Chapter 2

Remus and James were playing chess. An epic struggle was occurring between Remus's queen and James' bishop.

"Ah no!" yelled James, as the queen drove her fist into his bishop's head.

"And he falls! Ladies and Gentlemen," Lupin said, standing on his chair and addressing the common room "what a match! But alas, the most brave James will always fall to the master!" he took a bow. A few people whistled and clapped, most laughed.

"We're still playing, you shmuck!" James said loudly, earning a few giggles from the girls sitting by the fireplace. Lupin sat down and proceeded to study the board. James looked at him. How could I have ever thought he was dull? Thought James.

First year, February

Detention.

"Aw, ma'am come on! If you only saw that it was pure talent, and not just some awful trick, you'd see there's no reason for me to be here! I like Professor Slughorn, really! I just thought he'd find that particular potion rather interesting, a man of adventure like him."

McGonagall glared, nostrils flaring. "That's enough, Mr Potter." She hissed, her voice deadly. You deserve what you got and you're very lucky you didn't get worse. A week's worth of detentions is the minimal sentence, in my opinion. And you have neither earned nor have the right to argue that foul play was talent. If you have so much of it, perhaps you will be inclined to focus such logic and intellect in class? You will stay here for an hour, with Lupin over there and you will have written a fully researched essay on the advantages of Goblin Hunting in the eighteenth century by the time I get back. "She left, casting a spell that ensured they could not leave until their time was up.

James turned around to face Lupin. "Didn't see you over there, thought I was alone." James said, holding out a hand. Lupin glared at it. "Don't make the mistake of assuming that I exist within the same league as you."

"Funny" retorted James "I could have sworn we were both sitting in detention." He looked at Lupin again, recognising him. "You're that boy who sits in the front all the time. Teacher's pet, right?"

"That term is ridiculous. I do not go out of my way to please the professors. I work, they like it. That's it." Lupin scowled, then mumbled "I'd rather they not pay attention to me at all."

James considered this "…so what did you do to wind up here then?"

"Hexed that Slytherin, McNair. I thought nobody would see, but Flitwick had to enter that particular corridor right as I did."

"Nice one. He's friends with Snape isn't he?"

"Already have a feud with him, this early in the year?"

"Look who's asking who. I just don't like him. Why'd you hex McNair?"

"Called me a mudblood."

"Are you?"

"No. You have a problem with muggle borns?'

James looked horrified "No! My only problem is that they're called mudbloods. Hate the term"

Lupin nodded. "Me too. McNair's been provoking me all year so I decided I wouldn't take it anymore. What did you do?"

"Nothing much. Just planted one of Filibuster's fireworks in my potion and covered it by laying squid tentacles over it. I figured that since I had messed up the potion anyway, I might as well have a bit of fun with it. It's Slughorn's fault that he puts his nose into the cauldron….so anyway, the firework tried to go off but it was held down by the squid so it just sort of popped out of the cauldron at the exact time Slughorn examined my potion."

"Let me guess. He got covered with squid parts."

"Pretty much. If it weren't for the fact that he had to check the cauldron for the cause, I probably would have got one day's worth of detention instead of a week . McGonagall seemed to think it was dangerous."

"Be glad it didn't go off – it could have blown Slughorn's head off." Lupin said incredulously. "You enjoy that, don't you? The pranking?"

"Love it."

"Maybe I'll join you sometime"

James looked at him approvingly. "You're an interesting man, teacher's pet."

James was startled back into reality as his king fell to Remus's knight.

#

Peter and Remus had both proven themselves to be worthy Gryffindors and after the incident that Peter manufactured, all four started to talk and slowly began to assemble one of the greatest friendships that Hogwarts had ever seen. They were beginning to tighten the bonds when Remus started acting suspicious.

Year 2

James and Sirius were sitting beside one another in potions, their cauldron's contents acid green and putrid smelling." Something's up with Remus" James said. "He's acting weird."

"Yeah" said Sirius, "does he really think we're not going to realise that he gives us a different excuse every time he leaves the castle? And his mum's been sick for ages!"

"Maybe it's serious, though. Poor bloke looks weary enough." At that moment sparks started shooting out from the cauldron. A loud giggle emanated from the group of girls brewing their potions at the front of the class.

"That's enough for today I think, Gentlemen." Said Professor Slughorn from beside them. The professor then took a walk around the classroom to examine everybody else's concoctions. He paused and beamed at Lily Evan's potion. "Look everyone! Lily has produced a legitimate cure for boils!"

James scowled. "Why does she always have to do well at everything?"

That triggered Sirius's memory. He suddenly walked up to Lily and tapped her on the shoulder. "Hey Evans!"

"Black."

"Do me a favour?"

"You've got to be joking"

"I promise not to bug you for the rest of the day if you answer my question."

Lily considered this. "Fine, what?"

"Do you get homework?"

Lily raised her eyebrows incredulously. "Are you serious? Of course I do. Nobody's exempt." Sirius nodded thoughtfully. Lily continued "homework's the one way you're made to do the work by yourself. If you never did your own work, you would never learn…and, of course, rarely get good marks…" she trailed off as Sirius turned and started to walk away "thanks Evans!" he called over his shoulder.

Sirius went to join James at their table. James tried to seem nonchalant as he said "so, what did Evans want?"

"Get this: she gets homework"

"Uh, am I missing something? So what?"

"So remember when Lupin defended his no-homework privilege?"

"…He's lying" James realised. "Why would McGonagall let him off the hook?"

"We're going to do something crazy, for the first time in our lives" Sirius said, thinking. "We're going to take Lily Evan's advice and do our own homework."

Peter, James and Sirius were spread out on their bedroom floor, surrounded by random books and pieces of paper. They had spent the past few weeks stalking Remus, reading books on disease and rerunning over every conversation any of the three had ever had with him. After reading an article about 'hollumps', an illness that rendered you incontinent every 30 days, Peter groaned and tossed the book aside and all three stared at one another hopelessly.

"So let's go over this again" said James, running his hand through his hair.

"We generally agree that his mother is not actually sick, or if she is, not sick enough to warrant such frequent visits."

"Or," said Peter "she is as sick as Remus says, but then surely he would visit even more often, if his mother was on the brink of death"

"There are other possible explanations but we just don't believe him. Something in the way he says it…" said James.

"The visits are too scripted, too rigid. Once a month, every month." Said Sirius. "And he always comes back looking like he got into a fight – what did he say to you Peter?"

"He told me the orderlies wouldn't let him in to see his mum so he tried to fight his way through them. The next time he said he got mugged on the way home."

"He's not beaten at home, is he?" asked James, worriedly.

"Nah, doubt it. I know a couple of kids who are and they're nothing like Remus." Sirius said solemnly.

"Hmm. We've ruled out him having a disease?" James said.

"Mostly" said Peter "none of the diseases I've read about match Remus's behaviour – I mean, other than a few scratches and a black eye, he's as right as rain. And the two that could match are contagious, so he wouldn't be allowed to stay in the dormitory."

"Right. McGonagall knows what it is. He doesn't have to do homework…"

"Only," interjected Sirius "around those days he leaves – I caught him doing that Charms essay under his covers one night" he added, in response to questioning glances from the other two.

"What's that?" asked James, looking at a folded bit of parchment next to Peter.

"Moon chart," said Peter, "I like astronomy so my mum bought it for me so that I could do some bedtime reading…" James wasn't listening. "Merlin, we're stupid" he said, staring at the piece of parchment in his hands. "Every month, the bruises, the excuses…and yes, look, it says so right here…" he was mumbling.

"Would you mind letting us in on this discovery?" quipped Sirius, leaning over to see the chart. The diagrams looked too complex for Sirius, so his eyes slid over to something he recognised: dates. The exact dates (they had recorded them) on which Remus had left the castle. It clicked. "And McGonagall would be in on it, of course..." murmured Sirius.

"What would McGonagall be in on? James? Sirius?" asked Peter, irritated at being left out of the loop.

"He's a werewolf, Pete."

Peter's jaw dropped. "Are you sure? There's no way the teacher's would let him stay…"

"I wonder where he goes" interrupted Sirius

"…The Whomping Willow" James said, suddenly realising "Sophia, a family friend told me that the tree wasn't here a year or so ago. It was planted in the holidays before we arrived."

"He goes inside the tree? Really James?"

"I dunno, maybe! I'm willing to bet there's a secret entrance that's blocked by a tree that tries to kill anyone who goes near it…so nobody will go near it!"

"And it just ignores Remus does it?" said Sirius sceptically. Although, he thought, it made sense…

"There's one way to know for sure" said James, a glint of mischief in his eye.

"We can't just ask him?" moaned Peter, not liking the more troublesome route.

Sirius was sitting up late one night of the full moon, unable to sleep. James and Peter had fallen asleep, resigning themselves to the fact that Remus had left already and wouldn't be seen until the next day. He gazed upon the lawns, loving how the moonlight lit up the grounds as it never had at his house. Suddenly a dark streak caught his eye. He bent closer to the window. A figure emerged from the trees, fangs glinting. Sirius nearly fell off his seat. Without thinking twice he silently ran down into the common room and out of the dormitory, through the corridors and coming to a stop just outside the front door to the castle. The figure was gone. Confused, he stepped out further onto the lawn. The figure emerged from behind the trees on the edge of the lawn and Sirius found himself face to face with a massive, hair-stands-on-end, ferocious beast of a werewolf. He stood frozen for a second, as memories assaulted him and he was nine again, watching another werewolf tear the chains it was bound in and run at him, yellow eyes being the last thing he saw before he blacked out. The werewolf facing him now gave chase. Sirius turned and fled back the few metres towards the door and slammed it behind him, not before glimpsing a single red scrap of material clinging to its hind leg.

Sirius ran, never looking back, into the dormitory and flung himself onto his bed. James stirred and sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Wha's goin on?" he mumbled sleepily, then seeing the look on Sirius's face, got out of bed and sat next to him. "What happened?"

"Saw him. Remus. Just now. Ran"

"What do you mean, ran? Pete, wake up!" he said, throwing a pillow at Peter.

"He saw me. Ran at me…"

"You were outside? Are you bloody insane?"

"Didn't think. Just saw a figure. Was curious."

"When we said we needed to see him, I didn't mean nearly get attacked by him!" James yelled, waking Peter up properly. "…Are you sure it was him? Remus?"

"There was this piece of fabric attached to his leg. I could swear it had tiny gold planets on them – those socks were hand-stitched by his grandmother, remember he got them for Christmas?"

"So it's him…we'll confirm it tomorrow, but, blimey…"

"We have a werewolf in our midst" said Peter, slightly cowed at the thought.

There was a moment of silence.

"This is freaking epic!" said James, jumping up and punching the air.

"He's a werewolf James, not a bloody niffler!"

"No, listen, Si-"

"No you listen James. You don't get it. …My family's all in Slytherin for a reason. To them, I'm the bad egg-"

"But we like you, so-"

"Just –"he paused, and took a deep breath. "My parents are dark wizards"

"They can't be that bad"

"They rate Voldemort's got the right idea."

James mouth nearly hit the floor. Sirius looked down, and said "they're purists. All for pureblood hierarchy and heavily against half-breeds. However - and this is so typical, bloody hypocrites – when they heard Voldemort 'liked' werewolves, they decided to help. There was this boy around my age who stayed in our neighbourhood. A squib. We talked a few times. His parents pretty much hated him, being in the same social circle as mine, and left him to his own devices. So, one day, mother dearest thought she'd surprise Mrs Flet…she tied him to a fence out in the field where Greyback had said to be frequenting. The next night she took us- me and Regulus – to watch. Said it was 'educational'. We had to stand there as the boy transformed. His very first transformation. …"

Sirius's eyes were haunted. He straightened and looked James in the eyes. "Believe me when I say werewolves are not to be messed with."

James looked sick. Peter had closed his eyes and was sitting on the floor.

"Still want to be friends?" Said Sirius, mockingly.

James was quiet for a moment. "Yes" he said "because you're not them." Sirius flashed a small grin at him.

"I promise I'm not" Sirius said. "But seriously…this is a problem."

James nodded. James and Sirius sat on either side of Peter. They sat in silence.

"Sirius" James eventually said, "if you could have helped that boy, would you have?"

"Of course. He was the one person who understood how it felt to be trapped in your own home"

"Even after he became a werewolf?"

"How the hell-"

"Sirius, that boy still transforms back. A human, hated by absolutely everyone he comes across, because of something he did not choose to become. He's still that boy, Si, still…you're thinking of the werewolf, not the human."

"And now Remus" Sirius sighed. "He's a decent bloke and all but this is life or death"

"Scared?" taunted James. Sirius shot him a filthy look. "No really, I realise that this is dangerous, for all of us. But this is Remus - a friend - a good friend and a better person. We can't leave him to be that boy. He's worth more than that."

Sirius shook his head and wiped his hand down his face. He nodded.

"Peter?" James asked

Peter, who had been quietly listening, said "I'm in. Remus helped me out." The other two gave him questioning looks. "He was my friend when nobody else was." He explained. "I'm just returning the favour."