Chapter ten- ideas and incidents
The exams were Monday, and Athena was rushed off her feet with preparations for the exams, for higher and lower years.
The day before the Care of Magical Creatures exam a letter arrived, from Hagrid to Athena.
Appeal on the sixth.
Coming up to Hogwarts brining minister of magic officer and the executioner
Got the exam ready, but you're going to have to oversee it.
The next day Athena and Hagrid were utterly miserable
Hagrid had set the exam which was pathetic; all the students had to do was keep their flubberworm alive for an hour.
Hagrid sat on the steps of his cabin while Athena checked the students.
"Buckbeaks getting a bit depressed" said Athena checking Harry's flubberworm "he's been cooped up too long, but still…we'll know the day after tomorrow-one way or the other"
"You still might win" said Hermione quietly
"Hermione you know as well as I do" said Athena "that if they're holding the appeal here and they're bringing the executioner….there's no chance"
On Thursday Athena assisted the defence against the dark arts exam with Remus for the third years.
They'd set up an obstacle course outside in the sun, the students had to wade across a deep paddling pool containing a grindylow, cross a series of potholes full of red caps squish their way across a patch of marsh ignoring directions from a hinkypunk then climb into an old tree trunk and battle a boggart.
"Excellent Harry" muttered Remus writing down Harry's score as Harry came climbing out of the tree trunk grinning "full marks"
Harry waited around to watch Ron and Hermione. Ron did very well until he reached the hinkypunk and was led into waste deep muck. Hermione did everything perfectly until she reached the boggart at the end of the course. About a minute inside she burst out screaming.
"Hermione!" said Athena startled "what's the matter?"
"P-P-Professor McGonagall!" gasped pointing at the trunk "sh-she said I'd failed everything!"
"Hermione I thought you'd been hurt" said Athena hugging the poor girl who was in floods of tears, Remus shook his head amused but caring "just calm down, it was only a boggart you haven't failed everything"
Once Hermione was calmed down the boys and she headed up to the castle.
2 o'clock came and went, Athena looked at buckbeak, she was wearing her smart jeans, grey robes and a purple shirt with grey converse her outfit she only wore on special occasions.
"I'm so sorry" said Athena patting buckbeaks head gently "so sorry indeed"
She stood up and so did buckbeak he nudged her affectionately
A giant hand rested on Athena's shoulder
"He'll be happy out 'ere til sunset" said Hagrid sadly "I understan' you not come'n"
"It's the full moon Hagrid" said Athena touching his hand "I can't risk that"
Hagrid nodded he didn't speak as he headed back to his cabin.
Athena walked back to the castle for her potion.
Remus sat at his desk watching Ron Hermione and Harry move under James's cloak; they went into Hagrid's hut, as the office door opened.
Athena looked depressed, worried and pale.
"Hey…" she said her voice hoarse
"I heard what happened" said Remus sadly "I heard they're going to-"
"Yeah" said Athena cutting him off "what-what you doing with the map?" she leaned over the desk to look.
"Ron, Hermione and Harry have gone to Hagrid's" said Remus pointing at the map
"Ok…" she said staring at the fire "I can't believe they're going to do it"
"Some things in life we can't stop" said Remus shortly he stood up and began to move books around
"They made their choices before the appeal" Athena picked up the compass on the desk and walked it up and down "they brought Macnair…."
Remus looked at her "he kills werewolves you know?" he said shuffling more books
"I know" said Athena she twirled the compass on its point "tried to get dad once, I was all for it, until he found out then….the rest was history"
She looked down at the map, and blinked frowning hard and looking at the labels
"Remus" she said Remus hurried over "look…" she pointed to the trio a new label was with them
"Peter Pettigrew" read Remus
Athena nodded "and look" another dot appeared "Sirius black"
Ron was suddenly dragged towards the whomping willow, by Sirius black along with peter Pettigrew.
"The map must not be working" said Athena
"It is working" Remus grabbed his wand "come on we're going after them"
Athena drew her own wand and they both ran from the room
They ran across the grounds as fast as their legs could carry them they stopped at the womping willow.
"What are we suppose to be doing?" she said as they ran
"Harry Ron and Hermione are with Sirius we need to speak to him before he hurts them or the other way round so we can understand what happened" said Remus quickly "then we can take it from there"
"Ok…" puffed Athena
She picked up a stick and levitated very quickly straight at the not in the tree. The tree froze and Athena and Remus ran to the secret passageway under the roots of the tree.
Remus helped Athena through the trapdoor in the floor there were footprints all over the dirty floor, the wallpaper was hanging lose from where Athena and probably Remus had attacked it during their years transforming in there.
They headed for the stairs when they froze they heard Hermione scream.
"WE'RE UP HERE!" they heard "WE'RE UP HERE-SIRIUS BLACK-QUICK!" the last word was urgent
They ran up the stairs wands in their hands, Remus raised his wand and the door flew open with a jet of red sparks.
Athena looked round the room, Ron was lying on the floor clutching his leg that was bleeding, and Hermione was cowering down on the floor by the door while Harry was stood over Sirius Black who was holding a ginger cat who must be Hermione's.
"Expelliarmus!" shouted Remus, Harry's wand flew from his hand and so did the two Hermione was holding. Athena caught Harry's wand and Remus caught the other two.
Athena felt her heart still racing as Remus stepped forward "where is he Sirius?"
Sirius Black looked expressionless he didn't move at first until he raised a hand and pointed at Ron.
Athena looked at Ron in his hands was a rat…Peter Pettigrew was an Animagus a rat.
"But then…" muttered Remus staring at Sirius "…why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless-" Remus's eyes went wide "-unless he was the one…unless you switched…without telling me?"
Athena was slowly catching up, switching without telling Remus who was suspected as a traitor Sirius wasn't the potter's secret keeper Pettigrew was.
Sirius very slowly nodded his head
"Professor Lupin" said Harry loudly "what's going on?-"
He never finished as Remus lowered his wand so did Athena. Remus moved towards Sirius and seized his hands and pulled him to his feet they hugged like brothers.
"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Hermione suddenly screamed Athena looked round at her as Remus let go of Sirius. Hermione was slowly standing pointing between Athena and Remus
"You-you-"
"Hermione-" began Athena
"-you and them!"
"Hermione calm down-" said Athena reaching out for Hermione slowly
"I didn't tell anyone!" Hermione shrieked "I've been covering for you and him-like I'd promised!"
Athena knew where this was going "Hermione listen to me please!" shouted Athena almost panicky "let us explain!-"
"I've trusted you!" shouted Harry at Remus now "and all this time you've been his friend!"
"You're wrong" said Remus "I haven't been Sirius's friend for twelve years, but I am now…let me explain…"
"NO!" Hermione screamed "Harry don't trust them, they've been helping Black get into the castle, they want you dead too-they're werewolves!"
There was a ringing silence. Everyone was looking at Athena and Remus.
"I thought you said we could trust her" Remus said the Athena
"I thought we could" said Athena throwing a disappointed look at Hermione
"I have to say Hermione not at all up to your usual standards, only one out of three, I'm afraid" said Remus "we have not been helping Sirius get into the castle, Athena doesn't even know him she's just here to help me, we certainly don't want Harry dead…" that odd shiver ran through his body "and you know that we are werewolves so I won't deny it"
Ron made to get up, but let out a whimper of pain and feel down again, Athena made to move towards him to help until Ron gasped "get away from me werewolf!"
Athena stopped dead she wanted to cry "how long have you known?" asked Remus almost mockingly
"Oh she's known for ages!" said Athena angrily "ever since she did Snape's essay and she even looked at the Luna charts checking the dates we were off"
"Severus will be delighted" said Remus coolly "he set that essay hoping someone would realise what our symptoms meant. And checking the Luna charts as well you really out did yourself did you guess that my boggart turns into the full moon and Athena's the werewolf who bit her?"
"Yes" said Hermione quietly
Remus forced a laugh
"You're the cleverest witch of your age I've ever met Hermione"
"I'm not" whispered Hermione "if I'd been a bit cleverer I'd have gone to Dumbledore before Athena, then everyone would have known what you two are!"
"But they already know" said Athena "at least the, staff do"
"Dumbledore hired you both and he knew you were both werewolves?" gasped Ron "is he mad?"
"Certain people thought so" said Athena "Dumbledore worked very hard to convince certain teachers that we were trustworthy, Remus had it worse than me-"
"AND HE WAS WRONG! YOU'RE BOTH UNTRUSTWORTHY!" Harry yelled "YOU'VE BEEN HELPING HIM ALL ALONG!" he pointed a Sirius who had crossed to the four poster bed and sunk deep into it covering his face with a trembling hand.
The ginger cat jumped up next to him as Ron edged away from them both.
"We have not been helping Sirius" said Remus "if you'll give me a chance, we'll explain. Look-" he took the wand Athena was holding and the two he had and gave them back to their owners.
"There" said Remus he put his wand away, and indicated Athena to copy him and she did "you're armed we're not. Now will you listen?"
She crossed her fingers that they wouldn't attack them.
"If you haven't been helping him" said Harry throwing a furious glance at Sirius "how did you know he was here?"
"The map" said Remus at once "that marauder's map. I was in my office examining it-"
"You know how to work it?" Harry asked suspiciously
"Of course I know how to work it" said Remus waving his hand "I helped write it. I'm Moony-that was my friend's nickname for me when we went to school together"
"You wrote-" began Harry
"The important thing is!" interrupted Athena before Harry could keeping talking "we saw you sneak out the castle to visit Hagrid before Buckbeak was executed. Am I right?"
Hermione nodded slowly
"But you must have been wearing you father's cloak Harry to make it outside-" said Remus he began to pace
"How d'you know about the cloak?" said Harry
"The number of times I saw James disappearing under it…" Remus waved a hand they were getting nowhere here "the point is even if you're wearing the cloak you show up on the map. I watched you cross the ground and enter Hagrid's hut"
"Twenty minutes later when I entered Remus's office I saw you leave Hagrid's" said Athena "you set of back to the castle now accompanied by someone else"
"No we weren't!" said Harry
"We didn't believe it at first" said Remus he was still pacing ignoring Harry "Athena said that the map mustn't be working. How could he be with you?"
"No one was with us!" said Harry
"Suddenly there was another dot moving fast towards you labelled Sirius black" said Athena her eyes swept to Sirius "we watched him pull two of you towards the whomping willow-"
"One of us!" said Ron angrily
"No Ron" said Remus stopping his pacing "two of you"
"Can we see your rat please Ron?" asked Athena
"What?" said Ron "what's Scabbers got to do with it?"
"Everything" said Remus "could I see him please?"
Ron reached into his pocket and pulled out a thrashing rat, Crookshanks the ginger cat hissed at the rat.
Remus moved closer to Ron he seemed to be holding his breath as he looked at Scabbers
"What's my rat got to with anything?" asked Ron again
"That's not a rat" croaked Sirius black suddenly
"What d'you mean-of course he's a rat-"
"No he's not" said Remus quietly "he's a wizard"
"An animagus" said Athena walking to Remus's elbow and slipping her fingers into his she was praying they were right, she saw Sirius glance at their hands "by the name of Peter Pettigrew" she finished
"You're-you're mental" said Ron finally
"Ridiculous!" said Hermione
"Peter Pettigrew's dead!" said Harry "he killed him twelve years ago!" he pointed at Sirius
"I meant to" said Sirius his yellow teeth bared "but little Peter got the better of me…not this time though!"
Crookshanks was thrown to the floor as Sirius lunged across the bed at Scabbers he landed on Ron's bad leg.
"Sirius NO!" Remus yelled a launched himself forwards and dragged Sirius off Ron again "WAIT! You can't do it just like that-they need to understand-we've got to explain-"
"We can explain afterwards!" snarled Sirius trying to throw Remus off one hand still clawing the air for the rat who was squealing in Ron's hands
"They have a right to know everything!" shouted Athena she placed herself between Sirius and Ron
Sirius looked up at her she was stranger to him but he listened to her "all right then" said Sirius not taking his eyes off the rat "tell them whatever you like. But make it quick Remus. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for…"
"Your all nutters all three of you" said Ron shakily "I've had enough of this. I'm off" he tried to get up but failed badly
"You're going to hear me out" said Remus he drew his wand and pointed it at Scabbers "just keep a tight hold of Peter while you listen"
"HE'S NOT PETER HE'S SCABBERS!" Ron yelled trying to force the rat into his pocket again but the rat wouldn't hold still.
"There were witnesses who saw Pettigrew die" said Harry turning to Remus "a whole street full of them…"
"They didn't see what they thought they saw!" said Sirius he watched Scabbers still
"Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter" said Remus nodding "I believed it myself-until I saw the map tonight. Because the map never lies…Peter's alive. Ron's holding him Harry"
Harry just looked at Ron
"But professor Lupin…Scabbers can't be Pettigrew…it just can't be true you know it can't…" said Hermione quietly
"Why can't it be true?" said Athena not Remus who was addressed
"Because…because people would know if Peter Pettigrew was an Animagus. We did Animagi in class with Professor McGonagall. And I looked them up when I did my homework, the ministry keeps tabs on witches and wizards who can become animals, there's a register showing what animal they become and their markings and things… and I went and looked professor McGonagall up on the register and there have only been seven Animagi this century and Pettigrew's name wasn't on the list-"
"Right again Hermione" said Remus "but the ministry never knew that there use to be three unregistered Animagi running around Hogwarts"
"If you're going to tell them the story get a move on, Remus" snarled Sirius "I've waited twelve years I'm not going to wait much longer"
"All right…but you'll have to help me Sirius" said Remus looking at his old friend "I only know how it began…"
Remus broke off. There had been a loud creak behind Athena. The bedroom door had opened of its own accord. All six of them stared at it. Then Remus strode towards it and looked out onto the landing.
"No one there?" asked Athena Remus nodded
"This place is haunted!" said Ron
"No it's not" said Remus still looking puzzled at the door "the shrieking shack was never haunted…the screams and howls the villagers used to hear were made by me and Athena" he pushed his greying hair out his eyes "that's where all of this starts-with me becoming a werewolf. None this could have happened if I hadn't been bitten and if I hadn't been so foolhardy…"
He looked so weary and tired, Athena immediately was at his side, he put an arm around her waist, Ron went to speak but Hermione shushed him.
"I was a very small boy when I received the bite. My parents tried everything but in those days there was no cure. The potion professor snape has been making for Athena and I, is a very recent invention. It makes us safe you see. As long as we take it the week proceeding to the full moon, we keep our minds when we transform. We're able to curl up in m- our offices harmless wolves and wait for the moon to set again"
"Without the potion" said Athena seeing as Remus found this hard "we are fully fledged monsters. It seemed impossible for werewolves who are young to come to Hogwarts, luckily Remus was given a place and I was bitten during one of my summer holidays"
"Dumbledore gave me a place under special precautions" said Remus "I told you months ago Harry, the Whomping willow was planted the year I came to Hogwarts truth is it was planted because I came to Hogwarts" Remus looked round the room "the tunnel leads here, they built this place for me to use once a month. I was smuggled out of the castle into this place to transform. The tree was placed over the tunnel to stop people coming near me while I was dangerous" Remus went on "my transformations in those days were very-very terrible. It is painful to turn into a werewolf. I was separated from humans to bite so I bit myself and scratched myself instead. The villages heard the noises and screaming and thought they were hearing ghosts. Dumbledore helped encourage the rumour even now people don't go near the house which has been silent since Athena left Hogwarts"
Athena turned his face to hers and smiled at him he sighed back touching his forehead to hers "but apart from my transformations, I was happier than I had ever been in my life. For the first time ever I had friend's three great friends. Sirius Black…Peter Pettigrew…and of course your father Harry. James potter"
"We hardly failed to see where Remus disappeared to once a month" said Sirius "he made up some really silly stories. Like his mother was ill and he had to go home to see her…we fell for that one a lot…he was always frightened that we would hate him if we found out"
"But of course you all worked out the truth just like Hermione" said Remus he looked at Sirius over his shoulder "and then they didn't desert me after all. Instead they did something for me that would help my transformation to not only be bearable but be the best times of my life. They became Animagi"
"My dad too?" said Harry astounded
"Yes indeed" said Remus "it took them the best part of three years to work out how to do it. Your father and Sirius here were the cleverest students in the school and luckily they were because Animagus transformation can go horribly wrong-one reason why the ministry keeps a close watch on those attempting to do it. Peter needed all the help he could get from James and Sirius. Finally in our fifth year they managed it. They could each turn into different animals at will"
"But how did that help you?" said Hermione sounding puzzled
Remus looked at Athena "as I am the care of magical creatures teacher here" she muttered "werewolves only attack humans. Animals are different a werewolf wouldn't harm a animal unless provoked"
Hermione nodded understanding
"So once a month they all sneaked out the castle under the cloak. They transformed…peter as the smallest could slip between the branches of the willow and touch the knot and freeze it. They would then slip down the tunnel and join me. Under their influence I became less dangerous. My body was still wolfish but my mind was less while I was with them"
"Hurry up Remus" snarled Sirius again looking hungrily at scabbers.
"I'm getting there…well highly new opportunities opened up for us we could now roam the forest and the village at night. Sirius and James transformed into such large animals they were able to keep a werewolf in check. I doubt whether any Hogwarts students ever found out more about Hogwarts grounds and Hogsemead than we did…and that was the birth of the marauder's map we signed it with our nicknames. Sirius is Padfoot, peter wormtail. James was prongs"
"What sort of animal?-" began Harry but Hermione spoke over the top of him
"That was still really dangerous! Running around in the dark with a werewolf! What if you'd given the others the slip and bitten somebody?"
"a thought that still haunts me to this day" said Remus heavily, and Athena leaned into his shoulder she was his protection and he was hers "I also felt guilty for betraying Dumbledore's trust of course he allowed me to attend Hogwarts when no other headmaster would have, I was breaking the rules he had set down for my own and others safety. He never knew I had led three fellow students to become illegal Animagi. But I always managed to forget my guilty feelings every time we sat down with a new plan for next's month's adventure and I haven't changed…" Remus's face was hard as stone with disgust "all this year I have been battling with myself wondering if I should tell Dumbledore about Sirius been an Animagi but I didn't do it. Why? Because I was a coward and I fell in love. Plus I couldn't bear to see his face when I told him I had betrayed his orders all those years ago. So in a way Snape's been right about me all along"
"Snape?" said black taking his eyes off scabbers "what's snape got to do with it?"
"He's here Sirius" said Remus heavily "he's teaching here as well"
He looked at Ron Hermione and Harry
"Professor Snape was at school with us. He fought very hard against appointing me as defence against the dark arts teacher as well as Athena with her job but not quite as harsh" Athena nodded her head closing her eyes "he has been telling Dumbledore all year that I am not to be trusted. He has his reasons…you see Sirius here played a trick on him which nearly killed him, a trick which involved me-"
Sirius made a derisive noise
"It served him right" he sneered crossing his arms like a child "sneaking around trying to get us expelled"
"Severus was very interested in where I went every month" Remus told the children "we were in the same year you know and we-er- didn't like each other very much. He especially disliked James. Jealous I think of James's talent on the Quidditch pitch…anyway, Snape had seen me crossing the ground with Madame Pomfrey one evening as she led me towards the Whomping willow to transform. Sirius thought it would be-er-amusing to tell Snape all he had to do was prod the knot on the tree-trunk with a long stick and he'd be able to get in after me. Well of course Snape tried it-if he'd got as far as this house he'd have met a fully grown werewolf- but your father who'd heard what Sirius had done went after snape and pulled him back at great risk to his life…snape glimpsed me though at the end of the tunnel. He was forbidden to tell anybody by Dumbledore but from that time on he knew what I was…"
"So that's why snape doesn't like you" said Harry slowly "because he thought you were in on the joke?"
"That's right" sneered a cold voice from behind Athena and Remus. Severus Snape was pulling off the invisibility cloak his wand pointed at Remus.
