Very early the next morning, Kevin was awoken by a sharp knock on the door. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Remus' empty bed. Guilt and fear crashed down on him again, and he barely heard McGonagall as she opened the door and told them to hurry to Dumbledore's office. Quickly, he, James, and Sirius dressed and went out the door, careful not to wake Peter, who was still snoring loudly, oblivious to the group's troubles.

As soon as McGonagall saw them coming, she whispered the password and ushered the boys inside. Dumbledore was at his desk; sitting in one of the cushy armchairs across from Dumbledore's desk was Remus, looking battered and worn. Instantly, the boys were at his side, making such a babble of noise that Dumbledore had to call for them to quiet down twice.

"Please, sit." The headmaster gestured at the other armchairs nearby. When they were all seated, Dumbledore spoke again. "Perhaps you can tell us what happened, Remus?"

The boy raised his head, exhausted and battered. "I don't remember much, sir," he said, every word seeming to sap his energy. "Someone Stunned me from behind, and I didn't come around until it was nearly dusk. I was rolled up in a sheet or something so I could barely move or breathe. The sun went down, and – well – I'm not exactly sure what happened after that," Remus finished, looking at the floor. Kevin stared at him. He had escaped from Death Eaters and he didn't know how?

"Thank you, Remus," Dumbledore said, apparently satisfied with the short, vague explanation. "I extend a word of caution to you all – especially you, Kevin Sanret. Do not take others' advice lightly, including those who seem to know very little. I assume you will entrust these three with your secret?"

Kevin nodded, and Dumbledore stood. "Well then, I suppose I should release you to your various activities. Remus, you have my permission and encouragement to return to Madam Pomfrey or myself, should you be suffering any discomfort."

On that note, they were dismissed from the office. James and Sirius congratulated Remus on getting away, slapping him on the back and telling him "it came in useful after all." When they turned to go to the Great Hall for breakfast, Remus turned the other way.

"I'm not hungry," he told them. "I need to go sleep for a while."

Kevin watched Remus go with a twisting fear in his stomach. He knew he had to tell Remus what he had already told Sirius and James, but he didn't want to be responsible for upsetting his new friend's life. How would Remus react when he found out his parents weren't really his parents?

Remus didn't come to classes all day, and when the boys returned to Gryffindor, he wasn't there.

"Where would he go?" Kevin asked no one in particular, feeling far more stressed than usual. James and Sirius shrugged.

"Remus wouldn't just skiv off class, he's a good boy," Sirius said, rubbing his forehead. Lily appeared out of nowhere.

"Where was Remus today?" she asked, and for once, James didn't try to show off. It showed how much his friend's second disappearance worried him.

"We don't know," James told her. "We haven't seen him since this morning. He looked terrible. Maybe he went to the Hospital Wing, but he never goes back there after – if he can help it."

"I found him behind the painting of Igor Igglethorpe last year, after you –" she stopped herself, and Sirius looked down. The memory of when he had crossed all of his friends still made him feel ashamed. After an awkward pause, Lily said, "Well, he might have gone back there. I'll see you around."

As she walked away, the three friends went back out the portrait hole, wasting no time in going to the fourth-floor painting. When they reached the last step of the staircase on that floor, they saw Remus walking slowly away from the painting of Igglethorpe, eyes down.

"Remus!" Sirius called, and the boy looked up. Remus lifted a hand, but didn't smile as the boys walked beside him.

"We were worried about you," James said. "You've never missed a full day of classes."

"Why didn't you wait for us at Gryffindor? We've wanted to talk to you," Sirius added. Remus just shrugged and kept walking. Kevin didn't say anything. Why should I? He thought. I'm going to rip apart the stuff he's known all his life. I don't have the right to talk to him.

The walk to Gryffindor was long and silent. When they were finally back in the dormitory, James looked at Kevin. "Can you fix the door?"

Kevin made the door Imperturbable, and James and Sirius looked at Remus. "What's going on, Remus?" Sirius asked directly. Remus pulled his knees up to his chest and sat there for a long minute, staring at his shoes.

"Did something happen last night?" James asked, trying to push without being completely insensitive. Remus nodded, and another minute or two passed in silence.

"I think I bit someone," Remus finally told them in a strained whisper, burying his face in his arms. Kevin's head jerked up. Bit someone?

"They deserve it, Remus," Sirius said strongly after a moment. "For what they've done, they deserve any horrible thing that comes to them." Remus was visibly trembling.

"What if they use it?" Remus' voice was muffled, but he was obviously beyond upset. "If they take that one person and start to spread it, it will be my fault. There's already at least one werewolf working to spread it to as many people as he can, and if that one works the same way, it's like I've just bitten loads of people that never would've –" His voice finally failed him, and he sat there, shaking silently.

"Remus, there wasn't anything you could've done about it," James said, while Kevin sat in shock at this new information. He had been sleeping in the same room as a werewolf for almost a month, that werewolf was his brother – it was a strange twist to events.

"Don't!" Remus cried violently. "Don't say it wasn't my fault, it was, you don't understand what it's like to be a monster, you d-don't know how it feels to be a murderous, bloodthirsty beast, then turn back to a kid with just flashes of what happened the night before, and now I've gone and given other people the same experience!" A ringing silence followed his outburst, and Remus pulled the curtains around his bed. After a minute, Sirius pulled the curtains back. Remus was curled up under his covers.

"Remus?" Sirius said uncertainly.

"Go away."

The cold attitude was disturbing, especially coming from Remus. The other boys went to their beds, even though it was still fairly early.

How am I going to tell him? Kevin asked himself over and over again. Every scenario he imagined ended up with Remus either furious or depressed. It was a long time before anyone slept.