Disclaimer: Hers, not mine.

Chapter Three

"He's gone?" McGonagall said sharply.

"Yes" replied James.

"You realize this is very serious?" She told him. "We haven't had a student run away at Hogwarts in...about 300 years. Why would he run away?"

"I...I don't know," James said, looking at the floor.

"I think you do, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said sternly.

"I...we...Sirius found out that he was a we- er, why Remus was gone every full moon..." James trailed off, not knowing how the austere Transfiguration professor would take this new development. A single eyebrow raised,

"I see, I think, Mr. Potter, that you and Mr. Black had better go see the Headmaster." James started.

"No, Mr. Potter, you and Mr. Black are not in trouble, but Professor Dumbledore told me to send anybody to him that discovered young Mr. Lupin's...er...condition." James nodded and went off to go find Sirius.

"She what?"

"She wants us to go see Dumbledore," James repeated. "But, as I said, we're not in trouble"

"Like hell we aren't!" Sirius yelled. "I mean, come on, we find out our best friend is a werewolf and then cause him to run away, and you think we aren't in trouble?!" James sighed

"Come on Sirius, let's go to the Headmaster, McGonagall is waiting outside the portrait hole for us anyway. You wouldn't want her to come in here and get us, would you?"

"No," Sirius said grudgingly. He pulled on his robes and shoes and walked out, James following to make sure his friend didn't make a break for it or sneak back to the dormitory.

McGonagall met them outside the portrait of the Fat Lady, who was snoring away, and motioned with her head to follow her. They moved swiftly and silently. Sirius, even in his pit of despair, memorized all the turns and passages they took to the Headmasters Office. I'm probably going to be visiting there a lot anyway, his brain reasoned. Might as well know the way. When they stopped at a particularly ugly gargoyle, McGonagall said in a loud, clear voice

"Pumpkin Juice." And the gargoyle sprang aside, revealing a long passageway of stairs that the two first years knew, without being told, led up to the Headmasters office. They walked up the stone steps, Sirius wallowing in misery and James a mass of nervousness. McGonagall turned to them and said

"Wait here." And she walked into the stone room.

A few minutes later, she walked out, leaving the door open as she did. She took a look at the two scared boys and disappeared back down the long flight of stairs. Then a voice came from the stone room in front of them

"Come in boys."

OK, I think from now on it's going to be Remus, Hogwarts, Remus, Hogwarts...and so on. The original password was going to be "Ice Mice" but i like "Pumpkin Juice" better. Halloween is almost here! Pia O'Leary and Tabitha78, i love you. You are the only reviewers for my story. May your candy bags be full of sweets. And just so people know, I have now clue when this story is taking place, just that it's their first year. Review!