Chapter 18:

James and Sirius didn't tell the other two about their plan about the werewolf. They knew Peter wouldn't be able to handle such freight and Remus would surely disapprove of such a dangerous thing. So at the end of the month, when they knew it was just about time for the child to be taken to the Whomping Willow, James and Sirius left Peter. Remus had gone home to see his mother once again.

They crept down the passage way quietly under cover of the invisibility cloak. When they got to the end they waited outside watching the tree. They were certain he hadn't bee taken down yet and sure enough they saw two figures moving towards them in the dark, coming from the school doors.

Madam Pomfry was bringing the child with her. James squinted, trying to see who it was, but he just couldn't make out the figure. That is until they got close for Madam Pomfry's wand to light up the boys face. James gasped, causing Sirius to cover it with his hand. Sirius seemed relatively calm to find out his friend was a werewolf, for the boy was Remus Lupin.

James stared, transfixed, as Madam Pomfry used her wand to prod a knot in the tree with a stick. The tree didn't lash out at them when they walked towards it and entered the hidden passage there. They stood there in silence as both figures disappeared. Neither moved until Madam Pomfry emerged again, about ten minutes later, and headed back to the castle. Only then did they feel safe to speak again.

"Sirius," James gasped, "It…it really is Remus,"

"I saw," Sirius said, still quiet calm.

"How can you be so calm when you just found out one of your best mates is a werewolf?" James hissed.

"Well, if you must know, I've figured it out a long time ago mate. I just didn't want to worry you."

James stared at him, "What?"

Sirius shrugged, "Well, during the break I read one of the books on werewolves at your parents' place. This one book gave me all the information and, well, everything just fit."

"You could've told me!" James said.

"I told you I didn't want to worry you," he said, "Look, I wanted you to figure it out on your own, I knew you would mate. You're a pretty smart bloke."

"As are you," James sighed, "But what do we do now?"

"We tell Remus we know it's him,"

"Are you sure that's such a good idea?"

"He should know we know,"

James nodded, "What about Peter?"

"He should know as well," James nodded. They spent a few more minutes staring at the tree where their friend had disappeared down and then turned to go back into the school. They crept to the door just as Hagrid was walking out of it. He stopped turned around and nodded at something some one was saying on the other end.

"Don't worry Professor McGonagall," he hollered inside, "I'll make sure there are no students out of bed on the grounds." As Hagrid was so big, the boys were able to slip inside. They saw McGonagall standing by the door and had to side step her as she turned to walk away. Hagrid shut the door, leaving the entrance hall in darkness, save for a few torches that shown by the grand staircase. The boys, being as quiet as possible, snuck up them, keeping a distance of themselves and McGonagall. McGonagall turned down one passage and Sirius motioned for them to take a different path. It was one of Johnny's short cuts he had given them.

They turned down it and made it towards the Gryffindor common room. James took one more glance outside at the moon. It was covered by the clouds at the moment but he knew as soon as those clouds moved, the full moon would show itself.

"Do you think it hurts him?" James whispered to Sirius as Sirius mumbled the password. Sirius looked out the window as well as the fat lady grudgly opened the portrait.

"I don't know mate," he said as he stepped inside, "But we'll soon find out."

Remus didn't return to class the next day until last period in Potions. Slughorn had just assigned them their next project, which Snape, Lily, James and Sirius seemed to be having no problems with. James and Sirius even had time to joke around with each other as they made theirs. As they added unicorn horn to it, they heard the classroom door open. Everyone glanced towards ikt to see Remus walk in. The students all turned back to their work, save for Peter, Sirius and James. Peter waved while the other two exchanged looks and avoided eye contact.

"Mr. Lupin, I trust I find you in good health?" Slughorn asked approaching the boy. Remus nodded.

"As good as can be excepted sir,"

"Good, good, the assignment is on the board. You have until the end of class."

"Yes sir," Remus said and took up his spot beside Peter. He set up his cauldron and started to gather his essentials before starting on the project.

"So," James said once they had gotten back to work, "How's your mum doing Remus?"

Remus sighed and looked at his cauldron, concentrating harder then was necessary as he answered, "She's doing a little better."

"That's good," Sirius said as he stirred his potion twice counter clockwise and thrice clockwise for two minutes.

Remus nodded. He was pale again, and had a new cut on his arm that was bandaged up and covered by his robes. But, as he reached across the table for his knife, his robe slid up and exposed part of the bandage.

"What happened to your arm?" James asked seeing it. Remus, looking scared, shook his sleeve down and muttered, "Nothing,"

"I saw it Remus," Sirius said, "Looks like you cut it pretty bad."

"It was nothing," Remus insisted, working on his potion and avoiding the conversation. He went to add the juice of the roots he had just cut up and, instead of adding it slowly, tipped ten whole thing in, making a foul odour come off his potion.

"Nothing to fret about, it was an accident," Slughorn said as girls shrieked and covered their mouths with their robes. The guys in the class made faces and covered their faces as well, save for the marauders. Sirius and James looked at their friends curiously, Peter looked shocked.

"You messed up a project," he said sounding astounded.

"Shut up Peter," Remus said. Slughorn waved his wand, making the potion disappeared, but the smell still lingered.

"I'm afraid we'll have to settle for the smell until it airs out, back to work please," he said. The class started to turn back to their potions. Slughorn turned back to Remus, "I'm afraid I'll have to give you a zero my boy," Remus nodded sadly. He had never received such a low grade in a class before.

"Remus mate," James said as his potion simmered, "we're sorry,"

"Yeah mate," Sirius added, allowing his potion to simmer as well, "It's our fault; we shouldn't have pressured you to tell us."

Remus sighed and packed up his things, laying his head down on his desk for the rest of the class, ignoring his friends. When the end of class came around, James and Sirius sampled their potions in a vial and handed them in. Remus had already fled the classroom.

"Are you sure we should tell him right now?" James asked as he and Sirius headed back to the common room. Peter has stayed behind to ask Slughorn a question about his essay.

"The sooner he knows, the better," Sirius said.

"But he's had such a bad day already,"

"So why make it two bad days," Sirius said, "James, when he finds out we know, he won't be happy. Best do it while he's already in a bad mood then give him two days of feeling like dung,"

"I suppose," James said. They ran towards the common room, "But Peter should be there."

Sirius stopped, "Maybe we should tell Peter before we let Remus know," he said, "I mean think about, why give Peter a big shock like that at the same time we tell Remus we know? We should all be on the same level,"

James nodded, "let's go find him," The boys turned back towards Slughorn's room but need not have to. Peter was running towards them.

"Sorry guys," he wheezed as he caught up to them. "Slughorn had to leave before I could get the question out. Some meeting with Dumbledore. I tried to catch up to you but you were moving too fast."

"That's alright Peter," James said, "Look mate; we have to tell you something,"

"Something important and private," Sirius added leading them towards a classroom they knew to be deserted.

Peter seemed a bit nervous as James locked the door and performed a simple silencing charm on it. They both turned to Peter, facial expressions serious, which made Peter know they weren't fooling around and that whatever they had to say was not only important but serious.

"Peter, do you remember the werewolf we told you about? The one that's here at the school?" Peter nodded his head quickly, looking scared. "Well we found out who it is."

Peter looked from James to Sirius and back again.

"We don't know how to tell you this," Sirius said.

"It's going to be hard to take," James added.

"But you've got to believe us,"

"And trust us,"

"And you have to promise s it won't change anything,"

"As we're not letting it," James finished.

"Um," Peter said, "Y-yeah, of c-course I p-promise," he stuttered out.

The two glanced at each other and took a deep breath. James let it out slowly and said, "Peter the werewolf is Remus,"

"We saw him go into the hole last night," Sirius said. They waited quietly for Peter's reaction. As they expected, he didn't take it too well, and fainted.

It took the boys ten minutes to revive Peter. When they finally did Peter just sat on the ground staring at the wall, until he finally spoke.

"Remus is a werewolf?" he said in a quiet voice. The boys nodded, "So does this mean his mother really isn't sick then?" The boys shook their heads. "Why would be lie to us?"

"We don't know, we wanted to tell you before we tell him we know he's the werewolf. We all need to confront him together, to let him know it doesn't change anything."

"So… that cut on his arm…"

"We think it has something to do with it… maybe he attacked himself, or cut himself or something, but it has something to do with it," Sirius said.

Peter took a breath. He had been looking a little pale since he was revived. Finally he was able to stand up. "When will we do it?"

"Better do it today," James said.

"But he's already angry," Peter said looking scared, "what if he changes and tried to attack us!"

"Peter werewolves only change during the full moon, which was last night," James said rolling his eyes.

"And besides, as I explained to James, better have him mad all day then two different days," Peter nodded.

"Can you handle it?" James asked. Again, Peter nodded. "Alright then, I say we do it now." Sirius nodded and Peter, still looking scared, followed.

They walked into the common room to find Remus at a table, a bunch of books blocking him as he worked on homework. There were people around, laughing, talking or just hanging with their friends. James and Sirius sat down across from Remus and moved the books away from his face. Peter sat beside him. He looked a little scared to be so close and Sirius and James shot him a look. Remus, looking up from his work to his friends, gave them weird looks.

"What?" he asked.

"Um Remus, we, uh, we need to talk to you."

Remus looked at them, "Alright then, talk,"

"Privately, away from everyone, it's not something that should be spoken in front of so many people." Remus studied their faces carefully, trying to look for answers as to what, exactly, they were trying to say. He couldn't tell so he just sighed and packed up his things.

"Alright, lead the way then," James and Sirius got up and started walking out of the common room, Remus behind them and Peter bringing up the rear. They lead him to the same empty classroom they had told Peter in. James, once again, locked and charmed the door. Remus gave them looks.

"What this all about?"

"Remus," Sirius said and then looked at James. James sighed and nodded.

"We're not sure exactly how to say this," he said taking a breath, "but we uh," he cleared his throat, "we know…" he sighed and thought of a way to say it. "We know about your furry little problem." Remus looked at him, then at Sirius, and then at Peter who seemed to be shaking a little with fear. Sirius, despite the situation, laughed.

"'Furry Little Problem', bloody hell James, that's brilliant!"

James smiled weakly but kept his eyes on Remus. "Are you going to say anything?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about,"

"Remus," Sirius said, "c'mon mate, we know where you really go every month,"

"We know you're mothers not really sick,"

"We know it's Madam Pomfry that helps you,"

"We know you hide in the Whomping Willow,"

"What we're saying is we know you're the werewolf," Sirius finished. Finally Remus sighed and looked away from them shaking his head.

"No one was supposed to find out," he said sadly, "It was supposed to be kept a secret. I'm going to have to leave school now," he said sadly.

"What?" James asked, "Why?"

"Well once word gets out then…" he sighed, "Everyone will think I'm a monster,"

"Remus, no one else is going to find out," James said, "Do you really think we'd tell anyone?"

"Well," Remus said not really knowing what to say.

"Bloody hell Remus we're your friends," Sirius said shaking his head, "We won't tell anyone, you're our mate,"

"Peter," James said making the small boy jump, "Tell Remus,"

"Th-they're right Remus," Peter said, "We don't see you any differently," Remus smiled.

"Thanks mates," he said, "I knew I wouldn't be able to keep it from you for seven years, but I was just hoping you wouldn't find out this soon."

"Alright so now that it's out in the open," Sirius said, "Its time we figure out how to help you out mate,"

"H-help me out?" Remus asked, "What do you mean?"

"Well we can't very well let you keep harming yourself," James said, "There's got to be something we can do to help,"

"No, I'll hurt anyone that comes near me. I'm dangerous in that state,"

"To humans," Sirius pointed out. Remus looked at him confused.

"What are you getting at?"

"We could be come animals, animaguses. Werewolves only attack humans, if we were animals we could keep you company."

"No," Remus said shaking his head, "It's too dangerous. You don't know how to do it, it can take years to perfect, something could go wrong during the process,"

"My Uncle is one," Sirius said, "I could steal the book on it during the summer holidays, but for now," he took a book out of his bag, "I have a copy from the library that vaguely explains it. C'mon Remus, how cool would it be to be able to transform into an animal!"

"I don't know," Remus said biting his lip, "So much could go wrong."

"Well I'm in," James said taking the book and flipping it open. "How about you Peter?"

"I don't think I'm skilled enough to be able to do it," he said.

"We'll help you mate, what are friends for?" James said. Peter cheered up at this thought.

"Alright then, I'm in," he said.