Disclaimer- You recognise it then it's not mine, but JK Rowling's. Please
don't take without my permission. I make no money. That about sums it up.
Ready or not here it comes.
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"That was fun." said James waving his wand in complicated circles. He still had an air of superiority because he had been right about the time it would take to get to Charms. From the look on Sirius's face, Remus was sure that something very bad was going to happen to him very soon.
Sirius made a noise that said it wasn't that good. Peter just looked confused. He had failed miserably.
"And the best is get to come. We've got transfiguration next." James looked like he'd heard Christmas had come early. "We're going to learn how to change things into other things." He was going to add that his dad told him, but heard Sirius mutter something about transfiguration and maggots and James's father.
Remus considered Transfiguration to be not all that exciting. He did it once a month. It wasn't all that great. He didn't want to deflate James's bubble and stayed silent. Also if anyone could figure out what he was it was someone who studied changing forms. That was what lycanthropy basically was to most people. At least basically. Remus knew first hand that was much more to it than that.
They rounded a bend and spotted the crazed suit of armour again.
"Run for it!" Sirius pelted away. Peter and James were a bit slow on the uptake having not encountered it before. James's long legs allowed him to catch up with Sirius when the full force of the situation was brought home with a wild swing of a mace next to his head. Remus saw peter flagging, paralysed with fear. He waited for him then dragged him along.
The group made it to the corner and crashed into the irate looking Professor McGonagall. "What on earth?" she caught site of the manic suit of armour. Her demeanour, if it was possible, became graver. "Peeves!" she yelled.
The poltergeist inside the armour slipped out with a squeal. He whirled away before McGonagall could say another word. The suit crashed to the ground, lifeless.
"Now boys, if you would grace us with your presence we would be most obliged." She said liltingly with all the warmth of a glacier.
As they entered she caught Remus by the arm and said, "I'll see you after class Remus."
As Remus took his seat he began to worry. Again. That's all he seemed to do. What did she want to see him about? Were they going to send him home? Tell him it was all a mistake. That he was a danger to the others. She was his head of house and so knew he was a werewolf. Dumbledor had told him he would tell his head of house. It had been such a brief meeting. Not much had been said.
He worried so much that he didn't hear the register being called or his own murmured response. It couldn't be that bad or else she would have seen him before class not after, he consoled himself. But what if it was so bad that she didn't want to upset the class and cause total panic.
He would have worried all lesson, but Professor McGonagall's spectacular transformation demanded attention. She morphed effortlessly into a tabby cat. Remus envied her the ease and hope she didn't go wild at the sight of him. Most cats, excluding Greymalkin, avoided him like the plague. Thankfully she did not, but looked slightly ruffled as she stretched back into her own form.
She avoided his gaze and accepted the applause from the class. Remus joined in the clapping once he was sure she was OK. He didn't want to kill a teacher, definitely, as she seemed so worried to his trained eye. It was her first year too.
Remus began to consider what it was like to have to face a class of watching eyes. Children watching you intensely, able to see your every mistake. He shivered and vowed he would never place himself in such an exposed position. It was a nightmare.
He decided to not hold the fact she could turn into a cat against her and listen to what she was saying intently. Since he was here to learn he would learn properly. At least there would be one pair of eager eyes at the back showing her she still had someone's focus.
And he did learn. About animagi, which it turned out Professor McGonagall was one of the seven in Britain. Then she got onto complicated theory, which had most people hiding yawns. Remus however was determined to listen, and what's more to understand.
She, then seeing the class's confusion, changed the blackboard into an eagle. When she had their attention again, Professor McGonagall gave them instructions to transfigure the matches on their desks into pins.
James was the only one who got his match to change completely. He earned a rare smile from McGonagall. Sirius's went sliver, but was still blunt. Peter's burst into flame. He had to smother it with his hat and ask for another. Remus's merely turned slightly grey but not silver, thankfully. Peter said it was just a trick of the light. A few other people managed small changes.
At the end of the lesson Remus dropped his books on purpose an shouted to the others, "I'll just be three seconds, don't wait up." He turned to find Professor McGonagall helping to pick up his parchments.
"So Remus," she said carefully, "are you doing alright, coping with everything." She handed him his papers and stood, Remus noticed, well back.
"Don't worry Professor. I'm not dangerous, at the moment." He tried to reassure her with a smile. It failed. "I'm sorry I disturbed you when you um, became a cat" "Thank you for being so considerate. Now if you will follow me." She swept off down an empty corridor. "I saw you were concentrating very hard in class." She attempted to make small talk.
"I want to learn Professor." He said dully, sensing her discomfort.
"Very honourable." She remarked curtly.
Remus looked at her dolefully "I've never really had the chance before."
"Of course." McGonagall looked startled, "I'm sorry."
Remus blanched at that. "Please don't pity me Professor. That's all I ask." He lowered his eyes. He didn't want to argue with his teacher. He couldn't lose his temper now or he would lose everything.
"Yes." She managed not to apologise again. "We're going to see the Headmaster to make... arrangements.
They arrived at a statue in a corner niche. The Professor murmured embarrassed " Fruitsalad." The statue opened up into an office. It reminded Remus of Mr Olivander's workshop. Except for the fact that the headmaster had obviously not been here very long. He was only just starting to impose his personality on the room.
Remus abruptly realised he was alone and that the door was gone. This made him distinctly uncomfortable. Rooms without doors. Nights without doors. No way out. Walls closed around him like the walls in his mind. Oh yes, he contemplated, this room was much more comfortable than the "den", but it didn't change what it was.
Remus shuffled around the room ending up at the window. The green cloth of the grass rolled away into the distance punctuated by the whomping willow. As he looked out he considered his position. What would happen to him, why was he here? Was Dumbledor going to send him home? No one seemed to tell him anything.
He irritatedly hit his fist into the cold tone wall. He realised what he had done. He felt guilty for loosing his temper. His mother would say it wasn't his fault, it was the full moon. He had never believed this. If he lost his temper it was much worse for him and the repercussions were his responsibility. And now his mother wasn't even here to calm his mind with false balm.
Taking his attention away from the problems at hand. They were too difficult to deal with right now. He checked his palm. It was still red and raw from the silver. Instead of getting better, it would become worse as the moon waxed. He flexed the hand and hoped that it would heal soon at the new moon. He always liked that time of the month. He felt most human, most like what he would have been if he'd not been bitten. Regret, another emotion he had to suppress. If you let it out then you would be ruled by it, or so he believed.
"Hello Remus." He wheeled round. The Headmaster was standing behind him, smiling. "The view is very attractive isn't it." Remus looked back out. That's all he ever seemed to do, look out. But not always from windows.
"It's very nice." He said bleakly not feeling very cheerful.
"I'm glad you like it. It's nice to see you again. " Dumbledor replied brightly. "Please come and sit down." He ushered Remus into a high-backed velvet chair.
"Now Remus," he steepled his hands. His eyes glimmered behind his glasses. "I'm delighted that you're here."
This was the sort of person, Remus thought, who demanded concentration and everything else went out of his head. Remus felt he had to say something. "Umm. I'm happy to be here too." He said hesitantly.
"Dark times are coming Remus." He remarked sharply. Remus had no response for this. "I want you to know this, because I believe you can cope with it. Merlin knows you deal with things like this everyday. And that is why you are here."
Remus blinked unable to say anything.
"You will be an example to people." His eyes sparkled with the brilliance of this idea. "Fear is what will push us over. It will destroy us. People will be divided, trust will fail and truth will be clouded with lies." His stare was clouded with foresight. "But you will be able to break barriers. If you can succeed then people will fear you and others like you less. It will be a step maybe a small one, but it will move us forward."
Remus sat in shocked silence. The words spun in dull circles in his head. What was Dumbledor saying? He couldn't change the world. People would never accept him. They didn't even know what he was yet. Yes there was a point.
"Sir?"
"Yes." Dumbledor beamed.
"People won't accept me if they don't know what I am." Remus countered.
"Ah yes." Dumbledor sighed. "We thought we had better not tell everybody because as there would be to much prejudice. Professor McGonagall knows and she is your head of house so would have been informed anyway. Professor Flitwick did the charms on your hideout so he knows too and so does Matron. (AN- was Pomfrey matron at this time, opinions?).
"And nobody else?" Remus looked puzzled.
"No." Dumbledor grinned and leaned back in his chair. "Well how are you finding school?" he asked pleasantly as if their had been no talk of dark times.
"Um, it's very nice." He repeated still bemused, "I've made some new friends."
"Good that's a first step." Remus's heart plummeted again.
The noise of the door sliding open made him turn round. "Thank you for coming Remus. Tomorrow go down to the hospital wing in the evening. Goodbye."
"Goodbye sir. Thank you for everything." Remus felt extremely grateful for this smiling old gentleman who had given him a chance even if it was for an alternate motive.
As he slid out of the statue he realised he wasn't ready to deal with everything he'd been told. Instead, he concentrated on working out whether it was worth going to history of magic. Maybe he should just get to Defence early?
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That's it. Review if you like it or not. I'd like my reviews up to ten. That would be great. The next chapter up soon. Have a nice day. #:-)
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"That was fun." said James waving his wand in complicated circles. He still had an air of superiority because he had been right about the time it would take to get to Charms. From the look on Sirius's face, Remus was sure that something very bad was going to happen to him very soon.
Sirius made a noise that said it wasn't that good. Peter just looked confused. He had failed miserably.
"And the best is get to come. We've got transfiguration next." James looked like he'd heard Christmas had come early. "We're going to learn how to change things into other things." He was going to add that his dad told him, but heard Sirius mutter something about transfiguration and maggots and James's father.
Remus considered Transfiguration to be not all that exciting. He did it once a month. It wasn't all that great. He didn't want to deflate James's bubble and stayed silent. Also if anyone could figure out what he was it was someone who studied changing forms. That was what lycanthropy basically was to most people. At least basically. Remus knew first hand that was much more to it than that.
They rounded a bend and spotted the crazed suit of armour again.
"Run for it!" Sirius pelted away. Peter and James were a bit slow on the uptake having not encountered it before. James's long legs allowed him to catch up with Sirius when the full force of the situation was brought home with a wild swing of a mace next to his head. Remus saw peter flagging, paralysed with fear. He waited for him then dragged him along.
The group made it to the corner and crashed into the irate looking Professor McGonagall. "What on earth?" she caught site of the manic suit of armour. Her demeanour, if it was possible, became graver. "Peeves!" she yelled.
The poltergeist inside the armour slipped out with a squeal. He whirled away before McGonagall could say another word. The suit crashed to the ground, lifeless.
"Now boys, if you would grace us with your presence we would be most obliged." She said liltingly with all the warmth of a glacier.
As they entered she caught Remus by the arm and said, "I'll see you after class Remus."
As Remus took his seat he began to worry. Again. That's all he seemed to do. What did she want to see him about? Were they going to send him home? Tell him it was all a mistake. That he was a danger to the others. She was his head of house and so knew he was a werewolf. Dumbledor had told him he would tell his head of house. It had been such a brief meeting. Not much had been said.
He worried so much that he didn't hear the register being called or his own murmured response. It couldn't be that bad or else she would have seen him before class not after, he consoled himself. But what if it was so bad that she didn't want to upset the class and cause total panic.
He would have worried all lesson, but Professor McGonagall's spectacular transformation demanded attention. She morphed effortlessly into a tabby cat. Remus envied her the ease and hope she didn't go wild at the sight of him. Most cats, excluding Greymalkin, avoided him like the plague. Thankfully she did not, but looked slightly ruffled as she stretched back into her own form.
She avoided his gaze and accepted the applause from the class. Remus joined in the clapping once he was sure she was OK. He didn't want to kill a teacher, definitely, as she seemed so worried to his trained eye. It was her first year too.
Remus began to consider what it was like to have to face a class of watching eyes. Children watching you intensely, able to see your every mistake. He shivered and vowed he would never place himself in such an exposed position. It was a nightmare.
He decided to not hold the fact she could turn into a cat against her and listen to what she was saying intently. Since he was here to learn he would learn properly. At least there would be one pair of eager eyes at the back showing her she still had someone's focus.
And he did learn. About animagi, which it turned out Professor McGonagall was one of the seven in Britain. Then she got onto complicated theory, which had most people hiding yawns. Remus however was determined to listen, and what's more to understand.
She, then seeing the class's confusion, changed the blackboard into an eagle. When she had their attention again, Professor McGonagall gave them instructions to transfigure the matches on their desks into pins.
James was the only one who got his match to change completely. He earned a rare smile from McGonagall. Sirius's went sliver, but was still blunt. Peter's burst into flame. He had to smother it with his hat and ask for another. Remus's merely turned slightly grey but not silver, thankfully. Peter said it was just a trick of the light. A few other people managed small changes.
At the end of the lesson Remus dropped his books on purpose an shouted to the others, "I'll just be three seconds, don't wait up." He turned to find Professor McGonagall helping to pick up his parchments.
"So Remus," she said carefully, "are you doing alright, coping with everything." She handed him his papers and stood, Remus noticed, well back.
"Don't worry Professor. I'm not dangerous, at the moment." He tried to reassure her with a smile. It failed. "I'm sorry I disturbed you when you um, became a cat" "Thank you for being so considerate. Now if you will follow me." She swept off down an empty corridor. "I saw you were concentrating very hard in class." She attempted to make small talk.
"I want to learn Professor." He said dully, sensing her discomfort.
"Very honourable." She remarked curtly.
Remus looked at her dolefully "I've never really had the chance before."
"Of course." McGonagall looked startled, "I'm sorry."
Remus blanched at that. "Please don't pity me Professor. That's all I ask." He lowered his eyes. He didn't want to argue with his teacher. He couldn't lose his temper now or he would lose everything.
"Yes." She managed not to apologise again. "We're going to see the Headmaster to make... arrangements.
They arrived at a statue in a corner niche. The Professor murmured embarrassed " Fruitsalad." The statue opened up into an office. It reminded Remus of Mr Olivander's workshop. Except for the fact that the headmaster had obviously not been here very long. He was only just starting to impose his personality on the room.
Remus abruptly realised he was alone and that the door was gone. This made him distinctly uncomfortable. Rooms without doors. Nights without doors. No way out. Walls closed around him like the walls in his mind. Oh yes, he contemplated, this room was much more comfortable than the "den", but it didn't change what it was.
Remus shuffled around the room ending up at the window. The green cloth of the grass rolled away into the distance punctuated by the whomping willow. As he looked out he considered his position. What would happen to him, why was he here? Was Dumbledor going to send him home? No one seemed to tell him anything.
He irritatedly hit his fist into the cold tone wall. He realised what he had done. He felt guilty for loosing his temper. His mother would say it wasn't his fault, it was the full moon. He had never believed this. If he lost his temper it was much worse for him and the repercussions were his responsibility. And now his mother wasn't even here to calm his mind with false balm.
Taking his attention away from the problems at hand. They were too difficult to deal with right now. He checked his palm. It was still red and raw from the silver. Instead of getting better, it would become worse as the moon waxed. He flexed the hand and hoped that it would heal soon at the new moon. He always liked that time of the month. He felt most human, most like what he would have been if he'd not been bitten. Regret, another emotion he had to suppress. If you let it out then you would be ruled by it, or so he believed.
"Hello Remus." He wheeled round. The Headmaster was standing behind him, smiling. "The view is very attractive isn't it." Remus looked back out. That's all he ever seemed to do, look out. But not always from windows.
"It's very nice." He said bleakly not feeling very cheerful.
"I'm glad you like it. It's nice to see you again. " Dumbledor replied brightly. "Please come and sit down." He ushered Remus into a high-backed velvet chair.
"Now Remus," he steepled his hands. His eyes glimmered behind his glasses. "I'm delighted that you're here."
This was the sort of person, Remus thought, who demanded concentration and everything else went out of his head. Remus felt he had to say something. "Umm. I'm happy to be here too." He said hesitantly.
"Dark times are coming Remus." He remarked sharply. Remus had no response for this. "I want you to know this, because I believe you can cope with it. Merlin knows you deal with things like this everyday. And that is why you are here."
Remus blinked unable to say anything.
"You will be an example to people." His eyes sparkled with the brilliance of this idea. "Fear is what will push us over. It will destroy us. People will be divided, trust will fail and truth will be clouded with lies." His stare was clouded with foresight. "But you will be able to break barriers. If you can succeed then people will fear you and others like you less. It will be a step maybe a small one, but it will move us forward."
Remus sat in shocked silence. The words spun in dull circles in his head. What was Dumbledor saying? He couldn't change the world. People would never accept him. They didn't even know what he was yet. Yes there was a point.
"Sir?"
"Yes." Dumbledor beamed.
"People won't accept me if they don't know what I am." Remus countered.
"Ah yes." Dumbledor sighed. "We thought we had better not tell everybody because as there would be to much prejudice. Professor McGonagall knows and she is your head of house so would have been informed anyway. Professor Flitwick did the charms on your hideout so he knows too and so does Matron. (AN- was Pomfrey matron at this time, opinions?).
"And nobody else?" Remus looked puzzled.
"No." Dumbledor grinned and leaned back in his chair. "Well how are you finding school?" he asked pleasantly as if their had been no talk of dark times.
"Um, it's very nice." He repeated still bemused, "I've made some new friends."
"Good that's a first step." Remus's heart plummeted again.
The noise of the door sliding open made him turn round. "Thank you for coming Remus. Tomorrow go down to the hospital wing in the evening. Goodbye."
"Goodbye sir. Thank you for everything." Remus felt extremely grateful for this smiling old gentleman who had given him a chance even if it was for an alternate motive.
As he slid out of the statue he realised he wasn't ready to deal with everything he'd been told. Instead, he concentrated on working out whether it was worth going to history of magic. Maybe he should just get to Defence early?
***********
That's it. Review if you like it or not. I'd like my reviews up to ten. That would be great. The next chapter up soon. Have a nice day. #:-)