Chapter 10
Wednesday, 23/10/1972
"And that is how to properly squeeze a raven's eye." Professor Slughorn said with a smile after demonstrating the gruesome act to the second year students. The students had mixed reactions after watching this. Peter, Remus, and some others were disgusted and barely held back vomit, Lily, and some others were impartial, while James, Sirius, Severus, and Lucius were thoroughly entertained.
The school bell rang and the students hastily gathered their belongings. Remus, eager to get out of the potions classroom as the first to reach the door when Slughorn called to him.
"Remus Lupin, please come see me before you move on with your day." Slughorn said with a smile. Remus hid his sigh and eye roll and walked back to the teacher who was at his desk. James, Peter, and Sirius sat at a desk, waiting.
"Yes, Professor?" Remus asked, trying to look happy that he was talking to the teacher he hated so much.
"Ah, yes, Mr. Lupin. I have some concerns about your progress in my class." Professor Slughorn said with his chubby belly resting on his desk.
"I have to say that is a surprise to me, sir. I have risen my grade from a 79.3% to a 84.97% in just the last 10 days. What is your concern?" Remus asked, trying not to grit his teeth.
"That's good, but it still seems that you aren't comprehending the material at the pace of your classmates." Slughorn said.
"I know I am not in the bottom half of the Potion's class rank, in fact I am number 11/40." Remus said annoyed.
"Enough boosting your ego, Remus. I looked at your other class marks and it is obvious you struggle in Potions. You should be in the top three, yet you remain in the average range. What you make up for in booksmarts, you lack practical abilities." Slughorn said.
Remus's blood started to boil, but his voice remained steady. "What do you suggest I do, Professor?"
"I am requiring that you come to private study sessions with me at 4pm every Monday until I feel you are reaching your full potential." Slughorn said.
"Is this a detention, sir?" Remus asked shocked.
"No, just the generosity of a teacher." Slughorn said simply. "Now, go ahead." He said as he shooed him away.
Remus joined James, Sirius, and Peter and they walked to lunch.
"Can you believe him?" Remus fumed.
The other boys shrugged and took their seat at lunch. James opened a Daily Prophet.
"Would you look at this…" James said. The other boys crowded around him and looked at the paper. Lily, who was sitting next to Remus looked up.
"You can read, Potter?" She asked James with sass.
"Yes, Evans, I love reading." James lied. Lily's emerald eyes sparkled a bit and she smiled.
"You haven't even opened your textbooks yet." Sirius laughed. James cheeks went red and Peter and Remus giggled.
"Shut up, Black!" James said as Lily rolled her eyes.
"Go on, what's so interesting in the paper?" Lily asked.
"Another muggle was found dead in Hogsmeade." James said.
"Who was it?" Remus asked intrigued.
"It says here that Philip Grauder, a recent widower, was found hanging from the ceiling in his apartment in Hogsmeade, suicide, apparently."
"Grauder, that was Professor Grauder's husband!" exclaimed Remus.
"Poor bloke, he must have not been able to live with himself after finding out about his wife." Lily said. Remus's eyes continued reading the article.
"Hold on a minute, it says that the apartment was in rough condition, that there was a struggle. Plus they didn't find a note." Remus said suspiciously.
"The man could have had a break down and trashed the place. Also, who would he have a note to write to?" James asked.
"I suppose, but something doesn't seem right." said Remus.
Thursday, 26/10/1972
"Alright, class, today we will be transforming a silk handkerchief into a white dove." Professor McGonagall said as she began her lesson.
After the first two months of class, Professor McGonagall split the Marauders up throughout the classroom so they were in opposite corners. Remus wasn't feeling well at all and he shivered and folded up his arms. He closed his eyes and felt a paper ball hit the back of his straight brown hair. He looked down to see a crumpled up note and picked it up.
Remus,
You feeling alright? You look pale, and awful today.
-James.
Remus looked to Professor who was writing on the board. Remus scribbled a note on loose parchment that read:
James,
I'm fine, thanks.
-Remus
And he levitated it back to James and closed his eyes again. Remus felt another paper ball hit his ear and unfolded it, annoyed.
Mr. Lupin,
We know you're not fine.
-a very concerned Mr. Black.
Remus once again looked to make sure Professor wasn't looking and sent a note back.
Mr. Black,
Thank you for your concern, but I am fine. Pay attention to the lesson.
-Mr. Lupin
Remus chewed on his quill and took some notes but was hit again by three notes at once. Remus opened them one at a time.
YOU'RE
NOT
FINE!
Remus huffed and wrote a note furiously and magically made three copies.
To three annoying marauders,
Fine, you win, I'm not fine. It's the day before the you-know-what and I always feel shitty and my senses go on overload. By the way, James, I know you're trying to impress Lily, but if you put one more drop of that awful cologne on, I may kill you. And Sirius, do you have to tap your quill on the desk, just stay still. And Peter, I can hear you humming "Come Together" and it's driving me mental! At least stay in tune. Now, stop paying so much attention to me and start paying attention to McGonagall.
-Remus
Remus viciously sent the notes flying across the room and smirked when each note hit each marauder hard in the head. He looked up at McGonagall's lesson and wrote notes.
Friday, 27/10/1972
Remus's head was pounding as he listened to Professor Sayre's lesson on the Big Bang. He found her American accent more shrilly today compared to warm like usual. Each hard r made him cringe and every time he heard her pronounce "process", his blood boiled. He turned his attention to the raging storm outside. He jumped out of his skin when the bell rang.
"Oh, and class, due to the weather, the full moon observation is cancelled for tonight. It's not like we could see anything past these clouds. Enjoy your night off." she called after the students, eager to leave."
"That's good, huh Remus?" Peter asked as the marauders cautiously circled around Remus.
"What?" Remus snipped.
"That you don't have to make up an excuse tonight." James said.
"I guess." Remus said annoyed.
"So how is this going to work, exactly?" Sirius asked.
"What do you mean, Black?" Remus muttered.
"When do we take you down to the shack?" He asked plainly.
"Oh no. I will go down there on my own. You three are going to stay in the Gryffindor common room. You will not be anywhere near the shack." Remus said bitterly.
"But we want to help." James said.
"You can help me by staying somewhere safe, far away from the shack." Remus said annoyed.
"But -" Sirius said.
"No Buts! I have been doing this for the last 12 years and I don't need your help now!" Remus screamed. Remus suddenly felt faint and stumbled backward, James caught him.
"You alright?" James asked.
"Damn it, I'm not going to make it through DADA. I should go to the hospital." Remus said as he shook his head.
"Only you would ever say "damn it" for missing a class, nerd." Sirius teased.
"Whatever, I will be in the private room of the hospital tomorrow morning." Remus said. "Bye."
"See ya, Remus." Peter said.
Remus was almost to the Hospital when he turned the corner to find Lucius Malfoy and his three friends in the hall.
Shit.
"Well, well. Remus Lupin all alone again. Long time no see." Lucius sneered. The four boys formed a line, blocking the hallway.
"Hello, fellows, I really must be going." Remus said and tried to pass Domante but he pushed him back and Remus fell.
"You're not going anywhere, Half Blood." Lucius said.
"Oh, come on, enough of that crazy blood order business." Remus said annoyed.
"No, it's what you deserve. It's your mom that's the muggle, right?" Lucius asked. Remus did not reply.
"Yes, yes. I saw her tattered clothed fine ass on the train platform." Lucius said with a chuckle.
"Enough of that." Remus said while gritting his teeth.
"Make me." Lucius said and watched Remus.
"You know I won't fight you." Remus replied while his blood boiled.
"Then you'll just have to listen. Ooh, boys, you saw Lupin's mum, right?" Lucius asked sinistrally.
"Oh yeah." Aldoranz said.
"She was fit." Regulus said.
Remus's eye twitched and he clenched his jaw, and he held his wand in his pocket. His vision began to blur.
"Yes, oh all the things I would make that muggle whore do to me under the imperius…"
The next thing Remus knew, he was standing in the middle of the four boys who were all writhing on the ground. They all held bloody and broken noses. He looked down at his fist that held his wand tightly that his knuckles were white.
Regulus gave a small moan.
"Oh my, I am so sorry!" Remus said and he approached Regulus.
"Stay away!" Regulus screamed.
"What is going on here!?" Remus heard an angry woman's voice from behind him.
Remus whipped around and saw Professor McGonagall standing in shock.
"Professor, I, I don't know what happened. One second Malfoy was insulting my mother and the next, I found them like this. I blacked out. I don't remember doing this to them. I am so sorry." Remus panicked.
"Mr. Lupin, come to my office at once. The rest of you may go see Madame Pomphrey, she'll fix your noses." McGonagall said calmly.
"So you blacked out?" McGonagall asked.
"Yes, professor. I am so scared. I mean, I lose control and black out every full moon, but never during the day. What does this mean?" Remus asked as he paced her small office.
"Has you noticed anything else different about your behavior recently?" McGonagall questioned.
"Well, I suppose I have been more impatient and bitter with my friends." Remus admitted and stopped pacing.
"I have a theory. I noticed you grew quite a bit over the summer, and your voice has deepened." McGonagall said.
"What does puberty have to do with this?" Remus asked.
"Well, I believe the extra hormones raging through your body, especially testosterone, is enhancing and magnifying the rage and power of the werewolf inside of you." McGonagall explained.
"You think he's taking control of me?" Remus asked horrified.
"I think he is trying to. I think it will become more and more difficult to control your emotions and actions as you grow up." McGonagall said.
"What do I do?" Remus questioned softly.
"You will just need to learn to control it." McGonagall said.
"But how?" Remus whined.
"I am afraid I do not have that answer for you. You will need to find that yourself." Professor McGonagall said. Remus sniffled. "Now, you should get some rest and prepare for tonight." McGonagall added as she opened the door.
"Professor, please don't mention this to my parents." Remus pleaded as he stood in the doorway.
"I'm sorry, but your business is their business." McGonagall said, Remus looked down and sighed. "But I suppose I could let it slip my memory this once."
"Thank you." Remus said in a small voice. He left and walked to the shrieking shack and fell on the bed and fell asleep.
Author's note:
Hello, it's me again. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. Just so everyone knows, I have decided to start posting one chapter a week on Sunday nights.
-Christylee7663