The infamous four and the invisibility cloak

Summary: it's the start of the marauders first year and they decide to sneak out under James's cloak. Things go a bit... wrong.

A/N: Written for the " A Very Potter Challenge". I enjoyed writing this a lot and I hope you enjoy reading this.

- Luna

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AVPM - AVPM - AVPM

It was almost midnight at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. Everyone in the castle was sleeping soundly in their comfortable, four - poster beds. The exception being four Gryffindor first year boys, who were wide awake and wanted to make some mayhem in the castle.

Well, most of them were wide awake. Peter Pettigrew kept yawning and closing his eyes. Each and every time this happened, Remus Lupin, one of the other boys, had to nudge him in the ribs.

The other two boys, James Potter and Sirius Black, were plotting ways to create mischief in the enchanted castle and not get caught.

"What if we went separate ways. Then, if we get caught, it'll seem like there was only one of us awake!" exclaimed Sirius.

James sighed and took off his glasses to clean them.

While he was doing that, Remus countered, "but we don't want anyone to be found," he turned to look at Sirius, "not even Peter."

As if hearing his name, Peter sat up and looked around confusedly. Sirius rolled his eyes at him and went back to figuring out a way to not get caught after curfew.

He picked up the piece of parchment where he and James had written (well, mostly James had written everything down) different ways of getting around the castle. None of it helped much.

Sirius sighed and put the parchment down again. "If only we had an object that could turn us invisible. That would be helpful."

James sat up as if he had had an electric shock. The other boys turned to look at him, even Peter. He muttered that he'd be back in a minute and rushed up the stairs to the first year boys dorm.

Remus, Sirius and Peter all turned to look at each other, confused. Remus was the first to speak, "what, in the name of Merlin, was that about?"

None of the other boys answered that because they had no idea either. They had their answer, to both why James had rushed up the stairs and how they'd get around the castle without being caught, when James came down the stairs, grinning like the Cheshire cat.

"My dear friends," James said pompously ,"I present to you, the cloak!" After his little speech, he bowed. When he looked up again, James saw that Sirius was staring at him like something was wrong with him, Remus looked thoughtful and Peter had fallen asleep.

After a couple of seconds, Remus' face lit up and said excitedly, "that's an invisibility cloak, isn't it?" To which James replied proudly, "why yes, yes it is."

Sirius and Peter, who had been confused up until this point, began to stare the folded cloak James' hands.

"James," said Sirius, in awe, "do you know what we could do with this? We could all sneak around the castle and not get caught?"

James smirked and looked at the other two boys, then back at Sirius, "that's just what I was thinking. So, are you guys coming too?" This was directed at Peter and Remus.

Peter nodded enthusiastically, but Remus looked a bit worried. "I don't know, guys. I mean anything could happen."

In the end, Remus (eventually) agreed to going out of the common room after hours, but Peter, James and Sirius were not bothered at all. Nothing could go wrong right?

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"Okay, where to first?" Sirius whispered, trying to talk quietly and deperately trying not to laugh at Peter's timid appearance.

The four boys were huddled close together under the cloak. James and Sirius were leading Remus and Peter, who had the tendency to squeak whenever he saw a shadow or a sudden movement.

"Let's see if we can find Professor Dumbledore's office?" James suggested almost silently.

Remus was not going to say that he had already been to Dumbledore's office and knew what it had looked like, as he wanted the other boys to find it themselves. Plus, he hadn't realy been looking around when he and his mother went to the eccentric headmaster about his... problem.

"Brilliant." Sirius agreed, with Peter almost tripping over his two feet.

So, now that they had decided where they would go, they set off to where (they thought) Dumbledore's office was.

"Maybe we go through here?" Remus suggested tiredly, pointing at a large wooden door.

"Maybe Remmy - pie!" said Sirius, who seemed to be high on his tiredness.

So the four boys opened before - mentioned door and walked through the corridor silently.

As the boys walked through the corridor, they heard very distant talking. It wasn't the ghosts nor the portraits as they were all asleep. They were curious so they walked, quiet as ever, up to a classroom's door, which was where the voices seemed to be coming from.

Inside, the boys could hear their professor's McGonagall, Slughorn, Sprout and Dumbledore. The first three appeared to be arguing while Dumbledore stayed as silent as the boys.

"He won't attack the school!" their potions professor said in a mild voice.

McGonagall sounded like she said what she had been about to say a million times. "Look, Horace, we're not saying he will attack the school. However, his followers might try to."

"Yes, yes I know Minerva."

"What does you -know -who call them again?" there was the voice of their herbology class teacher. She was evidently trying to break up the argument.

"The death eaters" the soft but firm voice of Albus Dumbledore said so quietly that the boys would have to lean right up against the door.

"Well if that's all, albus, I must be going. Wasted a lot of valuable sleep." Slughorn said, chuckling as he started to open the classroom's door.

The boys panicked for a second then ran for left just in time to hear the door creak open as Horace Slughorn walked out of the classroom and back to the dark dungeons.

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James, Sirius, Remus and Peter all ran in the same direction; further away from their common room.

They reached a flight of stairs and didn't hesitate to go up them, with James dragging peter slightly. They kept running until they reached another abandoned classroom, thankfully an empty one, where they literally threw open the door, ran inside and shut the door surprisingly quietly.

"What was that about?" asked Remus in a quiet voice.

Sirius pulled the invisibility cloak off and then literally chucked it on one of the magical walking chairs. He then replied to Remus' question, "Dunno but it sounded quite depressing."

James rolled his eyes at his mad, not so Serious, friend, then he too replied to Remus' question, "I think it has something to do with You - Know - Who and if he was going to attack the school or not."

"Do you guys have to be so bloody depressing?" Sirius asked sleepily. "Besides, they weren't talking about You - Know - Who, they were talking about three headed dogs and Philosopher Stone's."

James and Remus looked at him weirdly. Peter looked at them all weirdly.

Just as Remus was about to ask what James had meant, the wooden old door creaked open then closed again. The four boys all stared at the door.

"What just went out?" Peter asked timidly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Or what just came in?" Sirius added with a tiny hint of amusement.

James was the first to snap out of his thoughts and then said, "Guys, I don't think anything came in or out."

"Me neither James," Sirius said nodding.

Remus didn't seem to be thinking about what had just happened. He seemed to be thinking about something else.

"Sirius, where is the invisibility cloak?" He asked uncertainly

"Oh, I put it on one of the magical walking chairs... oh, that's a problem..." Sirius stumbled when he said the last part.

End A/N: That's the first chappie done, one more to go! I hope you enjoyed it. R&R?