Marauders to the End: Year One, Chapter Eleven
TITLE: Some Winter's Tales
FANDOM: Harry Potter
CHARACTERS: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, Andromeda Black, Professor McGonagall, OCs
RATING: PG-13
WARNINGS: None
SUMMARY: It's Christmas time and Sirius makes a shocking discovery.
AUTHOR COMMENTARY: One of the more serious chapters, and one I liked at the time, though now it seems stupid and contrived. Oh, well, such is life. Also, now is when I should mention that I did look up calendars and lunar charts from the 1970s to ensure all the dates were accurate. Yes, I went to all the trouble of making my fanfiction historically accurate.
December came, bringing a full moon quickly. Remus was running out of relatives who were so far away that his friends couldn’t check his story. He finally had to lie. He got through by saying his mother was gravely ill and he must go to her. To his intense shock, all his friends believed him. Maybe it was the fact that he looked so pale and ill himself.
“You know,” James said the morning of the full moon. “I don’t think you’ve ever talked about your parents before.”
“Haven’t I?” Remus thought back. Now that James mentioned it, Remus didn’t talk about his parents. He was still too upset about his mother, and his father... Remus felt no connection to him. The only way in which they were a family, besides by blood, was the fact that they lived in the same house, and they weren’t often both there at the same time.
“No,” James said. “Is everything all right?”
“Fine!” Remus answered defensively. “Well, except now my mother’s ill.”
“That’ll be Beatrice?” Sirius asked.
Remus stared at his friend. “Yes.”
Sirius nodded and finished his breakfast quickly. “I have to go to the library.”
“Why?” his friends asked.
“I’ve got homework to do,” Sirius answered, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Remus tried to hide his panic. Sirius would have most of the day without Remus being there to research. Not only did Sirius know exactly which books to check, but he could also look through the old Daily Prophets and find Beatrice Lupin’s obituary. It couldn’t happen! He couldn’t know! Remus put his mind to the issue, wondering how best to deter Sirius’s search. But even as he thought this, Sirius picked up his bag and left.
James was very confused. Sirius was very smart, but he was spending altogether too much time in the library for any first year, especially one who didn’t have any homework to do. It was also a bit strange that Remus spent so much time running to every relative who had a problem. He wasn’t sure he believed that all these disasters could happen all within four months, but he stood by what he’d told Sirius the first time it happened: It was Remus’s place to tell them what was wrong. If it was something private, James understood the need to lie, especially if it was something that required an explanation that Remus wasn’t willing to give. Thinking back on his life, James understood that need all too well. He didn’t know what was wrong with Remus, but he didn’t care if Remus didn’t tell, and had to admit that Remus could come up with better reasons that he could.
Peter didn’t notice Sirius’s frequent library visits. Peter didn’t notice much of anything. Or at least, not that the others knew about. Peter knew quite a lot about what would give him power, but if there wasn’t some benefit for him, everything went right over his head. That was his advantage over all the others. He knew when to pay attention to what was happening and could tune out everything else, and of what consequence to him was the health of a woman he didn’t know, or the habits of a friend when Peter himself wasn’t involved? Yes, it was a bit disconcerting when Remus was off to see sick relatives as often as he did, but things happen. Peter didn’t think it was anything to worry about. Remus was the most dependable of all the boys to tell the truth. It never occurred to Peter that Remus wasn’t telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Sirius pulled out the same books he’d been trying to get through for months, the ones Remus was determined not to let him read. He also picked up several old copies of the Daily Prophet, not knowing which months all the important events took place in. He had a rough idea of the years, but he wasn’t quite sure. It would have helped if he knew if Remus was older or younger than he was, although he really had no way of determining that, since Sirius wasn’t really sure how old he himself was. He knew he was at least eleven, although he couldn’t remember if he’d turned twelve recently. No one ever acknowledged his birthday.
He began to search through the Prophets from 1959 and 1961. The first thing he needed to know was Beatrice’s story, then Remus’s father’s story, then finally Remus’s story. Hopefully all the stories would fit, but Sirius knew that the Prophet wasn’t always reliable. He idly wondered if he could get the full story out of someone, although Remus wasn’t telling, and the only other person Sirius could think of to ask... well, he’d use her as a last resort.
January... nothing. February... nothing... March, April, May, June... 1959 wasn’t looking promising. Sirius wondered if he’d have to go further back. Finally, in August, he found a tiny announcement of the marriage of Beatrice McKenzie and Alan Lupin. March 1960 had a small announcement telling that Beatrice had had a baby boy she named Remus. It was just one of those birth announcements that’s less than three lines long that no one ever looks at. Nothing unusual there.
Sirius read the next ten years without finding anything out. He did note that 1967 carried many stories of werewolf attacks, especially near London. One article in particular caught his eye. It was about Fenrir Greyback, the most infamous werewolf of the time, saying how reports showed that more than ten children under the age of eleven had been bitten in three months. All the children were unidentified. The thing that Sirius noticed was that only one mother wanted to keep her son and was leaving London for a more secluded spot.
Sirius came to 1971. These he combed very carefully. He had one chance to disprove all of Remus’s stories. There was nothing in most of them. But in July, he found the one thing he needed: the obituaries. One in particular.
Beatrice Ann McKenzie Lupin (1942-1971). Died Tuesday, leaving a husband, Alan, and a son, Remus. The funeral will be held Saturday in London.
That was it. Beatrice was dead. Remus couldn’t be going to care for her. Sirius now knew Remus was lying. He only needed to check a few more books, and he’d have all the evidence he needed to support his theory.
He picked up Creatures of the Night and immediately turned to chapter twelve, which was on werewolves. He found the section he needed and began to read.
A person who is bitten by a werewolf becomes a werewolf himself. They retain their original personality when in their human form, but when the moon is full, they become the wolf and are unable to recognize any humans as anything but prey. Near the full moon, the werewolf becomes very pale and displays symptoms of common illnesses. This will happen every month. The courteous werewolf will position himself away from humans before nightfall, but as time goes on he becomes more and more blood thirsty, and will begin to show the personality of the wolf even when the moon is not full. He may intentionally transform near humans to be sure of plenty of prey.
Sirius stopped reading. He put the book down and pulled out his astronomy notes and very, very secret journal where he’d been keeping track of everything that happened, including Remus’s “family visits.” Slowly, he began to match the dates with the lunar cycle. They all worked out. He also began to realize that Remus did seem ill on those occasions.
Sirius bit his lip in thought. He knew now. Remus... why didn’t he just say so? Did he think they’d abandon him? Or did he not want to put them in danger? Would he have told them if Peter hadn’t said he was so afraid of werewolves?
All of these questions were unsettling, but the one that bothered him the most was whether or not he should tell the others or confront Remus. Neither sounded very good right now. James and Peter might not believe him or would be nervous around Remus, and that would be unsettling for all of them. Sirius didn’t want to confront Remus either. Christmas was coming soon, and Sirius didn’t want to ruin it for his friend. He decided to wait and talk to Remus after the holidays.
Professor McGonagall came around Gryffindor house on Saturday and collected the names of people who were staying at Hogwarts over Christmas. Sirius and Remus signed up at once, Sirius because he wouldn’t be able to stand two weeks with his family and Remus because he didn’t have any family to stand, although James and Peter didn’t know that. They just assumed that Remus wasn’t going home because it would be too painful with his mother so sick.
Remus was sort of relieved that they accepted this explanation so easily without him giving it. It saved him a lot of time, which he could then use to try and figure out how much Sirius had learned. It couldn’t have been too much, since Sirius hadn’t said anything, but Remus couldn’t be sure. He could just be saving it for the break when there wouldn’t be anyone else in their dormitory and they could have a private conversation.
Meanwhile, lessons were coming to a halt. Teachers seemed more and more unable to control their classes with the holidays fast approaching and snow falling fast around the castle. Spirits were high and nothing could stop that. Many a snowball had been thrown up to the windows and a few had hit teachers foolish enough to cross the grounds without declaring themselves. Professor Fenris spoke very sharply to the students who hit him, with the result that the number of push-ups per class was upped by a considerable amount.
The castle was being decorated with splendor none of the boys could have imagined. Garlands were hung on the staircases, holly and mistletoe were hung at every corner, and twelve towering Christmas trees had been delivered to the Great Hall, where they were being covered with candles and ornaments so fascinating that they had to be magical. Despite the cold outside, the castle was filled with a warm glow and the smell of baking that penetrated everything from the warmest common room in the castle to the cold, lonely hearts of the two Gryffindor first years who could hardly comprehend all the light and love crammed into the castle.
Sirius wondered if it had been horded here all this time, being kept away from him, keeping him from knowing anything but hatred and hurt, or if it somehow knew he’d been neglected and it was all coming out at once to try and make up for the years he’d been without it. Either way, he was feeling enough new emotions to drive almost everything else from his head. He knew he couldn’t possibly talk to Remus, not now, when everything was so wonderful. It would just put a damper on the whole thing.
The last day of classes came at last. All the students were eager for it to end so the holidays and release from homework would come. It was impossible to learn anything. James and Sirius were particularly rambunctious, setting off a number of dungbombs in the corridors and several fireworks in the common room that night to tumultuous applause from the other students. Even Remus was feeling rather cheerful. He was looking forward to spending Christmas with Sirius at Hogwarts and not having to go home and spend it with his father. He was surprised to find himself eagerly waiting for Christmas to come. His family had never had much money, and Christmas day was always an excuse for more drinking. Thinking back on his last Christmas, when his mother had been very sick, Remus thought it was strange that he could look forward to it this year.
James was happy to be going home, although he felt a bit guilty. He knew Sirius and Remus didn’t have the type of nice home life he did, and it bothered him. He knew he shouldn’t pity them, but he did. He couldn’t imagine what it was like to have parents who hated him or ones who were ill. He didn’t want to ask, but he wondered if Remus was having to take care of parents who should have been taking care of him. He also wondered about the mysterious Beatrice. He had a feeling he’d heard the name Beatrice Lupin before, but he couldn’t think where. It felt as if his mother had said something, but he couldn’t be quite sure.
And as for Peter, well, he was looking forward to going home, even if it meant spending two weeks with Polly. Despite all the fun he was having and the friends he’d found, he missed his mother, although he’d never admit it. James and Sirius would have never let him live it down.
It was wonderful at Hogwarts. Remus and Sirius practically had Gryffindor tower to themselves. Anny was there, too, but she spent most of her time catching up on her school work or working on her Quidditch program. The two boys would help her with this, or rather, Sirius would help her strategize while Remus took notes and explained why certain plays were physically impossible, even with magic.
When they weren’t helping with Quidditch, the boys would mostly just talk, or rather, Sirius would talk and Remus would just listen. Sirius told Remus more than he ever imagined he could express. He’d never told anyone what he’d been through before, mostly because he’d never had anyone to tell, and he knew Remus would understand and sympathize. He had often wanted to tell James and Peter, but Sirius never could. He knew it would just upset them, just like he knew the truth about Remus would upset them.
Remus didn’t tell Sirius anything more than he already had. He had to keep his secrets. Besides, he was fairly certain that Sirius had already figured it out. He was content to listen. Not that what he heard didn’t horrify him, but he also knew that Sirius had to get it all out, without looks of horror or urges to report it to Dumbledore, who was in a position to help. Remus knew that Dumbledore should be informed, but he also knew that this was a private battle and Sirius would never be satisfied unless he won it himself.
“So she told me I’d better shape up,” Sirius was saying one day, as he recounted a tussle over a small joke he’d pulled on his brother. “Or else she’d curse me into the next century and not bother to bring me back... As if she actually could... than again, I was only six at the time, so I believed her. I wailed about how sorry I was, and she let me off with only a bloody nose.”
Slowly, Remus began to open up. He began to tell his own stories from his youth, omitting all parts about being a werewolf or his mother being dead, and Sirius listened in the same way. It was all he’d ever really needed to do.
“He was out of his bloody mind,” Remus said.. “Screaming and swearing... I was so scared he was actually going to hurt her...”
“So what’d you do?” Sirius asked.
“Hit him with the frying pan,” Remus answered. “Accidentally, of course. I just looked at it and wished it was where I could hit him with it, and it flew up and knocked him out. First indication I had any magic whatever. And of course, he repented afterwards. He swore his undying devotion to her like he always did... of course, that could never have happened as long as he kept drinking... and I’m still not sure if he even remembers I actually exist.”
Sirius refrained from asking why Remus spoke of these empty promises his father had made in the past tense.
“We need a new program,” Anny said the next day. “I did some figures last night and I’m pretty sure Wilkins can’t fly that fast.”
“That’s what this training will fix,” Remus said. “He’ll be flying faster than a hummingbird when you’re finished.”
“And I’ll be a three legged troll,” Sirius muttered.
Christmas day dawned bright and early for most people, but Sirius and Remus weren’t expecting any presents, so they slept in. But when they woke up, they were both shocked to find small piles at the feet of their beds.
“What is all this?” Sirius asked in his surprise.
“This may be a completely invalid hypothesis,” Remus said. “But my theory is that our compatriots decided to honor us with Christmas gifts to express their appreciation for our companionship.”
“Do you have to speak Smart Person on Christmas?” Sirius asked.
“Sorry. Force of habit.”
They dove into the gifts, and while none of them were anything particularly spectacular, both boys were glad for them. After all, who doesn’t like Christmas presents? (The objects themselves are not worth noting here.)
The rest of the day passed in peace. The feast was excellent of course, but it is not worth the detail. All that mattered was that Sirius and Remus finally felt happy, happier than they could ever have imagined, just as happy as the free boy described at the beginning of this chronicle.
James passed the time before Christmas trying to decide how to ask his mother questions without having to answer a lot himself. After all, it really was none of his business, as he kept reminding Sirius. On the other hand, James had noticed that Sirius was troubled, and James had a feeling that Sirius had found out some sort of nasty secret, and it was a secret that had to come out. He finally just asked in a very straight forward way.
“Mum?” he said tentatively.
“Yes, James?” she answered.
“I was wondering if you know a Beatrice Lupin.”
“Beatrice Lupin?.. Oh, yes, nice girl. She used to work at the Leaky Cauldron. I always liked her, although so many people put her down. I was ever so shocked when she married that Alan...”
“Why?” James asked.
Anna looked at James. “Why do you need to know?” she asked.
“Well, Remus is one of my best friends and I was curious.”
“Remus... oh, that was the son. I remember now. For a few years there, Beatrice would be balancing a trey on her wand in one hand and her baby in the other.” Anna laughed. “Sweetest little boy... hardly ever cried... shame, that.”
“What’s a shame?” James asked. “He’s still very nice.”
Anna’s smile faded. “Don’t you know about... his father?” she asked.
James shook his head.
“The I suppose it’s best that I don’t tell you... but I’ve already said too much.” She sighed. “Alan was never a very good man. Always drinking... never seemed to truly care for anyone but himself... but that’s not surprising, considering he didn’t have anyone else to care for. And then Beatrice started working at the Leaky Cauldron. Suddenly, he was an upright wizard! Didn’t touch a drop during their courtship... of course, that wasn’t too long. Three months and they were off and married! Pity... she was really too nice of a girl to get mixed up with the likes of him...”
“Was?” James asked.
Anna nodded. “Didn’t you know? She died this summer.”
“But that’s impossible!” James exclaimed. “Remus just went home to see her two weeks ago!”
“Oh,” Anna said. “That’s what he told you.”
And she refused to say more.
James was very perplexed. There was some secret that everyone was hiding, and James had no idea what it could be. (He didn’t keep a journal.) He decided to forget about it until after break.
He woke up Christmas morning to find a substantial amount of presents at the end of his bed. Of his stack, only one actual gift was worth mentioning here.
It was the lightest package on the pile, and when James opened it, a cloak, light as a feather, elusive as water, fell out. James picked it up. He wasn’t sure what it was. Then a note fluttered out of its folds. He picked it up.
James,
This is an Invisibility Cloak. It was mine, and my father’s before that, and his father’s before that, back down the line until before anyone can remember. It’s yours now, and I imagine it will be your son’s after that. Not a word to you mother.
Merry Christmas,
Dad.
James looked at the Cloak for a moment and then put it on. He looked in his mirror. There was no reflection. James grinned and pulled the Cloak off. Hogwarts was completely open to him now.
FANDOM: Harry Potter
CHARACTERS: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, Andromeda Black, Professor McGonagall, OCs
RATING: PG-13
WARNINGS: None
SUMMARY: It's Christmas time and Sirius makes a shocking discovery.
AUTHOR COMMENTARY: One of the more serious chapters, and one I liked at the time, though now it seems stupid and contrived. Oh, well, such is life. Also, now is when I should mention that I did look up calendars and lunar charts from the 1970s to ensure all the dates were accurate. Yes, I went to all the trouble of making my fanfiction historically accurate.
December came, bringing a full moon quickly. Remus was running out of relatives who were so far away that his friends couldn’t check his story. He finally had to lie. He got through by saying his mother was gravely ill and he must go to her. To his intense shock, all his friends believed him. Maybe it was the fact that he looked so pale and ill himself.
“You know,” James said the morning of the full moon. “I don’t think you’ve ever talked about your parents before.”
“Haven’t I?” Remus thought back. Now that James mentioned it, Remus didn’t talk about his parents. He was still too upset about his mother, and his father... Remus felt no connection to him. The only way in which they were a family, besides by blood, was the fact that they lived in the same house, and they weren’t often both there at the same time.
“No,” James said. “Is everything all right?”
“Fine!” Remus answered defensively. “Well, except now my mother’s ill.”
“That’ll be Beatrice?” Sirius asked.
Remus stared at his friend. “Yes.”
Sirius nodded and finished his breakfast quickly. “I have to go to the library.”
“Why?” his friends asked.
“I’ve got homework to do,” Sirius answered, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Remus tried to hide his panic. Sirius would have most of the day without Remus being there to research. Not only did Sirius know exactly which books to check, but he could also look through the old Daily Prophets and find Beatrice Lupin’s obituary. It couldn’t happen! He couldn’t know! Remus put his mind to the issue, wondering how best to deter Sirius’s search. But even as he thought this, Sirius picked up his bag and left.
James was very confused. Sirius was very smart, but he was spending altogether too much time in the library for any first year, especially one who didn’t have any homework to do. It was also a bit strange that Remus spent so much time running to every relative who had a problem. He wasn’t sure he believed that all these disasters could happen all within four months, but he stood by what he’d told Sirius the first time it happened: It was Remus’s place to tell them what was wrong. If it was something private, James understood the need to lie, especially if it was something that required an explanation that Remus wasn’t willing to give. Thinking back on his life, James understood that need all too well. He didn’t know what was wrong with Remus, but he didn’t care if Remus didn’t tell, and had to admit that Remus could come up with better reasons that he could.
Peter didn’t notice Sirius’s frequent library visits. Peter didn’t notice much of anything. Or at least, not that the others knew about. Peter knew quite a lot about what would give him power, but if there wasn’t some benefit for him, everything went right over his head. That was his advantage over all the others. He knew when to pay attention to what was happening and could tune out everything else, and of what consequence to him was the health of a woman he didn’t know, or the habits of a friend when Peter himself wasn’t involved? Yes, it was a bit disconcerting when Remus was off to see sick relatives as often as he did, but things happen. Peter didn’t think it was anything to worry about. Remus was the most dependable of all the boys to tell the truth. It never occurred to Peter that Remus wasn’t telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Sirius pulled out the same books he’d been trying to get through for months, the ones Remus was determined not to let him read. He also picked up several old copies of the Daily Prophet, not knowing which months all the important events took place in. He had a rough idea of the years, but he wasn’t quite sure. It would have helped if he knew if Remus was older or younger than he was, although he really had no way of determining that, since Sirius wasn’t really sure how old he himself was. He knew he was at least eleven, although he couldn’t remember if he’d turned twelve recently. No one ever acknowledged his birthday.
He began to search through the Prophets from 1959 and 1961. The first thing he needed to know was Beatrice’s story, then Remus’s father’s story, then finally Remus’s story. Hopefully all the stories would fit, but Sirius knew that the Prophet wasn’t always reliable. He idly wondered if he could get the full story out of someone, although Remus wasn’t telling, and the only other person Sirius could think of to ask... well, he’d use her as a last resort.
January... nothing. February... nothing... March, April, May, June... 1959 wasn’t looking promising. Sirius wondered if he’d have to go further back. Finally, in August, he found a tiny announcement of the marriage of Beatrice McKenzie and Alan Lupin. March 1960 had a small announcement telling that Beatrice had had a baby boy she named Remus. It was just one of those birth announcements that’s less than three lines long that no one ever looks at. Nothing unusual there.
Sirius read the next ten years without finding anything out. He did note that 1967 carried many stories of werewolf attacks, especially near London. One article in particular caught his eye. It was about Fenrir Greyback, the most infamous werewolf of the time, saying how reports showed that more than ten children under the age of eleven had been bitten in three months. All the children were unidentified. The thing that Sirius noticed was that only one mother wanted to keep her son and was leaving London for a more secluded spot.
Sirius came to 1971. These he combed very carefully. He had one chance to disprove all of Remus’s stories. There was nothing in most of them. But in July, he found the one thing he needed: the obituaries. One in particular.
Beatrice Ann McKenzie Lupin (1942-1971). Died Tuesday, leaving a husband, Alan, and a son, Remus. The funeral will be held Saturday in London.
That was it. Beatrice was dead. Remus couldn’t be going to care for her. Sirius now knew Remus was lying. He only needed to check a few more books, and he’d have all the evidence he needed to support his theory.
He picked up Creatures of the Night and immediately turned to chapter twelve, which was on werewolves. He found the section he needed and began to read.
A person who is bitten by a werewolf becomes a werewolf himself. They retain their original personality when in their human form, but when the moon is full, they become the wolf and are unable to recognize any humans as anything but prey. Near the full moon, the werewolf becomes very pale and displays symptoms of common illnesses. This will happen every month. The courteous werewolf will position himself away from humans before nightfall, but as time goes on he becomes more and more blood thirsty, and will begin to show the personality of the wolf even when the moon is not full. He may intentionally transform near humans to be sure of plenty of prey.
Sirius stopped reading. He put the book down and pulled out his astronomy notes and very, very secret journal where he’d been keeping track of everything that happened, including Remus’s “family visits.” Slowly, he began to match the dates with the lunar cycle. They all worked out. He also began to realize that Remus did seem ill on those occasions.
Sirius bit his lip in thought. He knew now. Remus... why didn’t he just say so? Did he think they’d abandon him? Or did he not want to put them in danger? Would he have told them if Peter hadn’t said he was so afraid of werewolves?
All of these questions were unsettling, but the one that bothered him the most was whether or not he should tell the others or confront Remus. Neither sounded very good right now. James and Peter might not believe him or would be nervous around Remus, and that would be unsettling for all of them. Sirius didn’t want to confront Remus either. Christmas was coming soon, and Sirius didn’t want to ruin it for his friend. He decided to wait and talk to Remus after the holidays.
Professor McGonagall came around Gryffindor house on Saturday and collected the names of people who were staying at Hogwarts over Christmas. Sirius and Remus signed up at once, Sirius because he wouldn’t be able to stand two weeks with his family and Remus because he didn’t have any family to stand, although James and Peter didn’t know that. They just assumed that Remus wasn’t going home because it would be too painful with his mother so sick.
Remus was sort of relieved that they accepted this explanation so easily without him giving it. It saved him a lot of time, which he could then use to try and figure out how much Sirius had learned. It couldn’t have been too much, since Sirius hadn’t said anything, but Remus couldn’t be sure. He could just be saving it for the break when there wouldn’t be anyone else in their dormitory and they could have a private conversation.
Meanwhile, lessons were coming to a halt. Teachers seemed more and more unable to control their classes with the holidays fast approaching and snow falling fast around the castle. Spirits were high and nothing could stop that. Many a snowball had been thrown up to the windows and a few had hit teachers foolish enough to cross the grounds without declaring themselves. Professor Fenris spoke very sharply to the students who hit him, with the result that the number of push-ups per class was upped by a considerable amount.
The castle was being decorated with splendor none of the boys could have imagined. Garlands were hung on the staircases, holly and mistletoe were hung at every corner, and twelve towering Christmas trees had been delivered to the Great Hall, where they were being covered with candles and ornaments so fascinating that they had to be magical. Despite the cold outside, the castle was filled with a warm glow and the smell of baking that penetrated everything from the warmest common room in the castle to the cold, lonely hearts of the two Gryffindor first years who could hardly comprehend all the light and love crammed into the castle.
Sirius wondered if it had been horded here all this time, being kept away from him, keeping him from knowing anything but hatred and hurt, or if it somehow knew he’d been neglected and it was all coming out at once to try and make up for the years he’d been without it. Either way, he was feeling enough new emotions to drive almost everything else from his head. He knew he couldn’t possibly talk to Remus, not now, when everything was so wonderful. It would just put a damper on the whole thing.
The last day of classes came at last. All the students were eager for it to end so the holidays and release from homework would come. It was impossible to learn anything. James and Sirius were particularly rambunctious, setting off a number of dungbombs in the corridors and several fireworks in the common room that night to tumultuous applause from the other students. Even Remus was feeling rather cheerful. He was looking forward to spending Christmas with Sirius at Hogwarts and not having to go home and spend it with his father. He was surprised to find himself eagerly waiting for Christmas to come. His family had never had much money, and Christmas day was always an excuse for more drinking. Thinking back on his last Christmas, when his mother had been very sick, Remus thought it was strange that he could look forward to it this year.
James was happy to be going home, although he felt a bit guilty. He knew Sirius and Remus didn’t have the type of nice home life he did, and it bothered him. He knew he shouldn’t pity them, but he did. He couldn’t imagine what it was like to have parents who hated him or ones who were ill. He didn’t want to ask, but he wondered if Remus was having to take care of parents who should have been taking care of him. He also wondered about the mysterious Beatrice. He had a feeling he’d heard the name Beatrice Lupin before, but he couldn’t think where. It felt as if his mother had said something, but he couldn’t be quite sure.
And as for Peter, well, he was looking forward to going home, even if it meant spending two weeks with Polly. Despite all the fun he was having and the friends he’d found, he missed his mother, although he’d never admit it. James and Sirius would have never let him live it down.
It was wonderful at Hogwarts. Remus and Sirius practically had Gryffindor tower to themselves. Anny was there, too, but she spent most of her time catching up on her school work or working on her Quidditch program. The two boys would help her with this, or rather, Sirius would help her strategize while Remus took notes and explained why certain plays were physically impossible, even with magic.
When they weren’t helping with Quidditch, the boys would mostly just talk, or rather, Sirius would talk and Remus would just listen. Sirius told Remus more than he ever imagined he could express. He’d never told anyone what he’d been through before, mostly because he’d never had anyone to tell, and he knew Remus would understand and sympathize. He had often wanted to tell James and Peter, but Sirius never could. He knew it would just upset them, just like he knew the truth about Remus would upset them.
Remus didn’t tell Sirius anything more than he already had. He had to keep his secrets. Besides, he was fairly certain that Sirius had already figured it out. He was content to listen. Not that what he heard didn’t horrify him, but he also knew that Sirius had to get it all out, without looks of horror or urges to report it to Dumbledore, who was in a position to help. Remus knew that Dumbledore should be informed, but he also knew that this was a private battle and Sirius would never be satisfied unless he won it himself.
“So she told me I’d better shape up,” Sirius was saying one day, as he recounted a tussle over a small joke he’d pulled on his brother. “Or else she’d curse me into the next century and not bother to bring me back... As if she actually could... than again, I was only six at the time, so I believed her. I wailed about how sorry I was, and she let me off with only a bloody nose.”
Slowly, Remus began to open up. He began to tell his own stories from his youth, omitting all parts about being a werewolf or his mother being dead, and Sirius listened in the same way. It was all he’d ever really needed to do.
“He was out of his bloody mind,” Remus said.. “Screaming and swearing... I was so scared he was actually going to hurt her...”
“So what’d you do?” Sirius asked.
“Hit him with the frying pan,” Remus answered. “Accidentally, of course. I just looked at it and wished it was where I could hit him with it, and it flew up and knocked him out. First indication I had any magic whatever. And of course, he repented afterwards. He swore his undying devotion to her like he always did... of course, that could never have happened as long as he kept drinking... and I’m still not sure if he even remembers I actually exist.”
Sirius refrained from asking why Remus spoke of these empty promises his father had made in the past tense.
“We need a new program,” Anny said the next day. “I did some figures last night and I’m pretty sure Wilkins can’t fly that fast.”
“That’s what this training will fix,” Remus said. “He’ll be flying faster than a hummingbird when you’re finished.”
“And I’ll be a three legged troll,” Sirius muttered.
Christmas day dawned bright and early for most people, but Sirius and Remus weren’t expecting any presents, so they slept in. But when they woke up, they were both shocked to find small piles at the feet of their beds.
“What is all this?” Sirius asked in his surprise.
“This may be a completely invalid hypothesis,” Remus said. “But my theory is that our compatriots decided to honor us with Christmas gifts to express their appreciation for our companionship.”
“Do you have to speak Smart Person on Christmas?” Sirius asked.
“Sorry. Force of habit.”
They dove into the gifts, and while none of them were anything particularly spectacular, both boys were glad for them. After all, who doesn’t like Christmas presents? (The objects themselves are not worth noting here.)
The rest of the day passed in peace. The feast was excellent of course, but it is not worth the detail. All that mattered was that Sirius and Remus finally felt happy, happier than they could ever have imagined, just as happy as the free boy described at the beginning of this chronicle.
James passed the time before Christmas trying to decide how to ask his mother questions without having to answer a lot himself. After all, it really was none of his business, as he kept reminding Sirius. On the other hand, James had noticed that Sirius was troubled, and James had a feeling that Sirius had found out some sort of nasty secret, and it was a secret that had to come out. He finally just asked in a very straight forward way.
“Mum?” he said tentatively.
“Yes, James?” she answered.
“I was wondering if you know a Beatrice Lupin.”
“Beatrice Lupin?.. Oh, yes, nice girl. She used to work at the Leaky Cauldron. I always liked her, although so many people put her down. I was ever so shocked when she married that Alan...”
“Why?” James asked.
Anna looked at James. “Why do you need to know?” she asked.
“Well, Remus is one of my best friends and I was curious.”
“Remus... oh, that was the son. I remember now. For a few years there, Beatrice would be balancing a trey on her wand in one hand and her baby in the other.” Anna laughed. “Sweetest little boy... hardly ever cried... shame, that.”
“What’s a shame?” James asked. “He’s still very nice.”
Anna’s smile faded. “Don’t you know about... his father?” she asked.
James shook his head.
“The I suppose it’s best that I don’t tell you... but I’ve already said too much.” She sighed. “Alan was never a very good man. Always drinking... never seemed to truly care for anyone but himself... but that’s not surprising, considering he didn’t have anyone else to care for. And then Beatrice started working at the Leaky Cauldron. Suddenly, he was an upright wizard! Didn’t touch a drop during their courtship... of course, that wasn’t too long. Three months and they were off and married! Pity... she was really too nice of a girl to get mixed up with the likes of him...”
“Was?” James asked.
Anna nodded. “Didn’t you know? She died this summer.”
“But that’s impossible!” James exclaimed. “Remus just went home to see her two weeks ago!”
“Oh,” Anna said. “That’s what he told you.”
And she refused to say more.
James was very perplexed. There was some secret that everyone was hiding, and James had no idea what it could be. (He didn’t keep a journal.) He decided to forget about it until after break.
He woke up Christmas morning to find a substantial amount of presents at the end of his bed. Of his stack, only one actual gift was worth mentioning here.
It was the lightest package on the pile, and when James opened it, a cloak, light as a feather, elusive as water, fell out. James picked it up. He wasn’t sure what it was. Then a note fluttered out of its folds. He picked it up.
James,
This is an Invisibility Cloak. It was mine, and my father’s before that, and his father’s before that, back down the line until before anyone can remember. It’s yours now, and I imagine it will be your son’s after that. Not a word to you mother.
Merry Christmas,
Dad.
James looked at the Cloak for a moment and then put it on. He looked in his mirror. There was no reflection. James grinned and pulled the Cloak off. Hogwarts was completely open to him now.