Remus would probably appreciate the prevention of another injury in the morning, self-inflicted or not. Breen touched her nose gently to the wolf's cheekfur. The wolf stood up again and headed for the stairs. They all knew what he wanted now, and were up in a heartbeat to follow him.
Outside, the trio walked quickly towards the Forbidden Forest, trying to keep up with the eager wolf that led them. They thought for a while that he wanted a quick run in the forest to get his restlessness out, but as he turned towards the Hogwarts grounds, his intentions were clear. He wanted to hunt, but not simple game in the forest.
The three canines tried to stop the wolf before he got too close to the forest edge, but Moony was persistant. He growled a couple of times at them, and, not wanting to risk injury unless they had to, they moved from his way. But then he decided to move too close towards the usual post of a Hufflepuff Prefect. They had to do something. He would decide to hunt a human when Prongs wasn't there to help stop him...
Padfoot stepped out into the open, barring the wolf's path. The wolf's lips curled upwards in a warning snarl, but the dog stayed firm. Padfoot revealed his fangs only momentarily to show that he meant business and tried nudging the wolf back towards the forest. For a moment, Moony looked as though he was heading back, but then he bolted for the castle. In a heartbeat, the dog and the she-wolves were all over him. Tyra slid in front of him where Padfoot was and nipped at his paws, urging him back into the forest. Breen whined excitedly and looked into the forest behind her, as though she had seen a human there. Maybe tricking him would work...
Reluctantly the wolf turned back towards the trees. He lifted his nose to the wind and caught the faint scent of a human in the direction of the shack. He wasn't quite human enough, however, to figure that it was his own human scent he was smelling. With a flash of teeth, he was off towards the shack, until a hare caught his eye darting across the path. For a moment, Padfoot thought he was heading for the castle again. The dog leapt to cut the wolf off, but Moony was intent on having his hare. He bowled the dog over and snarled visciously what seemed to be "MY HARE!" before returning to his hunt.
Padfoot lay there a moment as the wolf's jaws snapped around the small hare. It let out a dying squeal before he set it down on the ground. The dog struggled to regain the breath that the wolf had knocked out of him and righted himself. He stepped carefully towards the wolves nearby. In almost a paranoid manner, the wolf's hackles raised and he rushed the dog, teeth closing around Padfoot's shoulder. This sent Padfoot once more to the ground, and once more the wolf snarled, the hare's blood dripping onto the dog's nose as he did.
Padfoot shuddered and licked the blood from his nose as he got to his feet for a third time. This time, he was careful to give the wolf a wide berth. Sensing the movement of the dog, and now the two she-wolves, Moony snatched up his mutilated hare and headed for the shack again.
Inside and up the stairs, Moony set the prize on the cot, blood soaking into the blanket slightly. The other three knew Remus would probably be a little reluctant to sleep there anymore now that it was going to be stained with blood from a hare, but none of them dared move it for fear of being attacked.
Padfoot licked his torn shoulder gingerly. He knew it wasn't Moony's fault. Moony was just reacting to his wolf instincts, and saw the dog as a potential threat to his kill. Better a hare as a kill than a human, Padfoot figured. Or a dog, for that matter. As the pain in his shoulder subsided, the dog set his head on the floor and closed his silver-blue eyes. Before he knew it, morning had come once again.
When Remus awoke, he was not surprised at how refreshed he felt, despite his slight aches. He knew, at least, that this time they had not run a marathon like last month. He rubbed his eyes and leaned back on the wall behind him. Looking down, he saw the blood on the blanket and nearly fell off the cot.
"What's this from? Did I get hurt last night or something?" Remus asked the nearby girls surprisedly, feeling for a non-existant wound. "And why do I taste blood in my mouth?"
"You didn't get hurt last night, Remus, but I did." Sirius appeared from somewhere downstairs. He set his hand gently on his own shoulder.
Remus' face fell. "I--I'm sorry. I didn't mean to--"
"I know." Sirius answered quickly. "It's no big deal, I just shouldn't have gotten in your way."
"My... way?" Remus asked, a bit puzzled.
Sirius stepped over and said casually, "Yeah. I got too close to you and your kill."
At the word 'kill', Remus looked almost devistated. Had his worst fears been realized? Had he actually killed someone? He was beginning to feel sick to his stomach...
Sirius tossed something small into Remus' lap. It was the hare. Remus' stomach turned even more at the mangled fur, torn flesh, and exposed bones. There was his answer for the taste of blood in his mouth earlier. "I... I actually ate some of this?"
Sirius shrugged. "You said it yourself once. You can't control what you do as a wolf." Remus picked up the hare and stared at it a while.
"You're not going to eat it again, are you?" Lauren asked, a bit disgusted at the sight.
"No!" Remus gave her almost a horrified look. "And I'm certainly not leaving it in here. It'll rot before next month, and for all I know I may end up eating that when I transform... Imagine having to explain that one to Madam Pomfrey in the Hospital Wing." The girls laughed before Remus continued. "We'll bury it outside."
"You'll just dig it up." Sirius said.
Remus frowned. "Okay, then, you eat it."
"Just leave it in the Forbidden Forest," Rosemary suggested. "Some other animal will get it later."
There was only a moment of silence before Rosemary spoke again. "Ohh! I had this really weird dream -- well, all my dreams are weird, but anyway -- in this dream we were all in the Gryffindor common room and we were all in swimsuits--"
"Swimsuits?" Sirius aked. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Hush and let me finish!" Rosemary waved her hand annoyedly. "As I was saying, we were all in our swimsuits, playing Go Fish, and there was something up with James. He kept saying things outright... embarassing things. Then, all of a sudden, we were in the Shack, and Moony wasn't a werewolf anymore; he hadn't been bitten at all. And then I woke up."
The three students stared at her, their faces showing what everyone was thinking: "Huh?"
"Yeah, you're not making any sense here, Rosemary." Lauren patted the Ravenclaw's back.
"No, no..." Remus frowned thoughtfully. "I think you may have something here." Sirius and Lauren continued to stare; they hadn't gotten it yet. "I think in your dream, James was under the influence of--"
"Alcohol?" Lauren suggested. "Lord knows that stuff does some weird stuff to you."
"No," The blonde boy looked to Lauren. "I think it was a Truth Serum."
A lightbulb clicked on in Sirius' brain. "Truth Serum? Like Veritaserum?"
"Exactly." Remus smiled. "I think, if we could get ahold of some of that Truth Serum and get James to drink it, he'll spill everything to Lily and she wouldn't like him anymore. All of his tricks, all of the things he's said about her, all of the things he's said about everything she's ever cared about in the world..."
"And where we go every full moon." The black-haired Gryffindor scowled.
"Yeah, that could be a problem." Remus admitted.
Lauren decided to join in. "Yeah, but we'd have to be willing to take that risk. At least then we'd have a backup plan."
"What would that be?" The werewolf inquired.
"Bring her here and turn her into a werewolf. Then, if she told, she'd get expelled, too. That's not something she'd be willing to do, I think."
"Sounds good to me." Rosemary grinned. "Now where are we going to get this Veritaserum? Slughorn might have some, right?"
"Yes," Remus scratched his chin thoughtfully. "But the question is: how do we get it from him? And if it turns out he doesn't have any, he'd have the ingredients, but we still have the problem of getting him to hand them over."
"We could always just get him drunk," Lauren suggested.
"What is it with you and alcohol?" Sirius asked, receiving a slap to the back of his head in return. He shot an insulted look at the Slytherin, who gave a smug look back.
"Where would we get the alcohol?" Remus asked, ignoring the little bout between his friends. "Madam Rosemerta might have some, but how would we get that past her?"
"Borrow James' Invisibility Cloak?" Rosemary suggested.
"Ohh, that's sneaky." Lauren laughed. "Using his own cloak in a plot against him. Now there's just the question of how to get Slughorn drunk. After all, he does drink all those fancy wines... We'd have to use something with a high proof... 190 should do. That's about 95 percent pure alcohol."
Sirius' eyebrows raised. "I'm not even going to ask."
"Gentlemen," Remus adressed the others. "And ladies, of course," He added after receiving a pair of glares. "I think we have our plan."
