Remus got a Ministry summons soon afterward, because of course he did.

"Yearly Werewolf Registry. This time, I reckon they probably want to question me about Greyback," he grumbled. It was evening after dinner, and Remus was ranting to his friends while he paced back and forth across the carpeted floor of the dormitory. "I'd bet you anything they think I let him in."

"Will they give you Veritaserum again?" asked James. "I remember that didn't affect you so well back in second year."

"Well, they do have probable cause." Remus started pacing more furiously. He knew it made him look like a caged animal, which wasn't exactly an image he wanted to uphold… but oh, it made him feel so much better. His limbs were significantly less inflamed than they'd been a week prior, thanks to the potions, and he felt more energetic than he had in a while.

"It's all right," said Remus. He was trying to keep his voice calm, collected—like Dumbledore's—but more than a little frustration was seeping through. "I'll feel terrible directly before the full moon, and it'll likely be an awful transformation because of that… but at least I'll have more data for my Arithmancy project."

Sirius laughed. "You can be ridiculous sometimes, mate."

Remus continued as if he had not even heard Sirius. He had, of course; he just didn't know what to say to that. His mind was being rather one-track at the moment. "It's not as if I have anything to hide, I suppose—"

Suddenly, Remus stopped in his tracks.

He had everything in the world to hide.

"Oh, no," he whimpered.

"What is it?" Peter asked.

The letters from Greyback. The Forest. Manard. The Animagi. He could only share one of those with his friends, and none with the Ministry.

"If they give me Veritaserum," said Remus, "or even if they use Legilimency… they could figure out that you're all trying to become Animagi."

The room went silent.

"Yeah, that might be an issue," said James. His voice was nonchalant, but Remus could hear his heart pounding. "So… what do we do? Should we all go on the run?"

"Right now?"

"Yeah. Or before the twenty-fourth of January, at least. Moony's health is much more important to me than finishing out Hogwarts." James gave them all a cheeky grin, and Remus hoped that he wasn't actually serious.

"No. I suppose we go to Dumbledore, or…" But Dumbledore couldn't know any of those things, either. Remus collapsed onto his bed, buried his face in his hands, and groaned. "I don't know!" he cried.

"It's all right, mate. We'll figure it out together, won't we?"

"I… I don't know! I don't see a way out! I'm sorry I didn't think about this… I'm just so used to having nothing to hide before the Ministry, and this isn't really all that illegal, as illegal goes… I mean, we're not hurting anyone… so I s'pose it just slipped my mind, or didn't register…." Remus groaned again. "It's all my fault."

"Haha. Didn't register," snickered Sirius, and Remus glared at him so intensely he thought his eyes might explode.

"It's not your fault," said James. "You didn't even want to do it at first."

"I… argh!"

"You seem heated," observed Peter.

"Well, of course I'm heated! The Ministry is going to know that you three are doing something incredibly illegal, and that I'm leading you into doing it!"

"Bold of you to assume you're the leader," sniffed James.

"That's how they'll see it! That's how anybody would see it! Anyone else would see it as me indirectly killing you… really no different from what Greyback's doing, sacrificing others to make my life a little easier… maybe that's what it is." Remus groaned. "You couldn't even do it without me. I'm the one going into the tunnel that can't be touched by human feet."

"Yes," said James, "about that: have you gone to check if your spells are holding recently?"

Remus gave James a nasty look. "Not since the serial killer was loose in Hogsmeade, Prongs."

"Oh, right. Okay. Fair enough."

"That's it, then," said Remus. "There are really only two options."

"Which are?" asked Peter.

"Well, I could go and take my chances, and then they would likely execute me. You lot might get expelled—I doubt they'd throw a Black in Azkaban, and they can't very well punish you all unequally for the same crime. It's not a good look."

"Quite honestly," said Sirius, "I think we'd only get suspended for a bit. I don't think they'd expel me for some harmless experimentation."

"But I am a werewolf, Sirius—they'd definitely expel me, and that's the best case scenario," Remus stressed.

Peter frowned. "Well, what's the other option? I don't really like that one."

"I could…" Remus groaned. "I could just… not show up."

"And live life on the run?" James asked excitedly. "We'll do it with you!"

"No. The Werewolf Registry is voluntary. Hardly anyone shows up as it is, but…"

Remus twiddled his thumbs and stared at his bedcurtains, considering. "Dad wanted me to get Registered as a kid because the Ministry treats Registered werewolves more kindly, generally. Non-Registered werewolves run the risk of getting harsher punishments, and they're mostly viewed as criminals, even though they're technically not doing anything illegal. It's possible to live as a law-abiding Unregistered werewolf, of course, but much harder if I'm attending Hogwarts… there's no way the Ministry would have let me attend in the first place if I hadn't been Registered, and I'm not sure they'll continue to allow me to attend if I stopped now. Maybe… maybe they would."

"D'you think your dad would make you Register anyway?"

"No. I was too young to decide back then, and he's always felt guilty that he made the decision for me. Now that I'm old enough, if I decide I want to stop going… I can. He wouldn't like it, but I could come up with a few good reasons that he'll listen to."

"But you might be expelled?" clarified Sirius.

"I think there's a good chance. Dumbledore would fight for me, but I really don't think the Ministry would allow an unmonitored werewolf to keep attending… especially if I stopped going at such a suspicious time. Greyback just broke into Hogsmeade, and then I don't Register? They might pull me in for an investigation anyway, and then…"

Remus covered his face with his hands and released another groan. They would definitely pull him in for an investigation, which meant that failing to Register wouldn't help anything at all. "I don't know what to do," he whimpered.

James walked over to Remus and patted his shoulder awkwardly (the one without the decade-old bite, thank goodness). "Why don't we sleep on it?" he suggested. "I'll come up with a few plans tonight, and we'll talk it over tomorrow afternoon. We'll figure it out, Moony; I promise."

"I'm not sure there's anything to figure out. I might have to go to Dumbledore with the whole situation."

"You're not telling Dumbledore about the Animagi. He'll shut it down."

"I think it's a better idea to shut it down then to have me killed, Prongs. It's not going to help me anyway if I'm dead."

James shrugged. "Necromancy?"

At Remus' glare, James took a few steps and said, "I'm joking, I'm joking. Calm down. Get some sleep. It's getting close to the full moon."

"It's just six days away," Remus murmured.

He crawled beneath his covers, too exhausted to think about anything else, and closed his eyes.

Remus opened his eyes.

"Why even wake up?" he murmured, and then he turned over and closed his eyes again.

A couple of minutes—Remus didn't know how many—passed.

"Moony, wake up," came Peter's voice. "You're going to be late!"

"Not going to classes today," said Remus.

Another moment, and then three pairs of footsteps pattered across the ground. Remus didn't have to open his eyes to know that all three of his friends were standing by the side of his bed, concealed only by his closed eyelids and the bedcurtain.

The bedcurtain was pushed aside, but Remus did not open his eyes. "I just need a lie-in," he said. "I have a lot to think about."

"You don't need a lie-in," said Sirius. "You're just being dramatic. 'Why wake up if I'm just going to be sentenced to death in a few days?' 'Why go to classes if I'm to be expelled?' We know how you think by now, Moony, and you're not being logical. You're being self-pitying."

"Well?" Remus opened his eyes, but he did not sit up. "If you're so clever, then what are your answers to those questions? Why wake up? Why go to class? Why not stay here and try to solve this massive problem instead? Why not get some extra sleep so that I feel better later?"

"I mean, it's only logical to enjoy the last few days you have, if you really think you're to be expelled," said James.

Remus glared at him. "I wouldn't enjoy going to class right now. And before you suggest it, I also wouldn't enjoy skiving to gallivant around with you lot. I would enjoy sleeping, since I was up sporadically all last night."

"I know. I heard you."

"Excellent." Remus closed his eyes again. "Kindly leave me be, now. I need to sleep, and then I need to think."

A moment of silence.

"I, er… I was up last night, too," admitted James.

"I know. I heard you writing. It was driving me mad."

"Yes, well. I've made a list of possible solutions. I know you're just going to shoot most of them down; maybe even all of them… but just take a look when you're feeling better, yeah?"

"Yeah. Fine."

"And we're getting Poppy over here if you're not up and about by the time classes end," said Peter. "We're… well, we're worried about you."

Remus let out a slow, deep breath. "I know. I heard you talking last night. You pity me, and it's exhausting."

Silence.

"You'll be fine here?" asked Peter. "We can stay with you."

"I'll be better without you lot at the moment, actually."

"Moony…"

"Okay. Sorry. I know I'm being snappish, but I'm really tired, and I'm stressed out of my mind, and I just want some time alone. Sorry. I'll see you after classes, and I'll be better then."

"All right," said James slowly.

Remus was already almost asleep by the time they were gone.

At around ten, Remus roused himself from his slumber and made his way to James' bed, where James had left a small bit of parchment. Remus picked it up and brought his back to his bed, where he sat with his legs crossed and his pink blanket around his shoulders.

"Live life on the run," he read. "Well, that one's out."

He picked up a quill (disregarding the fact that his bed was a rather perilous place to use ink) and drew a line through that one.

"Go to Dumbledore and make something up," he read. "For instance: tell Dumbledore that you really did communicate with Greyback (for a completely different reason than killing people, of course), or some other reason that you have memories that would look suspicious (outwardly)."

That was an idea that Remus had already considered, actually. He didn't even have to make anything up: he could just tell Dumbledore that Greyback had contacted him, and that would kill two birds with one stone. Hopefully, Dumbledore would be able to take care of the problem with Manard, the problem with Greyback, and the problem with the Registry.

The issue was that Remus didn't think Dumbledore could take care of any of the above. Albus Dumbledore was a very clever man, but he wasn't omnipotent. How could Dumbledore possibly take care of Greyback? If he hadn't caught him yet, that was a sure sign that he couldn't do it, right?

And how could Dumbledore fix the issue with Manard? Manard had told Remus on the very first day that he wasn't sworn to secrecy and that he would not hesitate to tell Remus' secret to the world if Remus tipped off Dumbledore. No, Dumbledore couldn't fix that. Not at all. He would probably make things worse.

Dumbledore might have been able to argue with the Ministry about using Veritaserum, but it would certainly look suspicious, and he would never do it without a good reason. Remus could tell him about the Animagi, like he'd been about to do a couple of days ago… after all, the possible ramifications of doing so seemed so trivial now, and Dumbledore would likely have good advice about what to do at the Registry.

There. Remus would do that, then. He had to. Dumbledore wouldn't be able to fix it, probably, but it was his best shot.

He scanned the rest of James' ideas—which mostly had to do with giants, dinosaurs, and elaborate magic spells—and then crumpled it into a ball and threw it across the room.

There went the Animagus plan, then… and maybe Remus' attendance at Hogwarts… and possibly even his life.

"Why did you convince me to help with this?" he muttered to his absent friends, staring at the red rug on the floor. "This is worst mistake I've ever made."

About two agonizing minutes passed, and then Remus flopped back into bed and pulled the covers up past his head. Madam Pomfrey had given him a Dreamless Sleeping Draught for emergencies, and now he reached for it and took a deep swig.

This counted as an emergency, right?

A knock at the door and an achingly familiar scent roused Remus from his slumber. He glanced at the clock: it was noon. He had been sleeping for only an hour.

And Manard was at the door.

Remus sighed and sat up—his clothes were rumpled, his hair was sticking up, and his eyes were red and puffy. It was not the best time to answer the door. He could just go back to sleep. Manard would go away eventually.

"As a professor, I have the password to unlock any dormitory if I believe there's danger," said Manard. "Open up, Remus, or I will open the door for you."

Remus sighed again and did his best to straighten himself up. It was fruitless, and he eventually wandered to the door, defeated, and opened it. "Afternoon," he muttered.

Manard granted Remus a tight-lipped smile. "I suggest you allow me to come in, because you don't exactly look presentable enough to go anywhere else… and this needs to be a closed-door conversation."

Remus didn't care anymore. "Fine," he said, stepping out of the way, and Manard closed the door behind him. "What do you need?"

"It's really not about what I need—it's about what you need." Manard smiled in a mean sort of way and sat on Peter's bed (which was the cleanest). Such a distinguished man sitting on a Gryffindor four-post looked a tad ridiculous, but it gave Remus no urge to laugh.

"I'm assuming," Manard continued, tapping his cane lightly on the floor in a contemplative sort of way, "that you've received a summons to the Werewolf Registry recently."

"Yes," said Remus dully.

"So I'm assuming that you've just realized that Greyback's visit to Hogsmeade was extremely suspicious when taken along with the fact that he contacted you."

"Yes."

"And that, if they use any sort of involuntary means of getting the truth—like Legilimency or Veritaserum—that you will almost certainly be arrested or killed on suspicion of assisting Fenrir Greyback's exploits?"

Among other reasons, Remus thought, but he didn't dare say that aloud. "Yes."

"So. It's a bad situation, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is."

"Well, then. Let's hear it, shall we?" Manard folded his hands over his cane and smiled. "What are your options?"

Remus didn't want to entertain Manard, but he was too tired to resist. "Either I convince Dumbledore to debate the use of involuntary truth methods with the Ministry—which is nearly useless, to be frank—I go, and run the risk of being caught and killed… or I don't go, and I drop out of Hogwarts. Maybe I'll have to live on the run. I'm not sure."

"What a sticky situation." Manard's smile did not fade; in fact, Remus could have sworn that it grew wider.

"I s'pose you're pleased, aren't you?"

"Whyever would I be pleased?"

"You've never liked me, and I'll almost certainly have to leave Hogwarts now. That's what you want, isn't it?"

"Well, eventually," admitted Manard. "But first—first, I want you to help me find Greyback. I can't do that if you're not here… which I why I'm willing to offer you a solution."

"There's no way you could possibly solve this."

"You're wrong, Remus Lupin. You forget that I used to work at the Ministry myself, and that the Werewolf Registry is a volunteer position. I am absolutely certain that, if I offered, the Ministry would allow me to take your case."

Remus froze. That would solve the issue nicely, actually. "You wouldn't use Veritaserum?" he asked. "Or Legilimency?"

"I'm tempted to use it anyway, just because I don't like you very much… but no. I swear on my life that I would not use anything of the sort, should you accept my offer."

"Erm, wow. Thank you. That would solve everything."

"Of course, I'm not going to do it for free." Manard now balanced his cane against the bedframe, rested both hands on his lap, and looked Remus dead in the eye. "I'm willing to swear on my life that I will make the Registry process as easy for you as possible… but only if you agree to visit the Dering Woods with me, at a time of my choosing—and providing we don't catch Greyback then, you will continue to search for him with me as long as I should desire. Think of it as a job offer… one you may not quit after you accept, of course."

Remus had seen this coming. The choice was easy, of course: as horrible as it sounded to go on a trip with Manard, giving himself a decent chance of being approached by a total monster (who probably didn't want to kill him!)… any of the other options entailed a high chance of some extreme punishment. Remus could lose everything. His chances with Manard, though unpleasant, were far higher.

The choice was easy, but that didn't mean it was easy to accept it.

Remus didn't say anything for a while; he just stood there, frozen, arms still crossed, trying to form his mouth around the word "okay" without moving his lips. He really, really did not want to go to the Dering Woods with Manard. It was as if a physical barrier was holding him back, formed of trauma, fear, and a deep-seated hatred for the man sitting on his friend's bed.

"Come now, Remus," said Manard. "You're not really going to choose death or expulsion over something so silly?"

"Silly? Facing my biggest nightmare and the cause of every bad thing that's ever happened to me?" snapped Remus before he could even stop himself.

Manard leaned forward. "And destroying him," he said. "Don't forget that part. It only takes one small Killing Curse, and trust me, I've been ready to cast it since I first laid eyes on the beast. All you have to do is lead me to him, Remus, and then I promise that he will never haunt you again… even in your wildest imagination. He will be unrecognizable when I'm finished with him, and just so you fully register that he's gone forever, I'll let you watch every second of it."

Remus didn't love that last bit, but he hated how wonderful the prospect of Greyback being dead made him feel. He closed his eyes, summoned up all his courage, and then said, "Fine."

"Deal?"

"Yes. Deal."

"Excellent," said Manard. "Now, take a couple of days to forget about all this. I suggest working on that essay I've assigned. It's only eight inches of parchment—quite easy, really. I'll notify the Ministry about my willingness to help with the Registry right now."

"All right," said Remus. He felt a little as if he'd just sold his soul to the devil.

"And Remus?" said Manard, now halfway out the door.

"Yes?"

"Do comb your hair before going anywhere today. You're looking a little… well, feral, for lack of a better word."

Remus briefly thought he'd rather let the Ministry have him.