Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and events from J.K. Rowling's wonderful Harry Potter books. I am writing this for my own enjoyment and hopefully for the enjoyment of readers. Anything you recognize belongs to JKR. The rest belongs to me.
Chapter 70: Moony's Surprise
Classes began for the fifth year students with stern warnings about the upcoming O.W.L.'s from every professor. As a result, the amount of work they were assigned was practically doubled. Once again, there was a new DADA professor. As it turned out, Professor Eileen Dover had been sacked due to her tedious and slow teaching style. If she had continued, the students would never be properly prepared for their testing. Ever since Professor Riddle had taken the position of DADA professor 4 years earlier it almost seemed like the position was cursed, not allowing a teacher to last more than a year.
The new DADA professor was a French auror named Jean Darme. He had a very thick accent and tended to look down his nose at the young British students. The bright side was that his teaching style was a vast improvement from Professor Dover's. He spent the first week blazing through all of the chapters from fourth year that Professor Dover had not been able to cover due to her slow teaching style.
"Ahhh, you young Breeteesh students moost feeneesh your paperz zheesh Friday!" mocked Sirius as they walked to dinner.
"Padfoot, do us a favor and stick with your natural accent," commented Remus. "I can't see you as a Frenchman."
"Ahhh, but Mish-yur Moony eez razher eereetable zheesh evening," continued Sirius.
Remus sent him a glare and walked ahead to find a seat at the Gryffindor table. The other three Marauders exchanged glances before James muttered, "Time of the month…"
Remus still had no idea that the other three Marauders had completed their Animagus training. After the scare with Peter the first evening back, James, Sirius, and Peter were all extremely careful about where and when they practiced. Most of the time they snuck off when Remus was making his prefect rounds. Peter was finally starting to get the hang of his transformation and fortunately had not had another episode where he was unable to transform back.
The full moon was the upcoming Saturday. Remus was feeling the effects and his symptoms were worse than usual that week. James suspected that Remus was disappointed that they hadn't 'figured out' the transformation yet, though he knew Moony would never openly admit it. Remus still was worried about the risks of their transformations and being around him as a werewolf. Despite that, James suspected that deep down Remus had been counting on having his friends there that year during the full moons.
One of the reasons the Marauders didn't tell Remus was because they knew he would only make himself more nervous about having his friends see him and risk being near him. This way, he wouldn't have time to get himself worked up about it. By the time he walked into the Shrieking Shack there would be no time for him to change his friends' minds.
There were several obstacles to overcome for the Animagi in order to successfully make it to the Shrieking Shack that Saturday. Remus had been surprisingly unsuspicious of the boys and, having been forced to go to the hospital wing, was not around much to witness their anticipation that day.
Alice, on the other hand, was another story. She and Sirius had not had much 'alone time' since returning from the summer holiday. That weekend she assumed they would be able to spend time together. Sirius, being the dense teenage boyfriend he was, had not factored her into the equation as far as 'people to think up excuses for whilst sneaking out of the school'.
That Saturday evening, the boys were about to duck out of the common room when Alice caught up with Sirius. "Where are you going?" she asked.
Sirius exchanged a brief glance with James before replying, "Just going to hang out with my mates for a while, that's all."
"Well why don't you stay here? I haven't been able to spend any time with you," she said with a frown.
Peter nudged Sirius, impatient to get to the Whomping Willow before Remus transformed. Trying to think quick, Sirius said, "We ate lunch and dinner together. How's that not spending any time together?"
Alice's frown deepened and she crossed her arms - not a good sign as far as Sirius could tell. "Eating in the same vicinity as each other while you whisper back and forth with your mates does not count as spending time with each other," she countered. "Why do you have to spend the evening hanging out with them, anyway? You spent the entire day with them!"
"Well if this is how you're going to act when we're together then maybe that's why I'd rather hang out with my mates!" Sirius loudly retorted.
Alice narrowed her eyes and her voice became quiet with a threatening undertone. "And how is it exactly that I'm acting, Sirius?"
Sirius, irritated at their argument and anxious to get out to the shack, replied, "Uptight and irritable, like McKinnon."
"Excuse me?!" voiced both Alice and Marlene, who had been listening intently to the couple's argument from her spot on the couch.
James hesitantly tugged on Sirius' sleeve and quietly said, "Peter and I'll start heading down there. You can try to meet up with us…"
"No!" replied Sirius. "I don't need to hang around here any longer."
Alice's eyes were a mixture of anger and hurt. Marlene, upset for her friend and as infuriated as ever at Sirius, was ready to turn Sirius into a bug and stomp on him. Alice, shaking her head, held her chin up high and marched up to her dormitory without uttering another syllable to Sirius. Lily, who was sitting by Marlene, got up and chased after her.
"Give me one reason not to hex you right now, Black," hissed Marlene.
"Mind your own business, McKinnon," snarled Sirius.
Before a war could break out in the common room Peter and James dragged Sirius away. Once the portrait had closed behind them James said, "Padfoot…that was kind of harsh."
Sirius determinedly marched forward, trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and Gryffindor tower.
Peter asked, "Is it over between you two?"
Sirius paused and let out a deep sigh. "I dunno. I suppose I could have been nicer, but we don't have much time to get to the shack and I couldn't think of anything else that would make her stop asking questions."
"You could have met up with us later," said James.
"No," Sirius emphatically replied. "This is the first time we're doing this and I want to be there with you blokes to surprise him. I'll make it up to Alice tomorrow."
"If you say so…" muttered James doubtfully. His experience in trying to make up with girls was not so stellar - Lily being the main girl in question. It had been a little over three years and she had yet to give him the time of day. He still remained hopeful - he couldn't help it, especially after that smile (no matter how slight it was) she had given him when she found out he was captain.
"It's Filch!" cried Peter, who was in charge of watching the Map as they tried to sneak outside. The three boys quickly ducked into an empty classroom and held their breath as the caretaker slowly passed by. Once they were certain the coast was clear they crept across the remainder of the castle to the outside.
As they traversed the grounds they eventually saw the Whomping Willow looming ahead. It was thrashing its branches around, swiping at anything that appeared to move. The three boys nervously looked at each other, realizing a potential flaw in their master plan.
"Erm…how are we supposed to get in?" asked Peter.
"Madame Pomfrey always used a long stick to prod that knot over there," Sirius pointed out.
"One problem, Padfoot…Madame Pomfrey conjured the pole to prod the knot and we don't start conjuring spells until next year," said James.
There was a moment of silence as the boys pondered their latest obstacle. Finally, Sirius said, "Well, one of us will have to make a run for it and press the knot."
James and Peter looked up at the branches of the tree, which looked particularly angry that the boys were just beyond their reach. Looking back at Sirius, James asked, "And just which one of us will have the honor of risking his neck?"
Sirius picked three sticks off the ground and transfigured them into straws. He broke one in half and bunched the straws together so one couldn't tell which was which. Holding his hand out, he said, "The person with the shortest straw will have to go."
Taking a deep breath, James reached out and tentatively grabbed one of the straws. As he pulled it out of Sirius' grasp, he let out a slight gasp of relief as he found that his straw was long. Peter reached out a shaky hand and made his choice, letting out a muffled squeak as he realized his straw was much shorter than James' and Sirius'.
"Good luck, Wormtail," Sirius jovially said.
"H-How am I s-supposed t-t-to make it t-to t-the knot?" stuttered Peter.
"Just run at it really fast," said Sirius, as if it was obvious.
"Erm, Padfoot?" said James. "I hate to point this out, but Peter isn't exactly the fastest or most agile person we know."
Peter was on the verge of hyperventilating and Sirius realized James was right. What kind of chance did Peter have of reaching the knot without getting thrashed into tiny bits and pieces? Sirius glanced at the sun, which was almost finished setting. Remus would be out very soon and if they didn't hurry then they would miss their chance of surprising him in their Animagus forms.
"Wait a minute," said Sirius, suddenly lost in thought. The Animagus forms…he flashed back to the first evening back when Peter was unable to transform back. He had been scurrying around the floor very quickly and perhaps…
"What are you thinking, Padfoot?" asked James.
"You have to transform, Wormtail," ordered Sirius. "It's your best chance at reaching the knot in one piece. You'll be quicker that way and it'll be more difficult for the Whomping Willow to get at you because you'll be a smaller target."
"B-But if it hits me, t-then it'll b-be more likely t-to k-k-k-kill m-me," gasped Peter.
"You can do it, Wormtail," encouraged James.
"Just zigzag back and forth as you run to the knot so it'll be harder for a branch to hit you," said Sirius.
Peter looked at Sirius and James and realized he had to do this. They were his friends and his best source of protection against the Slytherins who tried to bully him all the time. Closing his eyes and taking one last ragged breath he concentrated on becoming a rat. When he opened his eyes he looked up to see the gigantic forms of his mates looming above him.
Letting out a squeak of fear, he dashed toward the knot, doing as Sirius had instructed, scurrying back and forth as he approached the trunk. Surprisingly, the tree did not try more than one or two swipes at him, feeling that expending its energy on something other than the two humans left just out of its reach was not worth its energy. Once Peter landed on the knot, paralyzing the tree, he let out a squeak of triumph.
Sirius and James glanced around to make certain nobody was nearby to witness their sneaking off. Once they determined they were alone the boys approached the trunk and snuck into the opening at the base of the tree, Peter following suit.
Looking at his watch, James said, "We'd better hurry. Moony will be down here soon."
The boys ran down the tunnel, ducking when the ceiling became low. Peter stayed in his rat form, not wanting to risk forgetting how to transform once he was face-to-face with a werewolf. Eventually the passageway came to a slight bend and started to go upward. The boys followed it and soon found themselves gazing through an opening in the floor of the Shrieking Shack. They pulled themselves inside and gazed around, noting the boarded up windows and the beat up furniture. Several legs of a nearby couch looked as though they had been gnawed on. There were scratches across the walls, some of which were quite deep into the wood.
The boys spent several minutes exploring the shack from the living room to the bedroom upstairs. After about fifteen minutes they heard footsteps approaching. They were painfully slow, as if the person was limping. Sirius, James, and Peter all situated themselves on the far side of the living room, preparing themselves for what was to come through the entrance.
A pale hand reached over the edge of the opening and shortly thereafter Remus had pulled himself into the shack. He leaned over and shut the trap door, locking it.
Sirius finally spoke up in what he hoped was a casual and cheerful voice. "Hi Moony!"
Remus gasped and turned around, his white face paling even further. "What are you two doing here?! Get out before I change!"
James replied, "First of all, Moony, you need to learn how to count. There are three of us here, four if we include you."
Remus looked around and said, "Peter's here, too? Is he upstairs?"
"He's right in front of you," said Sirius.
Remus followed Sirius' line of sight and his gaze landed on a rat who was sitting on the back edge of the couch. "I-It can't be…"
"It can," replied James, smiling.
"You finished it? You finished the transformation?!" exclaimed Remus.
"We finished it at the end of last year, after the last full moon," said James. "We wanted to surprise you."
Remus doubled over in pain and gasped, "You can't do this! You have to get out of here before you're hurt!"
"We've been over this, Moony. As Animagi, you can't turn us into werewolves," explained Sirius.
"That doesn't mean I can't bite you," warned Remus. His breathing was becoming more ragged, beads of sweat dripping down his temples. "You have to leave, before it's too late. There's not much time left."
"We're staying," said Sirius. "Now if you don't mind, I think we'd better transform. It doesn't look like you can hold out much longer."
"I don't want you to see me like this!" gasped Remus, trying to delay the inevitable.
"If you're not embarrassed about your off-key vocals in the shower, then what makes you so upset about this?" joked Sirius.
"We never thought differently of you when we found out your secret, Moony," said James. "That still won't change. We worked on becoming Animagi for three years to help you. Don't shut us out now."
Remus fell to the floor, realizing he wouldn't be able to argue with them any longer. Surrendering to their argument, he looked up at them, his pupils getting larger. "H-Hurry. Change!" was all he could say.
Sirius and James did as ordered and shortly thereafter the stag, dog, and rat were prepared to spend the night trying to tame a werewolf. They saw one last shred of humanity pass through Remus' eyes as he looked up at their animal forms in wonder, before he let out a loud cry of pain and curled himself into a ball.
The stag approached him and nudged him with his nose, offering his encouragement. Remus lashed out and pushed him away, trying to pull himself as far from his mates as possible, embarrassed at his display of weakness. He only got a few feet before a new wave of pain washed over him, causing him to writhe on the floor, feeling his mind slipping away as the werewolf took over.
Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail all watched in amazement as Remus' body went through the excruciating change. Fur grew, claws formed, and his eyes turned a shade of golden-yellow as his body became wolf-like. Wormtail scurried behind Padfoot, unsure of his safety despite being in his animal form. Prongs exchanged a glance with Padfoot, realizing that despite Remus' descriptions of being a werewolf, their mate had not revealed the true extent of his agony.
Suddenly there was a deathly calm about the room. The transformation had completed, and the three Animagi held their breath as they watched the still form on the floor. There was a slight whine as the werewolf slowly lifted his head. He sniffed the stale air and turned to study the three Animagi before him. Moony lifted his snout and let out an ear-piercing howl.
Prongs took a tentative step toward Moony however the werewolf sensed his approached and let out a deep, throaty growl. Padfoot trotted over, ignoring the werewolf's warning and stood before his friend, wagging his tail. Moony growled again, scratching at the floor, leaving marks. Padfoot barked and let out a howl that mimicked the one Moony had vocalized. Moony stopped pawing the floor as his ears perked at Padfoot's howl.
Throughout the night Moony paced the Shack, uncertain of the new creatures in his presence. A few times he caught the scent of a human in the vicinity and tried to throw himself against the nearest boarded up window. Each time Padfoot or Prongs would find a way to stop Moony from hurting himself further. After the first few attempts they realized that they were somewhat equally matched, with Prongs' size and Padfoot's teeth. Their confidence grew and they were able to become more forceful with Moony, keeping him from biting and scratching at himself.
As dawn approached, Moony had tamed considerably, realizing that the animals in his presence meant him no harm. Wormtail eventually approached and by this point Moony did not attempt to snap at him. As the moon waned, the werewolf fell to the floor in a heap, the fur and claws regressing, his eyes turning back to the normal grayish-blue color as Remus' body took shape.
Once the Animagi were certain Remus' transformation back was complete, they returned to their human forms. They rushed over to Remus, who was still in a heap and unmoving. Sirius gently turned him over and they were relieved to see his chest rising and falling with each breath he took.
"Moony," said James, gently shaking Remus' shoulder to wake him.
Remus lazily opened his eyes and saw his mates hovering over him. In his exhaustion he was able to crack a small smile and say, "You're okay?"
"We're fine," assured Peter.
"You don't look so bad yourself, after last night's transformation," said James. "You're not as bruised and scratched as you usually get."
Remus struggled to sit up and looked down at himself to realize that, in fact, he hadn't caused himself more than a few scrapes and bruises, all mild. He looked back at the other Marauders, a small trickle of fear present in his eyes. "Did…did I hurt anyone?"
"Nah," replied Sirius. Cracking a smile, he added, "Frankly, I don't see what the big deal was. Your werewolf form was absolutely delightful!"
Remus gave Sirius an incredulous look.
Follow Sirius' lead, James added, "Yeah, Moony. You've been holding out on us. Your werewolf form plays a mean game of exploding snap, though not up to your usual standards. Even Peter was able to win!"
"Huh?" asked Peter, confused.
"Yeah," said Sirius. "Moony, you just didn't want us to know how charming your werewolf could be. You wanted him all for yourself."
"I'm afraid that's not possible," added James. "Now that we know the real Moony, we're going to have to find time in our busy schedule to see him."
Remus was trying not to laugh, though the corners of his mouth betrayed him.
"I suppose we could find time, say, about once a month to spend with the delightful were-fellow," said Sirius.
"Okay! Okay!" chuckled Remus. "I get it. You didn't get hurt and somewhere inside your thick skulls you decided you actually had fun with a raging, deadly werewolf. I know there's no way to stop you from showing up. After all, you found a way in here last night…"
"Good to see you coming to your senses, Moony," grinned Sirius.
"You'd better get going," James warned Remus. "I reckon Madame Pomfrey'll be waiting by the Willow soon."
The boys helped Remus to his feet and walked with him through the tunnel. As they approached the exit the Animagi lingered behind to avoid the school nurse. Remus paused near the exit, turning around and studying the boys who had spent three long years slaving over becoming Animagi, who risked their necks sneaking into the Shrieking Shack to help him keep his mind, and who promised to help him through future transformations.
At that moment in time, even though he was weak and sore from the transformation, Remus never thought he'd been as happy as he was. He smiled and in a tight voice, said, "Thanks."
The other boys smiled back as Remus exited the Willow. The look on his face had proved to them that the hard work and the risks had been worth it.
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A/N: So, I've been building up to this moment for a LONG time. It was fun to write. Hope it was fun to read.
Thanks to my latest reviewers: Alicia78, Anu, nanopy, Anonymous (x2), astronomylover, Remus'sweetie, PottersPrincess, tigerfairy, brittanytutt, Mani12191, Watermelon!, Jo Bob, A New Reader, DreamAngel, Golden Phoenix, German Wings, James love, and Mrs. Pendragon.
Next chapter: James missed Lily's birthday last year. This year he will try to find her the 'perfect gift'.