Author's Note: The characters that belong to JK Rowling belong to JK Rowling

Thanks to SilverWind for the help proofreading, and my brother for miscellaneous stuff.

Chapter 7: The Shrieking Shack

The next morning was even more interesting. Once again, there was no speaking. Lily, Sirius and James all made the decision to confront Remus.

What am I going to do about that cloak? It really should be Max's. Not mine. But then think of all the mischief!

Look at him. Thought Sirius. He's been a Werewolf all this time. Never told us. We're good friends aren't we? I guess it is sort of a touchy subject. But how could he think he could hide it forever? Did he intend on telling us? How will he react when we tell him? How will we keep it from the other guys at the table?

Oh, geez. Thought Lily. Why can't we just tell these guys? Allyn, Mary, Peter, they're all good people. They can know. I realize it's touchy a subject, but really, Remus can confide in us. We won't tell any Slytherins. Would he be mad if we told someone who didn't already know? Would anyone care?

Look at them. They know about me. They're all eyeing me. They know. Should I just tell them? It's a touchy subject. I wish I had told them about it. Now they'll tell me they know. Will they tell everyone? Will they abandon me? All the Gryffindors are here. What am I going to do?

Why is everyone looking at everyone so tensely? Thought Peter. This is making me nervous now. They're all looking nervous too, I'm getting really nervous. I have to go to the bathroom. I'm hungry too. What an odd combination. Kind of like strawberries and chicken. But it tastes good, really. Or did Mum just charm it so it would taste better? Does she do that whenever I cook something new? I am that good a chef?

Sirius swallowed.

"Er, Remus. We know. About your secret." Remus went pale as a ghost.

"What secret?" Asked Peter.

"Er, about Remus's...um-"

"Uncle. His Uncle, William. The one who is an Animagus. He can turn into a wolf." Remus's eyes widened.

"You, know about my...Uncle?"

"Yeah. We put it together- we, er, noted your symptoms."

"And, the timing of each visit, er, makes it obvious." Remus nodded glumly. Everyone around the four who knew looked confused.

"Ah well, how about a snowball fight!" James said quickly, standing up.

"Sounds like fun!" Said Sirius, standing up as well. The group agreed and headed outside for the fight. Sirius was laughing loudly.

"Boys versus girls! We'll cream them!"

"Sirius. There are two girls and five boys. I don't think so." Mary said.

"I think I'll sit this one out, guys." Said Lily. She sat herself down on a snow hill and began reading a book.

"Alright then. Me and Sirius are captains!" James slapped Sirius's hand.

"Ok, I take Allyn." Said Sirius.

"Remus!" James said.

"Mary!" Called Sirius.

"Er...Peter." James said quite unenthusiastically.

It was quite an exhausting game of snowball fighting, mainly because no one knew the spell to shoot, form, or blow up snowballs. Peter especially missed blowing up, as he was creamed by the most snowballs, and could have used an anti-snowball defense.

The thing that most intrigued James was Sirius and Mary walking up the steps back to the castle, arm on each other's shoulder, laughing crazily. James looked back at Lily through the melting snow dripping from his eyebrows. She and Allyn were talking; they seemed to do that a lot. James growled quietly to himself.

While everyone else headed off, James decided to go talk to Max about the Cloak. He found him on the pitch, practicing with the Gryffindor team, all of whom had stayed for the Holidays.

A whistle blew, and the seven players landed.

"Ah! James!" Yelled Max from the pitch. He, Evus, and William walked over to the bleachers.

"Ach, so yeh know Jehmes? He's a gehd kid."

"He's a good Quidditcher, he'll be Gryffindor's next Seeker, I know it." William and Evus looked taken aback by what Max had said.

"You're not playing next year?" William asked.

"No, I am, but I'm afraid I've gotten to big to be a Seeker. Some can Seek until seventh year, but me, no, I'll Chase next year."

"Wow." William said.

"Er, that's great, but Max, can I have a word?"

"Sure, James. Guys?" Evus and William nodded and walked back to the pitch.

"Yes, James?" He asked.

"Er, about the Globus. Did you try tapping it with your wand?"

"Why, yes, James, I did. Why?"

"Well, I did," James said, gulping, "And it melted. Into an Invisibility Cloak." Max's jaw dropped.

"An...an Invisibility Cloak?"

"Y-yes. Do you want it?"

"No! No, it's yours! You made it come out its yours, and probably for a reason." Max walked away quickly before James could say another thing.

James wandered the Hogwarts corridors for a while. He didn't know where Professor Dumbledore's office was. He was admiring a beautiful sculpture of a gargoyle when Professor Scuro came by.

"Ah, James. How are ya'?

"Good, Professor. You wouldn't happen to know where Professor Dumbledore's office is, do you? I would like to talk to him." Professor Scuro squinted at James.

"Talk about what? He's a busy man, James."

"Er, about my Defense Against the Dark Arts class. I have him for a teacher, I have Mary Longbottom in my class, so you know-"

"Ah. I see, James." Scuro said raising his hand. "No need to explain further. Candied Kerblap."

"What?" But the gargoyle had suddenly sprung to life and hopped aside.

"It's right here, James." Professor Scuro walked James up the staircase that had suddenly appeared behind the gargoyle.

Professor Scuro knocked on the door.

"Professor Dumbledore?" The door opened.

"Yes, Byron? Ah, hello, James." Professor Dumbledore was sitting at a desk in a round office. It was adorned with pictures of former headmasters, and some very strange objects, as well as a large bookshelf full of books.

"James wanted to talk to you. I'll leave you two alone then." Professor Scuro bowed slightly and left.

"Now, James, what would you like?" Professor Dumbledore looked at him just above his half-moon shaped spectacles.

"Y-you know Latin, right?" Asked James.

"Why, yes, James, I know many languages. Would you like me translate something?"

"Yes. Globus Argentum de Imagumentum Occaecor. Any idea?"

"Well..." Dumbledore said looking slightly surprised. "Globus Argentum. That means Silver Ball. I'm afraid I don't understand the rest." James nodded. He got up, and swiftly pulled the Invisibility Cloak over his head.

"Well," he said from behind his cloak, "must be going then." He turned around and started towards the door.

"Aha! James, so you've discovered the cloak." Dumbledore put his hand down on James's invisible shoulder.

"It seems we need to have a talk. Sit down, please."

"And then, I just tapped it, and it opened." James finished.

"Hmm. James, always remember that you must take dreams very seriously. They can bring news of the future, instructions, all sorts of things. Now, does anyone know about the cloak?" Professor Dumbledore asked.

"Er, Sirius does. And Max."

"Ah. Well, lets keep it between you three."

"Okay, Professor. I have one more question, though."

"Yes, James?"

"Why was it just me who could open the ball? Why not Max, or that old man who gave it to him?"

"Well, James, it was meant for you. It was your father's. He was seeker when he played, and it was stolen from him when he lost it during a Quidditch match. By another Seeker. When he couldn't decipher it, he gave it away. Why don't you get off to bed? Its quite late." James nodded and headed off to his dorm.

The next morning James awoke to the furious prods of Sirius.

"Sirius? What are you doing up so early? And waking me up!"

"James! Its Christmas!" Sirius pointed to the end of his bed, and jumped towards his own. James pulled himself to there, where a mound of presents greeted him.

"Excellent!" Without getting out of his bed, James grabbed the top present. He went through his relative's presents quickly; they were all books. He came to an unmarked gift, his last one.

"Hmm, I wonder what this is." He slowly ripped off the wrapping to find a silver box. James searched for a lid, or a keyhole, but there was none.

"What's that, James?" Asked Remus.

"I don't know. Just a silver box. Doesn't open." James shrugged and shoved it under his bed. Allyn, who appeared to have gotten up early and already finished opening and examining his presents, stood up.

"I'll be eating breakfast." The group nodded and Allyn walked downstairs.

"Glad he's gone!" Remus said.

"Why? Allyn's a good guy!" James responded squeakily.

"No, I mean, now we can talk about me being a werewolf freely! Since he doesn't know!" Sirius and James had gone white. They both pointed over Remus's shoulder. He turned around. Peter was sitting behind him, white as well.

"So, that's the whole story. I'm a werewolf." Remus had explained the entire thing to Peter.

"S-so, you w-won't b-bite us?" Remus shook his head.

"No! No, I'd never!"

"Why do you go underneath the Whomping Willow?" Asked Sirius suddenly.

"Aha! I can show you!" Remus walked them out of the dormitory. "But we'll have to make sure Allyn doesn't see us." And so they ventured to the Entrance Hall, slipping past the Great Hall quickly, so Allyn couldn't see them.

When they made it outside thick snow covered the grounds.

"Great! There's a snow hill in front of the Whomping Willow, no one will see us!" Remus led the three boys around the large dune.

"This is the Whomping Willow. Professor Dumbledore had it planted here to guard the entrance to my safe house."

"Your what?" James asked.

"My safe house. Come on, let's go!" Remus grabbed a stick near the ever-raging tree. He poked a knot in the root. It froze.

"Ah, so that's how you did it!" Sirius said, raising a finger.

"Come on in!" Remus waved them into the hole at the Willow's base. Remus in the lead again, they walked, slightly hunched, into a long passageway. It felt like hours before a dim light hit their eyes from an opening. They crawled in to find themselves in what looked like a house. It was a bit dusty and old looking, but otherwise looked like a normal house. Except for a large slash into the wall.

"This is where I transform every full moon." Remus raised his hands and made air quotes.

"'The Shrieking Shack'." Sirius and James gasped.

"I heard about the Shrieking Shack! It's a building that got condemned last year, and now there are horrible shrieking ghosts in it!" Sirius said as he shrunk to the floor and curled up in a ball. Peter Pettigrew shot back into the hole from which they came and curled into a ball as well.

"So you make the shrieks, is that it?" James asked. Remus nodded.

"Professor Dumbledore spread the rumor that it's haunted to make sure no one figures out its me. All the teachers encourage it too."

"Wow!" Sirius said, suddenly excited. "Our own clubhouse! Great!" Sirius ran upstairs. "There's a bathroom! We could live here!" Sirius yelled.

"Sirius, shh! If some hears human voices in here, they could suspect its not haunted!" Sirius came back downstairs nodding.

"Anyway, we should get back. Allyn'll be wondering where we are." Sirius and Remus nodded, re-entering the hole where Peter already was.

"Why do you shriek?" Asked James, still standing in the room.

"Er...what?" Asked Remus poking his head out.

"Why do you shriek? Do you do it when you transform?" Remus nodded.

"I, well, I shriek when I turn into a wolf. Its sort of a painful experience." James nodded.

"Well, why can't you just stay in the dormitory when you transform? Or Dumbledore's office-"

"I don't want to talk about it." Remus said quickly, dashing into the passageway past Peter and Sirius.

After explaining to Allyn how Marus trying to get them in trouble sidetracked them, the group had a delicious breakfast.

"So, what next?" Asked James, patting his belly.

"A chess match, Sirius?" Asked Lily.

"Sure. You're on!" Sirius said standing up.

"I think that I'll go visit Hagrid." Said Remus.

"What? Hagrid? Isn't he that massive groundskeeper?" Asked Allyn.

"Erm, yeah. I met him a bit back. He's a nice guy." Remus said scratching his head. "Well, gotta go." Remus turned sharply and walked out of the Hall.

"Well. I reckon I'll spectate, then." Said James.

Remus didn't bother to put his winter cloak on, and just went out onto the grounds in his robes.

"Hello? M-mister Hagrid?" Remus said as he knocked on the door.

"Ah, one second." Came Hagrid's loud voice through the door. He opened it quickly, and shot his black eyes down at Remus.

"It's me...Remus...Remus Lupin. Remember?"

"Oh, yeah! Remus! I did off'r you a talk din' I?"

"Oh...are you busy?"

"No, no 'em not!

"Oh. Ok." He said.

"Cim'n. Don't mind this stuff. Just takin' me juice." Remus's eyes widened. In Hagrid's shack was a huge torch, and a cauldron sitting on ice. Hagrid lifted the cauldron and poured the dark blue liquid inside it into a huge goblet. Hagrid gripped it easily.

"Now, fer the secret ingredient!" Hagrid said, raising a massive finger. He suddenly turned around, grabbed the torch, and tapped the top of his 'juice' with it. The liquid suddenly burst into flames.

"Din' worry, goes down easy with some ice!" Hagrid said. Remus gulped. Hagrid grabbed a handful of the blue ice that lie under the cauldron, dropping some into his drink. Remus hardly thought that would do any good.

"Now, Remus, what have yeh come here ter talk ter me about?" Hagrid said, gulping some of the flames.

"Oh, well you see, my friends, three of them, know about me. They found out that I'm a werewolf." Remus, too, was now starting to become appetized by the flaming concoction. "And they took it really well! They understood and everything!"

"Really?" Asked Hagrid sipping. "They din't abandon yeh? Din't leave yeh high 'n dry?"

"No!" Retorted Remus. "Quite the opposite! They were very understanding! I even showed them the Whomping Willow!" Remus kept back their visit to the Shrieking Shack in case that was breaking a rule.

"In fact," he went on "I was thinking of just telling everyone." Hagrid nearly dropped his flames as he stood up.

"No! Yeh can't do that! There's a reason that Dumbledore kept it quiet, there's a reason yeh got that shack and that Dumbeldore spread those rumors about those ghosts there! Your friends may be understandin', but 'em sure that not everyone will be! Parents will send notes in about a werewolf in their kid's presence, they won't have it!" Remus's eyes filled up.

"Aw, 'em sorry Remus, I just know that people aren't always ok with things like that. I know from experience." Remus rubbed his nose with his robe sleeve.

"I suppose you're right." Remus wondered how Hagrid knew about being different like he was, but he quickly dismissed it. People must have just not liked him because he was big.

"Would you like some?" Hagrid thrust his fiery goblet forward. "I call it 'Lion's Fire'".

"Er, no thanks." Remus smiled. Hagrid returned it, and placed his goblet on the table.

"But, it does look good. Could you tell me how to make it?" Hagrid beamed.

"Sure! Yeh see, it all starts with butterbeer mixed with berry flavored juice. Top it off with an ounce o' rum, which adds its flammability. Simply add some ice that has been Flame-Freezing Charmed, and there yeh go. Simple as that."

"Wow, did you make that up yourself?" Remus asked.

"Yeah, I did. Kinda by accident. Oh, and Remus, fer flaver, yeh can use a little more rum." He said with a wink. Hagrid suddenly slapped his face. "Never shoulda' offered ya, should I've? You're too young fer that!" Remus laughed, then checked his watch.

"Well, best be going Hagrid. Thanks for the talk!"

"No problem, Remus, not at all." Hagrid waved and Remus ran out the door, through the snow and back up to the common room, where Sirius and Lily were still opposing each other in the game of chess. James stood close by, examining the board and the players thoroughly, and mumbling to himself every so often. Peter was attempting to do so as well, however, his stare was with the air of confusion rather than intense pondering.

"Hello, all." Remus said after watching the group for a moment. James snapped from his concentration, Peter looked up, though Lily and Sirius simply waved their hands vaguely while still focusing intently upon the chessboard.

"Have a chat with Hagrid?" Asked James.

"Yeah. We talked about-" Remus surveyed the room. He didn't know Lily knew. "-things. Best of all he taught me how to make this cool drink! Though I don't know where we'll get the ingredients. Maybe at Three Broomsticks...but how would we get to Hogsmeade?" Everyone stared at Remus.

"Er...what is so special about this drink?" Asked Lily, a bit angered by the disruption of her thought. It was, after all, her turn.

"Eh...nothing...it just looked good..." Remus hung his head in a kind of embarrassed way.

"Er, don't worry Remus, we'll find your er...ingredie-nts." James said scratching his head.

"Ah, ok. Well, tomorrow's first day back, isn't it?" They all nodded, except Sirius and Lily who had gone back to playing chess.

"Checkmate, Lily!" Sirius said standing up suddenly, raising his fists.

"Sirius, you didn't even make a move." Lily said plainly.

"Oh. Right." Sirius positioned his knight.

"There we go. Checkmate! Aha! We're two-and-two!" Lily's eyes narrowed.

"Well, you did use enough tricks in that match. I doubt you'll have any left to save your hide the next time we play."

"This mind can pump out a million of 'em, Lil'." She narrowed her eyes once again.

"Someone with an adjective for a name shouldn't go off calling people by things they don't like." Sirius stuck out his tongue.

"What shall we do now?" Asked Remus.

"Hey, you guys can meet Llanpeter!"

"Than-peter? What?"

"Llanpeter. He's James's snow owl." Answered Sirius.

"Ahhh." Lily, Peter, and Remus nodded.

"I don't have an owl, just a toad. But, my mum wouldn't let me take him here. Somehow thought I'd lose him..." Peter said glumly.

"I've got one. It's a great big barn owl." Replied Remus. Stretching his hands to exaggerate the size of his owl.

"Mine is this tawny. Fastest owl there is." Sirius said surely.

"Well, then, we'll all make a trip to Owlery!"

So the group ventured off the to the tower-top in which the owls lived.

"How do you spell Lan-peter anyway?" Asked Remus.

"Llanpeter. Lan-peter, seriously. Its spelled L-L-A-N-P-E-T-E-R."

"LL? At the beginning? I thought it was 'Thlan'?" Asked Peter, scratching his head.

"LL at the beginning of a word make kind of a 'thhl' in Welsh. Put your tongue behind your teeth and blow air out the sides. And then a little L-ish sound at the end. Ask Allyn."

"Allyn's Welsh?" Asked Peter with great surprise on his face.

"Yes! Of course he is! Allyn Synwyd? With all those 'Y's? What else would he be?"

"Oh, yeah!" Peter said, smacking his forehead. Suddenly, many owls woke from their sleep and took to the air. The dove down and flew and hurtling speeds along the Owlery floor. They flew straight for Peter.

"Aaagh!" He yelled. They whipped themselves at Peter, beating their wings furiously against his head.

"Aaagh! Let's get out of here!" Peter led the way, waving his hands furiously, running towards the steps. Sirius shrugged to Remus, and they followed closely after.

After two flights of stairs the owls finally retreated.

"Wonder why they did that." James said.

"I don't know, but I'm never going back up there! Er...unless you guys go...." Peter said, heart racing.

"I don't think we shall then. Say, where is Allyn?"

"Er, he went off to speak to Professor Flitwick about his grades I think. Something like that." Sirius answered.

"Let's go check back in the common room, and see if he's come back. He'll have no idea where we are." So the group returned to the common room, empty but for them.

"No sign of Allyn here." Said Remus.

"Or my chess set!" Screamed Sirius. It was true; all of Lily's pieces that had been ruthlessly thrown off the table were still in a heap on the floor, but all of Sirius's pieces, which were both on the board, and to the side, were gone, as well as the chessboard itself.

"Where did it go?" Yelled Sirius, twisting his head in every direction.

"Maybe Allyn put it away! He must've not seen my pieces on the floor!" But just then, Allyn entered the room through the portrait hole.

"You! Allyn!" Peter yelled pointing a finger. "You're Welsh?" Allyn was taken aback.

"Er, yeah. Yeah I am."

"Allyn, have you seen my chess pieces?" Sirius asked slightly less enthusiastically.

"No. I haven't been up here since this morning when I was opening presents." Sirius rubbed his chin furiously.

"Well where'd they go? They couldn't have just gotten up and left!" Sirius yelled. He suddenly put his hand to his mouth. "Oh. I suppose they might have."