Chapter Ten
Telling the Tale

He entered a full common room and saw his friends at the foot of the stairs leading to the dormitories talking in a whisper, about what he already knew. They were discussing their whole journey into the world of Animagus. He went over and sat by the wall on the floor.

"Talking about Animagus?" Remus asked quietly.

"Yep," James answered, "I swear I got something yesterday, I swear I did!"

"Yeah," Sirius agreed, with an air of annoyance in his voice, "but because you stupidly shouted it out, we lost our concentration!"

"Where have you been practising?" Remus asked, now redoing his shoelace.

"Practising what?" came an interested female voice. They turned their heads and saw Lily Evans approaching them. James pulled himself up and tried to look impressive, as he always did when Lily was around.

"Practising-um... they were practising," Remus stuttered.

"Spells!" Sirius finished, "that's right we were practising spells!"

"Really?" Lily said disbelievingly, raising an eyebrow, "since when have you cared about your grades?"

"Since now!" Sirius answered, pulling a slightly hurt face. Lily didn't answer, she just nodded her head skeptically.

"Well anyway, I was just going ask if you four could move, you're blocking the stairs." Sirius, Remus and Peter quickly jumped out of the way but not James. He stood up very slowly, stepped closer to the wall and bowed.

"After you my fair lady," he said in a gentleman like voice. Lily sighed in disgust and walked past him and they could swear that she mumbled "loser." Sirius grinned and Remus was doing his best to not laugh. Peter, on the other hand, burst out laughing, attracting the attention of the entire common room.

"Sirius told us a good joke!" Remus said, "Now mind your own business!" Everyone shrugged and went back to their business. James and Sirius told Remus that they would be practising in the common room at midnight and all he had to do was show up and make sure they weren't caught. Remus agreed, even though he was really tired. The rest of the day was pretty dull. Just roaming around the castle due to it being a weekend and not having classes.

Remus, Sirius, James and Peter all met in the common room that night after the last sixth year had finally cleared out and went to bed. Sirius, James and Peter would practise while Remus was reading a book at the foot of the stairs. He listened to them talking and occasionally watched as they attempted to transform. He saw that Sirius had started to shrink, but ended up shouting in delight and went back to his human self and started pouting endlessly. Remus was now reading about Red Caps when he suddenly felt really sleepy. His eyelids started to droop his head was lolling around on his shoulders. He struggled to remain awake in case a student decided to get out of bed. James was now attempting to become a stag and was closing his eyes in concentration. Once again his hair was changing slowly into a mane and he was grinning broadly. As soon as he grinned it went away.

"You've got to concentrate!" Sirius nagged.

"I know, I know," James answered exasperatedly and slumping onto the couch in front of the fireplace.

"Well why don't we just give up?" Peter suggested halfheartedly. His two friends just glared at him. Peter shrugged and they continued with their work. Try after try, concentrating on something near impossible, getting disgruntled each time they failed, they were deciding whether to call it quits for the night. Remus had fallen asleep on the steps and they hadn't even noticed. Before he had fallen asleep his was thinking about his parents. He was curious about why they weren't responding to him, while his friends were practising he had went up stairs to get a piece of parchment to write his uncle a letter. It read:

Dear Uncle Albert,

How is everything? Everything is going great at Hogwarts; I've made three friends, Sirius, James and Peter. They're really nice and have been helping me out with well you know my... condition. Yes they found out! I've been meaning to ask you something, I've been writing to my parents and they haven't been responding to a single letter of mine. Do you know why? I have to go, give my respect for Aunt Judith.

Your nephew,
Remus.

Remus had read the letter over three times making sure it was the way he wanted and then sealed it in a parchment envelope and stuffed it in his robe pocket and forgot all about it. Remus was worried, his parent's, especially since he had become a werewolf, were always eager to talk to him in any method of communication. He wondered why they weren't now; the possibilities frightened him so much.

"Come on," James said at last, "lets go to bed." He picked up the book and the three of them started towards the staircase. They stopped when they saw Remus and thinking it best not to wake him up, climbed over him and headed to bed for the night.

Remus awoke the next morning, still sitting on the stairs in a bright sunlit common room. He lifted himself up and rubbed his back. Sleeping on stairs is not very comfortable, he thought. He straightened out his robes and out fell his letter he had to mail. He picked it up and ran up to the dormitory. He saw Luther had woken up and was drinking some water from the water bowl Remus had placed in there the day before. Luther saw Remus approaching and ruffled his feathers happily and started hooting gleefully. Remus shushed him because his four fellow boy first years were still asleep. Remus unlatched the cage and Luther flew out, eager to stretch his wings. Remus caught his owl by the middle as it attempted to fly over his head.

"You've really got to calm down," Remus muttered, tying the letter around his owl's leg, "take this to Uncle Albert, directly to him you hear me? If it gets to my aunt she'll tear it up. Got that?" Luther hooted in response, "good. Go ahead then, I'll see you when you get back." Remus released Luther, who flew around the room once more and then flew out the window. Not wanting to wake his slumbering friends he looked at his watch and saw it was eight o' clock and went down to breakfast. He entered a nearly empty Great Hall, due to the fact that nearly all of the students were taking full advantage of sleeping late. Remus sat at the end of the Gryffindor table. So far only two seventh years, three fifth years and one first year (Remus) were there. Remus dug into his pocket and pulled out a Fizzing Whizbee, that Alice had given him from the feast and popped it into his mouth. He started to rise off his seat but held himself down. He had forgotten the effects of that candy.

Soon after Remus had finished his third helping of bacon and eggs Sirius, James and Peter came walking into the hall. They spotted Remus and immediately went over. Sirius took the seat across from Remus, James next to Sirius and Peter next to Remus.

"So," said Remus, thinking of something to talk about, "get any better in practise?"

"What?" James said, not knowing what Remus was referring to, "yeah we made some changes, you know, changes. You fell asleep though and didn't see anything."

"Oh sorry, remember I got to sleep late the night before. Stupid full moon," Remus added closing his eyes in annoyance.

"Well you're used to it aren't you?" Sirius asked as he started spooning oatmeal into his bowl, "its been happening for three years hasn't it?" Remus looked up at Sirius bewildered. Remus only admitted to them about being a werewolf, he never told them how or when it happened.

"How do you know how long it's been?" Remus asked.

"Well, remember that Daily Prophet article I told you about? I saved it! After we found out about you being a you-know-what I figured it was you, seeing as how you were so touchy about the first time I mentioned it."

"Good observation," Remus commended, now going on his fourth helping of bacon feeling unusually hungry.

"Remus," James began slowly, "how exactly did it happen?" Remus looked startled, even though he knew he shouldn't. He should have been expecting it for a long time. Although this was the perfect time, releasing some of the burden on him.

"Can we talk about this somewhere else?" Remus asked leaning forward and dropping his voice to a mysterious whisper. His friends nodded and they left the hall while a whole lot of students were filing in. Remus led them out onto the grounds. Down the slope he led them and to the Whomping Willow they went. Remus took the long stick and prodded the knot and the branches stopped fighting. Remus jumped down the entrance to the passageway and gestured for his friends to follow. James, Sirius and Peter gave each other significant glances and followed. Remus led them down the cavernous passageway and up a steps of creaking wooden stairs and pushed the door to the building open. He was now faced with another set of stairs and led his friends up there as well until they were in a room. It had a four-poster bed and the wallpaper was peeling.

"Well take a seat," Remus said pointing at the bed. James, Sirius and Peter sat on the bed, causing all the dust to rise into the air, "where should I begin?"

"At the beginning," Sirius prompted. Remus took a deep breath and began.

"Okay well I was eight. It was a real dull sort of dangerous day out. Two village boys and I were playing catch outside when one of them, I forgot who, threw the ball into a forest that had all sorts of magical creatures in it. Neither one of them was brave enough to go in and get the ball. So I went in and I was walking inside there were these growling sounds, I hurried to find my ball and get out. The growling grew closer and I decided to just run, I turned and was face to face with a werewolf. I turned to run but ended up tripping over a tree root. The werewolf was closing in on me and I had no way to run. Finally it sank its fangs into my arm and the last thing I saw was someone running towards me."

"Who was it?" Peter asked.

"One of my friends, his name was Charles but we called him Charlie unless the situation was serious. My parents told me that when I didn't come out of the forest for a long time he went to find me. He didn't get out either, my other friend, Matthew, went in to find the both of us. He saw me and checked for my pulse, I still had one, but when he went to Charlie, he didn't. The werewolf must've killed him; I don't know how any of this happened.

"My parents only knew I had been bitten by something, but they never bothered finding out what did it. The next day we went to the funeral for my friend and it was a full moon. I started feeling really sick so I asked my mum if I could leave but she wouldn't let me. When the clouds shifted and revealed the moon I started going rigid and right before all those muggles' eyes I changed into a full-grown werewolf and charged at everyone. Then I set my eyes on my cousin and chased her down. Luckily she got away and my dad performed a stunner on me and I woke the next day in St. Mungo's where I learned I was a werewolf."

James, Sirius and Peter said nothing. They were listening raptly to everything Remus was telling them. No wonder he was always picked on by Snape, he was an outcast because of what he was and even though no one but the staff and the three of them knew what Remus was Snape picked on him because he always looked ill. They all now felt very sorry for their friend. Remus took another deep breath and began talking again.

"It went on the same for three years. No one would ever try and come near me. They knew there was something wrong with me and that I was a danger to them. They would whisper and point at me every time I walked by. My only other friend, Matthew, had abandoned me, fearing for his safety and every time I attempted to talk to him he snap at me telling me to go away. I hated it! If I ever asked anyone if they wanted to play with me they'd say 'go chew on your bone wolf,' they had no idea what I went through. Every month being locked up in my room with nothing to look forward to but pain beyond pain. I lost my only friends and made no more. My parents had to keep a close watch on me when the full moon neared; they even feared what I might do.

"Then as I was about to turn eleven I remembered all about going to Hogwarts to learn magic like I was supposed to. I knew it was impossible, who would want to educate a monster? Then the day before my birthday Professor Dumbledore came and explained everything they would need to do for me to go and he gave me my letter. I thought that if I kept my secret a secret I would have friends, I feared if anyone found out life would be even worse than it was at home. Then I met you guys and you've given me what I wanted... friends."

Remus sank down on the floor against the wall and buried his face in his hands, breathing deeply. James, Sirius and Peter were at a loss for words. They understood everything he had went through now, except the pain it caused him. Being shunned from society because of an accident that he could not prevent. Remus looked up and gave them a look as if to say "I don't want to talk about this anymore." His friends nodded and followed him out of the building, through the passageway, back up the entrance ducking under the whaling branches of the willow and back towards the castle.

As they were nearing the giant double doors Remus looked up at the sky and saw his owl flying towards him. Feeling very anxious he grabbed his owl when it got close enough towards him and ripped the letter off and whispered for his owl to go to the window next to the dormitory and he would open the window to let him in. Now running and leaving his friends behind Remus went up to Gryffindor tower and to the boys' dormitory. The only other person who was in the room was Frank Longbottom, who was busy looking through his trunk. He said hi to Remus when he saw him walk in and Remus said hi back. Remus went over to the window and unlatched it and his owl flew in and went directly to his open cage.

Remus sat on his bed and tore the envelope open and read his letter:

Dear Remus,

I'm glad everything is going good at your school and you made some friends. I told your aunt you said hullo but she couldn't care less. There's nothing wrong, your parents are just too busy to answer your letters, I'm sure things will clear up and you'll be getting a letter soon.

Love,
Uncle Albert.

Remus heaved a sigh of relief knowing that at least there was nothing wrong. Remus folded up the letter and locked it safely inside his trunk. There was nothing more for him to do so he headed to find his friends.

The letter Uncle Albert had promised him never came and it was really starting to get on Remus' mind. Another month passed by and not a single word was heard from them. Nothing unusual was happening, just tests, homework, reading, James and Sirius pulling off more pranks on the unsuspecting Slytherins (their latest involving a niffler and a girl who wore too much jewelry). James drooling constantly over Lily and her telling him she has no interest and for him to get a life. Their rivalry over Snape, and Animagus training at night once a week.

Remus's transformations were always on his mind but after the one on Halloween the pain had lessened somewhat. The one on Halloween had been the worst, the pain had been so intense and he had risked hurting someone. His friends were making little progress on their attempts at becoming Animagi. Sirius had managed to start shrinking and James grew a mane once or twice but that was it. Bertha was avoiding Remus at all costs and he could not have been happier about that. He still had not forgiven her about not thanking him for saving her from expulsion. Also during Christmas and Easter Remus hadn't gotten so much as a letter from his parents, he had gotten something from his aunt and uncle. A card and a new jumper but no explanation about why his parents were ignoring him.

It was now late June and that meant only one-thing... exams! An eerie blanket of quietness had fallen over the classes as students crammed all magical knowledge into their brains. But there was a good thing and that was the Quidditch Finals. Gryffindor had gotten in and were to be playing Ravenclaw. James was now seen out on the Quidditch pitch at all hours. Sleet, rain or snow (even though it was June) if you walked past the pitch you could always see a sea of scarlet blurs zooming in the air. James was always the first one to leave the common room and the last to return when everyone had gone to sleep.

Late one night as Remus was finishing up his Transfiguration, Sirius was working on his Charms assignment "How to light up the darkness with Lumos," and Peter was begging an annoyed Remus for the answers to Defense Against the Dark Arts, James came hurtling into the common room. He had a broad grin on his face and his eyes were sparkling.

"What's up?" Sirius asked, not bothering to look up.

"Lily said she might go out with me!" James cheered and threw himself on an armchair, "she said she'd consider it!"

"Don't get your hopes up," Remus muttered, now shoving Peter away from him when he asked what the answer to number one, two, three, four, five, six and seven were, "every time someone says 'will see' or 'I'll consider it' it usually always means no."

"Well thank you Remus for dampening my hopes, destroying my last reason to live!" James said dramatically, "and anyway, she knows she likes me."

"Right Jamesy," Sirius muttered, bubbling in an answer for his homework. James glared at them and then went to retrieve his homework. So many homework assignments they had been given since June started. The teachers were running them ragged so they would be prepared for the final exams. All the teachers would be giving them Anti-Cheating quills so no one could cheat in anyway. Peter was on the brink of hysterics, James and Sirius were quite calm and Remus was confident that he would pass them all. He out of the four of them had been working the hardest and was now refusing to give any answers to the homework (especially Peter who was constantly relying on Remus).

It was the day of the Quidditch Final and all the students were anticipating the coming match of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Both teams were scared out of their wits and were hardly eating a bite at breakfast. An hour before the match started James bid his friends farewell as he headed for the changing rooms. Remus, Sirius and Peter then headed to the stadium and found seats in the front row of the Gryffindor stands. Remus had made a whole bunch of scarlet flags with a picture of the Gryffindor lion embroidered in it and some students were asking him for them.

"We are going to kill Ravenclaw!" Sirius said happily.

"Yeah they don't stand a chance!" Remus agreed.

"Right," Peter muttered.

"Gee Peter you really don't know how to have fun do you?" Sirius said in a mock concerned voice. Peter gave him a look and then turned his attention to the pitch where the teams had just entered, being greeted by a round of ecstatic applauses. The Ravenclaw supporters were waving their blue flags and the Gryffindor supporters were brandishing their scarlet flags.

Madam Hooch now approached the field with the chest with the game balls clutched safely under her arm. She dropped the chest on the ground and instructed both team captains to shake hands. They mounted their brooms and took off in the air doing a couple of laps around the stadium. When James passed Remus, Sirius and Peter he gave them a small wink and took off back towards the middle of the stadium. Madam Hooch released the bludgers closely followed by the Snitch and then the quaffle and the game was on. All six chasers dived forward and James emerged with the quaffle tucked safely under his arm.

"James Potter of Gryffindor in possession of the quaffle and is now soaring towards the Ravenclaw goal post!" shouted commentator Frank Longbottom, "he shoots-come on James- and scores! All right! Ten to nothing Gryffindor!" The Gryffindors erupted into applauses as James punched his fist in the air. "All right Ravenclaw in possession. We have Michael Broderick with the quaffle- oh- barely escapes a bludger hit by Gryffindor! He's heading for the goalpost- he shoots... save! Gryffindor Keeper, Marina Percivil caught the Quaffle and has sent it hurtling towards Alexandra Read!"

Alexandra caught the quaffle but it was immediately taken by Rufus Rutherford of Ravenclaw. Rufus was zooming towards the Gryffindor end of the stadium and aimed and...

"Score! Darn it! Sorry Professor!" Frank groaned. "So it's tied at ten all! Still no sign of the snitch by either seeker. Gryffindor back in possession..." James had taken the quaffle and was now raging through the air curving in and out of players dodging bludgers. He threw the quaffle and scored! Making the score twenty ten Gryffindor in the lead. Sirius and Remus were jumping up and down cheering James on while Peter was attempting to whistle through his fingers.

"So now we have Ravenclaw in possession but the quaffle is dropped by a bludger hit by Amy Maxwell of Gryffindor!" Frank commentated, "this is one grueling match, its anyone's game, or at least until the snitch is found." True the game was anyone's and it was getting less and less exciting as it went into its second hour. Sirius and Remus were no longer jumping up and down they were watching lazily. The score was one hundred to fifty with Gryffindor in the lead. James had scored the majority of the points.

"Gryffindor in possession," Frank muttered, with his head resting on his hand, "Potter takes the quaffle up the hill throws it and scores One hundred and ten to fifty. Someone better find that stinking snitch!" Then a glint of gold fluttered into view of Gryffindor seeker, George Finnigan. He darted towards it hurtling over and under every player with his arm outstretched and ready to capture it. His arm now out as far as it could possibly go he closed his hand on the snitch and felt its wings beating against his hand. Madam Hooch blew her whistle and shouted

"GRYFFINDOR WINS!"

"Gryffindor wins the cup! Gryffindor wins!" Frank shouted now regaining all energy and was bobbing up and down, "Gryffindor wins two hundred and sixty to fifty!"

All around the stadium were cheers, except from Ravenclaw and Slytherin. The Gryffindor team was jumping up and down hugging each other screaming, "We won! We won!" Professor Dumbledore approached the team holding the shiny silver cup. All that night they had a party celebrating their victory and it ended only when Professor McGonagall made them go to bed.