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CHAPTER SIX - 🍂 ୧ the gryffindor's are . . .
   acting strange ও🦌

IN THE ENSUING FEW MONTHS leading up to the OWL's and after completing a lengthy cycle of pranks, the trio were met with the abrupt stoppage of the ongoing prank war amongst the two friend groups.

They had grown accustomed to taking turns in the execution of their pranks and were prepared for the Gryffindors to strike next, thereby following up on their routine of engaging in humorous shenanigans.

As the two girls began to take the initiative and delve into the matter, Elliot decided to passively join them but maintained a level of caution.

He was rather surprised to discover the duo visiting his dormitory, although he eventually refrained from pondering upon the means through which they had gained access to the location.

He also issued a word of warning about the abundance of Pureblood supremacists in the Slytherin House, cautioning the girls to be careful as the group would not hesitate to target them.

After peeking into the Great Hall, Raven and Autumn exchanged a glance between themselves. Elliot, who was standing behind them and had not yet seen what they had, decided to move up and inquire regarding the object of their focus.

He asked them what they had discovered but was instead provided with a concrete response as a result of observing their expressions.

In the Great Hall, the boys from the Gryffindor House were dispersed, dividing themselves into pairs and dispersing throughout the area.

James was seen in the company of Remus, while their companions, Sirius and Peter, were seated far away from the pair. The two pairs seemed to be engaged in an ongoing verbal exchange, which appeared to be a dispute.

Elliot, who had been left utterly flabbergasted by the occurrence.

Upon witnessing the unexpected fallout between the Gryffindor Golden Boys, Elliot was at a loss for words. He was baffled by the situation that was unfolding in front of him, finding it hard to fathom how the guys who had previously been so close could now be so evidently at odds with one another.

After Raven and Autumn had explained the dynamics of the situation, he commented about the severity of the dispute, stating, "Blimey, it seems like a rather big deal."

As Autumn paused to consider her thoughts regarding the matter, the four males immediately grew attentive towards what she would say next.

After taking a brief moment to collect her thoughts, she proceeded to utter a string of words, stating, "It might be...just that...."

Raven and Elliot simultaneously turned to face her, awaiting further elaboration.

Elliot inquired further to clarify the vagueness that Autumn had exhibited in her response.

He questioned, "Might be what?"

Raven, who was also curious about what her companion would say at this point, reacted to Elliot's inquiry by placing her thumb on her lower lip as she waited for the response.

Autumn appeared to be engrossed in her thoughts, losing track of what she had intended to share with her companions.

She crossed her arms and expressed, "It might definitely have to do with that...but the question is what made it the way it was..."

She remained silent afterwards, seemingly oblivious to the fact that she had yet to disclose to her friends what she was referring to in her musings.

Upon witnessing Autumn's act of spacing out without realizing the fact that she was silent despite her companions' absence of telepathy, Raven and Elliot shared a look of amusement.

They were well acquainted with their friend's habit of delving into the recesses of her mind, which the duo found rather amusing, particularly since they could not read her thoughts.

As Autumn continued to remain in the confines of her thoughts, Elliot took hold of her and lifted her over his shoulder while Raven followed the two, subsequently bringing them into a more secluded location to allow for further conversation.

Raven then provided an amusing observation regarding her companion's behaviour, quipping, "Honestly, when Autumn is lost in her thoughts, it makes it easy for her to be kidnapped."

Elliot nodded his head in agreement, providing a chuckle as he commented, "I am surprised that she hasn't been kidnapped yet.

Raven then continued her line of thought as she expressed, "She probably did, but made her kidnapper let her go."

Elliot and Raven evidently found the notion hilarious, laughing before further conjecture ensued.

The pair engaged in further musing, with Elliot providing additional insight when he contributed, "She either picked out their flaws in the way they kidnapped her or-"

Raven, who was also keen on exploring the various possibilities, continued where he had left off, adding to his statement by stating, "Gave them a long talk about how it was wrong."

The pair were contemplating the likely courses of action that Autumn would attempt if kidnapped.

After remaining still and silent for a while, Autumn eventually spoke up, contributing to the conversation. She stated, "Actually, I would do both," despite being carried by Elliott over his shoulder.

She proceeded to indicate her agreement with the duo's previous statements but did not make any effort to free herself yet. Instead, she returned to her thoughts despite interjecting in the conversation, once more demonstrating a tendency of spacing out.

After a brief duration of travel, the trio arrived at the seventh floor and began to walk towards a specific location.

Raven, who had taken the lead, proceeded to approach a bare wall located to the left of the corridor whilst simultaneously uttering, "I need a place to study."

Elliot, who was still holding Autumn in his arms, waited with interest as the enchanted door in front of the trio started manifesting itself.

Raven proceeded to take a brief visual assessment of the surrounding area as she observed in a bid to ascertain the safety of their surroundings.

She then proceeded to lead the duo through the manifested door with the intention of entering the concealed space therein, ensuring that Elliot had a firm grasp of Autumn in his arms.

Upon entering the chamber, the door appeared to have disappeared to the outside observers, providing the trio with a secluded and secretive domain.

Elliott proceeded to make himself comfortable as he deposited Autumn upon the armchair and removed his robe and bag, tossing them to the ground before seating himself on the couch located on the opposite side of the armchair.

Raven, on the other hand, approached a corner of the chamber and picked up a watering can in order to water the numerous plants situated adjacent to the window. As she did so, she inquired of Autumn, "So, Autumn, are you gonna fill us in?"

Elliot reached out with one hand to grab a pillow from the couch before tossing it towards Autumn. The object promptly made contact, striking her head and falling to the ground.

Autumn, who had been surprised by the sudden action, took a brief moment before reacting, in which she scooped up the pillow that was lying on the floor and proceeded to return the gesture with equal measure, throwing the pillow back towards Elliot.

As she did so, she provided her response, wherein she stated, "Yeah, just trying to remember back when I was with Lils and Sev in the library."

Raven nodded in response to Autumn's remark, acknowledging her previous arrival at the library while also providing a query concerning the correlation between the event and the Golden Boy's disagreement.

She expressed, "Yeah, I came a bit later that day. Did they say something that made you think it might be linked to the guys?"

Elliot continued to engage in his act of tossing the tossed pillow in the air, this time adding a catching action to the mix, wherein he caught the pillow that had previously been thrown back towards him.

Autumn provided further details regarding the occurrence in question and also commented upon the response of the two characters, who were evidently acquainted with the situation at hand.

She mentioned, "Yeah, Sev seemed irritated and kept tapping his foot, which annoyed Lils, so she slammed her book down and then said 'You went sneaking down that tunnel by the Whomping Willow, and James Potter saved you from whatever's down there. - then she began scolding him. They kinda forgot I was there for a while."

Raven dropped her watering can in an alarmed response to the revelation that had been provided. Her surprise at the information was evident as she uttered, "Wait, Sev did what?!!"

The pillow that Elliot had continued to toss ended up falling upon his face as he attempted to catch it. He quickly brushed it aside and confirmed the response provided by Autumn with an inquisitive tone.

He inquired, "How on Merlin's name was he fine? Wait, you said Potter saved him?"

The group of friends had knowledge about the Gryffindor Golden Boys for some time now, which was due in part to the curiosity of Autumn and the duo's collective determination to unearth all of the hidden places present within the walls of Hogwarts.

During their second year, Raven and Elliot frequently sought out and followed Autumn when the latter desired to explore concealed areas within the castle, as they had decided on the objective of uncovering as many hidden places as possible.

The trio typically explored the concealed areas within the confines of Hogwarts during the late hours of the night. The reduced presence of people, along with the veil of night-time, made it an ideal time to investigate these places undisturbed.

While engaging in a pursuit of these mysterious locations, the group of friends unintentionally came across the Matron, who was escorting a pale-faced Remus Lupin to a place beneath the Whomping Willow. They watched in bewilderment as the two individuals traversed a hidden path that lay below the willow.

When the trio explored the unknown areas of Hogwarts, it was usually Autumn who led the group, utilizing her curiosity to help them in their endeavours.

However, in this case, Elliot decided to venture ahead and take the path on his own, surprising his companions.

The latter two followed the male, uncertain if this was a good idea. They eventually encountered Madam Pomfrey, who reacted with incredulity to their presence.

The three friends were then immediately gathered and rushed out of the pathway by the Matron, but not before they heard a faint howl from the distance.

The Matron was cognizant of the unique traits and proclivities of the three students, as she had interacted with them before. She made an effort to fabricate and present a falsehood that would be sufficient enough to appease them, but soon realized that her attempt would likely be futile.

She consequently made the decision to take them straight to Dumbledore's office for him to deal with the situation, as she felt that trying to come up with lies would prove to be an ineffective approach.

"You three are never up to any good." The Matron uttered tiredly.

Following the trio's delivery to Dumbledore's office, the elderly gentleman was unstruck by their presence, as he had frequently seen the youth enter his realm," Madam Pomfrey, you may retire for the night." He permitted the Matron to depart for her quarters before he fixed his gaze upon the three preteens with a contemplative expression.

It became evident that the Headmaster was familiar with the trio, as he had engaged with them more frequently compared to other students throughout their education at Hogwarts.

Dumbledore proceeded to inquire of the trio in a calm and collected manner, "So, what did you three discover?"

They responded with their unified answer, stating, "Lupin is a werewolf."

Dumbledore laughed quietly as he received a confirmation for the previous notions he had possessed and responded with a mild statement, "Well, that is something serious."

Despite the topic of discussion being a rather sensitive matter, the male senior maintained a pleasant demeanour towards the three youths.

The Headmaster directed his focus towards the trio and delivered a query of his own concerning their personal attitudes towards the information that was being presented.

He inquired, "And how do you feel about it?"

Autumn, among the three, was the first to respond, expressing in a calm manner, "Shocked, but also, not surprised. It answers why he is absent once a month."

Raven, who was swaying on her feet, proceeded to provide her own opinion on the matter, uttering, "Lupin is a nice person and it doesn't define him on what he turns into once a month."

Elliot, who was seated, adopted a more aloof expression and articulated his thoughts in regards to the matter, stating, "He helps me a lot in my studies, so sure he has a monthly thing, nothing wrong with that"

The Headmaster cast his gaze upon the trio and responded with a brief bout of laughter.

Having gained an in-depth knowledge and awareness of the young trio's behaviour and pursuits, the male senior was aware that their discoveries would not cause any significant problems.

He was also aware that they remained selective in regard to the sharing of their findings, which was the primary reason as to why he chose to permit their explorations.

Autumn confirmed the statement provided by Raven by delivering an affirmative response, stating, "Lily stated that Potter had been boasting about his role in rescuing Sev."

Raven expressed a sigh as she shifted to the subject at hand, posing a query in regard to the reason for the division of the group.

She posed the question, "Okay, so Potter saved Sev. What do you think led to the division of the group?"

Elliot appeared to ponder upon the situation for a moment before snapping his fingers as if he had experienced a sudden epiphany.

He vocalized, "Wait, when I saw the guys in the Great Hall, it didn't appear as if they were engaged in a fight with each other. It was obvious, though, that Potter and Pettigrew were exchanging glances, signalling one another to deliver a particular message. Then, Black looked out of it. He looked like he did something horrible with the guilt written all over his face."

He continued, "Therefore, it seems as if the matter of disagreement may possibly lie between Lupin and Black."

Raven delivered a remark concerning the uncertainty surrounding the root cause of the conflict, "So...if that is correct, then Black must have been the party that did something wrong."

Autumn then expressed a discouraged response with a brief sigh, announcing, "Not sure, but I guess that means it'll be awfully quiet for a while."

"Wish we could do something, but none of them know we know Lupin's secret," Elliot fell into a reclined position on the couch and concluded his opinion with a lamenting commentary that they could not do anything to intervene.

Raven expressed her thoughts in regard to a potential avenue of approach, raising a finger in a manner that prompted the attention of her two companions.

She conveyed the notion in a straightforward manner, stating, "Well, we can always tell Lupin we know his secret."

Autumn appeared to be at a loss for words when faced with the suggestion posed by Raven, prompting her to stand up to convey her own perspective.

She began to inquire, "So, what do you recommend we do?"

Then, she proceeded to provide a hypothetical depiction of how the interaction could possibly manifest, asserting, "Just approach Lupin after finding him alone and then say—'Lupin, we know that you're a werewolf since we were second years?'"

...

Lupin was proceeding through a vacant corridor, seeking to partake in some time to himself. He felt that some solitude would help to soothe his anger in response to the deceitful scheme that his friend, Sirius, had enacted.

However, his private moment was disrupted, and he found himself surrounded by the three friends who had previously uncovered his secret.

His facial expression appeared to bear traces of shock, possibly due to the fact that the trio was aware of his 'furry little problem'.

His mind was overflowing with the previous events with Sirius for having engineered an unsavoury prank in which Severus was instructed to traverse the pathway beneath the willow tree on a night of the full moon.

To his knowledge, James had prevented Severus from going further into the passage in that particular instance; however, if he hadn't intervened, he likely would have harmed the Slytherin student to a considerable extent.

Lupin's expression of shock shifted to one of fear upon the revelation. He instinctively took a step backwards in the face of his secret being exposed.

Raven took the initiative and extended her hand forward to grasp his own, exuding a reassuring and comforting demeanour as she did so.

She offered the male a message of compassion, uttering, "It's okay, we are not here to shun you, we just want to talk.l

Elliot offered his own gesture of assurance, opting to exhibit an aloof body stance with his arms behind his head and crossed, in addition to positioning his head upon his hand.

He articulated, " Yeah, besides, we have been your friend for ages now, we know you over what you have to deal with every full moon."

Autumn matched Raven's efforts to grasp his hand as she shared a smiling visage with the male, declaring, "We care about you, and your secret has no bearing on our sentiments towards you."

Elliot attempted to utilize a lighthearted approach that involved banter to defuse the tension in the atmosphere, though his attempt only led to more tension as his friends chose to retaliate with their own playful antics.

He commented in a jocular tone, "If you want, I can absolutely share you secrets about Raven and Autumn."

His attempt at humour prompted the girls to respond by striking his foot with considerable force, indicating their annoyance and disapproval of the joke.

Remus' emotional state was apparent to observe, as he let out a light-hearted chuckle, indicative of the fact that he had not been capable of laughter for a considerable period of time.

His mood was one of terror in regards to himself and his actions under the wolfish influence, as the potential ramifications of the situation weighed heavily upon his mind.

He felt the compulsion to depart from the school in light of the circumstances, as his fear and anxiety became the dominant sentiment, outstripping his anger towards Sirius.