Chapter 10

Symptoms and Secrets

September soon disappeared into a warm October and autumn began to creep in. But the new season and the change in the trees wasn't the only thing that the end of September brought. School so far had been a breeze as the students settled into their lessons and the pile of homework slowly started to build up. For Remus though the end of the month meant another set of questions and another set of lies. Throughout the first year he'd managed to keep James and Sirius at bay with the questions about his disappearances but now Peter was part of their group it was just another person to lie to. Remus hated it but there was no other way. And now with Tala at Hogwarts too the lies were going to be harder to make.

'So you're going home to visit you family but Tala's staying here?' asked James. 'That doesn't make any sense.'

'Tala's only just started,' shrugged Remus. 'It's not fair on her to get behind at the start of the year.'

The inevitable conversation between the four friends had once again been struck up at dinner Tuesday night. For the past few days Remus had been getting sicker and more tired and the reactions he was getting were becoming harder to deal with, Tala especially. Whenever she saw him around school or in the Tower her eyes were take on an instant worried expression and it was all he could do to hide it from James, Sirius and Peter. As pure-bloods, Remus was particularly worried if James and Sirius found out; werewolf prejudice was common through the older wizarding families and Remus did not want to lose his closest friends.

'But you kept going home in your first year,' said Sirius. 'Why shouldn't your sister?'

Out of the two of them, Sirius was the more curious to Remus's constant absences from school. James shared the curiosity but maintain that it was Remus's business and he would tell them if he wanted to. The only reason Sirius wanted to find out what Remus was hiding was because he hated lies being kept from him. Sirius valued his friends greatly and if one was hiding something then he is not a true friend. Only one other person in Gryffindor found Remus's absences strange: Lily. Though she didn't speak to Remus on a regular basis, it was kind of hard not to notice that once a month he began to look very ill. Curious though she was, Lily made a point never to ask, no matter how much another person questioned her. Severus. It wasn't any of his business or hers.

'Mum and Dad said Tala will see Grams later,' said Remus, doing some quick thinking. He finished his food in an effort to get away. 'They want her to get settled into Hogwarts before she sees Grams. They don't want her to worry.'

'All right, Remus,' said James. 'Are you going back to the common room?'

'Yeah.' Remus got up and slung his bag on his back. 'I'll see you back there.'

'OK. Oh, one last thing, Rem,' said Sirius. Remus looked back at him. 'I thought it was your Mum who was ill?'

Sirius raised an eyebrow questioningly at Remus. He swallowed. Mistake number one: remember who it is you say is ill!

'Er …' Remus though desperately for an answer. 'Well, um –'

'Remus!'

Remus spun round to see Tala standing beside him. He thanked Merlin; Tala did always have the best timing. It was pure coincidence though that Tala had done this; she'd looked up to see James and Sirius giving Remus a bit of a hard time and had decided to interrupt.

'I need some help on my Charms homework,' said Tala. 'I can't do the Levitation Charm properly yet. Can you help me?'

A blatant lie; Remus knew full well Tala could do the Levitation Charm. He still made a mental note to thank her though.

'Sure, I'm heading back to the common room now,' he said. 'I'll see you guys later,' he added to James, Sirius and Peter. 'Come on, Tal.'

Remus and Tala left the Great Hall. Sirius turned to James.

'He's hiding something, James,' he whispered, 'you can't deny it. Remus is not telling us something.'

'What d'you mean?' asked Peter.

'Last year, Remus kept going home, remember?' Peter nodded. 'Well, he always said it was because his mum was ill. But now it's happening again and this time it's his grandmother. And it's always once a month for a few days. No more, no less. Then there's the fact that Remus himself is always looking ill at the time he goes home. Don't you think it's weird?'

'Yes, Sirius, I do think it's weird,' said James resignedly. They'd had this conversation several times the previous year. 'But it's none of our business. If Remus wanted us to know, he'd tell us, wouldn't he? We're his friends.'

'Exactly, we're his friends. But he isn't being much of one by hiding something from us.'

'Sirius, let it drop,' groaned James. 'Unless you're going to walk up to Remus and ask him straight out what's going on, then you're not going to find out what it is.'

Sirius fell silent. Though James didn't seem interested, Sirius wasn't going to let it go. He was going to find out what Remus was up to some way, somehow, he was going to learn Remus's secret.

'Merlin. Thanks, Tal. I thought I was in real trouble there.'

Remus and Tala walked together back up to the Gryffindor Tower. Tala remained silent through most of the walk, listening to Remus talk about how hard it was keeping up the lie with his friends and that he almost slipped up just now. Lying was one of the things Tala hated, just like Remus hated doing it, and having to listen to him go on about it was getting on Tala's nerves. The previous year Tala had tried to convince Remus to tell his friends but to no avail.

They reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. Remus said the password and it swung forwards to admit them. The two of them climbed through the portrait hole.

'I really thought Sirius was going to trip me up then,' repeated Remus. He took Tala's hand and helped her out the other side of the hole. The common room was empty. 'He remembered I'd said it was Mum who was ill last year and I said Grams this time.'

Remus and Tala sat down in the corner. Tala didn't face him as Remus continued.

'As for James, I'm just glad he's not as bothered. Sirius just won't let it drop though. It's like he's determined to find out I'm a were −'

'Tell them!' Tala suddenly shouted, unable to hold it. Remus looked at her, startled at her outburst. 'For Merlin's sake, Remus, just tell them!'

'Tala,' started Remus, shocked, 'I can't tell them! I've told you this a hundred times. Not everyone is accepting as you.'

'You don't know that!' Tala got out of her seat and stormed over to the girls' staircase. 'You don't know that until you try!'

Remus chased after her. He grabbed Tala's arm and pulled her back.

'Tala, listen,' Remus said, trying to keep his voice calm. 'You don't understand. It's not a condition that will be welcomed with open arms. I can't just walk up to someone, no matter if they're my friends or not, and tell them I have a monster living inside me. It's not as simple as that.'

Tala glared up at her brother. Her eyes observed every inch of him.

'You're just scared.'

'What?'

'You're scared, Remus,' repeated Tala. 'You're letting this rule your life.'

'I am not scared,' said Remus slowly. She may be his sister but Tala had crossed a line. 'You're only eleven. You don't under −'

'No, I don't,' said Tala, cutting him off. 'But I do understand when my older brother's being a coward.'

'Tala, I'm warning you!'

'Save it.'

Tala pulled her arm from Remus's grasp. She stalked off for the stairs. Remus stared after his sister. Guilt swelled in his stomach. He'd never shouted at Tala before. He sighed, shaking his head. She didn't understand. She was too young. Knowing it was better to leave it instead of going after her, Remus returned to the chair in the corner and started his homework. In a few hours he was to be leaving to "go home" and was to be taken down to the Whomping Willow. He just hoped Tala didn't try anything.

That night Tala sat on the windowsill of her dormitory looking out into the grounds. It was eleven o'clock; she'd finished her homework hours ago and all her friends were asleep, Jordan across in the boys' dormitory and Lottie and Rachel were both asleep with the hangings drawn around their beds. Tala stared up into the sky. The full moon was hidden just behind the clouds, a small slither of it shining over the grounds. That meant Remus would transform soon. He'd left a few hours ago. He didn't say a word to her before he left. The fight they'd had earlier was still fresh in Tala's mind along with other things.

Carefully so as not to wake the other three girls in her dormitory, Tala opened the latch of the window and pushed it open. She looked out of it. There was a pretty big drop from the Tower to the ground. Tala swallowed and tried not to think about it. She concentrated on a bird, any sort. An owl came to mind. She concentrated. It was the first time she'd tried to transform on her own. Slowly her bones began to twist and her pyjamas turned into feathers. It took a few moments but soon a small grey owl sat on the sill where Tala had been seconds before. Spreading her wings Tala flew out of the window.

She recalled Remus had told her that a special tree had been planted over the tunnel that took him to where he transformed. The Whomping Willow, Remus had called it. It was near the Herbology greenhouses, wasn't it? Tala flew in that direction. A great looming shadow appeared in front of her. Tala had to be careful; fly too close and she'd be hit by thrashing branches. No one was about in the grounds. Tala went into a dive and flew to the ground. She landed in the shadows of the castle nearby and returned to human form.

The Whomping Willow stood feet towering above Tala. She approached it, remaining a safe distance from it. The branches were still at that moment. Tala picked up a stone from the ground and threw it at the branches. They snapped in a second; the stone was struck away, flying in the opposite direction very fast. Tala swallowed. She wouldn't want to be hit by those. It didn't look like there was any way to get near the trunk without being hit. Unless …

Tala concentrated again. This time she transformed into a mouse. Skirting round the very perimeter of the Willow's branches, Tala got to the closet point near the trunk without being hit. She braced herself. This could go very wrong. Tala made a dash for it. The branches began to lash out. Tala ran as fast as she could over the grass, her small size helping her weave in and out of the thrashing branches. She made it to the trunk. There beside a large knot of wood was a hole in the ground. A branch came at her. Tala leapt into the hole. She landed with a thump at the bottom of it and transformed back.

'Ow,' she groaned quietly. Tala got up and rubbed her arm. Her eyes widened. Ahead of her was a very long, muddy tunnel. 'I guess I better get moving.'

The walk from the base of the Whomping Willow to wherever the tunnel led to was not a short one. It seemed to take ages. Eventually the tunnel began a gentle climb. The end must be getting closer. Tala's paced quickened. All of a sudden she heard a loud howl. Tala froze. Remus must have transformed by now. It wouldn't be safe for her to approach him in human form. For the third time that night Tala concentrated and transformed, this time into a wolf. Her red hair turned grey and white and her face lengthened into a muzzle; her blue eyes turned amber and a tail grew out of her pyjamas, the rest turning to grey fur; Tala fell forwards on to her hands, now her front paws. Completely transformed Tala ran off up the tunnel.

An open trapdoor waited at the end of the tunnel. Tala pulled herself out of it. She was in a building, a wooden shack of some sort. The walls had been clawed and the furniture was all broken and splintered. Tala pushed the trapdoor closed with her muzzle. Next she put her nose to the floor to sniff for Remus. There was a strange scent, one she didn't recognise at all, lingering in the room. It was coming from upstairs. Tala followed it. The stairs creaked beneath her paws as she climbed them. A single room was at the top of them. The door was as broken as the furniture, hanging loosely on its hinges and there were panels missing from it. There were sounds coming from behind it. Tala hesitated. She'd never seen Remus as a werewolf before. She didn't know what to expect.

Well, here goes, she thought.

Tala padded across to the door. She raised her paw and pushed it open. The inside of the room was as destroyed as the rest of the house. A pair of yellow eyes could be seen lurking in the shadows beside the bed. Tala took a step into the room. A threatening snarl was heard. And she saw it. A wolf stalked out from behind the bed. The difference between the two was very obvious. The werewolf's size was much bigger than the wolf Tala had changed it and its teeth were razor sharp; the muzzle was also longer and more pointed; the paws were larger and claws much sharper than Tala's; the fur was also much more ragged, the tail a long tuft sweeping behind it.

The werewolf growled deeply. It approached Tala, its yellow eyes glaring at her. Tala hesitated again. She didn't dare move. The werewolf moved closer. Tala dropped to her paws as it stood over her; it took a sniff at her, smelling her fur. Even though it was Remus inside, Tala could tell it didn't recognise her. The werewolf growled a second time. Tala swallowed and remained submissive to it. Then, to her shock, the werewolf bit down on her, right on her neck. Tala couldn't help but whimper in pain, the werewolf's teeth sinking into her neck. It pushed her completely to the floor before hitting her away with its paws, the claws scratching her chest.

Remus, thought Tala desperately, it's me. Please recognise me.

But it didn't; the werewolf's and Remus's minds were completely separate. The next few hours were both painful and worrying. At times the werewolf showed no interest in her. It would howl and bite and scratch itself while Tala watched, lying silently in the corner. Other moments, the werewolf would attack, biting and scratching her. The pain was immense and by the time the moon waned, Tala couldn't be more relieved. She felt so sorry for Remus having to deal with this alone and she felt so powerless to help him.

As soon as she saw the moon disappear and the sky lighten, Tala ran from the room and back down the tunnel to Hogwarts. She would get in deep trouble if she was found there. Once out of the tunnel Tala flew back up to Gryffindor Tower and back through the open window of her dorm. Tala felt very strange when she got back. She felt shivery but her forehead felt like it was on fire. Her eyes couldn't focus on anything, she felt dizzy and sick, and her head was pounding. Tala tried to ignore it. She got back into bed and pulled the covers up over her. She was shaking badly. Subconsciously she put her hand on her neck. She could feel the bite marks. Eventually she fell into a deep sleep.

Lottie, Rachel and Lucy were up by the time Rachel's alarm went at half past seven. Lucy had already gone down to breakfast while the other two finished getting dressed in their school robes. In the bed next to Lottie's, Tala was still fast asleep. Eight o'clock and breakfast was fast approaching so they thought it best to wake her.

'Come on, Tala,' said Lottie. She gently shook her shoulder. 'Breakfast starts soon. It's Wednesday. There're pancakes today.'

Tala didn't reply. The only response was a quiet moan. She turned over in her bed, pulling the covers over her.

'Tala, get up,' said Rachel. 'We have Professor McGonagall first thing. She won't be pleased if you miss her lesson.'

'I don't feel well,' mumbled Tala from beneath the covers.

'Why don't you go to the hospital wing, then?' suggested Rachel. The mound under the sheet shook its head. 'Well then if you don't feel well, stay in bed. We'll check on you later.'

The mound made another movement. Lottie and Rachel looked at it each other. It wasn't like Tala to skip school. With a worried glance, Lottie and Rachel went to meet Jordan down in the common room and they went down to breakfast.

Throughout the day Tala's condition steadily got worse. She felt like she was in a freezer in her dormitory. She'd even put a jumper on, she was so cold, and was wrapped tightly in her blanket. One touch of her forehead though and you'd see she was running a fever. Tala was also very nauseous, already having thrown up once so far. Her skin was pale and Tala could barely keep her eyes open. At lunch Lottie and Rachel had returned with some food for her but Tala said she didn't want it. Worried, the two of them went back down to the common room to find her brother.

'Are you in Remus Lupin's year?' they asked several people before they came across Lily and Alice sitting by the fireplace playing chess.

'Yeah,' said Lily. 'We're in Remus's year. Can we help?'

'Have you seen Remus anywhere?' asked Rachel.

'No,' said Alice. 'He went home yesterday but should be back around one. Why?'

'It's Tala,' said Lottie worriedly. 'She's ill and she won't eat anything.'

Alice and Lily looked at each other.

'Where is she?' asked Lily.

'Up in the dormitory.'

Lily and Alice abandoned their game of chess and followed Lottie and Rachel up to their dormitory. They showed them which one was Tala's bed. The curtains had been drawn. Lily went over to it and pulled them back. A small mass was shaking beneath the covers.

'Tala?' Lily sat down on the bed and pulled back the covers. Tala was lying there, eyes closed, facing away from her. 'Tala, are you all right?'

'S-so c-cold,' Tala mumbled. Lily placed her hand on Tala's forehead.

'Tala, you're burning up,' she gasped. She pulled the cover off her and fought to get the jumper off her in order to get some air to her skin and cool her down. Tala hunched up tighter in a ball. She began to shiver even more. Her hair cascaded back off her face when she moved, revealing the bite mark on her neck. Lily gasped again. 'Alice, Tala's been bitten by something!'

Alice joined Lily at Tala's bedside. She looked at the marks.

'Those look like werewolf bites,' Alice whispered to her. Lily stared shocked at her. 'We need to get her to the hospital wing. Come on. Lottie, Rachel, try and find Professor McGonagall.'

Lottie and Rachel nodded ran out of the room. Alice and Lily tried to get Tala to sit up. She couldn't even do that. Tala was very ill. Between them they managed to get her into a sitting position. Lily sat in front of her and picked Tala up like a piggy back. Then as quick as they could, Lily and Alice ran down the stairs to get her to the hospital wing. The common room was slowly filling up as the lunch hour continued. Several people looked in their direction. Amongst them were James and Sirius.

'Hey, what's going on?' Sirius shouted at them. They sat Tala lying unconscious on Lily's back. 'Is that Remus's sister?'

'Yes,' said Lily impatiently.

'We think she's been bitten by a werewolf,' Alice told them quietly. James and Sirius stared at them, eyes wide. 'We're getting her to the hospital wing.'

'Does Remus know?' asked James.

'Does it look like he does, Potter?' countered Lily scathingly. 'He's not here, is he? So you can make yourself useful and try and find him.'

Lily and Alice got Tala to the hospital wing as fast as they could while James and Sirius went on a search for Remus. When they got there Madam Pomfrey, the Hogwarts matron, took one look at Tala before floating her over to a bed and shutting it off with some curtains. Meanwhile James and Sirius eventually found Remus sitting in the library. These days his recovery after the full moon didn't take as long as it used to; a Pepper-Up Potion and some sleep during the morning was enough for him. Regardless of Madam Pince's warnings of no running in the library, James and Sirius rushed over to the table Remus was sitting at. He looked up at them in surprise. Both were panting.

'Er, hi guys, what's up?' he asked them.

'It's Tala,' panted James. 'She's been bitten.'

The moment James said that, Remus's heart stopped. He didn't need either of them to say anything more. Remus seemed to know what had happened without being told. He knew she would do this! Tala must have snuck down to the Shrieking Shack last night after he'd transformed. Although he had no recollection of it Remus was sure that was what she'd done. And now she'd been bitten. He'd done what his mother had feared he would do.

The three boys got back to the hospital wing as soon as possible. By then Lily and Alice had both gone. All the beds were empty apart from one at the far end of the room which had been partitioned off by a curtain. Remus's heart sank. That must be where Tala was. The shadow of Madam Pomfrey was visible; she was leaning over the bed performing an examination. A few minutes later she pushed back the curtain. She saw the three boys standing there. Her eyes focused on Remus.

'Ah, Mr Lupin, the person I wanted to see,' she said briskly. 'Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore are on their way down to speak to you. As for you two gentlemen,' she continued, pointing her wand at James and Sirius, 'out. This is a private matter. Come on, out!'

Madam Pomfrey shooed James and Sirius out of the hospital wing, Remus calling after them that he'd see them later. With them gone, she turned to Remus.

'I do hope you realise the seriousness of the situation, Mr Lupin,' scolded Madam Pomfrey. 'Because of your foolishness, your sister has been bitten and may now be infected with lycanthropy as well as yourself.'

'It wasn't my fault,' protested Remus. 'I didn't tell her to come with me! She must've followed me or something! I didn't want her to come!'

Madam Pomfrey gave Remus a doubtful look.

'Well, whatever the story it is,' she said, 'I'll be getting in contact with your parents as soon as Professor Dumbledore has spoken to you. We'll only know the full extent of Miss Lupin's infection when I get her blood test back. Until then, I hope you will realise what you've done.'

Remus insisted it wasn't his fault but Madam Pomfrey wouldn't listen. She swept off into her office and shut the door leaving Remus alone in the hospital wing. Remus looked across at the bed. Tala was lying there. Her skin was chalk-white and her breathing was raspy. Slowly he approached the bed and sat down on a chair beside it. He took Tala's hand. Her skin was so hot it was like touching fire. He recognised the symptoms from himself; he'd suffered the same when he was first bitten, when he was first infected. No! He mustn't think that. Tala couldn't be infected with the lycanthropy too! Remus would never forgive himself if he'd sentenced Tala to the same life as his.

Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore appeared in the hospital wing half an hour or so after James, Sirius and Remus had got there. Remus looked up from his seat next to Tala's bed when they entered. Professor McGonagall's stern look fell upon him as she walked into Madam Pomfrey's office while Professor Dumbledore's eyes remained firmly away from him. Remus's guilt increased. The office door closed behind them. After an agonising few minutes the three adults came out of the office. Madam Pomfrey had a sheet of parchment in her hands.

'How is she, Poppy?' asked Professor McGonagall.

'She's showing all the symptoms of having been bitten by a werewolf,' said Madam Pomfrey. She was looking down the parchment in her hand. Remus's heart sank. 'A high fever, nausea, dilated pupils, everything points towards her being infected with lycanthropy …'

'I am sensing a "but",' said Professor Dumbledore slowly. He looked at Madam Pomfrey, his blue eyes twinkling over his half-moon spectacles.

'But, her blood tests have come back completely normal,' said Madam Pomfrey. Remus started; he stared at the Professors and matron, amazed. 'It's a miracle. There is no infection whatsoever yet she has the bite and scratch marks and symptoms to show she had been attacked by a werewolf. They're completely normal.'

Remus's heart was racing. Tala wasn't infected with the lycanthropy? She – she wasn't doomed to be a werewolf?

'It is unheard of,' finished Madam Pomfrey, 'but Miss Lupin is exceedingly lucky.'

'Indeed,' said Professor McGonagall. 'But that doesn't answer the question why she got bitten in the first place.' She turned and faced Remus. He shrank back in his seat. 'Mr Lupin. Perhaps you can enlighten us?'

Remus swallowed and was about to reply when Professor Dumbledore spoke up.

'I will deal with the situation, Minerva,' he said lightly. 'As Headmaster of the school, I will examine the situation and see if there are any improvements to Mr Lupin's security that need to be made. Mr Lupin.'

Professor Dumbledore gestured to Remus to follow him. They left the hospital wing and proceeded in silence to Professor Dumbledore's office. He indicated a seat in front of his desk for Remus then sat in his own opposite. Calmly he asked Remus to recall the events as best he could. Remus did so. He told Professor Dumbledore all he could, about his fight with Tala earlier that day, his journey to the Shrieking Shack and his transformation, waking up in the hospital wing that morning. But as he retold it, bits started to come back to him. Someone else had been in the Shack with him, another … animal …

'I … I remember sniffing something,' said Remus slowly as he remembered. The memories were only vague but they seemed to tell him something. 'The taste of blood in my mouth. Something else whimpering … I remember fighting with something, not just myself for once. Something else was there.'

If there had been any doubt beforehand in Remus's mind it was no longer there. He was certain Tala had snuck down to the Shrieking Shack to see him but transformed into an animal in order to be with him.

'Madam Pomfrey tells me that you believe Miss Lupin followed you on her accord,' said Professor Dumbledore. 'Why do you believe this?'

'Because I know Tala,' said Remus. 'She found out what I was and got this idea in her head that she could help me. She thought that because she's a –'

Remus stopped. Professor Dumbledore raised his eyebrow. Remus bowed his head and looked away from the Headmaster.

'Very well,' continued Dumbledore briskly. He picked up his wand and conjured a quill and some parchment. 'If you have nothing more to say then you may leave. I must write to your parents informing them of what has happened to Miss Lupin and ask why she thought she could help you.'

'No!' burst Remus. He stared horrified at Dumbledore. The older man looked down at his student with a quizzical look on his face. Remus blushed because of his outburst. 'Don't write to Mum and Dad, please. They'll – they'll separate us again.'

'Now why would they do that?' asked Dumbledore.

'Because I bit Tala. We were separated before to stop this from happening. If Mum finds out I've bitten her, she'll take Tala and leave again. Please don't write to my parents.'

'Mr Lupin, I have to inform your family of your sister's injuries. Is there someone else I can speak to?'

Remus thought for a moment, then said, 'Yes, my grandma.'

Pippa Hallow (also known as Grams to Tala and Remus) arrived at the school as soon as she received Professor Dumbledore's message. She went straight to the hospital wing where Remus and the Headmaster were waiting. Remus instantly ran over to her as she asked what was going on. Professor Dumbledore explained what had happened and about Tala's injuries and miraculous state. An unsurprised looked appeared on Pippa's face as she nodded in understanding.

'Yes, I can answer that,' replied Pippa quietly. She sent Remus to sit with Tala so she could speak with Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall alone. 'Tala inherited the Feramorph or "rare" Animagus gene that I myself have after it skipped a generation. It makes her immune to the werewolf venom because of her DNA already being combined with an animal's. However, from what you've told me, she isn't resistant to the illness that comes with it. I guess, unlike a proper Animagus whose animal-self is obtained and not completely joined with human genes, if she is bitten in animal form she'll still suffer the symptoms in human form though she won't be infected while they suffer no symptoms at all.'

'Well, that is good to know,' said Professor McGonagall. 'I just hope none of the students who found her know what she'd been bitten by. The last thing we need is a student panic about werewolves.'

'Indeed,' said Professor Dumbledore. 'Now, if you'll excuse us, Professor McGonagall and I have some business to attend to. We'll leave you and Mr Lupin alone.'

With that the two professors left the hospital wing, leaving Remus and his grandma with Tala.

Tala's recovery was remarkable. The very next day her fever had cleared up and it was like she was never sick. She was her normal self thanks to the Animagus gene in her. If it wasn't for that, then she too would have the same life ahead of as Remus does. As for the bites and scratches she'd sustained, a drop of dittany on each and they healed without a scar. Tala was released from the hospital wing in time for the start of lessons the next day. Lottie and Rachel were so relieved to see her and had enveloped her in tight hugs when they saw her at Charms that morning. They were so glad there had been nothing desperately wrong with Tala. James, Sirius, Lily and Alice were also glad to see Tala had made such a speedy recovery though none of them could understand it.

'I mean, those were definitely werewolf bites,' said Alice. It was the Thursday after Tala's incident. They were sitting in their dormitory talking. 'My Dad works in the Beast Department of the Ministry of Magic. He taught me how to recognise different markings and stuff like that.'

'But if those were werewolf bites,' said Lily.

'Then doesn't that mean Tala's a –?'

'– a werewolf,' said Sirius, answering Peter's question. He let out a squeak. The three of them were in their favourite chairs in the common room. They'd made sure Remus wasn't in earshot of them. 'It all fits. Remus goes home once every month for a few days. It's always because of an illness in the family. He went home to visit his sister. Because Tala's a werewolf.'

'Alice, there's no way Tala or Remus could be werewolves,' said Lily. She couldn't believe. A couple of people as nice as them afflicted with something as terrible as that. 'From what you've said, one, Tala recovered too quickly for someone infected with that, and two, Remus went home to see his grandma and Tala didn't go with him. If he was the werewolf than how could he have bitten Tala? It's just not possible.'

'I don't like it any more than you do, Lily,' said Alice. 'Remus and Tala are really nice people. But we can't deny it. Those two are hiding something.'

Lily wouldn't believe it and Alice didn't want to either. However, downstairs …

'That's a good theory and all, Sirius,' said James, 'but there's one floor in your great conclusion.'

Peter and Sirius looked at James.

'What?' he asked.

'If Tala's a werewolf, why is it that Remus still went home this month and Tala didn't?' said James. Sirius was about to argue his point when he realised James was right. He sighed frustrated at his mistake. 'But I still think you're on to something.'

'You do?' said Sirius.

'Yeah, I do,' said James. He thought for a moment, then said, 'Being bitten by a werewolf is not something you recover from straight away like that. Tala's recovery was much too fast. Plus, like I said, it's Remus who goes home every month to "visit" his family and he's the one who looks like he's going to pass out every so often.'

'What are you saying?'

'I'm saying they're both hiding something.' James looked around the common room to makes sure no one was listening to them. He then leaned in close to them. 'And I have a way to find out. Come with me.'

James got up and headed up the boys' staircase. Sirius and Peter followed. He led them into their dormitory and went over to his trunk. James pulled the lid open and began to search inside it. He pushed aside his clothes and books until he felt a water-like substance pass across his fingers. Grasping it, James pulled a long silvery piece of material out of his trunk. His father's Invisibility Cloak. Sirius stared at it in awe. Peter just stared at it.

'What is it?' he asked.

'Watch,' said James. 'Now you see me …' James swung the Cloak around him. Peter gasped. 'Now you don't.'

'James, that is so cool!' gushed Sirius excitedly. James pulled the Cloak off, grinning. Sirius grabbed it from him. 'Why didn't you tell me about this before? We could play so many pranks on Snivellus with it!'

'I was waiting for a special occasion,' James shrugged. 'I can't say I haven't been tempted to use it on old Snivey already but Dad told me to not use it too often in case it got found. Invisibility Cloaks are really rare and this one's been in the Potter family for generations. But seeing as some sneaking needs to be done, I think this is the perfect opportunity to test it out.'

'James,' Sirius put his hand on his friend's shoulder, 'if I haven't said this before, I'm saying it now. You bloody genius!'

The rest of the night James, Sirius and a not-so-keen Peter plotted how to discover Remus's secret, the end result being on James and Sirius would follow him the next time he had to "disappear".

Through the time these two separate conversations had been going on, Remus and Tala had been having a rather heated conversation of their own. When Remus had seen Tala leaving dinner with her friend Jordan from her year, Remus got up and followed her. When they were out of the Hall, Remus pulled Tala away from her friend and into an empty passageway on the second floor.

'What were you thinking?' Remus scolded, pacing angrily in front of Tala as she leant against the corridor wall. 'You snuck out and got into the Shrieking Shack when you knew perfectly well it'd be dangerous! How did you even get pass the Whomping Willow? That thing's lethal if you go anywhere near it!'

'I transformed into a mouse,' said Tala. 'I got passed the branches that way.'

'Tala!' Remus finally stopped pacing and faced Tala. 'Grams told you! You not allowed to transform at school! If you get caught you'll probably end up in some testing lab in the Ministry! Like some – er –' Remus tried to remember what their father had told him, '– lab rat!'

'Remus, take a Cheering Charm,' sighed Tala. 'No one saw me. Lottie and Rachel were both –'

'That's not the point!' snapped Remus. 'You transformed and snuck down into the Shrieking Shack when you knew it'd be dangerous! I bit you, for Merlin's sake! I attacked you! You could have ended up in the same situation as me, with the same life ahead of you, all because you didn't think before you acted!'

'Well pardon me for trying to help my brother!' screamed Tala.

Tala turned and ran back to the Tower in tears leaving Remus standing in the corridor with his own guilt.

Tala didn't speak to Remus again for the next week. Each time he saw her in the common room she'd ignore him and talk with her friends; at meal times Tala sat down the other end of the Gryffindor table away from Remus and the others; and if they passed each other in the corridor, whenever Remus tried to talk to her, Tala walked off in the other direction even if it meant she turned up late for her lesson. In her view, Remus couldn't see how much he'd hurt her feelings when all she had tried to do was give him some company. The truth was Remus did see it. He hadn't realised until after that conversation how his condition had really affected his little sister.

All Tala was trying to do was help him, to keep him company. She was the only one who really could. A werewolf's venom wasn't poisonous to an animal, only to humans. As Grams had explained to him after Dumbledore had left, Tala only felt the effects of the venom because of her genes being combined with the Animagus gene. The venom caused her to feel the symptoms but the Animagus gene fought it off. If she was a normal Animagus then she wouldn't have felt anything. Because of her being an Animagus, she was protected if he ever bit her. She could help him! But still the thought of Remus hurting her dissuaded him from ever asking her to come with him again. Of course, Tala being Tala, Remus's scolding didn't dissuade her.

The next month slowly disappeared and the next full moon was approaching. As usual, Remus felt the effects of it the few days leading up to it, slowly getting worse. When the day came Remus got through it without any questions from his friends, only when he was leaving. He told them the usual time and James and Sirius left it at that. Sure enough though, they had their own plans for that night. Remus also avoided any more arguments with Tala. The day passed with a serious of looks and silences between the siblings. Every so often Remus would catch Tala watching him then turning away and carrying on with whatever she was doing. And if it wasn't that, it was the other way round, Remus watching her hoping she wasn't planning on anything.

'I've still got some work to do,' he overheard Tala say to her friends that night. It was already getting late and most of the younger students had all gone to bed. 'I have to finish the essay on the other side of the moon for Professor Sinistra.'

'Don't stay up too late, Tala,' laughed Lottie. 'Night.' and her two friends went up to bed.

The rest of the students began to leave the common room. James, Sirius and Peter left around ten o'clock, saying goodbye to Remus until Saturday afternoon. Time ticked away slowly until Remus was due to leave. He tried to read his Charms textbook but his eyelids were getting heavy and he was beginning to droop. The clock in the common room struck eleven, causing Remus to jerk awake again in his seat. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, sighing.

Remus looked up tiredly from his book. Tala was fast asleep in the chair she'd been sitting in when she was doing her homework. Remus sighed again. It wasn't fair on her, she shouldn't have to suffer because of him but when she had an idea in her head it was hard to make her change her mind. Tala would do anything to help him. And, truth be told, that was the one thing Remus would never change about her.

Remus let out a long sigh and hauled himself out of the chair. He had a massive headache and really didn't feel like a long walk but he had to do so or the rest of the house could be in danger. Remus walked over to where Tala was asleep and gently shook her shoulder. Her eyes flickered a bit then opened fully to look at him.

'What time is it?' she asked him.

'Time,' said Remus simply. She knew what he meant.

Tala got off the sofa and brushed down her robes. She was about to turn out of the common room but Remus put a restraining hand on her shoulder.

'Tala, please, you don't have to do this,' said Remus seriously. 'I managed through last year, I can manage again.'

'But what if you got out?' Tala asked him. Remus let out an uncomfortable noise. It was a thought that had occurred to him many times. 'Least if I'm there, I can stop you. And when you calm down, I can keep you company and be there for you –'

'Tala,' Remus sighed heavily and angrily. He put up his hand to stop her. 'The reason why Mum split us up was so you wouldn't get hurt and you did. I bit you. I could never live with myself if I killed –'

'Remus,' protested Tala, cutting him off. 'I don't care. I'm protected from the venom so why should you? Why don't you understand that? I just want to help you.'

'I know you do. But if Mum knew what you were doing, she'd kill me for putting your life in danger. You're not strong enough to fight me. I've seen what I can do.'

'I'm not scared. Just give me a chance and I'll prove it to you.'

Remus looked at his sister. He admired her bravery and her loyalty towards him. She wasn't scared of him even though he was a werewolf. Remus just wished other people wouldn't show prejudice towards his … condition. Eventually, Remus gave Tala a weak smile.

'Come on then,' he sighed. 'Before the moon's out from behind the clouds.'

Tala smiled broadly at him and gave him a tight hug. Remus winced slightly but returned it nonetheless, holding his sister close. Next the two of them then grabbed their cloaks and walked out of the portrait hole.

Just hidden behind the corner, James and Sirius had been watching the two of them. They had heard all of what had been said and were giving each other very curious looks. Remus and Tala were both hiding something?

'What on earth was that about?' Sirius asked openly to James.

'I don't know,' he said thoughtfully. 'But we're going to find out.' From under his cloak, James drew out a long silvery cloak: the Invisibility Cloak. 'Ready to see what Remus and Tala are hiding?'

Sirius nodded impatiently. Getting off the stairs, James threw the Cloak around the two of them. They vanished into the room then headed out of the of the portrait hole. They walked at a fast speed to catch up with the other two Gryffindors then followed silently behind them at a safe distance so they wouldn't be heard. They found it curious that neither had a bag with them. If they were going home, why didn't they have any stuff?

When they reached the Entrance Hall, Remus checked to see if Tala still wanted to go through with it. She did. Remus smiled and pulled open the door. They quickly walked out of the Entrance Hall. Once outside, Tala closed her eyes and transformed into a mouse. She ran off in the direction of the Whomping Willow, Remus following. Behind them an invisible James and Sirius had managed to sneak out of the main doors before they had closed. They followed Remus as he went round the castle the way they went when they were heading for Herbology.

'Where d'you s'pose he's going?' whispered James. 'And where's his sister gone?'

Sirius looked at him and shrugged his shoulders. James glanced ahead. Remus had come to a stop beneath the Whomping Willow. Next moment he was walking towards the base of it. Not a single branch was trying to strike him. James and Sirius watched in amazement.

'Why isn't it attacking him?'

James and Sirius ran carefully after Remus just in time to see him disappear into the ground beneath the frozen tree. As they approached it they could make out a dark shape at the foot of it. There was a hole in the ground. A loud threatening creak sounded above them. James and Sirius looked up. The branches of the Willow were twitching; the tree was unfreezing.

'Run!' yelled Sirius.

Forgetting about the Cloak for a second, James and Sirius ran for it from where they were and dived headfirst into the hole that was in amongst the roots of the tree. James landed with a thump on the hard ground, Sirius landing on top of him. They could hear the violent thrashing of the branches above them. When they looked up, they saw a long tunnel ahead of them. James and Sirius just looked at one another, grinning somewhat at their discovery, but also still wondering what their friend was up to. They could hear Remus's footsteps ahead of them. Getting up they followed him still hidden under the Cloak.

Remus looked around the small room. He'd reached the Shrieking Shack and had gone up the broken staircase to the top room. Inside it was a broken bed and a window looking out towards Hogsmeade. The curtains were torn and there were scratches all over the walls from his previous transformations and rampages. The wardrobe in the corner looked exactly the same. When he got there Remus saw Tala waiting for him, sitting obediently by the bed as a black dog. He smiled and sat down beside her, gently stroking her head.

James and Sirius watched as Remus walked into a room at the top of the house. They silently snuck in behind him. He seemed to look around the room before seeing a dog sitting by a bed. He went over and stroked it. Sirius and James glanced at each other with looks of equal curiosity.

'What's a dog doing here?' asked Sirius. 'And where's Tala?'

James just shrugged and said, 'Who knows but Remus seems to know it. And Merlin knows where Tala's gone.' He glanced at Remus. He was staring out the window. 'Come on. Let's hide in the wardrobe.'

James and Sirius crept over to the broken wardrobe and hid inside it. Remus heard a creak over near the wardrobe. He looked at it. There was nothing there. It was just the sounds the house was making. Suddenly though, he froze. The moon had just appeared from out behind a cloud and was shinning down into the room.

'Go,' muttered Remus to Tala. 'Go, now!'

Remus let out a pained yell as his body started to shake. But then, his mind blacked out.

Over in the cupboard, James and Sirius watched as Remus stood frozen in the room, bathed in a glow of moonlight. Then, all of a sudden, he began to shake and yell in pain. His body and head were beginning to lengthen as his hands turned to clawed paws. His shoulders hunched, ripping the clothes off his back, and his feet grew out of his shoes. He then let out a terrible howl and yellow eyes glared towards the dog. James and Sirius couldn't believe their eyes.

'Merlin …' breathed James. 'Remus is a werewolf.'

Tala got to her paws and watched Remus anxiously as he shouted out and began to shake. She'd never seen him transform before. As she watched, she stood her ground but when the fully-grown werewolf stood in front of her, for the first time she felt fear of her brother. Tala slowly backed away only to be slashed over the face by one of its clawed paws.

James and Sirius saw the dog back away before receiving a swipe around the face. As the werewolf reared and snarled at it again then lunged forwards at the dog. The two were locked together, scratching and biting each other. James and Sirius just watched as their friend, the kind natured Remus Lupin, threw the weaker animal around the room mercilessly. The dog was batted against the wall again and again; in a matter of minutes there were cuts over its legs, face and body, blood leaking from them. However, it didn't give up and it growled and fought back. Determined as ever Tala continued to fight her brother, knowing it wasn't him doing this but the werewolf.

It wasn't until three in the morning that the fighting stopped. James and Sirius had taken turns on keeping an eye on Remus and the dog. Right now, James was on watch. The moon had finally waned and the werewolf transformed back into Remus. He was covered in scratches and stood shakily on his feet. He seemed to glance around at the destruction before finally collapsing down on the mattress of the bed which had been pulled half on to the floor. James sighed, feeling both annoyance at Remus for not telling them but all sympathy for him having to put up with it alone. In the corner James saw the dog lying on the ground, panting. It was in a bad state from the fight.

Tala was exhausted from the fight. Her entire body was in pain and she had a bad scratch crossing over her face. She lay on the floor panting from exhaustion. The light began to fade in the room as the moon waned. Tala looked up to see her brother was back to normal. She watched as he changed back and collapse on the ground. Tala let out a short moan of sorrow before getting to her paws and padding softly over to him. She lay down beside him and lifted his arm to put her head under it, gently licking his cheek in comfort. After a few minutes, Tala fell asleep beside him.

With both Remus and the dog asleep, James slid down the side of the wardrobe next to Sirius. He had been asleep for the last hour or so. With a last glance at his friend, James shut his eyes and he too fell asleep.

James was woken the next morning in the wardrobe by the sun coming up in the distance. It was pouring through the curtain-less window on to where Remus and the dog lay asleep on the mattress. James shook Sirius awake and pointed out of the door.

'Do you think we should wake him?' Sirius asked quietly.

'Yeah, then we can tell him we know,' replied James. He was about to get out the wardrobe when Sirius held him back.

'Are you sure that's wise?' he asked. 'I mean, Remus is a werewolf. You saw what he did to the dog.'

'We're his friends,' said James. He glanced back at Remus. 'He needs us. No one else would accept him if they knew.'

'But still …'

'Sirius, are you Remus's friend or not?' asked James straight out.

'Of course, I am,' said Sirius. 'But he lied to us –'

'And for good reason,' said James. 'If you were in his shoes, would you have told me that you were a werewolf?' Sirius remained silent as he thought it through, then shook his head. 'Do you really blame him?'

'No.'

'So are you going to help him?'

Another moment, then Sirius replied, 'Of course.'

James got out of the wardrobe. Sirius followed. They walked across the floor and stood over Remus. James bent down and gently shook Remus's shoulder to wake him. However, it wasn't him who stirred. Tala felt James move Remus and opened her eyes. Her instinct to protect Remus kicked in and she jumped to her feet. James and Sirius backed away slightly as the dog leapt up, standing protectively over Remus. Its hackles were raised as it growled at them. It was that that woke him. Remus opened his eyes to see his sister growling at something before he saw what at.

'James,' gasped Remus nervously. He shifted back from them on the floor. 'Sirius. What are you doing here?'

'We're here for you, mate,' said James cheerfully. He bent down and placed his hand on Remus's shoulder. He instantly pulled it away again when Tala growled at him. 'Bit messed up, aren't you?'

'How come you didn't tell us you were a werewolf?' asked Sirius. Remus swallowed. Tala growl again. 'You didn't think we'd ditch you, did you?'

Remus swallowed and nodded, ashamed of himself.

'I thought you wouldn't want to be my friends anymore,' he said. Remus glanced down at Tala and stroked her ear. 'Only my sister understood having suffered prejudice herself.'

'Tala?' said James.

Tala cleared her mind and transformed back to her human form. James and Sirius's eyes widened when they saw the dog transform to reveal Remus's younger sister. She had scratches all over her.

'Yeah me, I'm an Animagus,' she said defensively. Tala glared at James and Sirius, daring either of them to say something about it. 'One that can change into anything. I was always a freak to those who were around me.'

'You're not a freak,' said Remus sternly. He turned to her and looked up and down her. 'Look what I've done to you,' he mumbled. 'I'm so sorry. I don't care what you say. You're never to do that again.'

'Remus, you need people to help you,' said Tala. 'I can help you.'

'And we'll help you,' said James, putting his arm round Remus's shoulders. 'Somehow, someway, we'll help you, right, Sirius?'

'Right,' agreed Sirius with a nod of finality.

AN: hope you enjoyed the chapter and leave a review. cheers. BlAcKdAuGhTeR