hi- i still own nothing at all- here's the continuation of the chapter then. i just want to say thank you to all those who reviewed, especially the grammar nazis out there, what would we do without you. anyway hope you enjoy, and even if you dont i still wanna here about it.
"WEREWOLF ATTACKS BLAMED ON FENRIR GREYBACK," read James from another commandeered Prophet the following morning, "Fenrir Greyback, leader of largest werewolf pack in Britain, is most likely behind the attacks of two nights ago... believed to be in league, like most werewolves, with the so called 'Death Eaters' a criminal blood-purist organisation... famous for his open demands that werewolves be given hunting rights... Ministry criticised by families of victims for failing to catch the criminal part human... many fear that if a serious crackdown on werewolf activity is not implemented many part humans will follow Greyback's example..."
"Blimey you'd think they'd have moved on by now," said Sirius.
"Well, it was quiet big news Sirius," said James fairly, "and now they think they've found the guy behind it..."
"But they haven't found him have they," said Peter nervously, "he's still out there somewhere just waiting 'til the next full moon."
"Yeah and all the Hit-Wizards and Aurors are too bloody scared to go out and look for him so they bundle the job off on the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures," said James.
"Yeah, and then they go and pass a load of useless legislation that does nothing to help catch this Greyback fellow and just makes life hell for..." James coughed loudly, stopping Sirius mid-sentence, "oh.. right, sorry."
"D'you reckon we can get away with stealing the paper again?" asked James
"We're going to have to aren't we," said Sirius, "come on Pete."
However by the time they got to the Hospital Wing it was already too late, they pulled back the white curtains to find Remus sitting up in bed, fully clothed and reading the front page of the Daily Prophet with a horrified look on his face.
"Remus?" said Peter.
"There was another article yesterday wasn't there," said Remus, "and you stole it didn't you, you wanted to stop me ever hearing about this."
"We were going to tell you," said James, "we just didn't think you should be reading about that kind of thing when you're still sick that's all."
"What? You think me not knowing about it will somehow make it better? That it'll somehow make none of this real?!"
"Remus, listen, I know you must be worried but Dumbledore won't let them kick you out or anything you know that," said Sirius.
"You know what," said Remus, unnervingly calmly, "my mum sent me another letter this morning saying the exact same thing. For some reason all of you people seem to think that that's the most important thing here, two people have died Sirius, and one person has been cursed for the rest of their life, and all you can think about is whether some silly law is going to be passed or not."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean... of course I care about the people that got attacked but you're my friend and..."
"This isn't about me! I've been a werewolf for ten years now and I'm dealing with it, there's nothing that can be done for me now, but there are still things people could do to stop anyone else from having to deal with this if only they would stop messing around passing useless legislation and writing sensationalist articles and only looking out for their friends!"
"That's what we were saying, all they're doing at the moment is victimising people like you. It's outrageous but people like Dumbledore won't stand for it."
"What did I just say James? This isn't about me! They can pass all the laws they want, they could bloody lock me up in fricking Azkaban and I wouldn't even care if it'd stop that... that bastard," Remus took a deep breath and appeared to be counting to ten in order to calm himself, "now, I am going to Tranfiguration, and don't even think about trying to talk to me until you've all sorted out your priorities."
The three of them watch in stunned silence as their friend picked up his bag and marched out the door. Remus never swore, they had teased him about it countless times, but now they had seen him get angry enough to swear they knew they never wanted to see it happen again. There was something terrible in the his eyes seemed to flash as he cursed this Fenrir Greyback, something wild and feral, almost lupine.
"Are you alright Remus?" asked Lily, who was waiting outside the Transfiguration room with her friend Marlene when Remus arrived.
"I'm fine, I've just had a kind of stressful few days, family emergency, I don't really want to talk about it."
"I'm so sorry," said Lily, "I should've known, it was the twenty eighth a couple of days ago wasn't it?"
"What do you mean?" asked Remus, she hadn't worked it out had she?
"Oh of course!" said Marlene, "I'm so sorry Remus, was it... was it someone very close to you?"
Remus breathed an internal sigh of relief, he had completely forgotten about the 'tragic losses' he was meant to have experienced on the eve of the full moon.
"I really don't want to talk about it Marlene," he said, "but thanks for asking."
"Oh Merlin!" said the girl, suddenly raising both hands to her mouth, "it wasn't to do with the werewolf attacks was it?!"
"Oh no, no nothing to do with that," said Remus quickly, keen to get off the subject.
"Oh thank god," breathed Marlene.
"You shouldn't be relieved! Three people were still attacked! Just because we don't know them it doesn't change the fact that it happened, it doesn't change the fact that it will happen again because the Ministry is too darn stupid and afraid to actually stop the bastards that do this sort of thing!"
"Remus, I'm sorry, I..."
"You being sorry doesn't change anything! Nothing changes anything! Nothing..."
"Mr Lupin," came a stern voice from behind him, Remus turned around to see Professor McGonagall, "I must ask you not to shout at your fellow students, Miss McKinnon is not responsible for the events in the Prophet."
"Sorry Professor, sorry Marlene, I didn't mean to shout."
"Well just don't then," said Marlene, "I know you said you've been petty stressed out recently but there's no need to take it out on me."
"I'm sorry, I really am, please forgive me."
"Ok."
"Right, Miss Evans and Miss McKinnon will you tell anyone else arriving that I will be with you in a minute, I just need to have a word with Mr Lupin about the work he's missed."
"Yes Professor," said the girl.
"Thank you, come with me Mr Lupin, I my notes for you in my office, I didn't expect you back so soon."
"Yes Professor," said Remus, following the Transfiguration teacher away from her classroom.
"Take a seat Mr Lupin," said McGonagall, "would you like a biscuit?"
"No thank you Professor."
McGonagall sighed and sat down into her own chair.
"Mr Lupin I understand that you must be very anxious at the moment, and I want to assure you the Professor Dumbledore and myself, all the staff actually, are here for you. But I cannot allow you to take your feelings out of other pupils."
"I'm sorry Professor, I know Marlene didn't do anything, I just... lost it."
"An understandable reaction, when did you find out."
"This morning, my friends stole my paper yesterday."
"I am sure they thought they were doing right by you, I would have liked to discuss the situation with you before you left the Hospital Wing, I was actually just on my way there by I ran into Mr Potter, Mr Black and Mr Pettigrew and they told me you had already left. Madam Pomfrey was rather annoyed, she wants to see you later."
"I'm fine... I'm sorry, I'll go. But what is there to discuss, there's nothing anyone can say that can change anything, it's over now."
"It is by no means Mr Lupin, no matter what legislation the Ministry tries to impose I am sure the Headmaster can persuade them to let you remain in school."
At this McGonagall was surprised to see Remus Lupin leap out of his chair and groan in frustration.
"Are you alright Mr Lupin?" she asked.
"I'm fine!" said Remus forcefully, though he was clutching his hand to the side of his stomach, "Why does everyone seem to only be thinking about me? Mum and dad, James, Peter and Sirius, Marlene and Lily and now you too! I'm not the one who's just died, or just been bitten, or just lost a husband or daughter or brother or something! There are people out there in real danger and all anyone can seem to think about is some stupid law the Ministry's trying to pass."
"We're only trying to help where we can Remus, like you said, there is nothing we can do for the people who died, and very little we can do for the man who survived, but we can still help you if you let us. I'm sorry if we have been insensitive, of course we all know what the biggest problem is, but for now there is nothing we can do."
"There'll never be anything I can do. I could help them catch him, I could help them pass some laws that would actually make a difference rather than just creating more antagonism among werewolves. But they'd never listen would they? Because I'm one of them, but they don't understand that they need one of them. I'll never be able to stop it will I? No one ever will!"
"You may be able to do far more than you think Mr Lupin, you have already broken through many barriers no other werewolves have over managed to. Do not give up hope Remus. And I am sorry, I must say I rather overlooked your own personal relationship with Fenrir Greyback."
"I wouldn't exactly call it a relationship Professor, he just bit me one night and buggered off."
"But you are still angry at him aren't you."
Remus stayed silent.
"It is perfectly natural for you to be angry, he has caused you a great deal of suffering."
"There's no point even thinking like that," said Remus, almost to himself, "all that matters is that he's still out there and he will cause a great deal more suffering if nothing is done about it. That's what no one seems to understand."
"I understand Remus, and there will come a time when we can do more about it, but for now we have a Transfiguration class to get to, if you're up to it."
"Of course I'm up to it!" said Remus indignantly, subconsciously feeling his wound to check it was not bleeding again, "I'm sorry for shouting Professor."
"You are forgiven Remus," said Professor McGonagall.