A/N: This is for Hogwarts assignment 12 Gardening task #9 Alt: Write about a secret passageway in Hogwarts. It's 755 words.
It was almost eleven o'clock one Saturday evening at Hogwarts and four friends were out exploring the castle. James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew were a mismatched group of friends but they were very close and got up to all sorts of mischief.
Over the past few months they had been exploring the castle one floor at a time, and today they started on the fourth.
"It just seems to be more classrooms," Sirius said after a little while.
"Well, it is a school, Sirius," Remus said sarcastically.
"I know, but I thought there would be more than just empty classrooms to see."
"Maybe there will be on the upper floors where you have the common rooms and offices," Peter said trying to stifle a yawn.
"Can you imagine sneaking into McGonagall's office?" James said smirking.
"I think she would kill us if we did that," Remus replied.
The four of them walked around for a little more and an hour later they had still only found empty classrooms.
"I just want to go to bed," Peter said trudging behind his friends.
"Where's your sense of adventure! The whole castle is asleep right now and we can go anywhere we want," James said enthusiastically.
"Shh keep it down, or you'll get us caught," Remus whispered.
"I'm tired," Peter said trying to hold back another yawn.
"I know you're there! Show yourselves!" a voice said from down the corridor.
The boys looked at each other in alarm before running off in the opposite direction. None of them knew where they were going, all they knew was that they didn't want to get caught again.
Apollyon Pringle was not someone you wanted to get on the wrong side of. He had permission to cane you if he found you wandering around the corridors after curfew, and after the last time they had been caught the friends had vowed never to let it happen again.
Eventually they reached a corridor with a dead end.
"There's nowhere to go," James said sounding frustrated.
"There must be a way out somehow," Sirius replied looking closely at the walls. There was nothing of interest on them except for a large mirror on the end wall.
"I wonder…" Sirius said before going to the mirror and pushing it.
He stumbled slightly as it opened.
"Wow. I wonder where it leads," James said.
"Time to find out," Remus said as footsteps came nearer.
"Won't he be suspicious that we just disappeared?" Peter asked.
"Yes, but do you really want him to cane you?" Sirius asked back.
Peter rushed in the hidden passageway behind them.
The door closed just a few seconds before they heard Pringle come down the corridor.
"That's funny...I swore I heard…they must have gone somewhere else," Pringle muttered.
Once they could no longer hear his footsteps each of them relaxed and started to breathe normally.
"Lumos," Remus said.
The space around them lit up instantly.
"It's huge!" Peter exclaimed as looked around.
The passageway was wide enough that the four of them could stand side by side comfortably, and seemed to go on forever.
"This is a great hiding place. I wonder where it leads though?" James asked.
"Maybe we could find out next week? It's already gone midnight and I'm sure McGonagall would be suspicious if we didn't turn up for breakfast or lunch," Remus suggested.
"That's a good idea, but we better leave in about ten minutes just to make sure Pringle isn't waiting for us in the corridors," James conceded.
Silence enveloped them for the next few moments as they looked around.
"There are markings on this wall. I can't tell what they are even though they look like runes," Remus said.
"Like you said, we will come back and explore this place more another time. I'm ready for bed now," James said.
The friends pushed the wall as gently as they could and and walked back the way they came. Each of them walking as noiselessly as possible so they didn't draw anyone's attention. Once they reached the Gryffindor Common Room they smiled as they had made it the whole way back without being seen.
"Just what do you think you're doing out at this hour?" Professor McGonagall said as she came out of the shadows.
"Sleepwalking," James replied confidently.
"All of you?" she asked raising her eyebrow.
It was obvious she didn't believe him and would give them detention, but detention was better than any punishment Pringle would ever give them.
It's for the Hot Air Baloon challenge for the prompt "I just want to go to bed.", the Holmes Msytery challenge prompt 'suspicious', the Insane House Challenge prompt action: whispering, the Seasonal Challenges Thread for best friends day, Gryffindor themed prompts (character James Potter), and Ami's Audio Admirations Write about a group of four friends.