The month of May ushered in warmth and delight, luring the students of Hogwarts away from the old, dusty Library. Instead, they basked in the sunshine, lounging on the lush spring grass, sharing laughter, and frolicking by the lake. However, all the nice weather and precious moments spent with friends, couldn't change the reality that the year-end exams were fast approaching.
This fact weighed more heavily on certain students than others. Peter Pettigrew, for instance, found himself plagued by sleeplessness, resorting to the rather annoying practice of soliciting random students to quiz him on various subjects. His incessant pestering reached such a point that Catherine, driven to her wits' end, started discreetly administering a few drops of Sleeping Draught into his pumpkin juice during dinner, a manoeuvre that was met with great relief in the Gryffindor Common Room.
Sirius, on the other hand, was a stark contrast. Following the unsettling Boggart incident in the Honeydukes cellar, he maintained an unwavering silence about what had transpired. Catherine observed a marked change in his behaviour; he immersed himself in an exhaustive study of Defence Against the Dark Arts, seemingly oblivious to all else.
Moreover, it seemed as though he felt an unspoken obligation toward her. Ignoring her vocal protests, he assumed the role of her bodyguard, leading to a series of incidents where those who dared to utter offensive words in her direction became unwitting subjects for Sirius' recently mastered jinxes and hexes. Notably, Severus Snape found himself on the receiving end of these more often than not.
Catherine had believed that Snape's loathing for her couldn't possibly intensify further, but she soon realised she was gravely mistaken. Each time their gaze met in the classroom, the Great Hall, or the corridors, Catherine felt an overwhelming surge of repulsion, anger, and an unquenchable thirst for vengeance emanating from Snape's cold, black eyes. These eyes, it appeared, only displayed any semblance of emotion when looking at her.
"Seriously, Lily, why do you keep talking to this guy?" – Catherine asked one sunny noon as she and her friend decided to have lunch under the shade of a massive willow tree by the lakeshore. The black-haired Gryffindor had just opened her school bag, which appeared to be full of dried Doxy droppings – noticeably diminutive in size, yet they exude a remarkably foul smell.
"Eww! Put that away! It smells so bad!" – gagged Lily.
"I know it does. It will take forever to clean." – Catherine growled – "Which brings me back to my question, since this wasn't in my bag before Herbology."
"Well, it could have been any of the Slytherins. None of them can stand you." – shrugged the other girl.
"At least it's because of what I've done to them, not because of my blood status." – said Catherine with self-satisfaction.
"This was really mean, you know." – mumbled Lily with a sad voice.
"What? No, Lils, it's not what I meant!" – exclaimed the black-haired witch – "What I wanted to say was that it's so stupid and senseless to treat people like they do."
"Severus is not like them." – said the red-haired Gryffindor softly – "He told me the blood doesn't matter. He was my first connection to this world, to our world. I know he tries to impress his friends and does stupid things, but he is not as bad as you think."
Catherine looked at her friend with pity.
"Lils, he called me Mudblood twice just this month. I'm not sure how much of it is peer pressure and how much is his own beliefs, mixed with whatever feelings he has towards you."
"I'll talk with him!" – said Lily decisively – "I won't allow him to keep offending you, but you need to also drop this 'Snivellus' thing. There are so many people who laugh at him because of that."
"How is it my fault that people laugh at him?" – asked Catherine stubbornly – "If he wasn't such an arrogant, sarcastic, obnoxious person, this wouldn't have happened."
"But what they mock him for is his appearance, his clothes, or because he doesn't have money. It's not like he's from some famous family either. He has a lot of problems at home." – explained Lily gently.
Catherine felt a slight pang of something that could have been guilt if it weren't for all the times Severus Snape had offended, mocked, and hexed her. She flung her head back and spoke coldly.
"Everyone has issues at home. Not everyone worships Dark Arts by refusing to take a shower or get their hair cut."
"You are really impossible." – snapped Lily – "He showers often enough. Sometimes we can't help with how we look like, Catherine."
"Whatever," – interrupted the other witch – "we've wasted enough time with this. Let's have some food. I'll leave my bag over there. I hope it's far enough not to smell it."
The two young witches had their lunch in relative silence. It seemed that neither of them was willing to start talking first, and they were still affected by the touchy subject from earlier. Finally, Lily dared to make the first step.
"Remus's sick again?" – she asked.
"Yeah," – answered Catherine, swallowing the last bite of her sandwich – "it really sucks that it happened so close to the exams. I hope he would be able to revise."
"I know, right?" – said Lily – "He was really worried about Charms and Astronomy. I prepared some of my notes; maybe he can use them to study more efficiently."
"You are always so diligent." – smiled Catherine.
"Well, not all of us can be some once-in-a-generation genius who learns everything faster than a Niffler in a vault." – chuckled Lily and tossed one arm around Catherine's shoulder.
"Niffler in a vault?" – laughed Catherine – "Where did you hear that from?"
'Mary.' – admitted the other girl, blushing.
"Of course, who else?" – giggled Catherine, but then her tone turned serious – "Honestly, I'm no genius. Half the time, I just follow my instincts. You gain solid systematic knowledge. I thrive in chaos."
Lily smiled at her friend.
"You really have a hard time accepting praise, don't you?" – she said with a playful grin – "Which reminds me, being the systematic person I am, after comparing the Astronomy exams from the past few years, I'm almost certain that we'll need to fill in a moon chart. You'd better review it."
"See? That's what I meant. Thanks for the pointers, I'll make sure to be prepared. Now, how about some chilled orange juice before going back to class?" – said Catherine and pointed her wand towards the bottle – "Gelurefresco!"
The exams had begun, and the castle was filled with the nervous energy of young souls tortured by challenging tasks, such as enchanting an espresso cup to sing or turning a butterfly into a pocket mirror. Gryffindor first-years were doing extremely well, with only minor incidents, such as Petter Pettegrew's cup hitting such a high note it shattered, and Gwyneth Jones' pocket mirror, fluttering around with a pair of blue butterfly wings.
"Well, at least it was pretty." – Catherine tried to console her, but without much success.
There was one-day break after the Potions and Herbology exams, which students used to cram as much knowledge as possible in their heads. By the evening, everyone was exhausted. Remus was sent to bed early under the threat of a Sleeping Draught from Catherine. Due to the demanding school schedule, he hadn't had the chance to fully recover from his illness, and deep purple circles had formed under his amber eyes.
The rest of the boys and Catherine were sitting around a low table, covered with parchments and books, attempting to revise for the History of Magic and Astronomy exams. It was fairly late, and they found themselves alone in the Common Room. Peter was already half-asleep over a map of Mars, James was attempting to make his copy of A History of Magic levitate without using a wand, while Sirius was watching his futile attempts. Only Catherine appeared to possess boundless energy, seemingly unfazed by trivial matters like rest or sleep.
She was skimming through Astronomy and Moon Chart Crafting, her brow furrowing as she compared her chart with several thick reference books. Eventually, the young witch lifted her head and looked at the boys with clear annoyance.
"Aren't any of you planning to review moon charts?" – she snapped.
"Why?" – asked Sirius, yawning – "Because of Evans' prophetic dreams?"
"It's not about dreams." - Catherine replied, annoyed - "She's right; it's highly likely to be an exam task."
"Why would you even need that crap?" – Sirius said, glancing at the chaos on the table with contempt.
"Don't be daft!" – the girl scolded him – "Moon charts are incredibly important for tracking moon phases for potion-making, spells, rituals, and even growing and harvesting magical plants."
"Also, for tracking some magical diseases which require different treatment depending on moon phase." – added James, rumpling his already messy black hair – "My grandfather suffered from a nasty form of Goblingrout Fever, and he needed to take certain potions during full moon in addition to his regular treatment."
Catherine nodded then something clicked in her brain. She pushed aside the half-filled-in moon chart, knocking most of the items on the table by trying to reach one of the reference books.
"The hell?" – shouted Sirius when a bottle of ink tumbled and opened on top of his notes.
"When was the last time Remus was sick?" – she asked franticly.
"I don't know, two weeks ago?" – said James, trying to salvage his own notes from the spreading pool of ink.
"Before that, he had to take care of his sick mother on two occasions…" – Catherine was mumbling, flipping through the pages of the reference book – "And also in February… and right after Christmas break…"
"What's happening?" – asked Peter, now fully awake.
"Flame has lost her marbles due to overstudying, I presume." – groaned Sirius, desperately attempting to use the Scouring Charm on the drenched parchment.
"Don't you get it?" – sputtered Catherine – "Remus has always been away during the full moon. The Boggart…I didn't realise it back then, but when he faced it, it turned into a silver sphere, except it wasn't a sphere; it was a full moon."
"So?" – asked James, confused.
"No!" – gasped Sirius, dropping the now half-empty ink bottle, which splattered on the floor – "You can't be serious?!"
"He told me he was attacked and injured when he was a kid." – Catherine said quietly – "He's never mentioned how he was injured or by whom, but now it all makes sense."
"What are you talking about?" – squeaked Peter.
"Remus hasn't been sick." – whispered Sirius anxiously – "He's a werewolf!"
Petter screamed in fear, prompting both Sirius and James to jump on top of him and muffle his mouth.
"What are you screaming for?" – hissed Sirius.
"He…he…" – stuttered Petter, his face drained of all colours.
"Are you both sure about this?" – hesitantly asked James – "I mean, how could he hide something so big and dangerous."
"I'm sure Dumbledore and the school staff know; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to attend Hogwarts in the first place." – said Catherine contemplatively – "As for the rest, I kind of understand… how could he tell us… Look at this one's reaction." – she finished, nodding towards Peter.
"I have the right to know I share a bedroom with a werewolf!" – Peter defended himself.
"So what?" – asked Sirius – "Nothing's happened to you. You wouldn't even have noticed if we hadn't told you."
"It's not about that…" – insisted Peter – "werewolves are… dirty, evil creatures. Everyone from a wizarding family knows that. James, you agree with me, don't you?"
James appeared to be in a state of deep shock. He was startled a little bit when Peter addressed him and then looked at the outraged faces of Sirius and Catherine.
"These are complete and utter nonsense!" – erupted Sirius – "Remus is a person, not a creature. All this crap about werewolves comes from the same place as the one about Muggle-borns. He didn't choose to become a werewolf, and it seems like it's very hard on him."
"I understand where Peter's reaction comes from." – sighed James, lifting his hand to stop the angry protests from Catherine and Sirius – "It's how we're raised after all. Werewolves are used to install fear in every young witch or wizard. But this is not some random beast; it's the person we've been sharing our lives with for a whole year – both the good and the bad things. The question here is more about what we do now that we know. Should we tell him?"
"I think we should." – said Catherine softly – "We need to let him know he can be himself among us, and we're going to keep it a secret." She glared at Peter, who shuddered, but nevertheless nodded slightly, eyeing James.
"I'll go get him." – said Sirius.
"Wait!" – Catherine stopped him – "Are you nuts? We can't do this here and in the middle of the night. Someone may overhear."
The four first-years looked around anxiously. The Gryffindor Tower was completely silent, except for the muffled sounds of sleeping coming from the dormitories upstairs.
"You're right, Flame."- said James – "It's also better if he finishes his exams without the additional stress. Let's talk with him after it's all done."
The midnight revelation hunted the four friends in the following days. None of them seemed to be very focused on the exams anymore. Catherine's thoughts were a compete mess, which she was trying to sort out while simultaneously writing about Goblin rebellions and magical decrees. A few desks away from her, Sirius was absentmindedly staring out the window.
The last exam was on Defence Against the Dark Arts. Catherine realised her wand skills had improved significantly because she felt Professor Thorne put some extra power into his jinxes directed towards her. Thankfully, the young witch was able to successfully deflect them all.
Finally, the exams were over, and the castle grounds were filled with the joyous chatter of liberated students, all dreaming of the upcoming summer. Near Hagrid's hut, hidden in the shade of tall pine trees, sat four boys and one girl, sipping chilled pumpkin juice.
"Blasted Bludgers! I can hardly believe this year's over." – exclaimed Sirius.
"It's not over until we get our results." – said Remus, frowning.
"Nothing there to worry about." – laughed James happily.
"Speak for yourself." – sighed Remus – "I think I'm getting sick again."
A silence fell among the group of children. Remus looked at their tensed faces and scowled.
"I don't think it's contagious if that's what you are worried about." – he said trying to force a smile.
"Remus, that's enough." – said Catherine – "We know everything."
"What do you mean?" – asked Remus cautiously.
"We know, you're a werewolf, mate." – said Sirius.
Remus' face turned pale as a ghost. His eyes went wide with horror and his lower lip started trembling.
"Way to go, Sirius!" – snapped Catherine and moved closer to the boy who was shaking in mixture of fear and hysteria – "Are you alright, sweetie?"
"Since when is he sweetie?" – Sirius protested.
"Since you're an insensitive jerk." – retorted the girl and turned back towards the pitiful sight that was Remus Lupin – "Remus, please, listen to us! We won't tell anyone. You're still our friend!"
"Absolutely!" – joined James – "You just have a furry little problem, so to say."
Remus looked at his friends as if it was the first time, he'd seeing them.
"For how long you have known?" – he mumbled.
"About a week." – answered James – "Catherine discovered it while revising moon charts."
Remus smiled sorrowfully.
"You're truly the most brilliant person I've ever met, Flame. I assure you that Professor Dumbledore took all the necessary safety measures and I'm not dangerous for you. I'll understand if you don't want to be around me anymore, though." – he finished, fighting the upcoming tears.
"I didn't know that being a werewolf also caused hearing loss." – chuckled Sirius – "Didn't you hear what Catherine and James have just said?"
"No, I do appreciate it," – said Remus, rubbing his eyes – "but I know that it feels uneasy to sit next to someone like me and wonder what I did last full moon or how far I gave in to my beast instincts."
"Remus Lupin!" – shouted Catherine angrily and jumped on her feet – "Stop that pity party this instance! Instead of telling us how we feel about you, wake up and realise that you finally have people around you who do not give a fuck about… how furry you become come full moon!"
"Hear, hear!" – shouted Sirius.
"I… don't know what to say." – muttered Remus looking around, his face expressing a myriad of emotions from happiness to guilt and back to wholehearted gratitude.
"Don't say anything, mate! Just rest assure that after the full moon is over, we're gonna be waiting for you and we're all going to go together to the End-of-Term Feast." – James said, smiling, and patted him on the back.
Remus felt his fatigue and anxiety melting away. He finally grasped that regardless of the circumstances, these extraordinary group of Hogwarts students were his friends, and they were not going anywhere without dragging him with them if needed.