"This is ridiculous!" Sirius shouted.
They were currently in detention and had to clean out the gum from under each desk in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom- without magic. Filch had just left to check on some other students who also had detention for trying to sneak out into Hogsmeade without their permission slips.
"Why do we need to clean this up, I'd rather go into the forbidden forest than do this," he grumbled.
"You go there anyway what are you on about?" Remus pointed out.
Sirius glared at him and Remus stuck his tongue out.
"Why aren't you working!" Filch growled as he stormed into the classroom. "Dumbledore said that I can dismiss you whenever I want, so I can keep you here all night if I wanted. So get to it!"
He slammed the door left. Ast rolled her eyes behind his back, they had already been working for two hours and the gum just didn't seem to budge. She now wished that she didn't argue with Dumbledore in order to skip detention.
A couple hours passed and the sun started setting. Ast took a few minutes break and looked over at Remus, his face was as pale as ever.
"Remus," she said with concern, "are you alright?"
The other boys looked at him too. Remus nodded.
"It's tonight, I thought it was tomorrow," James whispered to Sirius.
He didn't want Ast to hear but she did and she instantly know what he meant. The full moon. As soon as he said that, Filch came in to inspect. He took one look at Remus, who seemed too weak to even stand up, then looked at James and dismissed them all.
"Ast, go back to the common room, we'll be back," Sirius quickly said.
"What? Where are you guys going?" Ast asked, confused as to why they were leaving her out of whatever they were going to do.
"Please just go back,"
"Fine!" She said as she walked out of the classroom.
There was no way she was going to stay in the common room. She hid behind a suit of armour that was conveniently situated outside of the classroom. The boys left the room and quickly rushed through the corridor. She waited for a few seconds before running in the direction they went in. She rushed past the Entrance Hall, but did a double take when she spotted four people at the edge of the forest. She ran out of the castle, towards the boys. They were ushering Remus towards the Whomping Willow, Ast was just about to warn them about the tree when the full moon came into view from behind the clouds. The boys suddenly stopped and she hid behind a large rock.
Remus fell onto the floor, his screams piercing the silence. The boys tried to pick him up, but he was too heavy. He started growing taller, hair covered his body, clothes were ripping, and claws appeared in the place where his nails were supposed to be. Ast's eyes widened with fear and she felt rooted to the spot.
Suddenly Remus Lupin, in the form of a werewolf, stood before them. He growled at the boys, and on impulse, Ast surged forward.
"Run!" She shouted to the boys as she got in-between the boys and Remus.
"Ast are you crazy get back!" James shouted back, trying to pull her away.
"Don't worry, I've got this. Just run!"
She turned into her animagus form. The boys ran away, leaving just her and Remus. She needed to calm him down before she could manage to hide him.
Was she nervous? No, she had done this many times before with Oscar. She looked him in the eye to show that she wasn't scared or prey. She edged closer to him, still looking him in the eye. His eyes softened up and she run into the forest, away from the boys. Remus instantly followed.
"Ast! are you alright?" James and Sirius ran up to her as the sun began to rise.
Peter was nowhere to be seen.
Last night was a blur, all she remembered was that Remus was actually a werewolf and that she saved the boys from him. Speaking of Remus, where was he? She looked around the forest floor and saw him lying down. He was in his human form again, which meant the nightmare was over for another month. They were so far into the forest that she didn't know how the boys found them.
"I'm fine guys. We need to take Remus to Madam Pomfrey." She said whilst trying to stand up.
"No, lay back down, we told them where you two are and they're coming here."
Ast hadn't slept all night, she was too worried about Remus running off and attacking someone, or getting lost, never to be found again.
James went over to Remus, but Sirius stayed behind. She started to feel the Earth swaying underneath her. The thought of passing out then and there felt incredibly tempting.
"Listen, he won't remember anything so he doesn't know that you know about his 'condition'. So just keep quiet about it until he tells you." Sirius said, his eyes desperately searching hers.
Ast could tell that he cared a lot about Remus so she knew better than to go blabbing. Besides, she also had her brother to worry about.
"Yeah okay," she said, trying to focus on a spot in the distance to stop her head from spinning.
"Another thing, why didn't you tell us you were an animagus?"
Before she could answer, the swaying got worse. She was feeling light headed. The next thing she knew, everything went black.
*****
She woke up in the hospital wing. Her head was still pounding from where she hit it on a tree stump after she passed out.
"Glad you're finally awake," An unknown voice said.
She looked around the dark room to see who was talking. A boy, who looked like he was in his seventh year. A very attractive boy. Ast instantly reached up to smoothen any strands of hair that decided to stick out.
"You're not Madam Pomfrey."
The words escaped her mouth before she got a chance to stop herself.
"I should bloody well hope not. I'm only helping out to get some practice for when I leave school."
She tried to sit up but he stopped her, forcing her to lie back down.
"Where are my friends?" Ast asked.
"I don't know. I'm only doing my job."
"Well you're great help aren't you?"
"It's what I do," he smirked. "Hey, aren't you that new girl from year five? The cheat?"
"I'm not a cheat."
"I don't believe you. I mean you come to school and on the first day already know everything? That doesn't make any sense."
"Well you could just call me incredibly smart," she said cockily.
"Like I'd ever call you that." He folded his arms across his chest and raised an eyebrow.
"What's your name anyway?" She asked.
"Ben, Ben Carrow."
"Carrow, huh?"
"Could say the same about your last name, Nott."
The hospital doors bursted open and Sirius came striding in, followed by a very angry looking Madam Pomfrey.
"Black, I've told you many times that visitors aren't allowed now, you'll have to come back later," Madam Pomfrey hissed.
"Oh it's fine, she wants to see me anyway," Sirius said.
"It's up to Miss Nott." They both turned to Ast. "Do you want him to stay?"
"Yeah, why not." Ast said.
"Very well then," she sighed, turning back to Sirius. "If I hear any complaints about you, you're going straight to the headmaster. So do be on your best behavior."
"I'll try my very best ma'am," Sirius said as she walked away.
"So, where are the others?" Ast asked. "How long have I been out for?"
"They're all in the co-" Sirius looked at Ben, who was still sat by Ast's bed. "Er- do you mind?"
Ben got up and followed Madam Pomfrey to her office.
Sirius turned back to Ast. "They found you and Remus and took you both to the Hospital Wing. Remus was let out after a few hours but you were unconscious for another day."
"Merlin..." Ast said, that was longer than any time she'd ever been knocked out by a Bludger during Quidditch.
Sirius told her that Remus was a werewolf, but she already knew that. Remus was bitten by Fenir Greyback when he was just five years old. No one else knew about his condition except for the professors, Dumbledore, the boys, and now Ast.
"Ast, I need to ask you something," Sirius said.
"Sure," Ast thought she knew what was coming.
"How did you become a animagi?"
"It's a long process Sirius, I hope you haven't told anyone, though."
"No I would never, only James, Peter and I know."
"Good and I'd like to keep it that way."
"I want you to teach us how to become animgai,"
"Are you sure about that?"
"A hundred percent."
"I'll see what I can do then."
"Listen Ast, Remus won't remember anything. He doesn't know that you know about his er- condition. So please don't bring it up."
Ast nodded, "don't worry, your secret is safe with me."
"Uhm, about your brother. Is he a werewolf too?"
Ast bit the inside of her cheek, there was no point hiding it.
"He is, but please don't tell anyone."
"Don't worry, my dear, your secret is safe with me."
Sirius smiled, a broad smile that always seemed to light up the room. He helped herself to some chocolate that had been brought to her by friends.
Madam Pomfrey came back into the room, "alright Miss Nott, you're all free to go."
On their way out, Ast saw Ben again. She smiled at him and he winked back in return. Sirius looked at Ast and she could tell that he was about to ask her something about Ben so she kept walking forward until they reached the common room.