Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
A/N: Thanks for reviewing!
Okay, I made a mistake which is why I'm updating now. I was replacing chapter 2 in The Marauders Year 1 and accidentally put it as chapter 4. Such a stupid mistake when I was being so careful….anyway, I know some of my readers like to save my stories to their hard drives so I was hoping that one of you had Year 1 and if you do, can you give me chapter 4? I am soooo hoping that one of you have it. I don't really remember what was in the chapter.
By the way, cause of my hurry and since I didn't really want to update this yet, it's not proofread.
The Marauders Year 3
Chapter 12: The Wolf Cries
"Dearest Marauders!"
Remus looked up from his breakfast and raised a brow at the redheaded twins. "Don't you two have anything better to do than to bother a group of third years?"
Gideon and Fabian exchanged glances then looked back at Remus. "No." They said together.
"What do you need anyway?" James asked, forgetting his breakfast to give the twins his full attention. Their antics amused him greatly after all.
"Well, we just saw Professor Nazik." Fabian started, but stopped when he saw that his audience was looking at him darkly. He didn't blame them. In the past week, things only got worse for the Gryffindors because of their Defense teacher unexplained hatred of Remus. The Gryffindors have constantly been badgering Remus for the past couple week to go to a teacher and tell them about Nazik since he was the victim and only the victim could do something. Without the victim complaining, nothing could be done, but Remus absolutely, positively, refused to say anything to anyone. Still, the teachers all knew what was going on with Remus and Nazik, but until he complained, they couldn't do anything but listen to the other students talk about the unfair treatment and attempt to restore the unfairly taken points to Gryffindor in any way they could, even for the stupidest of reasons. It wouldn't be a fair competition for the house cup otherwise.
"He looks very spiteful today." Fabian added
The Marauders shared uneasy looks. They knew exactly why their Defense professor would be extremely unhappy today.
It was the full moon.
The first full moon of the school year. It was a day the Marauders normally dreaded, but they dreaded it even more this month because of their Defense professor this year.
"Remus, avoid him at all costs. Otherwise, we are losing five hundred points today and we don't even have that many." All six of them glanced out of the hall where the hourglasses were and looked at Gryffindors, which had the least of the houses with two hundred and fifteen points.
"We would never get out of the negatives." Gideon commented before turning back to Remus. "You don't have his class today, do you?"
Fabian peered at the younger boy. "I don't think it really matters, Gid. Look at him! He looks like death has come for him early!"
It was true. Remus was very pale and clammy. Sweat was running down his face, even though he was constantly dabbing at his face to clean it up. His gold eyes were wide and a bit doused with something that looked like pain, which confused the twins a bit. He also seemed to have trouble holding things as his hands would give sudden jerks at random times. It also seemed that, by the dark circles under his eyes, that he didn't get much sleep the night before and was exhausted, which would be why it looked like he had trouble paying attention to the conversation.
"You're not going to make it through the day." Fabian told him, frowning slightly.
The twins were so focused on Remus that they didn't notice James, Sirius, and Peter sighing in relief. They had all wanted to bring the subject up, but didn't dare because they knew how Remus would feel. He would snap at them that he was fine and it was nothing he couldn't handle and say that they worried about him too much or paid too much attention to him. But if someone else was to start the subject, it would allow them the chance to say what they wanted.
"That's what we think, but he is too stubborn to go rest in the Hospital Wing, saying he can't miss classes." Sirius said, stressing the word can't as if the whole idea was insane and completely wrong to him. What kid wouldn't give for the chance to skip classes?
"Why? It's not like he learn anything in this state. It will all go in one ear and out the other!" Fabian replied.
James rolled his eyes. "He's Remus! He doesn't make sense!"
"Right." Gideon said, a bit distracted as he looked at the entrance to the Great Hall. "Nazik is here!"
Fabian narrowed his eyes at the man, who was scanning the students as if looking for someone. Realizing what he was doing, Fabian pushed Remus under the table and held him there by keeping his hand on his head. Sirius shifted slightly to block Remus so it didn't look like someone was sitting under the table.
Since he didn't see his favorite, and only Gideon thought in disgust, victim, Nazik continued to the Head Table without a word to anyone. Once he was sitting down and eating, Fabian and Sirius let Remus crawl out from under the table.
"He was actually going to try to get you in the middle of the Great Hall with all the teachers watching. He's confident." Gideon growled.
"It's cause Remus would never complain." James rolled his eyes again. "In fact, if Nazik tried something in here and a teacher saw, I bet Remus would defend Nazik." He shot a look at his werewolf friend, who stared steely back.
"I would." Remus said harshly. He leaned forward to be closer to James. "But that's because he is mine. If you think I'm taking this lying down, you're dead wrong."
Fabian and Gideon shared smirks. "A Marauder out for revenge against a teacher. This year just got more interesting. We will assist you in anyway, Marauders."
"Don't you have N.E.W.T.s to focus on?" Remus asked them.
The twins shrugged. "We'll be fine. We want to enjoy our last year here, not just spend all our time studying." Fabian explained.
"We should leave." Peter said suddenly. "Nazik spotted Remus."
James and Sirius whipped around to face the Head Table. Indeed, Nazik was staring hungrily at Remus. It seemed their dear professor would very much like to destroy their friend. "And escape we shall." James said, standing up. "It's so lucky we don't have him today."
"Going to the Hospital Wing?" Fabian asked.
"No," Remus replied. "History of Magic."
"Oh, that is definitely a class you can skip without worry, Reme." Gideon said, falling into steps behind the third years.
Remus stopped walking and looked over his shoulder at the seventh year. "Reme? How many times can you idiots butcher my name?"
"I don't know. How many do we have so far?" Sirius asked.
"So far we have Re, Remy, Reme, Remykins, Remy-poo. That is five. Do you think we could get more?" Peter asked, grinning at Remus.
"Don't try." Remus muttered but without his usual fire.
"It's no fun to tease you when you're sick." Sirius whined.
"Then leave me alone to my misery." Remus said.
"I don't get why you don't just go to the Hospital Wing. It is a simple Pepperup Potion, then you are all better." Gideon told him.
"If only it was that simple," James said bitterly to Sirius and Peter quietly. Though, unfortunately for him, Gideon and Fabian heard him, but they made no indication that they heard it. They shared a look, curiously wondering what the four boys knew that they didn't.
*Y*E*A*R*3*
James, Sirius, and Peter grinned as they saw Remus stumbling out of Ancient Runes. They had taken Muggle Studies while Remus had Ancient Runes. Somehow they had made it to the Ancient Runes's classroom in time to catch their friend before he disappeared. He had come out with Lily, who had a hand on his arm to steady him a bit. On his other side was Karen, who was gripping his other arm and had a hand on his back.
"You okay, Remus?" James called, flashing the girls a smile. Both girls smiled a bit at him.
"Lo, James." Remus greeted. He turned to Lily and Karen. "Thanks."
Lily and Karen nodded to him. "Take care, Remus. You really should have gone to the Hospital Wing, stubborn boy." Lily added, smiling at him.
As the boys walked away from the girls, Sirius turned to Remus. "I'm actually surprised you made it through the day. This is the worse you have ever looked before a full moon."
"It looks worse than it is." Remus said, suppressing a grimace.
Unnoticed by Remus, who was suddenly looking away from his friends, his three friends shared looks that clearly said 'liar.' The teenager werewolf took a shaky breath as he forced his legs to walk farther. His body felt so achy. He just wanted to collapse to the ground and lie there all day.
"Are you sure you do–"
Remus stiffened suddenly. He sniffed the air briefly as horror filled his eyes. "Nazik is approaching."
"Got to love heightened senses." Sirius hissed, looking around. "I say, we run. Meeting that bloody prat now will only make everything worse."
"Broom cupboard," James said, nodding his head to it.
"To the broom cupboard." Sirius declared, throwing the door open. Peter pushed Remus inside before the others piled in. The door slammed shut just in time.
Each boy anxiously held their breathe. Nazik may not have heightened senses, but from his years of experience in being a Dark Creature hunter, he was more skilled in observation and taking everything in. He would no doubt hear them in here if they made the slightest noise.
Sirius pressed his ear to the door, desperately trying to hear for when Nazik passed. While he was doing that, James and Peter were trying to shush Remus, who almost groaned when his achy muscles hit the ground after Peter pushed him into the closet. The bespectacled boy pushed his hand into Remus's mouth to keep him from saying anything.
Straining his ears to hear through the door, Sirius wished that he had better hearing like Remus. That would make hearing through such a thick door easy. As it was, he almost missed the footsteps when they did walk passed the door. He waved at his friends to single that he heard Nazik. He kept listening till he couldn't hear the footsteps anymore. Just to be sure, he waited a few minutes longer to make sure that Nazik was truly gone.
After a few moment of silence, Sirius opened the door a crack and looked around. When there was no sight of anyone around, he pushed the door open the rest of the way and sighed in relief as he and his friends crawled out of the closet.
"Man, I wish there was a way to track people so we knew when they were gone." Sirius grumbled. "It would be much easier than listening through a door."
"I don't think that is possible, mate." Peter said.
"Actually, a tracking spell would do it." Remus said, but didn't say anything else on the subject as he dragged himself to the tower where he collapsed in front of the fire. He wanted to get some of his homework done before the full moon rose, but he just didn't have the energy to do any work. His friends came in and sat around him. Without realizing it, he felt himself fall slightly over and lean against James's chest. He wanted to move, but he just didn't have the energy to lift his head off his friend's shoulder.
*Y*E*A*R*3*
"Something is up." Gideon declared.
"What are you talking about?" Shawn demanded, looking up from his work with a frown. "We have N.E.W.T.s this year and you are trying to discover some conspiracy theory, instead of working?" He noticed that both twins weren't paying their study session any attention. All their attention was focused on the other side of the common room where four familiar third years were sitting.
"You two are spending too much time with those four. You need to focus on studying." Angel chided.
Fabian rolled his eyes. "Why bother? We've only been in classes a week and a half." He said as he too turned to look at the Marauders. The four of them were sitting on the floor around Remus. Remus was half-sprawled on James with his legs thrown out in front of him. Sirius was leaning back on his hands, speaking quietly. Peter was petting Dusk, who was curled up in front of him.
Sighing, Angel put her book to the side. "Okay, what has got you two so attracted to those four boys?"
Gideon and Fabian blinked. "What doesn't catch our attention?"
"They're pranksters."
"Smart."
"Funny."
"Creative."
"Interesting."
"Get to the point already so we can study. We do have a potions test tomorrow." Shawn snapped.
Gideon leaned across the table and whispered, "There's something wrong."
"Wrong?" Ness echoed, shaking his head. "You two really make no sense."
"Surely you've seen it." Fabian whispered harshly. "Remus has always been disappearing a lot in the past two years and he always looks deathly ill when he disappears."
"You paid that much attention when he was a first year?" Ness said in disbelief.
"We said they were interesting." Gideon said impatiently. "Look, we just want to know what is going on with him, and by the sounds of it, all the Marauders know."
"Ah, you're being nosy." Angel growled. "What's it matter why he leaves? And how would you even know that his friends know?"
"Cause in the Great Hall this morning, James said, 'if only it was that simple' when I suggested Remus go get a Pepperup potion from Madam Pomfrey." Gideon explained.
Shawn rolled his eyes. "Can't you guys just leave it? I don't think my beater and seeker will appreciate it much if you stalk their best friend for his secret." He said, nodding to the black haired boys talking avidly to Remus.
"But it might have to do with why Nazik hates Remus so much!" Fabian said.
Shawn hit his forehead. "And why would you think that?"
"I overhead some third years talking about how their professors kept asking if Remus wanted to skip class today–"
"Cause he's sick." Angel snapped. "Just leave it, okay? If something was wrong, he'd tell someone."
Fabian rolled his eyes. "Like with Nazik?"
"They're leaving." Ness commented, quite amused by the situation.
"What?" Gideon and Fabian said, whipping around to see James helping Remus to his feet. Together, they left the tower. The twins noticed that they were standing slightly closer to Remus than usual, but not by so much that it would be noticeable to those who weren't looking for it.
*Y*E*A*R*3*
"James, Jamie, Jamesy," Remus muttered, almost in a delirious state, as he stumbled down the corridor like a drunk man.
Now that they were alone, James moved closer to Remus. He threw Remus's arm over his shoulder and wrapped his other arm around his friend's waist. There was no way he was going to let his friend walk to the Hospital Wing alone, especially with all the stairs he had to get down.
"Jamesy, I have something important to tell you." Remus whispered to his friend.
"What is it, Remus?" James asked, coming to a stop in front of the first staircase. He looked over Remus's head at his other two friends. Getting the message, Sirius took up Remus's other side.
"They're getting suspicious, Jamie. They want to know." Remus muttered as he was dragged gently down the stairs by his friends. He tried to support his own weight and walk down the stairs, but his legs didn't feel like responding correctly.
"Who is suspicious?" James asked.
"Gideon and Fabian. In the common room, they were discussing it with their friends. They want to know." Remus mumbled.
James frowned darkly. He shared a dark look with Sirius. "Don't worry, Remus. It will be fine. We'll take care of them. Tonight, you were feeling so ill that you had to go to the Hospital Wing. Since you were an idiot and went to class all day, you exhausted yourself too much and Madam Pomfrey made you stay overnight. That is your story for now."
"Thank you." Remus murmured.
Peter walked a little ways ahead of his friends to get the Hospital Wing doors opened for them. He held them open while James and Sirius dragged Remus inside. It was lucky for them that they didn't meet anyone on the way there. As they deposited Remus on a bed, Peter went to get Madam Pomfrey from her office.
"Dear, dear," Madam Pomfrey murmured the moment she saw the clammy and pale Remus on the bed. He had finally succumbed to the pain in his muscles and curled into a ball. His eyes were half-open so he could look at the nurse.
"My mom says the transformations are going to get worse now that he hit puberty." James commented.
Madam Pomfrey nodded. She brushed Remus's bangs from his sweaty face. "Your mother would be right." Her hand moved to his neck where she checked that his pulse was alright. "At the very least, his transformations will be like this for two years. At the most, I believe it would be three years."
"Will it get better after that?" Peter asked worriedly.
"It will still be horrible, very horrible, but he should at least be able to handle the symptoms before the full moon better as time goes on." Madam Pomfrey replied, looking down at her patient in pity that she knew Remus would have snapped at her for if he had been aware enough to notice it. "Can one of you get his wand out? I believe we should leave it here for the night. He will be too tired to lock it in a cabinet in the shack tonight. Also, I would like one of you to stay and help me get him down to the shack."
"Can't all three of us go?" James asked.
Madam Pomfrey shook her head, smiling sadly. These boys were amazing. "I am sorry, boys. It would draw too much attention if you all came along. I wouldn't even be asking this, if it wasn't for the fact that Remus needs help walking. I would gladly do it, but I am much too tall to help a thirteen you old walk and get him into the shack. Plus, it would cause us to go extremely slow and I'm sure you three would like to help your friend in any way possible."
"I'll stay!" Three voices replied at once when they heard the reasons.
Madam Pomfrey smiled at the loyalty these boys showed to their friend. "Why don't you take turns each month? I daresay we'll be doing this for a while."
The three boys shared looks.
"James can go with you this month." Sirius decided without giving his friends a chance to speak.
James looked at him surprised.
Sirius shrugged. "You were the one he was leaning against all day for support. He might be more comfortable with you this month."
James nodded.
Before they left, Sirius and Peter murmured comforting words to Remus, though they couldn't be sure if he heard them or understood what they were saying. But it was the thought that counted here. They just wanted their friend to at least see their faces and reassuring smiles before he transformed.
When Madam Pomfrey was ready, James carefully pulled Remus into a sitting position. Once he was sitting at the edge of the bed, Remus started to fall forward, but was lucky enough that James was standing in front of him and was able to catch him.
"I am really glad he has you three." Madam Pomfrey said as she led her charge and his friend out of the Hospital Wing.
James smiled sadly as he helped his stumbling friend through the halls of Hogwarts. "Prejudice is stupid."
It was a difficult and long job getting Remus through the tunnel under the Whomping Willow and through the trap door in the shack, but James didn't mind. Right now, this was all he could do for his friend. He would at least do this until they managed to complete Operation Moony.
Once he got his friend lying on the torn up couch, James leaned over Remus's face. "Remus? Are you still awake?"
"Mmhm." Remus said after a moment. "Too much pain to sleep."
"At least you are more alert than you were earlier." James said.
"Leave, please." Remus whispered hoarsely.
"I will, Remus. I'll be gone soon." James replied soothingly. "Before I go, I just want to tell you that we're with you. Remember us, Remus. We're not going to leave you. We're here to help you. Don't forget who you are. You are Remus, a Marauder, our very best friend, a prankster, and so much more. Remember that. I'll see you tomorrow, Remus."
James ran out of the room without a glance back. If he didn't move fast, he would have stopped and looked back at his friend in fear and pity, things he knew his friend didn't want. Remus wanted to be treated like everyone else so James had to make sure he didn't have any time to feel any of those things. He jumped down the trapdoor and rolled out of the way as Madam Pomfrey shut it and put wards around it to keep Remus in.
*Y*E*A*R*3*
In the shack, Remus had gone rigid. None of his muscles could move. All he could do was stare at the ceiling of the living room with his breath coming in short, painful gasps. If he tried to move even a finger, blazing white hot pain would flare up in his entire body. He wasn't even moving and his whole body was covered in sweat. It was a cold sweat that sent chills down his spine. There was so much sweat on his body that it felt like he had jumped into the lake.
The wait for the moon to rise completely was horrible. It always was, but tonight, it felt so much worse. Each minute that went by felt like an hour. He briefly recalled James mentioning to Madam Pomfrey that his transformations would be worse now because he going through puberty. Is that what he meant by worse? It wasn't even his transformation yet and he already felt horrible.
As the transformation got closer and closer, Remus began to feel dizzy. He was so dizzy that he began to see double of everything. It was enough to give him a headache, but that was nothing compared to the achiness that was present in every inch of his body.
Finally, the moon had risen, and Remus knew this because his back suddenly arched violently and a gasp of pain escape him. A gasp that was soon turned into a loud, painful scream. Each of his bones snapped with a sickening CRACK! It hurt so much! All he wanted to do was cry, cry for someone to come save him, but he knew no one would ever be there for him. He was all alone. Nobody in this world would come help him.
"Remus, don't let the moon own you. Don't fear it. Embrace it. Show it that you aren't afraid. Once, you were alone and had every reason to fear it, but we're here with you now, Remus. Remember us, your friends, tonight." Sirius's voice whispered in his memory.
Without even meaning to, a familiar name escaped his lips as he cried in pain. "SIRIUS!"
*Y*E*A*R*3*
Sirius looked away from the redhead twins to glance out the window in the common room. He noticed that the moon had risen. The twins also turned to look out the window, curious as to what grabbed the younger boy's attention, but all they saw was the full moon.
"Remus," Sirius whispered so quietly that he was practically mouthing the name.
A chilling sensation swept down his spine. A cold dread had filled his heart. How was his friend surviving out there all by himself? It must be so lonely and painful to go through that all alone each month. But as he told Remus, he was no longer alone on the full moon. Even if they weren't there in person, they were there in spirit. None of them would ever betray a friend in need. And right now, Remus was calling for them. They needed to become Animagi quickly. Hearing his friend's cry was too much.
*Y*E*A*R*3*
Remus's broken limbs flew all over the places. Tears of pains shined in his eyes, but, even now, he refused to let them fall. He thrashed around on the couch until his broken body fell to the ground. Broken bones slamming into the ground caused him to scream him pain.
What felt like hours, was actually only a minute or two. His bones began to reshape and form into different size and shape bones. His skin stretched so far as his whole body reformed into that of an animal. He heard the sound of fabric ripping but paid it no mind.
"You are never alone anymore, Remus. All our thoughts go with you each and every full moon. Never forget who you are. Your mind may be a wolf, but your heart is still Remus John Lupin." Peter's voice murmured quietly in his head.
Another familiar name escaped Remus. "PETER!"
*Y*E*A*R*3*
Peter crept up the stairs as quickly as he could. He had just managed to escape the questions from the twins. Remus was right. They really did want to know what was going on. He could now understand the annoyance of having others snoop into business that is not their own.
Before he could reach the dorm, he stopped on the second floor platform to look out the window. He paled slightly when he saw the moon had risen. Like Sirius, a sudden chilling feeling ran down his spine and into his the very tips of his fingers. His patient, kind, funny, and fellow Marauder was out there in the shack all by himself. The wolf was in the shack, but to him, he was still Remus. Nothing could ever change that. He was Remus, who was lonely with no friends before Hogwarts, just like him. His hand clenched into a fist as he stared determinedly out the window. He would help his friend, no matter what because that is what friends did for one another.
"Remus," He whispered, leaning his forehead against the cool window as he stared at the full moon.
*Y*E*A*R*3*
His nails grew longer. Fur started to sprout up all over his body. He stretched an arm out, wanting desperately to grab hold of something for comfort through this pain. With nothing to grab, his now clawed paw scratched at the ground.
"Remember us, Remus. We're not going to leave you. We're here to help you. Don't forget who you are. You are Remus, a Marauder, our very best friend, a prankster, and so much more. Remember that. I'll see you tomorrow, Remus." James's voice sounded clearly through his pain filled mind.
"JAMES!" Was the last name Remus could get out before his screams of pain became howls of agony.
*Y*E*A*R*3*
James paused on the fifth floor corridor. He looked out the window that overlooked the Whomping Willow. The tree was once again flailing its limbs all over the place.
His heart practically froze for a moment as he stared at the tree. He didn't know how, but he knew that his friend was crying out for them and there was nothing they could do. They all sent their thoughts to him, but it wasn't the same as being there in person to help him through this. He was alone in that shack, going through all this pain alone. How could anyone be so prejudiced against werewolves? They had no idea the hell that werewolves actually went through. None of them understood the torture of Remus's life, how it was already destroyed. None of them would care. It was only the Marauders that could help Remus through this now. They would save their friend from himself as soon as they could.
He slammed the side of his fist in to the window, staring angrily and sadly at the Whomping Willow like it was all the tree's fault. "Remus," He whispered hoarsely.
*Y*E*A*R*3*
"Hey," James greeted when he got to his dorm.
Sirius looked up from the book he was reading. "Remus get there okay?"
James nodded as he sat down on his bed. "What are you reading?"
"Animagus stuff. We're going to have to get to work on that potion soon." Sirius told him.
"Did the Prewett twins talk to you?" James asked.
"Cornered us the minute we stepped into the common room. We told them the story you came up with. It got them off Remus's case, even more so when Angel got involved and scolded them for getting into other people's business." Peter explained from the cupboard where he was going through all their potions ingredients.
"What are you doing?" James asked him.
Peter closed the cupboard door and moved over to his bed. "Checking that we have all the ingredients for the potion. By the way, we do got everything we need, except for the few things we need to snatch from Slughorn's store."
"We start it as soon as we find a place to brew it." James decided.
*Y*E*A*R*3*
In the Shrieking Shack, howls of agonies subsided.
The wolf had woken up once again.
A/N: Please Review!