- Rating:
- PG-13
- House:
- The Dark Arts
- Characters:
- Remus Lupin
- Genres:
- Mystery Drama
- Era:
- Multiple Eras
- Spoilers:
- Philosopher's Stone Chamber of Secrets Prizoner of Azkaban Goblet of Fire Order of the Phoenix Quidditch Through the Ages Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
- Stats:
-
Published: 06/30/2003Updated: 07/15/2003Words: 34,058Chapters: 18Hits: 6,656
The Marauders and the Arenotelicon
Wolfie Jinn
- Story Summary:
- The Marauders James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew start their first year at Hogwarts and, while out sneaking around the fascinating world that they were learning about, discover a monster hidden within the forest that was making its presence known for the first time in almost 500 years.
Chapter 18
- Posted:
- 07/15/2003
- Hits:
- 357
- Author's Note:
- Thanks to all my beta readers (Scud, ShadowWing, Gambit, Fishy)...beta readers are my friends...yours too. ;) Oh and forgive me, I'm horrible at rhyming and poems so I took one of Rowling's original Sorting songs and used it instead. Somehow I don't think the hat had a brand new one every year for 1000 years. (big grin) Thanks also to Ayne for the use of her Marauder pic; it's one of my favorites and she was generous enough to let me bum.
Part Eighteen
The last bits of the school year passed uneventfully. Through small conversations during their detention with Dumbledore (magically cleaning every painting in the castle), Remus made up with James and Peter. He was still terse with a remorseful Sirius but they were talking at any rate. Dumbledore sensed the tenseness but when asked if he could help was given a terse but respectful, "no thank you, Professor."
The Leaving Feast approached and still Remus felt like an outsider. The fight with the arenotelicon had taken a mental toll. Remus knew now that he'd never understood what he was but after insisting on seeing the damage his werewolf self had done, hearing Dumbledore's description of the fight, Remus understood that being at Hogwarts was giving him a false hope.
"I'm a monster," he whispered outloud.
"What?" asked James, startled.
Remus had forgotten he was with James, Peter and Sirius by the lake. "I'm sorry, just thinking outloud."
"Why are you a monster, Remus?" pressed James, turning to face him.
"I - well, that is," Remus floundered, his eyes involuntarily meeting Sirius'. "I am for staying mad at Sirius so long." Sirius tensed his shoulders a moment, as if waiting for the axe to fall, not looking at Remus. "My dad was right. It's nice that I have friends who are willing to stand up for me, even against my family." Sirius didn't relax one bit. "And their own," Remus added meaningfully. He stuck out his hand for Sirius to shake. "Thanks for being a friend, Sirius. I hope I can return the favor."
Sirius' face lit up and he Remus' hand vigorously. "Anytime!"
"And I'll do the same for you," Remus stated firmly.
"Yeah," chimed in Peter, slapping his hand on top of Remus and Sirius clasped hands. "All of us will."
James' hand clamped over Peter's. "Till the bitter end," he vowed.
"The bitter end," the other three intoned.
Remus felt forty feet tall and invincible. As long as his friends didn't know he was werewolf, everything would be perfect.
The train back to London's Platform 9 3/4 was a quiet trip, with just the four boys conversing with themselves. Remus got up once to go to the loo and on his way back happened to glance into a compartment to see Snape studiously bent over his "project". The Slytherin was so engrossed in it that the train could have derailed and he likely wouldn't have noticed. Thinking that the other boy was definitely a strange one, Remus went on to his compartment.
Steam gushed from the train as it pulled to a stop, billowing out white clouds to add to the atmosphere of a train station from half a century before. The old style engine creaked to a halt and students poured out, collecting bags, saying final farewells and looking for parents. Remus spotted his father waiting patiently by a barrier post and waved. The elder Lupin waved back, a smile creasing his face.
"Well, mates, it looks like this is it til next year," said Peter, holding out his hand for a shake. The other three obliged.
"Send owls," reminded James to them all. Remus and Peter nodded. "And Sirius, see if you can get your parents to let you visit."
"Fat chance," snorted Sirius morosely.
"Sirius Black!" A tall, stately woman with hair black as Sirius' and eyes the same blue came bustling up. "What are you doing?"
"These are my friends, Mum," Sirius began, a pained expression on his face.
Mrs. Black looked the other three boys up and down and gave a sniff of disapproval. "Pure bloods, I hope, young man?"
"Don't know, don't care," Sirius stated defiantly.
Mrs. Black drug him off by the arm, berating him for his lack of familial and wizarding pride. Sirius managed to throw one last look over his shoulder that clearly said good-bye.
"Feel sorry for the guy," sighed Peter. "I thought my mum was just smothering. His is just plain awful."
"Which is why he needs friends like us," nodded Remus.
"Yeah." James shook his head. "Let's see if we can get him to visit us over holiday, mates, get him away from there at least for a little while."
Remus agreed. "Its the least we can do."
The three Gryffindors parted company. Remus walked toward his father and passed Snape being petted by his mother and his father shouting at her to "stop babying the boy". Snape had a distinct long-suffering look on his face, which went blank as soon as he saw Remus walk by. The Slytherin sneered at him but Remus kept going without stopping.
He stopped in front of his father and looked up at the older Lupin with a smile. "Ready to go home, son?" Phineas asked.
"Yes, Papa, all ready to go home." The two Lupins headed toward the barrier entrance of Platform 9 3/4, walking amiably side by side, father and son. "And Papa?"
"Yes Remus?"
"I'm glad you're my father. I don't think I could have ever gotten a better one."
Phineas only laughed and pulled his son into a light hug. "Just you remember it, my boy, just you remember it."