Chapter 14 - Remus' Secret
James felt like tearing his hair out in frustration. Remus was getting harder and harder to read. He refused to tell them anything. He had disappeared again that night, and hadn't told them. James assumed he was visiting his mother again, but why would he disappear like that without telling anyone if that was all he was doing? James thought hard, but nothing came to him. What could possibly be so terrible that Remus wouldn't tell them about it?
He made a decision. "Sirius, wake up. Get up! Oi, get out of bed." James was almost shouting. "Wha? James, what're you playing at?" "Come on Sirius, we're going to find Remus." "But he's at his home, isn't he?" Sirius sounded very confused. "I don't think so." Said James. He told Sirius all about the things he'd thought about recently, and he watched Sirius' expression change from puzzled to intrigued. "Yeah, it has been weird, hasn't it?" He said. "Let's go."
They threw their robes on quietly and threw the cloak over them both. They were just about to leave the dorm when Peter stirred. "Where are you going?" He asked, sleepily. "Kitchens, go back to sleep, we'll bring you something." James lied quickly, Peter wasn't exactly useful when they were on their nighttime wanderings, and two people could move faster than three anyway.
They searched everywhere; they looked in the hospital wing first, then all their classrooms, and then the library (it was Remus' home away from home). They were just about to give up when James had an idea. Well, it was more like a feeling really.
He and Sirius approached the Whomping Willow cautiously. It was still now, but James knew that it wouldn't be much longer if Sirius and he got too close to it. Just as he had expected, the tree started to whip about violently, and James wondered to himself why they'd come out to that particular place. He couldn't answer himself. He'd just felt the need to look here.
He was about to suggest to Sirius that they should give up and go back to bed, that he noticed Sirius was no longer with him. He was walking around the tree, poking it thoughtfully with a long stick. "I think I've invented a new game. If you can get a stick on a certain knot on the branch you get a point or something. It's really hard because the tree seems to want to break the branch to bits."
James laughed at Sirius' stupid new game, and challenged him to touch the knot at the bottom of the tree, it looked particularly difficult as it was small and low down, and quite out of the way. Sirius took up the challenge enthusiastically. Then the strangest thing happened.
The tree stopped moving the minute Sirius touched the knot and a hole opened up at the base. James looked at Sirius, astounded. They exchanged a look, and, without discussing it, they moved forward and into the tree.
Ahead of them they saw a passage, it looked about as long as the one to Hogsmeade they'd discovered at Christmas. They had to crouch down to get through. It seemed to go on forever, but James' curiosity was insatiable. He just had to know where it went and what they'd find when they got there.
When they finally reached the end they found a door, they looked at each other one last time. Sirius nodded, he looked quite excited. James was quite excited himself, but he also couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive. He felt somehow that there was something different about this passage to the others they had found. He tried to tell Sirius, but he couldn't put the feeling into words, so he just nodded back. They opened the door, wands out, and saw the most terrifying thing they'd ever seen.
A Werewolf.
James couldn't believe what he was seeing. He knew he should be running as fast as he could in the other direction, but he was rooted to the spot. Sirius was staring, open mouthed, pale and terrified. The Werewolf turned and growled at them.
James was jolted back to his senses. He put the leg locker curse on the wolf, he had no idea if it would work, and he didn't really want to hang around to find out. He grabbed Sirius by the arm, ran back through the door and slammed it shut. Then running as fast as they could at a crouch for the way out. The hole in the tree opened in front of them and they shot out. James made sure to touch the knot again and the hole closed up, and the tree froze.
James and Sirius collapsed onto the grass a few feet away from the Whomping Willow, breathing heavily with a mixture of exhaustion and fright. What on earth was a Werewolf doing at Hogwarts? Was it a human werewolf or a natural one?
"We should tell Dumbledore." James said, but even as the words left his mouth he had doubts. Sirius voiced them "We probably should but I don't think he'd take too kindly to us being out wandering the grounds at night. We almost got mauled tonight, I think I could do without a detention as well." He was right of course, so they decided not to tell Dumbledore.
They did, however tell Peter and Remus. Both boys changed colour. Peter blanched, and didn't even pretend to be angry with them for leaving him out of their adventure. Remus went red. He squirmed in is seat and had a guilty look on his face. "Remus, what's wrong, why do you look so guilty." James asked, looking curiously at him. "Oh, well, er, I, er shouldn't have gone to see my mother, I er should've stayed and went with you. I might have been able to help, I know lots about werewolves." He stammered his reply, and it was so unlike the usual, articulate, pleasant Remus Lupin that James was startled. He was right of course, Remus probably did know a lot about Werewolves, he was better at Defence Against Dark Arts than all of them put together. James got very good marks, as he did in all his lessons, but James only knew what he needed to in order to pass with a high mark, Remus knew so much more, it was more than an aptitude, more like an enthusiasm.
The night after they'd met the werewolf, the four of them were noticeably subdued. James was in a thoughtful mood, and he was thinking about that werewolf. Why was it there, why wasn't it in the forbidden forest or something, that was where the werewolves were supposed to live.
And then it hit him, a spark of realisation; he remembered why they'd been out there in the first place and all the pieces fell into place. What if they had found Remus after all?
James felt like tearing his hair out in frustration. Remus was getting harder and harder to read. He refused to tell them anything. He had disappeared again that night, and hadn't told them. James assumed he was visiting his mother again, but why would he disappear like that without telling anyone if that was all he was doing? James thought hard, but nothing came to him. What could possibly be so terrible that Remus wouldn't tell them about it?
He made a decision. "Sirius, wake up. Get up! Oi, get out of bed." James was almost shouting. "Wha? James, what're you playing at?" "Come on Sirius, we're going to find Remus." "But he's at his home, isn't he?" Sirius sounded very confused. "I don't think so." Said James. He told Sirius all about the things he'd thought about recently, and he watched Sirius' expression change from puzzled to intrigued. "Yeah, it has been weird, hasn't it?" He said. "Let's go."
They threw their robes on quietly and threw the cloak over them both. They were just about to leave the dorm when Peter stirred. "Where are you going?" He asked, sleepily. "Kitchens, go back to sleep, we'll bring you something." James lied quickly, Peter wasn't exactly useful when they were on their nighttime wanderings, and two people could move faster than three anyway.
They searched everywhere; they looked in the hospital wing first, then all their classrooms, and then the library (it was Remus' home away from home). They were just about to give up when James had an idea. Well, it was more like a feeling really.
He and Sirius approached the Whomping Willow cautiously. It was still now, but James knew that it wouldn't be much longer if Sirius and he got too close to it. Just as he had expected, the tree started to whip about violently, and James wondered to himself why they'd come out to that particular place. He couldn't answer himself. He'd just felt the need to look here.
He was about to suggest to Sirius that they should give up and go back to bed, that he noticed Sirius was no longer with him. He was walking around the tree, poking it thoughtfully with a long stick. "I think I've invented a new game. If you can get a stick on a certain knot on the branch you get a point or something. It's really hard because the tree seems to want to break the branch to bits."
James laughed at Sirius' stupid new game, and challenged him to touch the knot at the bottom of the tree, it looked particularly difficult as it was small and low down, and quite out of the way. Sirius took up the challenge enthusiastically. Then the strangest thing happened.
The tree stopped moving the minute Sirius touched the knot and a hole opened up at the base. James looked at Sirius, astounded. They exchanged a look, and, without discussing it, they moved forward and into the tree.
Ahead of them they saw a passage, it looked about as long as the one to Hogsmeade they'd discovered at Christmas. They had to crouch down to get through. It seemed to go on forever, but James' curiosity was insatiable. He just had to know where it went and what they'd find when they got there.
When they finally reached the end they found a door, they looked at each other one last time. Sirius nodded, he looked quite excited. James was quite excited himself, but he also couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive. He felt somehow that there was something different about this passage to the others they had found. He tried to tell Sirius, but he couldn't put the feeling into words, so he just nodded back. They opened the door, wands out, and saw the most terrifying thing they'd ever seen.
A Werewolf.
James couldn't believe what he was seeing. He knew he should be running as fast as he could in the other direction, but he was rooted to the spot. Sirius was staring, open mouthed, pale and terrified. The Werewolf turned and growled at them.
James was jolted back to his senses. He put the leg locker curse on the wolf, he had no idea if it would work, and he didn't really want to hang around to find out. He grabbed Sirius by the arm, ran back through the door and slammed it shut. Then running as fast as they could at a crouch for the way out. The hole in the tree opened in front of them and they shot out. James made sure to touch the knot again and the hole closed up, and the tree froze.
James and Sirius collapsed onto the grass a few feet away from the Whomping Willow, breathing heavily with a mixture of exhaustion and fright. What on earth was a Werewolf doing at Hogwarts? Was it a human werewolf or a natural one?
"We should tell Dumbledore." James said, but even as the words left his mouth he had doubts. Sirius voiced them "We probably should but I don't think he'd take too kindly to us being out wandering the grounds at night. We almost got mauled tonight, I think I could do without a detention as well." He was right of course, so they decided not to tell Dumbledore.
They did, however tell Peter and Remus. Both boys changed colour. Peter blanched, and didn't even pretend to be angry with them for leaving him out of their adventure. Remus went red. He squirmed in is seat and had a guilty look on his face. "Remus, what's wrong, why do you look so guilty." James asked, looking curiously at him. "Oh, well, er, I, er shouldn't have gone to see my mother, I er should've stayed and went with you. I might have been able to help, I know lots about werewolves." He stammered his reply, and it was so unlike the usual, articulate, pleasant Remus Lupin that James was startled. He was right of course, Remus probably did know a lot about Werewolves, he was better at Defence Against Dark Arts than all of them put together. James got very good marks, as he did in all his lessons, but James only knew what he needed to in order to pass with a high mark, Remus knew so much more, it was more than an aptitude, more like an enthusiasm.
The night after they'd met the werewolf, the four of them were noticeably subdued. James was in a thoughtful mood, and he was thinking about that werewolf. Why was it there, why wasn't it in the forbidden forest or something, that was where the werewolves were supposed to live.
And then it hit him, a spark of realisation; he remembered why they'd been out there in the first place and all the pieces fell into place. What if they had found Remus after all?