Chapter 3
October 8, 1976

The bell for the end of lessons rang at the end of the day. It was a charming Friday's day, save for the fact that a certain ominous orb would soon be floating atop all our heads. Most students had been looking forward to their weekend away from schoolwork. The full moon had screwed mine over however, for after the transformation, I would spend much of that Saturday recovering in the Hospital Wing under the care of Madame Pomfrey.

Every full moon since our fifth year, however, us Marauders have planned and carried out all sorts of mischief and mayhem. In our second year, they inadvertently discovered my…condition…. I had been terrified out of my mind that they would want absolutely nothing to do with me afterward, but it turned to be quite the opposite. I was deeply grateful, to say the very least.

However, behind my back, they formed a plan to help me through every wake and wane of the moon. They risked everything for my sake, but managed it in our fifth year. They became Animagi. They could transform into animals at will and keep me company under the full moon. I am only a danger around humans, and so I don't harm them once they're in the Animagi form. James is Prongs and can transform into the most beautiful white stag. Peter is Wormtail and can transform into a small-sized lunchable rat (I'm only joking!). Sirius is Padfoot and can transform into an enormous, shaggy black dog. Prongs and Padfoot, being such large animals, can keep me at bay if something were to go wrong. Which is a very useful thing, really.

James sent me a wink and let me go on my way. I tucked my books underneath my arms and walked through the door without so much as saying a word to anyone. We were planning on paying a visit to Honeydukes in Hogsmeade that month. It was October, the second full moon of the year.

However, by the time I was securily hidden away in the Shrieking Shack and the moon loomed closer, I felt less and less like doing so.

"What do you mean? We planned this," Peter whined.

I shrugged and yawned. "I just don't feel like it. You three go on without me."

"You okay?" asked James, concerned. Truthfully, I wasn't. That cursed girl had been haunting my dreams every night for more than a month.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied. "I just don't feel like it." After much arguing, they finally agreed to let me spend the full moon alone with the wolf.

I was so detached; I hardly felt the normally painful transformation. I simply didn't care. When it was over, I curled up near the fireplace and waited quietly. I felt depressed, as if some vital part of me had died and I was left with nothing but a hollow hole inside.

"Remus?" My ears perked up when I heard the small voice. It was strange that I even recognized it as my name. I suppose the wolf must have moved aside for that month because of my depression, even though I was alone and my friends were away. Well, at least I wouldn't be tearing myself apart that month.

When I heard nothing more, I supposed I had been imagining things.

"Remus…?" I lifted my head drowsily and blinked my eyes open to see a little girl kneeling on the floor right before me!

I freaked! I did more than freak! Someone had made it past the Whomping Willow to the Shrieking Shack! That couldn't be! I wasn't in my human form and now would –

- oh! I recognized her as the little girl from my dreams. She smiled smally and reached out to hold my….

…I stared down at my hand in confusion. It must have already been morning and I transformed back. But it was still dark outside, so I shouldn't have transformed back. Unless it wasn't even the full moon….

I held her hand and picked myself up off of the floor, brushing my robes of dust. She giggled quietly to herself.

She couldn't have been even in her second year. Twenty black curls made like sausages and baby fat on her cheeks –

- oh, I'm sounding like the wolf now! I'm sorry!

"Who are - " I began asking, but was interrupted by a loud BANG from the floor above us and then laughter. Her smile faded and her hand slid out of mine. She turned and ran out the trapdoor.

"WAIT!" I called after her, stumbling through the trapdoor myself. She was far ahead of me by then, I could only hear her muffled footsteps ahead of me.

I came to the mouth of the tunnel where someone had frozen the Whomping Willow's branches. I ran away from the tree before it would come alive again. "Where are you? Hello!"

A loud shriek followed by an eerie silence interrupted me. I ran in the direction of the scream: the Forbidden Forest. The trees became thicker and thicker and it became darker and darker. My shoe got caught in a tree branch and I fell to the forest floor. Spitting dirt from my mouth, I looked up and saw three shadowy figures in the distance, carrying an unwilling body away.

The girl!

I scrambled to my feet and ran towards them. They shushed their voices and dropped her on her feet. I stopped when I saw it. A knife, glimmering against the shine of the moon. And then –

- a bloodcurdling scream and a gut wrenching sound. It continued on and on and on! She begged and cried, but they wouldn't stop!

After a moment of watching in pure shock, I ran for them, not caring what would happen. Not caring if they would turn on me, hurt me, hit me, stab me, kill me! I had to help that girl!

The knives fell onto the rocks of the forest, making a clatter. They looked up from the workings; they must have heard me. I pulled out my wand and began yelling toward them like some estranged animal. They pulled the hoods of their cloaks over their heads and ran away from the scene.

I stopped at the place where she had been, but she was not there anymore. I looked around me in all directions, trying to find her. She was nowhere. No one was there. Nothing.

I sighed and rubbed my tired eyes. It had only been a dream. A horrible, horrible dream. I couldn't understand why it kept bothering me, though. It had to have some kind of meaning or it would just go away.

I was choked when my robes were pulled against my neck! Someone was pulling on them from behind! I spun round to face my adversary, but met face to face with the girl! Blood was spurting from her like a thousand fountains! Her bloodshot eyes searched into mine. She grabbed my arm for support, coughing up a mouthful of blood onto my robes.

"Help me, Remus…." her raspy voice pleaded.

"I…." a lump caught itself in my throat. "I don't - "

"Please!" she let go of my now bloody arm and staggered a little ways before falling to the ground. I raced to her side and knelt before her bleeding body. I held her hand and gave it a small squeeze while I moved a curl away from her face. She coughed up more blood and her breath came in pained wheezes.

Her hand felt limp in mine. Her eyes were still and her chest had stopped its usual rise and fall. I let her hand, still warm, fall to her side and closed her eyes. I couldn't bear to look into those golden, still orbs.

I decided to stay with her until morning when someone would hopefully find us. But when I woke up, no one was there but me. The ground around me was covered in leaves, not pools of blood. My mouth was dry and when I looked down, I noticed I didn't have a thread of clothing on. I sighed and groaned uncomfortably. It HAD been a full moon after all. I had transformed and I did break out of the Shrieking Shack. The whole thing had been a dream….

A/N- Ah, now the story's really getting started. Two weeks gone, I had to come back with something really cool...not that anyone cares, though.

I feel really crappy about this. This is my second favorite story I've ever written and one person has reviewed on here and two on deviantart. I don't know why I'm trying with this crap anymore...

But of course, I'll add my usual please review here now. I doubt I'll get it, though. But maybe I can wish. OMG, I think I'd have a Sheer Heart Attack...XD