Remus Lupin and the Prisoner of Azkaban (#Wolfstar)

Chapter Sixteen- The Dormitories

Wordcount: 2190

After the match Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw, Professor Remus Lupin couldn't sleep very well. It wasn't the party in the Gryffindor common room that disturbed him, it was his own thoughts. Not that full moon was close; it was weeks away and he was glad about that-- he was just preoccupied with his own mind, like everyone tended to be at times.

It was about three in the morning when he decided that it was of no use to keep tossing and turning, so he got up to take a walk through the castle. It would calm him down and tire him-- or so he hoped. He was walking up the staircase, letting his mind wander, when a loud scream echoed through the empty corridors. A terrifying, horrific scream, that let your blood freeze in your veins immediately. Remus stood still for a heartbeat or two. Then he ran.

He knew exactly where it came from and in just a minute he was standing there, panting hard in front of the Portrait of the Gryffindor tower. He looked around. For a second he thought he had seen something move in the shadows but it was gone when he turned his head at it again.

"Sir Cadogan, would you mind," asked Remus urgently. The knight on the portrait waved his sword.

"Password or you shall sleep outside, good Sir!" said the portrait and Remus looked around again. There were loud voices shouting inside.

"I'm a teacher! I heard screams from inside, please open up!" he begged him. He had to see what was going on. Had to see if Harry was alright. If anything happened to him he would--

"Remus!" called a voice suddenly from the end of the corridor. Professor McGonagall turned up in her tartan dressing gown and hair net, looking not the slightest bit shaken, but annoyed.

"Minerva! What is going on?" he asked, ignoring Sir Cadogan's protests.

"I told them to shut it two hours ago, if there is no absolute perfect explanation for their disturbance of overall peace and quiet, I will not hesitate to subtract all the points earned by today's match!" she fumed, climbing the portrait after having repeated the password twice. Remus followed her suit; something told him this tumult was not about the match anymore.

"Nonsense!" they heard the head boy Percy Weasley, sounding startled. "You had too much to eat, Ron-- had a nightmare --"

"I'm telling you --" said his brother.

"Now, really, enough's enough!" The two teachers had entered. Minerva slammed the portrait behind her as she stared furiously around. "I am delighted that Gryffindor won the match, but this is getting ridiculous! Percy, I expected better of you!" she continued. Meanwhile, Remus' eyes were searching the students to see if anyone was missing-- or at least that's what he told himself. Really, he was frantically checking for Harry Potter, but he found him standing right behind Ron, looking as shaken as everyone else, but alright. When Harry looked back at him, he nodded towards him and smiled, the student just so managed to nod back.

"I certainly didn't authorize this, Professor!" said Percy to Professor McGonagall, puffing himself up indignantly. "I was just telling them all to get back to bed! My brother Ron here had a nightmare --"

"IT WASN'T A NIGHTMARE!" Ron yelled. "PROFESSOR, I WOKE UP, AND SIRIUS DAMN BLACK WAS STANDING OVER ME, HOLDING A KNIFE!"

Remus froze. Professor McGonagall stared at Ron. "Don't be ridiculous, Weasley, how could he possibly have gotten through the portrait hole?"

"Ask him!" said Ron, pointing a shaking finger at the back of Sir Cadogan's picture. "Ask him if he saw --" Glaring suspiciously at Ron, Professor McGonagall walked past Remus, pushed the Portrait back open and went outside. The whole common room listened with bated breath.