The Fifth Marauder

Year Two: Summer

CW: mentions of child abuse and racism

Percy never got a chance to talk to Remus about his discovery. They'd only had a week left of term, and with exams, he'd never found a time where the two were alone. He'd never even found time to ask to talk to the other boy. They were both so stressed with final revisions.

He still didn't know how he felt. As a half-blood student who'd grown up like a muggle, he barely knew anything about werewolves other than what he'd seen in a couple movies, and he didn't know if any of that was reliable at all. After much bargaining, however, Madam Pince allowed him to check out a library book for the summer. He'd packed one on werewolves to read over the break.

Dumbledore had given him his books for the next year as well, swapping out his first year textbooks before heading home. The Headmaster had called him into his office a few days before the term ended to talk about his summer plans, making it the third time in one year that he'd had a one-on-one with the old wizard.

"I've spoken to your professors, Percy," he'd stared down at him through his spectacles with a stern expression. He squirmed nervously in his seat, heart beating very fast as he worried about the Headmaster's final decision on whether he could go home. "They old me you've been working very hard ever since the incident after Christmas. I'm glad to hear you're taking your situation seriously."

He bobbed his head once, thinking a response wasn't necessary. He didn't even trust himself to speak without his voice cracking in worry, anyway.

"However, I'm told you're still having a hard time controlling your magic. Professor McGonagall especially tells me you're barely passing her class. Have you sought out her help?"

In truth, he had once. He'd been so embarrassed that he hadn't been able to focus on transfiguring his cup into a quill and had ended up flooding the goblet with ink, which spilled everywhere. After that, he'd just gotten help from Remus, which was beneficial but not the specific coaching he had begun to believe he needed. He shrugged, unsure what to say.

"I see," Dumbledore said. "Well, because you are decently controlled in your other classes, we have communicated with your stepfather. You will be allowed to return this summer, if--" he held up a hand as Percy's eyes lit up, "Only if you do not bring your wand. Your stepfather said his conditions for your return are restrictions to your wizarding materials, which means your books, wand, and supplies will be locked away until your return."

His heart sunk. His wand was an extension of himself now, he didn't know how he'd cope without it for a whole summer. "But Professor, how will I do my homework?"

Dumbledore nodded. "That is a good point. Your professors have agreed to give you into the first two weeks of classes to submit your pre-term homework."

Bollocks! That meant he'd have to cram so much that he wouldn't be able to do anything but homework those first weeks. But if that was the only way he could go home, and see his mother...

"Alright," he agreed, squaring his shoulders. "If that's what it takes."

Dumbledore had smiled and held up a pile of his second-hand books and supplies for the next year. "These will remain at Hogwarts and will be waiting for you upon your return. You'll hand off your wand to Professor McGonagall as soon as your exams end, understood?"

After agreeing to the terms, he'd been dismissed. Handing over his wand had been agonizing, but he clung to the library book as solace. If it weren't for that one piece of the Wizarding World he'd managed to sneak by Dumbledore, Percy thought he'd convince himself he'd dreamed up Hogwarts. Back at home in New York City, things continued exactly like they were before he'd left. There was no mention of his magic at all, and it drove him so crazy that he retreated into his bedroom and read Weary of Werewolves every night to remind himself that everything had been real. The book had taught him a lot about werewolves, but a lot of it rubbed him the wrong way. He wondered if it was a Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook, because most of it was about how to defend yourself from wereworlves. Percy didn't care about that, he wanted to know what it was like to be a werewolf. What did Remus go through? The book mentioned that werewolves forcefully transform on full moons, which is very painful. It said that the wolf will kill anything it can, and the wizard loses all control to it, unable to remember almost anything that occurred during the night. He also learned that werewolves were required to register with the Ministry of Magic when they came of age, or if they were already seventeen when bitten, had to register immediately. How old was Remus when he'd been attacked? It seemed that thirteen was awfully young to be turned.