CHAPTER 28
A Trip to Hogsmeade
Now the world was open to the four friends. They were planning their next great adventure for November, and Remus found the full moon exciting now that he knew that he would be safe from the wolf. Yes, he had felt the wolf inside him at all times, but he was free of its reign over his mind. He was in charge. He could walk a little taller now.
Fifth year, as Mundungus had warned Sirius before he left, was the worst year. O.W.L.s were to be taken at the end of the second term, but the teachers were preparing them all in advance. Mounds of homework were stacked upon the tables in the common room, and it seemed that everyone was about to have a nervous breakdown.
Arlene Stebbins, a chubby girl with her hair always in a tight bun, was rarely seen outside of the library, copying notes and memorizing charms and spells. Snape was constantly dipping his nose into his textbooks. Even Davey could be seen reading from time to time. But Sirius and James didn't touch a single page. Remus tried to get them to study, but it seemed they had better things on their mind.
Ever since becoming Animagi, their heads had inflated. Well, who could blame them? Ever since Halloween of first year, everyone thought that they were the height of cool. Not to mention that James had now won the Quidditch Cup for two consecutive years, and that Sirius was the "stud" of the school, as a second year girl pointed out bluntly one day. They made top grades in their classes, and had moved on to not just hexing Snape and a few other chosen Slytherins in the hallways, but anyone who annoyed them. Peter would clap every time that this happened, and Remus would quietly duck back behind his book, reading.
It seemed the only three in Hogwarts who weren't fooled by the two were Snape, Lily, and June. And that was perfectly fine with Sirius, seeming that he hated all of them with a passion.
Professor McGonagall told them before Christmas that they would be getting Career Advice soon from their respectable Head of House, and they should begin to think about what they wanted to discuss.
This was the subject of conversaion while the four of them waited for Madam Pomfrey to collect Remus for November's transformation.
"I'm looking into professional Quidditch," James said unsurprisingly.
"Come on, now," Sirius said. "Be reasonable. Do you know how many Quidditch players there are in the world? Not many that are professional and not starving."
"And what are you planning to do?" James asked.
"Be an Auror, of course," Sirius said. "I'm not a black sheep for nothing. How about you, Moony?"
Remus shrugged and muttered something.
"What?"
"A teacher," he said a little louder, and all of them stared at him.
"Why by Merlin's beard would you want to be a teacher?" Sirius said.
"Well, I enjoy tutoring people, and I think that it would be a safe job for me to do," Remus said. "You know, contact with my students, but not at night?"
"I think I want to be a Ministry worker," Peter chimed in. "My dad is. He reckons I'd be good at it."
"Hey, Padfoot," James said, throwing a pillow at Sirius. "You coming to my house for Christmas this year?"
Sirius hesitated before shaking his head.
"Why not?" James was surprised. He had hoped that he wouldn't have to explain it to him.
"Well, I got a letter this morning from Mum," Sirius said disdainfully. "And she says she wants me to come home and 'have a little chat' with them."
James scrunched up his face. "Eck. Sounds like they're going to try and reform you."
"And all I have to say to that is 'good luck,'" Remus snorted.
"Yeah, it's the day that I kill myself that I end up like any of them," Sirius said, and sank into the chair.
"Oh! How dare you!" the Fat Lady shouted.
Remus stood and walked to the portrait hole. "See you guys," he said.
The three of them nodded and walked up to the dormitory room to retrieve the Cloak.
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The door to the Shrieking Shack had never been opened. The villagers swore that it never would be. And they weren't awake to see it do so.
The hinges creaked, and the moonlight came rushing into the living room of the Shack. The four animals that had been hiding in the darkness blinked and tried to shield their eyes. Remus felt the hair on his back stand on end, and the wolf try to submerge from the depths of his mind.
Oh no you don't, Remus mentally snarled at it, and it retreated back into the depths of consciousness.
The four staggered out the door onto the overgrown lawn, through the gate, and onto the main road.
Moony stood between Prongs and Padfoot, while Wormtail stayed in front, sniffing around for danger. Once in a while he would find a rat friend and stop to speak to it. At this, Padfoot would growl at the foreign rat, and it would go scampering away. Down the street they went, past the closed Three Broomsticks, Zonko's Joke Shop, and Madam Bellna's Divination Supplies. It was like the world had been set on a silver plate and handed to them. Everything was free to roam, explore, discover!
Moony pointed to a window full of mirrors, and the friends followed his finger. There, in the midst of the different sizes and shapes, was an ordinary looking plate of glass. But instead of reflecting a stag, a dog, a wolf, and a rat like all the others did, it reflected four boys, all of them on four legs; James and Sirius flanking Remus, and Peter in front of them. They smiled at their reflections.
Truth Mirror, it was labeled underneath.
Padfoot then pointed out another mirror next to it, and Prongs took a few steps back out of shock. They were all older, more matured. They were actually --- adults.
Fortune Mirror, it read.
Prongs didn't like this window too much, and he headed off down the road, following Wormtail.
Past the Hog's Head they went, past Viquor's Potions and Brews, past a lovely little café, and finally to the outskirts of town. Moony shook as the moonlight hit him even harder, and he signaled to the others that he needed to get back before he lost control. Prongs understood immediately, and pushed Wormtail in the wrong direction by biting his tail and carrying him to the rear. Wormtail squeaked at him, then scurried off in front of them. Padfoot stayed closer to Moony as they made their way back through the village. The wolf was beginning to convulse again. He could smell blood. He could.
He lashed out at Padfoot, and Padfoot bit him back.
Moony let out a howl and went for Padfoot's throat. Prongs jumped on top of him, pinning him to the ground. Remus resurfaced after a few minutes, and they let him back up. Back through the gate, up the unkempt lawn, and through the opened door.
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"That was bloody brilliant last night," Peter said, walking alongside Remus, Sirius, and James. They were on their way to Potions. "You fancy that we're going to do it again?"
Remus shuddered. He had lost himself for a moment there. Even with them there, he had forgotten himself.
"I think we'll stay inside for a while," James said, glancing at Remus.
"What? You call that house interesting?" Sirius said. "We need to get out and explore! I've been thinking --- we could map out the entire school as those characters. You know, a magical map."
"Not just yet," James said. "We still need to get Remus accustomed to us being there."
"You two are big enough that you can control me," Remus said. "It's perfectly safe."
"Whatever," James gave in. "The school it is, then. After break. In January."
"It's a date," Sirius said.
"Oi! Jepsons! Move it!" James took out his wand and pointed it to a first year that had bumped into him. Soon the boy was holding his face, which had turned splotchy with red spots.
Winter came quickly to Hogwarts, and soon the children were retreating inside the castle to stay warm. That is, the children except Davey and his friends. They were still on about the Whomping Willow game. Remus was watching outside as a branch hit him square across the face, and he fell to the ground, holding his eye.
After that incident, Professor McGonagall forbid anyone to touch the tree or go within thirty feet of it. Davey had worn a patch over his left eye for a week while Madam Pomfrey's magic healed the scratch. In the meantime, the Slytherins were having a good time calling him "Matey."
O.W.L.s were drawing nearer, and Remus began studying almost as much as Snape (who James was still taking the liberty of hexing every chance he got, Snape hexing him constantly in retaliation). Lily Evans had fallen into the group of giggly girls, and Sirius couldn't stand her even more. But he sat there hours upon hours listening to James fawn over her at night (when they weren't out exploring the castle for things to do in January's adventure).
Quidditch had begun once again, and James had become the hero --- again. June could be seen in the stands with his stick, which whispered to him all of the action in front of him. Even what the spectators were doing was hissed by the notch, and it sometimes caused quite a disturbance.
Sirius was happier than he had ever been in his life, and he sort of forgot what horrible things awaited him over Christmas. But before he knew it, he was carrying his trunk out onto Platform 9 ¾ to meet his parents. James walked to Mr. and Mrs. Potter to greet them, and Sirius waved at them, wishing once again that he could go home with them. Mr. and Mrs. Black were not too happy as Sirius and Regulus made their way over to them. They actually didn't say a word all the way home.