Chapter 12
Remus Lupin's second full moon was fairly uneventful. He left to his "Doctor's appointment" on Wednesday morning, October 1st. He stayed in the infirmary's private room all day and experienced extremely painful headaches due to sensory overload. He also liked not having to be around his friends during the day because he hates being rude and short-tempered with them. When it came time to go to the transformation room, he was embarrassed because he remembered how he left it such a mess the last time. However, everything was back to order when he arrived. The scratches were even fixed in the furniture and drywall.
"Mcgonagall likes to keep this place clean and without evidence just incase a student wanders down here." Madam Pomfrey said. She stood in the door frame and started to get tears in her eyes. "It will all be over soon." she added in pity. Once the moon rose, the transformation itself was agonizingly the same. And after, Remus was returned to the hospital room and recovered for a day there. On Friday, Remus returned to class and found out that a field trip to Hogsmeade was scheduled for Next Wednesday the 7th.
"Are you as excited as I am Remus?" Sirius asked while laying in their beds late Tuesday night.
"Of course I am." Remus said while stroking Moonlight underneath her chin. Remus fell asleep, peaceful yet again.
"Right then, if everyone would follow me to the carriages, we will be departing for Hogsmeade any minute." Professor Mcgonagall said to the children, her scottish accent warm to the ears. Remus was walking with Lily and Severus to the horseless black carriages when Severus suddenly stopped with his brown eyes wide, staring at the empty place in front of the carriage. "What is it, Severus?" asked Remus.
"Can't you see them?" questioned Severus.
"See what?" Remus said confused.
"You mean the Thestrals? Remember, they are only visible to those who's seen death." Lily said to Snape. He shrugged and climbed into the carriage. Lily leaned in closer to Remus "He watched his father died during his execution last year after living most of his life in Azkaban." after her explanation, Lily climbed in with Severus and grabbed his hand.
When the class arrived at Hogsmeade, Remus decided to spend the day with the Marauders. Lily decided to join and Severus always went wherever Lily went. After being dismissed from Mrs. Mcgonagall, the six students went to a candy shop named Honeydukes first. James and Sirius both bought chocolate frogs for themselves and Peter and Remus, due to their lack of money. Lily and Severus shared a pink candyfloss, and James saw Lily having fun, and he was jealous. Without anyone seeing, he bought a box of Nosebleed Nougats, and saved them for his evil prank later.
Around lunch, the group stopped at the Hogshead and found a booth to sit in. Remus, Lily and Severus sat on one side, and Peter, Sirius, and James sat on the other, James sitting across from Severus. They ordered food and while waiting Remus overheard a particularly peculiar conversation between the husband and wife sitting behind him. The man was holding a Daily Prophet and on the headliner was on a criminal in trial.
¨Have you heard that the criminal, Fenrir Greyback, is looking at life in Azkaban?¨ the old wizard asked his wife.
¨Itś about time. If it were up to me, Greyback should be killed for what he did.¨ The wife replied.
¨Heś killed, what, over 10 people, and turned countless others.¨ The man shared.
¨I would rather be dead than turned into what he is.¨ His wife replied.
"Me too. Just proves that those beasts werewolves cannot be trusted. Come on, letś go home." The man replied and the two left and left the newspaper on the table. Without his friends noticing, the shocked Remus snatched the newspaper and put it in his bag for later. After the food came, Severus was eating his Shepherdś pie, his favorite, when all of a sudden, his nose started bleeding. Not just bleeding, it gushed out blood. He tried to plug his nose, but failed and blood went all over his clothes and unfortunately on Lily too.
¨Gross Severus! You got it all over my new sweater!¨ Lily said. Remus was curious and confused. He looked to James and he was looking down, trying to hide a smirk.
¨Iḿ sorry, Lily.¨
¨Just go clean it up in the menś room. I´ll go try to save this sweater.¨ Lily snipped at Severus. A disappointed Severus went to the menś room, and a red-faced Lily went to the laddies.
Back at the table, the Marauders sat in silence before James let out a huge cackle.
Confused, Sirius thought for a second before saying. ¨You did that to Sneverus?¨ Barely able to breath between laughs, James nodded. He pulled out the empty box of Nosebleed Nougats.
¨I slipped the entire box in his pie when nobody was looking.¨ James said, still trying to catch his breath from laughing.
Sirius let laugh as well. ¨Brilliant marauding, Mate!¨ Peter, following his peers, chuckled a bit, though he found it mean. Remus sat in silence and looked down at the table for he thought that was over the line, but said nothing because he didn't want to lose his friends.
¨Hey guys, do you want to check out this really cool house I heard some locals talking about?¨ James asked.
¨Yeah, sounds fun.¨ Remus said. They paid and walked for a while to the outskirts of Hogsmeade. They then approached an extremely old house. The black shingles were rotting and falling out, and everything looked like it was going to collapse at any minute. ¨What is this place?¨ Remus asked.
¨It used to be abandoned, but a local said now twice they´ve heard screaming coming from it. They suppose itś majorly haunted. Itś called the shrieking shack.¨ James replied, mesmerized by the legend.
Remusś face whitened and he looked like he was going to barf. This is the house I transform in.
¨Letś go in.¨ Sirius said. Oh no, what if Professor didn't clean up yet? They'll find out my secret.
¨But itś haunted.¨ Peter squealed.
¨I guess weĺl find out.¨ James said. Sirius and James started walking toward the house. Peter and Remus didn't move. ¨Come on you puffs.¨
¨Professor said she doesn't want us going in there.¨ Remus said, desperately trying to stop his friends.
¨Remus, when have we ever followed all of Professorś rules? Now come on before I beat your arse.¨ James said threateningly. Remus and Peter followed them, both shaking of fear. They approached the front door and the door handle was locked.
¨Too bad, itś locked. Can we go now?¨ Remus asked.
¨Are you sure youŕe a Gryffindor, coward?¨ Sirius asked jokingly.
¨Alohomora" James said as he waved his wand. The door opened and the dark air was covered with soot. The house was completely abandoned. The boys looked around each room. As long as they don´t want to see the basement. Remus thought.
¨Hey I found stairs to the basement!¨ James yelled.
Bullocks. Remusś heart was pounding out of his chest as he took each step to the basement. It was very dark, so James illuminated a lumos spell through his wand.
¨Hey I found a room!¨ Sirius said. Then Remus saw the small hole for the secret tunnel he used to go from Hogwarts, he stood in front of it so no one would see. They opened the door, luckily Mcgonagall cleaned and it looked clean without evidence of a werewolf. ¨Woah. Itś the only room in this house that actually looks nice.¨ James said.
¨Someone must live here.¨ Sirius said.
¨The g-ghost?¨ Peter stammered. He looked petrified.
¨No you idiot. Itś probably someone from Hogsmeade who has loud parties. See, we just disproved the most haunted house in England.¨ James said smugly.
¨Good. Can we go now. Mcgonagall is probably looking for us.¨ Remus said with a giant relief.
¨Sure, sure.¨ Sirius said. Luckily no one saw them coming out of the house, and they were not late to the carriages. Remus sat with Lily and Severus on the way back. Lily was still clearly upset at Severus for ruining her sweater. He felt bad that he didn't stand up to James for being a jerk, but keeping his mouth shut was the only way to keep both friends. Remus remembered he grabbed that newspaper. When I get back to Hogwarts, I need to research this fellow werewolf, Fenrir Greyback. Maybe his story can unlock the secret of why I was turned into one, for dad always avoided telling me about that night.
