- "Why do you talk to Snape?" -
The next morning was a hectic one starting at the crack of dawn. All of the boys in the dormitory had relied on Peter Pettigrew’s alarm clock to warn them if they overslept for the past two years and it had never failed them, until that very day. At 4:59 A.M. all of the boys had been sleeping peacefully, each of them lost in their own dream world, not a care drifting through their minds. The aura of the room was almost unnatural, it was so calm. This soon ended when Peter’s alarm clock screeched loudly and caused the boys to yell with a start. Sirius even toppled sideways off of his bed and landed with a thud on the wooden floor.
“Oh, crap! We overslept!” James exclaimed, jumping out of his bed and rushing to pull his trunk out from under his bed. Peter, who was apologising furiously for messing up his alarm clock, found James’s trunk under his bed and pushed it towards James, who exchanged it for Peter’s. Chaos rang in the third year dormitory as the boys hurried around, crashing into each other as they fought for the bathroom. It was only when they were dressed, and had brushed their teeth and hair, that Remus looked out the window and saw that it was far too dark for it to be morning.
“Um, guys?” he said quietly. “I don’t think we overslept.”
The other occupants in the room raised their eyebrows at Remus, who mutely jerked his head towards the window. The boys looked over and with a dreadful realisation, Peter shrunk back towards his four-poster. He looked at his luminous alarm clock and saw that it was a quarter past five in the morning. He didn’t understand how that had happened, but he knew not one of his roommates was happy with him.
Looking defeated, the four of them sat miserably in silence, each one of them mourning their lost sleep. The silence went on far too long for James’s liking, so he decided to start talking, to no one in particular.
“Did you ever wonder if Professor Dumbledore was an Animagus?” he asked randomly, earning himself a strange glance from Sirius, who had been rubbing sleep out of his eyes.
“Why?” Sirius asked.
James shrugged lazily. “I dunno,” he said. “Maybe he’s a Phoenix or something.”
And so the conversation went on for the remainder of the morning, before classes started. James and Sirius went back and forth, producing the most ridiculous reasons as to why Professor Dumbledore could or couldn’t be an Animagus. Their reasons were so ridiculous that it made Remus wonder if there was something wrong with their sanity. Peter seemed to be thinking along the same lines as well, though he openly laughed at his friends. Remus did find it funny, but merely chuckled once or twice, spending the rest of his time trying to catch some extra sleep. Though his efforts proved futile and he was forced to wait the morning out with his roommates.
Two hours later it was seven thirty and the boys actually had a reason to go down to the Great Hall. So they packed up their books and, still yawning, made their way down to the Great Hall. Making his way through the Entrance Hall, Remus heard someone calling out his name. Thinking it was his brother, Remus turned around, rolling his eyes in the process. However, it wasn’t Blake who was calling his name; instead it was Larry Wilkins coming his way from the Slytherin common room. Remus stopped and waited for the boy to finish winding his way through a group of fourth years who were blocking the path.
“Hey,” Larry said, having finally reached his destination, only after being shoved to the left by a fifth year.
“Hi,” Remus said.
“Where’d you go after the lunch trolley yesterday?” he asked inquisitively. “You left me alone with Snape.”
“Oh, well my brother made me go sit with him,” Remus explained lamely. “I guess you might’ve figured out that Gryffindors and Slytherins aren’t really supposed to mix.”
Larry nodded. “I figured that much when Snape started berating your house.”
“Yeah, well, my brother about had a heart attack so he made me go and sit with him.”
Larry raised an eyebrow and folded his arms across his chest. “And you listened?” he asked incredulously.
Remus shifted from his left foot to his right foot and shrugged. “Well yeah,” he said, not seeing anything wrong with what he had just said. “He’s my brother. I mean, I don’t like not listening to him.”
“So, you two are really close then?” It was really an innocent question, but Remus had a funny feeling about it when Larry asked.
Shrugging the thought off, he nodded and responded, “Yeah, why?”
“Just wondering. Well, I’m hungry,” Larry said, looking over Remus’s shoulder and into the Great Hall where breakfast had just started.
Remus was hungry as well, especially after having spent two and a half hours listening to the absurdities of James and Sirius. The two of them made their way through the same group of fourth years that Larry had fought his way through. Once inside the Great Hall they separated and Remus made his way over to the Gryffindor table. On his way to a vacant seat he could feel someone’s eyes on the back of his head.
Turning around, he saw James looking at him through narrowed eyes, clearly contemplating the many reasons as to why Remus was talking with a Slytherin. Remus rolled his eyes in disgust. He didn’t want to have to put up with the idiocy of Potter. Remus had every right to talk to who he wanted to, no one could tell him different. So, he chose to ignore James and therefore prevented any arguement that could take place. He took a seat at the end of the table closest to the Staff Table, where Professor McGonagall was currently giving out schedules.
He took a seat and began piling strips of bacon onto his plate. Chewing lazily on a piece, he waited, slightly impatiently, for the Transfiguration professor to give him his schedule.
“Let’s see,” Professor McGonagall said when she finally reached Remus. She sifted through the stack of parchment, her eyes scanning the names at the top of the page. “Lupin… third year, here we are.” She pulled out a rectangular parchment from the stack and handed it to Remus, who instantly began reading it.
First Period “ Transfiguration, Professor McGonagal
l Second Period “ History of Magic, Professor Binns
Third Period “ Charms, Professor Flitwick
Fourth Period “ Lunch
Fifth Period “ Care of Magical Creatures, Professor Kettleburn
Sixth Period “ Arithmancy, Professor Vector
Remus smiled at his schedule. It was definitely the best Monday schedule he’d ever gotten in his years at Hogwarts. He remembered in his second year, when he was far more knowledgeable about the horrors of each class, when he received the worst Monday schedule possible. It still brought him nightmares, figuratively speaking, of course. He could already tell that it was hideous from the looks on his fellow second years. They were all blanching at the slip of parchment they had received. Peter was so shocked that he accidentally stabbed his face with the fork he was using.
At first he had thought they were merely overreacting, as they so loved to do, but when Professor McGonagall handed him his programme he saw, with dawning terror, that they were not overreacting. Their courses for the day were that bad. All in one day they had the worst classes possible “ double Potions with the Slytherins, History of Magic, and double Defence Against the Dark Arts with the schizophrenic Professor Hanks. He didn’t think he would be able to survive the day, but luckily he managed it, though barely. He was, yet again, the victim of one of Professor Hanks’s many mood swings. He could distinctly remember each word that the teacher had bellowed.
“Remus Lupin, you are a sorry excuse for a wizard,” he had proclaimed, which was a complete lie, as Remus was very good in Defence Against the Dark Arts. “It’s a wonder you know what end of the wand to hold. If you were caught in a duel you would be lucky to come out alive.”
The class just sat there in a stunned silence. None of them knew what to say to this false accusation. Remus only sat there, sinking into his seat in embarrassment, trying to fathom what could have brought on that outburst. Maybe it was because he had accidentally gotten the wrong answer on a question he was working on. He couldn’t remember. He just knew he had not deserved that. Later when word spread around the castle, he heard that Hanks had been told off, loudly, by both the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall. That satisfied him somewhat, but it wasn’t enough to erase the moment. He was cheered up later, however, by Blake doing a very accurate impression of Professor Hanks losing it on Severus Snape later that day when Blake happened to pass by the classroom on his way back from the bathroom.
Checking his watch, Remus saw that classes were going to start soon. So, checking his schedule and seeing that he had Transfiguration first, he made his way out of the Great Hall and to the third floor. He walked past Larry, who was conversing with Snape as they made their way out onto the grounds, presumably for Herbology. Larry caught Remus’s eye and smiled. Remus smiled back and continued on his way. Remus was the first one to class, which he was fine with. Only a few minutes later the remainder of the class filed in, chatting loudly in the hallway, but then falling into an eerie silence once they entered the classroom. It was common knowledge to never be loud in Transfiguration class.
Professor McGonagall entered from her office and surveyed the students through narrowing eyes. Then, without saying a word, she nodded at Lily Evans, a pretty Muggle-born with red hair and who had been the object of James Potter’s affection for two full years. Lily took that as a signal to go up to the desk. Professor McGonagall handed her a stack of paper and directed her to hand it out amongst the class. There was a dull whisper as Lily handed them out, throwing the sheet of paper at James, and returned to her desk. Remus looked at the sheet that had been given to him and saw that it was divided into two sections. The top section described people known as Animagus, or people who could transform into a certain animal at will. The second half, which made Remus’s face burn slightly, was dedicated to werewolves. Blake had warned him about this lesson, but he had thought nothing of it, until now.
He knew this lesson would come; he just wasn’t prepared for it. They were going to spend the period listening to Professor McGonagall as she told them the differences between werewolves and Animagi. The tone in the room had changed from quiet and dull to louder and more excited. Clearly, no one thought anything of it. Not one of them even cared that they were going to learn how to decipher a werewolf. Professor McGonagall was very good about Remus’s being a werewolf. She would never deliberately do anything that could cause people to become wise to his secret. And, after all, they were only going after the actual animal aspect, not about the person.
The chatter in the room quickly dissipated once the professor stood up, scrutinizing them once more, sizing them up to see if they had the knowledge to handle this lesson. Clearing her throat, she leaned over and picked up one of the handouts Lily had given out. Looking from the sheet to the class, the professor transformed into a cat and leapt on her desk, earning a loud round of applause from her students. Then, transforming back, she turned to the class and asked,
“Can anyone tell me what an Animagus is?”
Remus could swear her head someone, most likely Sirius, say “you,” but Professor McGonagall didn’t seem to have heard him. James Potter’s hand shot up in the air and Professor McGonagall acknowledged him. Transfiguration had always been James’s best subject, so he was bound to know loads of information about the topic.
“An Animagus is a wizard who can change into an animal at will,” James answered promptly, earning five points for Gryffindor.
“And now can anyone tell me what the difference between a werewolf and an Animagus is?” she asked.
Remus slowly raised his hand and was called on. “An Animagus can transform into an animal any time they want. A werewolf doesn’t have a choice.”
“Correct, Mr. Lupin. Take five points for Gryffindor.”
And so the lesson went on. James and Remus answered most of the questions for the sole fact that James was really good at Transfiguration. Remus knew most of the information because he was unlucky enough to be a werewolf. The class was pretty interesting. They learnt that the animal the witch or wizard transformed into depended on their personality. So, for example, somebody who was loyal might end up being a dog “ man’s best friend. Once class was dismissed, and Remus was putting his quill in his bag, he was called up to the desk.
“Yes, Professor?” Remus asked curiously. Had he done something wrong?
“It has come to my attention that the full moon falls on your first trip to Hogsmeade,” the professor said, gesturing towards October 31st on her calendar.
Remus’s heart plummeted, he hadn’t known that bit. Was she possibly going to tell him that he wasn’t allowed to go? She couldn’t say that to him. That trip was the only thing he had to look forward to. They couldn’t take that one privilege away from him. Professor McGonagall apparently saw what he was thinking because she quickly assured him that he would be able to go to the village. There were just some safety precautions that they would have to take.
“You will not go back to the castle with your classmates,” she told him. “The Headmaster has specifically told me to make sure you do not enter the castle when everyone is coming back.”
“So, I’m going to stay at Hogsmeade?” Remus asked.
The professor nodded. “You will go to the Shrieking Shack when the day ends.”
“But what am I supposed to do before then? Everyone leaves a few hours before nighttime.”
“You will go to the Three Broomsticks and wait there. Trust me; no one will bother you at all.” She paused for a moment and continued. “Do you understand, Mr. Lupin? You must not let anyone see you going towards the Shrieking Shack. You have been doing a very good job in convincing everyone that the noises are merely poltergeists. Please, do not let your cover waver now.” And with that, she dismissed him.
At least he was able to go to Hogsmeade. He wouldn’t have been able to stand it if they refused to let him go. That would have been unfair, but they saw things his way and he was perfectly okay with that. He checked his schedule and saw, with dread, that he had History of Magic with the horrifically boring Professor Binns. That class alone was enough to ruin anyone’s day. Out of all of the teachers who could have taught this potentially interesting subject, they had to pick one who talked in a monotone and seemed to never end his classroom lectures.
Throughout the entire class, everyone was put into an agonizing lull that seemed to never end. Everyone would place their heads in their hands and watch the professor drone on as they fought to keep their eyes open. As for the very few who actually took notes and paid attention, it was a difficult task indeed. You had to have a remarkable attention span to be able to focus in that class. Remus was not one of the people who could take notes and keep himself from sleeping. Of course, he managed to get some notes, but they were vague and open ended, seeing as how he lost his attention two minutes into the lecture. He really didn’t want to endure the dullness that was History of Magic.
However, luckily or unluckily, Remus was stopped when he heard someone calling his name. He spun around and saw, to his disgust, that it was none other than Severus Snape who had summoned him. Remus could see that, at a few feet behind, Larry Wilkins was hurrying along trying to keep up with his fellow Slytherin. Why did Snape have to come bothering him now? This was the worst excuse for being late for class.
“Yes, Snape?” Remus said, trying to keep his voice calm.
“How are you today?” Snape asked.
Remus couldn’t help but let his shock fall into his expression. That was the last thing he had been expecting.
“Fine,” he said shortly.
“Really? You look awful.”
“Stuff it, Snape.”
All while this exchange was going on, Larry was looking in between the two third years. Clearly he wasn’t sure who he should side with “ the supposedly noble Slytherin or the allegedly bumbling Gryffindor? He waited and listened before making his decision.
“But you have a rather large cut above your eye,” Snape went on, pointing at a spot above Remus’s left eye and almost instantly Remus felt a piercing sensation there. Clapping his hand to the spot, he felt warm blood trickling through his fingers. He gritted his teeth and bit back the retort he so wanted to shout, as he saw someone approaching from behind Snape.
“Hey, Snape!” It was Blake, and he was mad. He bounded upon Snape and Remus was suddenly grateful for his brother’s height. He towered over the Slytherin. “What the hell are you doing to my brother?”
“Remus cut his eye. I was just trying to help,” Snape lied smoothly. If anyone hadn’t seen what had happened, they would have actually believed him. Luckily, Blake had seen what happened, and he wasn’t stupid enough to fall for it. He pulled out his wand and pointed it in Snape’s face.
“I’m not an idiot, I saw you do that. Now, why don’t you take your bloody wand and point it at someone who isn’t in my family!”
Remus could see the corners of Snape’s mouth twitch. He knew that he was never going to be able put one past Blake. Reluctantly, he gestured for Larry to follow him. But Larry didn’t move. He seemed to have picked his side. Snape stood rooted to his spot, utterly nonplussed. He gestured again for Larry to follow him, but Larry held his ground firmly. Remus had to do his best to hide his smile. No one knew how much pleasure he got out of seeing someone disobey Severus Snape. Snape gestured once more to Larry, but Larry simply shook his head and Snape left in a rage.
“Remus, are you okay?” Blake concernedly, once Snape had gone.
Remus nodded, despite the stinging pain above his eye that was beginning to bother him. Blake moved closer to his brother and moved his face to one side so he could get a better look at the gash. He grimaced at it, seeing that it was bleeding rather badly and just about to drip into Remus’s eye. He pulled out a tissue from his pocket and handed it to his brother, instructing him to press it against his eye to stop the bleeding.
“What’s your next class?” Blake asked.
“History of Magic,” Remus answered, wincing as he pressed the tissue too hard.
“I’ll tell Binns you went to the Hospital Wing. You,” he added turning to Larry, “take him to the Hospital Wing, will you?”
Larry nodded and the two set off while Blake hurried to the History of Magic classroom. Remus was seething with anger at the moment. Snape was a no good scumbag to have pulled a trick like that. Remus’s face was throbbing as the cut continued to bleed. If he was a Muggle he would probably need stitches in order to fix it.
“Snape had been planning that all morning, you know,” Larry said suddenly.
“Really?” Remus said as he took the tissue and folded it so he found a clean part. He wasn’t shocked by what Larry had told him. It was just like Snape to plan something like that.
“I tried talking him out of it,” Larry continued with, unless Remus was mistaken, a little guilt in his voice. “But he told me to get out of it.”
“Why do you talk to Snape?” Remus blurted out. It was a fair question really. Why would Larry talk with Snape if he clearly didn’t like the things Snape thought of? Remus wouldn’t speak to someone like that.
Larry merely shrugged.
“I don’t know,” he answered truthfully. “All of the other Slytherins don’t want anything to do with a Durmstrang transfer. Snape thinks it’s cool.”
“I can’t see Snape thinking that anything is cool.”
“You really don’t like him, do you?” Remus shook his head; it was rather clear from the events that had just taken place. “He’s not really that bad.”
“How would you know? You’ve only known him for a day.”
“I’ve talked to him a lot. Aside from him trying to get me to hate Gryffindors and him pulling that stunt on you, he’s not so bad.”
“Yeah well, he’s caused me nothing but trouble ever since I met him. I do my best to keep away from him.”
Larry shrugged again and left once they reached the Hospital Wing, saying that he had to go to Herbology and it would probably be a long walk. Remus nodded him off and looked inside, spotting Madam Pomfrey tending to a fourth year who seemed to have come out of the wrong end of a Bat Boogey Hex. He knocked loudly on the door and Madam Pomfrey looked up at him, frowning sympathetically when she saw what happened.
Once she let the fourth year go she was able to tend to Remus, whose eye was now stinging so painfully his eyes were tearing. She sat him down in a chair and looked for the correct potion, all the while listening to Remus recount the events that led to this. Madam Pomfrey always ended up furious with him when he was the cause of his own injuries, outside his werewolf state that is. Luckily it was Snape who was the cause. The potion stung, if possible, even worse than the cut itself. It was one of those potions that you didn’t have to drink, which Remus was grateful for. It probably would have burned his entire throat and his stomach.
Madam Pomfrey released him after ten minutes, but not before making sure that the cut was nothing more than a faint scar. He hurriedly left the infirmary and preceded to the History of Magic classroom, though he was taking his time. He wouldn’t be too devastated if he missed one lesson in that class. Actually, he would be the happiest person alive. Besides he wouldn’t be missing too much, save for a particularly lengthy lecture on the history of some evil poltergeist. He could learn about poltergeists from watching Peeves.
However, Remus couldn’t linger outside of the classroom forever. When he entered, he found that Binns hadn’t even broken his lecture (which turned out to be about vampires). He carefully took his seat in the back and didn’t even bother to open his book. Binns looked up and saw that Remus was sitting in the back.
“Yes, Lambert,” he said vaguely. “Your brother, Drake, mentioned you would be late.”
Remus normally would try to tell the professor that his surname was Lupin and that his brother’s name was certainly not Drake. But, he didn’t have the presence of mind nor the time as the bell had just ringed. So, he slung his backpack over his shoulder and left in the crowd of students, all the while pressing on the spot where Snape had slashed his face. It still hurt, despite the fact that Madam Pomfrey had mended it.
As he turned the corner he caught Blake coming out of Charms, which was Remus’s next class. Blake appraised the job the nurse had done in healing Remus’s cut and smiled vaguely at his brother, though not stopping to say anything. Remus knew that his brother was bursting to tell him that he should say something. He shouldn’t just lie down and take it. That was what he said every time that he caught Remus nursing some injury and, honestly, he was tired of hearing it. He knew that he should say something, but he didn’t want to get any teachers involved. It was bad enough that Blake always managed to see it. He was just grateful that Blake would never tell anyone anything that Remus didn’t want him to tell. If it wasn’t for that than Remus would never be touched again. But that seemed like the chicken way out… and he wasn’t chicken.