The Wolf of Change
Chapter 10 - Hallow'een
"Excuse me, Mr. Filch...?" Remus didn't know why he was standing outside the caretaker's office at seven o'clock on a Saturday Hallow'een morning. He knocked tentatively again. "Mr. Filch, are you there?"
"Who is it?" Filch hissed.
"Uh...my name's Remus Lupin. I'm a first year."
"What do you want?" The door opened a crack, and Filch's already grizzled face peered out suspiciously.
"I...I was just...um...wondering about those paintings that were damaged. Which ones were they? And will they be okay?"
"Why do you care?"
"Uhhh..." Remus hesitated - he hadn't thought this far ahead. "I-I love art. I really like looking at the pictures on the walls on the way to lessons, and...I have some favourites, and I hoped that they hadn't been...hurt..."
Filch looked disgusted but convinced. "Very well. Don't fret yourself over them, though, they'll all repair nicely."
He led Remus into his tiny office. Only a single candle on the untidy desk lighted it. One wall was lined with overflowing cabinets, marked with labels such as 'Confiscated and Highly Dangerous' and 'Major Offenders and their Offences'. In one corner propped against the wall lay about twenty paintings, all as yet unattended to.
Remus cautiously moved over to the paintings. He flicked through them as quickly as he could with his trembling hands and with Filch peering over his shoulder. The was a painting of Godric Gryffindor standing next to the Sorting Hat, and one of Salazar Slytherin too, but the others all appeared to be landscapes.
"There's no connection between them at all." Filch growled. "How I'm supposed to find out which rat did this I don't know. It's just someone who enjoys mutilating other peoples' hard work apparently. Probably in Ravenclaw. A Hufflepuff wouldn't be smart enough..."
Remus didn't agree with the caretaker's conclusions at all, but he kept his own opinions to himself. The connection between the landscapes was that they all contained a picture of the Full Moon in some way or another, from as a reflection in water, to as a faint Children's Moon in a clear blue sky. Plus, due to what Sephine had said yesterday at the Whomping Willow, Remus was inclined to believe that whoever did it - Colonel Collins. It wasn't me, it was him - was a reluctant member of Slytherin house, and thus hated the Sorting Hat and its creator also for putting him there.
"Thank you, Mr. Filch. I hope they're all going to be okay." Remus said, to reinforce his earlier excuse for coming, and made his way quickly out of Filch's dark office.
By the time he'd reached the Great Hall for breakfast, all his friends were already there tucking into a wide assortment of pumpkin- flavoured foods.
"Hey, Rem', where you been?" Sirius asked around a goblet of pumpkin juice.
"Just had to see Professor Binns about that History of Magic lesson I missed, that's all." Remus sat down on the bench next to Martin and began filling his plate with the assortment of wonderful foods on offer.
"If this is what it's like at breakfast, God only knows what dinner will be like!" Lily exclaimed, spreading another piece of toast with pumpkin jam.
"You seen this in the news, Rem'? It's totally ace!" James said, tossing a Daily Prophet across the table to Remus. He unfolded it, a mild curiosity the only thing he felt from James' excitement. 'HORRIBLE HOGSMEADE HAUNTING!' The headline proclaimed. Remus read on, his astonishment growing.
'Last Monday night the inhabitants of the Wizarding town, Hogsmeade, were horrified to find that the mysterious old house on the edge of the town has
recently become inhabited by ghosts! Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster, of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
was asked to comment on future student trips to Hogsmeade now that this startling event has occurred. When questioned about Monday night's events, he merely replied, "I have no idea if they are ghosts or not...it could be possible that some of our local spirits have taken up residence there, but
we shall have to wait and see before jumping to hasty conclusions.
Hogsmeade trips will continue as normal - I have had some rather tricky
curses put in place to deter visitors."
The locals, however, have no such reservations as to the source of the noises. One witch, who lives especially close to the haunted house, said this: "I have no doubt in my mind that the noises I heard that night were those of unquiet spirits. The sound was awful - screams, crashes, howls and just a general cacophony of destruction. I wouldn't be surprised if this
became one of the most heavily haunted sites known in the world!" No noises have been heard since, but it has been observed by those brave enough to go near it, that many of the indoor shutters on the top floor of
the house have been ripped clean out. This leads to suspicions that the
trouble-causers may be unruly Hogwarts pupils or even some dangerous
Magical creature.
More local reports on page 5...'
Remus didn't bother turning to page five - he'd read enough. "W...what do you suppose it is?" He asked faintly, staring without seeing at the table.
"I hope it's ghosts!" Sirius was grinning from ear to ear, his blue eyes shining.
"Of course it isn't ghosts!" Lily rolled her eyes. "Don't be silly, Sirius, ghosts can't touch the world of the living - how could a ghost rip shutters off?"
"No need to spoil my fun," he said sulkily. "And anyway, how does Peeves cause so much destruction then?"
Lily didn't answer, but just buttered another piece of toast disapprovingly.
"I think it's a lunatic or something - that Dumbledore's caught and imprisoned in the house, and now the lunie is trying to get out!" Martin pulled a face of what he thought was an angry lunatic's expression.
Peter spoke up, quite bravely, "I reckon it was just some creature from the Forest that got trapped in there for a night, and didn't find its way out until morning, when there was light."
"Oh, Peter, you're such a bore!" James laughed.
"Well I agree with Peter!" Lily said, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, and causing him to turn an interesting shade of crimson.
"What do you think, Remus?" Sirius asked. "You know you've gotta say ghosts..."
Remus managed a grin. "Yeah, I've gotta say ghosts, but I'm not. I think it a pet of Hagrid's, the gamekeeper. I've heard he loves to keep huge, dangerous beasts."
Sirius threw up his arms in indignation. "Well at least James agrees with me!"
"Actually, I quite like Rem's idea..." They all laughed at Sirius' expression.
Getting up from the table to go back to the common room, the Gryffindors noticed Trurn and his friends standing at the end of the aisle between tables. They appeared to be waiting for something.
Suspicious, the Gryffindors moved slowly towards them - they were standing in front if the exit. As they walked, Remus felt something odd and lumpy slide down his right sweater sleeve. As he reached over with his left hand to feel what it was, Peter, who had been walking behind him, slipped on a large gob of pumpkin jam that had been left on the floor 'accidentally' by the Slytherins. Peter's fall had a domino effect on Remus, who was sent sprawling forwards. His arms whipped out to break his fall, and from his sleeve shot the lumpy object.
Trurn Mahbism - the only Slytherin who'd managed not to double over with laughter - stuck his foot out and stopped the object's slide with it. The object was Davey Gudgeon's Swiss Army Knife. Remus had forgotten that he'd hastily wrapped it in one of his weekend sweaters after finding it in his pocket.
The Gryffindors' cries of concern ceased, as did the laughter of the Slytherins. Remus pushed himself up off the floor; not taking his eyes from Trurn's as he did. Mahbism's expression had been one of complete and utter disbelief - the disbelief of a child who'd just got the most wondrous, amazing Christmas present - now, a terrible smile snuck onto it.
"Remus...you carved that song onto the Whomping Willow...! Why didn't you tell anyone? You could have become a star! A hero!"
"He still could!" James said, his voice was full of awe, yet defiance, as he stepped to his friend's side.
"Oh no..." Trurn put on a mock pitying face. "I'm afraid not...you planned to keep this little treasure for yourself, didn't you, Remus? That makes you a thief! You'll still be a star, but people will hate you now, Remus..."
"What the--" (Martin said a word that made Lily gasp and the Slytherins snigger)"--are you talking about, you freak? The Willow was only carved yesterday; Remus was probably just going now to look for Davey! Right, Rem'?" Martin looked at him.
All Remus could do was nod. What was he going to tell them about why he hadn't told them?
Luke Rosier moved to stand next to Trurn. He folded his arms and said, "Oh I think we can do that for you now, Lupin. We don't mind taking Gudgeon his present back to him. We'll let him know exactly...how it was found..."
"Yeah, and take all the credit yourself!" Sirius bellowed, thundering past Peter and Lily to stand on Remus' right. His hands were clenched into fists and Remus could see they were shaking.
"Credit for delaying the return of his precious knife? I think not." Rosier sneered. "Davey Gudgeon will know the truth, Black, I assure you."
With a roar, Sirius threw himself at the Slytherins, James and Martin leaping after him. Remus stood, rooted to the spot, as Lily and Peter pleaded desperately for the whole lot of them to stop. Trurn hadn't moved either.
"Fetch," he mouthed over the shouts of the brawlers as he sent the knife skidding along the stone floor of the Great Hall. It stopped right underneath the Hufflepuff table, where Davey Gudgeon (completely healed - he hadn't lost the eye) and his friends had just sat down to their breakfast, and were avidly watching the fight.
Remus thought of just running right past Trurn, and the fight, and going to live a hermit's life in the house in Hogsmeade until this was all forgotten, or he woke from the nightmare.
As though reading these thoughts, Trurn's smirk widened. "Surely you're not just going to leave it there, Remus...?"
Remus shot the boy a terrible glare, and stalked over to the Hufflepuffs. "Hey, Davey," he muttered. "Your eye okay now?"
Davey looked up in surprise. "Yeah, it's fine, thanks for asking. Remus, isn't it?"
Remus nodded. "Yeah. Look, Davey, I just glanced over, and saw this glint under your table - I think it might be your pocket knife - I saw it a little more clearly as I came near."
The boy's eyes widened in astonishment. He ducked under the table for a second, and came up looking completely flabbergasted. "Gosh, you're right!" He went back down to fetch it, and after resurfacing for the second time, examined it closely. "That's very odd...how did it get there?" He mused.
"Maybe it was in one of your pockets all the time," Remus suggested, choosing that moment to take his leave but followed by Davey's curious stare.
His friends had just about finished their scrap with Rosier and company when he got back to them - they were preparing to make their exits too. As the group of six raced down the corridor, pursued a short way by the Slytherins, Sirius panted to Remus, "How come you weren't helping? We were fighting on your behalf!"
"I was returning Davey's knife."
"And why didn't you tell us, Remus?" Lily asked him.
"I...don't know..."How lame an excuse was that?
"What?" Martin shouted as they slowed to a walk.
"It's complicated." Remus managed to mumble.
"Don't you trust us?" James queried, experimentally poking the bruise coming up on his chin.
They were approaching the huge staircase system of Hogwarts. Remus saw one nearby begin to swing away, and leapt onto it. "I've got to go and see Professor Binns about the History of Magic work I missed!" He said evasively.
As the staircase swung away from his friends, he heard Lily say, "I thought he'd just done that, and that's why he was late to breakfast...?"
Remus swore at himself as the staircase began to rise - he'd forgotten he'd already used that excuse. The lies were already beginning to get out of hand.
He leant heavily on the banister and slid down to sit on the stair. His eyes were prickling - he'd finally made himself some friends, and already he was feeling he couldn't keep them. If he told them they'd leave him, but if he carried on lying, they would still leave him. Curled into a ball of self-pity, Remus didn't notice the movement of the staircase stop. In fact, he must have been curled up very small, because the next person to use the stairs didn't have a clue he was there.
Down the stone steps came a hurried pattering, light, dainty but definitely hurried. A girl's voice muttered, "Dratted stairs, why can't you move when I need you to for a change?"
"I saw you, you little minx!" Argus Filch's voice and the meow of his cat, Mrs. Norris, drifted out of the corridor at the top of the stairs.
"Oh!" The voice of the girl exclaimed. Remus knew she had seen him, and opened his eyes a little. Sephine Winters lowered herself into a crouch next to the banister opposite him. "Remus, what on earth are you doing here?"
He gave a quiet snort of laughter. "I needed to be alone for a bit."
"Oh, don't mind me - I'm not here!" Sephine said with a wicked grin.
"What did you do?" Remus asked, his curiosity awakened despite himself.
"Umm...I was trying to unlock the room where Charlie's been stationed on 'non-magic dust patrol' when Mrs. Norris snuck up on me. I er, gave her a colossal boot up the behind and she went yowling for Filch..."
Remus hand to use both hands to smother his laughter. Sephine just watched, a rueful smile dancing on her lips.
"Ooh, you'll pay for this one, Winters!" Filch stormed. He had reached the top of the stairs.
Sephine cursed and scanned the steps for any sign of help. Her eyes fell upon the hole where a block of stone was missing. Her breathing was harsh and ragged with adrenaline as she inched towards it.
"Sephine! What the heck are you doing?" Remus murmured pointedly as Filch began to descend the stairs, and Sephine peeked down the hole.
She swore again. "I'm afraid of heights!" she said in a strangled voice. "You have no idea how stupid that is in my situation!" and she squirmed through the hole, feet first, until only her fingers were left visible, gripping to the edge for dear life. When those vanished too, Remus jumped in terror, but couldn't cry out, as Filch had reached him.
"Remus Lupin...the boy who likes art..." Filch looked down at him. "Did you see a girl come this way just a moment before me?"
"N-no..." Remus shook his head, then nodded it. "No-Yes! I did! She went down that corridor straight ahead!"
Filch eyed him suspiciously for a few seconds and Remus squirmed. "Right. You'd better not be concealing her, young Lupin, 'cause I happen to know she's one of your pals...No...you'd better not be..." And he stormed away down the stairs, unconsciously missing out the gap where Sephine had vanished.
As soon as he was out of sight, Remus scrambled to the hole. "Sephine?" He called urgently. "Sephine are you okay?"
The tightly gripping fingers reappeared, and she swung out from under the stairs. She looked up at him; her face was white as a sheet. "Remus, give me your hand, quick, there's no way I can hold on any more - I need to lose weight!" She laughed rather nervously as he pulled her out.
She was breathing so fast he thought she was about to hyperventilate or some sort of thing, but there was excitement in the blue eyes. "God...that was a bit close...thanks!"
"You...are mental." Remus shook his head.
She grinned. "C'mon - will you help me try and free Charlie?"
"Might as well. It sure beats cowering on a staircase." Remus followed her to the locked door she'd spoken of.
"What's the opening charm? Hello-ha-shirt or something?" Sephine asked, frustration plain on her face.
Remus smiled at her version of the charm, and brandished his wand at the lock. "Alohomora!" He commanded.
"...That's the one...!" She gaped as the door swung open
Sephine, Charlie and Remus raced from the corridor, being careful, though, to re-lock the door when they left.
Chapter 10 - Hallow'een
"Excuse me, Mr. Filch...?" Remus didn't know why he was standing outside the caretaker's office at seven o'clock on a Saturday Hallow'een morning. He knocked tentatively again. "Mr. Filch, are you there?"
"Who is it?" Filch hissed.
"Uh...my name's Remus Lupin. I'm a first year."
"What do you want?" The door opened a crack, and Filch's already grizzled face peered out suspiciously.
"I...I was just...um...wondering about those paintings that were damaged. Which ones were they? And will they be okay?"
"Why do you care?"
"Uhhh..." Remus hesitated - he hadn't thought this far ahead. "I-I love art. I really like looking at the pictures on the walls on the way to lessons, and...I have some favourites, and I hoped that they hadn't been...hurt..."
Filch looked disgusted but convinced. "Very well. Don't fret yourself over them, though, they'll all repair nicely."
He led Remus into his tiny office. Only a single candle on the untidy desk lighted it. One wall was lined with overflowing cabinets, marked with labels such as 'Confiscated and Highly Dangerous' and 'Major Offenders and their Offences'. In one corner propped against the wall lay about twenty paintings, all as yet unattended to.
Remus cautiously moved over to the paintings. He flicked through them as quickly as he could with his trembling hands and with Filch peering over his shoulder. The was a painting of Godric Gryffindor standing next to the Sorting Hat, and one of Salazar Slytherin too, but the others all appeared to be landscapes.
"There's no connection between them at all." Filch growled. "How I'm supposed to find out which rat did this I don't know. It's just someone who enjoys mutilating other peoples' hard work apparently. Probably in Ravenclaw. A Hufflepuff wouldn't be smart enough..."
Remus didn't agree with the caretaker's conclusions at all, but he kept his own opinions to himself. The connection between the landscapes was that they all contained a picture of the Full Moon in some way or another, from as a reflection in water, to as a faint Children's Moon in a clear blue sky. Plus, due to what Sephine had said yesterday at the Whomping Willow, Remus was inclined to believe that whoever did it - Colonel Collins. It wasn't me, it was him - was a reluctant member of Slytherin house, and thus hated the Sorting Hat and its creator also for putting him there.
"Thank you, Mr. Filch. I hope they're all going to be okay." Remus said, to reinforce his earlier excuse for coming, and made his way quickly out of Filch's dark office.
By the time he'd reached the Great Hall for breakfast, all his friends were already there tucking into a wide assortment of pumpkin- flavoured foods.
"Hey, Rem', where you been?" Sirius asked around a goblet of pumpkin juice.
"Just had to see Professor Binns about that History of Magic lesson I missed, that's all." Remus sat down on the bench next to Martin and began filling his plate with the assortment of wonderful foods on offer.
"If this is what it's like at breakfast, God only knows what dinner will be like!" Lily exclaimed, spreading another piece of toast with pumpkin jam.
"You seen this in the news, Rem'? It's totally ace!" James said, tossing a Daily Prophet across the table to Remus. He unfolded it, a mild curiosity the only thing he felt from James' excitement. 'HORRIBLE HOGSMEADE HAUNTING!' The headline proclaimed. Remus read on, his astonishment growing.
'Last Monday night the inhabitants of the Wizarding town, Hogsmeade, were horrified to find that the mysterious old house on the edge of the town has
recently become inhabited by ghosts! Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster, of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
was asked to comment on future student trips to Hogsmeade now that this startling event has occurred. When questioned about Monday night's events, he merely replied, "I have no idea if they are ghosts or not...it could be possible that some of our local spirits have taken up residence there, but
we shall have to wait and see before jumping to hasty conclusions.
Hogsmeade trips will continue as normal - I have had some rather tricky
curses put in place to deter visitors."
The locals, however, have no such reservations as to the source of the noises. One witch, who lives especially close to the haunted house, said this: "I have no doubt in my mind that the noises I heard that night were those of unquiet spirits. The sound was awful - screams, crashes, howls and just a general cacophony of destruction. I wouldn't be surprised if this
became one of the most heavily haunted sites known in the world!" No noises have been heard since, but it has been observed by those brave enough to go near it, that many of the indoor shutters on the top floor of
the house have been ripped clean out. This leads to suspicions that the
trouble-causers may be unruly Hogwarts pupils or even some dangerous
Magical creature.
More local reports on page 5...'
Remus didn't bother turning to page five - he'd read enough. "W...what do you suppose it is?" He asked faintly, staring without seeing at the table.
"I hope it's ghosts!" Sirius was grinning from ear to ear, his blue eyes shining.
"Of course it isn't ghosts!" Lily rolled her eyes. "Don't be silly, Sirius, ghosts can't touch the world of the living - how could a ghost rip shutters off?"
"No need to spoil my fun," he said sulkily. "And anyway, how does Peeves cause so much destruction then?"
Lily didn't answer, but just buttered another piece of toast disapprovingly.
"I think it's a lunatic or something - that Dumbledore's caught and imprisoned in the house, and now the lunie is trying to get out!" Martin pulled a face of what he thought was an angry lunatic's expression.
Peter spoke up, quite bravely, "I reckon it was just some creature from the Forest that got trapped in there for a night, and didn't find its way out until morning, when there was light."
"Oh, Peter, you're such a bore!" James laughed.
"Well I agree with Peter!" Lily said, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, and causing him to turn an interesting shade of crimson.
"What do you think, Remus?" Sirius asked. "You know you've gotta say ghosts..."
Remus managed a grin. "Yeah, I've gotta say ghosts, but I'm not. I think it a pet of Hagrid's, the gamekeeper. I've heard he loves to keep huge, dangerous beasts."
Sirius threw up his arms in indignation. "Well at least James agrees with me!"
"Actually, I quite like Rem's idea..." They all laughed at Sirius' expression.
Getting up from the table to go back to the common room, the Gryffindors noticed Trurn and his friends standing at the end of the aisle between tables. They appeared to be waiting for something.
Suspicious, the Gryffindors moved slowly towards them - they were standing in front if the exit. As they walked, Remus felt something odd and lumpy slide down his right sweater sleeve. As he reached over with his left hand to feel what it was, Peter, who had been walking behind him, slipped on a large gob of pumpkin jam that had been left on the floor 'accidentally' by the Slytherins. Peter's fall had a domino effect on Remus, who was sent sprawling forwards. His arms whipped out to break his fall, and from his sleeve shot the lumpy object.
Trurn Mahbism - the only Slytherin who'd managed not to double over with laughter - stuck his foot out and stopped the object's slide with it. The object was Davey Gudgeon's Swiss Army Knife. Remus had forgotten that he'd hastily wrapped it in one of his weekend sweaters after finding it in his pocket.
The Gryffindors' cries of concern ceased, as did the laughter of the Slytherins. Remus pushed himself up off the floor; not taking his eyes from Trurn's as he did. Mahbism's expression had been one of complete and utter disbelief - the disbelief of a child who'd just got the most wondrous, amazing Christmas present - now, a terrible smile snuck onto it.
"Remus...you carved that song onto the Whomping Willow...! Why didn't you tell anyone? You could have become a star! A hero!"
"He still could!" James said, his voice was full of awe, yet defiance, as he stepped to his friend's side.
"Oh no..." Trurn put on a mock pitying face. "I'm afraid not...you planned to keep this little treasure for yourself, didn't you, Remus? That makes you a thief! You'll still be a star, but people will hate you now, Remus..."
"What the--" (Martin said a word that made Lily gasp and the Slytherins snigger)"--are you talking about, you freak? The Willow was only carved yesterday; Remus was probably just going now to look for Davey! Right, Rem'?" Martin looked at him.
All Remus could do was nod. What was he going to tell them about why he hadn't told them?
Luke Rosier moved to stand next to Trurn. He folded his arms and said, "Oh I think we can do that for you now, Lupin. We don't mind taking Gudgeon his present back to him. We'll let him know exactly...how it was found..."
"Yeah, and take all the credit yourself!" Sirius bellowed, thundering past Peter and Lily to stand on Remus' right. His hands were clenched into fists and Remus could see they were shaking.
"Credit for delaying the return of his precious knife? I think not." Rosier sneered. "Davey Gudgeon will know the truth, Black, I assure you."
With a roar, Sirius threw himself at the Slytherins, James and Martin leaping after him. Remus stood, rooted to the spot, as Lily and Peter pleaded desperately for the whole lot of them to stop. Trurn hadn't moved either.
"Fetch," he mouthed over the shouts of the brawlers as he sent the knife skidding along the stone floor of the Great Hall. It stopped right underneath the Hufflepuff table, where Davey Gudgeon (completely healed - he hadn't lost the eye) and his friends had just sat down to their breakfast, and were avidly watching the fight.
Remus thought of just running right past Trurn, and the fight, and going to live a hermit's life in the house in Hogsmeade until this was all forgotten, or he woke from the nightmare.
As though reading these thoughts, Trurn's smirk widened. "Surely you're not just going to leave it there, Remus...?"
Remus shot the boy a terrible glare, and stalked over to the Hufflepuffs. "Hey, Davey," he muttered. "Your eye okay now?"
Davey looked up in surprise. "Yeah, it's fine, thanks for asking. Remus, isn't it?"
Remus nodded. "Yeah. Look, Davey, I just glanced over, and saw this glint under your table - I think it might be your pocket knife - I saw it a little more clearly as I came near."
The boy's eyes widened in astonishment. He ducked under the table for a second, and came up looking completely flabbergasted. "Gosh, you're right!" He went back down to fetch it, and after resurfacing for the second time, examined it closely. "That's very odd...how did it get there?" He mused.
"Maybe it was in one of your pockets all the time," Remus suggested, choosing that moment to take his leave but followed by Davey's curious stare.
His friends had just about finished their scrap with Rosier and company when he got back to them - they were preparing to make their exits too. As the group of six raced down the corridor, pursued a short way by the Slytherins, Sirius panted to Remus, "How come you weren't helping? We were fighting on your behalf!"
"I was returning Davey's knife."
"And why didn't you tell us, Remus?" Lily asked him.
"I...don't know..."How lame an excuse was that?
"What?" Martin shouted as they slowed to a walk.
"It's complicated." Remus managed to mumble.
"Don't you trust us?" James queried, experimentally poking the bruise coming up on his chin.
They were approaching the huge staircase system of Hogwarts. Remus saw one nearby begin to swing away, and leapt onto it. "I've got to go and see Professor Binns about the History of Magic work I missed!" He said evasively.
As the staircase swung away from his friends, he heard Lily say, "I thought he'd just done that, and that's why he was late to breakfast...?"
Remus swore at himself as the staircase began to rise - he'd forgotten he'd already used that excuse. The lies were already beginning to get out of hand.
He leant heavily on the banister and slid down to sit on the stair. His eyes were prickling - he'd finally made himself some friends, and already he was feeling he couldn't keep them. If he told them they'd leave him, but if he carried on lying, they would still leave him. Curled into a ball of self-pity, Remus didn't notice the movement of the staircase stop. In fact, he must have been curled up very small, because the next person to use the stairs didn't have a clue he was there.
Down the stone steps came a hurried pattering, light, dainty but definitely hurried. A girl's voice muttered, "Dratted stairs, why can't you move when I need you to for a change?"
"I saw you, you little minx!" Argus Filch's voice and the meow of his cat, Mrs. Norris, drifted out of the corridor at the top of the stairs.
"Oh!" The voice of the girl exclaimed. Remus knew she had seen him, and opened his eyes a little. Sephine Winters lowered herself into a crouch next to the banister opposite him. "Remus, what on earth are you doing here?"
He gave a quiet snort of laughter. "I needed to be alone for a bit."
"Oh, don't mind me - I'm not here!" Sephine said with a wicked grin.
"What did you do?" Remus asked, his curiosity awakened despite himself.
"Umm...I was trying to unlock the room where Charlie's been stationed on 'non-magic dust patrol' when Mrs. Norris snuck up on me. I er, gave her a colossal boot up the behind and she went yowling for Filch..."
Remus hand to use both hands to smother his laughter. Sephine just watched, a rueful smile dancing on her lips.
"Ooh, you'll pay for this one, Winters!" Filch stormed. He had reached the top of the stairs.
Sephine cursed and scanned the steps for any sign of help. Her eyes fell upon the hole where a block of stone was missing. Her breathing was harsh and ragged with adrenaline as she inched towards it.
"Sephine! What the heck are you doing?" Remus murmured pointedly as Filch began to descend the stairs, and Sephine peeked down the hole.
She swore again. "I'm afraid of heights!" she said in a strangled voice. "You have no idea how stupid that is in my situation!" and she squirmed through the hole, feet first, until only her fingers were left visible, gripping to the edge for dear life. When those vanished too, Remus jumped in terror, but couldn't cry out, as Filch had reached him.
"Remus Lupin...the boy who likes art..." Filch looked down at him. "Did you see a girl come this way just a moment before me?"
"N-no..." Remus shook his head, then nodded it. "No-Yes! I did! She went down that corridor straight ahead!"
Filch eyed him suspiciously for a few seconds and Remus squirmed. "Right. You'd better not be concealing her, young Lupin, 'cause I happen to know she's one of your pals...No...you'd better not be..." And he stormed away down the stairs, unconsciously missing out the gap where Sephine had vanished.
As soon as he was out of sight, Remus scrambled to the hole. "Sephine?" He called urgently. "Sephine are you okay?"
The tightly gripping fingers reappeared, and she swung out from under the stairs. She looked up at him; her face was white as a sheet. "Remus, give me your hand, quick, there's no way I can hold on any more - I need to lose weight!" She laughed rather nervously as he pulled her out.
She was breathing so fast he thought she was about to hyperventilate or some sort of thing, but there was excitement in the blue eyes. "God...that was a bit close...thanks!"
"You...are mental." Remus shook his head.
She grinned. "C'mon - will you help me try and free Charlie?"
"Might as well. It sure beats cowering on a staircase." Remus followed her to the locked door she'd spoken of.
"What's the opening charm? Hello-ha-shirt or something?" Sephine asked, frustration plain on her face.
Remus smiled at her version of the charm, and brandished his wand at the lock. "Alohomora!" He commanded.
"...That's the one...!" She gaped as the door swung open
Sephine, Charlie and Remus raced from the corridor, being careful, though, to re-lock the door when they left.