Chapter Seventeen
The Fight

The door opened and he heard James and Sirius talking in a connotation. Remus lay still so they thought he was sleeping. He looked through his curtains and saw the dark outlines of James, Sirius and Peter all make their way over to their beds. Sirius and James were still talking in a murmur but loud enough for Remus to hear. The only problem was Remus did not like what they were saying. They were saying that they could not believe Remus would leave his post. They said they thought he was responsible and he nearly got them expelled because that idiot kid caught them. Sirius said that he doubted Remus really cared whether they achieved the goal of becoming an Animagus.

James said that he could not agree more because when they told Remus of their achievements he barely acknowledged them. James said all Remus did was nod and say it was great, he did not sound like he really meant it. Remus closed his eyes, what they were saying were lies. Remus cared every bit about James, Sirius and Peter becoming Animagus. When they told him their accomplishments the only reason he just nodded and said great was because he was half asleep. Remus ripped the curtains around his bed around.

"You really don't think I care about any of this?" James, Sirius and Peter turned around and looked callously at him.

"You heard us," James murmured. "That's exactly what we said because that's exactly how we feel. You couldn't care less."

"What would give you that idea? What makes you think I want you to quit?"

"Well you don't seem to care about it," Sirius said pointedly. "I mean why would you care anyway?"

"Why would I care? I'll tell you why I care. I want you to become Animagus because if you do I won't have to be alone. I won't have to spend my time as a werewolf by myself biting and scratching myself."

"Oh please Remus," James snapped. "You act like it's the worst thing in the world. It can't be that horrible!"

"You have no idea do you? You don't know what its like. You try living as a werewolf where everyone hates you, you have to harbour the secret from the people that don't and every month you have to go through the worst kind of pain in the world only to experience it again one month later! Your lives are nothing compared to mine and you just don't know how much I'd like to have your lives more than mine." James, Sirius and Peter said nothing, they just looked at Remus. He was trying desperately not to cry, but his eyes were shining with tears. He closed his eyes and turned around. He went out of the room and down into the common room. He sat down on one of the squashy red armchairs and rested his head in his hand. He stared impassively into the crackling fire. He watched languidly as the sparks popped out of the fire and fell onto the rug and burned out.

He did not understand why James and Sirius had been so cross with him. Why did they not understand him? Why did they not take the time just to listen to him? Slowly Remus's eyelids began to close and he fell into a deep and yet troubled sleep. He woke the next morning feeling strangely more tired than he had been the night before. He lifted himself off his chair and walked stiffly back up to the dormitory. He discovered that James, Sirius, Peter and Frank had all left already to go down to breakfast. He changed into a new pair of robes, grabbed his book bag, slung it over his shoulders and went to breakfast.

As he was entering the Great Hall he saw his friends sitting at their house table. There was an empty space next Peter, as usual, so he went over. As he was about to sit down James said suddenly

"Seats taken." Remus looked at him peculiarly, since when?

"Since when?" Remus asked.

"Since today. Go sit somewhere else!" Remus looked at him angrily and stomped off down the table. He found a seat next to Lily and sat down. Lily was talking to a first year that was wondering how to perform the levitation spell and being that Lily knew best about Charms, she had chosen to ask Lily. As the first year girl got up and went on down the table Lily turned her head and saw Remus staring blankly down at his empty plate.

"Aren't you hungry Remus?" she asked kindly.

"What?" Remus said suddenly. "Oh- no, not really."

"You look like something's bothering you and besides I heard James yell at you. That big head has no right." For once Remus had to agree with Lily on her aspects about James. As far as Remus knew, he hadn't done anything to deserve being yelled at. Although he did not agree with James being a big head, even though James could be a bit – or maybe a lot- okay he was conceited!

"I guess you're right," Remus said listlessly.

"What did you do?"

"I really don't know. I went over to sit with them as usual and he told me that the seat was taken and I had to go away."

"And you listened? I would have told the git that I was sitting there and he couldn't tell me otherwise! Don't let him boss you around, go over there and stick up for yourself." Remus nodded, a bit shocked by Lily's aggression towards sticking up to James. He went over and sat down next to Peter. James and Sirius looked up and glared at Remus.

"I thought we told you not to sit here," James snarled.

"You did," Remus answered ingenuously. "But I didn't feel like it so I think I'll just sit here."

"Go sit somewhere else!" Sirius ordered.

"You're not the boss of me so I'm not listening to you." James and Sirius exchanged furious glances with Peter. James folded his hands and tried to say in his most calm manner.

"Remus, if you don't move we will make you!"

"Do your worst."

Remus had not really expected James to react the way he did. James sprung up and withdrew his wand. Peter and Sirius watched anxiously as James glared into Remus's eyes, fuming. Remus took his wand and aimed it between James's eyes. All of the Gryffindor students were crowding around and Remus barely had enough time to wonder why no teachers were attempting to break this up. Before Remus could do anything James had shouted, "gasheo!" Remus cringed in pain as his mouth was struck with pain. He tasted blood and looked disbelievingly at his former friend. Remus waved his wand and was about to cry out an incantation when he heard

"Mr. Lupin don't you dare!" All the heads turned to see Professor McGonagall running towards them. She had her wand in her hand and was bearing down on them with the utmost anger. She grabbed both of the boys by the scruffs of their necks and lifted them in the air so that their feet were dangling. She was so enraged at their behaviour that she could hardly speak. Instead of telling them off in front of the entire student body she brought them out into the Entrance Hall. She put them down and for a moment had lost the use of her tongue.

"You-you- explain yourselves!" she stammered. Remus and James looked at each other wrathfully, neither of them answered. Professor McGonagall decided to make herself point blank. "If you don't answer me I will give you a year's worth of detention!" Remus quickly answered

"James started it!" James rounded on him.

"No I didn't!" he yelled.

"Potter, shut up!" Professor McGonagall hollered. James shut his mouth and turned slightly red. "Mr. Lupin, would you mind telling me, calmly, what just happened in there? Because unless my eyes are cheating me I thought I saw you and Potter attempting to massacre each other."

"Well," Remus began, hesitantly. He was becoming aware to the fact that every time he opened his mouth blood began spilling out. "I was going to sit with James, Sirius and Peter like always but they told me to go away. So I went away and then came back and sat down. They told me to go away or they'd make me and then me and James just began fighting."

"Yeah but you said 'do your worst!'" James argued.

"Potter!" McGonagall cut in. "Both of you have behaved foolishly. I would have expected it out of you Potter but not of you Lupin. You will both receive detentions with me tonight! But no house points will be deducted. Now hurry and get to class!" Professor McGonagall turned on her heel and disappeared down the hallway. James and Remus began walking to class, both walking at least ten feet apart and not daring to give one glance to each other. Remus was busy holding his sleeve up to his mouth so the blood wouldn't drip on the floor and James was just looking forcibly at the wall ahead of him.

"Idiot," Remus heard James mutter.

"Excuse me?" Remus said thickly.

"Can't you hear? I called you an idiot! You just got me detention!"

"I got you detention, you gabe it to be!" Remus was having difficulty talking the right way. "I dib nofing! You attacked be!"

"Right, sure I did. Just so you don't wonder why, I'm never talking to you again!" James sprinted ahead of Remus. Remus watched and walked dejectedly towards the hospital wing. James was angry, but it was nothing compared to how Remus felt. Remus felt betrayed by his best friend, he never thought he'd see the day when he would hate James Potter. Now he hated him with every ounce of energy he had. Remus stomped all the way to the hospital wing so Madam Pomfrey could perform the counter curse so his mouth would stop bleeding. When he got there Madam Pomfrey was hardly surprised to see them there. She sat Remus down and performed the counter curse easily and he was free to go to Charms class. He sat down in the very front because James, Sirius and Peter were sitting in the back and glaring at him threateningly.

At lunch Remus was by himself, no one bothered talking to him. That is except that annoying first year Julius. Remus had to impression that this kid stalked him. Julius sat down casually and brought up the subject of Potions.

"Potions isn't really that hard Remus," Julius said as he was selecting what to put on his plate.

"What?" Remus said suddenly. "Oh... well I think it is."

"It really isn't if you pay attention."

"I do pay attention!"

"Well if you always fail-"

"Who said I fail?"

"I did."

"Why am I wasting my time talking to you?" Remus picked up his books and ran out of the hall. After class that day there were Quidditch tryouts. There was going to be tryouts everyday after classes for the whole week. Remus had been rethinking whether he should try out or not. He had promised James that he would but its not like James would care anymore. You could see the Quidditch field from the window of the Gryffindor common room so Remus pulled one of the chairs over and sat down to watch. Remus could see a girl who looked to be in her fourth year diving for the quaffle that James was tracking. She dived towards the quaffle, but ended up swerving out of the pitch. Remus grinned and then he saw a fifth year mount his broom. James was hovering in the air over one of the goal posts and waited for the quaffle to be released.

Person after person and it seemed each one seemed as worse as the one before that person. When Sirius was up Remus nearly fell off his eat laughing at how bad a chaser he was. He was surprised when he saw Peter mount a broom and take off in the air. Peter was actually a very skilled flyer; you would never think it by just looking at him. Peter, when on the ground, was an overweight and klutzy kid but in the air he had not a flaw. Remus watched intently as Peter twirled flawlessly past James and nabbed the quaffle and threw it directly through the hoop. James was wearing an expression identical to Remus's. How was it possibly was all Remus could think.

Tryouts persisted for four more days after that and everyday Peter showed up holding a Cleansweep Four that he had gotten from the school's broom shed. Sirius showed up again and each day got progressively worse. He managed to knock the quaffle into the opponent's goal instead of the one he was supposed to be aiming for. Two seventh years showed up on the second day and gave Peter a good match. Though Remus had to admit Peter wiped them out and showed no mercy. A sixth year got into a head on collision with the stands when Sirius jinxed his broom and sent it whirling out of control towards the stadium. Professor McGonagall saw to it personally that he not attend anymore of the tryouts since he was not going to make it anyway.

On the third day there was nothing spectacular, aside from watching Sirius hold onto his Cleansweep for dear life while he fulfilled his detention sentence of polishing the goal posts. The team had a good time laughing at that. Remus got kind of bored watching tryouts every day from the common room window so he decided to actually tryout. James, Sirius and Peter had quite a shock when they saw him mount his broom and take off.

"Don't worry Peter," James said. "Remus has got nothing on you." Peter gave a sheepish smile, which quickly vanished when he saw Remus stealthily maneuver between James and Peter. He dived under James around Peter and threw the quaffle into the hoop. Sirius watched from far outside the pitch, using a pair of humungous binoculars to see, he was dumbfounded as well. He swore under his breath, neither him, James, or Peter wanted Remus on the team. Remus smiled broadly as he saw the horrified faces of his former friends.

On the fifth day they would have the final tryout and after the tryouts the two positions would be filled. James, Sirius and Peter were devising a plan to ensure that Peter was on the team and Remus was left out. They figured Remus would not care because he was always unaccepted to things he wanted and it was not like he was a stranger to rejection. They were going to pull the old bucking broom trick and made sure it would buck Remus off. That afternoon just as History of Magic was ending Remus got his books together and was ready to head out to the Quidditch pitch. Sirius, James and Peter all followed him, holding their laughter back as hard as they could. Remus would glance back at them every now and then but they would just smile innocently. Remus wondered what was so funny.

Remus got out onto the pitch and felt the fresh fall air whip past him as the Quidditch captain called his name. Remus mounted his broom and took off in the air. Remus soared through the wind, his eyes fixed on the quaffle that James was holding. He urged his broom forward and sped towards James. James turned his head quickly around speeded forward. Just as Remus was about to grab the quaffle his broom started bucking up and down. Remus held on for dear life. He could not control it; he tried with all his might to push it downward. With great effort he did and jumped off. He performed the counter curse to stop the broom from going haywire. Remus saw James land and run over to Peter laughing hysterically. Remus could not believe them! They could have killed him and there they were laughing as if it were the most hilarious display they had every witnessed. The Gryffindor captain told Remus that because of that last performance he would not be able to get on the team.

"Fine," Remus muttered dolefully. "I don't care." Remus walked over to the stands and sat down so he could hear who the new Gryffindor chasers would be. He watched as the last three chasers tried out. He was not exactly watching them play. He was thinking about how he could have been up there playing if it was not for (he never thought he would think this) stupid James, annoying Sirius, and just plain dumb Peter.