A/N: WARNING: This book is a sequel! If you don't want to be in the dark, read my first "The Howl of the Moon", (id# 882673) which chronicles MWPP in their first year. This is about their second year. Also, I own nothing! Please R/R!
~~~
Chapter Five:
The Stag, The Dog, The Wolf, and The Rat
The whole Gryffindor team came to visit James after the Quidditch match. He was laying in bed, his bones almost fully magically healed. Firmus Constance, the Hufflepuff Chaser, was also there, with a dislocated arm and fifteen broken bones.
"James! How are you doing?" Asked Sirius. He smiled.
"I'm doing well, Sirius! And you all?" The whole team nodded and murmured that they were doing well, and were much more concerned about James.
"Well, I should be back to practice by tomorrow!" Said James. Sirius nodded.
"Not that you need it, eh James? We creamed those pathetic Hufflepuffs! What a bunch of incompetents!" James's eyes moved from Sirius, to over his shoulder, were Firmus was lying. He was sitting up, frowning at them. He pulled his curtain shut.
Over the course of the next week, no one was in the spotlight more than the Gryffindor Quidditch team, especially Remus. Defeating Hufflepuff in an incredible upset was so spectacular, that not a single Gryffindor passed by any member of the squad without shaking his hand or giving him a pat on the back.
Even Ravenclaws were congratulating them, because they had made their chances much better. They were not worried about the Gryffindors, however, since it was nearly everyone's line of thinking that the sole reason for Gryffindor's victory was Remus's seeking, and they were sure Sean Davies was unbeatable.
Hufflepuffs remained resentful, of course, and Slytherins for the most part ignored the fact that Gryffindor toppled the mighty giant and hated them sheerly because of the long-time rivalry between the two.
"Remus! James, Sirius!" Remus, James, Sirius, and the rest, who were all returning from Herbology, turned to see Frank Longbottom and his friends.
"And how's my baby brother doing?" Asked Mary with an intention of embarrassment. Frank blushed and said,
"I'm fine." He turned to the Quidditchers present.
"You guys were great in the last match!" He said excitedly.
"Yeah, you were fantastic!" Added one of his friends.
"Frank, why don't you introduce us?" Asked Sirius, pointing to Frank's friends.
"Ah, er, yeah." He said smiling. He pointed to the boy to his left, who was tall, brown-eyed and –haired, and had a fair face.
"This is Alastor Moody."
"Al for short." Alastor corrected. They nodded.
"This," Frank continued, turning to a shorter, red-haired boy, "is Mundungus Fletcher."
"Gus." Mundungus quickly added with a blush. Gus and Al moved aside so that the two others with them could be seen.
"This is Marius Constance." Frank said, nodding towards him.
"Ah, you must be Firmus's brother." James said. Marius was almost identical to Firmus; both had sandy brown hair, light blue eyes and a distinguished nose.
James smiled brightly at Marius to annoy him, and he noticed the Hufflepuff badge on his cloak. He looked around and saw the Hufflepuff emblem on the cloaks of Mundungus and a girl he had yet to introduce.
"And this," Frank said, smiling, and with a look in his eye that neither Sirius nor James nor any of the group could discern, "is Sarah Neville." The Society members smiled, nodded, told Frank's friends how good it was to meet them, and continued on their way back to the Great Hall for a speedy dinner. Frank and Alastor followed, though Sarah, Gus, and Marius had to go to Transfiguration class.
"Friends with Hufflepuffs?" Asked James to Mary. "What's your brother getting into?" He asked.
"What's wrong with Hufflepuff?" Asked Mary. Remus sighed.
"They're the worst house in Hogwarts, that's what."
The second-years collapsed in the chairs as soon as they reached the hall, as today had been their worst schedule-day.
"And still Dark Arts and Astronomy to go!" Remus said as he piled a mound of mashed potatoes onto his plate.
"Not too much." Said James. "Dark Arts is ten minutes." Remus grumbled and put nothing else on his plate.
"And this Wednesday I've got a transformation coming up." Remus moaned, though quietly enough such that the first years could not hear.
"Aww." Chorused Mary and Lily and they rubbed Remus's shoulder and arm sympathetically. James frowned for a moment at the attention Remus gained from the girls. But instantly he thought that Remus surely deserved it and more, and James would easily trade all his friends in the world to put an end to Remus's werewolf transformations.
As he quickly ate, James pondered about this further.
"Come on, James!" Sirius said, minutes later, breaking James from his trance. As usual, only those who were in the Society were left among second year Ravenclaws and Gryffindors, and everyone suspected they would be late. James stuffed the last of the roast beef into his mouth, and hungrily eyed his plate as he got up to leave for Double Defense against the Dark Arts with Professor Dumbledore and the Ravenclaws.
Their usual Thursday evening routine for going from the Great Hall to the DATDA Corridor was to go to the Charms corridor, which was much nearer to the ground level, and sneak into a small closet, out it's window, and up a magical ladder on the side of one of the castle's buttresses. Lily and Mary went first (the ladder was wide enough for two young people), then Peter and Sirius (because Sirius was the strongest among them, and he could keep Peter from falling the best), and finally James and Remus.
"I wish we didn't have to scale this thing on an empty stomach, and in the cold." Groaned James as he plunged his hand into the brick, and grabbed onto a hidden rung. After a few moments of rapid climbing, they made their way up four stories, to a girls bathroom in the DATDA Corridor. As usual, Lily and Mary looked around to check if any girls were in the bathroom, and, as usual, there were none, since the bell would be ringing so soon.
They all quickly fled the bathroom, brushed off the light snow that had begun to fall, and made their way casually to the Defense room. The six filed in and made there way to the desks, seated among Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. This year, DATDA classes were centered on foreign dark lands, where different forms of magic and different dark creatures ran about.
"As you know," Professor Dumbledore began shortly after the bell rang, "we last year covered the Chimaera Mage, more commonly referred to as the Metamagus." Most of the class simply seemed interested, but they did not know that only a few months previous six of those present in the class had learned a great deal about Metamagi from a personal experience. Dumbledore had kept both occurrences with the Metamagus quite under wraps.
"It would appear that Metamagicism is becoming...," Dumbledore glanced at Remus, "popular among the dark forces. So I have decided that it would be best for us to do a little anti-Metamagus practice, since we have just been covering Chimaeras, and Professor McGonagall tells me she will begin brief instruction about Animagi. Now I doubt you will be able to fell a Metamagus at your young ages," Dumbledore now looked at James, "but you still may need something to defend yourself against. At the least, desmetus magus may harm or ward off one of the evil cousins of the Animagus."
At that moment, James, who had not really been listening, considering he was already a Metamagus expert, took notice when Dumbledore said "Animagus", for some reason. He was pondering what it would be like to be an Animagus, and what he would be if he were one. He was thinking of swift, four-legged animals like tigers and lions when he thought of the wolf.
As Dumbledore had said, McGonagall did begin a brief instruction on Animagi the next day.
"Unfortunately, the number of unregistered, and illegal, Animagi remains higher than those registered, by the latest estimates. Animagicism is a powerful tool, however, most people find that the training process to become one is long enough with the Ministry of Magic becoming involved."
At this James chuckled a bit. Becoming an illegal Animagus was so far fetched, it would be so difficult...such an academic challenge, not to mention a challenge to keep from getting in trouble. It suddenly clicked with James.
"Uhm, Professor?" He asked, his voice going a little higher than usual.
"Yes, James?" Responded Professor McGonagall.
"I was just wondering...are there any relations between an Animagus and a werewolf?" He said, gulping. Remus uncontrollably looked over at James, then the rest of the Gryffindors did, save the three girls in the class ignorant to Remus's condition.
"Er...," McGonagall began, glancing at Sandra, Fannie, and Dhelia, as she knew they did not know. "Well, you see, Animagicism actually has its roots in werewolves." She said gulping, and now glancing between Remus and James.
"In the older days, witches and wizards sought ways to control werewolfishness. When they found that nothing could be done for werewolves," she looked sympathetically at Remus for a half-moment, "they began to think of ways to become wolves at will, without the werewolf bite.
"Transfiguration was a well documented magic then, and it was through it that they sought to do this. The most trained scholars embarked upon the Grand Experiment, to slowly learn such a myriad of complex transfiguration spells, that when they simultaneously performed them, they could become a wolf at will.
"They did so by studying, in a surprisingly advanced scientific manner, what makes the werewolf transform. After decades of study and magical honing, Romulus the Great did it, and was able to transform into a wolf at will. He was called The Lupumagus, Wolf Mage. He used his power to befriend the werewolves, who had formed clans and were attacking wizard communities at night in search of more to add to their clan. It appeared that Lupumagi could communicate with werewolves. They were less vicious. More human." James glanced at Remus; he was paying great attention, as were Sirius and Lily.
"Over time it became clear that wizards could transform into other forms of animals, and that they too could communicate and pacify the werewolves. Each form of Animagus has its own name, but when it became clear that any animal could be achieved the term "Animagus" was coined." She had been looking down for a good deal of her lecture, and suddenly popped her head. She blushed a bit and said,
"I apologize for the history lesson. I did not mean to take time away from Transfiguration." Though James was very interested in what she had to say, and he was easily the only who would normally mind if any time were taken from Transfiguration.
"Fortunately, much of what I wanted to say was in that tangent. Have I answered your question sufficiently, Mister Potter?" James nodded quickly, and she smiled.
"Good." And she moved quickly away from werewolves and into other topics on Animagi, to which James closely listened.
As Remus had said, his transformation would be occurring on Wednesday, and that was five short days away. It could not have come at a worse time, for little more than a week later Gryffindor was playing Slytherin, and on top of that a heavy snowstorm was predicted.
"Let the fiftieth meeting of the Society of Lion's Fire commence, Nonas December, 2721 ab urbe candita." James said, and tapped his gavel on the arm his chair. That night, Remus was having his transformations, and instead, Mary read the agenda.
"I was planning two things for tonight, originally." Began James. "But unfortunately, I was unable to get the first ready for tonight, so I will just have to go on with the one. Tonight is our fiftieth meeting, and it has been called tonight especially, for this is the day and time on which our first meeting was held exactly eleven months ago. "It is unfortunate that on our fiftieth meeting, Remus should be having his transformation. But it is to our advantage as well; I have something to discuss about him."
"Behind his back?" Asked Sirius, sounding offended. James shook his head.
"I would like it to be a surprise. His Christmas present." The Society members were taken a little off-guard by this, because none of them had much money themselves, last Christmas was nothing but an exchange of trinkets between them (though the Lupins were wealthy, and Remus's parents got all his friends something nice).
"I think Remus among us suffers the most; his werewolf transformations are a curse worse than anything that any of us have experienced. And we're his friends, and we should be there for him. However, what I am going to suggest is more than any friend could ask of another. And I understand if none of you wish to undertake it with me.
"And that is, to become Animagi." The Society collectively shrieked at the proposition, but Sirius quickly gathered his wits.
"I'll do it, James." He said bravely, standing up.
"I won't!" Mary quickly said. "I don't even know what purpose you intend on achieving by doing it!"
"Didn't you hear McGonagall?" James asked sternly. "She said that Animagi can be with werewolves, and they can communicate, and werewolves become more sane. We can do this to help Remus!" Mary shook her head.
"I still won't." She said firmly. James nodded.
"Yes, I knew some wouldn't want to. Lily?" He asked turning to her. "I reckon we need three. Are you in?" She squinted for a moment, then stood up.
"No. I won't." James nearly jumped back in shock.
"What?" He had clearly expected Mary and Peter to back down, but he was counting on Lily for his third.
"This is too much. You, and Sirius, and Remus are always causing trouble! And I'm okay with it, sometimes I even join in, there's no harm in breaking a few school rules....But this is the law, James! This is a lifetime in Azkaban, James!" Her voice had now risen. James looked a little offended, and taken aback. But he quickly came to his senses, and realized he should have guessed she was going to respond like this.
"Fine." He said, a little angry. "Peter?" He asked turning to him. He had intended on asking Peter before, but he had also expected on him saying no, because Peter was not as brave as James or Sirius, and if they already had the three that James wanted, then he would certainly back down. But now James needed a third, and thought he could count on him.
"Will you become an Animagus with us?" He asked sternly, and the thought of Peter's academic ineptitude crossed his mind briefly. Peter was nearly shaking.
"Er...yes, yes I will!" He said, gulping. James smiled.
"There. Peter is truly a loyal friend." He said, mistaking Peter's gutless imitation and desperate desire to be included for faithful companionship.
James had earlier decided that two of them would have to be large animals able to keep Remus in check. He also decided a third was necessary, and that it would have to be small and able to touch the Achilles' Knot of the Whomping Willow.
"I shall be a great dog!" Said Sirius. "Almost like a bear." He said, nodding. James nodded as well.
"Good. Now I'll be something big as well, and you Peter, can be our small one. Is that okay with you?" He asked. Peter, who had been looking down and fumbling with his robes, suddenly looked up.
"Yes, yes! That's excellent! I'll do it!" He said quickly.
"Good." James nodded towards him, and sat back in his chair, thinking, "now what shall I be?"
"I hope that I am right in assuming," said Sirius, "that you girls are trustworthy with our secret?" Lily frowned, but said,
"Yes. I shall keep your secret, as much as it disturbs me." Mary agreed as well.
"I think," said James, looking upon the seal of the Society, "that I will be a stag. Fast, powerful, agile ...yes, definitely a stag." The group could easily see from where came James's inspiration.
They all remembered as vividly as yesterday the day when Ian Vedol, a mysterious Metamagus, struck at the Lupin household in the hope of capturing Remus and using him for dark purposes. A stag had come out of the forest to aid James, and he rode on its back, and it helped him defeat Vedol and keep Remus from running off. They still did not know the agent that had sent him, other than his alleged father, who fled.
"And you will be?" Sirius asked Peter. He put his head up again.
"Er...." He had thought all was necessary was to agree to being something small. He didn't know what sort of small thing he might be. It was such a big decision!
"A rat." He said quickly. James, Sirius, and the girls were somewhat shocked by this proclamation.
I certainly wouldn't want to be a rat, thought Sirius. But whatever strikes his fancy....
"Alright Peter." Sirius said. "That will certainly work."
"Then it's settled!" Said James. "The Stag, The Dog, The Wolf, and The Rat!"
Lily slumped back in her chair, and frowning, sighed.