Four To The End (prev Shifting Lines) - Book One (Marauder Era)

Chapter Seventeen - Come On Baby Do The Locomotion

Remus was exhausted from all the emotional turmoil over the week (and his three dormmates finding out one of his secrets, about never having any friends) and dreaded detention. He couldn't believe he had detention! His first month at school and detention! Hopefully not with Dedenne, he thought as he made his way to Filch's office after supper (which he had gotten from the kitchen and ate hidden away somewhere to avoid people).

Remus had to find a ghost to take him to Filch's office which was just off the entrance's hall. The office itself looked like it belonged in the dungeons and Remus saw chains hanging off the walls, and manacles, and they looked... very clean and well-used. Argus Filch was sitting at his desk, a perverse smile on his face as Remus sat down. Filch began scribbling things down, information about Remus.

"Got to give you your folder now, eh?" he chuckled. "Talking back to a teacher. Attacking a teacher. Very naughty."

Remus remained silent and just looked around the room at all the cabinets and filing drawers. He doubted anything was ever thrown away and there was probably storage from ancient times somewhere. Detention in the tenth century. What would that have been like? He eyed the manacles again and had some idea.

"Oh yes, those are always fun to use," Filch said, noticing what the tiny boy was looking at. "Not that Dumbledore lets me use them anymore... shame... nasty children who get hung up by their ankles for a few hours rarely come back... punishment is so weak now... you'll be back..." He wrote something down on a piece of paper and pushed it over to Remus. "No doubt about it, you're a troublemaker."

Remus took the paper and it instructed him to go outside, down to the gamekeeper's hut for detention with Hagrid. He left the cackling caretaker and went out of the castle, not really sure where Hagrid's place was. He thought he remembered seeing a rickety hut on the grounds and just hoped that was where it was. He crossed the grounds and went down the winding pathways. On his way he saw the Whomping Willow in the distance and thought, one week. Then he saw some figures near the tree and frowned. They weren't very close but closer than it seemed they should be. However they weren't getting any closer to the tree so Remus shrugged it off and kept going until he got to the small wooden cabin outside the Forbidden Forest, and hoped was where he was supposed to go.

Indeed the humongous gamekeeper swung the door open when Remus knocked. It was absolutely ridiculous to see the two of them together. One of the smallest first years with the man who had to have giant blood in him. Remus trembled before him even though Hagrid was smiling behind his beard.

"Ah yes, forgot I had summin for detention. Yeh boys better get yerself back t'the castle." For a second Remus thought that Hagrid was telling him to just go back to the school but then Hagrid stepped out of his cabin, revealing Potter and Black. Both boys grinned at the sight of Remus.

"Hey there, Lupin," Potter said brightly. "Detention, huh? Hagrid's probably the coolest person you could have that with."

"Good luck there," Black added.

"An' yeh two stay away from the forest!" Hagrid shouted as the two of them ran down the path. "If I find yeh there again, I'll tell Minerva!"

"Forest?" Remus asked.

Hagrid shook his head. "Found'em skulkin' bout the edge, lookin' like they were gonna go in. Now then, let's get goin'."

There was a barking noise and a miniature pony covered with scruffy fur appeared. The pony ran to Remus and began licking his face. "Don' yeh be worryin' 'bout Rocky, he ain't gonna hurt yeh none, unless it's death by lickin'."