The Last of the Four- chapter 4
A Life of Lies
By Lillian Evans
For the first time since he could remember, Remus wasn't afraid of his upcoming transformation when he awoke the morning of the full moon. He walked down to the Great Hall for breakfast with Peter, Ashley, and Lily, still debating with himself as to what he should tell them. The truth would be easier to keep track of, but they would probably desert him as soon as they found out what he was.
"So, Remus, what did Dumbledore want last night?" Ashley asked him when they got to the Great Hall and sat down. She had become the unofficial starter of conversation at breakfast, although this was mostly due to the fact that she was the most awake in the morning. To this particular question, Remus tensed unnoticeably. Here we go, he thought, it's now or never!
He took a deep breath and began; still unsure himself of what he was going to say. "He, erm, just wanted to know, uh, how my first week went." He lied quickly. "And I told him it was great, and that I was really enjoying myself. Pass the bacon, please Pete."
When they had finished breakfast, they walked out of the Great Hall, towards History of Magic.
"Uh, guys," Remus said, as a lump grew in his throat. They all looked over at him, and he continued. "I, uh, don't feel very well. I have a bad stomachache. I think I need to go to the hospital wing," he finished, adding a fake groan onto the end.
Ashley patted his arm gently, "I hope you're alright." She said it with a worried expression on her face.
"I'm sure I'll be fine."
"You can borrow my notes from class when you get back, so that you won't fall behind." She offered.
"Er, thanks, Ashley. Well, I'd better be off then."
"Feel better, pal!" Peter called after him.
He turned the corner and had walked about 20 feet when-
"Where you going, Lupin?" James Potter put a hand into his chest, stopping him from moving forward any more."
"Yeah, Lupin, the history of magic classroom is the other way."
Remus suppressed a growl, Uh oh, he thought, I need to get away quick, the side effects are starting already! "I was heading for the infirmary, if you must know."
"Right, you think that, Lupin. We'll see you later, maybe we'll drop by and visit you, and if you aren't there when we stop by, you'll definitely find yourself in the hospital when we're through with you!" Sirius smirked and then whispered something to James, who nodded and laughed. They walked away toward the Great Hall.
Remus hurried away to the Hospital Wing, anxious not to meet anyone else who would disturb his rising temper.
******
He spent the rest of the day sitting in one of the beds reading through the lessons Dumbledore had gotten from his teachers for him to study. Around noon, Madam Pomfrey brought in a tray of meatloaf and pumpkin juice. Remus suddenly felt very hungry, and began eating as soon as the tray was set in front of him. He knew the feeling well, his other side was beginning to show through, and as much as he tried to stop it, the urges would only grow stronger as the day went by. He had read a book once, called (The Adventures of) Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde that had dealt with one man's struggle to fight off his other side, an evil side. He could see how the werewolf transformation was much the same as this book, although in the book, Dr. Jekyll had created the potion and drank it willingly to transform into his alternate personality. Remus' condition was much different.
Once he had finished the food (which was within a matter of minutes), he lay down in the bed and went to sleep.
Around 4 o'clock, he awoke to find Madam Pomfrey shaking him vigorously.
"I know you need your rest, but I let you sleep as long as I could. You'll need to eat your dinner, the headmaster will be here in about half an hour to take you down to the willow." She placed a tray in front of him as she spoke, and a delicious smell of beef stew came wafting up to his nostrils.
A quarter of an hour later, there was a knock on the door, and Madam Pomfrey went to open it, muttering about how "the headmaster is in a meeting until 15 minutes from now!"
She opened the door, and Remus could hear two only too familiar voices coming from the other side.
"We were wondering if we could see Remus Lupin. He told us he was feeling ill this morning, and we just got a chance to drop in to say hello. Is he available?" Came Sirius' voice with a hint of mock concern.
"It isn't," James' voice gave an overly dramatic gasp, "fatal, is it?"
"I'm sure it isn't fatal, Mr. Potter, but he isn't allowed any visitors at the moment. I'm afraid what he has is very contagious."
This is true, thought Remus, one bite and they'd be like me for the rest of their lives. I wouldn't wish that upon anyone. He silently thanked Madam Pomfrey for not letting the boys inside. He didn't think he'd be able to control his temper this time. It was too close to moonrise.
Remus saw two black heads poke around the door, looking around as Madam Pomfrey tried to close the door.
"I'm sorry, boys, but you'll have to go now."
"Alright then, so long, Poppy!" Remus heard two sets of feet running down the hall before Madam Pomfrey could respond.
"Sorry about that, Lupin."
"It's alright, I was sort of expecting them to drop by."
"Oh, did you want to see them?"
"No," came Remus' hasty reply, "thank you for sending them away. We aren't that close.
Another knock came a few minutes later, and this time it really was Dumbledore.
"Are you ready, Remus?"
"As ready as I'll ever be for this." Remus replied with a swift nod.
He stood up, and walked over to the door. Dumbledore put a hand on his shoulder, and led him out the door and down the hall. It all reminded him of the images of the dementors leading prisoners to Azkaban Remus had seen in the papers. The prisoner walking in the middle, his worst fears running through his head, surrounded by dementors on every side. Remus shuddered, and then felt a hand on his shoulder.
"It's alright, Lupin, you'll be just fine. Professor Dumbledore has it all under control." Came Madam Pomfrey's voice from behind him.
When they reached the tree, Dumbledore picked up a long stick and poked at a knot near the base of the tree. As soon as the knot was hit, the tree froze, and an opening in the ground was visible. Dumbledore turned to face Remus, whose gaze remained focused on the newly formed hole in the ground.
"I must leave you now, Remus, as must Madam Pomfrey. We mustn't be around when it comes time for you to transform, and we do not want to cut it too closely. All you need to do is follow the tunnel, and you will find yourself in the house. Someone will be back to get you in the morning. Once again, please stay inside the house!"
Remus walked through the frozen branches as if they were a veil parting his two lives. On one side he had his life with his friends, working hard and having fun, on the other side lay his life of lies, which came out once a month. As he climbed into the tunnel, he looked back at Dumbledore and Pomfrey's retreating backs, the last lines of connection between his two sides.
A Life of Lies
By Lillian Evans
For the first time since he could remember, Remus wasn't afraid of his upcoming transformation when he awoke the morning of the full moon. He walked down to the Great Hall for breakfast with Peter, Ashley, and Lily, still debating with himself as to what he should tell them. The truth would be easier to keep track of, but they would probably desert him as soon as they found out what he was.
"So, Remus, what did Dumbledore want last night?" Ashley asked him when they got to the Great Hall and sat down. She had become the unofficial starter of conversation at breakfast, although this was mostly due to the fact that she was the most awake in the morning. To this particular question, Remus tensed unnoticeably. Here we go, he thought, it's now or never!
He took a deep breath and began; still unsure himself of what he was going to say. "He, erm, just wanted to know, uh, how my first week went." He lied quickly. "And I told him it was great, and that I was really enjoying myself. Pass the bacon, please Pete."
When they had finished breakfast, they walked out of the Great Hall, towards History of Magic.
"Uh, guys," Remus said, as a lump grew in his throat. They all looked over at him, and he continued. "I, uh, don't feel very well. I have a bad stomachache. I think I need to go to the hospital wing," he finished, adding a fake groan onto the end.
Ashley patted his arm gently, "I hope you're alright." She said it with a worried expression on her face.
"I'm sure I'll be fine."
"You can borrow my notes from class when you get back, so that you won't fall behind." She offered.
"Er, thanks, Ashley. Well, I'd better be off then."
"Feel better, pal!" Peter called after him.
He turned the corner and had walked about 20 feet when-
"Where you going, Lupin?" James Potter put a hand into his chest, stopping him from moving forward any more."
"Yeah, Lupin, the history of magic classroom is the other way."
Remus suppressed a growl, Uh oh, he thought, I need to get away quick, the side effects are starting already! "I was heading for the infirmary, if you must know."
"Right, you think that, Lupin. We'll see you later, maybe we'll drop by and visit you, and if you aren't there when we stop by, you'll definitely find yourself in the hospital when we're through with you!" Sirius smirked and then whispered something to James, who nodded and laughed. They walked away toward the Great Hall.
Remus hurried away to the Hospital Wing, anxious not to meet anyone else who would disturb his rising temper.
******
He spent the rest of the day sitting in one of the beds reading through the lessons Dumbledore had gotten from his teachers for him to study. Around noon, Madam Pomfrey brought in a tray of meatloaf and pumpkin juice. Remus suddenly felt very hungry, and began eating as soon as the tray was set in front of him. He knew the feeling well, his other side was beginning to show through, and as much as he tried to stop it, the urges would only grow stronger as the day went by. He had read a book once, called (The Adventures of) Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde that had dealt with one man's struggle to fight off his other side, an evil side. He could see how the werewolf transformation was much the same as this book, although in the book, Dr. Jekyll had created the potion and drank it willingly to transform into his alternate personality. Remus' condition was much different.
Once he had finished the food (which was within a matter of minutes), he lay down in the bed and went to sleep.
Around 4 o'clock, he awoke to find Madam Pomfrey shaking him vigorously.
"I know you need your rest, but I let you sleep as long as I could. You'll need to eat your dinner, the headmaster will be here in about half an hour to take you down to the willow." She placed a tray in front of him as she spoke, and a delicious smell of beef stew came wafting up to his nostrils.
A quarter of an hour later, there was a knock on the door, and Madam Pomfrey went to open it, muttering about how "the headmaster is in a meeting until 15 minutes from now!"
She opened the door, and Remus could hear two only too familiar voices coming from the other side.
"We were wondering if we could see Remus Lupin. He told us he was feeling ill this morning, and we just got a chance to drop in to say hello. Is he available?" Came Sirius' voice with a hint of mock concern.
"It isn't," James' voice gave an overly dramatic gasp, "fatal, is it?"
"I'm sure it isn't fatal, Mr. Potter, but he isn't allowed any visitors at the moment. I'm afraid what he has is very contagious."
This is true, thought Remus, one bite and they'd be like me for the rest of their lives. I wouldn't wish that upon anyone. He silently thanked Madam Pomfrey for not letting the boys inside. He didn't think he'd be able to control his temper this time. It was too close to moonrise.
Remus saw two black heads poke around the door, looking around as Madam Pomfrey tried to close the door.
"I'm sorry, boys, but you'll have to go now."
"Alright then, so long, Poppy!" Remus heard two sets of feet running down the hall before Madam Pomfrey could respond.
"Sorry about that, Lupin."
"It's alright, I was sort of expecting them to drop by."
"Oh, did you want to see them?"
"No," came Remus' hasty reply, "thank you for sending them away. We aren't that close.
Another knock came a few minutes later, and this time it really was Dumbledore.
"Are you ready, Remus?"
"As ready as I'll ever be for this." Remus replied with a swift nod.
He stood up, and walked over to the door. Dumbledore put a hand on his shoulder, and led him out the door and down the hall. It all reminded him of the images of the dementors leading prisoners to Azkaban Remus had seen in the papers. The prisoner walking in the middle, his worst fears running through his head, surrounded by dementors on every side. Remus shuddered, and then felt a hand on his shoulder.
"It's alright, Lupin, you'll be just fine. Professor Dumbledore has it all under control." Came Madam Pomfrey's voice from behind him.
When they reached the tree, Dumbledore picked up a long stick and poked at a knot near the base of the tree. As soon as the knot was hit, the tree froze, and an opening in the ground was visible. Dumbledore turned to face Remus, whose gaze remained focused on the newly formed hole in the ground.
"I must leave you now, Remus, as must Madam Pomfrey. We mustn't be around when it comes time for you to transform, and we do not want to cut it too closely. All you need to do is follow the tunnel, and you will find yourself in the house. Someone will be back to get you in the morning. Once again, please stay inside the house!"
Remus walked through the frozen branches as if they were a veil parting his two lives. On one side he had his life with his friends, working hard and having fun, on the other side lay his life of lies, which came out once a month. As he climbed into the tunnel, he looked back at Dumbledore and Pomfrey's retreating backs, the last lines of connection between his two sides.