The Marauder Mishaps: Year One
Chapter Six
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling, I do not own any part of it! This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes of the writer and reader only!
A/N: Chapter Six! Hope you enjoy it! I never ever expected to get that many reviews,Thank you a million times for your reviews, I was very flattered by them! A few people asked just what Remus saw when he looked in the mirror, read to find out! Enjoy! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
So it was that one new robe, three very angry Slytherins, and four detentions later, the Marauders survived their first day of classes.
"And no one is suprised as we are!" Crowed a very cheerful Sirius, who knocked goblets with James in celebration.
"Not a soul!" James replied with a grin, waving pleasantly at the disdainful looks they were receiving from the direction of the staff table, where most of the teachers present had not failed to recognize that the Sirius and James remarkable aptitude in class had nothing to do with their attention span, which was set somewhere below zero. Remus, however, had his mind on other things. Gazing up into the enchanted ceiling, he could clearly see the outline of the moon behind the clouds. It was not yet full, no, if that was the case he would be somewhere underground, somewhere he had not been yet...he shuddered involuntarily as his mind drifted back to the image he had seen in the mirror and a flash back that so often occured in his mind before the full moons came to him again...
[Six Years Ago. Number 17 Canid Circle. Lupin Residence]
"Five is too young, I don't care what they say! Grown men can't handle it, how can a five year old?!" A voice. A woman's voice echoed in the ears of a very small, very afraid little boy.
"I know, dear, but there's nothing we could have done..." A man's voice now, and then the female voice again.
"Did they identify it?"
"No they...after the silver got into it's blood...there was just no chance. There's always the chance that someone will report a missing person to the Ministry but you know how it is...that sort don't have many on their side..."
"That sort is our son! I won't have Remus growing up like an animal!"
"Dear...the transformation...you know there is nothing we can do to help him once it has begun, he may not even survive it the first time. No one his age has been bitten in years, decades even!"
"I don't care! Remus is strong, Remus can make it! I won't have him...have him...put to sleep like some /beast/!" Her voice quavered and the little boy could here her crying.
"There, there, dear. You're right of course, Remus will get through this, he has to..." The man comforted the woman gently, and as two very blue eyes opened halfway he could see his mother and father comforting each other. Even at five, he could understand.
/I'm a monster...Mummy and Daddy know it too...I'm a monster.../
[Back to Present]
Remus sighed softly and rested his head in one hand, closing his eyes to cradle the image of the mirror's reflection in his mind. For what he saw was a fate that would never be and could never be so...not anymore. A boy of eleven, pale and fragile looking stood triumphant over the lifeless body of a wolf-like creature, the full moon illuminating the scene from above. /My inner monster.../ The voice in his head said. But no. He would not dwell on those things, his mother and father had spoken with him many times on accepting who he was and being proud of his character. Even if his character did occasionally belong to a wolf. Apparently the other three had been trying to attract his attention, because Remus could see they were staring at him now, two with amused expressions, one with a slightly concerned look.
"Earth to Remus, come in. Are you really /that/ surprised we made it through the day?" James Potter grinned at him from behind odd looking spectacles.
"Er...sure." Remus responded distractedly.
"Dunno why you would be, Rems, you and Peter didn't get a single detention..." Sirius mumbled, sounding a bit disappointed in his friends. Peter looked at his hands, turning red. Remus however scowled at Sirius.
"Thats because there weren't any detentions left after /you/ two got through with the teachers." He replied cooly, causing James to beam at him.
"So right you are Remus! Not a single one!" And James chuckled to himself so disturbingly Sirius inched away from him.
"Say, I've got an idea! How about we go check out that Whomping Willow tonight? A whole bunch of people are going!" Peter looked hopefully at the other three, as though trying to redeem himself after his lack of detentions. The other three answered in unison-
"Yeah!"
"Nice one, Pete!"
"NO."
James, Sirius and Peter turned to stare confusedly at the opposing voice, and Remus Lupin stared back at them, turning slightly red.
"You...you heard Professor Dumbledore! We've already gotten close to trouble today with that mirror thing. I...I don't think...No." Remus finished thickly.
"Oh go on Remus! Everyone's going to have a look, see?" Sirius gestured to the group of people rising from dinner and hurrying out the doors.
"Right, and besides, what could possibly go wrong?" James grinned and hopped up to follow the horde out, followed by Sirius and Peter.
"Famous last words..." Remus muttered, before joining the group out the doors.
By the time the Marauders had reached the tree, it seemed a riot had already broken out. Students were cheering loudly, at times collectively gasping, and all of them seemed to be staring at something the four boys could not see. James trotted forward and served as the official crowd parter, receiving more then one rude gesture and swear directed at him. Finally reaching the front, he peered at the infamous tree and guffawed in laughter at what he saw. A fifth year was trying to dodge through the flailing branches and touch the trunk, however failing utterly. He finally gave up when the tree gave him a good walloping, and he announced he wouldn't be able to sit on a broom for a week.
"I'm going to have a go!" James decided, and darted forward to the crowd's amusement. He was almost immidiately met with flailing branches in his direction, and was forced to drop to the ground and roll to avoid them. Moving hastily to his feet he saw the trunk ahead of him, reached out a hand and- Yes! He slapped the trunk, causing an uproar from the crowd. Turning around, he momentarily forgot that a mad tree was towering over him with the intent to maim every limb on his body. However, he was politely reminded of this when a branch hit him square on the head and he was forced to bolt for the crowd to avoid two more. A series of shoulder clapping, head knocking, and back patting followed from the Marauders and a number of students he didn't know at all, though it was enough to make him grin furiously. The crowd broke out in cheers again as another bloke ran forward to take the challenge. James recognized him as Davey Gudgeon, a Ravenclaw third year who'se father was friendly with James' family.
Davey lunged forward at the tree and immidiately held the crowd's attention as he knocked away an oncoming branch with his fist, causing the tree to rock alarmingly in fury. Branches began pelting at him from all directions as the boy continued to bound toward the trunk. However no one had his attention like Remus Lupin, who had not failed to notice that if Gudgeon continued in this direction he would stumble directly over the knot in the roots Professor Dumbledore had pointed out to him before term...however Remus shouldn't have worried, for the tree was already furious at this unknown assailant, and as Gudgeon turned around to beam at the cheering crowd, the tree met it's mark. A branch collided with the side of Davey's head a great deal harder then was necessary, and the boy was immidiately knocked out. For a split second there was silence, as though the world had moved into slow motion. Then the shouting, screaming began as if someone had suddenly turned up the volume to the world again. Before he knew what he was doing James, Sirius and a few other boys were rushing forward. The tree was no longer playing, it was as angry as anyone would ever witness for years after. In fact, the only other time the tree in question would ever be made so furious would take place over a decade later, when a flying car would crash into it, manned by two scrawny second years. James felt a branch collide with his forehead and ignored the sudden shoot of pain as his arm hooked under Gudgeon's elbow. Sirius had the other elbow, and a group of others James could not identify were rushing forward as well, until Gudgeon was held up between the lot of them and carried with what seemed like excruciating slowness, away.
What followed was quite a bit more orderly. Professor McGonagall, who had come to tell the students off for being out at night, seemed to understand right away what had happened. A stretcher was conjured from thin air to carry Gudgeon to the Hospital Wing where, under strict orders from McGonagall, the boys who had been carrying him, and were now covered in cuts and bruises, followed him. James reached up to wipe his brow and was mildly surprised to feel his hand connect with warm, sticky blood. Sirius was white as a ghost and James noticed he was cradling his left arm. No one spoke as the five of them (James had now come to his senses enough to count three others) trudged to Madam Pomfrey's clinic. Two of the boys seemed to be sixth years, and James recognized from the emblems on their robes, that they were from Ravenclaw. While a slightly younger boy- probably from fourth year by the looks of him- bore the Gryffindor lion as well. McGonagall swept through the open doors behind the hovering stretcher, and Madam Pomfrey bustled forward tutting. Apparently she had received word of what had happened, for James noticed that Gudgeon was set into a proper hospital bed and attended to right away.
"Ridiculous boy...what did he expect the tree to do? For Heaven's sake its called the Whomping Willow.." She murmered, and James watched with mild interest as her attention flew to Gudgeon's head, where one of his closed eyes was already covered in a black bruise that made James wince.
"Ought to have lost his eye...would certainly teach him to stay away from that tree from now on! As it is he'll probably lose it anyway!" Professor McGonagall directed James, Sirius and the others to claim the other beds and wait, though James could tell by the exasperated look on her face that Madam Pomfrey was simply speaking in anger, Davey Gudgeon wouldn't really lose his eye...would he? James remebered reading about a man everyone called Mad Eye Moody in the Daily Prophet. They called him a superb Auror...though James had never seen anyone quite as disturbing looking. Alastor Moody had lost one of his eyes not long ago (no one seemed to have the faintest idea how, or else it was gruesome enough that even the Daily Prophet wouldn't want to write it) and had replaced it with a magical glass eye that was rumored to have the ability to see through barriers. Would Davey Gudgeon meet the same fate? His thoughts were disturbed when Sirius shifted uncomfortably on the bed alongisde him. His face was chalk white now, and his arm seemed to be hanging at an odd angle. Madam Pomfrey finished up with Gudgeon and bustled over to Sirius, tutting concernedly and fetching an odd looking concoction for him to drink. James could read the label from where he was seated:
"Skelesave! From the Makers of Skelegrow! Repairs Broken Bones and Other Troublesome Skeleton Ailments in Seconds!"
James grinned as Sirius made a face from the taste of the potion, Madam Pomfrey tapped his arm with her wand and mumbled something incoherent that seemed to be the cause of Sirius' breif yelp of pain, his arm returning to it's proper position with a soft 'pop!'. He fell back onto the bed with a thud and breathed a sigh of relief, rubbing his arm subconciously. Madam Pomfrey hurried over to James next and sighed at the condition of his head, muttering to herself as she pasted something over the cut. James felt a prickling on his forehead and had the distinct feeling that his skin was crawling before the throbbing pain from the cut ceased. Raising a tenative hand to his head and feeling no blood, he grinned and doubled Sirius' actions, plopping back onto the bed as Madam Pomfrey took care of the others' ailments. Sirius caught his eye and flashed him a thumbs up with his sore arm, to which James responded with a salute. The two best friends grinned at each other.
'Well,' James thought, 'Beside the fact that we've got six detentions between the two of us, a stack of homework due tomorrow, and the minor setback that we've just been attacked by a tree, I'd say our first day of classes went decidedly better then expected!' And with that, he drifted off to sleep...
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A/N- Right! For the record, Davey Gudgeon is a real character from the books, and really did nearly lose an eye from a Whomping Willow attack (We find this out in the third book from Professor Lupin), and this chapter was merely my idea of how it might have gone. I know this chapter was originally supposed to be about Remus' encounter with the full moon, but as this event will turn out to play a part in the school's opinion of the Whomping Willow, I thought we should get it over with beforehand. Thanks again so much to everyone who reviewed, and please let me know what you thought about this chapter too! Will write again very soon!
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling, I do not own any part of it! This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes of the writer and reader only!
A/N: Chapter Six! Hope you enjoy it! I never ever expected to get that many reviews,Thank you a million times for your reviews, I was very flattered by them! A few people asked just what Remus saw when he looked in the mirror, read to find out! Enjoy! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
So it was that one new robe, three very angry Slytherins, and four detentions later, the Marauders survived their first day of classes.
"And no one is suprised as we are!" Crowed a very cheerful Sirius, who knocked goblets with James in celebration.
"Not a soul!" James replied with a grin, waving pleasantly at the disdainful looks they were receiving from the direction of the staff table, where most of the teachers present had not failed to recognize that the Sirius and James remarkable aptitude in class had nothing to do with their attention span, which was set somewhere below zero. Remus, however, had his mind on other things. Gazing up into the enchanted ceiling, he could clearly see the outline of the moon behind the clouds. It was not yet full, no, if that was the case he would be somewhere underground, somewhere he had not been yet...he shuddered involuntarily as his mind drifted back to the image he had seen in the mirror and a flash back that so often occured in his mind before the full moons came to him again...
[Six Years Ago. Number 17 Canid Circle. Lupin Residence]
"Five is too young, I don't care what they say! Grown men can't handle it, how can a five year old?!" A voice. A woman's voice echoed in the ears of a very small, very afraid little boy.
"I know, dear, but there's nothing we could have done..." A man's voice now, and then the female voice again.
"Did they identify it?"
"No they...after the silver got into it's blood...there was just no chance. There's always the chance that someone will report a missing person to the Ministry but you know how it is...that sort don't have many on their side..."
"That sort is our son! I won't have Remus growing up like an animal!"
"Dear...the transformation...you know there is nothing we can do to help him once it has begun, he may not even survive it the first time. No one his age has been bitten in years, decades even!"
"I don't care! Remus is strong, Remus can make it! I won't have him...have him...put to sleep like some /beast/!" Her voice quavered and the little boy could here her crying.
"There, there, dear. You're right of course, Remus will get through this, he has to..." The man comforted the woman gently, and as two very blue eyes opened halfway he could see his mother and father comforting each other. Even at five, he could understand.
/I'm a monster...Mummy and Daddy know it too...I'm a monster.../
[Back to Present]
Remus sighed softly and rested his head in one hand, closing his eyes to cradle the image of the mirror's reflection in his mind. For what he saw was a fate that would never be and could never be so...not anymore. A boy of eleven, pale and fragile looking stood triumphant over the lifeless body of a wolf-like creature, the full moon illuminating the scene from above. /My inner monster.../ The voice in his head said. But no. He would not dwell on those things, his mother and father had spoken with him many times on accepting who he was and being proud of his character. Even if his character did occasionally belong to a wolf. Apparently the other three had been trying to attract his attention, because Remus could see they were staring at him now, two with amused expressions, one with a slightly concerned look.
"Earth to Remus, come in. Are you really /that/ surprised we made it through the day?" James Potter grinned at him from behind odd looking spectacles.
"Er...sure." Remus responded distractedly.
"Dunno why you would be, Rems, you and Peter didn't get a single detention..." Sirius mumbled, sounding a bit disappointed in his friends. Peter looked at his hands, turning red. Remus however scowled at Sirius.
"Thats because there weren't any detentions left after /you/ two got through with the teachers." He replied cooly, causing James to beam at him.
"So right you are Remus! Not a single one!" And James chuckled to himself so disturbingly Sirius inched away from him.
"Say, I've got an idea! How about we go check out that Whomping Willow tonight? A whole bunch of people are going!" Peter looked hopefully at the other three, as though trying to redeem himself after his lack of detentions. The other three answered in unison-
"Yeah!"
"Nice one, Pete!"
"NO."
James, Sirius and Peter turned to stare confusedly at the opposing voice, and Remus Lupin stared back at them, turning slightly red.
"You...you heard Professor Dumbledore! We've already gotten close to trouble today with that mirror thing. I...I don't think...No." Remus finished thickly.
"Oh go on Remus! Everyone's going to have a look, see?" Sirius gestured to the group of people rising from dinner and hurrying out the doors.
"Right, and besides, what could possibly go wrong?" James grinned and hopped up to follow the horde out, followed by Sirius and Peter.
"Famous last words..." Remus muttered, before joining the group out the doors.
By the time the Marauders had reached the tree, it seemed a riot had already broken out. Students were cheering loudly, at times collectively gasping, and all of them seemed to be staring at something the four boys could not see. James trotted forward and served as the official crowd parter, receiving more then one rude gesture and swear directed at him. Finally reaching the front, he peered at the infamous tree and guffawed in laughter at what he saw. A fifth year was trying to dodge through the flailing branches and touch the trunk, however failing utterly. He finally gave up when the tree gave him a good walloping, and he announced he wouldn't be able to sit on a broom for a week.
"I'm going to have a go!" James decided, and darted forward to the crowd's amusement. He was almost immidiately met with flailing branches in his direction, and was forced to drop to the ground and roll to avoid them. Moving hastily to his feet he saw the trunk ahead of him, reached out a hand and- Yes! He slapped the trunk, causing an uproar from the crowd. Turning around, he momentarily forgot that a mad tree was towering over him with the intent to maim every limb on his body. However, he was politely reminded of this when a branch hit him square on the head and he was forced to bolt for the crowd to avoid two more. A series of shoulder clapping, head knocking, and back patting followed from the Marauders and a number of students he didn't know at all, though it was enough to make him grin furiously. The crowd broke out in cheers again as another bloke ran forward to take the challenge. James recognized him as Davey Gudgeon, a Ravenclaw third year who'se father was friendly with James' family.
Davey lunged forward at the tree and immidiately held the crowd's attention as he knocked away an oncoming branch with his fist, causing the tree to rock alarmingly in fury. Branches began pelting at him from all directions as the boy continued to bound toward the trunk. However no one had his attention like Remus Lupin, who had not failed to notice that if Gudgeon continued in this direction he would stumble directly over the knot in the roots Professor Dumbledore had pointed out to him before term...however Remus shouldn't have worried, for the tree was already furious at this unknown assailant, and as Gudgeon turned around to beam at the cheering crowd, the tree met it's mark. A branch collided with the side of Davey's head a great deal harder then was necessary, and the boy was immidiately knocked out. For a split second there was silence, as though the world had moved into slow motion. Then the shouting, screaming began as if someone had suddenly turned up the volume to the world again. Before he knew what he was doing James, Sirius and a few other boys were rushing forward. The tree was no longer playing, it was as angry as anyone would ever witness for years after. In fact, the only other time the tree in question would ever be made so furious would take place over a decade later, when a flying car would crash into it, manned by two scrawny second years. James felt a branch collide with his forehead and ignored the sudden shoot of pain as his arm hooked under Gudgeon's elbow. Sirius had the other elbow, and a group of others James could not identify were rushing forward as well, until Gudgeon was held up between the lot of them and carried with what seemed like excruciating slowness, away.
What followed was quite a bit more orderly. Professor McGonagall, who had come to tell the students off for being out at night, seemed to understand right away what had happened. A stretcher was conjured from thin air to carry Gudgeon to the Hospital Wing where, under strict orders from McGonagall, the boys who had been carrying him, and were now covered in cuts and bruises, followed him. James reached up to wipe his brow and was mildly surprised to feel his hand connect with warm, sticky blood. Sirius was white as a ghost and James noticed he was cradling his left arm. No one spoke as the five of them (James had now come to his senses enough to count three others) trudged to Madam Pomfrey's clinic. Two of the boys seemed to be sixth years, and James recognized from the emblems on their robes, that they were from Ravenclaw. While a slightly younger boy- probably from fourth year by the looks of him- bore the Gryffindor lion as well. McGonagall swept through the open doors behind the hovering stretcher, and Madam Pomfrey bustled forward tutting. Apparently she had received word of what had happened, for James noticed that Gudgeon was set into a proper hospital bed and attended to right away.
"Ridiculous boy...what did he expect the tree to do? For Heaven's sake its called the Whomping Willow.." She murmered, and James watched with mild interest as her attention flew to Gudgeon's head, where one of his closed eyes was already covered in a black bruise that made James wince.
"Ought to have lost his eye...would certainly teach him to stay away from that tree from now on! As it is he'll probably lose it anyway!" Professor McGonagall directed James, Sirius and the others to claim the other beds and wait, though James could tell by the exasperated look on her face that Madam Pomfrey was simply speaking in anger, Davey Gudgeon wouldn't really lose his eye...would he? James remebered reading about a man everyone called Mad Eye Moody in the Daily Prophet. They called him a superb Auror...though James had never seen anyone quite as disturbing looking. Alastor Moody had lost one of his eyes not long ago (no one seemed to have the faintest idea how, or else it was gruesome enough that even the Daily Prophet wouldn't want to write it) and had replaced it with a magical glass eye that was rumored to have the ability to see through barriers. Would Davey Gudgeon meet the same fate? His thoughts were disturbed when Sirius shifted uncomfortably on the bed alongisde him. His face was chalk white now, and his arm seemed to be hanging at an odd angle. Madam Pomfrey finished up with Gudgeon and bustled over to Sirius, tutting concernedly and fetching an odd looking concoction for him to drink. James could read the label from where he was seated:
"Skelesave! From the Makers of Skelegrow! Repairs Broken Bones and Other Troublesome Skeleton Ailments in Seconds!"
James grinned as Sirius made a face from the taste of the potion, Madam Pomfrey tapped his arm with her wand and mumbled something incoherent that seemed to be the cause of Sirius' breif yelp of pain, his arm returning to it's proper position with a soft 'pop!'. He fell back onto the bed with a thud and breathed a sigh of relief, rubbing his arm subconciously. Madam Pomfrey hurried over to James next and sighed at the condition of his head, muttering to herself as she pasted something over the cut. James felt a prickling on his forehead and had the distinct feeling that his skin was crawling before the throbbing pain from the cut ceased. Raising a tenative hand to his head and feeling no blood, he grinned and doubled Sirius' actions, plopping back onto the bed as Madam Pomfrey took care of the others' ailments. Sirius caught his eye and flashed him a thumbs up with his sore arm, to which James responded with a salute. The two best friends grinned at each other.
'Well,' James thought, 'Beside the fact that we've got six detentions between the two of us, a stack of homework due tomorrow, and the minor setback that we've just been attacked by a tree, I'd say our first day of classes went decidedly better then expected!' And with that, he drifted off to sleep...
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A/N- Right! For the record, Davey Gudgeon is a real character from the books, and really did nearly lose an eye from a Whomping Willow attack (We find this out in the third book from Professor Lupin), and this chapter was merely my idea of how it might have gone. I know this chapter was originally supposed to be about Remus' encounter with the full moon, but as this event will turn out to play a part in the school's opinion of the Whomping Willow, I thought we should get it over with beforehand. Thanks again so much to everyone who reviewed, and please let me know what you thought about this chapter too! Will write again very soon!