The Marauders: Through the Years

Chapter 7: Full Moon

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Or The Hunger Games (by Gildory Lockhart, ha, Draco hugs you if you get the reference!). You'll find out.

This chapter is dedicated to my best friend at Muggl- I mean primary school. Her name is Pippa Knights and she is going to be pretty similar to James' mother.

Here's the chapter, though,

The week passed all too soon, it seemed for Remus. All too soon it was Saturday and all too soon it would be full moon. Sighing, the young werewolf knew he'd have to tell his "friends" soon. They wouldn't be his friends after they knew, Remus knew that. He'd wait for them to figure it out, and if they didn't by the Christmas holidays, he'd tell them then.

After the stream of thoughts, Remus sat up in bed. Reaching for the book on his bedside table (Transfiguration Theory: A Guide to NEWT Levels), he yawned and opened it on the page he'd bookmarked.

Reading was one of the only things that Remus liked. In fiction books he could get lost in the character's world. His particular favourite was a Muggle series called The Hunger Games. He admired Katniss because of her bravery, but then again, she was a Mockingjay, not a werewolf.

And then there was non-fictional books. Books for burning, James called them. No, Remus liked to study. Professor Dumbledore was kind enough to let him come to Hogwarts, and he was going to study hard enough, pass his tests and make sure the Headmaster did not regret his decision. And he also had to study ahead of his classes. The monthly torture he had to put up with meant he missed the classes the few days after the full moon. Remus had to go to the hospital were Madam Pomfrey healed the cuts he had inflicted on himself.

Laying back down in bed, Remus read for maybe an hour. He only read one full chapter (Human to Animal: Animagus Forms), because his mind was elsewhere.

By that time, Sirius was up and sticking his head through the curtains around Remus's bed.
"You really are strange, Remmy" he said.
"How many times have I told you to stop calling me that? And what have I done now?"
"The answer to the first question is as many as it takes before you shut up; I'm not going to listen. And the second is You Read Too Much! It's 8:00 Saturday morning! You should be asleep!" Sirius replied.
"So should you, then," Remus pointed out. "I'm going down to breakfast now, anyway,".

Jumping into one of the showers, he turned it on as hot as he could stand. Wincing slightly as the burning water hit his scars, he quickly washed and dressed. Sirius soon followed and they walked down to breakfast together.

"James and Peter really are slow," Sirius observed. "And lazy," he added.
"Got that right," Remus muttered. Somehow all three of them had convinced him to "help" them with their homework. What it really was, Remus wrote four essays about the Levitation Charm while the other three slept.

They sat down at the Gryffindor table next to Lily, who seemed to be the only first year girl up.
"Hi, Lily," said Remus, "Where are all the other girls?"
"Doing their hair and makeup. I don't really care about things like that." She replied. Remus nodded his head in agreement.

They started eating, and soon were joined by James, Peter and the other girls.
"Hi, you three," James said happily, "Quidditch try outs, 10 o'clock today,"
"What's that got to do with you?" Alice asked.
"Hooch recommended me to McGonagall and the team captain." He replied.
"Who is the team captain, anyway?" asked Peter.
"I think his name is Harry Wood," James answered.
"I've always liked the name Harry," Lily said, "I think that's what I'll call my child,".
"Who are you going to have that child with, hey, Evans?" James said, battering his eyelashes at her.

Lily ignored him, finishing her bowl of porridge before standing up.
"Where're you going, Lily?" Marlene asked her.
"Library," she answered before walking up, her bag swinging over her shoulder.
"I'd better go to the library too, before I go," Remus said, following her.

The others watched him go.
"Where's he going?" Mary asked.
"He said he's going to visit his mum, who is sick," Sirius said through a mouthful of food. Mary crinkled her nose up in disgust before looking eager.

"Hestia Jones is here!" she said. "At least, I think that's her."

A girl with long, brown hair walked in, next to Professor McGonagall.
"Good morning, Gryffindors," the Professor said, "We have a new student, who was ill with Dragon Pox when the term started. The Hat has just announced Gryffindor, so I hope you will do all you can to welcome her," then she frowned. "Where is Mr Lupin and Miss Evans?"

"In the library," said Sirius, "I'll go and get them."

He ran off and came back a few minutes later. By that time McGonagall had left.

"Hello," said Lily, holding out her hand. "I'm Lily Evans. Welcome to Gryffindor,"
The other girl took her hand and smiled, "I'm Hestia Jones."

Lily introduced her to the other first years, and everyone could tell that she and "Hestie", as Sirius had nicknamed her, would be good friends.

Remus had gone back to the library after being introduced as "the clever boy who spends half his life hanging around with weirdos, and the other half in the library" and he walked off to prove her point.

He walked over to the head librarian, a witch called Pince who couldn't be older than twenty five.
"Hello," he said timidly. "I would like to take out a book from the restricted section."
"Well, do you have written permission from a teacher?"
"No," he said with a sigh, "But it's about… the… full moon. I'd like to do a bit of research on it,"

Madam Pince looked down at him.
"Well, alright then. Normally you would need permission, but seeing as your…" her voice trailed off.

She went to get the book and came back a moment later. Remus thanked her and went up to the dormitory. Sitting on a chair next to the window, he looked out on the Quidditch Pitch. The try outs! He'd promised James he'd go!

Remus sprinted down to the pitch and made it there just in time.

"Welcome," Harry Wood said, "to the Gryffindor Quidditch try outs. Today we would like to fill out the positions of Chaser and Seeker. The two in the spots last year have left. I have a list of the people trying out, and will call them up, youngest to oldest. James Potter!" he called.

James climbed onto his Nimbus 1000, a very advanced broom, and sped onto the pitch.
"Hello, Potter," Wood said. "I will act as Keeper, and I would like you to aim the Quaffle at me 10 times and see how many get past me,".

Ten out of ten Quaffles went in and there was no one more shocked than Wood. No one EVER got past him. Everyone else tried out but no one got anywhere near as much as James.

"Well, it looks like we have our Chaser position filled. Congratulations, James Potter, you are the youngest Chaser in 500 years,".

James grinned and left, with Remus, Sirius and Peter, who had all turned up to watch him. They waited for the pitch to clear, and tried out James' Nimbus. Well, Sirius and Peter did. By then it was two o'clock, the Seeker position took so long.

"Um guys, I need to go now," Remus said uncertainly. They turned to look at him.
"Oh, okay, Remus," said James. "Shall we come with you to the train?"
He shook his head. "No, it's alright. See you guys tomorrow, or maybe the day after,".
"Bye, Remus," the other three boys chorused.

Remus walked down the passageway to the Shrieking Shack. Laying down on the bed that he knew he would tear to shreds, he waited. And waited. And waited. Professor Dumbledore had suggested he went early, because everyone knew it took a long time on the Hogwarts Express, so they wouldn't suspect anything.

Boredom slowly crept in. Remus didn't mind at first, he knew it was for his benefit, being in the confined space. But he couldn't help but admit he wished there was something to do.

Slowly, evening came. The moon came up, and the change began. First his eyes changed, and slowly, the bones clicked, cracked and changed. Claws and fur grew, and soon enough a werewolf was standing there.

The transformation was more painful than anything else in the world. This time, however, it wasn't quite as bad. Remus suspected afterwards that this was because he was feeling happy, for the first time in his life, he had friends.

The werewolf growled softly, picked the bed up and tore it apart. Looking out at the "window", he saw the moon. Howling, he tore the bed into even more shreds.

A/N: Woo! Longest chapter yet! I'll update my other story later, if you're reading that. I'm sorry it so long, but I'm watching A Very Potter Senior Year for the 75th time in a row. I have the songs stuck in my head. Don't wanna see you go but it's not forever, not forever…

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