Disclaimer: See chapter 1A/N: there may be weird symbols in the last chapter because I uploaded from a different computer. This isnÕt as funny, but more exciting than other chapters. Lots of a/nÕs in this chapter. Still enjoyable. What are you waiting for? Read? Review! -moi ^_^The MaraudersÕ Rivals - Chapter 4 - Secrets RevealedA year and a quarter later, it was spring. James was now good friends with Remus, Peter, and Sirius. Malfoy was also good friends with Snape, Mulciber, and Lockhart. Now James and Sirius were curious about why Remus disappeared each month. For the last few months they wanted to follow him, and now they were going to. Also, Malfoy and Snape discovered that Mulciber disappeared each month, too. (A/N: No, heÕs not a werewolf!) So James and Sirius hid under the invisibility cloak one night that Remus disappeared. Peter decided to stay behind, "What if heÕs dangerous? And the cloak best fits two people!" So he studied in the library while James and Sirius invisibly followed Remus. Mulciber also was doing his monthly disappearance too, on the same night. Malfoy and Snape were following him, and to protect themselves, they used a Soundless Curse from LuciusÕs list. Mulciber didnÕt notice them. He walked with Serpert to the empty Great Hall. "Quick! Behind this wall so Serpert doesnÕt notice us!" Snape said, but nothing came out, so he just grabbed MalfoyÕs arm and pulled him. Serpert left the Great Hall, leaving Mulciber alone there. Malfoy and Snape entered. Meanwhile, in the Slytherin common room, Lockhart looked out the window. Madam Pomfrey was leading Remus to a furious-looking tree with flailing branches. A second later, the branches stopped moving, and Remus was gone. Lockhart looked closer, then grabbed his Omnioculars. The tall grass by the tree swirled around on its own, though there was no wind. Madam Pomfrey looked kind of spooked. Then she shook it off and walked back to the castle. Under the Whomping Willow, Remus walked down the passage. Sirius stated to follow, but James held him back. "You have to be quiet, Sirius! Madam Pomfrey almost discovered us! That tree looks lethal, this could be dangerous!" "All right, all right," Sirius said. "IÕm just surprised Remus hasnÕt told us any of this." They continued down the passage after Remus. As Serpert passed by the library back to the Slytherin common room, he grumbled, "Why canÕt that poor wizard walk his ruddy self to the Great Hall? How inconvenient!" Peter, in the library, heard him, so he packed up his supplies and headed to the Great Hall. In the Great Hall, Mulciber headed off to a side door and came to a painting of a bowl of fruit. He tickled the apple. Nothing happened. Then the banana. Nothing. Then the grapes. Nothing. Then the mango. NothingÉ "Which one was it?" he moaned. Malfoy and Snape followed him. Before they entered the corridor with the painting, though, Snape heard something, and said so. Once again, Malfoy didnÕt hear him, so Snape made hand signals. Malfoy nodded and followed Mulciber. Snape stayed behind and in the Great Hall. He posed next to the doors. Someone was coming. Remus reached the Shrieking Shack, still human. He looked out the window. The moon was behind clouds, and soon to come out. He then heard footsteps. Someone was coming. He stayed by the door. Sirius and James reached the shack. It had been a long walk. They threw the cloak down, it was making them hot. "Phew, we made it." Sirius said while staring at the ground. Then he looked up and saw Remus glowering at him. "I canÕt believe youÉ" he said. "Well, sorry, but youÐ" "Why didnÕt you tell us about this place? ItÕs cool! It could be a secret meeting room!" James said. "You guys need to leave," Remus peered out the window. "Now. IÕll explain everything later. Moonlight streamed into the room. Remus looked so angry, his hair seemed to stand up. It really was, and it was getting longer. Then Sirius saw what he meant, scooped up the cloak, grabbed JamesÕs arm, and ran like the wind. When Madam Pomfrey returned to the castle, Lockhart stopped looking out the window. Then when moonlight came into the room, he looked again. Using his Omnioculars, he could see clear to Hogsmeade. The newest building there, which he didnÕt really recognize, didnÕt look new at all. It was the battered old Shrieking Shack. As he looked through one of the windows, he saw the moonlight have a grand effect. It made the whole room glow. He recognized that glow. He never really wrestled a werewolf (A/N: you all should know that), but he had experienced that. He concluded that there was a werewolf in the Shrieking Shack. Peter entered the Great Hall and immediately had the full Body-Bind cast on him by Snape. Snape remained there to keep watch. Mulciber tickled the pear. It laughed, and the kitchen door opened. He entered and was greeted by a house-elf. Your dosage, sir!" it said. It gave Mulciber a goblet filled with a blood-red liquid. Mulciber drank it, and suddenly looked relaxed. "And can I have my Sunblocking Solution? "Here, sir!" the house-elf said, and gave Mulciber a large olive green flask. "Oh yeah, can you serve all the things with garlic at the far end of the table from now on?" "We will try to remember, sir! Good night!" Mulciber turned around and saw Malfoy, his mouth hanging wide open. "Okay, what now?" Mulciber said. Malfoy opened his mouth several times, but nothing came out. Mulciber thought it was pure shock, but it was the Soundless Curse. Malfoy removed it. "YouÕre a vampire. Why didnÕt you tell us? You drink blood monthly, you canÕt be in the sun without a solution, and you try to avoid garlic. ItÕs pretty simple, now, Vladimir." (A/N: MulciberÕs first name, revealed in Chapter 2 at the sorting). "All right, I admit it. Goodbye." "What do you mean, goodbye?" "YouÕre not going to be my friend anymore cause I'm a vampire." "Nobody said that, dude." "Somebody will! IÕll probably unwillingly suck your blood." "We can find a solution," Malfoy said. "Even if itÕs in the restricted section. Come along now." They walked back into the Great Hall. Malfoy yelled out, "Severus, you wonÕt believe this! ItÕs unbelievable! Mulciber, heÕs a vaÐ" He was cut off by Snape, who said "SHUT UP!" and pointed to Peter. He was frozen on the ground, but still all ears. Snape would have been able to cut him off sooner if it werenÕt for him taking off the Soundless Curse. "LetÕs just go, ok?" Mulciber said. They kicked Peter back into the Entrance Hall and returned to their common room. James and Sirius ran up to the castle from the Shrieking shack, only to find Peter laying there. They healed him and returned him to the Gryffindor common room. James and Sirius told Peter all they found out. Peter told them what he heard from Malfoy about Mulciber. Finally, Remus returned after a while. "Okay, what have you suspected?" he said. "Your hair was growing longer," Sirius replied. "You disappear every full moon," James said. "You told them to leave," Peter added. "YouÕre a werewolf," James concluded. (A/N: No surprise there!) Remus looked at them furtively, then broke into tears and dashed up to the dorms. James looked at the other two, all three with bewildered looks on their faces. "Do you find a problem with that?" he queried. "Sort of, but I bet thereÕs a solution!" Sirius said. "LetÕs just leave it for tomorrow," Peter yawned. That made James and Sirius yawn, so they headed up to bed. That made the author yawn, so end of chapter.Read? Review! -moi