September 1st





Today, I was given a diary. I’m not sure why, but I was. I was stood on the platform, and my mum started to cry, and she pressed this into my hand. It was a small, leather bound book, and it was you, my diary. I promised her I’d write in it every day, but for some reason that just brought more of her tears. She said she was proud of me and that compelled me to cry also. But I didn’t. After all, I am in the fifth year now, and a prefect! I think this is very exciting but James and Sirius disagree. Sirius says that this will crush the small amount of credibility that I actually have, which is very little, but I’m not pleased for me; I’m pleased for Mum. I don’t think that my fellow Marauders would understand this, but I do far more for her than for myself.





When I was very young, I was bitten by a werewolf. I don’t remember much about it, except a sense of sudden pain, and a feeling that I was going to die. I didn’t, of course, though sometimes I wonder if it would’ve been better if I had, because every full moon, I transform. My mum locks me in the spare room. I go mental in there, I tear chunks out of the walls, the furniture, and, if there’s nothing else, myself. It upsets her, which is why, when I was eleven, we were so glad that I was to go to Hogwarts. We had been so worried that I would be rejected, despite having magic, because of my lycanthropy. Lycanthropy. It sounds like a disease. It is a disease, in a way. A disease that, though I try to keep it hidden, gets the better of me every full moon.





My dad's the wizard, Mum's a muggle. She finds having a werewolf son really hard to cope with, because my father didn't tell her he was a wizard until after Fenrir Greyback had, well...





The beginning of term banquet was exceptionally delicious; the house elves have excelled themselves once again. Nearly Headless Nick was sat there staring at the plates, and looking sad, and so was Mary McDonald. Mary is on a diet, and quite frankly, I can see why. Sirius does a rather funny impression of her, which is very mean, but Sirius doesn’t seem to be bothered about things like that. He is most insensitive.





September 2nd





Today, we received our timetables. All the Marauders are in the same class! We always are, but every year we’re afraid they’ll split us up. They don’t, but still.





We had Potions today, and Slughorn was practically falling over himself with joy at Severus’ knowledge. It was like watching a fat blackbird drooling over a slimy worm before eating it. Sadly, Slughorn did not eat Severus, which was my bad luck, as Snape tried to put Levicorpus on me on the way to charms because I corrected one of his comments. Luckily, Lily Evans was there with a shield charm to stop me being raised into the air so the whole world could see my underwear. I am now eternally indebted to her, and I told her this. She smiled, shook her head and said “Remus Lupin, you are weird!” She said it in a friendly sort of way, but I’ve been thinking, what if I am weird? I’m certainly different to everyone else.





September 3rd





It’s official. I’m weird. And deformed also. Everyone, all the boys in my year (apart from Peter, but Peter doesn’t count), are taller than me, and older. Not actually older, but older in appearance and they have more muscles and they’re all interested in girls. Which I’m not. None of this applies to me. What’s even worse is that you’d think running round an enclosed space once a month would give you muscles, but no, it doesn’t, not if you’re like me. It’s just… I’m just deformed! I hope I am overreacting, I think I will have a word with Madame Pomefrey, just to be sure.





Had a word with Madame Pomfrey. She said had my parents talked to me about growing up? I assured her that they had, well and truly, told me all about growing up. She didn’t believe me; she thought that I just didn’t want the talk. Got given the talk anyway. Went away feeling even more convinced of my deformity.





Found my fellow Marauders (apart from Peter) in the library, which is quite unusual for them. Turned out that they were spying on Lily Evans and her friends. James was staring longingly at Lily, and Sirius was rolling his eyes and telling him to just go and ask her out. To prove his point, he went straight in and asked out Pamela Brown. She said yes, of course. They all want to go out with Sirius, really. He is like a magnet for reasonably attractive females. I am a magnet for nothing really, maybe I am an opposite of a magnet for something, but I digress.





James wasn’t convinced, so Sirius dragged me forward, and asked out Flavia for me. She blushed as red as a blonde tomato, and said “Ooh, yes!” in a very giggly sort of way, and then ran out of the room. Yes, really, she actually ran. This is very worrying. I now have a girlfriend that I do not want. I can’t just dump her, that would be really unkind, but I don’t like her, and certainly not in the way I’m supposed to. She’s not very interesting for a start. I had to talk to her all of today, and all she talks about is what some famous person or other says, and what they haven’t said, and what she thinks that they might say, and what she’d say to them.





Tonight, we’re going to stay up until midnight, and then we’re going to run down to the kitchens, grab some food (some meaning as much as we and a team of ten house elves can carry) and then we will have a celebration feast. Sirius says it’s a celebration of his first girlfriend this term, I say it’s a perfect opportunity for me and James to drown our sorrows in a glass of Butterbeer, and Wormtail hasn’t said. I think he probably wants to celebrate the fact that Marie Davenport said hi to him today but I wouldn’t want to be mean.





September 4th





I had to spend all of today talking to Flavia. And she blushed and giggled, and giggled and blushed, and I had to sit there, lapping it all up. She even made me help her with her Charms work, and expected me to actually do her Transfiguration homework for her. I have been working like a slave, and Sirius and James have been sat near me laughing all the way through.





Well, Sirius wasn’t laughing all of the while, half the time he was off snogging Pamela. And when I say snogging, what I mean was Pamela tried to suck his face off. I heard him saying to James that he was certain that his jaw was at least 2 inches further forward, and Pamela Brown must have half at least of his saliva in her big gob. This means that she will soon be dumped, and Sirius will find another love of his life to take her place, but Sirius is fickle like that.





James and Sirius tell me to dump Flavia if I don’t like her. I think that Sirius is being most unfair to Flavia, to say this when he was the one who asked her out for me. When I said this he just shrugged and said it was only for a joke, besides Flavia’s really annoying. I said I was well aware of the fact. For some reason this made him laugh like a hyperactive hyena.





When dinner finished I told Flavia that I had a headache and I went off to study in the library. She looked sulky. I think she wants me to kiss her like Sirius and Pamela. I really don’t want to, so I think that this headache may last a little longer than planned.





September 5th





Today the scariest thing happened. I was walking down the corridor and I heard Flavia’s voice. I pretended not to hear her but she ran to me and grabbed my hand. I was very quite, I didn’t want another attempt at intelligent conversation with her, but when there was nobody near us, she tried to snog me. Properly, as well. I let go of her hand and ran. I think that I moved so fast she accidentally kissed the wall.





In History of Magic I managed to grab a seat next to Peter and James before Flavia came. She glared at me and sat down next to Mary, deliberately not looking at me. I felt really bad, but I Know I would have felt worse if I’d had to kiss her.





Normally, I would have taken notes, but today there had been exceptional circumstances, so I recounted my tale to Peter and James instead. I told them what happened and James let out aloud snort of laughter and everyone except Professor BInns turned to stare at us. We continued the conversation in whispers.





“Why didn’t you kiss her?” asked Peter, who was genuinely confused by my actions. I explained that I didn’t consider it an altruistic act when I did not care for her. Peter looked blank. I re-explained it. He still looked blank. I gave up.





Flavia is still not talking to me. As I said to James, it would be offensive if it wasn’t such a refreshing break. Someone once said that you don’t know what you’re missing until it’s gone. And now I know what I’m missing, and I am so much better off without it.





September 6th





I can’t believe it! Flavia has dumped me! And just when I was going to dump her! And now she’s spreading a variety of rumours about me, which everyone now knows about. I was very despondent and unresponsive today, which led to McGonagall pulling me aside after lesson and asking me if there was a problem at home or in school perhaps? I said there wasn’t. She didn’t believe me.





September 7th





Why does nobody believe me about anything? McGonagall didn’t believe me, Madame Pomfrey didn’t, and now, nobody believes that I was going to dump Flavia before she dumped me. I am not untrustworthy; I never fib, so why do people assume I am lying when I’m not?





On top of this, it’s nearly full moon. I feel tired, and I’ve been trying to get some sleep because I know that I’m in for a good few sleepless nights. Sadly, Charms is not a good relaxing opportunity and I nearly got detention for accidentally falling asleep. Ten points were taken from Gryffindor, and Peter, Sirius and James teased me about it for the rest of the day. It isn’t often that I get points taken, you see.





Flavia is still spreading rumours, but luckily everyone has stopped believing her, so at least I don’t have mental turmoil on top of everything. I think I will go and do my Charms work in the library.





Fell asleep in library. Instead of chasing me out like she would any other student, Madame Pince went up to me and asked if there was anything wrong at home? Or at school? I am getting sick of this. I reconfirmed that there wasn’t, but she looked doubtful, so she let me eat my chocolate at the back of the library.

September 8th

Woke up. Last night was full moon. The first thing I noticed was the pain. I ignored it and moved on to the second thing, which was that I was in the Hospital Wing. It was gleaming white all over, the floors, the wall, even the sheets on the beds were shining. And then there was me.

I found that I was clean and wearing pyjamas, and realised, with some embarrassment, that Madame Pomfrey must have bathed and dressed me. I turned over to see if my robes were nearby, and there was a sudden, sharp pain in my left arm. It was ten times worst than the pain had been before. I sat up in shock, and then gingerly rolled up my sleeve to see what had caused it. I nearly cried out. I have a huge chunk ripped out of my forearm, leaving my flesh torn and my arm in agony. It’s not bleeding; Madam Pomfrey must have stopped it. But she can’t heal them, I know that. Werewolf bites can’t be made better by magic.

I have inspected the rest of the damage. I am fairly badly scratched all over, but with only a few really deep ones and several other, non-serious bites. I found my school robes at the side of the bed, and was beginning to get changed, thinking I might be ready in time to catch the end of Transfiguration, when Madam Pomfrey came and told me that on no condition am I to get out of bed for the rest of the day. I tried to explain to her that it was important that I get back into school, but she was having none of it. She brought me chocolate, which as a mark of defiance I refused to eat, but then she left it on the bedside table, and eventually I yielded to temptation and consumed it greedily.

I have been left to my own devices for the rest of the morning. When Madam Pomfrey brought me my lunch she also gave me some books she thought I might like. The books were awful, so I pretended to read them whenever she came through, but in reality I stared out the window, trying to watch the Care of Magical Creatures lessons that were going on. I hope that James, Peter or Sirius will come and see me.

James Peter and Sirius have just been to see me. They crowded round my bedside, and I thanked them for coming, telling them how bored I’d been.

“Anything for an old friend on his death bed,” grinned Sirius. I asked them how they’d all got in, as Madam Pomfrey was usually very strict about the number of visitors allowed.

“Sirius flirted mercilessly with Pomfrey,” laughed James.

Sirius said that flattery could get you everywhere, and James said that it certainly got Sirius everywhere.

By this time I was laughing so much I had forgotten all about my injuries. When I sat up, I noticed that they were all staring, horrified, at where I used to have a complete arm. I tried to hide it, but Sirius was too quick. He grabbed it, and examined it.

Finally, he asked me if I had done it.

Seeing no point in denying it, I replied with the affirmative.

“We need to think more about the whole…” James lowered his voice “Animagi thing.”

Sirius agreed, and Peter grunted, which I took to mean yes. Then Madam Pomfrey came back, and they all had to leave. Sirius tried his ‘flattery’ thing again, but this time she was having none of it.

Madam Pomfrey made the mistake of leaving the door out unlocked, so I got changed and sneaked back to the Gryffindor Common Room, where James and Sirius were talking in whispers. I asked them where Peter was, apparently he finally summoned up the courage to ask out Marie Davenport of Hufflepuff, and she said no. They said that they thought he was crying in a lonely toilet somewhere.

Meanwhile, they had been talking about becoming Animagi. I tried to persuade them otherwise, said that in my transformed state, I would kill them. They said that they would take that risk. They are the best friends in the world.





September 9th



Madam Pomfrey was very cross at me for escaping. She said that I needed a longer stay in the Hospital Wing. If she had her way, I would spend my life in there. I ducked past her and went off to Charms.

Peter made a scene in the boy’s dormitory this evening. He said nobody cared about him anymore; all we were bothered about was me having a few scratches when he, Peter, had suffered a cruel and biting rejection.

“Peter, mate, she said no. So what? Me and James suffer that all the time,” Sirius looked at James, “well maybe he suffers it more than I do.”

James clouted Sirius round the head with his discarded shoe. Sirius hit him back. They started a huge, laughing fight. Peter was trying not to be interested. I genuinely wasn’t interested.




September 10th

Although there were no lessons today, I spent most of the time in the library; I feel I have a lot to catch up on after missing a whole day’s lessons. I had to force James and Sirius (not Peter, Peter is still in a huff) to tell me all I’d missed so I could look it up and take notes.

Around lunchtime, Sirius joined me. It isn’t often that Sirius risks being seen there. He explained that James was filled with despair on account of Evans, and is therefore not any fun to be about.

“Ah well, ‘the course of true love ne’er did run smooth’,” I quoted, whilst perusing a large volume of hexes.

Sirius asked what the hell I was on about and I explained that it was a Muggle saying. He lost interest. He carried on saying about how boring James was now, and eventually I asked, meaning no offence, why he was telling me this.

“Ah, well,” he continued, “this is where we come in. You see, Remus, you and I are going to make Evans love him.” He smiled impressively.

“But you can’t make someone fall in love, and Lily isn’t that easy to influence.”

“Sure you can make some one fall in love; I do it every day of the week.” Sirius explained that we first had to find out what qualities she valued in a boy. He said this was my job, I immediately said that there was no way I was walking straight up to Lily and asking what qualities she valued in a boy. Sirius says there is more to it than that. I have to befriend Lily, and then gradually discover the answer to the question. I was about to refuse outright, but then remembered how much my friends are prepared to do for me, and reluctantly agreed.




September 11th

Finding an opportunity to make friends with Lily is going to be more difficult than I thought.



September 12th

Making friends with Lily is nearly impossible.




September 13th

Sirius told me to get a move on; James’ love-sickness is unbearable.

Slightly on the plus side, Peter has returned to the ranks of the Marauders, but he is still sulking.




September 14th

I don’t have to worry about making friends with Lily any more! We have become friends bonded by trauma! These circumstances I am about to relate to you were clearly orchestrated by powers far beyond my control. Wow. This is what happened:

I was walking along a crowded corridor, when Severus Snape got me with Levicorpus. I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later. He had with him his cronies Mulciber and Avery.

“Well if it isn’t little Mummy’s boy Lupin,” sneered Avery, as I dangled helplessly, trying not to publicly display my underwear. I failed, judging by the laughter of all the Slytherins.

“Ickle pwitty boy Wemus!” jeered a passing seventh-year.

“So,” said Severus Snape and a cruel smile played round his lips. “Are you going to tell us where you were six days ago?”

“I was ill.”

He said that I was lying, and why was I ill every month? Every month at the…

“Stop it, Sev! He’s not hurting you!”

At this point, I fell in a heap on the floor, Snape had stopped. And then somebody extended a hand.

“Sorry about that, Sev can be so mean!”

Then I looked up to see that my saviour was none other than… Lily Evans herself.

“Oh, I tried not to look by the way,” she said, as she helped me up.

“What?”

“When you were upside down. Everyone could see your erm… well, your underwear.”

I groaned, and, I suspect, blushed. Lily laughed, and chattered happily to me all of the way through the next lesson. She is very interesting to talk to, and what is more, I have accomplished my mission.

September 15th

This lunchtime, I was, once again, disturbed by Sirius when studying. He came in and asked me why I wasn’t working on the friendship with Evans. I informed him that she had, when talking to me, encountered some female friends who were far too loud, and far too giggly for my liking. Sirius said I should have stayed there, and what I am I doing in the library anyway, it is a lovely day and we have no homework. I told him that I am teaching myself French.

“Erm… what?”

“I am teaching myself French,” I repeated.

“I heard what you said…” said Sirius, as if he was not entirely sure that he had heard what I had said, “But why are you teaching yourself French?”

“It’s interesting. My mum says it’s useful. I mean, what would I do if I go to France? What will you do if you ever go to France?”

“Plenty of things,” he replied, “I am well prepared for visiting foreign lands, Moony. I am quite linguistically talented, you know.”

“Really?” I was surprised, “What can you say?”

“I can say ‘I love you’ in four different languages. Five, if you include English.”

I chortled. But quietly, so as not to suffer the wrath of Madame Pince.

“You what? Go on then, say it in your four different languages.”

Sirius cleared his throat importantly.

“Ich liebe dich. Te quiero. Je t’aime. Dw’in dy garu di.” He looked very proud. I had to admit, I was impressed.

“Well, what else can you say?” I asked, eagerly.

“Erm,” Sirius looked sheepish. “That’s about it actually.”

“Oh. Will you test me on my French?” I was disappointed that Sirius was to be no further help in my enterprises.

“If you insist. Right. How do you say ‘Hello, my name is Remus Lupin, I am 15 years old and I am secretly a werewolf?”

“Bonjour. Je m’appelle Remus Lupin, j’ai quinze ans et je suis secrètement un...” I thumbed through my French dictionary. “un loup-garou.”

“A what?”

I read it again.

“Un loup-garou.”

“Well, Moony, I think that you now know everything you will ever need to know about French, so come outside and enjoy the sun.”

I followed him outside, and grudgingly, I have to admit that sitting outside with the Marauders was quite a bit more fun than finding out that number ninety-nine in French is ‘quatre-vingt-dix neuf’. Which it is.


September 16th

Spent most of today talking to Lily in preparation for James’ conquest of his beloved. Lily really is very interesting to talk to, and she certainly is more intelligent than Flavia. Also, now I’m friends with Lily, Severus Snape has decided to stop attempting to kill me/reveal that I am a werewolf.

Speaking of Severus Snape, James and Sirius are hatching an evil plot. I don’t know exactly what it is, but they told me to be on the third floor at 4 o’clock three days from now. I over heard the words “slime” and “knickers” so it sounds like it’ll be one of their best. I told James that it’s not much fun being bullied, I should know, but he said that I was mad not to be glad of some revenge on Snape. I give up, I really do.

This evening, I dared to go in to the Prefect’s Bathroom for the first time. James and Sirius have been using it since the second year, but even in my new capacity as an actual Prefect I didn’t dare go in. But today I did. It’s really cool in there, there all sorts of bubble baths and stuff, it’s even better than James and Sirius said. But, unfortunately, there is no lock on the door. Or, there was, but someone took it off. If it was anyone I know, (i.e. J or S) I will make sure they are in the Shrieking Shack next full moon. With no escape. So anyway, I bewitched that door till I was certain that absolutely nobody could unlock it. And only then did I run the bath.

When I got out of the bath, I wrapped a towel round my waist and stood in front of the mirror. I think I might have grown a bit taller. I looked at my hair, which was not wet, and so was still in its comfy side parting. I wondered if, with a bit of work, I could make it look like Sirius’. I had a go.

“You’re not as good-looking as your friend are you?” observed a voice from behind me. I was horrified. Despite all of my defensive measures, someone had got in. A female someone, by the sound of things. I turned around. And then I realised that my towel had fallen down. Hurriedly, I re-wrapped it, while, in front me, the short silver ghost giggled.

“You’re not as good-looking as your friend are you? The tall dark one,” she added.

“So I’ve heard,” I muttered, trying to pull on my pyjama bottoms without revealing anything to this bespectacled spectre.

“Have you come in here before?” she queried “The handsome boy comes in all the time.”

“So why don’t you go bother Sirius?” I interjected, not wishing to have my privacy infringed by a ghost. And not a very big one at that.

“Oh, he’s called Sirius? Tell him you met Myrtle.”

“Sirius knows you?!”

“Well… no… I haven’t… I didn’t… I’ve not introduced myself yet,” finished the ghost, or Myrtle, as I suppose I should call her. If it was possible for a ghost to blush I am was sure this one would have been. Having said that, her cheeks were perhaps a slightly darker shade of transparent than the rest of her.

“So basically, Sirius comes in here for a bit of privacy, and you stand about watching him?” I challenged, standing up for Sirius’ rights, ”You bloody peeping tom!”

To my surprise, the phantom began to wail in a manner that would disgrace a banshee, and, crying her eyes out, disappeared through one of the taps. I was relieved to have the opportunity to dress without her company, but as I left, I began to feel a little guilty.



September 17th

I asked Lily about the ghost, not going into too much detail about me trying to get changed etc, and she laughed.

“That’s Moaning Myrtle!”

“Moaning Myrtle?”

Apparently, she haunts a girls’ bathroom which therefore nobody uses. I am glad I am not a girl, and so will never have to use Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom. I have not told Sirius about his ‘spy from beyond the grave’ but I have made I mental note to never use the Prefect’s Bathroom again.


September 18th

Today, it was the second day of the first Hogsmeade weekend, and the Marauders went into the village and, in The Three Broomsticks, we began to talk about animagi.

“But where will we practice?” mused James. We spent several minutes in silent thought. Well, silent apart from the fact that Peter nearly choked on a breadstick, but we thumped him hard on the back and he was alright.

“What would you like then?” smiled the proprietor of the The Three Broomsticks, Madame Rosmerta, interrupting our deep thought. Well some of us’ deep thought. As I turned round I could see that, in fact, instead of thinking, Sirius was non-verbally flirting with some Ravenclaw sixth years, James was messing up his hair with a dream-like expression on his face, and Peter was absent- mindedly drawing a smiley face in the condensation on the window. Sometimes I worry about Peter.

“Erm… three Butterbeers and a Firewhisky please,” winked Sirius.

“So that’ll be four Butterbeers,” laughed Madame Rosmerta.

As she walked back to the bar, Sirius and James turned around and watched her. Sirius wolf-whistled, then ducked back behind his seat. Rosmerta turned and shook her head at us.

As we were walking back to the castle, I was hit by a blinding flash of inspiration.

“Moaning Myrtle’s Bathroom!” I exclaimed.

“Erm… what?”

“Did someone put something in your Butterbeer, Moony?” asked James.

“You can practise transforming there,” I explained and, feeling immensely proud, I told them where it was, and why nobody used it. I am clearly a genius.


September 19th

Today was the day of the greatest prank ever. Officially. I decided to go and see what it was, purely so I could try to stop it you understand. I got there just in time to see Severus Snape coated in a glue-like substance, stood in what looked like a large overturned goldfish bowl and fuming with rage and embarrassment. James and Sirius were beside themselves with glee, even more so when Snape’s hexes rebounded off the walls of the bowl and back at him. He had to duck pretty quickly, I can tell you.

“And now,” James announced to the laughing masses, “For the icing on the cake.” And with a flick of his wand, a shower of girl’s underwear fell from the ceiling of Snape’s enclosure, onto him, and… stuck to the slimy glue. There were cries of ‘that’s mine’ and ‘how did they get that?’ from several of the female spectators, and this made James and Sirius laugh harder. They removed the bowl from around Snape, who ran away humiliated.

“What is this chaos?”

We turned round to see Professor McGonagall. Many of them fled. I remained routed to the spot. The Head of Gryffindor House watched the retreating figure of Snape, and the angry frown became larger and larger on her face.

“Mr. Black, Mr. Potter, Mr. Pettigrew and Mr. Lupin, I will see you all in detention for the next week, every night, starting Thursday.”

“But Remus didn’t do anything!”

“I’ve got Remedial Charms!”

“I’ve got Quidditch practice!”

“I need to use the library!”

“I’ve got a date with Wendoline Griffiths!”

“I’ll miss dinner!”

“I have plans for next week!”

“I am teaching myself French!”

“I…”

“I will hear no more excuses,” interrupted McGonagyll angrily. “My office, next week.” And she stormed off down the corridor.


September 20th

Lily is very sympathetic about my detention. She says that it was not my fault that it happened, and she is certain I would never think such an attack on ‘Poor Sev” could be remotely funny. I didn’t tell her that I that I thought, to a point, Severus had it coming.


September 21st

First day of animagi practice. None of them managed it, but then I didn’t expect them to. I have researched it in depth and it is not the sort of thing that three fifteen year old boys can do, to be honest. But I won’t tell my three friends this, because, however selfish it may seem, I need them to come with every full moon. I just hope I don’t kill them when they do.