Disclaimer - Usual. Not mine.
Chapter 23
Remus headed to the hospital wing, but a bad feeling followed him the whole way there. He wasn't sure if it was directly related to the transformation, or if it had to do with the conversation from the night before. He was sure that if James and Sirius didn't already know, they were a breath away from finding out. What he didn't understand was, if they knew, why weren't they saying anything? Why let him continue the facade? Were they planning on exposing him publicly and were just biding their time for the right moment? These and other questions ran through his head and made him nervous.
His transformations, however, had also started to change. He noticed over the summer that he was actually starting to remember things. At first, he thought they were just dreams, but then he realized the vividness was too real compared to any other dreams he'd had before. He wasn't sure he liked the idea of remembering… anything.
Remus reached the hospital wing, and he and Madam Pomfrey fell into their usual rhythm. She gathered her cloak and made pleasant conversation while he walked with her to the tree, and then the shack.
All the while, their progress was followed by three boys hidden under an invisibility cloak.
When Remus reached the hospital wing, Peter said, "Tell me again why you think he's a werewolf?" James and Sirius had a tendency to come up with unusual ideas about people, but none had been as terrifying or personal as this one. Peter still wasn't sure if this was real or some elaborate scam they were trying to pull on him. It just sounded so ridiculous – Remus, a werewolf.
"Shh!" James demanded.
"But… Why come to the hospital wing?" Peter asked again.
"That's what we're trying to find out. Now be quiet or I will silence you myself!" Sirius snarled. He looked at James and pointed to the hospital wing, wondering if they should enter, but just then Remus re-emerged with Madam Pomfrey.
The three Marauders followed them through the castle and out onto school grounds. They hung back when Madam Pomfrey approached the Whomping Willow. They watched her cast a spell that hit the bottom of the tree, and then she and Remus entered a barely visible tunnel entrance.
"Well… Should we follow?" Sirius asked.
"Nnno. I don't think so. We don't want to be caught in the tunnel when they start coming back out," James answered.
"Assuming they do come back out. Though, if she's escorting him somewhere off grounds to transform, she'll at least have to return," Sirius reasoned. "Wonder where that tunnel goes."
The three boys decided to sit and wait to see what would happen. They figured Remus was taken off grounds since no one in the castle ever heard howling of any kind.
"Werewolf," Peter said incredulously while shaking his head.
After a while, Madam Pomfrey did indeed exit the Whomping Willow and return to the castle.
"Let's go," Sirius said, and headed for the tree.
"Wait!" Peter said in a scared, squeaky voice. "You're heading for the tree?"
"Yeah. It's the best way to get into the tunnel." Sirius was getting frustrated by Peter – first his lack of belief, and now his fear of the tree.
"What do you reckon? A stunning spell?" James asked.
Sirius shrugged.
"Stupify." James looked at Sirius questioningly, wondering if the spell worked.
Sirius nodded once and stepped forward to test the tree. He got within ten feet of the trunk when one of the tree's massive limbs came swinging down at him. He dodged it and a second swing from a smaller branch, before rolling out of harm's way.
Panting, Sirius said, "No good. Let's try it together. Ready Peter?"
Peter paused and was about to protest, but he saw the determined look in the eyes of his two friends and pulled out his wand. "Ready."
All three cast the spell this time.
The night was still, and it was hard to tell if the tree was actually stunned or just waiting.
Sirius stepped forward again. This time he got a little closer before one of the branches swung out. This meant he had farther to retreat. He managed to evade the first two swings. He barely dodged a third strike and had to summersault out of the way of the branch. He was just regaining his footing when another branch hit him in the shoulder, knocking him to the ground. Fortunately, the momentum took him out of range of the tree.
"Sirius!" James ran forward to where his friend was lying.
"Ow." Sirius said, not moving yet. When James entered his field of vision, he said, "Next time, you're testing the tree."
James smiled and reached out a hand to pull Sirius up. Once Sirius was standing, James asked, "You all right?"
Sirius had his hand wrapped around his opposite shoulder. "Yeah. I'll be stiff tomorrow, but nothing's broken."
"I think… we'll just have to wait until morning."
So the boys sat and waited. Peter fell asleep. Sirius and James amused themselves by poking him with sticks and sticking leaves in his ears. Sirius had to follow through on his earlier threat to silence Peter as his snores resonated around the open grounds. They watched Hagrid enter the Forbidden Forest at one point during the night. He was carrying his crossbow. Sirius and James made up stories about what Hagrid might be doing in the forest, and what kinds of creatures lived there. Since it was mid November, the night was fairly cold. The boys decided to conjure a blue fire. They figured it would be the least visible. For further cover, they entered the edge of the forest, but made sure not to go too far in. James eventually fell asleep, but he made Sirius promise to wake him and take turns acting as lookout until sunrise.
When Sirius finally nudged James awake, he pointed in the direction of the tree. The sky was just beginning to lighten when Madam Pomfrey entered the tunnel. The boys woke Peter up, with some difficulty, and they all sat and watched.
The sun was hovering over the horizon when Madam Pomfrey exited the tunnel, awkwardly carrying something in her arms.
Sirius squinted. "Is that…"
"Remus!" And without thinking, James dashed out from under the cover of the trees and cloak and ran straight toward Madam Pomfrey.
"Hey!" Peter yelled as Sirius grabbed the invisibility cloak and shoved it in his robe. He took off running after James.
Madam Pomfrey heard the rush of footsteps coming toward her and she turned to see three boys running at her. She cradled Remus closer, trying, unsuccessfully, to protect him from sight.
James halted in front of her, his eyes fixed on his unconscious friend.
Remus was wrapped in a blanket and looked deathly pale. Though he was covered, James could see that he was wounded and bleeding freely.
Sirius came up next to James and he also froze. "Bloody hell," he whispered. He reached out tentatively to touch Remus. "He looks…"
"Dead," James finished. He turned pleading eyes to Madam Pomfrey.
"No dears. He's not dead. But I must get him to the hospital wing soon, before any of the damage to his body becomes permanent."
"We'll carry him," James asserted.
Madam Pomfrey looked uncertainly at the boys, including Peter who had stopped a few feet away. "Okay." She shifted Remus, causing him to groan and the boys next to her to wince, than she conjured a stretcher and gently laid Remus on it.
James immediately went to the head and Sirius to the foot, and they lifted it between them, carrying Remus like a fallen comrade. Madam Pomfrey took a slightly out of the way route to the hospital wing to avoid any early risers. But they arrived without meeting anyone and the boys lifted Remus so she could shift him onto a bed.
"You'll have to wait out there." She pointed to the waiting area, closed the curtains around Remus, and began tending to him, occasionally made trips to the supply room for various items.
The boys watched in sullen silence. Whatever emotions they had been feeling earlier were cast aside in the concern for their friend.
After what seemed like ages, Madam Pomfrey approached the boys. "I have a breakfast tray set up for you over by Remus' bed. I imagine you will have a lot to talk about when he wakes up. And… it would be best to do it here, in private." With that, she walked away and hoped for the best.
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A/N - Again, I want to thank all who review and/or add me to their alerts. It's been fun getting to chat with some of you too, so thanks for that. Thanks also to my editors - Mom and mei mei - and my blessed beta - J.A. Carlton. Thanks also to the new people who have joined the journey. I'm glad you've found us and decided to come along. Thanks.
Special thanks to Nonair. Sorry I didn't get to respond to your reviews, but I appreciate them just the same. Thank you.
