Happy 62nd birthday Moony!
The next day was a Saturday, and our first ever proper trip to Hogsmeade. The only time we'd ever been was back in first year, when we went shopping for Hallowe'en costumes. But this time, we got to spend the entire day there and visit whatever shops we wanted. All third years ran to Professor McGonagall, and gave her their permission slips, then rushed into the village excitedly.
"Your parents actually signed it?" James said in a low voice to Sirius, who burst out laughing. I looked around in awe at the village.
"Of course not," said Sirius. "I didn't deserve it, according to them, but it turns out I'm very good at forging signatures."
James applauded Sirius, and I saw a sign that caught my attention: 'BEST CHOCOLATE IN THE WORLD SOLD HERE' and my jaw dropped. The shop was called Honeydukes, and I walked towards it as if drawn by a magnet, the other three following me.
We walked into the shop, and for once I was grateful for my werewolf sense of smell. There were sweets everywhere. I saw an entire wall of different types of chocolate, and wished I had enough money to buy it all. My parents had given me a small amount of money to spend at Hogsmeade for the whole year, so I had to push through and be smart.
Save the money, I thought to myself firmly. You're not a kid anymore, you're almost a grown man now. So, you must be responsible.
I turned away from the chocolate wall, nodding to myself proudly. But my friends were buying sweets…
I emerged from Honeydukes ten minutes later carrying a bag full of chocolates. I'd spent over half the Hogsmeade money I'd been given, but it was chocolate, so you couldn't blame me.
After Honeydukes, my friends insisted on going into Zonko's, a joke shop. It was bright and full of prank books and magical prank items. There were posters scattered on the walls with lame jokes that would change every ten seconds.
James and Sirius purchased almost the entire shop and could barely carry their bags once we were out, but they were both smiling ear to ear.
"Zonko's is better than I even imagined!" James said happily. "Come on guys, let's go to The Three Broomsticks… it's a pub, they sell butterbeers, only the superior drink!"
"Beer?" said Peter anxiously. "Mum says I'm not allowed beer until I'm seventeen…"
"It's not alcohol," James told him. "Have you seriously never had butterbeer?"
Peter and I both shook our heads.
"James, you have to be thirteen to have butterbeer," Sirius said.
"I know!" James said, rolling his eyes. "But we've all been thirteen for months."
"Er, it was only my birthday about a month ago," Peter told him. "We never celebrate it together because it's over the summer."
"I've never tried butterbeer, either" I told him. "I think I've seen my parents drinking it once or twice, though…"
"Well, let's go get some butterbeer then!" James said happily.
We walked into the pub and took a table. The bartender took our order of four butterbeers, and James and Sirius went off raving about how Zonko's was 'the best shop in the entire world'.
"I preferred Honeydukes," said Peter. "There was nothing edible in Zonko's, unless it explodes you!"
"Non-edible things last longer, Peter," Sirius said.
"Sirius!" came a voice. We all turned around to see Marlene McKinnon rushing towards us. "Sirius, did you know the Quidditch trials are tomorrow? A beater spot is available, and a chaser spot!"
"Of course I know, James won't bloody shut up about it!" Sirius cried. "I guess I'll try, though."
"Alright, see you there… and guess what!" she said excitedly, turning to James. "Jordan's graduating at the end of this year, and he said either you or me will be captain next year, James!"
"That's great!" James cried. "A vote?"
"Yes, a non-compulsory vote at the end of this year, any Gryffindor can vote." Marlene was smiling brightly, "Good luck!"
"You too."
"Alright, see you!" she said, going back to where her friends were sitting.
The waitress came right after Marlene left, and placed our butterbeers in front of us. I took a sip straight away. It was the second best thing I'd ever tasted, after chocolate. It was creamy and tasted a bit like butterscotch. The other three seemed to be enjoying it as well, and soon we were all guzzling it down. A small crowd had formed around our table, yelling, "CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!" And placing bets on who they thought would finish their drink first.
I slammed my drink on the table first, followed closely by Sirius and James. Peter finished his almost a minute after everyone else, letting out a huge burp.
Everyone cheered, then fizzled off, talking about school and Quidditch and Hogsmeade.
"The school does look less dead Sirius, you have to admit that," James said thoughtfully. "Last year everyone was slowly dying inside…"
"I suppose," Sirius sighed. "But it seems like everyone's being replaced by bloody first years!"
"Well, soon Snape and Evans will break up then I'll replace Snape," James said proudly.
"Are they dating?" Peter asked.
"No," said Sirius, rolling his eyes, "James is just under the impression that they are. Anyway, I just don't think they should be replacing lives like this… what do you think, Remus?"
"Well, I don't think Dumbledore should be replacing students who died," I said slowly, "but the student body does seem less dead. Plus, it means more people get an education at Hogwarts."
Sirius shrugged, then we all stood up and walked out of the pub and followed a crowd to look out at the Shrieking Shack. It looked strange from the outside. Mary Macdonald, a Gryffindor girl from the year below us was talking to one of the Hogsmeade villagers and taking notes on a notepad.
"Just last Thursday night…" the villager was saying anxiously. "We hadn't heard it since last June… the screaming and howling!"
"Hmm… how often did you say this happens?" Mary asked.
"Once a month, usually," the villager was saying. "It must be haunted!"
"How long has this been going on?"
"Since September '71," the villager said.
"OK," said Mary. "I'll figure this out for you. You have a good day."
"Thank you, little Miss," said the villager gratefully as Mary walked away. The other three looked at me, but I just shook my head. Mary barely knew me; she wouldn't think it was me. I didn't think I'd ever even spoken to her.
That night in the common room, I saw Mary talking to anyone who would listen (and wouldn't listen) about how she thought the Shrieking Shack had something to do with my year at school.
"They said it started in September 1971!" she cried to Dorcas Meadowes. "I wasn't there then, but that's when the third-years started! It can't be a coincidence!"
"Maybe the haunted spirits are after one of the little boys over there?" Dorcas suggested, gesturing to my friends and I.
"Will you calling us stop that?" James called across the room.
"Never," Dorcas snorted.
"Not in a million years," Marlene added, and Alice couldn't even speak, she was laughing so hard. I just rolled my eyes and looked down at my Charms essay, but Sirius and James were still glaring at the fourth-year girls. It really was a love-hate relationship between them. At least they didn't run around cursing each other, like they did with Snape.
Mary stood up and walked towards us. She was holding a quill, ink, and parchment with messy notes written on it. She dipped her quill into the ink bottle and smiled brightly at us.
"Do you guys know anything about what's happening at the shrieking shack?" she asked.
My friends and I shrugged and shook our heads.
"Well, do you think it could have something to do with your year? Since it did start the year you guys all came…" she trailed off, looking us all up and down dramatically.
"We didn't go to Hogsmeade then," Peter said nervously. "So, we really don't know."
"OK," she said. "I'm going to ask Lily…"
She turned around, her long dark hair hitting Sirius, and walked up the stairs to the girls' dormitories.
"She's just doing it for the fun of it," said Sirius, "Is that what all girls do?"
"You can't assume what an entire gender is like based on one person, Sirius," Peter said, looking down at the Daily Prophet he was reading, then he sighed. "Fifteen muggles were killed in Sussex. Death Eaters attacked them. And five muggle-born wizards are missing."
"Gotta be shitting me, don't you?" James grumbled, throwing his quill across his muggle studies essay. "We're all going to die; I know we are."
"I don't want to die now!" Peter squealed. "Give me another seventy years at least, please!"
"Try and think positive, James," said Sirius. "Look on the bright side of life."
"If this war gets any worse there's not much point of us even studying for a non-existent future," I said darkly.
"Oh, come on, not you too, Remus!" Sirius said, crossing his arms. "Don't be such pessimists."
"I'm not a pessimist, I'm realistic, and I'm going to bed now," I said, standing up and packing away my homework and walking up to the dormitory to go straight to bed. I was tired as hell, but I still couldn't manage to sleep. My body was still stinging from the last full moon, but I just pushed through it and lay there, hoping it would go away, and that Mary would give up on her mission to find out what was happening with the Shrieking Shack.