Harry Potter and Claire Smith Adventures: Book Three

Moony's Tale

"There could be unregistered Animagi, Hermione," Claire said. "Black's an Animagus and you said only Professor McGonagall was recorded as an Animagus for this century. If Black is an Animagus and the Ministry knew they could've found him by now. He was using his Animagus form as an advantage to hide from the dementors and the Ministry. If Black did that then it's possible the Scabbers could be Peter Pettigrew in his Animagus form."

"Correct, Claire!" Lupin said. "The Ministry never knew that there used to be four unregistered Animagi running around Hogwarts."

"If you're going to tell them the story, get a move on, Remus," Black snarled, who was still watching Scabbers's every desperate move. "I've waited twelve years, I'm not going to wait much longer."

"All right….but you'll need to help me, Sirius," Lupin said, "I only know how it began…."

Lupin broke off. There had been a loud creak behind him. The bedroom door had opened of its own accord. All six of them stared at it. Then Lupin strode toward it and looked out into the landing.

"No one there…."

"This place is haunted!" Ron said.

"It's not," Lupin said, still looking at the door in a puzzled way. "The Shrieking Shack was never haunted….The screams and howls the villagers used to hear were made by me."

He pushed his graying hair out of his eyes, thought for a moment, then said, "That's where all of this starts— with my becoming a werewolf. None of this could have happened if I hadn't been bitten…..and if I hadn't been so foolhardy…."

He looked sober and tired. Ron started to interrupt, but Hermione said, "Shhh!" She was watching Lupin very intently.

"I was a very small boy when I received the bite. My parents tried everything, but in those days there was no cure. The potion that Professor Snape has been making for me is a very recent discovery. It makes me safe, you see. As long as I take it in the week preceding the full moon, I keep my mind when I transform….I am able to curl up in my office, a harmless wolf, and wait for the moon to wane again. Before the Wolfsbane Potion was discovered, however, I became a fully fledged monster once a month. It seemed impossible that I would be able to come to Hogwarts. Other parents weren't likely to want their children exposed to me. But then Dumbledore became Headmaster, and he was sympathetic. He said that as long as we took certain precautions, there was no reason I shouldn't come to school…." Lupin sighed, and looked directly at Harry. "I told you, months ago, that the Whomping Willow was planted the year I came to Hogwarts. The truth is that it was planted because I came to Hogwarts. This house"—Lupin looked miserably around the room,—"the tunnel that leads to it—they were built for my use. Once a month, I was smuggled out of the castle, into this place, to transform. The tree was placed at the tunnel mouth to stop anyone coming across me while I was dangerous."

Harry couldn't see where this story was going, but he was listening raptly all the same. The only sound apart from Lupin's voice was Scabbers's frightened squeaking.

"My transformations in those days were— were terrible. It is very painful to turn into a werewolf. I was separated from humans to bite, so I bit and scratched myself instead. The villagers heard the noise and the screaming and thought they were hearing particularly violent spirits. Dumbledore encouraged the rumor….Even now, when the house has been silent for years, the villagers don't dare approach it…But apart from my transformations, I was happier than I had ever been in my life. For the first time ever, I had friends, four great friends. Sirius Black….Peter Pettigrew….and, of course, you mother, Claire—Carina Black, and your father, Harry—James Potter. Now, my four friends could hardly fail to notice that I disappeared once a month. I made up all sorts of stories. Your mother, Claire, was the only one who never bought any of my stories. She was the first to discover my secret. Carina was absolutely furious that I'd never told her or the others saying that I didn't have to go through it alone. Carina convinced me to tell the others and I eventually did. And they didn't desert me at all. Instead, they did something for me that would make my transformation not only bearable, but the best times of my life. They became Animagi."