The Ties That Bind
Chapter Ten: Werewolves and Willows
January 2, 1972
The day everyone returned to Hogwarts was bright and sunny. As the train sped towards the school, the train was full of chattering and excitement. Everyone was talking about the holidays and everything that had happened. Remus and Peter caught up, though Remus didn't mention what he had heard at Hogsmeade. James and Sirius managed to play a few pranks on Snape and his friends, including planting dungbombs in the Slytherins' trunks. That had brought quite a few laughs. Several of the compartments had serious topics of conversation, such as Alex and Frank, who knew about the attacks and were wondering the same thing as the Aurors. Was it really Voldemort behind the attacks? Or was it just random acts?
Dumbledore welcomed the students back with his usual vigor, and forbid anyone to go near the Whomping Willow. It seemed that over the holidays, Davey Gudgeon had nearly lost an eye, but luckily only came away with a broken arm and scratches. That, of course, didn't stop Sirius and James from plotting a plan to get near the tree.
That evening, Sirius slept for the most part peacefully. Except for one dream in which he saw a woman with a black veil walking towards him, whispering, Sirius, and reaching for him. It had made him jerk awake, breathing hard, sweating. It took a long while before he finally was able to sleep again.
January 3, 1972
After a day of classes, James and Sirius were ready to be back on break. It seemed the professor's had all ganged up on them, giving out piles and piles of homework. Though many people were in the library or their common rooms, working hard at getting everything done, James and Sirius were outside, throwing snowballs at each other.
Lily sat in a corner of the library, sifting through dusty old books to get information for her essays in Charms, Transfiguration, and Potions. It had been good that she had read ahead over the holidays because she didn't have that looming over her head. But writing essays had never been her strong suit, though it was still better than many people.
She sighed, resting her chin on her hand, her elbow on the table. The Potions essay was giving her trouble, to say the least, as it wasn't her top subject. Who cares about asphodel, monkshood or porcupines, she thought.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Andromeda sitting at a table, busy at writing something. Probably her essays, Lily thought. Andromeda is one of the top students in Potions. Maybe I can ask her for help. She didn't really seem that bad before...we just struck a nerve or something. Lily stood and walked over to Andromeda.
"Hi, Andromeda?" Lily said quietly.
Andromeda looked up, but there wasn't a smile on her face. She looked ready to defend herself.
"I just wanted to say sorry about everything before. Remus and I didn't mean to make you mad."
"It's alright." Andromeda looked back down at her parchment and continued to write.
"Well, I was wondering, since you're so good at Potions, maybe you can help me with my essay?" Lily mentally crossed her fingers, hoping Andromeda would agree.
"Why don't you ask Snape? He's the best."
"Snape wouldn't take one look at me. I'm the type he looks down upon."
"That's true enough." Andromeda was silent for a while, not looking up and Lily moved to leave when Andromeda spoke. "Have a seat. I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks!" Lily smiled, taking a seat next to Andromeda.
"You're welcome," Andromeda said, smiling a little back. "Now let's see what you have." Lily laid out her parchment and the two girls began working.
January 10, 1972
After dinner, James and Sirius snuck outside towards the Forbidden Forest, hidden beneath the Invisibility cloak. As they walked across the grounds, they heard footsteps and froze.
"Who is that?" Sirius whispered and they squinted to see who the two figures were.
"Looks like...Lupin and...Madam Pomfrey." James looked confused. "What are they doing?"
"Let's take a closer look." They crept closer until they were close enough to see the two clearly.
"They're going to the Whomping Willow!" James whispered.
"They'll be smashed for sure!"
But, much to their shock and surprise, they watched as the branches froze. Their eyes went wide as they watched Remus slip into the trunk, disappearing from sight. As Madam Pomfrey walked away, James and Sirius moved quickly to see where Remus had gone, but the trunk was normal again.
And so was the willow. "Ow!" Sirius hissed as a branch smacked him upside the head. The two ran into the shadows, the invisibility cloak nearly flying off. Once they were hidden within the edges of the forest, James took off the cloak, looking at Sirius.
"What was he doing?" James asked.
Sirius was still rubbing his head where the willow branch had hit him. "Like I know. Don't you think it's weird that Lupin always makes excuses around these times of the month?"
"You actually pay attention?" James arched an eyebrow.
Sirius shrugged. "He's in our house. It's sort of obvious when he disappears for a few days. And he's always looking like he's going to fall over, looking all sick and that."
"You think something's up with that?"
"I think it's something to check out. It's just odd, that's all."
"You want to confront him?"
But Sirius didn't have a chance to answer as they heard the same bone- chilling cry that they had heard the previous month. "That's a werewolf," Sirius whispered. "I'm sure of it."
"How do you know?"
"I was in this forest with my dad once and I remember that cry. He told me it was a werewolf."
"Then I'm not sticking around to find out."
Sirius nodded. "Me neither. Let's go." They slid under the cloak and ran back to the castle.
January 11, 1972
"Check this out," Sirius motioned for James to come over. They were in their dorm room, working on their homework. No one came up around that time of day, so that was when they did their homework.
James walked over to Sirius' bed. "What?"
Sirius set the book down he was reading and pointed to a paragraph. "Read this."
Werewolf – XXXXX
The classification refers to the werewolf in its transformed state. When there is no full
moon, the werewolf is harmless as any other human. The werewolf is found worldwide, though it is
believed to have originated in northern Europe. Humans turn into werewolves only when bitten.
There is no known cure. Once a month, at the full moon, the otherwise sane and normal wizard or
Muggle afflicted transforms into a murderous beast. Almost uniquely among fantastic creatures, the
werewolf actively seeks humans in preference to any other kind of prey.
"You don't think –" James began.
"I do." Sirius looked at him. "It makes sense, doesn't it? He always disappears at the full moon, making excuses about his mother or that he's sick. And we saw him last night! Something's up with that Whomping Willow. Didn't Dumbledore say that it was planted just last year? Don't you think that odd that it's the same time that Lupin came?"
James sat back, thinking. "It is." He ran a hand through his hair, which only ended up in making it messier. "Maybe coincidence. Maybe not. Let's wait until next month, and on the night of the full moon, we'll check it out. Then we'll know for sure."
"Okay." Sirius closed the book.
"Then you'll know what?" Leon asked, walking into the room.
James and Sirius looked up at him. "We think Snape messed with our potion, so we're just going to check some stuff," Sirius said. Which is true too, Sirius thought.
"Oh, okay." Leon took a seat on the bed next to them. "Working on homework?" He grinned.
"Us? Homework? Never!" James said innocently and then laughed.
Sirius and Leon laughed as well. "Of course not," Leon said, smiling and throwing a pillow at James.
"It's on now!" James laughed, throwing the pillow back at Leon, which ended up with the three of them in a huge pillow fight.
January 22, 1972
It was about midnight when Lily made it half way through her pile of books. She was sitting in the library, reading ahead in all her subjects. Taking a small break, she leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms over her head, accidentally knocking a few books off the bookshelf behind her. Darn it, she thought, hearing the clatter. Turning around, she reached down, picking them up, but one caught her attention. It was called Nocturnal Beasts and it had a picture of a dark forest on the front, with glowing eyes between the trees. Creepy, she thought, but flipped open the book.
"Werewolves and vampires are among many nocturnal beasts. Among these nocturnal beasts are creatures such as lethifolds, which are among the most dangerous of magical beasts. However, many of these creatures are harmless as well, but one always has to take caution when delving into the dark."
She looked up, biting her lip thoughtfully. Werewolves... She flipped the book open to the chapter on werewolves, skimming over the paragraphs. "The full moon...bouts of sickness around that time...malicious creatures with no human consciousness..." She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Could Remus..."
The clock struck midnight and made Lily jump, startled. She took a few deep breaths, calming her racing heart down. "It's getting too late, I'm making too much of things," she muttered, putting the book back on the shelf and gathering her school things. She left with many questions running through her mind.
February 8, 1972
"Welcome to another Dueling Meeting," Professor Moody said as he stood in front of the crowd of students. "Today I'm going to pair you off and have you practice simple spells on each other. Nothing nasty for I will be watching. Those of you that know more advanced spells will meet tomorrow night. Though I encourage you to practice these basics tonight for everyone should have a solid knowledge and skill of them. So, enough chatter, let's get you grouped off."
Moody began walking around, pairing off the students. James and Sirius were against each other, but Leon was paired off with Evan.
"I have a nice curse just for you, Bones," Evan hissed.
"Shove it, Rosier," Leon retorted.
"Now, wands at the ready," Moody instructed as the students faced each other in a long line.
Sirius and James grinned at each other. "You get the ears this time," Sirius said.
"Then you get the tail," James laughed.
"I can deal with that."
"And say your spells," Moody said, standing back and observing as the students began firing spells at each other.
"I'd watch my step if I were you," Evan said coldly.
"Is that a threat?" Leon asked. "Locomotor Mortis!"
"Exume!" Evan yelled, the curse throwing Leon onto his back. "Finite Incantantum." Evan stood just as Leon's next curse hit him in the chest, knocking him backwards. Evan glared, rubbing his arm. "You'll pay for that. "Nequeo Respiro!"
Leon's wand fell to the floor as he grabbed his throat. It felt like something had been clamped over it for he was unable to draw breath. Merlin! I can't breathe! he thought, trying to figure out what to do, but his lungs felt like they were on fire. He saw Evan smirking as he passed out.
James, however, saw Leon collapse and ran over to him. "Leon!"
Peter saw this too and since he was right next to the pair, he pointed his wand at Leon. "Finite Incantantum!" Peter went to go to Leon's side but James shoved past him, kneeling down next to Leon.
"Leon, wake up!" James cried. Sirius was over there by now, sitting Leon up and trying to get him to wake up.
"Aquatis!" Sirius said and water sprayed from the end of his wand, hitting Leon in his face.
Leon blinked, his vision coming slowly back into focus. He took a few deep breaths and looked up at Sirius. "Rosier...curse," he gasped, still trying to fill his lungs with air. It felt so good to be able to breathe.
"Rosier," James spat, glaring at Evan, pointing his wand at Evan. "You'll pay for that."
"Enough, enough," Moody said, walking over and pulling the two boys apart. "Mr. Potter, I'd advise you not to do anything irrational. Mr. Rosier, you will be coming with me." Moody looked down at Sirius and Leon. "Are you alright?"
Leon nodded. "Better...thanks." Sirius helped him to his feet, letting Leon lean on him.
Moody turned to the rest of the students. "The meeting is over for now. Come back next week and be practicing your charms and curses." As the students left, Moody turned back to the group on hand. "Take Mr. Bones to the hospital wing, Mr. Black. Let Madam Pomfrey have a look at him to make sure he's alright."
Sirius nodded, leading Leon out. James followed with one last glare back at Evan.
Moody looked down at Evan, who was glaring after the Gryffindors. "Mr. Rosier." Evan looked up at Moody. "That's slightly advanced magic to be used during practice. And the sort you're not supposed to be using, if you understand me." Moody's gaze narrowed. "Detention every night of this month and if I see this happening again, you will face expulsion, understood?"
"Yes, Professor," Evan said, his face not revealing anything.
"Come back here at ten tonight," Moody instructed.
"Yes, Professor."
"You may go." Evan all but ran out and Moody sighed, turning to clean up the room with a flick of his wand.
That night in the first-year's boys dormitory, Leon walked over to where Peter was getting ready for bed. "Thank you, Peter," Leon said, smiling. "You saved my life."
"What?" Peter looked at him startled.
"At dueling today."
"Oh, you're welcome. I just – I saw you needed help –"
"Thanks."
Peter smiled, watching as Leon walked over to where James and Sirius were talking. He watched as Leon nudged James. When James stood, walking towards Peter, Peter swallowed. Don't let him curse me or something... Peter thought.
"Thanks," James said gruffly, as if it were hard to say thanks. James turned to walk away but stopped and looked back at Peter. "Maybe you're not so bad after all."
Peter looked at him confused, watching as James walked back over to his friends, sitting down and talking with them. He glanced at Remus, who was sound asleep in his bed, and then back at James. James Potter just said...thanks...I think I'm dreaming. Peter shook the thoughts from his head, finishing changing into his pajamas and crawled into bed, falling fast sleep.
A group of Slytherins sat in a corner of their common room, talking.
"So, it's true then," Christina said, looking at Evan. "You nearly knocked off Bones?"
Evan smirked. "Thanks to Severus teaching me that spell."
"You really do know a lot!" Tom commented, looking at Severus, who was sitting back in a chair, his arms crossed over his chest.
"You could say that," Severus smirked.
"Potter and Black always manage to mess things up, though," Evan grumbled.
"We'll get them eventually," Severus said. "We just have to be patient."
February 17, 1972
Peter was hurrying towards Transfiguration, wanting to get there early to ask Professor McGonagall for an extension on their essay. Remus had been sick the past few days and Peter hadn't been able to get help on his homework.
He ran into someone, apologizing quickly and went to run again when a hand grabbed his robe, pulling him back. He found himself face to face with Snape. "Watch it," Snape said coldly.
"S-sorry!" Peter stammered.
"Look at that, Severus caught the little mouse," one of the Slytherins laughed.
"Look at him squirm!" one of the older Slytherins smirked.
"Let me go, Snape," Peter said, struggling to get away from Severus.
"You heard him, Snivellus," a cold voice said and Peter looked over to see James standing there, his wand pointed at Snape. Sirius and Leon stood behind him. "Let him go."
"Or what?" Snape retorted.
"Remember what happened on the train? I'll do it again in a heartbeat," James threatened.
Severus did remember the incident on the train, where James had made him look and act like a dog. It had been one of the most embarrassing moments of his life. "I'll get you one day, Potter," Severus spat, dropping Peter. The group of Slytherins glared at the Gryffindors before walking down the hall.
"Are you alright?" Leon asked, helping Peter to his feet.
"Yes, thanks," Peter said, brushing off his robes. He picked up his bag. "Thanks," he said to James. James glanced at him, nodded slightly and then motioned for Sirius to follow him. Peter watched the two walk away and then looked at Leon. "I didn't expect that," Peter said simply.
Leon smiled. "James can surprise you like that. Well, we'd better get to class. McGonagall will toss a fit if we're late. Come on." They headed to class.
March 2, 1972
The day of Remus' birthday, Lily and Peter had planned a surprise party in the common room for Remus and she hoped he would enjoy it.
Later that night, Remus came back to the common room and went up stairs to deposit his books. Changing into something more comfortable, he headed back downstairs. He was surprised to find it was dark. Suddenly it was bright and a loud "SURPRISE!" followed. He blinked, shocked, staring at the Gryffindors standing beneath a banner that read Happy Birthday Remus! Lily walked forward, grinning.
"Happy birthday Remus!" She hugged him lightly and handed him a small present.
One by one everyone came up to him, shaking his hand or giving him a hug, and handing him presents. He didn't know what to say, but managed to whisper "thanks" to everyone.
"Can we eat the cake now?!" someone yelled and they all laughed.
A few hours later, after most had gone up to bed, Lily walked over to where Remus was sitting amongst his pile of presents. "Here, I'll help," Lily said, smiling and pulling out her wand. "Wingardium leviosa." And with a swish and flick of her wand, the pile of presents levitated. "Now we can get them to your room."
"Thanks," Remus said, smiling. She looked at him for a few moments, just thinking. He's such a good person. He really does try, I don't see why some people give him such a hard time, Lily thought. "What?"
Lily blinked, not realizing she had been staring at Remus. "Oh, nothing, sorry, got lost in thought."
Remus laughed. "I do that. Too much I think."
"Not as much as James and Sirius. Honestly, I don't see how they get top grades with the way they're always messing around."
"Who knows." Remus smiled.
"Shall we?" Lily asked, motioning to the levitated presents.
"Right." Remus nodded and they headed up to his dormitory. James and Sirius were gone and Leon and Peter were asleep.
"Where do you want these?" she whispered.
"Over there," Remus whispered back and Lily levitated the presents over by his wardrobe.
"Okay, I'm going to get to bed. I'll see you tomorrow." Lily hugged Remus lightly. "Happy birthday." She smiled.
"Thank you, Lily, for everything," Remus smiled.
"Anything for a friend." Lily waved and left.
Remus watched her go and then changed into pajamas and crawled into bed. He fell asleep with a smile on his face, the happiest he had been in a long time.
March 12, 1972
Months passed and no attacks were made. The wizarding world was quiet once more and even James and Sirius had pushed what had happened over the holidays to the back of their minds. People slipped back into their daily routines and the Daily Prophet went back to giving its news coverage and what was new that day. They began to grow confident, and sometimes, a little too much confidence can be a bad thing.
"Ouch! Sirius, that's my foot!" James whispered.
"Sorry, it's a bit cramped," Sirius retorted. James, Sirius, and Leon were all beneath the invisibility cloak, sneaking into Hogsmeade, trailing behind the batch of students that were walking there.
"Sorry," Leon apologized as he bumped Sirius.
They managed to walk to The Three Broomsticks without too much hassle, slipping inside and going towards the back. They knew that they weren't technically supposed to be going to Hogsmeade with the other students, but as it was James and Sirius, that didn't stop them. Nor did it stop them from convincing Leon to accompany them.
Spotting an empty booth, they made their way towards it, sidestepping feet and people. But then something stopped them in their tracks. In the booth a few over from the one that they were heading to, were six wizards, dressed in black robes. They were talking in undertones, their faces hidden by their hoods.
"Strange, don't you think?" Leon whispered. James and Sirius nodded.
"Let's get closer," James whispered and the trio snuck closer to the wizards, just within hearing range.
"What are we waiting for?" one of the wizards said, still in undertones.
"I told you, Nott. If you'd just listen," one of them snapped. "We're waiting for His command. He said we'd know when it's time."
James, Sirius, and Leon looked at each other, confused, but their stomachs were twisting. They turned their attention back to the conversation.
"Well, we've been waiting for nearly an hour, and still nothing," Nott said.
"I'm still wondering myself why he wants us to attack Hogsmeade," another said. "He had us torture those Muggles, but I figured we'd still be doing little things."
"I knew something was up!" James whispered. "My dad was just hiding it from us."
"I thought you'd be happy that we're moving on to bigger things," one of them sneered.
"Of course I am," the one retorted. "I'm just saying it's a bit soon."
"I agree with Macnair. I would think He would want to take his time and let us strike terror with small things first."
"Are you questioning His orders?" Nott hissed.
"Of course not. I'm just stating –"
"Well don't."
James, Sirius, and Leon slipped back, into their booth. Looking around first to make sure no one was looking towards them, they removed the cloak. "Okay, that's definitely not good," Sirius said quietly.
"Captain Obvious, aren't we," James said. "I know them."
"We all do," Leon said. "Question is, what are they planning?"
"Wasn't it obvious? They're talking about Voldemort!" James whispered.
"Are you sure?" Sirius looked at him.
"Think about what they were talking about. About Him. Their going to attack Hogsmeade and right now we're the only three that know about it!" James said.
"So what are we going to do?" Sirius asked. "I seriously doubt any of the professors will believe us."
"Then we'll have to prove it."
"How?" Leon asked.
"With these." James pulled out his mirror and Sirius' eyes widened.
"Oh, right!" Sirius said, pulling out his mirror.
"Mirrors?" Leon asked, confused.
"These mirrors let us talk to each other, no matter where we are," James explained. "One of us has to stay here, while the other two go to Hogwarts to warn Dumbledore."
"I'll stay," Sirius said.
"You sure, mate?" Leon asked. "I'll stay, really."
"No, it's fine," Sirius said. "Go with James."
"I've got to warn my dad," James said, looking at them. "He's Head Auror; he's bound to be able to get Aurors here quickly."
"Then do that," Sirius pushed them lightly out of the booth. "Leon can warn Dumbledore while you Floo your dad. I'll have the mirror here so that you have proof."
"Be careful, Sirius," James said, looking at him.
"I will. Don't worry about me." Sirius flashed them a confident grin as they slipped beneath the cloak, disappearing from sight. Sirius slunk down in the booth, keeping the mirror hidden and grabbed a nearby newspaper, pretending to read it.
Meanwhile, James and Leon were running towards the castle. "I really don't ...like leaving him alone," James huffed as they ran.
"He's got ... the mirror so we'll know ...he's alright," Leon assured him. "And besides ...there's plenty of ... witches and wizards in there. Nothing will ...happen."
Once they were inside the castle, James stuffed his cloak into his trouser pocket. They paused to catch their breath. "Okay, I'm going to Floo my dad. You go get Dumbledore."
"James! Help!" a voice cried and they looked around, not seeing anyone. Then James pulled out his mirror and it was Sirius. His eyes were wide.
"Sirius! What's wrong? What's happening?" James asked.
They saw a flash of a face and the mirror went blank. James and Leon looked at each other. "They've got him! Bloody hell," James cursed, shoving the mirror into his belt. "Come on!" James began running but Leon grabbed his arm, stopping him.
"Where are you going?"
"To get Sirius!"
"James, we can't. If those wizards already have him, there's no point in us getting caught too!"
"I'm not just going to sit here while my best friend gets taken away!"
"We'll get your dad and Dumbledore. They'll be able to get Sirius."
"But we don't even know where they took him!" I can't lose Sirius! James thought, fighting to calm down.
Leon took the mirror out of James' belt and looked at it. "Sirius?"
"Your friend is incapable of speaking at the moment," a cold voice said, but the mirror showed only black.
"Where did you take him?" James asked venomently.
"It's not something you need to worry about," the voice said. "Just know your little plot failed at attempting to warn anyone. Seems your messenger boy was caught." The black shifted slightly and they caught glimpse of boarded up windows. Then the mirror went blank.
"Boarded windows, where's that?" Leon asked. "Think!"
"I'm trying!" James closed his eyes, thinking hard. His eyes flew open. "The Shrieking Shack!"
"That haunted place in Hogsmeade?"
"Yes! It has boarded up windows, and I don't think they would take Sirius that far...especially if they're going to attack Hogsmeade."
"So we'll get your dad and Dumbledore and they'll get Sirius."
"But it might be too late!"
"We'll have to risk that. Let's go!" Leon ran down the corridor, James following quickly behind.
Remus watched as the two boys disappeared around a corner. An attack! Just like the one those Aurors were talking about...I've got to get Sirius, before anything horrible happens. James and Leon won't make it in time and I know how to get to the shack quickly!
Remus dropped his bag of books, pulled out his wand and ran out of the castle, heading towards the Whomping Willow. Having done this with Madam Pomfrey many times, he quickly opened the passageway and slipped inside.
Running through the dark corridor, he just hoped he wasn't too late. When he reached the trapdoor, he listened for footsteps, but didn't hear anything. Climbing up into the shack, he looked up the stairs, hearing voices.
"He's coming!" one voice said.
"Good. It's about time," another said.
"I told you He would tell us when it's time. And that's right now."
"So what do we do with the kid?"
"He might like to have a word with him." Several cold laughs could be heard.
"Where did you put him?"
"In the room downstairs. Sanderlin is with him. He'll keep the kid in line."
Remus didn't waste another moment, sneaking down the hall. It was beginning to get dark outside but Remus could still see quite well. Suddenly, his stomach twisted. Bloody hell! he thought. I was so caught up in doing this that I forgot! The full moon! His hands were already beginning to shake as he tried to stop the transformation. His wand fell to the floor as he shoved the door open. Thankfully, he hadn't changed appearance yet, but his strength was there as he back handed the wizard that was guarding Sirius. The wizard fell to the floor, unconscious.
Through a red haze, Remus saw Sirius sitting in a corner, bound hand and foot. Remus was beginning to lose control but he managed to untie Sirius. "Get out of here!" Remus yelled, shoving Sirius towards the door.
"Lupin?" he heard Sirius asked, confused.
"Just go!" Remus yelled. "Down that hole in the floor. GO!"
Sirius ran, falling more or less down the hole and sprinted through the darkness.
The wizards in the upper room looked at each other as they heard the yelling. One of them ran down the stairs and saw something with glowing red eyes in the darkness. "Bloody hell!" the man yelled, slapping Sanderlin hard. Sanderlin looked around groggily but when he saw the eyes, he scrambled backwards. The terrified wizards managed to Disapparate just as the creature leapt at them.
As Sirius stumbled up out of the passageway, he looked up in shock at the Whomping Willow. So that's a passageway...A bone-chilling howl cut through the night air, making Sirius sprint towards the castle, just as Dumbledore, James, Leon, and several other professors were coming out.
"Sirius!" James cried, running towards Sirius and grabbing his arms. "What happened?"
"Lupin..." Sirius gasped. "Shack...dark wizards..." He fell to his knees, too weak to do much else.
"Sirius!" Leon yelled as Sirius collapsed. He and James managed to pull Sirius to his feet, holding him between them.
"Take Sirius to the hospital wing," Dumbledore instructed. James and Leon nodded, hauling Sirius away. Dumbledore turned to McGonagall, Sharaff, and Moody. "These three were quite fortunate. I'm afraid we need to suspend all Hogsmeade visits until we know that it's safe."
"That makes sense," Sharaff said. "But why didn't the boys get one of the professors that were in Hogsmeade?"
"Probably didn't think of it," Moody commented as the adults walked back inside.
"They shouldn't have been in Hogsmeade in the first place," McGonagall said.
"But, had they not been, things could have been much worse," Dumbledore said, pausing and looking at them. "I will talk to them after Mr. Black is taken care of."
"How did they even get to Hogsmeade?" Sharaff asked. "Mr. Filch always checks everyone before they go."
"That will be determined later," Dumbledore said. "But for now, let us retire. Thank you for your assistance."
They separated and Dumbledore headed towards the hospital wing.
Chapter Ten: Werewolves and Willows
January 2, 1972
The day everyone returned to Hogwarts was bright and sunny. As the train sped towards the school, the train was full of chattering and excitement. Everyone was talking about the holidays and everything that had happened. Remus and Peter caught up, though Remus didn't mention what he had heard at Hogsmeade. James and Sirius managed to play a few pranks on Snape and his friends, including planting dungbombs in the Slytherins' trunks. That had brought quite a few laughs. Several of the compartments had serious topics of conversation, such as Alex and Frank, who knew about the attacks and were wondering the same thing as the Aurors. Was it really Voldemort behind the attacks? Or was it just random acts?
Dumbledore welcomed the students back with his usual vigor, and forbid anyone to go near the Whomping Willow. It seemed that over the holidays, Davey Gudgeon had nearly lost an eye, but luckily only came away with a broken arm and scratches. That, of course, didn't stop Sirius and James from plotting a plan to get near the tree.
That evening, Sirius slept for the most part peacefully. Except for one dream in which he saw a woman with a black veil walking towards him, whispering, Sirius, and reaching for him. It had made him jerk awake, breathing hard, sweating. It took a long while before he finally was able to sleep again.
January 3, 1972
After a day of classes, James and Sirius were ready to be back on break. It seemed the professor's had all ganged up on them, giving out piles and piles of homework. Though many people were in the library or their common rooms, working hard at getting everything done, James and Sirius were outside, throwing snowballs at each other.
Lily sat in a corner of the library, sifting through dusty old books to get information for her essays in Charms, Transfiguration, and Potions. It had been good that she had read ahead over the holidays because she didn't have that looming over her head. But writing essays had never been her strong suit, though it was still better than many people.
She sighed, resting her chin on her hand, her elbow on the table. The Potions essay was giving her trouble, to say the least, as it wasn't her top subject. Who cares about asphodel, monkshood or porcupines, she thought.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Andromeda sitting at a table, busy at writing something. Probably her essays, Lily thought. Andromeda is one of the top students in Potions. Maybe I can ask her for help. She didn't really seem that bad before...we just struck a nerve or something. Lily stood and walked over to Andromeda.
"Hi, Andromeda?" Lily said quietly.
Andromeda looked up, but there wasn't a smile on her face. She looked ready to defend herself.
"I just wanted to say sorry about everything before. Remus and I didn't mean to make you mad."
"It's alright." Andromeda looked back down at her parchment and continued to write.
"Well, I was wondering, since you're so good at Potions, maybe you can help me with my essay?" Lily mentally crossed her fingers, hoping Andromeda would agree.
"Why don't you ask Snape? He's the best."
"Snape wouldn't take one look at me. I'm the type he looks down upon."
"That's true enough." Andromeda was silent for a while, not looking up and Lily moved to leave when Andromeda spoke. "Have a seat. I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks!" Lily smiled, taking a seat next to Andromeda.
"You're welcome," Andromeda said, smiling a little back. "Now let's see what you have." Lily laid out her parchment and the two girls began working.
January 10, 1972
After dinner, James and Sirius snuck outside towards the Forbidden Forest, hidden beneath the Invisibility cloak. As they walked across the grounds, they heard footsteps and froze.
"Who is that?" Sirius whispered and they squinted to see who the two figures were.
"Looks like...Lupin and...Madam Pomfrey." James looked confused. "What are they doing?"
"Let's take a closer look." They crept closer until they were close enough to see the two clearly.
"They're going to the Whomping Willow!" James whispered.
"They'll be smashed for sure!"
But, much to their shock and surprise, they watched as the branches froze. Their eyes went wide as they watched Remus slip into the trunk, disappearing from sight. As Madam Pomfrey walked away, James and Sirius moved quickly to see where Remus had gone, but the trunk was normal again.
And so was the willow. "Ow!" Sirius hissed as a branch smacked him upside the head. The two ran into the shadows, the invisibility cloak nearly flying off. Once they were hidden within the edges of the forest, James took off the cloak, looking at Sirius.
"What was he doing?" James asked.
Sirius was still rubbing his head where the willow branch had hit him. "Like I know. Don't you think it's weird that Lupin always makes excuses around these times of the month?"
"You actually pay attention?" James arched an eyebrow.
Sirius shrugged. "He's in our house. It's sort of obvious when he disappears for a few days. And he's always looking like he's going to fall over, looking all sick and that."
"You think something's up with that?"
"I think it's something to check out. It's just odd, that's all."
"You want to confront him?"
But Sirius didn't have a chance to answer as they heard the same bone- chilling cry that they had heard the previous month. "That's a werewolf," Sirius whispered. "I'm sure of it."
"How do you know?"
"I was in this forest with my dad once and I remember that cry. He told me it was a werewolf."
"Then I'm not sticking around to find out."
Sirius nodded. "Me neither. Let's go." They slid under the cloak and ran back to the castle.
January 11, 1972
"Check this out," Sirius motioned for James to come over. They were in their dorm room, working on their homework. No one came up around that time of day, so that was when they did their homework.
James walked over to Sirius' bed. "What?"
Sirius set the book down he was reading and pointed to a paragraph. "Read this."
Werewolf – XXXXX
The classification refers to the werewolf in its transformed state. When there is no full
moon, the werewolf is harmless as any other human. The werewolf is found worldwide, though it is
believed to have originated in northern Europe. Humans turn into werewolves only when bitten.
There is no known cure. Once a month, at the full moon, the otherwise sane and normal wizard or
Muggle afflicted transforms into a murderous beast. Almost uniquely among fantastic creatures, the
werewolf actively seeks humans in preference to any other kind of prey.
"You don't think –" James began.
"I do." Sirius looked at him. "It makes sense, doesn't it? He always disappears at the full moon, making excuses about his mother or that he's sick. And we saw him last night! Something's up with that Whomping Willow. Didn't Dumbledore say that it was planted just last year? Don't you think that odd that it's the same time that Lupin came?"
James sat back, thinking. "It is." He ran a hand through his hair, which only ended up in making it messier. "Maybe coincidence. Maybe not. Let's wait until next month, and on the night of the full moon, we'll check it out. Then we'll know for sure."
"Okay." Sirius closed the book.
"Then you'll know what?" Leon asked, walking into the room.
James and Sirius looked up at him. "We think Snape messed with our potion, so we're just going to check some stuff," Sirius said. Which is true too, Sirius thought.
"Oh, okay." Leon took a seat on the bed next to them. "Working on homework?" He grinned.
"Us? Homework? Never!" James said innocently and then laughed.
Sirius and Leon laughed as well. "Of course not," Leon said, smiling and throwing a pillow at James.
"It's on now!" James laughed, throwing the pillow back at Leon, which ended up with the three of them in a huge pillow fight.
January 22, 1972
It was about midnight when Lily made it half way through her pile of books. She was sitting in the library, reading ahead in all her subjects. Taking a small break, she leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms over her head, accidentally knocking a few books off the bookshelf behind her. Darn it, she thought, hearing the clatter. Turning around, she reached down, picking them up, but one caught her attention. It was called Nocturnal Beasts and it had a picture of a dark forest on the front, with glowing eyes between the trees. Creepy, she thought, but flipped open the book.
"Werewolves and vampires are among many nocturnal beasts. Among these nocturnal beasts are creatures such as lethifolds, which are among the most dangerous of magical beasts. However, many of these creatures are harmless as well, but one always has to take caution when delving into the dark."
She looked up, biting her lip thoughtfully. Werewolves... She flipped the book open to the chapter on werewolves, skimming over the paragraphs. "The full moon...bouts of sickness around that time...malicious creatures with no human consciousness..." She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Could Remus..."
The clock struck midnight and made Lily jump, startled. She took a few deep breaths, calming her racing heart down. "It's getting too late, I'm making too much of things," she muttered, putting the book back on the shelf and gathering her school things. She left with many questions running through her mind.
February 8, 1972
"Welcome to another Dueling Meeting," Professor Moody said as he stood in front of the crowd of students. "Today I'm going to pair you off and have you practice simple spells on each other. Nothing nasty for I will be watching. Those of you that know more advanced spells will meet tomorrow night. Though I encourage you to practice these basics tonight for everyone should have a solid knowledge and skill of them. So, enough chatter, let's get you grouped off."
Moody began walking around, pairing off the students. James and Sirius were against each other, but Leon was paired off with Evan.
"I have a nice curse just for you, Bones," Evan hissed.
"Shove it, Rosier," Leon retorted.
"Now, wands at the ready," Moody instructed as the students faced each other in a long line.
Sirius and James grinned at each other. "You get the ears this time," Sirius said.
"Then you get the tail," James laughed.
"I can deal with that."
"And say your spells," Moody said, standing back and observing as the students began firing spells at each other.
"I'd watch my step if I were you," Evan said coldly.
"Is that a threat?" Leon asked. "Locomotor Mortis!"
"Exume!" Evan yelled, the curse throwing Leon onto his back. "Finite Incantantum." Evan stood just as Leon's next curse hit him in the chest, knocking him backwards. Evan glared, rubbing his arm. "You'll pay for that. "Nequeo Respiro!"
Leon's wand fell to the floor as he grabbed his throat. It felt like something had been clamped over it for he was unable to draw breath. Merlin! I can't breathe! he thought, trying to figure out what to do, but his lungs felt like they were on fire. He saw Evan smirking as he passed out.
James, however, saw Leon collapse and ran over to him. "Leon!"
Peter saw this too and since he was right next to the pair, he pointed his wand at Leon. "Finite Incantantum!" Peter went to go to Leon's side but James shoved past him, kneeling down next to Leon.
"Leon, wake up!" James cried. Sirius was over there by now, sitting Leon up and trying to get him to wake up.
"Aquatis!" Sirius said and water sprayed from the end of his wand, hitting Leon in his face.
Leon blinked, his vision coming slowly back into focus. He took a few deep breaths and looked up at Sirius. "Rosier...curse," he gasped, still trying to fill his lungs with air. It felt so good to be able to breathe.
"Rosier," James spat, glaring at Evan, pointing his wand at Evan. "You'll pay for that."
"Enough, enough," Moody said, walking over and pulling the two boys apart. "Mr. Potter, I'd advise you not to do anything irrational. Mr. Rosier, you will be coming with me." Moody looked down at Sirius and Leon. "Are you alright?"
Leon nodded. "Better...thanks." Sirius helped him to his feet, letting Leon lean on him.
Moody turned to the rest of the students. "The meeting is over for now. Come back next week and be practicing your charms and curses." As the students left, Moody turned back to the group on hand. "Take Mr. Bones to the hospital wing, Mr. Black. Let Madam Pomfrey have a look at him to make sure he's alright."
Sirius nodded, leading Leon out. James followed with one last glare back at Evan.
Moody looked down at Evan, who was glaring after the Gryffindors. "Mr. Rosier." Evan looked up at Moody. "That's slightly advanced magic to be used during practice. And the sort you're not supposed to be using, if you understand me." Moody's gaze narrowed. "Detention every night of this month and if I see this happening again, you will face expulsion, understood?"
"Yes, Professor," Evan said, his face not revealing anything.
"Come back here at ten tonight," Moody instructed.
"Yes, Professor."
"You may go." Evan all but ran out and Moody sighed, turning to clean up the room with a flick of his wand.
That night in the first-year's boys dormitory, Leon walked over to where Peter was getting ready for bed. "Thank you, Peter," Leon said, smiling. "You saved my life."
"What?" Peter looked at him startled.
"At dueling today."
"Oh, you're welcome. I just – I saw you needed help –"
"Thanks."
Peter smiled, watching as Leon walked over to where James and Sirius were talking. He watched as Leon nudged James. When James stood, walking towards Peter, Peter swallowed. Don't let him curse me or something... Peter thought.
"Thanks," James said gruffly, as if it were hard to say thanks. James turned to walk away but stopped and looked back at Peter. "Maybe you're not so bad after all."
Peter looked at him confused, watching as James walked back over to his friends, sitting down and talking with them. He glanced at Remus, who was sound asleep in his bed, and then back at James. James Potter just said...thanks...I think I'm dreaming. Peter shook the thoughts from his head, finishing changing into his pajamas and crawled into bed, falling fast sleep.
A group of Slytherins sat in a corner of their common room, talking.
"So, it's true then," Christina said, looking at Evan. "You nearly knocked off Bones?"
Evan smirked. "Thanks to Severus teaching me that spell."
"You really do know a lot!" Tom commented, looking at Severus, who was sitting back in a chair, his arms crossed over his chest.
"You could say that," Severus smirked.
"Potter and Black always manage to mess things up, though," Evan grumbled.
"We'll get them eventually," Severus said. "We just have to be patient."
February 17, 1972
Peter was hurrying towards Transfiguration, wanting to get there early to ask Professor McGonagall for an extension on their essay. Remus had been sick the past few days and Peter hadn't been able to get help on his homework.
He ran into someone, apologizing quickly and went to run again when a hand grabbed his robe, pulling him back. He found himself face to face with Snape. "Watch it," Snape said coldly.
"S-sorry!" Peter stammered.
"Look at that, Severus caught the little mouse," one of the Slytherins laughed.
"Look at him squirm!" one of the older Slytherins smirked.
"Let me go, Snape," Peter said, struggling to get away from Severus.
"You heard him, Snivellus," a cold voice said and Peter looked over to see James standing there, his wand pointed at Snape. Sirius and Leon stood behind him. "Let him go."
"Or what?" Snape retorted.
"Remember what happened on the train? I'll do it again in a heartbeat," James threatened.
Severus did remember the incident on the train, where James had made him look and act like a dog. It had been one of the most embarrassing moments of his life. "I'll get you one day, Potter," Severus spat, dropping Peter. The group of Slytherins glared at the Gryffindors before walking down the hall.
"Are you alright?" Leon asked, helping Peter to his feet.
"Yes, thanks," Peter said, brushing off his robes. He picked up his bag. "Thanks," he said to James. James glanced at him, nodded slightly and then motioned for Sirius to follow him. Peter watched the two walk away and then looked at Leon. "I didn't expect that," Peter said simply.
Leon smiled. "James can surprise you like that. Well, we'd better get to class. McGonagall will toss a fit if we're late. Come on." They headed to class.
March 2, 1972
The day of Remus' birthday, Lily and Peter had planned a surprise party in the common room for Remus and she hoped he would enjoy it.
Later that night, Remus came back to the common room and went up stairs to deposit his books. Changing into something more comfortable, he headed back downstairs. He was surprised to find it was dark. Suddenly it was bright and a loud "SURPRISE!" followed. He blinked, shocked, staring at the Gryffindors standing beneath a banner that read Happy Birthday Remus! Lily walked forward, grinning.
"Happy birthday Remus!" She hugged him lightly and handed him a small present.
One by one everyone came up to him, shaking his hand or giving him a hug, and handing him presents. He didn't know what to say, but managed to whisper "thanks" to everyone.
"Can we eat the cake now?!" someone yelled and they all laughed.
A few hours later, after most had gone up to bed, Lily walked over to where Remus was sitting amongst his pile of presents. "Here, I'll help," Lily said, smiling and pulling out her wand. "Wingardium leviosa." And with a swish and flick of her wand, the pile of presents levitated. "Now we can get them to your room."
"Thanks," Remus said, smiling. She looked at him for a few moments, just thinking. He's such a good person. He really does try, I don't see why some people give him such a hard time, Lily thought. "What?"
Lily blinked, not realizing she had been staring at Remus. "Oh, nothing, sorry, got lost in thought."
Remus laughed. "I do that. Too much I think."
"Not as much as James and Sirius. Honestly, I don't see how they get top grades with the way they're always messing around."
"Who knows." Remus smiled.
"Shall we?" Lily asked, motioning to the levitated presents.
"Right." Remus nodded and they headed up to his dormitory. James and Sirius were gone and Leon and Peter were asleep.
"Where do you want these?" she whispered.
"Over there," Remus whispered back and Lily levitated the presents over by his wardrobe.
"Okay, I'm going to get to bed. I'll see you tomorrow." Lily hugged Remus lightly. "Happy birthday." She smiled.
"Thank you, Lily, for everything," Remus smiled.
"Anything for a friend." Lily waved and left.
Remus watched her go and then changed into pajamas and crawled into bed. He fell asleep with a smile on his face, the happiest he had been in a long time.
March 12, 1972
Months passed and no attacks were made. The wizarding world was quiet once more and even James and Sirius had pushed what had happened over the holidays to the back of their minds. People slipped back into their daily routines and the Daily Prophet went back to giving its news coverage and what was new that day. They began to grow confident, and sometimes, a little too much confidence can be a bad thing.
"Ouch! Sirius, that's my foot!" James whispered.
"Sorry, it's a bit cramped," Sirius retorted. James, Sirius, and Leon were all beneath the invisibility cloak, sneaking into Hogsmeade, trailing behind the batch of students that were walking there.
"Sorry," Leon apologized as he bumped Sirius.
They managed to walk to The Three Broomsticks without too much hassle, slipping inside and going towards the back. They knew that they weren't technically supposed to be going to Hogsmeade with the other students, but as it was James and Sirius, that didn't stop them. Nor did it stop them from convincing Leon to accompany them.
Spotting an empty booth, they made their way towards it, sidestepping feet and people. But then something stopped them in their tracks. In the booth a few over from the one that they were heading to, were six wizards, dressed in black robes. They were talking in undertones, their faces hidden by their hoods.
"Strange, don't you think?" Leon whispered. James and Sirius nodded.
"Let's get closer," James whispered and the trio snuck closer to the wizards, just within hearing range.
"What are we waiting for?" one of the wizards said, still in undertones.
"I told you, Nott. If you'd just listen," one of them snapped. "We're waiting for His command. He said we'd know when it's time."
James, Sirius, and Leon looked at each other, confused, but their stomachs were twisting. They turned their attention back to the conversation.
"Well, we've been waiting for nearly an hour, and still nothing," Nott said.
"I'm still wondering myself why he wants us to attack Hogsmeade," another said. "He had us torture those Muggles, but I figured we'd still be doing little things."
"I knew something was up!" James whispered. "My dad was just hiding it from us."
"I thought you'd be happy that we're moving on to bigger things," one of them sneered.
"Of course I am," the one retorted. "I'm just saying it's a bit soon."
"I agree with Macnair. I would think He would want to take his time and let us strike terror with small things first."
"Are you questioning His orders?" Nott hissed.
"Of course not. I'm just stating –"
"Well don't."
James, Sirius, and Leon slipped back, into their booth. Looking around first to make sure no one was looking towards them, they removed the cloak. "Okay, that's definitely not good," Sirius said quietly.
"Captain Obvious, aren't we," James said. "I know them."
"We all do," Leon said. "Question is, what are they planning?"
"Wasn't it obvious? They're talking about Voldemort!" James whispered.
"Are you sure?" Sirius looked at him.
"Think about what they were talking about. About Him. Their going to attack Hogsmeade and right now we're the only three that know about it!" James said.
"So what are we going to do?" Sirius asked. "I seriously doubt any of the professors will believe us."
"Then we'll have to prove it."
"How?" Leon asked.
"With these." James pulled out his mirror and Sirius' eyes widened.
"Oh, right!" Sirius said, pulling out his mirror.
"Mirrors?" Leon asked, confused.
"These mirrors let us talk to each other, no matter where we are," James explained. "One of us has to stay here, while the other two go to Hogwarts to warn Dumbledore."
"I'll stay," Sirius said.
"You sure, mate?" Leon asked. "I'll stay, really."
"No, it's fine," Sirius said. "Go with James."
"I've got to warn my dad," James said, looking at them. "He's Head Auror; he's bound to be able to get Aurors here quickly."
"Then do that," Sirius pushed them lightly out of the booth. "Leon can warn Dumbledore while you Floo your dad. I'll have the mirror here so that you have proof."
"Be careful, Sirius," James said, looking at him.
"I will. Don't worry about me." Sirius flashed them a confident grin as they slipped beneath the cloak, disappearing from sight. Sirius slunk down in the booth, keeping the mirror hidden and grabbed a nearby newspaper, pretending to read it.
Meanwhile, James and Leon were running towards the castle. "I really don't ...like leaving him alone," James huffed as they ran.
"He's got ... the mirror so we'll know ...he's alright," Leon assured him. "And besides ...there's plenty of ... witches and wizards in there. Nothing will ...happen."
Once they were inside the castle, James stuffed his cloak into his trouser pocket. They paused to catch their breath. "Okay, I'm going to Floo my dad. You go get Dumbledore."
"James! Help!" a voice cried and they looked around, not seeing anyone. Then James pulled out his mirror and it was Sirius. His eyes were wide.
"Sirius! What's wrong? What's happening?" James asked.
They saw a flash of a face and the mirror went blank. James and Leon looked at each other. "They've got him! Bloody hell," James cursed, shoving the mirror into his belt. "Come on!" James began running but Leon grabbed his arm, stopping him.
"Where are you going?"
"To get Sirius!"
"James, we can't. If those wizards already have him, there's no point in us getting caught too!"
"I'm not just going to sit here while my best friend gets taken away!"
"We'll get your dad and Dumbledore. They'll be able to get Sirius."
"But we don't even know where they took him!" I can't lose Sirius! James thought, fighting to calm down.
Leon took the mirror out of James' belt and looked at it. "Sirius?"
"Your friend is incapable of speaking at the moment," a cold voice said, but the mirror showed only black.
"Where did you take him?" James asked venomently.
"It's not something you need to worry about," the voice said. "Just know your little plot failed at attempting to warn anyone. Seems your messenger boy was caught." The black shifted slightly and they caught glimpse of boarded up windows. Then the mirror went blank.
"Boarded windows, where's that?" Leon asked. "Think!"
"I'm trying!" James closed his eyes, thinking hard. His eyes flew open. "The Shrieking Shack!"
"That haunted place in Hogsmeade?"
"Yes! It has boarded up windows, and I don't think they would take Sirius that far...especially if they're going to attack Hogsmeade."
"So we'll get your dad and Dumbledore and they'll get Sirius."
"But it might be too late!"
"We'll have to risk that. Let's go!" Leon ran down the corridor, James following quickly behind.
Remus watched as the two boys disappeared around a corner. An attack! Just like the one those Aurors were talking about...I've got to get Sirius, before anything horrible happens. James and Leon won't make it in time and I know how to get to the shack quickly!
Remus dropped his bag of books, pulled out his wand and ran out of the castle, heading towards the Whomping Willow. Having done this with Madam Pomfrey many times, he quickly opened the passageway and slipped inside.
Running through the dark corridor, he just hoped he wasn't too late. When he reached the trapdoor, he listened for footsteps, but didn't hear anything. Climbing up into the shack, he looked up the stairs, hearing voices.
"He's coming!" one voice said.
"Good. It's about time," another said.
"I told you He would tell us when it's time. And that's right now."
"So what do we do with the kid?"
"He might like to have a word with him." Several cold laughs could be heard.
"Where did you put him?"
"In the room downstairs. Sanderlin is with him. He'll keep the kid in line."
Remus didn't waste another moment, sneaking down the hall. It was beginning to get dark outside but Remus could still see quite well. Suddenly, his stomach twisted. Bloody hell! he thought. I was so caught up in doing this that I forgot! The full moon! His hands were already beginning to shake as he tried to stop the transformation. His wand fell to the floor as he shoved the door open. Thankfully, he hadn't changed appearance yet, but his strength was there as he back handed the wizard that was guarding Sirius. The wizard fell to the floor, unconscious.
Through a red haze, Remus saw Sirius sitting in a corner, bound hand and foot. Remus was beginning to lose control but he managed to untie Sirius. "Get out of here!" Remus yelled, shoving Sirius towards the door.
"Lupin?" he heard Sirius asked, confused.
"Just go!" Remus yelled. "Down that hole in the floor. GO!"
Sirius ran, falling more or less down the hole and sprinted through the darkness.
The wizards in the upper room looked at each other as they heard the yelling. One of them ran down the stairs and saw something with glowing red eyes in the darkness. "Bloody hell!" the man yelled, slapping Sanderlin hard. Sanderlin looked around groggily but when he saw the eyes, he scrambled backwards. The terrified wizards managed to Disapparate just as the creature leapt at them.
As Sirius stumbled up out of the passageway, he looked up in shock at the Whomping Willow. So that's a passageway...A bone-chilling howl cut through the night air, making Sirius sprint towards the castle, just as Dumbledore, James, Leon, and several other professors were coming out.
"Sirius!" James cried, running towards Sirius and grabbing his arms. "What happened?"
"Lupin..." Sirius gasped. "Shack...dark wizards..." He fell to his knees, too weak to do much else.
"Sirius!" Leon yelled as Sirius collapsed. He and James managed to pull Sirius to his feet, holding him between them.
"Take Sirius to the hospital wing," Dumbledore instructed. James and Leon nodded, hauling Sirius away. Dumbledore turned to McGonagall, Sharaff, and Moody. "These three were quite fortunate. I'm afraid we need to suspend all Hogsmeade visits until we know that it's safe."
"That makes sense," Sharaff said. "But why didn't the boys get one of the professors that were in Hogsmeade?"
"Probably didn't think of it," Moody commented as the adults walked back inside.
"They shouldn't have been in Hogsmeade in the first place," McGonagall said.
"But, had they not been, things could have been much worse," Dumbledore said, pausing and looking at them. "I will talk to them after Mr. Black is taken care of."
"How did they even get to Hogsmeade?" Sharaff asked. "Mr. Filch always checks everyone before they go."
"That will be determined later," Dumbledore said. "But for now, let us retire. Thank you for your assistance."
They separated and Dumbledore headed towards the hospital wing.