Remus woke up in an unfamiliar location with no knowledge of how he got there. Something cold and wet was on his forehead, dripping water down into his eyes. He moaned, feeling as though he had just woken up from a transformation. His whole body ached like his bones had morphed... had he been somehow knocked out until the full moon?
"Remy!"
He sat up, reaching up to catch the wet washcloth falling off his head. "Wh... what... happened...?"
Sirius was kneeling next to him with James and Peter hovering behind him. They were in some sort of passageway that Remus didn't think he'd ever been in before. "You passed out." Sirius looked very worried, his fingers digging into his thighs. "I carried you."
"Where are we?"
"Passageway that hardly anyone knows about," James answered. "Least, we doubt many people know about. We, er, weren't sure whether or not to take you to Pomfrey..."
Remus rubbed his aching head. "You carried me?"
Sirius shrugged. "Yeah. You passed out like, right after Sluggy came out of the classroom. I couldn't leave you there. What kind of person do you think I am?"
"D--didn't mean it like that." He pushed himself against the wall so he could lean back and not put as much effort into keeping upright. "So, we did it, right? It all worked out? Or am I imagining that?" That garnered him three huge grins, and all of them began talking at once. Every single student in the second year Gryffindor and Slytherin classes had been gotten, as well as Slughorn. Remus remembered now, and began laughing so hard he fell over and broke into coughing. He flapped his hand when Sirius expressed concern, promising he was fine. He didn't want to admit how much he hurt, how much agony laughing put his body in.
If I wasn't a werewolf, I'd be in worse shape, he thought, taking the cold cloth to wipe at his face. Probably still be unconscious. Possibly for a long time... He had read stories about witches and wizards overreaching their ability however he had assumed they were mostly tales written to scare people into 'staying in line'. Perhaps there was more of a grain of truth to them than he thought.
"Thank you for rescuing me," he finally said to Sirius once the three of them calmed down.
"Don't mention it," Sirius replied, and Remus thought he detected a bit of a blush though the corridor was dimly lit and his eyes hadn't really focused that well so it was hard to tell.
"I think we should do the Great Hall next," James said. "Bogey hex the Great Hall doors!"
"No." Everyone was surprised at the intensity in Sirius's voice.
"Wh--what?" James frowned at his best friend who normally would be all over this idea. "Why not?"
"Yeah, why not?" Peter echoed.
Sirius frowned, jerking his chin towards Remus. "Look what this did to him! We're not doing anything like that again, not anytime soon."
"Oh, he's fine," James grumbled. "You're fine, aren't you?"
Remus looked down at his lap. Part of him wanted to lie, to pretend that he was all right. He could pretend that he was better, more talented than he really was. "Not really," he finally admitted. "I--it hurts."
"Where?" Sirius asked.
"All over. Ch--chest, especially. Head." And I shouldn't be hurting, not still hurting, I should have stopped hurting by now. He suddenly felt worried. His healing ability hadn't been able to get rid of whatever happened which meant it was really bad.
"Should we go to Pomfrey?" Peter asked.
"No," Remus said quickly. "No. I'll be fine. I think I just need to rest..."
"It's not gonna... ummm... make you..." Sirius trailed off as he tried to figure out the right way of wording what he meant. "It won't push you into a relapse, will it?"
He shook his head. "I doubt it. This feels pretty different." Actually it felt too similar. The exhaustion, the aching... He hoped it would go away soon. He didn't want to have to go to Pomfrey cause he'd have to tell her what caused the problem. He hoped with rest he'd get better. Would he make it to Occlumency?
James came closer, crouching down next to Remus. "I'm sorry."
"Nah, don't worry about it." He thought back to the bats in Slughorn's mustache and began laughing again. "S'worth it."
"Spoken like a true--errr--whatever we are," James laughed.
"Idiots?" Remus suggested with a smile. James grinned back.
"We should call ourselves... the Bogeymen," Sirius snickered.
All three of his friends groaned, and James swatted him upside the back of his head. "No!"
Remus tried to stand up but was unable to on his own. Sirius took hold of his arm, putting it around his own shoulders, helping him to his feet. "Will this help enough?"
"It kinda hurts, you're really tall," Remus said.
So he was switched over to Peter, the one closest to his height. But Remus couldn't walk on his own at all, and Peter wasn't strong enough to help haul him along like that. James went on his other side but they decided that looked too suspicious. Finally they decided on Sirius carrying him again. Sirius crouched down and Remus miserably put his arms around Sirius's neck, feeling pathetic for having to do this. Sirius grabbed hold of Remus's ankles, sending an uncomfortable shiver through his body.
"Okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, I guess," Remus sighed.
"What's wrong?"
He didn't want to admit how much it upset him to be touched liked this. Sirius had already carried him around the school, so he shouldn't be in any position to complain. Except it really bothered him, more than he figured normal people should feel. Another mark of difference... "I'm not used to heights like this," Remus said, hoping a joke would distract them.
"Oh shut up! Just cause you're a shrimp."
"I'm perfectly average height-wise, you're the giant."
"You are NOT average, you're like... rivaling Flitwick there."
"I am not!"
"Are so."
"Okay then, Hagrid."
"Oi!"
At least nobody they passed seemed weirded out by Sirius giving him a piggyback ride. By the time they got to the tower, rumors of what happened in the dungeon got there too and it was on everyone's lips. Not that there were many students there, but the ones that were talked only about the incident. Nobody knew what really happened. It was all rumors. Two Gryffindors said someone unleashed monster bats, another group insisted they were all attacked by vicious nose bleeding spells and were all on the hospital for blood loss. All the gossip was along those lines though two things remained consistent: it happened in the dungeons, and everyone was in the hospital.
Once in the dorm Peter suggested they take Remus to the hospital wing just to at least see the other students. James jumped on that, pleading with Remus; even Sirius seemed rather insistent that Remus go.
"No, what if Pomfrey figures it out?" Sirius had set him down and he fell into his bed, worn out, still hurting. "If you wanna go, fake an injury or something." He pulled the covers up, wincing in pain as he adjusted his legs. You should go to Pomfrey, this isn't normal!
James rubbed his chin. "I guess we could hex Pete, claim a Slytherin did it."
Peter backed up. "But---aren't you more likely to be hexed by a Slytherin?"
They argued for a bit until finally James agreed to be the victim. Sirius pulled out his wand looking a little too excited to be cursing his friend, and was about to hit him with a hex when Remus shouted. They both paused, turning to face him. "Don't hex him in here!" Remus said, feeling astounded by their lack of thinking. "You take him through the common room when he's hexed, everyone'll know it was done here. At least do it elsewhere." He doubted they'd be found out in their lie that a Slytherin did it, but the least amount of evidence the better.
"Oh, good point," said Sirius. "C'mon, Jimmy. We'll be back!"
Peter turned to Remus and asked, "You sure you're gonna be okay?" as soon as they were alone.
"Should be," Remus said, hoping it was true. He suspected he would be. Eventually. His regeneration had to kick in sometime, right? "I'm just gonna try to sleep for a bit. S--sorry."
"It's fine." Pete climbed into his own bed, pulling out comic books. "If you need anything, let me know, all right?"
"Yeah, thanks." Remus shut his curtains, rolling onto his side. He intended to still make it to Occlumency no matter what. Fawley knew of their prank so it'd be no big deal if she saw, and maybe she'd know what was wrong.
*
James and Sirius were still missing when Peter woke Remus up for supper. He was feeling a lot better though still ached a bit as he got out of bed. The two boys went down to the Great Hall (Remus limping slightly) and everyone there was discussing what happened. Lily approached Remus, asking if he knew anything of what happened. He said no, just the rumors. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion but she let the subject drop.
A moment later the Great Hall went quiet as a couple of second year Slytherins came in. Two girls, both looking quite miserable especially since everyone stared at them. The brunette tried to hide behind her hair but the blonde kept her chin jutted out, ignoring everyone. They sat at the table just as another second year Slytherin came in, followed shortly by some second year Gryffindors. All of them looked as though they had just taken a shower.
Two of the second year Gryffindor girls sat near Remus, near enough for him to hear them as they talked to other curious student. They were asked what happened and the black girl responded with a haughty voice that someone had attacked them with the Bat-Bogey Hex so viciously that every single second year Gryffindor and Slytherin had been hexed as well as Slughorn.
"Even the teacher?!"
"Yes."
Remus glanced at the High Table, noticing that Slughorn wasn't present. Still in the hospital...? Then he clutched the edge of the table as the other Gryffindor girl said, "I think Professor Dumbledore is getting the Ministry involved."
"Remus?" Peter asked, noticing his friend going super pale. "Are you getting sick again?"
"N--no. Yes. Oh Merlin."
"What is it?"
Remus shook his head and put his finger against his lips to indicate Pete to remain quiet, so he could keep listening in. But they weren't talking about the Ministry, they were talking about the hex. How they weren't sure how everyone got hexed like that. How they had spent the rest of the afternoon in the hospital wing because Pomfrey was having a hard time getting rid of the spells which meant someone really powerful had done it.
Probably because it was doubled, from both of them putting the spell up, Remus thought.
"Who d'you think did it?"
Remus held his breath.
"No idea!" cried the blonde girl. "Dorie and I have been trying to think all this time who could've done it, and McGonagall and Slughorn and Dumbledore were all trying to figure it out--" Here Remus looked at the front of the room again, realizing McGonagall and Dumbledore were gone too. "--probably why they're calling in the Ministry cause like, who? I would've said a Slytherin like the older Slytherins but why would they attack their own house?"
"You think it's a Ravenclaw? Or Hufflepuff?"
"We don't know," said the black girl. "I still think it's a Slytherin."
"But why would anyone attack their own house?" asked the blonde.
Remus pressed his lips together, trying not to laugh. Between the idea a Gryffindor (or Slytherin) shouldn't have done it and the fact it had been so powerfully advanced, he figured they were in the clear for the fallout.
*
Sirius and James still hadn't appeared by the time Remus left for his lesson with Fawley, so he hoped they were all right. He was feeling quite a bit better. The food probably helped. Still, he felt pretty tired. As soon as he sat down on the couch he told Fawley everything. The prank, his blacking out, how he felt afterwards. Fawley listened carefully, nodding a bit, then finally giving him an answer.
"You could have died."
Remus sat up a little straighter. "What?"
"If you weren't a werewolf, you could have died. Thank Merlin you used the holding spell on the doorway instead of one of your friends! That's very advanced, dear. You drained yourself. Put yourself through the fire, so to speak, and if you did not have your healing power you would definitely still be unconscious." She tucked some hair behind her ear, frowning deeply. "Or dead."
"Oh."
"Yes 'oh'. I didn't realize how far you and your friends were going with this otherwise I would have put a stop to it last week. Keeping it up for a couple minutes would have been fine... keeping it up for as long as you did..." She sighed heavily. "I'm glad you're all right."
"I'm s-s-sorry I didn't realize..."
"There's a reason you start out with basic magic, Remus!"
He cowered back. "I know! I've t-told my f-friends that--"
"But you didn't listen to yourself?" she chided. Remus gulped, shaking hard. "There's nothing wrong with practicing advanced spells as long a you don't push yourself. Spells where you have to sustain a connection, you should practice adding a little bit of time onto it as you go. Don't jump from a minute to eight, nine, ten minutes! Ease yourself into sustaining spells. All right?"
"Yes ma'am." He should have thought of that, should have been doing that. He just... hadn't... It never even crossed his mind. He felt so unbelievably stupid.
"One more thing..." He lifted his head, expecting more lecturing, or perhaps yelling. However a soft smile spread on her face instead. "Show me what happened."
Remus promised he would however mentioned there was a memory he wanted to see. Fawley put her hands on him and they went to the library, to Snape attacking him. Of course he had to explain everything to Fawley, what happened, the aftermath, and even admitted the little argument with Lily and how it made him feel. Fawley talked to him, making him feel better about the whole thing--an adult who believed him. Then Remus showed her the Bat-Bogey Prank, enjoying her loud laughter. He was also very pleased at finally knowing for sure what Snape had done to him.
Langlock, he thought, filing it away to look up when he had some time.
*
Sirius and James were in the dorm when Remus returned, both of them eager to tell him everything. About all the bats filling the hospital wing, Pomfrey trying to remove the spells, how hard it was for her, piles of snot everywhere, Slughorn was there questioning everyone, McGonagall showed up, Dumbledore showed up, the adults were talking about the Ministry... all in all, a major success. One of the second years had accused James and Sirius when they showed up but Slughorn had dismissed the accusation, stating it was far too advanced and powerful for a first year.
When James recounted this he fell onto his bed and kicked his legs, laughing with glee. "Too advanced! Too powerful! That's us!"
After a few more minutes of the four of them being ecstatic over their victory, Sirius turned on James's radio to find some victory tunes. He twisted the knob through the stations, snatches of sound coming out.
"--sale now only five sickles, only at Scrivensha--"
"--view with the one the only THE Annette Goldkettle about her divor--"
"--tack on Muggles in the Staffordshire area is possibly linked to--
"--lways gonna be a flobberworm in your eye, tell me I ain't gonna reach the sky, well it might sound crazy but wait until you see this flobberworm is gonna fly!"
Sirius turned off the radio in disgust. "Nothing good on."
"We need more radio stations," said Peter.
"We need a gramophone," grumbled James. "I've got one at home but my dad said I shouldn't bring it to school. Well I don't care, I'm bringing it next year. I've got loads of records."
"I've got a few, I'll bring them next year," Peter said quickly.
"I don't have any," Sirius said in a bit of a lofty manner.
They all looked at Remus now. "I--I've got a couple but they're all Muggle." His mother had given him copies of her favorites a couple Christmases ago. Would they play on a wizarding record player? He thought they would. Didn't know why not.
"Really?" James sounded surprised. "How come?"
"Err, they're from my mum..." Remus squirmed a little at how fascinated James looked. "Why?"
"Just wondering. I don't think I've ever heard Muggle music."
"It can be good," Peter said. "I prefer magical music though. It sounds better."
"I rather like Muggle music," Remus admitted. "Of course, that's probably because I grew up with more Muggle music than magic." He pictured his mother playing Sinatra and pulling Remus into dances, both of them laughing. I can make the rain go, anytime I move my finger... Lucky me, can't you see, I'm in love? The only time he really heard wizarding music was when his father played the radio.
Sirius bounded over to James's bed, falling down next to him. "Next year you can bring it with you so we don't have to rely on waiting for the radio to play good stuff. Because we need some good music to celebrate to!"
"I've got some candy?" Peter offered then got into his desk, pulling out a box of chocoballs.
"You don't need to split those with us," Remus said, knowing chocoballs were a little more on the fancier side of sweets. In fact there were only four in the box Peter held.
"I want to," he said, opening it up. "Especially after what we did!" He held the box out and James and Sirius took one each. "Well, what you did. I didn't really do anything." He offered the box to Remus who went over to James's bed, taking the smallest one as he sat down on the corner of the bed,
"You helped us practice," James said then lifted the chocoball. "To--err--to... Man, we really need a group name."
"Have you thought more about that?" Sirius asked Remus.
"N--not really. I've had a lot of other things on my mind." Actually he had completely forgotten Sirius's 'condition' of becoming friends back in the autumn. "I'll work on it over the holidays."
"Anyway, to us!" James lifted the chocoball again. Sirius, Peter, and Remus clinked theirs to his. "Absolutely brilliant pranksters of the highest caliber!"
"To us!" they all laughed.
"To me and Sirius who pulled off the hex part in, I must confess, a most remarkable manner!" James continued, ignoring the fact that Sirius already bit into his sweet. "And to Remus who pulled off the holding part of the spell in an extraordinary measure! Annnd to Peter! Who technically gave us the idea in the first place because you mentioned furry bogies and that led to this!"
Peter raised his eyebrows rather high. "I--I did, didn't I?"
"You did, a very sensational idea too!" James winked at Peter who squeaked and dropped the chocoball at the praise. "Also, we..." James stopped, staring in disbelief. "Siri, did you already eat yours?"
"Yef," Sirius answered rather annoyed. "Din't know ye were gowin' on." He swallowed, wiping his mouth off on his sleeve. "And don't call me that!"
"I had this big speech planned--oi! Remy!" James whined as Remus took a bite of his. Remus shrugged, then grinned as Peter began eating his a swell. "Fine, you heathens! I guess that's the end of my spectacular speech, you'll never hear it now."
"Okay," Sirius said sending Pete and Remus both into fits of giggles while James glowered.