It turned out that they weren't able to get to the Shrieking Shack until the next week, and Remus still didn't show up. But when they finally got the chance to sneak out, Karina couldn't stop quivering underneath of the Invisibility Cloak.
"What if we get caught?" She whispered. James sighed.
"Foxtrot, for the hundredth time, we're not going to get caught! And besides, we're going on a learning trip." Karina furrowed her eyebrows at him.
"A learning trip, huh?" Both James and Sirius nodded.
"Yeah, we're going to learn the history of these ghosts and learn why they howl so much!" Sirius told her. "Right, Wormtail?" Peter nodded.
"Yeah, right." Karina rolled her eyes, but the four of them kept going until they reached the village of Hogsmeade and ran to the outskirts, where they found the Shrieking Shack surrounded by a barbed fence. The four threw the Invisibility Cloak off and James stuffed it under his robes. From the Shack, they didn't hear anything.
"I hear that they only come out at night." James told them. "I asked McGonagall about them yesterday, and she said that." Sirius slipped through the barbed wire and grinned at the others.
"Well, come on then! Let's go see them!" James followed him eagerly, followed by Peter, and lastly an eye rolling Karina. As they entered the Shack, much of their confidence melted away, when they saw a shivering bundle of gray rags lying in the corner. James put his fingers to his lips, then looked to Peter.
"Peter, go take a closer look." He hissed. Peter's cheeks turned pink in the dark light, but he obeyed and crept over to the bundle. When he got around it, he gasped.
"Remus!" James, Sirius, and Karina looked to each other, then ran over and pulled the rags away, revealing that it was Remus underneath! And he looked awful! His brown hair was a mess and he was paler than the moon. He looked sick.
"Moony! What happened to you?" Karina exclaimed, getting on her knees and helping Remus sit up, James handing her the Invisibility Cloak and her wrapping Remus in it, careful not to cover his head so that they could still see him.
Remus shrugged. "N-Nothing. Don't w-worry about it."
"Nothing!?" Sirius shouted, sitting down, followed by James and Peter. "Mate, you look like he got attacked!"
"Did something attack you?" James asked, his fists clenched. Remus shook his head.
"N-Not exactly." Then Peter tugged on Karina's sleeve.
"K-K-Karina?" He whimpered. Karina sighed and looked to him.
"What is it, Peter?" He pointed, and she looked to see a rabbit. Or what was left of one anyway. The whole head had been torn off and the chest had been ripped open, leaving only skin and bone with innards coming out of the bottom, a foot gone and the other torn in half.
"Merlin's beard." She whispered, falling back off of her knees. "Remus... Did you do that?" Remus nodded, burying his face into his invisible lap. "But... How?" Sirius went over to the rabbit.
"This looks like the work of a werewolf." He muttered, examining the carcass. Then he looked back at Remus. "Remus... Are you a werewolf?" Remus didn't say anything, but the visible part of his head nodded, and all the Marauders exchanged looks. Then they all sat around him in silence for a little while, until finally, Remus stood.
"Let's just get back to Hogwarts."
"Okay." James told him, and they arranged the Invisibility Cloak around the five of them, James, Sirius, and Remus having to crouch a little so their sneakers wouldn't show as they walked through Hogsmeade. Peter and Karina were both still short enough that they just had to squeeze in.
When they got back to Hogwarts, they crowded into the Gryffindor common room, relieved to find it empty. They took off the cloak and Remus started up the stairs.
"Where're you off to, Moony?" James asked him, confused. Remus turned around, looking sullen.
"Well, you lot are going to turn me, aren't you? Get me expelled?"
"Now why would we do that?" Sirius asked him.
"Because I'm a monster." Remus told him, and he scoffed.
"Yeah, Remus. You fold your socks. Pardon me if I don't run away in fear!" Remus furrowed his eyebrows, confused.
"I'm a werewolf. Aren't you going to get me expelled?" Karina shook her head, sitting backwards on the couch to face him.
"Of course not, Moony. You're one of us! And there's nothing you can say that'll change that! And now that we know, we can help you through each time!" Remus slowly came back down the stairs.
"So... You lot don't think I'm a monster?" Karina shook her head again.
"Of course not. We're all a little different." Then she held out her arms. "You see this arm? Its actually shorter than my other arm! But you can't really tell. Especially when I shake them like this!" Then she waved her hands around crazily, making Remus smile.
"I'm lactose and tolerant." Peter said softly.
"My feet are so big, Mum buys me the biggest shoes she can and enlarges them!" James added, making Remus chuckle.
"I'm obnoxious!" Sirius shouted, making them all laugh. Wen they finally settled down, Remus sat on the couch next to Karina.
"Thanks you lot. I don't know what'd I do without you."
"Probably still at the Shrieking Shack." James told him. "How'd you get there anyway without any of the teachers finding out?"
"I dug a secret passageway by the Whomping Willow." He explained. "It leads directly to the shack. I go there so that I don't end up hurting anyone." Karina crawled behind him and hugged him around his neck gently.
"Well, now we'll help you! Maybe when the full moon comes out, we can go with you to the shack!" Remus shook his head.
"I appreciate it, Rina, but I'd probably end up hurting you lot! Its a little hard to control myself when I go wolf." James sat on his other side and patted his shoulder.
"We'll figure something out, Moony! We always do!" Then they all began to think.
(Let me explain now, that I didn't know the process of how to become an Animagus before, I do now, but I see no point in changing the chapter now. Just to clarify. Until next Slime!)