PART 1: 'NO FRIENDSHIP IS AN ACCIDENT' - O. Henry

Chapter 4: Sharper than a needle

Remus had been told that the teachers would know what he was. There was simply no way that he could miss the amount of classes he would during his seven years at Hogwarts without them knowing. Nevertheless, he didn't like it when Professor Flitwick, the charms professor, paused by Remus' name as he took the register at the start of their first lesson. Remus held his breath, looking around the room as Professor Flitwick continued down the register, but nobody seemed to have noticed the slight break.

Peter sat next to Remus, and the boy's red eyes told Remus enough about what Peter had been doing during breakfast to make Remus feel sick with guilt. This boy had been crying on the first day of school, and Remus had been busy stuffing his face with food at breakfast with the two boys that had made Peter's morning so miserable.

As Professor Flitwick was lecturing them on some elementary theory, which Remus was familiar with from his father, Remus tore off a small piece of parchment and wrote: You okay?

He passed the note to Peter, whose frown changed to a soft smile as he took the parchment and added: Yes.

Which was obviously not true. Thinking for a bit, Remus wrote: I am sorry about your father, and about this morning.

Don't be, came the reply from Peter.

Do you want to talk about it?

Remus passed the note to Peter and waited for the reply. Peter studied the words, seeming to consider the question.

Just then, Remus received a painful nudge from his left.

'Wands out,' Sirius Black whispered, nodding toward the tiny wizard teacher.

Black and Potter had seemed to be engaged in some sort of paper-based game, paying less attention to the professor than even Remus, but now they sat there like model students, wands at the ready, waiting for the professor's instruction. How did they do that?

Remus and Peter drew their own wands, as the last two to do so. Remus felt his cheeks burn a little, but professor Flitwick just cleared his throat and continued the lesson.

/

'I can't believe we didn't do any actual magic,' Potter moaned as they left the classroom. Professor Flitwick had shown them a lot of complicated wand movements, but had refrained from letting the students practice any spells yet, insisting on the importance of theory.

'Hopefully transfiguration is more fun,' Black said, 'but from what I've heard about Professor McGonagall, I highly doubt it.'

'I don't know,' Potter said with a sly smile, 'I think it could prove to be rather fun.'

Peter, who was walking next to Remus, pressed something into Remus' hand. It was the note from earlier. Remus unfolded it as he took a seat in transfiguration. Peter had written one word on it, a word that was promising to Remus: Later.

/

Remus had no opportunity to continue even a written conversation with Peter in transfiguration, because professor McGonagall ran a tighter ship than professor Flitwick did. She started the lesson by giving them all a stern talking to:

'Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back.'

Remus threw a side-ways glance over at Black and Potter, to see what effect this warning had on them. Their faces were passive, which should have filled Remus with more confidence than it did. Both boys took notes - or seemed to take notes -as diligently as the rest of the class as McGonagall explained lots of complicated theory. Remus soon became too busy trying to keep up with McGonagall to worry about anyone else, though from the sounds coming from Peter, he knew he wasn't the only one finding this theory challenging.

After McGonagall was done explaining the theory, she gave them each a match, which they were asked to start turning into a needle. Lyall Lupin had refrained from teaching his son transfiguration in the few months of home schooling they had had together, and now Remus understood why his father had waited. Transfiguration was hard. Remus could not make any difference to the match, and neither could Peter.

'Potter, Black! What on earth do you think you're doing?!'

McGonagall tight-lipped and white with fury was standing over the two black-haired boys.

'I finished my match, professor,' Potter said, with an attempted look of innocence that fooled no-one.

'You finished- wait, what? No, you can't possibly-' McGonagall looked paler still as Potter held out a perfect needle. The whole class stared now. Most, like Peter and Remus, had made no progress at all, and even Black, who seemed pleased with his own magic, had merely managed to turn the match silver.

'All the same, Potter, that does not explain why you were pointing your wand at Black's hand.' McGonagall seemed to have collected herself.

'I had no idea where I was pointing my wand, Professor.'

'If I didn't know better,' McGonagall said, looking so terrifying that Remus did not understand how Potter didn't crumple under her gaze, 'I would have thought you attempted to transfigure your friend's fingers. But Potter, I do know better, and I know that no student would ever attempt something that dangerous without the proper experience.'

'Of course not, Professor. I'll be more careful about where I am pointing my wand.'

McGonagall hesitated, then seeming to think better of it, she dismissed the class with the task to read and summarise the first chapter of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, and practice the spell.

'Professor,' Potter spoke up, rather bravely, in Remus' mind. He had just gotten away from something that most resembled a fire-breathing dragon, and Remus could not think why he would want to draw McGonagall's attention anew.

'Don't you think I deserve a few points? I did manage to transfigure my match after all, which was more than the objective for today.' Potter pointed toward the objectives McGonagall had set out for the class.

From the scandalised faces of all the Gryffindors - except Black - Remus knew he wasn't the only one who thought Potter was mad.

'She's gonna kill him,' a girl with curly black hair whispered to a red-haired girl. It was so quiet that Remus only heard it because he was standing close to both, having made to leave. They were all frozen now, however, waiting for the shock on their professor's face to melt away to anger.

To everybody's surprise professor McGonagall sighed and said: 'Very well, 5 points to Gryffindor.'

Some students even swore that she may - possibly - have smiled, if just a little. But most knew this couldn't be true. Professor McGonagall didn't smile.

/

Remus sat down to lunch with Peter and the two girls from earlier, who he learned were Mary Macdonald and Lily Evans. He had heard their names being called a few times by the teachers by now, but he still struggled keeping all the names apart.

Unfortunately, Remus had no way of stopping Black and Potter from taking the seats next to him and Peter.

'Good lesson,' Potter said, grinning widely.

'Potter, how'd you go and transfigure that match?' Macdonald asked, leaning across Remus.

'Magic,' Potter said simply, but Remus caught a quick look between the two black-haired boys that told him that he was missing some private joke.

'More importantly, you weren't really trying to transfigure Black's hand, were you?' Evans asked, looking disapprovingly over at the two, but unable to conceal some curiosity all the same.

'Not his hand,' Potter said, 'his nails. It'd be fun having sharp, metallic nails, wouldn't it?'

'Like claws,' Black agreed.

'But that's - that's - it's completely different,' Evans said, exasperatedly, 'human transfiguration is nothing like transfiguring objects! It could go really wrong.'

'How would you know?' a plain-looking girl with mousy hair sitting next to Macdonald asked, 'you're muggle-born, aren't you?'

'Evans might have opened a book before she came here,' Potter said, looking coolly at this girl.

'Or listened to professor McGonagall in class,' Remus suggested.

'Exactly,' Potter said. 'She might have used her ears. Who are you anyways?'

'Gemma Dawlish,' the girl said, 'and don't look at me like that. I am not anti-muggle-born if that's what you're thinking.'

'You are right,' Black agreed, 'that was precisely what we were thinking.'

'Good of you to clarify though,' Potter said, sarcastically.

'Like you're one to talk, Black,' the girl said, scornfully. 'Your whole family -'

'Oh, I see, you judge everyone based on their families,' Potter interrupted. 'How very equitable of you.'

'Ignore them, Gem,' the girl sitting across from Dawlish said.

'Do that, Gem-Gem,' Potter agreed.

The two girls turned away, just as two more girls came and sat down next to Black and Potter. This time, Remus was sure the two were sisters. They both had sandy-coloured hair tied back into identical ponytails, and one girl was distinctly taller and older than the other. The younger one had been in their class earlier.

'This is me sister Ciara Ryan,' the younger one introduced as she sat down.

Remus wished she could have introduced herself at the same time.

It was a clever scheme, having a sibling or a friend that you needed to introduce to your new class-mates, Remus reflected, as they all took it in turn to introduce themselves. Remus couldn't help but notice that Ciara Ryan studied Black curiously when it was his time to make his introduction.

'Ciara plays chaser for Gryffindor,' the younger Ryan said, proudly.

'Ay, I did, but sure, we've a new Captain, M, so who knows what the team'll be like now.'

'Fabian Prewett, right?' Potter asked, his face alight with interest.

'Ay, how d'ye know?'

'Is he good?' Peter asked, eagerly.

''Course he is, otherwise he wouldn't be captain, would he?' Potter said, rolling his eyes.

'But what does he play?' Black asked, curiously.

It was only now it occurred to Remus that they were talking about Quidditch. A sport it seemed everyone in his dormitory, but himself, was interested in.

'Sure, he's a Beater, plays alongside his brother, Gideon, 'less he kicks him off the team.'

'Is Gideon any good?' Peter tried again.

'Ay, superb.'

'You wouldn't want to be a hopeful beater at the try-outs by the sounds of it,' Potter said. 'I'm more interested in playing chaser, luckily.'

'You're not actually going to try this year?' Peter asked incredulously. 'First years never get on the team.'

'There's no rule to say I can't try, so why wouldn't I?' Potter asked, seeming confused by this objection.

Ciara Ryan seemed to agree, nodding: 'Ay, I was just sayin' to Maeve she should give the team a go as well. She's a fierce keeper, like.'

Maeve Ryan - that was her name!

'First year keeper seems unlikely,' Black said, eyeing Maeve Ryan's small frame.

'Don't listen to these naysayers, Ryan. It's still good practice to go to the try-outs. Let's sign up together. I think we need to let McGonagall know by the end of the week.'

It seemed nothing was going to persuade James Potter from trying out, and Maeve Ryan, though a bit more hesitant, nodded cautiously.

'A-Alright, yeah. I mean, sure... let's give it a lash.'

'Speaking of giving it a lash,' Potter said, looking at them all in turn, 'Sirius, Remus and I discussed going to the Whomping Willow in our free period after Defence Against the Dark Arts and History of Magic today. Wanna come?'

Remus nearly startled at the use of his first name, which nearly made up for his annoyance at Potter having implicated him in this. Remus had no recollection of agreeing to go with the others, and he was worried Peter would see this as a betrayal.

'I can't,' Ciara Ryan said, 'I've still got classes. But ye should go. I'm pure curious about this tree. It's brand new this year.'

'We know it's new,' Potter said impatiently, 'so you up for it, Pettigrew? Ryan?'

'Sure,' Maeve Ryan nodded.

Remus looked at Peter, willing him to know that it was up to him. If Peter wouldn't go, Remus would tell Potter and Black he wasn't interested either. It wasn't like he needed to see this tree today, which had specifically been planted for him. But - if he was being honest - after the initial shock when Potter first suggested seeing the tree... Remus had to admit he was curious. He particularly wanted to see if this tree would be as good a defensive mechanism as professor Dumbledore and professor McGonagall seemed to think.

But it seemed Peter was interested, because despite a slightly annoyed look at Potter, Peter agreed.

'Great! Girls, what about you?' Potter asked, turning to Evans and Macdonald.

'What about us?' Evans asked, her voice lofty.

'Do you want to see this Whomping Willow after History of Magic?'

It looked like Evans was about to say no, when Macdonald hurriedly said: 'You're on, Potter!'

/

'Well, best of luck with Defence Against the Dark Arts. I've heard the new teacher's a retired auror, after a rough scrape a few years back. But, she's meant to be the genuine article,' Ciara Ryan said as they all made to leave the Great Hall. 'It should be a leap ahead from Professor Flump, who might've been a decent teacher back in the day, though I couldn't rightly say. We've been waitin' on his retirement for years, but then, in the end...'

Ciara Ryan made a slitting motion across her throat. 'Bye now.'

'He was killed?' Black asked Maeve Ryan, as her sister headed towards the dungeons.

'A freak accident, really,' Ryan said. 'They say he went into the forbidden forest and got done in by some beast.'

'Probably a werewolf,' Peter said shivering.

'Or an acromantula, there's supposed to be lots in the forest,' Black said, looking more excited than horrified.

'There's lots that could have killed the bloke,' Potter said. 'The forest is full of monsters.'

'Sad way to go for a Defence Against the Dark Arts professor,' Black said.

'Yeah, but he was a useless old man from what your sister said, Ryan,' Potter pointed out.

'So good riddance, y'think?' Black asked.

'That's not what I think... just... it was stupid to go into the forest if he couldn't take it.'

'You alright, Remus?' Peter asked quietly.

'Y-yeah, I am fine.'

But Remus wasn't fine. He wanted nothing more than to run to McGonagall and have her send him straight home to his mother and father. The words 'freak accident', 'beast,' 'werewolf' and 'monsters' kept swirling around in his head. Freak. Monster. Killer. What on earth was he doing here at school with innocent children?

A/N

So Voldemort cursed the DADA job after he applied for it a second time in 1971, so this would be the year the curse started.