A/N If I have any fans out there, sorry that I haven't written forever! I
got caught up in school and junk, and I've been working on an original
book. Anyway, here's the third chapter!!! (finally)
* * *
After Charms class, Remus turned to go to the Hospital Wing instead of the Great Hall. James and Sirius waved good-bye, still thinking that Remus was going to see his mother.
"Tell her hello from me!" James called as Remus disappeared around the corner. Remus tried to swallow, but his throat was dry. He knew that, even if he had tried, it would have been impossible to eat dinner. Throughout the day, he had had several, unexpected impulses to bite someone. It was increasingly hard to resist, especially since he was around people all day. It had taken a lot out of him, and he was very pale when he reached the Hospital Wing.
"You're early, dear," Madam Pomfrey said, hurrying over to him. "Did you get any dinner?" He shook his head, and Madam Pomfrey immediately conjured a dish of some kind of food. Remus didn't want to look at it in case it made him lose his lunch. "Now, I want you to eat all of this before we leave. Eat!"
Somehow, Remus choked down the food and kept it down. He was then handed a large piece of chocolate to eat on the way to the grounds. He nibbled at it while he followed Madam Pomfrey. She showed him a secret passageway from the fourth floor that would lead to near where the Whomping Willow had been planted. When they reached the tree, Madam Pomfrey handed him a long branch.
"See that big knot right there?" She pointed it out. "Poke it, and the tree won't attack you. Now," she pulled out a large key, "when you get into the hut on the other end of the passageway, lock the door with this. It will activate the reinforcing spells. In the morning, unlock the door and bring it out. I'll meet you right here at dawn."
She waited until Remus had entered the tunnel before she left. When Remus entered the hut, he saw that furniture had been provided for him to bite. That would help a little. He wouldn't bite himself as much. A spasm of pain passed through his body, and he decided to lock the door quickly. He turned the key in the lock, then pulled it out and looked for somewhere to hide it. It wouldn't be good if he, in his transformed state, somehow figured out how to get the key in the lock. Climbing up on the desk, Remus stuffed it in a crack in the wall just big enough to hold it. Another wave of pain knocked him off the desk, and the transformation began.
* * *
In the morning, Remus woke on the floor. His leg was bleeding. Vaguely, he remembered biting it during the night. Looking around, he noticed that the once-neat room was in shambles. One of the legs on the desk had been completely torn off. Remus shuddered. He hated the fact that he became a destructive monster once a month. Limping to a chair, Remus stood on top of it to get the key out of the crack. He unlocked the door and followed the passageway to the grounds. Madam Pomfrey was waiting for him, holding a big chunk of chocolate.
"Eat this," she ordered as soon as he emerged from the tunnel. She looked him over, and shook her head when she saw the cut on his leg.
"It's not as bad as it looks," Remus assured her. Madam Pomfrey shook her head again and led him to the Hospital Wing. He slept there until Madam Pomfrey woke him so he could get to breakfast.
In the Great Hall, James and Sirius were already poring over a newspaper and talking eagerly. They only looked up once Remus sat down.
"Hey, Remus," James greeted him. "How's your mum doing?" It took Remus a few seconds to figure out what James was talking about.
"She's f-f-fine," Remus answered, breaking up into a yawn. He was exhausted.
"So, have you seen the Daily Prophet yet?" Sirius asked. Remus shook his head, not really caring what was in the newspaper. All he cared about was trying to stay awake. "They say something odd happened up in Hogsmeade. You know the new hut that some rich old guy built up there?"
Remus nearly choked on his toast. Instantly, he was on his guard. "Yeah, I heard about it."
Sirius was getting excited again. "Well, last night, the people in Hogsmeade swore they heard a big racket up there. Scared them half to death. They figure that the hut is haunted. The noise went on all night, horrible screams and shrieks. One old bloke even heard someone up there screaming about a murder that happened seventy years ago." Remus almost smiled. He might have screamed and shrieked, but he knew that it wasn't possible for him to say anything in any human language.
"We're going to go check it out," James told him. "Want to come?"
"Uh, when?" Remus asked, his mind racing for an excuse to keep James and Sirius away from the hut. If they found out what he was..
"Tonight," Sirius said.
"How're we going to get there?" Remus wondered, slightly panicking now.
"Some fifth year guy, Rob Weasely or something, told us how to get out. Go up to that statue of the humpbacked witch and say 'Dissendium,'" James responded. "Come on, are you chickening out?"
"'Course not!" Remus's insides were twisting madly now. "But d'you think that whatever was there last night will still be there?"
"It's worth a look," Sirius replied, "so are you in?"
"Uh, okay," said Remus, groaning inside. What else could he say? Besides, they won't know that it was me that tore up the cabin, he thought. He relaxed a little bit, even beginning to look forward to a night of adventure. "So how are we going to get there without getting caught?"
"James has an Invisibility Cloak," Sirius said with a half-jealous, half-admiring look at his friend. "It's big enough for all three of us to fit under it."
"Shut up, Pettigrew is coming," James hissed warningly. The chubby boy was walking down the hall towards them, his face pale.
"Did you hear about the ghosts in Hogsmeade?" Peter whispered, looking terrified.
"Yeah, they think that they might be out for blood tonight," Sirius told him.
"Better watch out, no one knows who they're after," James continued. The other boy's face turned whiter than Remus thought possible. Sirius softened a little.
"We're just joking," he said, a little disgusted at Peter's gullibility.
"Yeah, there might not even be any ghosts up there," James added. "Don't worry about it."
Peter was still pale, but he nodded quickly and ran off. Shaking his head, James turned back to his friends.
"Honestly, if he believed all that, I'd hate to see what else he'd fall for," he told them.
"Seriously," Sirius agreed, then returned to the subject of their planned adventure. "So what time are we going to leave?"
"I'd say about midnight would be the best time," James answered. "It'll take about a half-hour to get to the witch, and then the shack. That leaves us plenty of time to explore."
* * *
By midnight, Remus was nervous all over again. He was sweating beneath James's Invisibility Cloak, and he was afraid that he would start shaking. It wasn't exactly that he was afraid that Sirius and James would find out about him; it was more that he didn't want to return to where he had transformed just last night. Besides that, he was dead tired from getting no sleep for two nights in a row.
"It's just up here," James whispered excitedly. They began walking a little bit quicker, careful to make no noise. Just as they reached the statue, Professor McGonagall walked out of a classroom, accompanied by someone with a long beard. It was Dumbledore! Remus' heart jumped into his throat. If Dumbledore caught them – after all he had done for Remus –
Sirius shoved Remus into a small broom closet. They waited until there were no more footsteps outside, then they bolted for the witch.
"Dissendium!" Sirius hissed, and the witches hump slid back. Silently, the three boys jumped into the passageway, and the hump closed.
"Lumos," James breathed, and the tip of his wand lit. They followed the passageway until it curved up and ended in a trapdoor. Pushing up, they found themselves in a storeroom.
"Come on, let's go," Sirius whispered. They went up some stairs and found themselves in a room full of candy. They passed it all by, thinking only of the shack. Remus was more nervous than ever. His stomach was twisting, and for a moment, he was afraid he was going to throw up.
It was only a short walk to the shack. The boys walked all around it, looking for a possible entrance. When they found no holes, Remus began hoping that they would go back to Hogwarts. James and Sirius didn't stop searching, though. Finally, Sirius walked up to the doorway.
"Help me push," he ordered, turning to shove against the doorway. Remus, who knew about the security spells, started to move to pull Sirius back.
"That might not be a good –"Remus was interrupted when Sirius was lifted high into the air and thrown backwards. "Idea," finished Remus, already hurrying over to where Sirius was laying.
"Wake up, mate," James muttered, shaking Sirius a little. After a moment, Sirius stirred and sat up.
"What a rush!" he grinned, rubbing his bruised arm. "That was crazy!"
"I don't think we can get in that way," James observed. "Lucky you didn't land on your head."
"Are we going back?" Remus asked, looking to see if Sirius was injured.
"You seem nervous," James said, glancing at the other boy. "Why are you so worried?"
"I just don't want to get caught," replied Remus as he tried to calm down.
"Well, it doesn't look like we'll be able to do much more tonight, so we might as well leave," Sirius stated, pushing himself up. "We'd better get back to Hogwarts."
* * *
A/N Well, do you like it? I'm going to try to keep writing this time. I like reviews! Please send lots!
TheDudeLordOfFantasy – I'm glad you like it! Sorry that I haven't written for a long time – I didn't even see your review until yesterday! Anyway, please keep reviewing!
* * *
After Charms class, Remus turned to go to the Hospital Wing instead of the Great Hall. James and Sirius waved good-bye, still thinking that Remus was going to see his mother.
"Tell her hello from me!" James called as Remus disappeared around the corner. Remus tried to swallow, but his throat was dry. He knew that, even if he had tried, it would have been impossible to eat dinner. Throughout the day, he had had several, unexpected impulses to bite someone. It was increasingly hard to resist, especially since he was around people all day. It had taken a lot out of him, and he was very pale when he reached the Hospital Wing.
"You're early, dear," Madam Pomfrey said, hurrying over to him. "Did you get any dinner?" He shook his head, and Madam Pomfrey immediately conjured a dish of some kind of food. Remus didn't want to look at it in case it made him lose his lunch. "Now, I want you to eat all of this before we leave. Eat!"
Somehow, Remus choked down the food and kept it down. He was then handed a large piece of chocolate to eat on the way to the grounds. He nibbled at it while he followed Madam Pomfrey. She showed him a secret passageway from the fourth floor that would lead to near where the Whomping Willow had been planted. When they reached the tree, Madam Pomfrey handed him a long branch.
"See that big knot right there?" She pointed it out. "Poke it, and the tree won't attack you. Now," she pulled out a large key, "when you get into the hut on the other end of the passageway, lock the door with this. It will activate the reinforcing spells. In the morning, unlock the door and bring it out. I'll meet you right here at dawn."
She waited until Remus had entered the tunnel before she left. When Remus entered the hut, he saw that furniture had been provided for him to bite. That would help a little. He wouldn't bite himself as much. A spasm of pain passed through his body, and he decided to lock the door quickly. He turned the key in the lock, then pulled it out and looked for somewhere to hide it. It wouldn't be good if he, in his transformed state, somehow figured out how to get the key in the lock. Climbing up on the desk, Remus stuffed it in a crack in the wall just big enough to hold it. Another wave of pain knocked him off the desk, and the transformation began.
* * *
In the morning, Remus woke on the floor. His leg was bleeding. Vaguely, he remembered biting it during the night. Looking around, he noticed that the once-neat room was in shambles. One of the legs on the desk had been completely torn off. Remus shuddered. He hated the fact that he became a destructive monster once a month. Limping to a chair, Remus stood on top of it to get the key out of the crack. He unlocked the door and followed the passageway to the grounds. Madam Pomfrey was waiting for him, holding a big chunk of chocolate.
"Eat this," she ordered as soon as he emerged from the tunnel. She looked him over, and shook her head when she saw the cut on his leg.
"It's not as bad as it looks," Remus assured her. Madam Pomfrey shook her head again and led him to the Hospital Wing. He slept there until Madam Pomfrey woke him so he could get to breakfast.
In the Great Hall, James and Sirius were already poring over a newspaper and talking eagerly. They only looked up once Remus sat down.
"Hey, Remus," James greeted him. "How's your mum doing?" It took Remus a few seconds to figure out what James was talking about.
"She's f-f-fine," Remus answered, breaking up into a yawn. He was exhausted.
"So, have you seen the Daily Prophet yet?" Sirius asked. Remus shook his head, not really caring what was in the newspaper. All he cared about was trying to stay awake. "They say something odd happened up in Hogsmeade. You know the new hut that some rich old guy built up there?"
Remus nearly choked on his toast. Instantly, he was on his guard. "Yeah, I heard about it."
Sirius was getting excited again. "Well, last night, the people in Hogsmeade swore they heard a big racket up there. Scared them half to death. They figure that the hut is haunted. The noise went on all night, horrible screams and shrieks. One old bloke even heard someone up there screaming about a murder that happened seventy years ago." Remus almost smiled. He might have screamed and shrieked, but he knew that it wasn't possible for him to say anything in any human language.
"We're going to go check it out," James told him. "Want to come?"
"Uh, when?" Remus asked, his mind racing for an excuse to keep James and Sirius away from the hut. If they found out what he was..
"Tonight," Sirius said.
"How're we going to get there?" Remus wondered, slightly panicking now.
"Some fifth year guy, Rob Weasely or something, told us how to get out. Go up to that statue of the humpbacked witch and say 'Dissendium,'" James responded. "Come on, are you chickening out?"
"'Course not!" Remus's insides were twisting madly now. "But d'you think that whatever was there last night will still be there?"
"It's worth a look," Sirius replied, "so are you in?"
"Uh, okay," said Remus, groaning inside. What else could he say? Besides, they won't know that it was me that tore up the cabin, he thought. He relaxed a little bit, even beginning to look forward to a night of adventure. "So how are we going to get there without getting caught?"
"James has an Invisibility Cloak," Sirius said with a half-jealous, half-admiring look at his friend. "It's big enough for all three of us to fit under it."
"Shut up, Pettigrew is coming," James hissed warningly. The chubby boy was walking down the hall towards them, his face pale.
"Did you hear about the ghosts in Hogsmeade?" Peter whispered, looking terrified.
"Yeah, they think that they might be out for blood tonight," Sirius told him.
"Better watch out, no one knows who they're after," James continued. The other boy's face turned whiter than Remus thought possible. Sirius softened a little.
"We're just joking," he said, a little disgusted at Peter's gullibility.
"Yeah, there might not even be any ghosts up there," James added. "Don't worry about it."
Peter was still pale, but he nodded quickly and ran off. Shaking his head, James turned back to his friends.
"Honestly, if he believed all that, I'd hate to see what else he'd fall for," he told them.
"Seriously," Sirius agreed, then returned to the subject of their planned adventure. "So what time are we going to leave?"
"I'd say about midnight would be the best time," James answered. "It'll take about a half-hour to get to the witch, and then the shack. That leaves us plenty of time to explore."
* * *
By midnight, Remus was nervous all over again. He was sweating beneath James's Invisibility Cloak, and he was afraid that he would start shaking. It wasn't exactly that he was afraid that Sirius and James would find out about him; it was more that he didn't want to return to where he had transformed just last night. Besides that, he was dead tired from getting no sleep for two nights in a row.
"It's just up here," James whispered excitedly. They began walking a little bit quicker, careful to make no noise. Just as they reached the statue, Professor McGonagall walked out of a classroom, accompanied by someone with a long beard. It was Dumbledore! Remus' heart jumped into his throat. If Dumbledore caught them – after all he had done for Remus –
Sirius shoved Remus into a small broom closet. They waited until there were no more footsteps outside, then they bolted for the witch.
"Dissendium!" Sirius hissed, and the witches hump slid back. Silently, the three boys jumped into the passageway, and the hump closed.
"Lumos," James breathed, and the tip of his wand lit. They followed the passageway until it curved up and ended in a trapdoor. Pushing up, they found themselves in a storeroom.
"Come on, let's go," Sirius whispered. They went up some stairs and found themselves in a room full of candy. They passed it all by, thinking only of the shack. Remus was more nervous than ever. His stomach was twisting, and for a moment, he was afraid he was going to throw up.
It was only a short walk to the shack. The boys walked all around it, looking for a possible entrance. When they found no holes, Remus began hoping that they would go back to Hogwarts. James and Sirius didn't stop searching, though. Finally, Sirius walked up to the doorway.
"Help me push," he ordered, turning to shove against the doorway. Remus, who knew about the security spells, started to move to pull Sirius back.
"That might not be a good –"Remus was interrupted when Sirius was lifted high into the air and thrown backwards. "Idea," finished Remus, already hurrying over to where Sirius was laying.
"Wake up, mate," James muttered, shaking Sirius a little. After a moment, Sirius stirred and sat up.
"What a rush!" he grinned, rubbing his bruised arm. "That was crazy!"
"I don't think we can get in that way," James observed. "Lucky you didn't land on your head."
"Are we going back?" Remus asked, looking to see if Sirius was injured.
"You seem nervous," James said, glancing at the other boy. "Why are you so worried?"
"I just don't want to get caught," replied Remus as he tried to calm down.
"Well, it doesn't look like we'll be able to do much more tonight, so we might as well leave," Sirius stated, pushing himself up. "We'd better get back to Hogwarts."
* * *
A/N Well, do you like it? I'm going to try to keep writing this time. I like reviews! Please send lots!
TheDudeLordOfFantasy – I'm glad you like it! Sorry that I haven't written for a long time – I didn't even see your review until yesterday! Anyway, please keep reviewing!