Dear Sirius...

Part 20

Eleven Years Earlier

I met Remus in the common room. Dumbledore wanted to talk to both of us. I'm pretty sure it has to do with the full moon and his Lycanthrope.

Once we make sure no one is following us, we make our way out the portrait and into the halls of the school. It was very eerie with no one walking around to help. It was also very dark so trying to find a way around without bumping into anything is going to be pretty difficult.

"Do you know why Dumbledore wants us?" I whisper to Remus, you never know if someone is listening in this place.

"I'm not one to question Dumbledore, Layla," Remus replies.

I open my mouth to respond, but know that there really isn't a reason to argue.

We make our way down to the main entrance, following each instruction Dumbledoor gave us carefully. Even though we had the instructions, we still had to look out for Peeves and Filch.

If Filch caught us, no amount of pleading about how Dumbledore wanted us could save us. But if Peeves caught us, there was no way out of that one. He would practically wake up the whole school, then what would come of our secret meeting?

We wait in complete silence until we hear footsteps making its way to us. I hold my breath pleading to myself that it’s not Filch. He really creeps me out. And his cat, Mrs. Norris.

“Ready?” Dumbledore’s voice echoes through the entrance hall. I let out a relieved breath.

Dumbledore waves his wand in front of the door making a bunch of clicking sounds following after. He opens the door wide enough for all three of us to walk out of the school.

“Where are we going Professor?” Remus asks.

“You need a place for the full moon,” Dumbledoor says, as we walk across the grounds. “That’s exactly where we are going.”

“So why am I here?” I ask.

Dumbledore ignores my question and keeps walking on. I look to Remus for some sort of answer, but he just shrugs his shoulders in reply. We come to a stop in front of the Whomping Willow, the same tree that Dumbledore told us not to go near the first day.

“Uh -” I start, “Professor?”

“Don’t worry, Ms. Lupin,” Dumbledore said.

He bends down and picks up a rock. I look at Remus confused, but he is looking on with wide learning eyes. Dumbledore then throws the rock at a part of the tree, the wild branches stopping in their tracks.

“Amazing,” Remus whispers to himself.

Dumbledore starts walking towards an opening by the roots of the Whomping Willow. Remus follows after without a second thought. Are we really going to follow our Professor into a tree that has been known to injury students? Guess my answer came when Dumbledore jumped into the hole, and Remus shortly after.

I shake my head but follow them inside. We have a Professor with us, it’s not like we are going to be breaking any rules, and if something does happen he will know how to take care of it.

Inside the tree was darker than the school but soon filled by the light of Dumbledore's wand.

“When you come down here, Remus,” Dumbledore said, looking into his eyes. “Use Lumos to get light. Try the spell now, both of you.”

I pull my wand out from my pocket. Remus already has the spell down, light bouncing off the wall around him.

“Lumos,” I say. Nothing happens. “Lumos.” This time light appeared out the top of my wand. Would've been embarrassing if I never got the spell down.

Dumbledore nods his head and heads off deeper into the tree. Where are we going?

What took like forever, we finally made our way to the end of the tunnel thing. Dumbledore points his wand up at a latched door. Remus hands me his wand while he lifts the door open. What looks like a house forms on the other side.

Remus was the first one inside, I followed next, then Dumbledore. We stand in an entrance area. Stairs on the left side of me leading up to two other rooms. A long hallway that looks to lead to a sitting room and kitchen.

“Where are we?” I ask.

“This is called the Shrieking Shack,” Dumbledore says.

“You mean the tunnel took up into Hogsmead?” Remus asks. Dumbledore nods his head. “Excuse me Professor, but how is this supposed to help me and my condition? Won’t people hear my howls?”

A shudder moves down Remus’s spine, he shakes every thought in his head away. I give him a reassuring smile. He is very worried about being found out and having to be sent home after. I try to reassure him that won’t happen, but he doesn’t want to listen to me.

“I made this place seem haunted,” Dumbledore said. “No one will come near this place, and your howls will be covered as haunting screams.”

Remus nods his head, soaking up every word coming from his mouth.

“That’s great and all,” I chime in, “but why am I learning about this?”

“For if Remus gets hurt, of course,” Dumbledore says. “He trusts you, and because of that, if anything ever happens to him, you can help him.”

That makes sense, but why did it take Dumbledore this long to tell me?

“You’ll be safe here, Remus,” Dumbledore says. “Don’t worry too hard.”

That’s easier said than done, this is Remus we are talking about. He always worries.