Title: Transforming Thoughts
Author Name: DarkForest214
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: none really…
Summery: Another full moon, a difficult decision, a surprise answer. It's the Marauders at their best!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or Hogwarts School. I did not write this to try and make money. I am not stealing from JKR and the publishing companies and whatnot… I own nothing!
Author's Note: Thanks to my reviewer DiscombobulatedDrummer (and I apologize if I spelled that wrong) Oh, and this one is a bit of a long one...
Chapter Four
The day dragged on with only a few mini-outbreaks of mischief from James and Sirius. That evening after their last class the group headed down to dinner where Madame Pomfrey intercepted them in the Entrance Hall.
"Mr. Lupin, could you please follow me? I need some help in my office and you're the only one that understands my filing system," said Madame Pomfrey, casting nervous glances at Sirius, James and Peter.
"Sure thing, Madame Pomfrey," said Remus eagerly. "Anything I can do to help." He turned to his friends, "I could be late, don't wait up for me," he said with a wink.
James and Sirius exchanged glances once they were gone. Madame Pomfrey's excuses to see Remus had lost originality over the last five years.
"Come on, we have to eat quick," said Sirius.
"The moon rises early," James added quietly.
"Can I take a snack?" Peter asked hungrily.
"All you think about is your stomach," said Sirius, rolling his eyes.
"And food!" Peter added eagerly. Sirius and James exchanged glances again, this time fighting hard not to laugh. Sometimes their little friend could be so thick.
After a rushed dinner the three ran up to the Owlery to peer out of the large window. Soon they saw the outline of two cloaked figures heading toward the Whomping Willow in the dying sunlight.
Moments later one of the cloaked figures headed back to the school. "All right, let's get going," said James.
"One second," said Sirius. "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good," he said as he pulled a bit of parchment out of his pocket. "Filch is chasing Peeves on the third floor, no, wait…he's headed toward his office. Looks like the coast is clear," he added.
"You have the cloak, right?" Peter asked James.
"No, he let Snivelly borrow it," said Sirius, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Got it right here," James' voice said from the doorway. "Come on you two! Peter, you know the drill," he said as his head reappeared.
James and Sirius watched as Peter turned into a rat and ran toward Sirius's feet. Peter would have never managed to become an animagi without the help of his friends…
"There ya go, Wormtail," said Sirius as he picked up the fat rat and tucked him safely in his pocket. It wouldn't be good if one of the owls decided they were hungry enough to make Peter their next meal…
Sirius joined James under the invisibility cloak and the two headed down to the Entrance Hall. The only person they passed was Madame Pomfrey. She had a saddened look in her eyes as she headed back to the Hospital Wing.
Once outside they ran toward the Whomping Willow, making sure to stop before entering 'Whomping range.'
"Do your thing, Wormtail," Sirius whispered as he slipped the rat out of his pocket and placed him on the ground.
Wormtail sniffed around, getting his bearings, before running before running straight toward the trunk of the violent tree. When he reached an exposed root he put his little paws on a knot in the root. Immediately the tree stooped trying to attack everything that moves and stood frozen in place.
Sirius and James ran up to the trunk of the tree and quickly removed the invisibility cloak before slipping into a hole at the base of the tree. "Come on Wormtail, we're in," said Sirius, sticking his head out of the hole. Wormtail released the root and ran toward Sirius's head. Sirius snatched the rat and took one last glance at the night sky before the tree shuddered to life.
"No moon yet, but it'll be any minute now," said Sirius as he placed Wormtail back in his pocket.
"We're going to have to hurry," said James.
"Why else do you think I'm carrying Wormtail?" Sirius asked sarcastically.
"Right…" said James as he took out his wand, Sirius did the same and with a muttered "Lumos" the two took off at a run through the long, winding, underground tunnel.
When they reached the end Sirius pulled Wormtail out of his pocket and placed him on the ground. Soon Peter was standing next to them once more. Before opening the trap door that would take them up into the Shrieking Shack they paused, listening for any noises above.
"He's quiet," said James.
"It's clear," said Sirius after a brief moment of silence. He pushed open the trap door and climbed up into the building above. James followed without a problem but the two had to help lift Peter through the hole.
"Moony?" Sirius called out as they tried to locate their friend.
"Over here," said a quiet voice from a dark corner. He was sitting near a boarded up window and peering out through a slit in the boards into the night sky.
The walls and doorways of the Shrieking Shack were scared with claw marks and scratches. All the furniture was dilapidated and falling apart, with rips in the upholstery where stuffing oozed out or teeth marks on the legs of chairs.
The Marauders had been surprised that their calm and gentle friend had caused all the damage when they first stepped foot into the shack. They soon learned how he had managed when they witnessed, for the first time, his transformation. But several months and transformations later this all seemed routine.
"You ready?" James asked quietly as he moved to stand by Remus's side.
Remus nodded then said bitterly, "Who am I kidding? I'll never be ready," he added, sending a significant glance in Sirius's direction. "Every month, just when the pain fades…I'll never get use to it…"
Catching his eye Sirius stepped forward and tried to lighten the mood. "Ah, but that's why we're here," he said expressively "To help you forget your pain."
"And to comfort a lonely wolf," said James.
"And to keep you from hurting yourself," said Peter, even though his animagi form was in no way, shape, or form to take on a full grown werewolf.
Remus looked around at his friends and smiled weakly. "Thank y—" but his words ended in a strained groan as his back suddenly arched in pain. Remus moaned as another spasm shook his entire body and nearly knocked him onto the ground. James and Sirius immediately jumped to his side to hold him up and try to hold him steady as he twisted kicked his legs out in pain.
"Remember who you are," Sirius shouted over Remus's ever increasing moans and screams.
"You are Remus Lupin, our best friend. Remember that," James shouted.
"Peter, the door!" shouted Sirius suddenly. "Close the trap door!"
Seeing the transformation of his smart and gentle friend into a vicious monster always frightened Peter and left him frozen where he stood. But hearing the urgency in Sirius's voice he managed to stumble forward and slam the trap door shut locking it securely as Remus started sprouting fur and his nose and mouth stretched into a snarling snout with snapping teeth.
Once his head had started to change James and Sirius backed off and the three of them changed into their animagi forms. It would be unwise for them to remain in human form around him for much longer.
Remus had fallen to all fours, his transformation nearly complete. His hands and feet had stretched into huge paws with sharp claws and for a moment he stood completely still. The stag, dog and rat stood still, silently watching, not daring to move. Suddenly Remus shuddered and the silence was broken with a long, hair raising howl. Remus had become Moony.
Padfoot carefully stepped forward, his tail between his legs and his head held low in submission. Moony rounded on him and snarled. Smelling no human flesh he calmed down and stepped forward with ears laid back and hackles raised to sniff the shaggy dog.
Moony's wolf mind recognized and remembered the times they had had during previous transformations. Prongs stomped a hoof and Moony rounded on him, a deep growl emitting from his throat. He recognized the large stag as well and eyed his sharp antlers warily but calmed down once more. Unfortunately he had had a run in with those antlers one night when a foolish human had ventured too close to the Shrieking Shack on the night of the full moon. Whether he noticed the rat at all didn't matter because Moony didn't quite care for the taste of rats.
Moony then surprised them by running head first into a wall. He let out a frustrated howl when he didn't break through and he lowered his head to try again. He started to charge but Padfoot slammed into his side, knocking him off his feet.
The wolf just wanted out so he could run; to smell the fresh air and to be free. He regained his footing and turned to charge again but the black, shaggy dog stood in his way. Frustrated, the wolf slashed out at the dog and caught him on the shoulder.
Padfoot let out a startled yelp as he leaped out of the way. Seeing his way was clear, Moony ran at the wall once more but was brought down mid leap and sent skidding across the floor by the shaggy dog.
Moony got up and shook himself off all the while growling at the dog for blocking his attempt to break free. Padfoot let out a sharp bark and the wolf stopped growling. Another sharp bark and he slowly came to turns with his surroundings.
It didn't take long for Moony to realize that they wouldn't let him out. Not this time. Moony barked back and looked gloomily around the room. They had not discussed what they would do to relieve the restless wolf's boredom, but because the moon had risen so early it was too risky to let Moony out into the night. Not that things were never risky with Moony, they just didn't want to take that chance.
Padfoot crawled on his belly toward Moony, injured shoulder forgotten, and nudged him gently on the leg with his nose, barking playfully while wagging his tail. Moony, looking for a distraction agreed and the two began circling each other in a play fight. The werewolf was dominant and knew it. But sometimes he forgot just how strong he really was and got carried away. So Prongs stood watch, ready to bring his tough antlers into their midst if things got out of hand.
It was an odd support system, but it worked. The three animagi were there to support the werewolf, but if the wolf got out of hand the animagi were there to defend each other. Keeping the wolf from harming himself and others while giving him company and entertainment; it was a distraction from the werewolf's cruel and harsh reality.
The wolf was in charge as he tackled Padfoot, bringing him to the ground hard on his side. Padfoot let out a yelp of pain but scrambled to his feet and ran toward the wolf, teeth bared and snarling. Moony lunged at him again, but this time Padfoot sidestepped out of his way and rammed into his side.
Moony howled at the indignity at being tricked by a mere stray. He rounded on the dog and tackled him. Soon the two were rolling on the ground in a blurred ball of fur. Prongs was getting a bit worried that the two were taking things a bit far so he let out a loud snort and stomped his foot impatiently. When the two continued without notice he lowered his head threateningly and let out an even louder snort and advanced on the two.
Padfoot heard him, but couldn't break free from the fight so he let out a desperate yelp as Moony dug his claws in his already injured shoulder. Prongs stepped into the foray and separated the two with his antlers, making sure to nudge Moony hard in the side. Moony finally backed off, leaving Padfoot alone to limp out of the way.
But Moony wasn't finished; he continued to snarl with his ears laid back and hair standing on end. The wolf had energy to burn, but after a few minutes of Prongs standing between the wolf and dog he quieted down. All the while Padfoot lay injured in the corner licking his wound to the best of his abilities. It wasn't the first time Moony had hurt him and he knew he could wait until morning and get James to nick the needed supplies from the Hospital Wing so he could be healed.
Wormtail had by this time, climbed to his usual post on the boarded up window where he could easily stick his little head out to see the night sky. It was his job to watch for the setting of the moon in case Moony and Padfoot were mid-fight. He let out a loud squeak, indicating the moon still had half of the night sky to travel. There was plenty of time left to keep the wolf entertained.
Prongs looked around the room trying to come up with a way to distract the wolf—who was beginning to get restless again. Then it hit him; he trotted into what had once been a dining room in the old house and over to a chair that was—surprisingly—still intact. Curious, Moony followed and watched as the stag lowered his head and hooked his antlers through the back of the chair. He lifted the chair into the air and sent it flying toward the wall where it broke into half-a-dozen or so pieces. Prongs then nudged a chair leg in Moony's direction.
Moony growled in delight at this new found game as he swatted at a remaining leg and sent it flying across the room. Prongs sent another piece of the chair in the direction of the wolf and before it could slide to a halt he knocked it across the room to clatter against the wall.
Together the two sent piece after piece of furniture flying in all directions for the rest of the night. Once they had sent an entire table leg flying straight toward Wormtail who let out a loud squeal and fell from his perch in the boarded up window. Padfoot was able to limp in his direction and catch the rat in his mouth before he hit the ground. Wormtail was shaken, but unharmed as he scurried back to his look-out position at the window.
After another hour of the game Wormtail let out a loud, long and high-pitched squeal to indicate the setting of the moon. The wolf never understood it, but for some reason that squeal was always the last thing he remembered until the next full moon.
Prongs and Padfoot looked toward the boarded up window and saw through the cracks that the sky was still dark, but slowly lightening. Moony growled, howled and all of the above as he twisted and thrashed about. He was most likely to injure himself when transforming back into a human and it was how he received most of his injuries.
He reached out with a claw and caught himself on his arm as paws turned to hands and he started to shed his fur. His teeth snarled and chomped at the air as his snout shrank and reshaped into the handsome nose and mouth of his human form. His tail disappeared and his spine shortened and returned to normal. His ears no longer points, and his eyes their original blue color he collapsed on the floor fully transformed as Remus Lupin.
Soon he was surrounded by Peter, James and Sirius all checking to make sure he was all right.
"Remus? Rem are you awake?" Sirius asked attentively.
"Oh my head," Remus moaned quietly.
"He's fine," said James. "We better split before Pomfrey comes."
"We'll visit you in the Hospital Wing, Remus," said Sirius.
Remus nodded slightly and moaned as he curled up into a ball. He understood that his friends couldn't stick around. If they were to be caught they'd never be able to accompany him again. That would be too unbearable to imagine…
The three slipped through the trap door and ran along the tunnel, pausing near the exit so Peter could change into a rat and freeze the violent tree above. James and Sirius slipped out into the pre-dawn hours of the morning and covered themselves with the invisibility cloak. They waited for Wormtail when they were out of range of the tree and scooped him up into a pocket.
The large, front doors were unlocked and they slipped in without a problem. They paused in an alcove long enough for James to check if the coast was clear before heading straight for the Gryffindor common room.
"I hate leaving him like that," said James when the trio returned to their dorm.
"I do too, but we have to. He understands," said Sirius quietly. James nodded in agreement as he pulled his shoes off and slipped into bed fully clothed.
"How's your shoulder, Sirius?" asked Peter as he rummaged through his trunk for his hidden candy stash.
"It'll heal," said Sirius. "It stopped bleeding…I think. I'll clean and dress it later, I'm too tired…"
And with that the three fell asleep and slept through breakfast—including Peter!
A/N: I hope ya'll enjoyed (although I wouldn't know 'cause DD is the only one that reviews...) More to come when it's typed. (need I mention the R&R crap?) Oh, and Hello to my other reviewer (aka, my twin!)