ROTRUFIN

CHAPTER 13-DARK LIGHT

REMUS.

I moaned and slowly opened my eyes. My whole body felt as if it had just been hit with the Crucio Spell. Every part of me ached.

My vision started out blurry then as I blinked, it cleared away. I slowly sat up. I was lying on the floor of some kind of dungeon, which was covered with hay strands.

I sat up.

It was a dungeon, but I didn't recognize it at all. The last thing I remembered was going for the walk with Lily and then being dragged off by this huge wolf. I knew Lily had gotten attacked in the leg. That was the last thing I remember.

"Oh man," I moaned to myself. "What the hell happened?"

Just then, a rat came scurrying across the floor. I recognized it.

"Peter? What's going on here?" I mused rubbing the back of my neck.

The rat disappeared and Peter appeared in human form.

"Oh, you're awake," Peter said nervously. "The master wants to speak to you."

"Master? Peter, what's happened? Why am I here? What attacked me on the grounds?" I demanded cringing.

"Just wait here," Peter said.

He headed off.

I pressed my back against the brick wall and looked around.

Shortly, Peter came back with someone dressed in a black hooded cape. The hood was pulled up all the way so I couldn't make out his face.

"Ah, Mr. Lupin," a voice hissed from the hood. "So nice of you to join us. We've been waiting for you for a long time."

"Who are you?" I demanded. "What's going on?"

"Wormtail, would you please pull down my hood?"

"Yes, Master," Peter said as he hurried over to the figure and pulled down the hood.

I felt a scream freezing in my throat. It was Lord Voldemort.

His red eyes glowed with evil joy and his snake-like face was twisted into a smile that sent chills down my spine.

His voice was rough and dripping with pure joy.

"Well, how do you feel?" Lord Voldemort said.

His entire face was chalk white and so were his bony hands.

"I want to know what's happening," I said as my voice shook violently.

"Yes of course," Voldemort smiled. "But first, I'd like to introduce you to my friends."

"The Death Eaters? I know about them already,"

"No, not the Death Eaters," Voldemort smirked. "They're more along your lines."

He turned his back on me and faced the dark corridor that led into the dungeon. I could make out four black shapes moving easily in the darkness. As soon as they hit the light, Voldemort turned back around to face me with his arms open at his sides. Four enormous wolves walked easily past him under his arms.

Werewolves.

"These lovely friends of mine have decided to join me," Voldemort continued. "And so will you."

The wolves sat on their haunches and watched me. Two wolves were as black as night with amber colored eyes. One of the other ones was a russet colored one with jaundice eyes and the second one was pure white with the haunting blue eyes.

"Let me start at the beginning," Voldemort said placing a hand on one of the wolves heads. "Peter was used as a spy for me. He stayed with you to keep an eye on you when you changed. He reported back to me everything. He even faked his own kidnapping if you will. That time when he went missing? Yeah he was with me. He used your friends Invisibility cloak. You must thank Potter for me."

He smiled and began stroking the wolf's head. The wolf momentarily closed its eyes blissfully.

"The reason why he was spying on you is because I need you for my soldiers. I'm recruiting werewolves for the upcoming war. I'm more powerful now then ever and plan to use the werewolves against the magical community. I put you under the Imperius Curse. You had no idea that you were acting under it. At first, I tried the Freznorix to turn you paranoid and the others against you. It didn't seem to work. Then I had to take matters further. So I sent one of these wolves after you on the grounds. They attacked your girl-friend you were walking with. An unfortunate, but wonderful mistake. They dragged you off into the forest where I waited and we then headed here to Ludvin Castle, just a mile from Hogwarts and I placed the Imperius Curse on you. I want you to know I'm proud of you." Voldemort smiled.

"Why?" I said disgustedly.

"Well, you killed the school nurse, an innocent baby and pushed the mother out the third floor window. Well done. You're going to be a great asset to my soldiers,"

I froze.

…Killed the school nurse…oh no…Madam Elkin!...An innocent baby and its mother…Ellie and Emma! Oh my God…

Feeling my stomach heave, I leaned over and vomited.

"Poor thing," Voldemort said his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Too much information for you at once?"

I retched one last time before wiping my mouth with the sleeve of my robe.

Immense guilt flooded over me as well as sadness. But after a few moments, that passed and pure rage filled my chest.

"YOU HAD ME KILL MY BEST FRIENDS BABY! AND MY BEST FRIEND!" I yelled enraged now.

"And you did a wonderful job! Bravo!" Voldemort smiled clapping.

I jumped to my feet, but my body screamed in pain. I ended up slumping back down against the wall.

The wolves snarled warningly at me.

"I LOVED THEM!" I yelled back.

"Too bad now," Voldemort said dismissively. "They always thought you were paranoid anyway. Why would you want to be friends with people like that? They secretly hated you."

"NO THEY DIDN'T," I snarled.

"Oh yes," Voldemort said. "Wormtail told me of one time that they did indeed hate you."

I glared at Wormtail. He shrank against Voldemort.

"Tell him," Voldemort instructed.

"The time in our 5th year when Dumbledore put the Yule Ball on," Peter squeaked out still cowering next to Voldemort. "Emma really wanted to go with you. You agreed to go as friends, but then when that 6th year Ravenclaw came up to you and asked you, you went with her instead. Emma was furious and fled from the Great Hall. She hated you and so did James, Lily and Sirius. They never forgave you for that."

I racked my brain trying to remember…I did.

The 6th year Ravenclaw had been gorgeous. I really didn't think of Emma's feelings at that point. Now thinking back, I felt even worse now.

"I didn't think she'd mind and I thought she would've had a date by then," I said quietly.

"Well she did mind and no," Peter said. "Because she loves you…very much."

Those words only made me feel even sicker to my stomach knowing that I killed Emma and Ellie.

"So you see, they do hate you," Voldemort said simply. "I want you to join my band of soldiers for the war. We can pay them back."

He was the one who made you kill Emma, Ellie and Madam Elkin…

I lowered my head.

"I will never, ever join you," I growled. "YOU MADE ME KILL TWO PEOPLE I LOVED MORE THAN LIFE!"

I jumped to my feet and pulled out my wand, aiming it at Voldemort.

The wolves snarled and got to all fours at this point, as if to protect Voldemort.

"I see much potential in you, Remus," Voldemort said smiling. "Why throw it away for people that obviously don't care about you?"

"They do care," I spat. "You're lying. Let me go."

"Fine," Voldemort said stepped away from the corridor entrance.

Keeping my wand on him, I slowly began backing out of the dungeon.

"Kill him," Voldemort said to the wolves. "The rest of the soldiers get ready Wormtail…we have a war to start!"

The four wolves took off after me. I took off running.

I exploded out of the castle and ran through heavy woods. The four wolves were snapping at my heels.

I kept running until I saw Hogwarts' familiar grounds. I stopped running and bent over, putting my hands on my knees and tried to catch my breath. My sides aches and my heart pounded in my chest. I was completely exhausted and sweating even though it was freezing outside. The snow on the ground had completely frozen now. My shoes crunched over dead leaves and bits of snow.

I heard the wolves coming after me. I straightened up and kept running.

EMMA.

Lily, James, Sirius and I were in the Great Hall eating breakfast. Suddenly, the double doors burst open and Remus entered.

The entire Hall lapsed into silence as Remus stood for a moment before collapsing right there.

The chatter picked up again and Lily, James, Sirius and I went back to eating our food.

"Must've been out all night scoping out the next student to eat," James said bitterly. "Poor fellow. Must be pooped."

We heard howls rising up from somewhere in the distance.

"Sounds like he brought a few friends too," Sirius said now alarmed.

Sure enough, four huge wolves burst into the Hall.

Everyone began screaming and running for the exit.

The wolves split up. Two chased a group of students up the stairs. One wolf remained standing over Remus. The third took off toward the Slytherin table. We jumped to our feet.

The wolf standing over Remus opened its jaws and prepared to clamp them around his throat but to my surprise, Sirius pulled out his wand and aimed it at the wolf.

"Avada Kedavra!" Sirius yelled.

The wolf fell over dead.

"What are you doing? He brought them with him!" I snarled at Sirius.

"I want to deal with Remus myself," Sirius said. "He has to pay for what he's done. He's no good dead."

Professor Dumbledore and the other teachers rushed round and managed to kill the remaining wolves before they attacked a student.

Then, they rushed over to Remus still lying on the floor.

"Take him up to the hospital wing," Professor Dumbledore said gravely.

Professor Gray and Professor Anicks magicked Remus onto a stretcher and we all followed them up to the hospital wing.

REMUS.

"He's coming around," a voice said. "He was suffering from exposure and exhaustion."

I groggily opened my eyes. I was lying in the hospital wing on a cot. Emma, James, Sirius and Lily were standing around my bed, followed by the teachers.

"Emma! You're alive!" I said as pure relief flooded over me.

Emma's expression was that of pure ice. She folded her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow at me. Lily was hugging herself too. James and Sirius looked murderous.

"Yeah," James said stiffly. "Your plan didn't work."

"Plan?" I said confused.

"You killed my baby!" Emma screamed springing to life.

All of what Lord Voldemort said came flooding back to me and so did the immense and overwhelming guilt.

"Why were you acting like that?" James demanded raged. "Did you really hate us that much?"

"No!" I cried protesting. "Lord Voldemort had put me under the Imperius Curse!"

Professor Dumbledore held up his hand.

"Please explain, Remus," he said.

I launched into the entire story.

When I was done, Professor Dumbledore was silent.

"You have to believe me!" I cried. "I would rather kill myself than one of you!"

"That would account for his odd behavior," Professor Dumbledore said calmly. "I'm sure you all agree that Remus would never act like that intentionally."

They all muttered something but I couldn't hear it.

"I also know that right now you don't trust him one bit," Dumbledore continued. "But please find it in your hearts to understand that he had no idea he was acting like this. I know he didn't mean it and couldn't help it."

"We understand," Sirius said. "But that doesn't mean we can forgive."

Those words stung. I felt tears forming in my eyes.

"See you at dinner, mate," Sirius said as he turned and left the hospital wing.

James nodded and followed suit; Lily just had this unsure expression on her face and she glanced at me uncertainly before following James. Emma was the last one. The teachers had all left except Professor Gray who headed over to a first year lying on the cot sick and vomiting. Emma came over to me and put her face close to mine.

My heart pounded in my chest. I couldn't read her expression.

I've never been this close to her before. She stared into my eyes and I stared back into hers.

For a moment, it looked like she was going to kiss me, but then she pulled back her right hand and slapped me.

My cheek stung.

"I'll never forgive you for killing my baby," she hissed as her honey brown eyes filled with rage and tears. "Even if you were under the Imperius curse, doesn't it bring out your true feelings? You hated Ellie and I and that's why you tried to kill me."

"No! Emma," I pleaded ignoring the stinging in my cheek. "That's not true! I loved Ellie and I love you."

"You've got a funny way of showing it," Emma snapped as she went to leave, but I gently grabbed her arm.

She wrenched her arm out of my grip.

"Don't touch me," she said. "I don't even know you anymore."

With that, she turned and left the hospital wing.

EMMA.

I was never, ever going to forgive Remus for what he's done. I mean on one hand I realize he was acting under the Imperius Curse, but for some reason, I just couldn't bring myself to forgive him. Maybe that's something that might happen over time. I wasn't sure.

I could see now that the real Remus was back and he's in the hospital wing. But he's going to have a tough time facing the other students now.

I met James, Lily and Sirius in the library.

"Emma," Lily began slowly. "I understand how you feel…believe me…but Remus really couldn't help it. He wasn't acting under his own accord and aren't you glad that's the reason? That he wasn't acting like this on his own?"

Sirius sighed.

"I'm just confused,"

"Is your name Emma?" Lily snapped and then turned to me. "Em?"

I sighed and flopped into a seat next to Sirius.

"I really don't know," I said. "It's going to be a really long time before I think I can forgive him but yes, I'm glad on one hand that he wasn't acting on his own."

"What about you guys?" Lily said. "I for one forgive him."

"That's because your child wasn't killed," I rounded on her. "It's easier for you."

Lily's expression darkened and turned to guilt.

James sighed too.

"I really don't know myself. This is a tough situation,"

We left the library and headed to class.

Remus was released from the hospital wing, but everywhere he went, whispers followed and the other student pointed at him openly. He was basically being shunned.