The Marauders and the Fetch of Hogwarts

"Hey, Remus?" Sirius said around a mouthful of chicken that evening. "You written your father yet about staying over the winter holidays?"

Remus slapped his forehead. "I forgot!"

"Will he?" Peter asked anxiously, mashing his fork into his mashed potatoes. "You seem close. He might want you home."

James grimaced. "I had to practically beg my parents. They were going to Wales to visit my aunt and uncle over the holidays. They weren't happy I wanted to stay."

Remus sighed. "Papa won't like it, but he'll let me, I'm sure," he told them. "I miss him," he confessed a few minutes later.

Sirius nodded. "If I had an old man like that, I'd miss him too." Sirius gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"If I were our old man, I wouldn't miss you," came the snide voice of Sirius younger brother behind them. The four boys turned around with wary expressions on their faces. "You're too easy a target to miss, big brother."

"Sod off, poster-child-for-a-beating," Sirius said mildly, turning back to his chicken. Regulus sneered at Remus and sauntered off. "I hate that little..." Sirius' voice trailed off and he sighed. "Thank Merlin, my parents are letting me stay. They begged me." Sirius grinned wickedly. "I demanded another 25 galleons and they delivered!"

Remus smiled along with others, but he didn't feel anything but pity for Sirius. How son and parents could be so at odds with each other was more than Remus could understand.

That evening Remus sat down and wrote his father while Peter helped Sirius with the magical creatures assignment.

Dear Papa,

I know you are probably looking forward to the Christmas holiday and my coming home, but I would like to stay at Hogwarts. James, Sirius and Peter are staying and it doesn't seem right that I shouldn't either. I do miss you and Teffie, though, and I want to see you again. But can I stay?

Love,

Remus

Remus,

Yes, of course you may stay. Why you felt the need to beg is beyond me. I took my time in responding to speak with the Headmaster about my possibly visiting Christmas day and participating in the feast that evening. It's unusual for a parent to do so, but Dumbledore seemed content to allow me for the day, considering the circumstances. I look forward to seeing you at Christmas.

Love,

Papa

The full moon fell toward the end of the month and Remus was ready. He'd curbed his intake of heavy foods two days before and drank a larger amount of water than usual. The water was easiest, considering James, Sirius and Peter were constantly shoving full water glasses at him. He took himself off, ostensibly to meet with Professor Dumbledore as usual, and met Madame Pomfrey downstairs.

"Ready?" The nurse witch smiled warmly at him and Remus smiled back.

"As ready as I ever could be!" he quipped. She only chuckled. Both knew the transformations were not easy on him and Remus thought that perhaps she found his attitude admirable.

Once the painful transformation ended the wolf laid down by the cold fireplace exhausted. Two hours later, the wolf awoke and began to restlessly pace the downstairs. Out of sheer boredom, it loped upstairs and scratched at each securely fastened and boarded window. It was a half-hearted attempt at an escape; the werewolf had long since discovered that there was no way out of its wooden prison.

Suddenly the ears perked up again. Sounds drifted to him from the outside.

"I can't believe we're doing this again," came the soft words.

"I can," came another voice.

The wolf growled softly in its throat. It tore downstairs and headed straight for the shack's front door. He scratched and whined, snarled and grunted, but elicited no reaction other than whispered mutterings and scuffling sounds outside.

"Hey, boy," called a voice that the wolf recognized. It was the leader of the young humans that the wolf recalled meeting before. "We're not gonna hurt you."

"James, you prat!" snapped one of the other voices. "It's a werewolf. It's going to hurt us."

"It's Remus," protested the leader. "He wouldn't hurt us."

"Look, mate, even if we're right and Remus really is a werewolf," argued the second voice, "the werewolf isn't going to recognize us. He's just going to see us as a midnight snack. And Remus is going to wake up tomorrow morning short three friends."

"This is mad," whimpered a third voice. "Let's just leave, okay?" There was a long pause broken only by the wolf's whines to get out. "Please?"

"James, what in the bloody hell are you doing?!" The wolf picked up the strong scent of the leader. With werewolf on one side of the door and boy on the other, the two met as much as they could.

"We'll see you next time, Remus. You're our friend, we'll take care of you." The werewolf, not understanding the words, did not find the intended comfort in them. With a sudden burst of energy, the animal slammed against the door. "Whoa!" cried the boy and the beast within heard stumbling footsteps.

"Let's get out of here before someone comes to investigate!" snarled the second boy.

"Like Dumbledore!" squeaked the third. "If he catches us again, we're in so much trouble!" Footsteps faded away, taking away the wolf's only available prey.

The werewolf howled its displeasure to the wooden ceiling, and the moon, above.