Chapter 15

Remus woke up to a wet, warm, and soft tongue licking him. He slowly opened his eyes and saw a happy but monstrous dog above him. I'm still alive. He pet the dog's grey coat. Thank you for finding me. He felt his naked and cut open flesh against freshly fallen pine needles. Where am I? He looked around to his surroundings, and didn't recognize anything. He sat up and tried to rise. He had a surge of pain travel through his right leg. He collapsed back on his belly. He looked to his leg, and could see his broken tibia sticking through his shin. Suddenly his stomach twisted in pain and he vomited.

"Well, this must be yur werst moment, ey?" A scratchy low voice came from behind Remus. He turned around in surprise. He was a humongous man with a large stomach, long curly hair, and long brown beard.

"What?" Remus squeaked. He covered his privates in embarrassment.

"Yur out in the middle of the forbidden forest, yur naked, yur bone is sticking out, and it's the morning after the full moon."

Oh no. I might have killed someone last night. Even if I didn't, I will be expelled. "I'm so sorry. I- I" Remus's loss of blood finally caught up with him and he past out. Remus picked up the boy's unconscious body and started making the long journey back to Hogwarts.

When Remus woke up, he was laying on a cozy bed and had a fox skin blanket gently laid over him. He looked to his leg. It already had been put in a cast. He looked to his left, the man from before was sitting on a sofa. Madam Pomphrey and Professor McGonagall were standing in the doorway in silence.

"He's awake." Madam Pomphrey said. She rushed over to his bedside and took his blood pressure.

"Hello Mr. Lupin, I'm happy to see you're alive. Now, do you mind telling us exactly what happened last night?" Professor Mcgonagall said. Her arms were crossed and she was suspicious.

"I-" Remus weakly muttered but was cut off by the man.

"I saw the whole thing with me own two eyes last night, Professor."

"Did you, Hagrid? Please tell us." Mcgonagall said.

"Remus wer going down to the Shrieking Shack when some random hooligans were vandalizing the whomping willow, as you saw last night. Since he could not go into the tunnel without them seeing and being discovered, he was stuck. Worried for the school's lives, he knew he couldn't stay. So he stole one of their brooms and bravely flew as far as he could to save their lives. Risking his own. I went searching with mi mutt, Greg, this morn' and found him 7 kilos in. His broken leg is probably what prevented the werewolf from being able to return to the school. He's a hero, if you ask me." Hagrid told. Remus wasn't sure if that's what he thought what happened, or not, as how believable he was.

"I see . . . you're sure this is what happened?" Mcgonagall asked cautiously.

"I swer it." Hagrid said.

"You are very brave, Mr. Lupin. Thank you for your rash and intelligent behavior." Mcgonagall said, still a trace of doubt was in her tone.

"Well, we will go get a wheelchair for you Mr. Lupin. You will be contained to it for an entire month." Madam Pomphrey said and the two women left Hagrid and Remus alone.

"So you want to tell me why you were such a complete idiot last night?" Hagrid asked with a dead face.

"I just made bad choices." Remus said sadly.

"Bullocks, Remus Lupin. 's way more to this story than some pre-teen angst. Tell me the truth." Hagrid said seriously. Remus looked at him. Obviously this Hagrid knew the truth but he was willing to cover for him in front of Mcgonagall. He felt he could trust him, so remus told Hagrid everything that had happened in that short month, including the terrifying death threats from Greyback. Remus started to cry.

"Now, now. You've been through alot for such a young lad. Yur eyes have seen one decade while yur heart has seen 100. You just need to keep movin'' though. You can't let that monster inside of you eat the goodness of yur soul. Keep bein' a good lad, okay?"

"Okay, Hagrid. Thank you so much." Remus told him.

"Another thing. Keep away from the bottle. It may make you feel better in the moment, but it will eventually destroy your life, and don't be afraid to leave those friends if they become too much." Hagrid advised him.

"Trust me, I will never drink again, and James and Sirius are good for now." Remus replied.

Madam Pomphrey and Mcgonagall returned with a wheel chair. Remus was loaded on it and returned to the same friends, in the same great hall, in the same school, but with a new perspective of life.