3 September 1973

On the first day of third year lessons, Remus arrived at the Great Hall fifteen minutes early. Pausing at the threshold, Remus glanced around to find that very few other students were out and about. The Hufflepuff table was completely empty, and only a smattering of puffy-eyed seventh years was huddled at the far end of the Ravenclaw table. Lily Evans was sitting at the Slytherin table with Severus Snape, engrossed in what looked like a serious conversation. Snape was gesticulating emphatically as he spoke; Lily's eyes were narrowed.

Remus headed for the Gryffindor table. Its only occupant was a black-haired boy surrounded by an impressive pile of books; his nose was buried deep inside one of them. It wasn't until Remus was right next to him that he realized that the boy was not, in fact, a stranger.

"James?" Remus asked in disbelief.

James jumped, dropping his book on the floor and blinking around in bewilderment. Then, his eyes fell on Remus. "Oh—hey, Remus."

Remus stared at his friend. "What're you doing down here so early? I didn't even realize you'd left the dorm."

James reached under the table and picked up the book he'd dropped. Remus glanced at it—it was Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander.

"I woke up early to go to the library," James shrugged, stuffing the book into his schoolbag. "I wanted to check out a few books before class."

Remus raised his eyebrows. "You went to the library?"

James looked up, frowning. "Yeah. Why?"

"No reason," Remus said mildly, taking a seat beside James and sliding his schoolbag under the bench. "I just didn't think you knew where it was."

James rolled his eyes. "I see the summer hasn't dulled your wit in the slightest."

Remus grinned, leaning over to examine the pile of books that was still sitting on the breakfast table in front of James: Fascinating Fauna of the United KingdomA Comprehensive Guide to Wizarding Wildlife…every single one of the books was related to animals.

"What on Earth have you got all of these books for?" Remus asked James in amazement. "You aren't even taking Care of Magical Creatures."

Before James could answer, the doors to the Great Hall swung open, and a sizable crowd of students swarmed inside, chattering happily and filtering into the four house tables. Sirius and Peter were among them. Looking around and spotting Remus and James, they hurried up the aisle between the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables.

"I'm starving," Sirius groaned, swinging himself onto the bench opposite Remus—and as if on cue, the empty platters on the Gryffindor table suddenly filled with food. Sirius's face brightened. "Wicked!"

Remus shook his head in amusement, pulling forward his own plate and helping himself to several slices of toast, as well as a spoonful of scrambled eggs. Then, glancing to his right, he saw that James had just finished squeezing the last of his new library books into his schoolbag. Frowning slightly, Remus opened his mouth to ask about them again, but at that very moment—

"Good morning, you four."

Remus looked over his shoulder. Professor McGonagall was standing over them, her green eyes stern behind her square spectacles. In her hands, she was carrying a stack of timetables.

"Good morning, Professor," Sirius called, with a dazzling smile. "How was your summer?"

Professor McGonagall looked at him, arching an eyebrow. "It was just fine, Mr. Black, thank you for asking," she said tartly. Her gaze swept over the other three boys. "I sincerely hope that I will not be required to write as many letters to your parents this year, gentlemen."

"Of course not, Professor," James said in a very earnest tone—and Remus could have sworn he saw a corner of Professor McGonagall's lips twitch.

"Here are your class schedules," she said briskly, pulling four timetables out of her stack and passing them to Remus. Then, with a curt nod, she swept down the length of the Gryffindor table to entrust the rest of the house's timetables to seventh year Alice Fawley, the new Head Girl.

"We've got Transfiguration first thing," Peter observed, accepting his schedule from Remus. "Then, Potions with the Slytherins—and Defense Against the Dark Arts, third. I wonder what Professor Carmichael will be like."

"Can't be worse than Bletchley, can she?" Sirius asked darkly. "I swear, I've never been so happy to hear that someone got Dragon Pox. That miserable, old sod deserved it—"

"Sirius," Remus admonished.

"What? It's true," Sirius insisted, scrutinizing his own timetable. "What've you all got after lunch?"

"Divination," Peter said brightly. "I can't wait—Professor Quisenberry's supposed to be excellent."

"I've got Muggle Studies," James noted.

"Me, too," Sirius said, in a tone of great excitement.

Remus glanced at Sirius, grinning. "What did your parents say when you told them you were taking it?"

Sirius smirked. "I've decided to wait until December to break the news," he said airily. "In fact, I'm going to announce it to the whole family at Christmas dinner." He paused, eyes gleaming. "I think my mother might faint."

James snorted with laughter.

A little over an hour later, the four boys trooped out of the Great Hall and toward the Transfiguration classroom on the far end of the ground floor corridor. When they arrived at the classroom, the five Gryffindor girls were already there. Lily Evans, Mary Macdonald, and Honora Griffiths were seated in the front row, while Cat Deverill and Maggie Wickersham occupied the desk behind theirs, giggling over a copy of Witch Weekly.

Remus followed James, Sirius, and Peter to two adjacent desks on the other side of the classroom. Immediately, James pulled out the enchanted notepad (the messages disappeared after a few seconds) that he and Sirius had been using to pass notes in class since first year. Rolling his eyes amusedly, Remus reached into his own schoolbag and withdrew his Transfiguration spellbook, a quill, an inkpot, and a sheaf of parchment.

Just then, the classroom door swung open, and Professor McGonagall swept inside. With a flick of her wand, she sent a piece of chalk zooming to the chalkboard, where it began writing. Remus glanced sideways at James and Sirius to find the two of them with their heads still bent over their notepad. Smiling to himself, Remus turned to face the front of the classroom again. Professor McGonagall had taken her customary place behind her desk, and her chalk piece had finished writing a single word on the board: 'ANIMAGI.'

Suddenly, Professor McGonagall cleared her throat. "Miss Wickersham, put that silly magazine away," she snapped. "And Mr. Potter, if I see that notebook in my classroom one more time, it's mine."

Remus watched in amusement as James looked up and gave Professor McGonagall his most practiced, ingratiating smile. "Sorry, Professor—" James broke off, his eyes widening as they landed on the chalkboard. Then, with a soft thump, his notepad slipped out of his fingers and fell under his desk.

Remus raised his eyebrows at him.

Professor McGonagall rolled her eyes, turning back to face the classroom at large. "Today, we will be learning about Animagi," she announced. "Who here can tell me what an Animagus is?"

Sirius raised his hand carelessly. Remus raised his hand, too—and so, to Remus's surprise, did James. While James was easily the best in their year at Transfiguration, he seldom chose to play the part of the attentive student.

Apparently, Professor McGonagall was surprised by this unexpected show of attentiveness, too, for she narrowed her eyes suspiciously at James. "Mr. Potter?"

"An Animagus is a witch or wizard who can turn into an animal at will," James explained in a rush.

"That is correct. Five points to Gryffindor," said Professor McGonagall crisply.

Then, suddenly, before their very eyes, Professor McGonagall transformed into a tabby cat with square-shaped markings around its eyes. Remus gasped, dropping his quill and leaning forward. With a mew, the cat sprung lightly onto the teacher's desk and proceeded to prowl its length two times. Then, it turned to face the students, leaping forward into the air—and with a faint pop, Professor McGonagall appeared before them once again.

There was a shivering silence, the shock of the moment suspended. Then, the room burst into uproarious applause—led by a particularly enthusiastic James and Sirius, both of whom had gotten to their feet.

"Settle down…settle down, everyone," Professor McGonagall ordered, though she was actually smiling. "As you have just witnessed, I am one of seven Animagi in the United Kingdom and Ireland that have been registered to the Ministry of Magic's database this century. The Ministry keeps very tight tabs on the witches and wizards who become Animagi because the process is an exceptionally challenging one, and it has been known to go horribly wrong, in some cases resulting in death…"

Remus didn't hear the next several minutes of Professor McGonagall's lecture. He was too busy staring at James and Sirius, both of whom were leaning over their tabletop and gazing at Professor McGonagall with rapt admiration. Remus blinked. It was odd enough that James had actually put his infamous notepad away…now, he was paying attention? Remus shook his head slowly, turning to his right to draw Peter's attention to this bizarre behavior—but then, he froze. Peter, too, was watching Professor McGonagall intently, his eyes glassy and his mouth agape.

"…Human-to-animal Transfiguration is not the same as becoming an Animagus," Professor McGonagall was saying. "A talented wizard can easily transfigure his nose into a beak, or his feet into hooves, but that does not make him an Animagus. Transfiguration is a form of spell-casting, whereas becoming an Animagus is for life. It is a truly identity-altering experience—your Animagus form is a part of you. The animal you become represents the very essence of your character…"

The word 'animal' triggered something in Remus's memory—the pile of books that James had borrowed from the library that morning. James could play it off all he liked, but the fact that he'd gotten out of bed a half-hour early to raid the library was not normal—and the fact that all the books he'd borrowed were all about animals was even stranger. Remus tried to recall the last time he'd seen James read so avidly about something other than Quidditch, but nothing came to mind. Apart from poring over the copy of Seeker Weekly that he received every Saturday and dissecting the League standings table that was published in the Sports section of the Daily Prophet each month, James was hardly what Remus would consider a lover of literature…

But then, as Remus faced the front of the classroom again, the memory of a third Quidditch-related publication came to him—a bright green book with a Golden Snitch emblazoned across the front—only the pages had nothing to do with Quidditch…and they were covered in notes—James's notes…

Remus's entire body went rigid. Heart thundering against his ribcage, Remus turned abruptly to stare at James and Sirius. They were still watching Professor McGonagall speak about Animagi with expressions of immense concentration. James had actually taken out a scroll of parchment and a quill—and the sight of James's hand moving across his parchment, tracing ink into the same untidy scrawl that had once graced the margins of a book about the defining characteristics of werewolves, filled Remus with blind panic. Ears ringing, Remus rose suddenly to his feet and gaped down at James and Sirius in horror.

"No," he said loudly.

The classroom went very silent. Coming back to himself, Remus glanced around. Everyone was looking at him—including Professor McGongall, whose expression was half-surprised, half-disapproving.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Lupin?" she asked slowly.

Remus felt his cheeks flood with heat. He glanced at James and Sirius, both of whom were eyeing him quizzically. Then, swallowing, Remus shook his head and sat back down. "No, Professor."

Professor McGonagall's eyes lingered on him for a moment longer. "Very well, then. As I was saying before…"

But Remus couldn't bring himself to pay attention to a single word of the rest of Professor McGonagall's lecture. His mind felt so numb, so utterly empty, that he couldn't have rubbed two thoughts together if he'd tried. When the bell finally rang to signal the end of the lesson, Remus crammed his possessions into his schoolbag at three times the speed he usually did. Then, without a word, he seized both James and Peter by their upper arms, marching them out of the Transfiguration classroom and down the ground floor corridor; Sirius followed at their heels.

At last, when Remus decided that they had put enough distance between themselves and Professor McGonagall, he released James and Peter and swiveled around, regarding all three of his friends with horror. "Are you all insane?"

At once, James's and Sirius's faces took on identically defiant, resolute expressions.

"Remus—" James began, but Remus quelled him with an uncharacteristically severe look.

"Of all of the ideas you've come up with in the past two years," Remus said fiercely, glowering at James, "this one is by far the worst."

James narrowed his eyes. "Are you finished, mate?"

"Animagi?" Remus hissed, gaping from James, to Sirius, to Peter; the latter shuffled uncomfortably. "Animagi? Are you mad? What on Earth would possess you—?"

"This," James interjected, reaching into his schoolbag and pulling out a familiar green book—the werewolf book, still disguised as Quidditch Through the Ages. Opening it, he quickly flipped it to the bookmark. Then, he held it out to Remus. "Left page, second paragraph from the bottom—read it."

Too bewildered to argue, Remus reached out and gingerly accepted the book from James, seeking out the indicated passage.

As an individual afflicted with lycanthropy matures, his or her werewolf form follows suit. As a result, teenaged werewolves are often considered particularly treacherous. Increased hormones, in conjunction with a larger body, make the teen wolf far more ferocious and volatile than its adult counterparts. For this reason, werewolf mortality rates are known to skyrocket between the ages of 13 and 17.

Remus stared down at the paragraph for several minutes. Then, very slowly, he looked up at his friends. They were all watching him closely.

"I…I don't…" Remus trailed off, his throat dry.

James released a heavy sigh, reaching forward and taking the book back from Remus. "It's exactly how it sounds," he said in a low voice. "As you go through puberty, so does the wolf."

Remus opened his mouth, then closed it again, almost immediately.

"But we've found a way to help," James continued, his tone suddenly decisive as he slipped the book back into his bag. "We become Animagi."

Remus stared at James, long and hard.

"What?" he asked finally.

"Animagi," Peter chimed in. "We figured it out last year—werewolves only go after humans. They don't hunt animals."

Remus opened his mouth to answer—but once again, no sound came out. The gears in his brain had screeched to a halt, refusing to process further. Surely…surely, his friends weren't saying what he thought they were…

"Are you telling me," Remus said slowly, "that…that you want to—?"

"We want to become Animagi and keep you company on the full moons," Sirius cut in.

It was several, long moments before Remus's mouth was able to catch up with his brain. "That's extremely illegal."

"Er—" James ran a hand through his hair, his expression sheepish. "Well—yeah…it is."

"You'd be sent to Azkaban if you were caught," Remus continued, his voice rising slightly.

"We know that," Sirius said quietly.

"You heard McGonagall today—people have died trying to complete the process—"

"They just didn't prepare enough," Peter insisted.

Remus mouthed soundlessly at his friends. They were all considering him steadily, but Remus was finding it very hard to meet their gazes. Staring down at his knees, Remus shook his head. "No."

"No?" Sirius demanded.

Remus glanced up.

"No, I won't let you do this," Remus said, giving his head another sharp shake. "I won't let you risk your lives to help me—"

"Remus, don't you get it?" James burst out, drawing himself up to his full height and glaring at him. "It's your life that's at stake here!"

"But—"

"Look—we're doing this with or without your approval, mate," Sirius said firmly, his gaze unwavering. "But quite frankly, we'd prefer your help. James may be the best in our year at Transfiguration, but he's rubbish at navigating a library."

James elbowed Sirius in the ribs.

Remus swallowed painfully, rubbing his forehead. "Please," he begged, as a last resort. "Please don't do this."

"Remus, you might kill yourself if we don't," James said sharply. "And what sorts of friends would we be if we sat back and let you?"

A chill stole over Remus. There was a blazing determination in James's eyes—and suddenly, Remus knew what was going to happen before it did.

He closed his eyes and released a slow, deep breath.

Then, opening his eyes and lifting his chin, he looked at James. "You aren't going figure out how to become an Animagus by reading books about magical creatures," Remus told him. "In fact, you're going to need to get your Invisibility Cloak out and pay a visit to the restricted section—that's the only place you'll find anything."

There was a stunned pause.

Then, suddenly, James's face split into a broad grin. "I think we've been a horrible influence on you, mate," he declared, eyes shining. "And I mean that in the best way."

Remus rolled his eyes—but in spite of himself, he was unable to resist a small smile. "C'mon, let's get to Potions. We're fifteen minutes late."


Author's Note:

I'm going to switch to updating on Tuesday for the next several weeks because my Wednesdays have become SUUUPER busy! Hope you enjoyed this!

Ari