The Slytherin Transfer

46: "We were all a little stupid today."

I wait a moment, listening closely for the sound of footsteps. I back away from the tree and howl again, louder and longer this time.

The night is quiet save for the rustling of leaves and the light wind. I stare up at the moon once more, stepping away from the Whomping Willow and holding my breath.

Then, there's a howling in response, coming from deep in the tunnel. It's all the signal I need, and I turn, limping away from the trunk and towards the greenhouses. I think about going to the castle, but I'm not sure I can make it up the hill. I'm slowed by my injured leg, every step exhausting me further and sending more pain into my body.

There's another howl, and it's closer. I look once I reach the greenhouses, and in the distance I can see the shadow of Remus. He stretches towards the moon and looks around as I breathe heavily.

"Come on, come on," I mutter to myself, hidden behind the wall of greenhouse one, "just come here. Just leave the tree alone, Remus."

But he looks as if he's given up, and he begins to turn back to the tunnel. I swear, then taking a deep breath and howling once more.

The werewolf's head snaps towards me, and I press my back against the wall, hoping he hasn't seen me. I try to control my breathing, hoping he goes into the forest and not my way. I imagine the smell of the blood that's now covering my leg isn't helping my situation.

Sure enough, I hear twigs snap beneath Remus's feet as he walks closer to me, and I know I'm screwed. I slide along the wall and around the greenhouse, to the side that faces the castle. I can hear the rasping breath of the wolf, and its nose as it sniffs me out. I look around me, finding a rock and picking it up before chucking it into a bush by the edge of the forest. I hear a growl, and the steps stop.

He howls, and then runs towards the rock. I take action quickly, running in the opposite direction as fast as my injured leg can carry me. If I can just get to the Willow and through the tunnel, I can keep Sirius, James, and I protected until morning. If I can just get through, I can take James into Hogsmeade and get him some medical attention. If I can just get through . . .

But I'm not fast enough. Remus is chasing me again in no time, and I feel myself growing faint as the loss of blood bites at my consciousness. I can no longer run on my leg, and soon I trip on a root and tumble to the grass, rolling over just as the werewolf takes its last few steps.

I don't close my eyes this time. This time, I know it's the end, and my last thoughts are that Sirius and James make it out okay. My last thoughts are prayers.

Then, all at once, I hear a squeaking noise, see a small shadow bolt through the grass, and watch as Remus skids to a stop and yelps. He grabs at his own body, scratching at an invisible tick or something that itches him. He looks like a boy with chicken pox, trying to relieve every inch of his skin.

Then I see it, a small rat on his shoulder, sinking its teeth into his neck. Peter. I nearly laugh at the sight.

But my joy and relief is short-lived, as Remus finds the source of his pain and swats him away. I see him fly a few feet before landing softly on the grass.

I back away, pulling out my wand, ready to do whatever I can to survive, when there's the sound of a weapon being fired, and a dart wedges itself into Remus's thigh. He howls shortly, looking down at his leg and pulling out the small needle in confusion and anger.

Then he falls to the grass, unconscious.

"Tranquilizer, with a bit o' wolfsbane," comes a gruff voice, and I look to my left to see a massive man, twice the size of a normal one and three times the width. I recognize him as the gamekeeper of Hogwarts, his face concealed by a beard and a scraggly mane of hair. He lumbers over to me, holding his crossbow and looking down at Remus with a grim expression. He then looks to me, offering a hand the size of a dustpan, "he'll be out 'til mornin'. Strong stuff, this is."