The Songbird and the Serpent

Part II: The Wolf Discovered

Lupin's second year at Hogwart's...

Chapter 3

The following weeks seemed to fly by. Sirius, James and Peter spent all their spare time trying to learn the animagus spells, and Remus spent most of his time doing homework, which suited him just fine. It soon became apparent that it was going to take a lot longer to learn the animagus spells than his three friends had ever imagined, but they continued to work at it whenever they had the chance. As for Remus, he was feeling happier than he'd ever felt; being able to talk openly about his lycanthropy with his friends was like lifting a huge weight from his shoulders, and it brought the four of them closer than ever.

The three animagi-in-training soon discovered that they would need a few books from the Restricted Section of the library in order to continue their study of the advanced animagus spells, and so one evening they left Remus to his homework to see about getting them. They knew that no teacher would give them permission for something like that; particularly because animagi were required to register with the Ministry of Magic, and the three of them certainly did not plan on doing so. Instead they would have to 'borrow' them without permission.

Remus was still working on his transfiguration homework with Vivienne and Mau when his three friends came back through the portrait hole, looking as though they'd just been to a funeral.

"What happened?" Remus asked, and Sirius shooed away Vivienne and Mau with some difficulty so that the four of them could talk in private.

"Filch caught us...we've got detentions for about a month!" said James bitterly. Peter looked like he might cry at any moment.

"But they couldn't tell what we were up to, at least...it looks like we're going to have to find a better way to get a hold of those books..." explained Sirius.

"Wow...I'm sorry..."

"It's not your fault, Remus...it's not so bad anyway; we just have to help Hagrid with the school vegetables and stuff...and weed the greenhouses..." said James, and Peter nodded.

"Anyway...I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm knackered, and in no mood to do potions homework, that's for sure..." said Sirius, yawning widely. "I'm off to bed. Besides, we've got to be out at Hagrid's early in the morning...what a waste of a Saturday..."

The three of them said goodnight to Remus and made their way up to their dorm room. Shortly afterwards, Vivienne and Mau returned, both looking more than a little offended.

"Thinks he can just push us around like that...what was that all about anyway?" asked Vivienne, and Remus opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated.

"Er...they got themselves in trouble again...you know how they are..."

"Yeah, I do...why on earth do you hang out with them, Remus? You're too...nice. To be hanging around with horrible blokes like them, I mean..." Vivienne asked, as Mau nodded absently and continued to write her rudely interrupted potions essay. Remus shrugged.

"They're perfectly nice to me." he replied, and Vivienne rolled her eyes.

"Really? I heard Sirius beat you up..."

"What? No...that's not true! Well, we did get in this one fight, like a month ago...but if anything I beat him up..."

"Ooookaaay..." said Vivienne, concealing laughter. Mau also seemed to have the grin of someone trying not to burst out in a fit of giggles. Remus shot them both a venomous look and returned to his homework, intent on ignoring the two girls.

"Look...sorry, Remus. It's just...well...you don't really seem like the violent type..."

"...You'd be surprised..."

"...Sorry. How are you getting on with your potions essay?"

"Almost done..."

"Really? I think I'm a bit stuck..." she continued, setting down her quill. "...Er, didn't you have detention with Professor Tsepesh one time last year?"

"Yeah...why?" he replied, finishing his essay and rolling it up.

"Lucky..."

"What?"

"Oh...nothing..." Vivienne said, turning a bright shade of red. "It's just...I think I'd rather like to have detention with him..." she continued, giggling nervously. Mau rolled her eyes.

"She fancies him...it's disgusting. A teacher...he's got to be at least three times your age, Viv..." she said, and Remus couldn't help but laugh as Vivienne's face grew ever more red.

"Shut up! It's not funny..."

"Sure it isn't...heh...but anyway, do you want some help with your essay?" Remus asked, and Vivienne shook her head.

"No, it's okay...I'll get Lily to help me later."

"Where is she, anyway? I haven't seen her or Zoë since class..."

"Oh...well, they've been up in our room all afternoon. Zoë's a bit...shaken up...about her mum and all. They think they may have found a body, but they're not sure yet. Lily's been comforting her or something. I prefer to stay out of it--I'm no use with people when they're crying. Makes me uncomfortable..."

"That's horrible..."

"I can't help it! I'm no good with emotions..."

"No...I mean, about her mum."

"Oh. Right. Well, I think they're letting her go home early because of it. I'm sure she'll be fine. It probably wasn't even her mum…" said Vivienne, not really convincing herself or anyone else, and an odd silence followed. Finally, Remus broke it.

"Er...anyway, I think I'm going to head off to bed...got a lot to do tomorrow and…um...g'night."

"'Night, Remus!" said the girls, in unison, as Remus made his way up to the dorm room, where his three friends were already sound asleep.


He woke up the following morning to an empty room; Sirius, James and Peter were already out with Hagrid serving their detention. Remus pulled on some trousers and an old T-shirt and made his way down to breakfast alone, wondering what exactly his friends were being forced to do. It was rather late in the morning, and only a few people were in the great hall, and none of them Gryffindors. He sat at the lonely table and picked at some bacon and a piece of toast while reading over his potions essay from the night before, to correct any mistakes.

"You've got that formula wrong..." said a sharp voice, and Remus turned to see Snape looking over his shoulder.

"I do? Oh...yeah, you're right...thanks."

"No problem. Where are your idiot friends, then?" Snape asked with a sneer, as Remus corrected his mistake and turned in his seat to face him.

"Where are yours?" he asked in reply, immediately regretting his harsh tone. Snape's sneer had vanished, and his face looked almost forcibly blank.

"They're outside playing some foolish game with that tree."

"Tree?"

"The one that moves when you go near it. Planted last year..."

"Oh...that tree..." Remus said, beginning to feel a little panicky, but hiding it well. "They're playing a game with it?"

"Yes...trying to see who can get closest to it without being killed, or something like that...as I said--foolish. I wasn't interested in joining them."

"Probably a wise decision...my friends are in detention for digging around in the restricted section without permission..." said Remus, and Snape raised a brow.

"Really? What were they doing in there?"

"Er...not sure, actually. They never said." Remus replied, offering Snape his last strip of bacon, which he refused.

"Well...I've got to go see Muldrake about some homework..."

"Okay...bye then." said Remus, and the boy merely nodded and walked away. It was a few minutes before Remus realised that he'd just had an almost normal, civil conversation with Severus Snape.