Peter awoke to a sound, although he didn't recognize what it was immediately. It was a barred owl, a huge grey bird. Peter was puzzled for a moment and then grabbed the parchment from around its leg. There was a quill and piece of parchment as well. Who would send him a letter? Bad boys don't get letters. It wasn't a red howler either. Just an ordinary white envelope, addressed to one Peter Pettigrew. The beautiful loopy handwriting was wondrous to Peter, and his first hesitations became an eager glee as he nearly tore open the envelope. It was from Remus. Peter began to read.
Dear Peter,
Merry Christmas. How are you doing? I haven't much to say, but I'm sure you're having fun on the holidays. I'm not enjoying it, but I'm feeling kind of sick. I got a book about Vampires, maybe you can look through it with me. There's loads of neat pictures and all.
Remus.
Peter clutched the letter to his chest. He sat for a brief moment, just inches away from tears. He grabbed the quill in his frozen hands and began to write back in his own scrawling chicken scratch. He hoped that Headmaster Dumbledore would be able to read it.
Deer Dumbeldore
I am not comming back to skool, I kant make it back even if I deservd to. I wuz bad and Daddy made me leave the howse. Tell Remus that I miss him and that he shood hav a good krismas becuz he was good enuff to get krismas.
Peter P
Dumbledore got up silently to do something in secrecy. He notifed Professor McGonagall of his intended absence and after that he simply vanished.
He thought of home and playing in the sunshine, even the beautiful sunsets. But the summer heat faded to a humid night with a cool breeze. He began to dream and the dream became reality. The darkness surrounded him, but he was out in the forest, reading a book. He had lost track of time, and even when it was getting dark he automatically grabbed for his wand and muttered "lumos." He didn't hear it coming, even if he had been awake to the world, his little seven-year-old legs couldn't have carried him to safety fast enough. But it was always the same, in his dreams he could hear the snarls and grunts and he just sat there, reading about creatures of darkness, fascinated by dangerous things. Sitting without noticing. Remus always watched as the beast crept up behind him, on its hind legs, hideous and grinning. The werewolf would always bring its claws across the back of his neck, raking in shallow to the flesh but deep into the soul. He couldn't cry out though, he could only take the beating of this half man, half monster. If only he had gone home before dark like his parents had always told him.
Other sounds were coming while Remus took vicious slashes from this monster that nearly killed him. He heard the words "Avada Kedavra!" and he could see the feet of his father. The words were empowered and full of fear and rage. Remus could still see even though he didn't feel conscious. He watched the next sequence of events in more fear than when he was being mauled. The half beast began to shift and falter. Bones could be heard snapping back into normal human posture, joints popping into different positions; hair seemingly disappearing entirely off the body. The face of naked man before him was dead and cold and his body landed facing him, eyes staring at nothing, right through Remus. A trickle of blood flowed from the man's mouth and nose. Dog tags around his neck identified him, and Remus's father came and took them, yanking them roughly from the man's lifeless body. He came to Remus's side, although he didn't think that Remus could have survived. The pallid and cold light of the full moon made the his face look as dead as the man beside him. He then tried to stand up but found he did nothing more than let out a strangled sob. Remus's father came and held him, immediately repairing the worst of the damage, but tears streamed down his face at the fate of his beloved son, accursed for all time afterwards by living, waking nightmares.
In the hospital wing, Peter sat and waited for Madame Hart to come in. Dumbledore stood in silent glory, short silver beard hanging poker straight around his neck. Madame Hart came bustling in, having being woken up after just going to bed. She was not in the greatest of moods but she saw this chubby little boy covered in faded yellowed bruises and immediately went pale. She began work immediately, applying salve to his bruises and when she made him take off his shirt she notices a very red, swollen and misshapen lower left rib cage. Immediately she took out her wand and rolled up her sleeves, speaking soothing words as a stream of pale blue shot out and almost instantaneously the swelling was gone, and Peter noticed that he didn't hurt so much. Dumbledore and Madame Hart left for bed, seeing that he was comfortable. He began to nod off when he noticed the bed next to him. A sleeping Remus shuddered in his sleep. He gazed at Remus's squinched face, and moments later he was shuddering too. The two boys shared a fitful sleep, both dreaming of inescapable monsters.
Dear Peter,
Merry Christmas. How are you doing? I haven't much to say, but I'm sure you're having fun on the holidays. I'm not enjoying it, but I'm feeling kind of sick. I got a book about Vampires, maybe you can look through it with me. There's loads of neat pictures and all.
Remus.
Peter clutched the letter to his chest. He sat for a brief moment, just inches away from tears. He grabbed the quill in his frozen hands and began to write back in his own scrawling chicken scratch. He hoped that Headmaster Dumbledore would be able to read it.
----------------------------
Albus dumbledore was in his office, quietly reading when an owl arrived. A rather large specimen, it dropped low and landed gracefully on the desk, save for a few papers that had caught slightly in the lift of the bird's wings. Dumbledore looked up, his eyes flashed slightly upon the sudden intrusion, but not a look of malice or impatience, more a brief moment of pain. As he opened it his face fell and he closed his eyes in thought, and he began to write back. The letter in front of him sat gaping, its words gaping up at him and not going away.Deer Dumbeldore
I am not comming back to skool, I kant make it back even if I deservd to. I wuz bad and Daddy made me leave the howse. Tell Remus that I miss him and that he shood hav a good krismas becuz he was good enuff to get krismas.
Peter P
Dumbledore got up silently to do something in secrecy. He notifed Professor McGonagall of his intended absence and after that he simply vanished.
----------------------------
Remus curled up tightly in his bed, he felt so sick and the gash on his arm hurt. He couldn't go to the hospital wing, it was something he had to keep secret. Normally he would have gone to Dumbledore, but Dumbledore was gone. The redness began to soak through his pajamas again. It wasn't bleeding steadily, but it would soon be getting on the sheets. His head hurt, and he needed to sleep, but the moon that was just beginning to wane cast a sickly glow across his ghastly face.He thought of home and playing in the sunshine, even the beautiful sunsets. But the summer heat faded to a humid night with a cool breeze. He began to dream and the dream became reality. The darkness surrounded him, but he was out in the forest, reading a book. He had lost track of time, and even when it was getting dark he automatically grabbed for his wand and muttered "lumos." He didn't hear it coming, even if he had been awake to the world, his little seven-year-old legs couldn't have carried him to safety fast enough. But it was always the same, in his dreams he could hear the snarls and grunts and he just sat there, reading about creatures of darkness, fascinated by dangerous things. Sitting without noticing. Remus always watched as the beast crept up behind him, on its hind legs, hideous and grinning. The werewolf would always bring its claws across the back of his neck, raking in shallow to the flesh but deep into the soul. He couldn't cry out though, he could only take the beating of this half man, half monster. If only he had gone home before dark like his parents had always told him.
Other sounds were coming while Remus took vicious slashes from this monster that nearly killed him. He heard the words "Avada Kedavra!" and he could see the feet of his father. The words were empowered and full of fear and rage. Remus could still see even though he didn't feel conscious. He watched the next sequence of events in more fear than when he was being mauled. The half beast began to shift and falter. Bones could be heard snapping back into normal human posture, joints popping into different positions; hair seemingly disappearing entirely off the body. The face of naked man before him was dead and cold and his body landed facing him, eyes staring at nothing, right through Remus. A trickle of blood flowed from the man's mouth and nose. Dog tags around his neck identified him, and Remus's father came and took them, yanking them roughly from the man's lifeless body. He came to Remus's side, although he didn't think that Remus could have survived. The pallid and cold light of the full moon made the his face look as dead as the man beside him. He then tried to stand up but found he did nothing more than let out a strangled sob. Remus's father came and held him, immediately repairing the worst of the damage, but tears streamed down his face at the fate of his beloved son, accursed for all time afterwards by living, waking nightmares.
----------------------------
Peter crept silently up the stairs to the Gryffindor tower, somehow relieved by being allowed to return to school. He thought he had been bad enough not to be allowed anywhere. His dad was probably really mad that he had been bad, and maybe school was bad too, they had books. But not Peter's books. Peter's had been bad. Dumbledore managed to catch up with Peter who had darted off immediately. "Peter, I have to take you somewhere. Come with me."In the hospital wing, Peter sat and waited for Madame Hart to come in. Dumbledore stood in silent glory, short silver beard hanging poker straight around his neck. Madame Hart came bustling in, having being woken up after just going to bed. She was not in the greatest of moods but she saw this chubby little boy covered in faded yellowed bruises and immediately went pale. She began work immediately, applying salve to his bruises and when she made him take off his shirt she notices a very red, swollen and misshapen lower left rib cage. Immediately she took out her wand and rolled up her sleeves, speaking soothing words as a stream of pale blue shot out and almost instantaneously the swelling was gone, and Peter noticed that he didn't hurt so much. Dumbledore and Madame Hart left for bed, seeing that he was comfortable. He began to nod off when he noticed the bed next to him. A sleeping Remus shuddered in his sleep. He gazed at Remus's squinched face, and moments later he was shuddering too. The two boys shared a fitful sleep, both dreaming of inescapable monsters.