What I did next is nothing to brag about, but what can one do when confronted with their greatest fear?

I ran. It was probably the wisest thing that I could do at the moment. I spent the remainder of the trip in one of the many boys' bathrooms. I will not describe all that I went through, but I will say that by the time the train had stopped, my lunch was no longer in my stomach, where it belonged.

By some miracle, I made it to my parents without being seen by my friends—no, I do not know what they are now, I guess they have become former companions. I put my belonging in the trunk of the car and sat down. My Dad was just pulling away as I saw James running after me as fast as he could.

Seeing the boy, my dad stopped the car.

"Dad!" I said, about ready to panic or just get out of the car and run some more, "Please, please just go, I, I cannot talk to him, not now!"

My father nodded and pulled away. Perhaps the request surprised him, or maybe he heard the urgency in my voice.


Back home, no one asked me anything, although it seemed that they were worried. I could not confide in them as I always had. I guess I felt as if I had let them down. I did not tell them, but I had already made up my mind on the matter. I was not going to finish school.

It had only been my third day home when something happened that awoke me from my anguish. An owl came to my window. It bared a letter. It was from James. At the sight of it I knew what was in it, a threat, perhaps blackmail. Probably saying to do everything he said or he would tell the school.

My self-pity turned into a deep anger at my old friends. I took the letter from the owl and fed her, then sent the owl back to James, with the very letter he sent me…unopened.

For a while, I was out of my sad, hurt mood. There was a fire in my eyes. Instead of feeling as if I had somehow betrayed my friends, it was them I felt who betrayed me.

Over the few couple weeks, I had received a dozen more letters. I did to them as I had the first. Returned them unopened.

Finally it was the point of no return. I had to tell my parents that I was not going back. It did not go as planned.

"You cannot let some idiots keep you from becoming a great wizard!" My mother argued.

"Besides," my father agreed, "Talk to Dumbledore, he will keep those people from talking."

"This is the only chance you have to become something other than a feared being with little knowledge."

"It is agreed then, you are going!"

Thus it was, and there was nothing I could do about it.



After a while I stopped receiving letters, I guess they gave up, I was glad.

Time flew by, and soon it was time to buy my school supplies. I had to buy them a week early as I had a transformation two days before I had to go to school.

For once I was glad to have to transform, that meant that I would not be in Diagon Alley at the time that James, Sirius, and Peter would be there.

This transformation was the worst yet. I was nervous, angry, and panicking over the thought of returning to school. It was not like last year when I thought that no one would befriend me; this year my old friends knew who I was, and if I wanted to keep my secret I would be at their mercy.

Perhaps I should not care who knew that I was a werewolf, at least people would leave me alone; so great is the fear of my kind.

Despite my decision, when I boarded the train to Hogwarts I made sure that I found an empty car before I sat down for the ride. Yes, I did decide that I would not care what people thought of me, but that was no reason to put myself in a place where I would have to talk to them.

I guess I was lucky; I did not meet up with anyone that I knew while on the train. A couple first years did decide to share the car with me. They were twins, brother and sister. They were quite quiet, a bit shy I think.

Before long we ended our journey and the bulk of the students went to school on the horseless carriages. The exception to this was the first year students; they were brought to school by boat.

At the sorting, I sat far away from Peter, James, and Sirius. Funny, I do not think they even saw me yet. This was the last place I could hide from them. Once we went to our bed, they would see me. All second year Gryffindor boys share a dormitory.

I notice the twins as they came in; they were talking to a raven-haired girl. The twins were looking quite shaken.

I sat lost in my thoughts until the twin the first twin was called. Although I did not know them, I was curious where they would be placed.

Rubin and Robin Freeson were placed into Gryffindor. The girl that they were talking to was placed in Ravenclaw.

Before long, the feast was served. Turkey and roast beef and chicken, OH MY! It was great. I had forgotten how good the food is here!

My joy at a full stomach lasted only as long as the table was full. When it was time to go to our dorms, I stayed at the end of the line. Around me were mostly first years. I did not mind; it gave me some time to think.

We were just told the password when a hand grabbed my shoulder. When I started to yell, there was something blocking my mouth. I was not able to see who or what had me. All I knew is that they were taking me further back from everyone else.

"Who do you think you are?" Said a familiar voice.

"Yeah, Running away from us at the station was bad enough, but then not even opening our letters?"

I broke their grasp and turned to face them.

"Just because you know what I am does not mean the I will let you manipulate me! Go ahead, tell everyone, I can't get any worse off then I was before! So. Quite. Trying. To. Control. Me! I do not give a care what you think, you stay out of my way, and I will stay out of yours."

I turned away from Sirius and James. I wondered briefly where Peter was, but I did not get a chance to do much more than that.

A sharp pain went through my skull as Sirius' fist connected with the back of my head.

I fell to my knees, put my hand to my head, and then jumped up to face Sirius.

"What do you think you are doing?" I readied myself to fight both James and Sirius, but what Sirius said stopped me short.

"I was trying to knock some sense into you."

"W-w-what do you mean?" I stuttered.

"You idiot!" James jumped in. "You think we care that you are a werewolf? We don't. We made friends with Remus the personality, not Remus that human. If human were the case, then we would like Severus."

"Fine line. I think he is half snake." Sirius muttered.

"I could not speak, no word would come. For the first time in my life, I had friends, the real kind. They were the kinds who see me for who, not what I am.


NEXT CHAPTER VOLTEMORT RETURNS, AND THIS TIME HE DOES MORE THEN JUST CAUSE PEOPLE TO DISAPPEAR!

Preview:

New traveled fast, but it was hard to tell fact from rumors.Some people said that school was closing early; others said that Dumbledore was not going to send any of us home for the summer. All I knew for sure is that people were choosing sides. This Voldemort wizard was killing nearly everyone who did not follow him upon his command. James' father was still missing, and it did not take much thought to be able to tell why. It all tied to this unknown wizard.

I do not know what is to be done about school, but what I do know is that the sky was darkened by numerous owls, and very few were addressed to the students of Hogwarts.