(10) Plus One Makes Four

The next day was easier as first years were more oriented with the classroom locations & had learned quickly to avoid Peeves at all costs. Only Hogwarts Castle itself insisted on playing games; though, there were patterns to the constant shifts. It was still a lot to remember, but at least they weren't late, or as late, to every single class this time. Philip decided to join them in Herbology with the rest of the first year Gryffindors, as well as the first years from Ravenclaw, enjoying the water cans by diving into one whenever students or Professor Sprout came after him. If he was poured out of one, he simply scurried into the next one & it wasn't until a well placed 'Accio' from Remus was the little beast caught. Frank sighed heavily, stuffing the platypus into his inner robes. Professor Sprout however stared at Remus & asked how he knew a spell that only fourth years have. Amidst surprised gasps & murmurs from his classmates, Remus merely shrugged & mentioned that his father always used it on him. Rather annoying, actually. Professor Sprout awarded Gryffindor fifty points for that spell before continuing with instruction on how to recognise Devil's Snare, a harmless looking plant at first glance but when approached, it would try to strangle anyone near.

After Herbology, there was an hour & a half break before the last two classes. Remus, James & Sirius went to the lake & settled under the beech tree near the shore. Though the sun was out, a cool October breeze came over the water. They pulled their cloaks more firmly around them & began working on some of the homework that they had raked up. Remus was already caught up & done but since James & Sirius had detention for several more days, they had been falling behind.

Sirius suddenly tossed his wand aside. "I can't think! I couldn't tell you what the difference was between moonstone powder & ground ashe-wood to save my life. I mean, they look the same almost once ground up."

Remus watched the giant squid in the lake raise its tentacles skyward as it dived under out of sight. "They feel different though," he said. "Ashe-wood is more granular. Moonstone is soft as silk."

"Merci (Thank you)!" Sirius exclaimed. "I wouldn't have time to finish this without you, Remy."

Remus gasped, covering his mouth with one hand. He stared hard at the lake as the wind made ripples over it. Romulus used to call him that. Still keeping his eyes on the lake, Remus said, "Sirius? Don't."

"Don't what?" Sirius looked up from his parchment.

"Call me Remy."

"Hey you banned us from Loopy," James put in. "Which by the way, I think is a good nickname. Even Peeves the Poltergeist likes it."

"I prefer Loopy to Remy," Remus tried not to hiss. He still kept his back to them, eyeing the lake. "Just don't use Remy. It...it brings a very bad memory."

"Let me guess, you're not going to tell us?" Sirius pouted.

"Sirius!" James hushed his cousin. "Be nice."

"Who me?"

"SIRIUS!"

"You know," Remus went on. "You're saying my name with your English accents but if you say it properly, it actually sounds more like Ray-mus."

"Can we use Ray, then?" James decided to ask. So far, every nickname they had picked for the French boy seemed to offend him. Granted, Loopy was supposed to offend him, in a friendly way of course.

"That'll work," Remus continued to stare at the lake.

"Ok," Sirius agreed at last. "You know, if you ever feel like it, you can tell us anything ok?"

Remus turned finally to look at him. Anything, indeed. "If only."

"No, no you can," Sirius insisted. "Don't worry."

Remus was about to say something but was spared from answering when loud laughter was heard from a group up the hill around an oak tree. They were gathered all around the trunk & pointing upwards, some with their fingers but most with their wands. James, Sirius & Remus could see several jets of magic from various wands hitting inside the tree.

Remus bowed his head a little, listening. "There's someone up the tree."

"How do you know?"

"It's obvious they're attacking someone," Remus pointed out. It was partly true; though, his werewolf super-senses confirmed it after hearing a cry of help from up above the gang.

"Those are Slytherins," James suddenly scowled. "Hey I wonder if that kid, Severus Snape, is there? We have some unfinished business with him."

"Guys," Remus grumbled.

"Who names their kid Severus anyway?" Sirius ignored Remus. "Sounds like Snivelus to me." James burst out laughing.

"Let's just go find out who's in the tree," Remus marched up the hill with the other two in tow.

They arrived unnoticed on the scene. Remus allowed a tint of yellow to cloud his eyes as he glared upwards through the trees, hunting. Suddenly, he spied a chubby boy in the topmost branches. It was that same boy who shared the dorm room & had sat on Remus's bed the other night. He hauled the wolf in, making the yellow fade & pointed up. "There he is. You guys create a distraction. I'll get him down."

James & Sirius set the faces in a similar way that McGonagall often did. "We'll create a distraction," James wagged his eyebrows before pulling out his wand. He aimed for the center of the group, Sirius by his side. "Flipendo!" Two pale blue bolts shot into the midst of the Slytherins.

The blast sent the group sprawling on both sides. Remus turned to glare at the backs of his two friends. "No, not that w—forget it. Too late now." He grabbed the lowest branch & hauled himself into the tree as the battle raged below. Two lions against at least a dozen snakes would not turn out well. Remus climbed upwards a little more until he was close enough to talk without screaming; though with the noise below of various spells being shouted & magic jets zooming about, Remus still had to raise his voice. "Hey, you share my dorm room right?" The boy nodded, his hair shaking forward. It was lighter than Remus's, more of a bronze brown. "Come down here. I don't like heights." He stupidly glanced down. The wolf within reared up in alarm. "Oh I really don't like heights!" Remus shook his head, throwing the wolf aside & looked up again. "Come on, hurry. I'll get you to the castle."

The boy nodded & slowly came down. "Thanks," He whispered, as he slipped down to another branch.

"What's your name?"

"Peter," the boy answered. "Peter Pettigrew."

"Pureblood or less?" Remus asked. "Trust me."

"Uh, pure?" Peter stared in surprise

"Oh great," Remus rolled his eyes. "Do everyone a favour & tell Sirius you're half. Or less."

"Huh?"

"Trust me, the muddier the better," Remus sighed, stepping down. "Come on." He grabbed Peter's hand & helped him down even more.

"It looks really bad down there," Peter looked down. Several students were flat on their backs. Others had blisters all over the faces & arms & a few had hair coming out of their ears & going all the way to the ground. At least, it looked like hair.

"Don't worry," Remus coaxed Peter to the next branch. "My friends are taking care of it." Remus didn't really want to know how but had little choice in the matter. "We just need t—oh no!" They had landed on the same branch at the same time. It was a smaller branch & snapped under their combined weight. Remus & Peter went down hard on top of two Slytherins, one of which was Severus Snape.

Severus rubbed his head & was in the process of turning to see who or what landed on him when Remus whipped out his wand. He quickly rammed into the back of the boy, sending him sprawling face first, then helped Peter up. Remus then sent a bolt of power at the second boy, which sent him flying forward out of the way. Remus tugged Peter along. He noticed that Peter was clutching his arm, hand hanging loosely. "Follow me. I'll get you to the hospital wing." Peter nodded mutely, hurrying after him before Severus or anyone else had a time to look up & see them. The pair worked themselves through the mess of fighting students & on towards the steps leading into the castle. Once free of the crowd, Remus & Peter broke into a run all the way to the doors of the infirmary ward. He led Peter inside & sat on the next bed waiting while Madam Pomfrey worked on Peter's wrist. It had been broken in two places.

Once the healer left, Remus moved to sit next to Peter on the same bed. "Thanks for that," Peter said. "My bag ripped open. One of them cast a jinx to split it. Everything went downhill from there."

"Slytherins & Gryffindors don't seem to get along to well," Remus said. "I suppose it all goes back to the founders, what with Salazar Slytherin's attitude & all about purebloods verses Muggle-borns. I read about that in 'Hogwarts: A History'."

"Plus the House elements are exactly opposite," Peter said. "We're fire. They're water."

"Good point."

"Why did you tell me to make Sirius think I'm not pureblood? He's a Black so he has to be pure."

"He's a white sheep of the Black family," Remus explained Sirius, if that was possible.

"Wow!" Peter gaped for a moment. "I heard that the family had some issues, insanity among them. I suppose it's due to all the inter-mixing with marrying each other off to cousins & all, but that was just weird!"

Remus put his head to his knees, laughing. "You have no idea!"

"Mr. Pettigrew, drink this up! Now!" Madam Pomfrey suddenly returned & all but drowned him with a glass of foul looking liquid. Judging by Peter's face after he swallowed more than half, it seemed to taste as bad as it looked. Madam Pomfrey snatched up his broken wrist & moved it around. "There. Good as n—oh no! Now what?" Remus & Peter turned to look back at the door. A large group of students of all ages were piling in, followed behind by the large man who had put the first years onto the boats.

"Aft'rnoon Ma'am."

"Hagrid! What is going on?" Pomfrey exclaimed.

"Found 'em all fightin' by that oak out der," Hagrid jerked a thumb over his shoulder. He pushed the group farther in. Being pushed by the half-giant Hagrid was more like being thrown across the room. "Oops, didn't mean ter shove so hard! There ya go!" He helped two of them up.

One of them was Sirius. Remus scowled at him. James came limping in last behind everyone. He was holding his right arm with his other hand which loosely held half his wand. His glasses dangled from one ear & his hair was down to his waist & a bright orange like a pumpkin. Remus turned away, snickering. Shoving his wand fragment into his pocket with his good hand, James limped by. "This isn't over!" He whispered so only Remus could hear.

Remus only put a hand over his mouth, laughing harder. He finally managed to say, "You're a right ugly sight, Jim!"

"La ferme (Shut up)!" James heaved himself onto the next bed as Peter buried his face in his hands, also laughing. James indicated the boy, who was slightly taller than Remus, with a nod. "He better be worth it ... Loopy!"

Remus narrowed his eyes. "He's in our dorm room. This is Peter Pettigrew."

"Loopy?" Peter snickered again.

"My name!" Remus glared at James, speaking loudly so all would hear. "Is Remus Lupin!"

Peter stared at him for a moment, then glanced at James. "Oh I get it. Loopy for Lupin. I like it!" He buried his face in his pillow, laughing. Remus whipped his head around so fast his neck nearly cracked. He glared at the boy.

"Yep, totally worth it!" James smiled. Remus rolled his eyes.

Everyone from both Houses—apart from Remus & Peter—lost twenty points each & received a week of detention. James & Sirius complained that they were already half way through a week of detention. They were threatened with more loss of House points if they didn't shut up then & there. Remus & Peter each received ten points for their heroics, but it was a small victory no thanks to James & Sirius.

Remus led Peter back outside. Hair back to normal, James soon joined them, glaring. "I don't believe it! Another week. It's all Snivelus's fault!"

"Where's Sirius?" Remus asked. "We still have about half an hour left before classes start again."

"Don't know. Don't care!" James was scanning the grounds. "I didn't see that greasy little git come in. He's still out there."

"James," Remus sighed.

"Who's Snivelus?" Peter asked.

James stared at him for a moment before explaining. "There's something about that kid I just don't like."

"Some people just can't get along," Remus shrugged. He tugged Peter's sleeve. "Come on. We left our bags by the lake. I have something that can wash the taste of that medicine right out."

James followed the pair, still glancing around. "There he is." He suddenly saw Severus picking himself up out of the mud that he had been thrown in. James pulled out his wand, then stared at it in confusion. "Where's the other bloody ha...oh you have GOT to be kidding me!"

"That'll teach you," Remus muttered to Peter so James wouldn't hear. Peter nodded in agreement. Remus sat down in front of the school bags that he, James & Sirius had left at the beech tree & fished around inside his own. He pulled out a large bar of chocolate & broke it up. Having nothing better to do, James flopped down beside them & took a large piece offered as Remus said, "I find this always helps. Universal cure." He was already munching on his own piece while eyeing James.

"Sure thing, Loopy," James stared at the French boy, then his chocolate piece. Ignoring the cool laid-back glare, James started eating.