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I Solemnly Swear that I am up to No Good
#16
I'll do no such thing! You'll just have to wait like everyone else. Tongue
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#17
I like yours too. I can't wait to find out what happens next.
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#18
Thanks, and don't worry chapter 4 will be up soon.
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#19
Ok, I'm starting a new system of having previews of the next chapters. And since chapter 5 hasn't been written yet, I'll have to put chapter 4 on hold for a few more days.

Now, for my evil plan... a preview of chapter 4 has been added to chapter 3 for those of you interested. But it's only a preview. Heheheh...
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#20
Apparently I've given up being evil. o-o Here's chapter 4, a little long, but it has to be.



I Solemnly Swear that I am up to No Good
Chapter 4: The Start of Term


Sirius awoke with a start. A good thing, too: his mother screaming at him again wasn’t exactly a good dream. But she always did that, so it was no surprise that he was forced think about her when even he was miles away.

“Oh, God…” he yawned, scratching his head and further rumpling his black hair. He pulled back the curtains of his four poster bed and took in the scene: Peter had fallen out of his bed, and now lay on the floor entangled in a mass of sheets. From behind his curtains James gave a loud snort. Another boy was mumbling something in his sleep, to low to make anything out. But Sirius really didn’t care about any of that. He’d just noticed something… One of their number was missing.

‘Where’d he wander off to?’ Sirius wondered. ‘He told us he wasn’t leaving until later.’

Pulling on his uniform, which now sported a red and gold Gryffindor badge, he checked the clock and let out a groan. 6:45… His mother, it seemed, would never let him sleep in. He tied the laces of his sneakers and then combed his hair as someone else gave another loud snort in their sleep. James obviously wasn’t getting up any time soon, so it would be in his best interests, Sirius reasoned, to just lounge around in the Common Room until someone else woke up. He pulled his school bag over his shoulder and headed down for what was sure to be a long and boring wait. Already becoming impatient and having nothing better to do, he jumped the last few stairs trying to make as much noise as possible. He didn’t disturb quite who he had hoped.

“You do realize people are still sleeping?” Remus said from the sofa. Once again, he had had his nose in a book. Apparently for some time, too.

Sirius merely shrugged, throwing himself into an armchair beside the fireplace. “How long’ve you been up?” he asked, noticing only now that his friend had already prepared his school bag.

“Not long,” Remus replied. “I think it was about 6-ish.”

“Why so early?” Sirius could not stop himself from asking the question, however foolish it was to do so. Remus, however, seemed to find it more amusing than foolish. He looked as though he had expected something like this to happen, like this was just a scene from a play in which he was well versed. His reply certainly seemed rehearsed enough for one.

“I’ve never found it easy to sleep before visiting someone ill.” he said in a “that’s the end of it” sort of tone.

But Sirius persisted. His curiosity was getting the better of him, and he could hardly contain the questions. “You do this a lot?”

“Unfortunately.” He sounded bitter, and must have noticed it too, because he smiled, adding, “Well, more than I would like anyway. It’s not the most pleasant of experiences.”

“I can imagine,” said Sirius, though this was completely untrue. Being a “disgrace to the once proud Black family,” he had never been able to get out much. If he wasn’t locked inside his bedroom, his time was rapidly consumed by work. The only people he had ever seen ill were his immediate family: his mother and father, or his younger brother Regulus.

Silence followed his words, only broken by the occasional sound of paper as Remus resumed flipping through the pages of his book. Sirius soon became tired of this; he had never been one to sit still for long. It was not that he couldn’t, this was merely another of his habits. Silence in his home usually meant something (most likely a bad something) was about to take place. To keep himself occupied, he began fingering a loose thread on his armchair, pulling and twisting the crimson fabric into various shapes until his mind began to wander…



xXx




“Wha…?”

“Breakfast should have started by now.” Remus stood over him, checking the time on his watch. “Are you coming or not?”

Wha - Oh, yeah.” Sirius said stupidly, his mind returning to him. He stood up, and slinging his bag over his shoulder exited the Common Room behind his friend. The two of them began trying to retrace their steps from the night before, hoping there would be a familiar object to remind them of the way they had come.

“This school is huge, how do they expect anyone to find their way around?” Sirius wondered aloud.

“Well, I imagine the portraits would help somewhat.” Replied Remus, who had just noticed the portraits of Angela and Thomas a few flights down on the staircase.

“Yeah…” Sirius felt his curiosity welling up again, begging, pleading with him to ask this one question, however rude it might be to do so. He tried hard to resist, but when were 11-year-olds ever known for their self-control? He submitted to himself, asking suddenly, “So what’s this relative of yours got anyway?”

This time Remus didn’t seem so prepared. “It’s my mother,” he began, strongly at first, but his voice started wavering as he went on. And she’s got er… I don’t know exactly… all they told us was that there was no cure.”

“Oh,” said Sirius, realizing now that he should not have asked. “Sorry for asking.”

“Why did you?” Remus was trying to sound casual, but it was painfully obvious that this was of great importance to him.

“I er… just wanted to see if there was anything I could do…” he lied, when really, he had had no such intentions. Sirius hated lying, especially to a friend, but was better than explaining he’d asked only out of simple curiosity.

“Thanks, but there’s nothing anyone can do.”

They finally arrived at the Great Hall, and because it was early yet, they had free range of their Table. They chose to sit across from one another near its far side. Sirius and James had always sat side by side; it was one of their constant and unwavering habits, that neither of them was keen on forsaking. Sirius felt a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he suddenly remembered the looks on his mother’s ragged old face after she received word of the various pranks he and “that Potter Boy” had concocted one day. Priceless… He took a stack of toast from a nearby tray and looked up at the Enchanted Ceiling. So far so good, the sky was a pale blue, though a bit hazy. There wasn’t a cloud in sight, and Sirius became a bit more cheerful knowing everything was off to a good start.

The other students had begun to arrive now, and Sirius began searching through the small groups of people for James. Sure enough, he spotted him within minutes, Peter following in his wake. James yawned heavily as he sat down next to his best friend, poring himself a glass of juice.

“You look like a zombie.” Sirius pointed out, noticing the dark circles under James’ eyes.

“Thanks, Mr. Point-out-the-obvious-a-lot.” said James dryly. “I hadn’t noticed…. So you really couldn’t hear him?”

“Hear who? I didn’t hear a thing all night.”

“Him!” James pointed furiously at Peter, now seated next to Remus, who became suddenly stiff, as though frozen in place by the intensity of James’ icy stare. “He’s the loudest sleeper alive!”

“I said I was sorry!” squeaked Peter, finally able to move enough to defend himself.

James said nothing, so Peter began glancing nervously at everyone. But the silence did not last long. Mere minutes after Peter’s apology, somewhere, a first year girl began screaming.

“Look, look!” She called wildly. “Owls!”

Sirius looked where she was pointing: a small square window placed high above the door from which hundreds of owls were now poring through, all carrying mail for the students. He had expected a quiet morning, so Sirius looked with surprise at the black owl now flying towards him, carrying a small red envelope. The owl dropped the letter in front of him without stopping and hurried back out the small window from which he had come. With a jolt of horror, Sirius saw that the corners of the envelope had begun to smoke.

“That’s a…” he began.

“Howler.” The others finished.

“Open it.” James advised. “If you open it, it won’t be nearly as bad!”

Sirius nodded grimly, and hands trembling, peeled back the seal of the envelope. Instantly, a shrill, harsh female voice rang through the hall.

“SIRIUS BLACK!” she shrieked. “HOW DARE YOU?! RUNNING THE BLACK NAME INTO THE GROUND! EVERY MEMBER OF THIS FAMILY BEFORE YOU HAS BEEN IN SLYTHERIN, THE ONLY RESPECTABLE HOUSE! BUT YOU! YOU CONSTANTLY FEEL THE NEED TO CAUSE UNDUE TROUBLE AND FORSAKE YOUR HERITAGE! YOU ARE PUREBLOOD, AND I WILL NOT HAVE YOU RUNNING AMOCK WITH WHATEVER HALFBREEDS AND MUDBLOOD FILTH THAT CRACKPOT DUMBLEDORE HAS LET INTO THAT SCHOOL! REMEMBER WHERE YOU COME FROM, SIRIUS, OR I’LL SHOW YOU.”

The previously noise Hall had become totally silent, allowing his mother’s voice to echo along the walls.

Remember where you come from, Sirius, or I’ll show you!

Sirius covered his face in his hands, seething with anger at his mother. She was unbelievable. Absolutely evil. ‘That vial, wicked, wretched old HAG!’ Sirius imagined his mother sitting before him and wrung his hands around her snake-like neck before gathering up his quill, tossing it in ink, and allowing his hand to fly over a piece of parchment:

Dear Mother,
Thank you for those kind words. Unfortunately, your “Noble House of Black” will have to join the Dark wizards without me. Don’t worry though, since I’ve made it into Gryffindor, the best of the four houses, I’ll have plenty of time to socialize with all the half breeds and mudbloods you like so much. And as for my education? Dumbledore is one of the greatest wizards out there, and I’m sure you will come to respect him in due time.

Hoping to never hear from you again,
Sirius.


He had written so furiously, the paper had been torn and scratched in several places, and some of the ink had been smudged. Sirius didn’t care; he could only smile at the thought of how his mother would react upon reading his letter. Surely her heart would stop, if she had one…

By now the Hall had returned nearly to normal, and aside from the laughs and jeering of a few Slytherins, it would have appeared that the incident had been all but forgotten. Not wanting another “moment”, the teachers thought it best to begin passing out schedules. Sirius’ mood only worsened as he saw Professor McGonagall passing out the Gryffindor’s. As she handed James and Sirius their schedules respectively, she had a highly annoyed look upon her face that clearly said “I know it was you.” But she did not start a confrontation, as Sirius had expected her to. She turned instead to Remus.

“You must be Mr. Lupin?” she asked kindly.

Remus either could not, or would not look at her. “Yes.” He continued to stare at his shoes as she handed him his schedule.

“When will you be leaving tonight?” she continued kindly.

“Around six,” he mumbled, still refusing to meet her gaze.

She smiled understandingly, something which Sirius was amazed to see made her icy exterior melt faster than an ice cube in the desert. “Very well,” she said. “Don’t worry, I’m sure everything will be fine.” She cast a venomous glance at James and Sirius, the icy exterior returning in a hail of snow and wind, before returning to handing out the schedules.

“What was that about?” James had asked what Sirius was thinking.

“Didn’t I tell you I was leaving this afternoon?” Remus replied.

“Oh, right.”

That conversation was clearly over, so -  

“So what classes have we got together?” asked Sirius suddenly, curious to see how he would spend his first year. He was tempted to cross his fingers for good luck, hoping desperately that there was something on those tiny pieces of parchment that would improve his dark mood.

“Well, let’s see…” James took each of their schedules and placed them beside his own. “We’ve all got Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, and History of Magic together. Sirius, you and Remus have Astronomy on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Peter and I’ve got it Wednesdays and Fridays but that class doesn’t start until next week, the three of you have Herbology together, and then Remus, Sirius and I have Charms together.”

“Cool,” Sirius said, his heart lifting a little. “Means for the most part we won’t have to be alone in a class. Where do we go first?”

“Transfiguration.”

“Alright, let’s go!”

The four of them quickly gathered their bags and headed out of the Hall in search of their first class. They didn’t know their surroundings yet, so to them, Hogwarts was an unimaginable maze of stone. After all, there were over 100 staircases. They quickly discovered the castle was not as simple a maze as they had previously thought. Most of the doors were normal, but occasionally you would run into a few that were odd to say the least. There were doors that refused to open unless you asked politely, or unless you solved a riddle or answered a question. It seemed the whole building was against them when they found a stone wall pretending to be a door. And worse, it was impossible to remember where anything was when it moved! The people in the portraits were constantly visiting each other, and Sirius was dead sure he saw a suit of armor walking around.

The Ghosts didn’t help much either. Sirius thought he might die of shock after one of them walked through him sending icy chills down his spine. The Gryffindor ghost Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, or Nearly Headless Nick as he was called by the students, had pointed them in the right direction when they had found him trying to join the Headless Hunt. However, this lead to a brief run in with Peeves the Poltergeist, and they were forced down a trick staircase and somehow wound up inside a locked room on the fourth floor.

Sirius thanked whatever had caused them to leave early. “It should never… be this hard to…. find a… stupid classroom.” He panted as they finally reached the Transfiguration class. With a pang, he had realized they only had four minutes to the start of class. The four seated themselves in a row near the back just as Professor McGonagall began.

“Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will study at Hogwarts.” she began sternly. “Anyone goofing off in my class will be sent away and they will not return. You have been warned.”

At this, she proceeded to transform her desk into a large goat. Sirius watched in awe as it walked around the classroom. It really was a goat! It had even begun to eat a scrap of parchment that had been lying on the floor! The Professor coaxed it back into the proper position, and with a slight flick of her wand, a desk stood in place of the animal. Sirius smiled maliciously as he imagined himself turning a Slytherin into some kind of small animal, nearly crying with laughter from the image, but it was soon clear that that was not going to happen any time soon. After taking several pages of complex notes, McGonagall gave each of them a match and instructed them to turn it into a needle. At the end of the lesson, only Remus had made any change with his, turning it a light shade of silver. After awarding the victorious with 10 house points, she set the homework assignment of practicing over night, and finally dismissed the class. There was a lot more to magic, Sirius learned, than flicking a wand and saying a few funny words. The rest of the day was spent in classes much like McGonagall’s. All Sirius had to show for his efforts was a large pile of homework in need of completion.

After a large supper, Sirius returned to the Common Room to find several students getting a head start on their work. Remus sat at a table in the corner, finishing a brief paper titled, “Wand Safety: The Proper Use of a Wand.” He looked worse than he had at the sorting.

“You alright?” Sirius asked, and not for the first time. “You look like you’re going to puke.”

“I’m fine.”

“No, seriously. You should –”

“Sirius, please.” He said, his voice uncharacteristically harsh. “I have to finish this before I leave.”

“You can’t just take it with you?” Sirius was confused. What could possibly interfere with something as trivial as schoolwork?

“I- No. I can’t.”

“But why?”

“Just stop asking so many questions!”

Sirius took a step back. Remus had risen from his chair, which had fallen backwards from the force with a soft thud. Sirius could sense people watching.

“Remus, I –”

“I have to go.” And without another word, Remus headed over to the exit, leaving his work scattered on the table and Sirius chained under the inescapable gaze of the other students.




Preview of Chapter 5
Emerging from his bedroom, Remus crept silently down the stairs searching for the source of the yelling. Rounding the corner into the living room, he crouched behind his favorite chair, hiding from the two people by the front door.

“You don’t know what you’re refusing, Lupin!” shouted a tall, unkempt looking man in the doorway. “You’re giving up a great opportunity to –”

“To what, Greyback?” his father shouted back. “To give up everything and go serve this crackpot Volde-whatsits-”

“How dare you insult the greatest wizard who will ever live!” the man raised a fist to attack, but Mr. Lupin was faster. Raising his wand, he yelled, “Stupefy!” Grayback was knocked off his feet and landed hard on his back. Cursing, he got to his feet and pulled out his own wand.

“You’re going to regret this.” He growled through his fang-like teeth.
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#21
Nice, can't wait to see chapter 5. ^_^
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#22
Hopefully you won't have to wait long, chapter 5 is pretty much done. It's chapter 6 I'm worried about, and since I'm posting previews, chapter 6 needs to be planned before I can post chapter 5.
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#23
Don't worry you can get it. (man my chapter 4 is starting to be a pain)
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#24
Chapter 4's tend to do that... Just wait until you get to chapter 6. ><
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#25
Hehe! I bet you know all about that. ^_^
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#26
Pure torture. It's not fun.
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#27
^_^ Don't worry you can get it.
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#28
w00t, new chapter!

I Solemnly Swear that I am up to No Good
Chapter 5: There’s this cat….



Only the echoes of his footsteps followed Remus as he descended the spiral staircase. Rage had infected his mind, killing all rational thoughts like a disease. It filled his veins, and all he could think of was getting away from the Tower. He didn’t care that he had made a scene, didn’t care that he had walked out on Sirius, and he certainly didn’t care about the consequences or repercussions of what he had done. But suddenly, he stopped. This wasn’t like him... Only when he thought back on the incident did he realize that he had not really been angry with Sirius; he had instead been fleeing his questions. Angry with himself now, he continued down the stairs until he finally reached the Entrance Hall. This was to be the first of many trips of its kind he would have to take, neither any better than the last.

The school Healer, Madam Poppy Pomfrey, had been waiting for him near the entrance. She nodded in greeting, before moving towards the doors.

“Ready?” she asked her tone mirthless, deathly soft.

He nodded in grim confirmation, following her out into the darkened grounds. The frost-covered grass crunched beneath his shoes, and his breath fogged in the cool pre-autumn air. Darkness fell rapidly as they trekked down the sloping grounds. Soon the trees of the Forbidden Forest began to cast sinister shadows, causing the once charming, benign forest to appear malevolent and dangerous.

Their destination was no less ominous. The Whomping Willow, though still very much a sapling, sat perched on a small hill with its boughs held firmly upright, ready to attack any unwary passersby. Its trunk was clean, and otherwise unblemished except for a small knot, located on one of its massive roots. One would never be able to tell just by looking at the tree that there was a secret, undocumented tunnel running below it, whose existence was known only to select few. The true purpose of the Willow was not to be an educational recourse as Professor Dumbledore had told the students, but rather to guard the tunnel and, if necessary, to protect the castle residents.

There was only one way to enter the tunnel safely. Remus had been told that theoretically, the tree could be deterred by the Immobulous Charm, but he had never been taught to use it. Indeed, the only way to stun the tree was carefully disguised as just another feature: the knot. Picking up a fallen branch from a nearby pine tree, Madam Pomfrey inched her way towards the Willow, careful not to give it any reason to attack. Once she was close enough, she began to prod the knot. The tree gave a small shudder before becoming still as stone, and not a leaf or twig stirred.

She had no other purpose for staying, and so she turned to him saying “I’ll return for you in the morning,” She began making her way back to the castle.

Remus now turned his attention to the tunnel. Now that the Willow had been frozen, it was clearly visible. It was smaller than he had expected, and he had to bend over nearly double just to pass through it. For a simple earthen tunnel, it was rather long, and well-preserved. The only sign that time had passed since its construction were the tiny roots of the Willow and the surrounding forest. In the darkness, he had to almost feel his way around in order to avoid tripping over them. They dangled from the dirt ceiling as well, tickling his cheeks and brushing through his hair like cobwebs. By now it was too dark to tell how far he had gone without any markings of signs, but he guessed it was a fair distance, maybe a half a mile.

But suddenly, the tunnel began to rise, and twist. Coming around the turn Remus could see a beam of light shining through a small opening. Pulling himself up and out of the hole, he took a look at his surroundings. It was a small room, with furniture, complete with tables and chairs. There were a few windows, some with their shades drawn, others left partially opened. A think layer of dust covered everything; it looked as though the place had been hastily abandoned. But then, it was suppose to look like that. In truth, it had been build recently, some time during the summer. To the left, there was a set of stairs that led farther in, perhaps even to the second floor, but Remus decided not to go any further. Throwing himself into a dusty armchair, all he could do now was think wait for the inevitable…

At first, the only thoughts that crossed is mind were of school. Did he have any incomplete homework? Was there something he had been supposed to do? He’s been to angry with Sirius and his friends before leaving to—His friends. Would they forgive him for the way he had treated Sirius? And what would he tell them in the morning about where he had gone? He’d never thought about that before, and all sorts of fantastic explanations began to make their way to the forefront of his mind. Usually, his parents would have been the ones to say something, but he was on his own now.

‘Maybe that’s good for them though...’ he thought slowly. He hated how his parents lives had become nearly as isolated as his own. When he was younger, he would sometimes hear them arguing over him. His mother, a muggle, had the hardest time coping with things. But even when his parents were together, he knew they were trying as hard as they could to make life as normal as possible. He could see the strain in their eyes, no matter if they were smiling or not. The day he received his Hogwarts letter was the one day when it wasn’t so evident, the day their efforts seemed to pay off.

The sun had finally vanished beyond the horizon, leaving the visible sky a dark hue of purple, and the dusty room slowly filled with darkness. In that gloomy, sad room all he could do was wait for the inevitable….

xXx

As he walked down the hallway, the yelling grew louder. Remus had left the safety of his bedroom to investigate more, and it seemed he was getting close. He climbed down the staircase, ignoring the family photographs that hung on the walls, and doing his best to avoid the ones that creaked when stepped on. It didn’t seem like a good time to be noticed. He emerged into the living room, a small area with 3 chairs, a coffee table, and a television that sat in the corner opposite the front door. He crept silently behind his favorite chair, a blue recliner that for now was taller than he was, and held his breath as the scene unfolded before him.

“You don’t know what you’re refusing, Lupin!” shouted a tall, unkempt looking man in the doorway. “You’re giving up a great opportunity to –”

“Oh, believe me, I do, Grayback.” his father shouted back. “You want us to give up everything and go serve this crackpot Volde-whatsits-”

“How dare you insult the greatest wizard who will ever live! You filthy blood traitor!” He spat on the ground at his feet.

“I’d advise you to leave.” said his father warningly. “I don’t want to make you.” He put his hand into on of his pockets.

Grayback looked murderous. “You little –” The man went to grap his own want, but Mr. Lupin was faster. Raising his wand he yelled, “Stupefy!” Grayback was blasted off his feet and landed hard on his back.

Cursing loudly, he got to his feet and pulled out his own want. “You’re going to regret that.” He growled through fang-like teeth.

Father! This was too much. This man, who ever he was, was going to hurt his father, he had to do something! Forsaking the protection of the chair, he rushed over to his father’s side, not caring about anything else.

“Remus!” his father looked terrified. “What are you doing, get out of-”

“You have a child.” Grayback laughed coldly. “You will regret this meeting, Mr. Lupin. You’re son will see to that.” Without another word, he turned and was lost to the darkness. Remus suddenly found himself being dragged back into the living room.

“Father, I-” he began, but was cut off.

“Remus, if you ever see that man again I want you to stay as far away form him as you can. Do you understand?”

“Father-”

“Do you understand?” He knelt so that he was eye-to-eye with his son. He was serious.

Remus nodded quickly, but he didn’t really. What did he have to do with all this? What could possibly make that man so dangerous? He obviously was though: Remus had never seen his father so upset.

“Good.” His father seemed to visibly relax. Standing up again, he smiled. “Now, go back to bed. You shouldn’t have to worry about this again.”


Lying on the stiff boards of the house, Remus awoke in a cold sweat. He was trembling all over, partially from fear, partially from the shock. His whole body ached, and he could hardly move for the pain, but the worst part of that night was over.

“Just a dream…”

No, a memory. The cause of everything his family now had to go to, and all because he had disobeyed his father. He’s gone wandering instead of going to bed, and as a consequence was bitten by a werewolf. He hadn’t found out until recently that the werewolf in question had been that man, Grayback. Remus tried for a while to forgive him, but the guilt he felt for his disobedience and what it had caused was something he would no doubt carry to the grave, a permanent scar. He remembered the looks in his parent’s eyes when it was confirmed that he had been infected and for a second, the thought of never getting up again passed through his mind…

A sudden sharp pain only served to remind him that he couldn’t though, whatever he may want. He’d been unconscious on the floor for quite some time, judging by the amount of sunlight coming in from the windows. He couldn’t sit here forever, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to get up without some help. He pulled himself over to the chair he’d sat in - and realized with a jolt that large chunks of it had been torn out and one if its legs almost completely removed.

He straightened up on what was left of it, and ignoring the objections from his limbs made his way back through the tunnel and out to the castle. He’d been lucky this time. Only 3 months ago he had been bedridden for days because of his injuries, which this time were relatively small by comparison. It seemed the house had taken most of the damage.

Still, only Madam Pomfrey would be able to let him return to his school work. She would have the final say in all matters of this kind for the rest of his time at Hogwarts. He sincerely wanted to return to class, but he couldn’t help but wonder what the students would say if he showed up in the middle of a class battered and bruised. He racked his mind for a few good explanations before reaching the exit.

Just a she had promised she would, Madam Pomfrey was there waiting for him. She was sitting nearby, sort of looking around the grounds, her lips pursed. Clearly she’d been waiting for a while. A sharp intake of breath made her look up in time to see him wince as his ribs sent a wave of pain through his torso. Rushing over, she immediately began to examine him for anything serious.

Remus tried lightening the mood as best he could.

“I’ll have to repair these.” He said, forcing a laugh as he examined his now tattered and ruined robes.

“It’s no laughing matter.” Madam Pomfrey scoffed. Cupping his chin in a hand, she began to inspect a large cut on his cheek. Rolling up his sleeves, she say another large cut along his left forearm, caked with dry blood. That and a few sprains seemed to be the worst of it, aside from the less notable but more numerous cuts, bruises, and scratches. He wished more than anything to be invisible.

He really had been lucky….

xXx

“What happened to you?” Sirius mouthed from across the classroom as McGonagall continued her lessons up front. Remus ignored him, but the shocked looks upon his three friends faces meant he hadn’t heard the last of it. Madam Pomfrey had taken care of his more serious injuries, and after insisting he had to return to class, he had changed into his uniform, grabbed his bag and rushed strait to class. Half of his mind now wished he had stayed in the hospital wing.

A few students continued to glance back at him occasionally, and he sunk as low as he could into his chair. He tried to focus on his notes; he’d need them for a test coming the following Monday. But try as he might, the only thing he could think of was what he needed to do next. He wasn’t looking forward to returning to Gryffindor Tower that night.

The day inched by slowly, morning turning into afternoon in the amount of time it seemed to take a dozen hours to pass. He received the same reaction in every class he went to that day: students staring, asking questions, the teachers remaining firmly silent. It was, for the most part, what he had expected to happen since he first boarded the Hogwarts Express. But expecting it didn’t make it any less difficult. Still, he’d need to get used to this. It was like he had thought hours ago in that dusty shack: He was alone.

Gryffindor Common room was loud and bustling, the usual after classes were over. A fire roared happily in the fireplace, and no one said anything about his sudden reappearance. And yet, there was a certain awkwardness in the air he couldn’t help but notice as he maneuvered around the splooshy armchairs, avoiding the many side glances. It felt like he was on the center stage of an act gone horribly wrong, and he wanted to get off as soon as it was possible before things got worse.

He tried to stay out of sight as much as possible, navigating the maze of furniture and bodies until he reached the staircase of the boy’s dormitories. All was quiet as he opened the door, and so he walked over to his four-poster, tossed his bag aside and collapsed into the mound of sheets. He’d been more exhausted than he thought...

In the darkness he could make out three other figures in the room.

“So…” said Sirius, lighting a nearby torch and flooding the room with a soft orange glow.

“So what?” He knew it was a stupid way to respond, but he wanted them to ask the questions. Sitting up, he quickly rattled off a few of his better explanations in his mind.

“What the hell happened to you?”

Sirius apparently didn’t hesitate to bring up the worst questions.

James and Peter were silent. He knew they were listening intently for whatever fantastic story he had to tell.

“Well?” Sirius urged when he did not respond.

“Okay, okay.” He took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself before diving in. “Remember when I said I was going to visit one of my relatives?”

They nodded in unison.

“You did, didn’t you?” asked James, leaning forward.

“Yes and another relative of mine – my aunt Bethanie – She came with us this time. And well… There’s this cat. It belongs to her, and I swear, I think it’s out to get me.”

He paused, the realization of just how that must have sounded started to set in.

“A cat.” Sirius repeated.

I spent all night thinking of explanations and this is what I came up with?!

“You’re telling us a cat did this to you?”

“Er… yes?” It had been a question. Luckily no one answered it.

Silence followed, and each moment was painfully prolonged, until it was so intense that Remus could hear his own heart beating. Would they buy it? After all, it was a completely ridiculous excuse, but it was the first one that came to mind. He was so desperate, he’d just blurted it out without thinking.

“It must really hate you.” said James smiling, but he didn’t look completely convinced. None of them did.

A few days later, the whole thing had been almost completely forgotten, and life returned slowly to normal. At breakfast, the students were talking as if nothing had happened, and for a minute it was almost as if things would continue as normally as they had been. But only for a minute.

“Guys!” shouted Sirius, running straight through the Hall to where they sat at the Gryffindor Table. “Come with me, quick! I’ve got something to show you!”

Preview of Chapter 6

Sirius led them through the darkened corridors and up to the third floor, where, hung carelessly on the wall, was the painting of a beautiful snowy owl. It's large yellow eyes quickly fixed upon the four first years, and it let out a small "Hoot" of warning.

Now they could see why. The painting was there for a reason: there was some kind of door behind it.
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#29
Love it! ^_^
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#30
Wow! I can't wait to see what happens. Please post it soon!
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