In love with a Weasley (Charlie Weasley)

POA 17

"Technically the Ministry don't know everything" I mutter under my breath but Moony heard as he sends me a small smile. Moony started to laugh as he spoke again

"Right again, Hermione!" he said. "But the Ministry never knew that there used to be three unregistered Animagi running around Hogwarts."

"I you're going to tell them the story, get a move on, Remus," Pad's said still watching Scabbers's every desperate move. "I've waited twelve years, I'm not going to wait much longer." I sent him a quick are you serous look making him be quite.

"All right... but you'll need to help me, Sirius. I only know how it began" Moony broke off. There had been a loud creak behind him. The bedroom door had opened of its own accord. We all stared at it. Then Moony strode toward it and looked out into the landing. "No one there"

"This place is haunted!" Ron said.

"It's not," Moony said still looking at the door in a puzzled way. "The Shrieking Shack was never haunted"

"He was the ghosts" I said pointing at Moony smiling.

"The screams and howls the villagers used to hear were indeed made by me." He pushed his greying 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 bitter and if I hadn't been so fool hardy" He looked sober and tired. Ron started to interrupt, but Hermione, said.

"Shh!" She was watching Moony 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" I look at my godfather his face showing sadness "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'm 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." I scoff at this, why was he always treated like he was some disease. He sent me a sad look before continuing "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" Moony 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" He 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." The only sound apart from Moony'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 rumour. Even now, when the house has been silent for years, the villagers don't dare approach it."

"Some people are idiots" I mumble as Moony sends me a warning look. I hold my hands up in surrender.

"But apart from my transformations, I was happier than I had ever been in my life. For the first time ever, I had friends, three great friends. Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and, of course, your father, James Potter. Now, my three friends could hardly fail to notice that I disappeared once a month. I made up all sorts of stories. I told them my mother was ill, and that I had to go home to see her. I was terrified they would desert me the moment they found out what I was. But of course, they, like you, Hermione, worked out the truth" I sent her a glare still pissed about the way she outed Moony "And they didn't desert me at all. Instead, they did something for me that would make my transformations not only bearable, but the best times of my life. They became Animagi."