On the first Saturday of the first week of school Remus was due for his
transformation as a werewolf. Since he didn't have Madam Pomfrey
accompanying him anymore James was able to sneak him out in his
Invisibility Cloak, but before they went they had a few obstacles to get
through.
' Well we're not doing that potion because of the Boomslang,' James said wishing he could talk to her about quidditch instead of homework.
' Right,' she gave him a quick smile before returning to her parchment.
' Lily uh that's not what you put in next,'
' I'm so tired of this work James I'd much rather be doing something else,' Lily looked into James's eyes and he gulped as he tried to avoid her nervous gaze.
' And what else would you...,'
' James time to go,' Remus said with a impatient dance on the spot.
' But I,'
' But nothing lets go,' Remus said with a flicker of a look at the window. James did to, time was running out, it seemed that Remus had already given him enough time to nooky.
' Sorry Lily I uh have to go,' James said by running an anxious hand through his untidy hair.
' But I,'
' Later!' he said hurridly from the portrait hole. Lily sighed and pored over her homework again.
' I wish I could go,' Sirius sulked from behind his Charms book.
Neither of them spoke to each other for most of the sneaky trip for James under the invisibility cloak. Finally as they made their way onto the grounds Remus opened his mouth to speak.
' I gave you time with her, your lucky you know, we're cutting it close. What was the last thing she said to you? You don't normally mess with your hair,'
' Thats cause I know I'm fighting a losing battle with it,'
' Well what'd she say?' Remus said to James as he fiddled with the sticky up part at the back.
' Well i'm not really sure...,' he said looking at an interesting firefly. They had reached the willow, and the sun was close to setting. Remus picked up a long stick nearby and poked the knot in the tree. He slipped down the hole closely followed by James.
' Lumos,' Remus said as held his Dragon Heartstring, Mahogany, 9 and a quarter inches wand in front of himself. Just as Remus had entered the house his body started to change and contort.
' Ah, bugger,' James said as he turned into the magnificent creamy white stag.
Early the next morning a small and thin figure at the Whomping Willow appeared out of the base of the trunk. He seemed to be waiting for something before he left. But Severus couldn't see what it was through the blanket of fog.
James and Remus made their way up to the common room, tiptoeing through the just rising sun. Finally reaching the common room the two exhausted boys collapsed on the chairs in front of the newly lit fire. Just as they had fallen into a light slumber someone came down from the girls dormitories.
' Remus what are you doing here?' Lily's voice floated sweetly over James ears. She hadn't seen James because he still had his cloak on.
' Well I'm here with,' he looked over at James before remembering what he was wearing ' I mean I couldn't sleep so i came downstairs,' Lily made towards the chair where James was but Remus got up.
' Here have my chair,' he smiled cheesily as he made his way upstairs. Lily sat down and James had all the time in the world to stare at her longingly.
' I was kind of hoping James would be here,' she sighed; Remus had only reached the foot of the stairs.
' What was that Lily,'
' Nothing!' James accidentally cried out from the empty chair, Lily snapped her head around. Remus gave James an exasperated stare as he mouthed the word 'dumb-ass'.
' Was that James?'
' No my uh voice popped,' Remus said quickly whilst heading up the stairs. Lily stared right through James and muttered something about how nuts this castle was.
Later that day James spent most of his time moping by the window waiting for an owl to arrive. He didn't speak to anyone nor did he want anyone near him, he was getting annoyingly anxious again. Sirius and Lily sat with their homework, taking close observation of his strange behaviour.
' Should we tell him post doesn't normally come on Sundays?' Lily asked drawing a loveheart on her parchment.
' No he'll get even more antsy; I don't know what he's waiting for,' Sirius said flicking a piece of breakfast at him. James snapped around.
' Come on Sirius, lets go to the Quidditch pitch and work on your passes,' James picked up the broom which had been at his feet for some time. Sirius packed his books away and came back with his broom swinging an arm around James and talking low into his ear.
' Inserperable aren't they?' Lily asked Remus who was trying to sneak a dungbomb down her shirt.
' Ever since they met. They've been really good to me especially about.I've said too much,' Remus said turning around and sitting in front of the fire. James didn't talk the whole way to the Quidditch pitch, Sirius tended to ramble and he was quite happy to listen to him talk about the daily prophet.
' There's a girl about a year or so below us who was to be a reporter for the paper but she's really nosy and she always has long nails and weird glasses, she scares me. Rita or something,' Sirius stopped talking and looked at James who was staring at the pitch, the grass was a crisp green and rippling from not being trimmed for the holidays and the three thirty sun was making the clouds look like little bits of yellow fluff.
' I love Quidditch Sirius, it's the only thing keeping me sane. One day my son will be a Quidditch player,' James said as the breeze slammed a twig in his face.
' I know your parents never have much time for you but they have jobs James,'
' I never said anything about my,'
' I know that, but I also know your thinking about it, why else are you getting anxious for a letter,' Sirius smiled at him and kicked off onto the pitch.
' Hey!' James yelled after him kicking into the hard breeze. After circling the pitch for minutes on end the sun was beginning to set.
' You really like Lily don't you?' Sirius yelled from the ground as James practiced a Wronskei Feint. James didn't have time to reply, Hagrid had come onto the pitch to trim it.
' O'right James come on,' he said with a big smile. Hagrid's beard was much smaller and his eyes were more visible, this also meant he didn't get as much food on his beard. Hagrid must've heard Sirius because they both laughed at the thought of James trying to show off. He landed smoothly his robes billowing from behind him. Hagrid and Sirius smiled at him cheekily.
' Yes I do ok?' James said blushing heatedly like a cherry flavoured bertie botts bean. Hagrid offered to walk them to the main entrance. Hagrid kept going on about how much he wanted a new pet since his baby giant squid ran away. Something more muggle so that he could keep it for longer.
' Visit the pub Hagrid,' chimed James and Sirius. Hagrid went slightly pink in the ears before giving the boys a hippogriff sized hug. It was almost dinner time so the duo placed their brooms in the change rooms and bolted to dinner. Hardly anyone was in the hall, only a few who were playing chess or swapping cards. Peter, Remus, Delila, Lily and Petunia were already sitting at the Gryffindor table playing exploding snap. Sirius turned to James and gave him a 'don't even start' kind of look, flicking his eyes at Petunia. Peter looked up and waved the two over. Lily looked up and smiled but James looked immediately at his feet and stumbled.
' It's been a while Delila, where've you been?' Sirius asked looking at Remus.
' I've been here, I went home for a little bit because my mother was sick again,' Remus placed an tentative arm around her. James sighed and sat down for dinner thinking about how he had just snubbed Lily. As people started filing into the hall the plates, cutlery and goblets appeared on the tables. All through dinner Lily looked at her plate and Sirius poked him in the ribs. James didn't want this. He got up as soon as he finished.
' Where're you...?' Remus started but James just waved his hand. James wondered the castle, head down, his hands in his pockets not knowing where he was going, just going up and down random stairs, in and out different doors and panels, paintings and passages. He didn't know how long he had been going when he found himself in a dark dungeon deep under the castle. Last he remembered was being on the third floor near one of the abandoned classrooms. As he stepped forward all of the torches flickered on except for two which framed an archway in the shadows of the other torches. James stepped forward curiously; dust clouds swelled around his feet as he went. Suddenly two ruby eyes flickered in the pitch darkness of the archway. There was only a tiny bit of light that barely highlighted the tall thin figure in the shadows.
' Who are you?' James' voice echoed off the black walls.
' Someone very powerful, who fears one thing but needs someone to help him overcome that fear,' James felt a stab of cold as the figure stepped forward. The figure became more imminent as the person or thing stepped toward the light. He, from the sound of its voice, was wearing a billowing black cloak with a hood that now covered his eyes. There was a fastening on the front with a single chain and badge. The badge was black with a green skull on the front with a serpent protruding from it's mouth. It glinted in the torch light behind James. He also wore dragon-hide boots, at least twenty years old, with gold caps on the toes.
' What do you want with me?' James asked trying to see the strangers eyes. Suddenly an aura of invisible power around the figure made the dust swirl and skip away.
' Well we're not doing that potion because of the Boomslang,' James said wishing he could talk to her about quidditch instead of homework.
' Right,' she gave him a quick smile before returning to her parchment.
' Lily uh that's not what you put in next,'
' I'm so tired of this work James I'd much rather be doing something else,' Lily looked into James's eyes and he gulped as he tried to avoid her nervous gaze.
' And what else would you...,'
' James time to go,' Remus said with a impatient dance on the spot.
' But I,'
' But nothing lets go,' Remus said with a flicker of a look at the window. James did to, time was running out, it seemed that Remus had already given him enough time to nooky.
' Sorry Lily I uh have to go,' James said by running an anxious hand through his untidy hair.
' But I,'
' Later!' he said hurridly from the portrait hole. Lily sighed and pored over her homework again.
' I wish I could go,' Sirius sulked from behind his Charms book.
Neither of them spoke to each other for most of the sneaky trip for James under the invisibility cloak. Finally as they made their way onto the grounds Remus opened his mouth to speak.
' I gave you time with her, your lucky you know, we're cutting it close. What was the last thing she said to you? You don't normally mess with your hair,'
' Thats cause I know I'm fighting a losing battle with it,'
' Well what'd she say?' Remus said to James as he fiddled with the sticky up part at the back.
' Well i'm not really sure...,' he said looking at an interesting firefly. They had reached the willow, and the sun was close to setting. Remus picked up a long stick nearby and poked the knot in the tree. He slipped down the hole closely followed by James.
' Lumos,' Remus said as held his Dragon Heartstring, Mahogany, 9 and a quarter inches wand in front of himself. Just as Remus had entered the house his body started to change and contort.
' Ah, bugger,' James said as he turned into the magnificent creamy white stag.
Early the next morning a small and thin figure at the Whomping Willow appeared out of the base of the trunk. He seemed to be waiting for something before he left. But Severus couldn't see what it was through the blanket of fog.
James and Remus made their way up to the common room, tiptoeing through the just rising sun. Finally reaching the common room the two exhausted boys collapsed on the chairs in front of the newly lit fire. Just as they had fallen into a light slumber someone came down from the girls dormitories.
' Remus what are you doing here?' Lily's voice floated sweetly over James ears. She hadn't seen James because he still had his cloak on.
' Well I'm here with,' he looked over at James before remembering what he was wearing ' I mean I couldn't sleep so i came downstairs,' Lily made towards the chair where James was but Remus got up.
' Here have my chair,' he smiled cheesily as he made his way upstairs. Lily sat down and James had all the time in the world to stare at her longingly.
' I was kind of hoping James would be here,' she sighed; Remus had only reached the foot of the stairs.
' What was that Lily,'
' Nothing!' James accidentally cried out from the empty chair, Lily snapped her head around. Remus gave James an exasperated stare as he mouthed the word 'dumb-ass'.
' Was that James?'
' No my uh voice popped,' Remus said quickly whilst heading up the stairs. Lily stared right through James and muttered something about how nuts this castle was.
Later that day James spent most of his time moping by the window waiting for an owl to arrive. He didn't speak to anyone nor did he want anyone near him, he was getting annoyingly anxious again. Sirius and Lily sat with their homework, taking close observation of his strange behaviour.
' Should we tell him post doesn't normally come on Sundays?' Lily asked drawing a loveheart on her parchment.
' No he'll get even more antsy; I don't know what he's waiting for,' Sirius said flicking a piece of breakfast at him. James snapped around.
' Come on Sirius, lets go to the Quidditch pitch and work on your passes,' James picked up the broom which had been at his feet for some time. Sirius packed his books away and came back with his broom swinging an arm around James and talking low into his ear.
' Inserperable aren't they?' Lily asked Remus who was trying to sneak a dungbomb down her shirt.
' Ever since they met. They've been really good to me especially about.I've said too much,' Remus said turning around and sitting in front of the fire. James didn't talk the whole way to the Quidditch pitch, Sirius tended to ramble and he was quite happy to listen to him talk about the daily prophet.
' There's a girl about a year or so below us who was to be a reporter for the paper but she's really nosy and she always has long nails and weird glasses, she scares me. Rita or something,' Sirius stopped talking and looked at James who was staring at the pitch, the grass was a crisp green and rippling from not being trimmed for the holidays and the three thirty sun was making the clouds look like little bits of yellow fluff.
' I love Quidditch Sirius, it's the only thing keeping me sane. One day my son will be a Quidditch player,' James said as the breeze slammed a twig in his face.
' I know your parents never have much time for you but they have jobs James,'
' I never said anything about my,'
' I know that, but I also know your thinking about it, why else are you getting anxious for a letter,' Sirius smiled at him and kicked off onto the pitch.
' Hey!' James yelled after him kicking into the hard breeze. After circling the pitch for minutes on end the sun was beginning to set.
' You really like Lily don't you?' Sirius yelled from the ground as James practiced a Wronskei Feint. James didn't have time to reply, Hagrid had come onto the pitch to trim it.
' O'right James come on,' he said with a big smile. Hagrid's beard was much smaller and his eyes were more visible, this also meant he didn't get as much food on his beard. Hagrid must've heard Sirius because they both laughed at the thought of James trying to show off. He landed smoothly his robes billowing from behind him. Hagrid and Sirius smiled at him cheekily.
' Yes I do ok?' James said blushing heatedly like a cherry flavoured bertie botts bean. Hagrid offered to walk them to the main entrance. Hagrid kept going on about how much he wanted a new pet since his baby giant squid ran away. Something more muggle so that he could keep it for longer.
' Visit the pub Hagrid,' chimed James and Sirius. Hagrid went slightly pink in the ears before giving the boys a hippogriff sized hug. It was almost dinner time so the duo placed their brooms in the change rooms and bolted to dinner. Hardly anyone was in the hall, only a few who were playing chess or swapping cards. Peter, Remus, Delila, Lily and Petunia were already sitting at the Gryffindor table playing exploding snap. Sirius turned to James and gave him a 'don't even start' kind of look, flicking his eyes at Petunia. Peter looked up and waved the two over. Lily looked up and smiled but James looked immediately at his feet and stumbled.
' It's been a while Delila, where've you been?' Sirius asked looking at Remus.
' I've been here, I went home for a little bit because my mother was sick again,' Remus placed an tentative arm around her. James sighed and sat down for dinner thinking about how he had just snubbed Lily. As people started filing into the hall the plates, cutlery and goblets appeared on the tables. All through dinner Lily looked at her plate and Sirius poked him in the ribs. James didn't want this. He got up as soon as he finished.
' Where're you...?' Remus started but James just waved his hand. James wondered the castle, head down, his hands in his pockets not knowing where he was going, just going up and down random stairs, in and out different doors and panels, paintings and passages. He didn't know how long he had been going when he found himself in a dark dungeon deep under the castle. Last he remembered was being on the third floor near one of the abandoned classrooms. As he stepped forward all of the torches flickered on except for two which framed an archway in the shadows of the other torches. James stepped forward curiously; dust clouds swelled around his feet as he went. Suddenly two ruby eyes flickered in the pitch darkness of the archway. There was only a tiny bit of light that barely highlighted the tall thin figure in the shadows.
' Who are you?' James' voice echoed off the black walls.
' Someone very powerful, who fears one thing but needs someone to help him overcome that fear,' James felt a stab of cold as the figure stepped forward. The figure became more imminent as the person or thing stepped toward the light. He, from the sound of its voice, was wearing a billowing black cloak with a hood that now covered his eyes. There was a fastening on the front with a single chain and badge. The badge was black with a green skull on the front with a serpent protruding from it's mouth. It glinted in the torch light behind James. He also wore dragon-hide boots, at least twenty years old, with gold caps on the toes.
' What do you want with me?' James asked trying to see the strangers eyes. Suddenly an aura of invisible power around the figure made the dust swirl and skip away.
