It was lunch, and Harry still didn't come out of his room. Severus had waited for Harry to cool off a bit before he went up to try and talk to the boy, but even after the time Severus gave him, Harry still didn't want to talk to him.

Around that time, Sirius and Remus were also feeling much better than they had before, and Severus was able to fill them in on what happened.

“That was very nice of him to do that,” Remus said quietly, looking down at the paper in his hands. “This all looks really impressive. Did you tell him about the cure, though, Severus?”

“I was going to,” Severus said. “I wanted to tell him face-to-face but he has yet to open his door to me.”

Sirius and Remus followed Severus up to Harry's bedroom this time, standing by quietly as Severus knocked twice on Harry's door.

“Harry, will you talk to me now?”

There was silence, and then, “No!”

“Come on, kid,” Sirius said in a soft voice. “Severus just wants to talk to you. Why don't you open up, Harry?”

Silence, again, and then—“Leave me alone.”

“Your lunch is getting cold,” Sirius reminded him. Of course, Severus had given up earlier as he tried to get Harry downstairs for lunch and decided to start without the boy. Remus and Sirius had joined, but it was definitely one quiet meal.

“I'm not hungry, thanks.”

Sirius sighed. “Do you want us to put it by your door so you can get it when you want it?”

There was a muffled answer, which sounded very much like a “Yes,” so with a nod of his head Sirius said, “I'll go bring it up. Try some more.”

Severus knocked again. “Open the door up, Harry, this is ridiculous. You never gave me a chance to finish either. I was going to say—”

“I'm sorry but—but I don't want to hear it!” Harry interrupted loudly, his voice cracking. “Can't you just leave me alone for a bit?”

“Maybe we should just leave him be,” Remus suggested. “He will come out on his own time, when he wants to. Before, Harry had always done that. There's a good chance it could be the same this time.”

Sirius came back towards them, carrying a tray of food. Severus stepped back away from the door and allowed Sirius to place the tray in front of it. “He still not coming out of his room yet?” Sirius asked.

Severus shook his head.

“Come on, Harry,” Sirius called. “Severus only wants to talk to you. Why are you being so difficult?”

“Because I don't want to talk to anybody,” Harry said.

Sirius shook his head. “I know you're just trying to respect Harry, Snape, but I think we should just open the door ourselves.”

And with that, Sirius reached out and twisted the doorknob, pushing the door open. He stepped carefully over the food and went inside the room with Severus close behind. There was a sigh from Harry, and he sat up in his bed, putting a pillow on his lap and letting his elbows rest on that as he looked at the three men.

“You never let me finish,” Severus said, staring at Harry intensely. “Will you let me speak now?”

Harry nodded slowly. “Sorry. Go ahead.”

“What I was trying to tell you before,” Severus said slowly, “was that a potion to cure lycanthropy is unnecessary, because a cure has already been discovered. A few years ago, to be exact.”

Harry's mouth fell open. “What?”

Remus nodded. “Yes. Severus helped with the potions. A man by the name of Arcturus Corvus… he was quite old, he'd also retired from the Ministry…. Died a year later.”

Harry stared in disbelief, so Remus continued explaining.

“For two years the person had to take a series of potions before the full moon, each one tasting even more horrible than the last, but only on that one night. For the first year the transformation lessened... that night you'd still have your human mind, although you transformed into the wolf… and then, almost before the year was over, you wouldn't transform altogether. The second year you were to take the potions again, and that sort of made it permanent.”

“Hasn't transformed during the full moon since,” Sirius said, beaming. “Once the Ministry approved it, and made sure that it worked and there would be no side effects or anything like that, every werewolf was lining up for them.”

Harry turned a dull shade of pink, avoiding anyone's eye.

“I'm sorry for the way I acted. I'm just… sorry…”

Severus walked over and sat down on the bed next to Harry, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“I realize you were hurt, after the effort you put into your list at the library. I tried to tell you about that when we were downstairs, but you chose to not listen to me,” Severus said. “I believe I was even interrupted a few times.”

“Sorry,” Harry mumbled again, his eyes still downcast. “Next time I won't interrupt and I'll listen.”

Severus raised an eyebrow. “You plan for there to be a 'next time'?”

“Well—you know what I mean,” Harry said, finally lifting his eyes to look at Severus. “If there is a next time, is all, I guess.”

“All right,” Severus said as he stood up. “Would you like to remain in here, Harry, or do you want to come downstairs and have your lunch before it turns completely cold?”

“I'll choose the second option,” Harry said, jumping up quickly to go over to his doorway and picking up the tray. “Do you think we could do another potion today, Severus?”

“If you feel up to it,” Severus said, walking into the hall as Sirius and Remus followed.

“Harry, I have a question,” Sirius spoke up suddenly, causing Harry to stop at the top of the staircase. “Did you do all that research by yourself? And did anyone that you didn't know the name of stop and talk to you?”

“Well…” Harry started, turning around. “A few people just said hi to me across the street, but they didn't stop me and start up a conversation, and someone by the name of Ben actually helped with the research.”

“Ben Cleaver!” Sirius said, nodding his head in recognition. “He's your… well, friend. They moved here when you—Harry—were five.”

Harry started down the staircase, asking, “Is there anyone else I need to know about?”

Sirius and Severus exhanged glances as they became quiet, to think. Sirius said, “There's Edmund. Edmund Heaton… but I haven't seen him around lately.”

Severus nodded. “Dylan Hawley.”

“Yes, Dylan Hawley. Bobby Roderick, too.”

Harry glanced back. “Anyone else?”

“What about that Walter one?” Remus spoke up.

“He moved,” Sirius answered, walking into the dining room to take his seat again. Remus sat down next to him. “Remember? He had that big party… you got hit on by that dishy girl?” Remus looked at Sirius blankly. “Oh, you know! The one… she, uh… every other word that came out of her mouth was 'blooming'! Don't you remember?”

Remus blushed. “Oh, her. I forgot about her.”

“That's all right,” said Sirius. “She was a little daft anyway.”

“So that's it?” Harry asked cautiously, waiting for the three to throw anymore names at him.

“Not really,” Sirius admitted. “But that's enough for now. Hey… Harry… d'you think you're going to eat that treacle pudding? Nome makes the best treacle puddings.”

Remus groaned. “Can't you let Harry eat in peace?”

“I agree with Lupin,” Severus said dryly.

“Here,” Harry said, grinning as he tossed Sirius an apple. “You can have that.”

Sirius gaped down at the round, red apple in his hand, and then looked back up at Harry in disbelief. “An apple? W—what about that yummy treacle pudding?”

Harry tried to hide his grin as he glanced down at the treacle pudding on a small plate.

“It's my dessert.”

“I never had any at all.” Sirius pouted. “Snape ate all of it. Remus only got one.”

At the other end of the table, Severus snorted.

“I ate all of the treacle pudding, did I?” he said. “I don't think so, Black. I think, however, I might have caught you stuffing five down your throat? Lupin, am I right?”

“We-e-ell.” Remus hesitated as he glanced over at Sirius. “Four, at least.”

“Listen to them!” Sirius breathed, looking appalled. “Teaming up against me! I knew one day it would happen… I just knew it.”

Harry grinned as with a disgusted look, Sirius slowly brought the apple up to his lips and hesitantly took a small bite out of it. He looked as if he was eating some type of unappetizing, contaminated vegetable.

--

Severus and Harry had successfully completed another potion later that day—the Babbling Beverage. Although Harry still had assistance from Severus like the last time they did a potion, Severus had promised that tomorrow Harry could try another potion on his own and with very little assitance. Only when he requested for it.

Sirius had gone out, accompanied by Remus, to the Hall again. The town wanted to take pictures of the cast to put in their local newspaper. Apparently, though Sally had originally been Juliet, they wanted Sirius instead, since Sirius had actually gone through and performed the entire play.

Well, bits and pieces of it anyway.

The thing that had bothered Sirius the most about getting that picture taken was the fact that he had to put the itchy wig back on as well as the gown.

Harry also found out that Mrs. Flynn (Maddie's next-door neighbor) had caught the entire play on a video tape recorder and would gladly give them a copy. Sirius seemed a little excited about the fact that he would be on the telly—but was also rather embarrassed about his performance, though he continued to deny it.

It was late that night, hours after Severus had come in to say goodnight to Harry. Harry lay asleep in his bed, when suddenly his eyes snapped open and he sat up, peering around his room, although he couldn't see anything: he wasn't wearing his glasses, and his room was pitch black.

There was a funny feeling in his stomach. It was fluttery, and he tingled. He didn't know whether it was his feet that was tingling, his hands, his stomach or anything—he just knew that he was tingling.

Trying to push the feeling away, Harry settled back down on his pillow and closed his eyes, trying to fall back asleep. The feeling, however, wouldn't go away, and somehow, Harry ended up falling asleep.

Did he? The next time Harry woke up it was daylight, and he could distinctly hear Sirius tripping over something downstairs. It seemed as if he had just woke up for the first time less than half an hour ago, when it was still the middle of the night. Harry shook his head, feeling… different, in a way. Funny.

Harry yawned, and stretched, pulling the covers off and placing his feet on the cold floor. He reached over and picked up his glasses off the nightstand, rubbing his eyes sleepily and then putting his glasses on his nose.

Harry blinked quite a few times, trying to get his eyes to stay open. He put his hands in his lap, glancing around the room before he finally let his eyes rest down upon his lap before he was going to stand up and go downstairs for breakfast.

And Harry let out a loud, startled scream.