Eclipsed

Everything was going according to plan. Remus had gone to the hospital wing the afternoon before, after he'd walked into McGonagall's class looking so poorly that she sent him away. They’d gone to visit him after classes were done for the day, and although Remus was clearly uncomfortable with the whole thing, he revealed the secret to freezing the Whomping Willow, which was touching the knot at the base of the trunk, so that they could access the tunnel below without being whomped. 

Come Saturday, after a leisurely lie-in and a hearty dinner to fortify themselves, the three Marauders secured their dormitory doors and embarked on their first-ever full moon escapade. With the invisibility cloak stuffed in James’ bag, they ventured down the stairs and out of the common room. Once the coast was clear, Sirius and Peter transformed so that they would all fit beneath the cloak, with rat-Peter leaping into James's waiting hand and dog-Sirius glued to James' side, leading the trio through the dimly lit corridors and out into the school grounds. James draped the cloak over himself and his two animal-companions, and they ventured into the cool night. 

James shivered, feeling the night's chill creep through the stitches of his wool jumper. He silently cursed himself for not bringing a heavier cloak, but Remus had insisted they bring as little as possible with them to the shack. Remus, who was always anxious about the full moon nights, had insisted on arriving hours ahead of the midnight transformation, so the Marauders missed seeing just how Pomfrey froze the tree as she escorted her patient down. However, Remus had given them a detailed description of the Whomping Willow's location, guiding rat-Peter with such precision that he found it in no time.

Pressing against the tree with all his rat might, Peter swiftly froze its thrashing branches. With only a minute before the branches reactivated, James and dog-Sirius dashed across the tree's spread, pausing only when they reached the safety of its trunk.

As they caught their breath, they scoured the base of the massive trunk until they discovered the hidden tunnel beneath it. With a relieved sigh, James removed the cloak, and Sirius and Peter reverted to their human forms, anticipation growing as they stepped into the darkness of the tunnel.

"This is it, lads," Sirius remarked, his voice tinged with exhilaration.

“This is it,” James agreed, a small smile playing on his lips despite the nerves gnawing at his stomach. "Let's get inside before the moon rises."

They ventured into the tunnel, Sirius leading the way, followed closely by Peter and James, who kept a tight grip on Peter's shoulder. The tunnel stretched on, its darkness swallowing their footsteps as they pressed forward, looking for the door Remus had said would lead to the shack. 

"Alohomora," Sirius pointed his wand at the lock. With a satisfying click, the door swung open, revealing the interior of the shack bathed in dim moonlight.

As they stepped inside, their eyes widened at the sight before them. Rusty-brown stains marked the furniture and floor, but despite the shabby appearance, the room bore signs of magical repair, a testament to the repeated efforts to keep it somewhat habitable.

Peter swiftly locked the door behind them, the sound echoing in the tense silence of the room. "Remus?" Sirius called out, his voice echoing through the empty halls.

“I’m here.” A weak response reached their ears, drawing them further into the dimly lit space. 

They found Remus in a small room adjacent to the sitting area, laid out on a faded couch amidst the worn furniture. His transformation clothes hung loosely on his frame, a stark reminder of the ordeal he faced every full moon. They consisted of some shabby pajama pants which had belonged to Lyall at some point, and which Remus was finally growing into, and a thin, light brown, cotton robe, which had no buttons or clasps. The sleeves fell past his fingertips, and it was about three sizes too big, so Madame Pomfrey would be able to maneuver him into it easily when she came to find him in the mornings. 

“Hey you,” Sirius joked, trying to uplift his friend’s spirit. “Fancy seeing you here tonight.” 

“Hmm,” Remus tried to smile, but didn’t quite succeed. Peter and James followed Sirius, joining them around the other side of the coffee table, the fire glowing at their backs. Remus was wrapped in his own robe, pale as ever, and shivering despite the fevered flush on his cheeks. The boys spent the next hour chatting, distracting themselves from the reality of what was about to happen while their friend lay drowsily on the couch, not participating in the conversation but vaguely aware that it was happening around him. 

Remus caught sight of the clock around 11:53, and in classic Remus fashion, he sat abruptly, eyes wide, and chest heaving as he seemed to notice his friends again. “What are you doing here? You have to go, you have to go NOW–” 

“Hey, hey, relax!” James jumped in, “Animagus time, remember?”

Remus froze, still breathing very heavily, but then nodded slowly, looking unblinkingly between his friends. “Right. Animagus.” 

“We’re gonna be fine, Re, don’t worry. We’re here to make it better for you!” Peter smiled, despite his own fears over the way the night would go, and  Sirius rubbed Remus’ back reassuringly.” 

Remus nodded again, returning to himself as his teeth began to chatter. “Promise me, please, promise me that when I say you transform, okay?” They all nodded, but Remus didn’t look too convinced. “You have to promise. I will kill you otherwise.” They promised again, and Remus seemed to accept their assurance with the way his shoulders dropped and his eyes gently closed, leaning back against the couch for a moment.

“Madame Pomfrey has my wand, but if you want to lock yours away, or your clothes, so nothing happens to them, I usually put mine in that cupboard. It has a charm on it to repel any animals from messing with it.”

“Our clothes will transform with us,” Sirius told him, collecting the three wands and putting them in the cupboard, and Remus pushed himself up carefully. 

“Must be nice,” he said weakly. “I’ve got to take mine off now.”  With trembling hands, Remus began to disrobe, his movements slow and deliberate. "You should probably go to the other room while it happens," he suggested, his tone strained. "It's not nice to watch."

"We don't mind," Sirius protested, but Remus shook his head firmly.

"I mind," he insisted, his voice tinged with desperation. "Please, just go."

James quickly intervened, sensing Remus' distress. "Okay, Remus, whatever you say."

A shudder ran through his friend’s body, and he made his way over to the cupboard. “And remember when I say transform, you transform. Got it? Don’t challenge the wolf, don’t mess with him, and if things go bad, leave immediately and lock the door. Promise me.” He was holding himself up against the wall, shaking as he gripped the open lapels of the robe.

“Promise.” With a heavy heart, they retreated behind the wall as Remus shed his robes, the air thick with anticipation. 

"Now, NOW!"

Not wanting to take any unnecessary risks, the boys transformed, Sirius’ massive dog form sat attentively on the corner as stag-James stood against the wall, and rat-Peter perched between the stag’s antlers. For the first time, they heard the werewolf transformation close-up, and it was  worse than they could’ve imagined.  Bones cracking and shifting into place was gruesome enough, but it was the sound of Remus’ screams that made it all worse. After only a few seconds the shouting was over, but quickly replaced by heavy, canine breathing. Dog-Sirius lowered himself to the ground, and shimmied around the corner, beckoning for the other two to follow. 

In stag form, James’ vision sharpened and the scope widened. His night vision increased beyond what human-James had ever been able to see, and with cautious steps, he peered around the corner and beheld the wolf for the first time. Bathed in the soft glow of the full moon, the room was cast in eerie shadows, giving it an otherworldly feeling. Rat-Peter emitted a nervous squeak as they laid eyes on the formidable figure before them. Wolf-Remus stood taller than any dog or wolf they’d ever seen, his white and brown speckled coat glistening in the moonlight. 

Dog-Sirius was still crouched low, letting wolf-Remus know that he was still in charge. Assuming that dog-Sirius knew what he was doing, stag-James did his best to get low, although with his longer legs and wide antlers it was a bit more difficult. Wolf-Remus eyed them warily, his growls filling the tense silence as he circled and sniffed each of them in turn. The trio held their breath, praying to any and all deities that the wolf would accept them as allies rather than adversaries.

Finally, wolf-Remus backed away, settling into a cautious seated position. Dog-Sirius rose from the floor, and mirrored his posture, barking in what seemed like an attempt at friendliness. In response, wolf-Remus barked back, although it came out more like a bark-howl than anything else. 

Dog-Sirius then padded over to stag-James, rubbing up against the stag’s body with his snout, trying to show the wolf that he, the stag, and rat-Peter were all friends too.

After a moment, wolf-Remus bark-howled again, suddenly jumping up and running around the three animals and zooming into the other room. When none of them followed, he slunk back into the sitting room where they’d been, and howled at them, before zooming off again. Dog-Sirius was the first to realize that the wolf wanted to play, and darted after him, with stag-James and rat-Peter close behind. They engaged in a chaotic game of chase, the room alive with the sound of their playful barks and howls.

The stag entered the fray, separating the wolf and the dog-Sirius with his antlers when things got a little aggressive. While receiving a werewolf bite as an Animagus would probably not infect someone, it would permanently scar or injure the other person, which would make Remus feel terribly guilty, so they were trying to avoid that at all costs. 

This game continued for hours, with the wolf chasing the other three around the house, picking fights with dog-Sirius, and stag-James breaking them apart. Eventually, even the wolf got tired, and padded back to the couch in the smaller room, where most things were in-tact, save for the coffee table, which had been knocked down by the wolf’s wagging tail at some point during the games. He curled up next to the embers of the fire and laid down, patting the ground with his tail. Dog-Sirius curled up beside him, and stag-James lowered himself to the floor by the two of them as well, bringing rat-Peter down with him, however he stayed awake, preferring to keep watch in case of anything. 

As the first rays of sunlight filtered through the windows, casting a warm glow upon the worn wooden floors, Remus stirred from his slumber, his body swiftly and painfully shifting back to its human form. Desperate for warmth and comfort, he nestled further into dog-Sirius’ soft fur. James, still awake and riding on adrenaline alone, swiftly transformed back into himself, retrieving their wands and Remus' clothes from the cupboard. With careful precision, he gently maneuvered Remus back into his robe, covering him as much as possible, before shaking dog-Sirius awake. 

"We've got to go now, before Pomfrey gets back," James whispered urgently, gently nudging dog-Sirius awake. With a soft whine, the big, black dog reluctantly disentangled himself from Remus' side, carefully lowering his friend's head to the ground. Meanwhile, Peter, still in rat form, snoozed peacefully on the couch where James had left him. He scooped him up and threw the cloak over the three of them, hoping to get out before Madame Pomfrey’s appearance. 

Then, with a sinking feeling in their stomachs, they heard it—the unmistakable sound of a lock clicking open. Panic surged through them like a tidal wave, propelling them into action as they dashed for the stairs, their hearts pounding in their chests. They froze halfway up the staircase, not wanting to alert her to their presence with a creaky step. 

"Remus, are you awake?" she called out, her footsteps echoing through the shack as she approached. Remus's mumbled response was barely audible, but it seemed to satisfy the matronly healer.

Pomfrey's next words were music to their ears, tinged with her trademark optimism. "I'll have to write to your parents, no blood, no concussion, just popping that hip back in again… which I do think we should be concerned about… but let’s just get you back to your room now, alright?"

A collective sigh of relief swept through the room as the sound of her departing footsteps faded away. James wasted no time in shedding the invisibility cloak, eager to share the good news with his friends.

"Transform back, asshole! It worked!" he exclaimed, his excitement palpable as he watched Sirius revert to his human form, embracing him and the snoozing rat-Peter in a bear hug. The sudden movement startled Peter awake, and he tumbled out of James's arms with a yelp, transforming back into himself as he landed on the ground with a thud.

"It worked?" he asked groggily from the bottom of the staircase, slightly rubbing his backside, where he’d bounced down the steeps.

"Remus ended the night in one piece—hardly a scratch on him! I would say it was a total success!" Sirius declared triumphantly, bounding down the steps with unbridled enthusiasm. “We’ve got to get to the hospital wing and see what he says!” 

But James, ever the voice of reason, suggested a more sensible next step, stopping Sirius in his tracks. "How about we take a little nap first?"

After a nap, a shower, and a bite to eat, the Marauders were pushing open the hospital wing doors, eager to see what Remus had to say about the evening’s events. Pomfrey met them coming in, although it was an interesting turn of events to find her glad to see them, rather than shooing them away from her most frequent visitor. 

"Hello boys—you're in luck today! Remus is doing quite well, considering. Not sure what happened last night, but he’s never had a moon this easy. He’ll be glad to see you all as soon as he’s awake—but if you’re quiet you can sit in his room until then."

The three boys tiptoed into Remus’ room, their faces beaming with relief and anticipation. Remus, already starting to stir, greeted them with a sleepy smile as the door creaked open.

“G’mornin,” he murmured, shifting onto his side to face them.

“How are you feeling?” James inquired, settling into the chair by the bedside.

“Honestly? Like I’ve been hit by a truck; I’m so tired and so sore, but this is the best I’ve ever felt after a full,” Remus admitted happily, though his voice barely reached above a whisper.

Peter, James, and Sirius exchanged looks of satisfaction—this was the exact outcome they had hoped for when they decided to become Animagi.

“Amazing! When do you get out of here, then?” Sirius chimed in, bouncing up onto the end of the bed and slightly jostling Remus, who made room for him at his feet.

“Ideally tonight, probably tomorrow morning. I think Pomfrey’s waiting for something to go wrong; she can’t believe how easy it’s been this morning,” Remus explained, his own disbelief and gratitude evident by his bright eyes and wide smile, despite his clear exhaustion .

“What do you remember then, from last night?” James pressed eagerly, leaning forward in anticipation.

“Nothing. I never remember anything when I’m transformed,” Remus confessed with a shrug, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten as he recounted the peculiarities of his lycanthropic experiences.

Peter wiped his forehead in mock relief. “Well thank God, because I mostly clung to stag-James and screamed!”

Laughter filled the room, a joyous symphony of friendship and camaraderie. Suddenly, Sirius sat up, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“We can’t keep referring to each other as rat-Peter or stag-James. I think we need code names, don’t we?” he suggested, sparking a lively discussion among the group.

And so, over the next few weeks, James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus earned their ‘codenames’, cementing their Marauder identities.

In the dormitory a couple of days later, Sirius emerged from the bathroom, freshly showered and displaying a long scrape across the front of his chest. Remus, who’d looked up as he heard the door opening, gasped.

“Sirius… is that cut on your chest from the full?” he asked, panic beginning to set in.

Sirius looked down. “I mean, it’s hardly a cut, but–”

“Did… did I do that to you?” Remus asked, his worry evident in his voice.

“No, no, it wasn’t you, it wasn’t the wolf, Re, it was stag-James, you know? With those little…” Sirius gestured with a hand on either side of his head, trying to recall the right term. “Ugh, what are they called? Those prongs coming off the side of his head!"

Just then, James poked his head out from behind his bed curtains. “Little PRONGS?” he shouted. His voice carried across the room, prompting Peter to look up from his crossword puzzle and join the conversation. “My majestic antlers, you mean?”

“I think I like prongs better, mate,” Peter chimed in. Sirius couldn’t hold back his laughter, and even Remus cracked a smile. “Imagine, they’re like little forks coming out from your head!

“Who’s our little Prongs?” Sirius teased, while James stubbornly maintained that they were magnificent antlers.

And so, amidst laughter and teasing, James officially became Prongs,

For the first time, the night of the October full moon was something all four boys were looking forward to, however the lead-up to it was just as uncomfortable as usual. 

Bounding up the stairs after Quidditch practice, James burst into the room, brimming with enthusiasm to share his latest idea for their upcoming Halloween prank. However, he was met with an unexpected sight: Sirius and Peter occupied themselves on their beds while Remus lay cocooned behind drawn curtains, and his record player at full volume playing a song featuring a melancholy guitar melody. James thought nothing of it, and went to change from his Quidditch kit into something a bit more comfortable. 

As the song drew to a close, as it was, James noted, a very depressing song, James opened his mouth to say something, but Sirius caught his eye and quickly shook his head putting a finger to his own lips. James sent him a questioning look, but as the final note played out, Remus’ hand shot out, and moved the needle on the record player back to the right groove, starting the song over again. James looked back at Sirius, confused, and Sirius could only shake his head in response, also unsure of what was going on with the other boy. 

Remus continued to do the same thing a couple more times, and after replaying the same sad Nick Drake song for the fourth time (as far as James knew), Sirius stared at the drawn curtains for a moment before rolling his eyes, putting his schoolwork down, and climbing into Remus’ bed. He drew the curtains tightly around them, excluding Peter and James from the ensuing confrontation. 

Perplexed, James turned to Peter for an explanation. "What's with Remus?" he whispered, perching on his bed.

Peter sighed, his expression a mix of resignation and understanding. "He's just... moony."

"Moony?" James echoed, a hint of confusion in his voice.

"Yeah, you know, his weird pre-moon behavior. Moody but moon-related? Moony," Peter explained with a sheepish grin, hoping for a chuckle.

“Peter…” James began, eyes widening in realization before grasping one of his friends soft cheeks in each hand and squeezing. “You genius!” 

With a mischievous grin, James flung open the curtains around Remus' bed, revealing a sulky Remus and a frustrated Sirius.

"Leave me alone, James," Remus muttered, his tone a mix of annoyance and resignation.”And get him to leave me alone too.” 

"No can do, Moony," James retorted with a grin, earning a giggle from Peter.

Remus' eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Did you just call me Moony?" he asked, sitting up, eyes narrowing. Sirius looked between the two boys with wide eyes, ready to break up a fight. Remus looked spindly, but farmwork had led to some secret muscles that Sirius didn’t think James would be prepared to take. 

“I did,” James said, “although I have to give credit to Pete for the idea.”

“Why the fuck would you call me that?”

“I mean your moon-moods are legendary. We have listened to this depressing-ass Nick Drake song at least five times, if not more if you all were listening to it before I came in.” James replied, and Peter nodded in agreement. The three waited with anticipation to get Remus’ reaction to James’ (and Peter’s) lighthearted take on the coining of his new Marauder code-name, and to be honest, it was an unexpected response. 

At first, Remus seemed to take it well, a smile tugging up at the corner of his lips, but his attention quickly darted between his three friends’ sweet, encouraging expressions focused on him. Tears started to well up in his eyes, the ghost of a smile disappearing as quickly as it came. 

“I’m sorry I’m so emotional and moody, I just can’t help it sometimes,” he said, crying. Quickly, Sirius pulled him closer, wrapping an arm around his bony shoulders “I try to control it but I just don’t feel well, and I like that song a lot; it makes me feel better, but I can play it more quietly or go somewhere else if it’s bothering you all!” James and Peter joined the cuddle pile too, and reassured their friend that they did not mind his emotions. 

“We love you for it,” Peter promised. “Your moony moods make you you!” 

“Yeah,” James added, “Nothing wrong with a sad song sometimes, although honestly we should get you a compilation record- I don't think I could listen to another Nick Drake song.”

“But if you don’t like it we can think of a new codename, Re, promise.” Sirius gave the other boys a look that made them all promise too. 

“No, I do like it,” Remus said, sniffing and pushing everyone off of him so he could wipe his face. “That was very clever, Pete.” Remus shrugged.  “I guess I’m just feeling kinda…. Moony today,” he added with a bashful smile, and Peter smiled wide, pleased that his idea had been a success. 

"Moony it is, then," James declared with a grin. 

To solve the problem of not everyone fitting under the cloak at the same time anymore, Peter had taken to transforming and being held by someone while they traveled, usually by Sirius or James, since Remus had asked to be left to his studies more often than not lately. 

It was James, Sirius, and Peter that afternoon, outside the greenhouses, waiting for the perfect moment to slip inside and take the plant they needed as an ingredient for the Translucence Elixir they were brewing for their annual Halloween prank. Due to their track record of stealing ingredients from the greenhouses, the new professor this term, Sprout, had been advised by her predecessor to set motion-activated spells inside when classes were not in session. Therefore, during their free-period, they were standing outside, considering how to best execute their plan while a class was in session. 

Since a big, black grim busting into a class and traumatizing at least fifteen first-year students was ill-advised, Peter was their only hope at causing a distraction so that James and Sirius could go unnoticed as they stole the ingredient they needed. 

As luck would have it, a tardy student provided the perfect opportunity for them to slip into the greenhouse unnoticed. James set Peter down gently, and the little rat scurried off, his tiny paws pattering against the stone floor as he searched for a way to create chaos.

As he made his way around the beautiful greenhouse, one of his favorite places in Hogwarts, he caught sight of a plant he’d never seen before up on one of the tables. Peter, who was actually very interested in Herbology, couldn't resist investigating a peculiar plant perched on one of the tables. He mustered all his rodent agility and attempted to leap onto the table, only to miss his mark and land in a bucket filled with squirming worms. 

Rat-Peter squeaked and cried, panicking that he was about to drown in a bucket of worms, but miraculously, he only suffered for a few moments. A tiny hand reached into the bucket, closing around Peter’s tail. He relaxed, and allowed himself to be rescued from the wriggling pink hellscape he’d been submerged in, although the cry of terror from the little first-year Hufflepuff who pulled him out was pretty bad too. Apparently she’d been traumatized by a rat as a young child, and pulling rat-Peter out of the worm bucket was possibly the worst thing that could’ve happened to her.

“I thought it was a WORM but it’s a TAIL!!!” she sobbed, throwing rat-Peter and a handful of worms across the room as well. In her blind panic, she’d managed to knock over the bucket entirely, sending worms flying and causing many other students to scream- some out of fear, and some who just enjoyed screaming. 

As Peter ran out of the greenhouse, he was picked up by James’ hand coming out of nowhere, Sirius hugging a potted plant close to his chest. 

“Nice one, Wormtail,” he grinned, and Peter could only squeak back with delight. 

“This has got to be the worst plan you’ve ever come up with,” Remus complained, standing at his Prefect post with an invisible James next to him. Although James had promised no more midnight excursions, and also had promised not to rope Remus into any schemes, their Halloween prank required some late-night sneaking around, and James refused to give up the Marauders’ favorite prank of the year.

This year, Halloween fell on a Friday, which was perfect since Remus was typically scheduled for rounds Thursday evenings. With Peter back at the dorms as a decoy, James and Sirius had snuck out under the invisibility cloak to complete the final stages of the prank, which involved pouring a specific amount of translucence elixir over the food preparations for the Halloween feast. Since James, precision, and exact measurements did not mix, he’d elected to wait outside the kitchen with Remus, who was not there by choice, but because he’d been assigned to patrol that hallway.

“Nonsense, Remy,” James replied, still invisible. “This has got to be one of the best plans, actually. I mean, who’d suspect a dog of playing a prank?”

“I think Sirius tromping around the kitchens, not to mention the school, looking like the fuckin’ Grim couldn’t ever be considered a good plan!” Remus whisper-shouted, before straightening up and smiling nervously as Filch, the crotchety old caretaker, walked by accompanied by his pet.

“Good evening, Mr. Filch, Mrs. Norris,” he said politely, acknowledging the cat that the caretaker had acquired the year prior, and who already hated the Marauders for obvious reasons. Filch never replied, only sending Remus a nasty glare as he walked by. Remus held his breath for a few seconds until he was sure the duo had rounded the corner into the next corridor, only exhaling when he felt the coast was clear.

“He KNEW something was up!” He said to James nervously, but before James could respond, they heard the clip of dog-Sirius’ nails against the stone floors of the corridor.

The big black dog… or more accurately, the big and formerly black dog was head to toe covered in flour, clearly having had some sort of kitchen mishap, and tracking it all through the school. Remus shook his head in exasperation, not knowing exactly how he was going to explain this mess to the teachers and custodial elves. Sensing an increase in his friend’s stress, dog-Sirius pounced up onto him, massive paws resting on Remus’ shoulders, and tried to lick the boy’s face, although Remus did a pretty good job of avoiding being covered in saliva.

“Ack, your little pads left flour all over me!” he exclaimed quietly, pushing dog-Sirius off and inspecting the footprints left in flour all over his robes, trying his best to brush it off, but mostly just spreading it around, making it worse. “Curse you and your little pad-feet, Sirius,” he muttered, equally amused and frustrated.

As James and dog-Sirius headed back to the dorms, James smiled, and looked down at his transformed friend, walking silently beside him. “Padfoot could work…” he mused, and the dog at his side barked. “Perfect… Padfoot.”

And thus, Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs.