A/N- I don't own anything/body from Harry Potter. I do however own this story so please keep your grubby mitts off!
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for the reviews you guys. I really appreciate your feedback. I might
not update as often as I have been this week cause I'm off on
holiday!
Chap 4 – The secret weapon
The next two weeks past quickly for Remus, he was enjoying himself so much. James and Sirius appeared to have put their early animosity behind them and had become firm friends. Infact they appeared to be inseparable, always with Peter tailing behind, eager to please and compliment them.
Yet Sirius still had a distance about him. Every so often Remus would catch him sitting on his own and scowling. He hadn't received any post since the howler and seemed relieved everytime the owls came and went without dropping a red envelope on his plate.
Although they had discussed a plan to get even with the two gorillas, (who they had discovered were both, unsurprisingly, in Slytherin) they had got no further than discussing it.
Remus had soon discovered he had a particular like for Defence Against the Dark Arts; it was interesting and although their teacher Professor North was rather old and decrepit he seemed to know his stuff.
Yet however much he was loving being at Hogwarts there was still a tiny seed of doubt as to how long it would last. Surely he couldn't keep the fact he was a werewolf secret for long. Especially from James and Sirius who were nosey to the extreme and surprisingly two of the most intelligent boys in the year.
It was on the Friday after their last lesson of the day that Professor McGonagal summoned him to her office.
"What have you done Remus?" James asked grinning.
"Yeah and why weren't we invited?" Sirius asked acting affronted. Remus shrugged and left them discussing plans for the weekend. He had a feeling he knew exactly what he was being called for.
He knocked on the door and McGonagal ushered him in closing the door firmly behind him.
"Sit down Remus." She said motioning to a hard backed chair, she sat behind her desk and looked at him. "You look peaky." It was true, he had noticed his complexion had changed, he was feeling slightly more disorientated than usual and his liking for red meat had increased.
"It's normal." He said stiffly, not liking the pity in her eyes.
"Very well. As you are probably aware Sunday night is the first full moon of the term." Remus felt his heart dip; he had known but had been hoping against hope… for what? He chided himself, that the moon would miraculously fall to become full forever more? That the fact that he was so happy would expel the wolf from within?
"I know." He replied.
"Has your father informed you of the arrangements?"
"A bit. Something about a tree and a haunted house?" He said weakly, realising he had been too excited to find out that against all odds he would be attending Hogwarts.
"Yes." There was a kind smile on Professor McGonagal's face. "We have recently planted a whomping willow tree in grounds. It attacks anyone who approaches and the headmaster has arranged for a secret passage to be constructed underneath it. The passage leads to a house on the outskirts of Hogsmeade; a house which the Headmaster has encouraged residents to believe is violently haunted so they will not approach it. They have nicknamed it the shrieking shack.
"You will be collected from your dormitory at five in the evening by Madam Pomfrey; she will escort you down and through the passage to the house. You will be locked in; there is no way for you to break free so you will be perfectly safe." Remus nodded. "You will then be collected early in the morning once you have transformed back."
"What will I tell James, Sirius and Peter?" He asked. "They'll notice I'm gone."
"You will tell anyone who asks that I have just been informed you your mother is very ill. On Sunday Madam Pomfrey will collect you saying you are needed to travel home to see her for the night."
Remus nodded dumbly again, they had thought of everything.
Sirius scowled as he eyed the homework they had received in their second week, James could sympathise. He too had been too excited about their first fortnight of school, exploring the castle, practicing jinxes on each other, staying up late –just because there was no mother to tell them otherwise.
They had ignored every piece of homework given to them that week, preferring instead to play endless games of exploding snap, wizard's chess and gobstones while discussing how to get back at the two Slytherin boys.
They had argued that they could do it at the weekend no problem. Now the weekend had come they wanted to do other things.
Slowly he pulled the transfiguration parchment towards him sighing. It was Saturday morning and he wanted to be outside.
Remus looked up at them from his spells book. He had finished all his work days before and was reading for pleasure. He opened his mouth, but taking a look at Sirius' expression thought better of it.
"Heard anymore about your mum?" James asked. Remus shook his head, looking away. He looked permanently flushed recently. Not a healthy colour either. "I'm sure she'll be ok..." He ventured.
"Get on with your essay." Sirius said kicking him under the table; James looked up and saw Sirius was also eyeing Remus with concern. But he obviously felt he should be left alone.
They worked for six hours straight, sending Remus and Peter down to get food, afraid if they left the common room they would find anything to avoid coming back.
"How can we have so much work in two weeks?" James asked exasperated finally as he sat back. "Finished."
Sirius looked up from where he was fiddling with a set of gobstones. "At last." He grinned.
"So…" James said sitting up. "What are you doing?" Sirius was poking the stones with his wand and muttering under his breath.
"Nothing." Sirius said with an unconvincing innocent expression. He jumped up.
"Hey O'Farrell." He called; a tall blonde haired boy looked up. "I found those gobstones you were looking for." The boy rushed over.
"Thanks Black, where were they?"
"Under the sofa." There was not a trace of a lie on his face. O'Farrell thanked Sirius and returned to his group of friends.
"Right." Sirius jumped up. "Let's get out of here."
James stood up eyeing O'Farrell's group who had started playing, Remus followed. "Why?" Remus asked.
"Cause any minute now those gobstones are going to start squirting anyone in sight."
Two hours later and James, Sirius and Peter were still laughing; Remus had laughed for the first hour and twenty minutes and was now looking a little bored with them reliving it over and over and over.
Sirius decided a change of subject was finally in order. "So, are we ever going to decide what to do to those two Slytherins?" He asked stretching out his long legs. They had gone out into the grounds and were lazing by the lake; it was still warm for September but had a bite in the air which warned Autumn was approaching.
"What did you have in mind?" Peter asked eagerly, sitting up.
"You are a blood thirsty thing, aren't you Peter?" Sirius chuckled, closing his eyes. He could tell Peter was probably blushing, he seemed to do that alot.
"How bout…" James paused then stopped.
"Well Potter?"
"How about…"
Sirius opened his eyes and sat up. "Oh for gods sake spit it out will you?"
"I need to show you guys something." James said leaping up and starting back towards the castle. Sirius rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath as he Remus and Peter followed James back to the Griffindor tower.
The common room was still in a state of confusion with Gobstones hovering above people, spitting noxious liquid at random. The four managed to slip up to their dormitory unnoticed.
"Well?" Sirius snapped, hands on hips staring as James opened his case and began to throw books, spare cloaks and parchments out.
"Here." James said standing up, grinning. He held out a silky silver grey cloak.
"What is it?" Peter asked, reaching out to touch it, but James swatted his hand away.
"Those are very rare." Remus said, awe in his voice. "Where'd you get it?" Sirius too had known what it was straight away, his grandfather had owner one.
"It was my great uncle Bodric's." James said grinning with pride. "My mum doesn't know I brought it, I managed to smuggle it into my case when she wasn't looking."
"Potter, that's something…" Sirius said, unable to keep the admiration out of his voice.
"Yeah, I know." James replied smugly. "Thought this might give us a few more options…"
"What is it!" Peter asked exasperated, there was a hint of embarrassment in his voice. Sirius doubted he had gotten over the whole muggle-born incident.
"This, my dear Peter, is an invisibility cloak!" James grinned, before slipping it on and vanishing. "And the best thing is; no one knows we have one!"
A/N- Please R & R if you like or dislike?
