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Chapter 1: The Howl of the Moon
James POV
Sirius has never been one to think before he acts. It’s never bothered me that much. Sure it gets us in trouble but this little quirk of his has also helped come up with some of our best pranks. Like that time we added aging potion to the water supply linked to the Slytherin showers and Snivellus and all his greasy friends had beards for week. Sure it wasn’t fun having to scrub cauldrons until our hands bled but it was totally worth the look on those death eaters faces. I should’ve known however that Sirius’s tendency was going to cause a world of unimaginable hurt. I just never thought it would be this bad.
I was laying on the common room couch reading a transfiguration book. Hey, whoever said that you can’t be smart and roguishly handsome? I was about to head up to the dorm room to grab the invisibility cloak for tonight’s adventure when Peter burst in through the portrait hole. He was wheezing as if he had ran up the whole grand staircase but knowing Peter, that was unlikely. He hates exercise. To be fair, I wouldn’t be a huge fan of it either if it wasn’t for quidditch.
“James!” He huffed out wide eyed. “WHat’s wrong wormy?” I hoped that my voice held as much concern as I felt. I always had this terrible habit of sounding sarcastic when I mean things genuinely. “Padfoot,” he paused to suck in air, “He told Snape about Moony.” “HEWHAT?!” I bellowed. I knew Sirius could make stupid spur of the moment decisions and that he was about as responsible as a niffler entrusted to guard treasure. But never would I ever have considered that Sirius would do something like this. Not only was he willing to endanger a student, but he was also willing to have Moony sent to Azkaban over his playground feud. I’ll admit I’m not Snape’s biggest fan, but I would never try to kill him.
I jumped off the couch and shoved Peter out of the way and bolted out of the portrait hole. I had to stop Snape. I pushed myself to run as fast as physically possible nearly stepping on a group of first years as I ran. I heard their shouts of annoyance but the voices fell on deaf ears. I had more important things to worry about. Once I reached the bottom of the staircase I ran as fast as I could to the back entrance of the castle. It took longer but I couldn’t risk getting caught going out at night by professors. I ran with reckless abandon praying that I would make it on time. I made it out the back entrance and nearly tumbled down the stairs as I rant the path to the whomping willow. In the distance I could see a cloaked figure stilling the whomping willow. MERLIN! “SNAPE STOP!” I screamed at the top of my lungs but the figure either didn’t hear me or didn’t care what I had to say.
I knew it was all up to me now. I had to be faster. I had to stop Snape no matter the cost. I finally reached the whomping willow after almost a minute though it might as well have been an eternity. Every second counted. I ducked under the whomping willow branch and pressed the knob on the trunk to turn it off. I quickly slid under into the dark corridor that I knew like the back of my mind. That was the only advantage I had now. I rushed forwards instinctively ducking at every dip in the corridor. I jumped over the root that stuck out of the ground and that was when I saw Snape opening the trailer door. “SNAPE NO!” I screamed, but it was too late, Snape was shoved back by a large creature bounding out of the now open door. “RUN, I’LL HOLD HIM OFF!” I commanded. Moony suddenly came running towards Snape and I knew that if I didn’t intervene Snape would die tonight. With only a second to think I followed my instincts and shoved Snape out of the way and towards the only exit to the shack. “Go!” I looked forward and realized suddenly that with Snape gone I would be Moony’s new target. I also knew I didn’t have enough time to change into prongs.
Suddenly moony jumped on top of me and dug his teeth into my collarbone, and then all I felt was pain. It was agonizing. It felt as though my spine was breaking apart and reshaping. Like all the bones in my body were breaking simultaneously. My blood boiled beneath my skin as if molten lava was infused into my bloodstream. My heart pounded in my ears. It felt like I was splitting into two. I could hear screaming in the distance but I had no idea where it was coming from. The pain was all that consumed me now. It was all I was. I tried to remember but all I could remember was pain, fiery hot agony that came in waves that buried me deep in my own skin. My vision went white and I heard a voice in the distance calling my name. Maybe it was death finally coming to take me. After all death would be a sweet reprieve from the agony that has become me. I let the light swallow me whole and everything goes dark as the light fades.
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My mind feels hazy like all my thoughts have been entangled with devils snare, but occasionally I can hear distant voices breaking through the fog. “How could this happen?” One voice said.“He’ll never be the same.” Another said. Then the snare entangles me again and I am dragged back into the darkness. When I am finally freed from the fog everything aches. My body feels as if I fell off my broom from 300 feet in the air. I crack open my eyes and I’m immediately greeted with the brightest white light to ever have cursed my vision. I groan as the light causes my brain to pound against my skull. “I think he’s awake.” A woman’s voice states. “James? Are you awake dear?” Another voice asks. I groan in response and use all the energy I have to force my eyes open. I blink against the brightness until my vision adjusts and I can see the blurry outline of a white room. “Here’s your glasses.” A woman puts them on my face and I realize the voices I heard were Madam Pomferey and Professor McGonagall, or as I usually call them, Poppy and Minnie.
“What happened?” I croak. “How much do you remember?” Minnie asks. I thought for a moment and pushed myself to dredge up the memories. “Well I remember going after Snape and trying to keep him away from Moony and then I remember shoving Snape out of the way and after that all I remember is the pain.” “OH MERLIN! Is Remus okay?” I ask. “Remus is fine dear.” Poppy responds calmly. “Can I see him?” I ask. “He doesn’t really want to see anyone at the moment.” Poppy explains. He must think I told Snape. “I swear I didn’t tell Snape about any of this. Please tell Remus that I would never.” “He knows who did it and we do as well, he just needs some time to process.” Minnie says. “And Snape?” I question. “Mr. Snape is fine thanks to you. If it hadn’t been for your quick reaction snd bravery then he probably wouldn’t be alive.” Minnie adds. “And what will happen to Sirius?” I prod, I want to, no, I need to know.
“I think you should worry more about yourself Mister Potter.” A male voice responds. I recognize the voice immediately. The voice is none other than my headmaster. “James, we have something to tell you. When you jumped in front of Snape, well there’s no easy way of saying this, but when you did that, Mister Lupin went after you instead.” Dumbledore explained. “Yeah, I know, and he scratched me.” I add. “Not exactly,” Poppy interjects, “When Remus went after you well, he bit you.” “I don’t understand. I would know if he bit me. There’s no way. Sure, I’m in pain but I don’t feel like well like.” “I’m so sorry Mister Potter but I’m afraid you will see the bite mark right on your collarbone.” I looked down and there it was. Red, angry, and taunting me. A large bite mark covering from my collarbone to my shoulder. I couldn’t breathe. I can’t. No. I’m not. There is no way that I am a werewolf.