Darkness blended with the colors of the setting sun outside. Exams wee slowly but surely coming to a close, and the panicked rush of the O.W.L.s hung over their heads. The boy had itchy palms, eager for excitement, and rubbed his hands together. A grin spread over Sirius Black’s face and he left his books and left the common room. Students sat around working on their homework or enjoying whispered conversations. They sat in a favorite spot, not too close to the fire. Remus had left earlier and he had left his school things in their dormitory. On night like this, he slipped off during the scuffle with classes ending for the day and rushing off towards the Great Hall. James stared after him, dangling his Potions textbook. A blank roll of parchment lay abandoned on a squashy footrest.
–He’s not going to tell him,†Jams muttered, finally voicing his thoughts. They joked about frightening Severus Snape so badly he’d crawl out of his skin, but all of it was just talk, nothing else. James shook his head and looked at Peter. –He wouldn’t dare, would he?â€
Peter had lay out on the carpet, flat on his belly, and propped up on his arms. His schoolbag had been shoved against Sirius’s chair and wrapped leftovers had spilled over when it got knocked over. Peter stowed away the evidence and crammed a fat pasty in his mouth. He looked at James with puffy cheeks, a content hamster, sage and fed, and he weighed the situation. He swallowed hard.
–Want to find them?†asked Peter, fingering another sweet sadly.
–Yeah.†James threw his homework in his bag and hurried upstairs, and Peter scurried at his heels. The empty room held no other witnesses than a couple unmade beds. While James kicked a loose floorboard under his four-poster, Peter coveted his hiding place: a box on his bedside table. James lifted the Invisibility Cloak, felt the cloak run fluidly on his fingers, and waved Peter over impatiently. James threw the cloak over them. –Just starting a little early, that’s all.â€
–Where’s the Map?†Peter bent down to tie the long laces of his trainers.
James shrugged. Moonlight flooded outside and light rain pattered on the window panes. –Sirius.â€
Peter had clumsy feet, but they had worked through these passageways enough to overstep things like that. James walked with him, weaving through people and dashing down stairways. The portrait of the Fat Lady had opened to let in a crowd of first-years, and she enjoyed the end of term, too, so she hardly noticed anything sweep past. James’s feet kept going, nut he heard a groan and cracking wood as the swinging staircase decided on a detour. James rolled his eyes and glared at a sunken Peter, who had gotten his foot trapped. The stairs came to a stop and Mrs. Norris stared right at them..
James gave up on heaving his friend out. –Shift.â€
–What?†Peter’s face glistened with sweat and James held the Invisibility Cloak around them. –Here?â€
–Womtail! You deserve this, you know, I’m sorry, but still,†hissed James. He kicked Peter hard in the shins. Peter fell down, squealing in pain, and darted from underneath the cloak as a rat. Peter gave Mrs. Norris a distraction from calling Filch. –Where’re we going to do with him?â€
James darted through the heavy oak doors and ran onto the grounds of Hogwarts Castle. He knew the path so well that his feet carried him there in no time. Peter, who was quicker than him, disappeared into the long grasses and covered more ground. There was a light on in Hagrid’s cabin, and the gamekeeper had turned in for the night. James ran through one of the patches, shaving seconds off his time, and halted by the thrashing Whoomping Willow.
A greasy-haired young man bent over the root the tree and held out an outstretched hand. A large dog held in the trees.
–I will kill you.†James threatened Sirius under his breath. He threw off the cloak and called out to Severus Snape. He made a stab at sounding nonchalant, a little breathless. –Hey. What’re you doing?â€
Snape jumped and held his stolen lantern aloft. He inched towards the knot. –Nothing, Potter, go away.â€
–Doesn’t look like nothing to me,†said James lightly. He took cautious steps and closed his eyes when cries of pain erupted from the tree. –All right, that’s scary enough, let’s go back.â€
Too late. Snape had tapped the root and the entrance opened. Severus, curious and daring, took a step closer. They stood there for a moment, neither of them saying anything. James’s thoughts raced with cover stories and elaborate excuses to cast this whole thing off as a trick. Suddenly, a great beast bounded on all fours. Snape, pale white and frozen with fear, planted himself on the spot.
–It’s a …†he couldn’t say more.
James leapt in between them, his legs shaking and telling him to run for dear life while his mind protested. He jumped over the entrance, shielding the werewolf and losing his grip in the mud. This was madness, him confronting a full-fledged werewolf alone. James felt his heart thundering through his chest and he fingered something in his pocket, remembering he had a wand, a feeble hope at defending himself.
–Remus. Look at me. It’s me.†James held up his hands in a gesture of surrender.
The werewolf snarled. Snape fell to the ground, lifeless.
–How am I going to explain that?â€
James knew Severus Snape was Horace Slughorn’s favorite boy. There was Lily, too. She’d murder them all for this. James shook his head and ignored the unless retreating rat off in the distance. James closed his eyes and conjured a handful of floating flames in his hand. He backed away, giving another apology, and aimed the fire towards Remus’s eyes. A howl told him he hit his mark. He fled away from the tree and sealed the knot. The great back dog pulled the unconscious Snape by the sleeve of his soaked robes. Sirius realized, after a few yards that dragging did no good, so he transformed back into a man.
–I will kill you.†James threw an insult at him. They shared Snape’s weight in between them. Peter brought up the rear clutching the Invisibility Cloak. His laces had been painted black and he was covered from head to foot in mud. James jerked his head at the violent tree and Peter folded the cloak and put it in his back pocket. –What the hell were you thinking?â€
–Good question.â€
Albus Dumbledore stood on the steps with Madam Pomfrey at his side. The familiar glint in his eyes had gone out and had been replaced by a fiery glare. The man radiated anger, and all of them quelled under it. He held a lantern aloft and they saw that he was dressed in his night things, though he seemed wide awake. He stared at the unconscious student.
–I’ll tell you what happened,†he offered conversationally, noticing they didn’t at look at him, –but perhaps you’d rather not. Follow me.â€
The matron made to run through the grounds, but Professor Dumbledore stopped her. Severus had started to stir, but they had luckily made it to the hospital wing before his panic broke loose. Madam Pomfrey, a young woman in her early-twenties, held him back forcibly and drove her nails into his shoulders.
–Professor Dumbledore!†Severus sought out the headmaster and backed away from the other boys like they were mad. Sirius and James hung their heads and stayed by the door. Madam Pomfrey handed over a calming concoction, but Severus snapped it out of her hand and the goblet clattered to the floor. –Lupin. He’s … he’s a werewolf! A werewolf!â€
Dumbledore sat at the foot of his bed and took Snape’s hands and stopped him from hurting himself. –I know.â€
–You! You knew?†Snape shook his head and looked at the matron, seeking someone sane.
–Poppy joined our ranks for Remus,†said Dumbledore. She nodded at the floor. A bewitched mop cleared the mess and danced across the floor. –She, er, specializes in curious bites and left the hospital in the midst of her training.â€
–Lie down.†She forced Severus back onto the pillows. –Listen to me very carefully. Tell anyone, anyone, and I’ll go after you, boy.â€
Sirius and James shared a look.
–Poppy,†Dumbledore chuckled, lightening the mood. He smiled at them and stared at Severus Snape. –Severus, Remus isn’t the only one at stake here. You understand that, don’t you?â€
–Why would I care?†Snape spat. –A werewolf prefect! You’re mad.â€
–Boy.†Madam Promfrey silenced him and forced the potion down his throat before he counted off victims on her fingers. –There’s me, my certification, Remus Lupin, Hippocrates Smethwyck and a round of Healers, his wife, the headmaster, the governors, and Professors Sprout and McGonagall.â€
–They know?†James felt as though he could fall through the floor.
–Of course not.†Madam Promfrey tossed the empty phial in a nearby wastebasket. It smoked and belched. –And I’d walk that precarious line carefully, if I were you three idiots. Thank you for ruining it.â€
Severus nodded off and his head slumped on the pillow. He snored. James felt his heart drop into his stomach and didn’t dare look at his friend. Madam Promfrey walked into her office and closed the door. James saw through the small window that she sat on the floor and covered her face in her hands. They wouldn’t be able to get Remus until early morning, and that would not prove an easy fit because they had to coax him out of a state.
And then break the news of the night’s adventure.
–Professor,†said Sirius.
James held his breath, waiting for the wrath of Professor Dumbledore’s anger. An owl flew into the hospital wing and the Professor took the message. The owl flew off, and the letter was in a red envelope, but it wasn’t a Howler. It was written in fine paper.
–Don’t apologize to me, Mr. Black.†Professor Dumbledore held up his hand and handed over the letter. James couldn’t understand it; it wasn’t written in a language he recognized. Dumbledore suspended their confusion as Sirius read over his shoulder with
Peter.
–It’s Spanish or Italian,†Peter guessed.
–Italian, Mr. Pettigrew. Word got around quickly. Let me share bits of it.†Dumbledore got to his feet and headed towards the door. –It’s his grandfather. Thanks to you, Mr. Lupin will enjoy his holiday in Italy in the vineyards for twelve hour shifts, sun up till sun down, as a field hand.â€
Peter’s mouth dropped. –But he didn’t do anything.â€
Dumbledore neither confirmed nor denied this. He simply conjured a pair on old workers’ gloves and handed these over to Sirius. –Why don’t you break the news? Enjoy your summer. Good night, gentlemen.â€
He left the lantern. The three friends stared, speechless, at the slumbering Slytherin and the doors to the ward felt as though they had been slammed shut although they’d only heard the swish of Dumbledore’s long robes as he headed back to his quarters.