Chapter 42: Extra-Credit Charms
"I have to tell McGonagall," Remus said.
The Marauders were sitting together at the end of the Gryffindor Table during dinner when the Prefect spoke up. Sirius and Peter just stared at him while James tried to persuade him otherwise.
"What! No Moony you can't," James argued.
"But if I don't she might think you're the one that did it," he reasoned. "I'll just tell her it was an accident and that I didn't know Snape or Pince were in that mess when it happened."
"And just how are you going to say you started the 'accident'? By bumping into the shelves and not hearing them when they were shouting?" the Chaser asked sarcastically.
"I'm just going to say that's the leftover Ferox talking," the Prefect mumbled.
"Moony's right mate," Sirius chimed in. "Besides, he's the goody-goody of our little group so I'm sure Minnie will let him off easy."
"Well... okay," James nodded his head. Then he asked, "But what are we going to do about that Ferox stuff?"
"Already planned that out," Sirius smirked. "Here's how it's going to work: Wormtail here will sneak into the Hospital Wing before Snivellous wakes up tomorrow morning and hitch a ride in one of his pockets. Then, once the grubby sod enters his part of the Snakes' Pit, Wormtail will find the vial of Ferox water, grab it and hightail it out of there before the other scaly creeps see him."
"But what if it isn't there?" Peter squeaked.
"Then find the page that mentions what the stuff does, grab that and then get out," the other Animagus said.
"Oh, okay," Peter said. Then he suddenly asked, "But why can't we get it while everybody is here eating?"
Remus answered that question, "First is because we don't have the Invisibility Cloak or Map with us right now, and, as far as I know, none of us can perform a Disillusionment Charm well enough to hide with. Second, Sirius has to do his detention with Saberton after dinner, James is on probation, and once I confess to McGonagall I'll be under scrutiny as well. So I'm afraid that leaves just you Peter."
"Really?" he asked, excitement and anxiety sounding in his voice.
"Yeah," James encouraged, thumping him on the back. "But no pressure."
The four trouble-doers laughed and enjoyed the rest of their meal in their small bubble of happiness as another group of four were discussing their orders with their bed-ridden leader in the Hospital Wing.
"You all need to find the letter by any means necessary," he said. "Get Lupin or one of his cohorts to tell you where it is."
"Vut vhat if they vurned it already?" Karkaroff asked.
At that Severus sneered, "I highly doubt those morons already did that with all of the commotion the teachers have been causing. They probably let it slip from their tiny minds for the moment. Which is why you must get it and bring it to me as soon as possible."
The others nodded their agreement and were about to receive more instruction regarding the regaining the paper when there came the sound of approaching footsteps. The noise stopped and a small, coughing sound came in their stead.
"Pardon me gentlemen, but do you mind if I speak to Severus alone?" a voice asked.
Turning the abled members of the LAER saw who it was and stood at attention. It was their idol, Lily Evans.
"Of course Lily," Avery answered. "We were just leaving for dinner anyway. C'mon gents."
The second-in-command gave her a nod and gestured for the others to follow him. Once they were out of the room and out of earshot Lily came over to Severus and smiled warmly at him.
"Are you feeling better Sev?" she asked, taking her seat next to him.
He smiled back, "Very much thanks. Madam Pomphery says I can leave first thing tomorrow morning before breakfast so I won't miss class. Though, personally, I'd rather get out of here now but she insists I stay for the night to better rest myself."
Lily merely giggled and shook her head before giving her boyfriend a small peck on the cheek. Then her face became serious.
"I can't really say I blame her though. That was quite an ordeal you had," she said.
Before Severus could argue another set of footsteps came upon them and the voice of the matron followed.
"I think you better leave now Ms. Evans. Your patrols start in half an hour and you don't need to do your job on an empty stomach," Pomphery ordered.
Lily smiled cheekily at her remark to Severus before she got up from her seat. She was about to be out of sight when his voice came again.
"Who's taking my place for tonight?"
Lily answered simply, "Bella", and left the room.
DD/DD/DD/DD/DD/DD/DD/DD
An hour after dinner the Marauders' plan was set in motion. Remus came down from Gryffindor Tower with a small lump in his pant pocket and was relieved of it once he knocked on Professor McGonagall's office door as a small, brown rat scurried along through the maze of hidden passages toward the Hospital Wing. Sirius had left earlier to start his detention with Saberton and was halfway finished scrubbing the trophies in the trophy room when he noticed the rodent get on the next-to-last landing near the medical ward.
"Okay Wormtail," Sirius thought with a smile. "It's your time to shine."
DD/DD/DD/DD/DD/DD/DD/DD
"Unbelievable!" McGonagall exclaimed. "Mr. Lupin I would've have thought that you, of all people, would know better than that! Using a Kinetix Charm in the library... Honestly..."
"I know, and I'm truly sorry Professor," Remus said. "I thought it stopped when I lowered my wand. I didn't mean for it to hit anything. I was just practicing it on the ceiling and I guess it got carried away."
"But why in the library? Surely you would've thought to try the spell outside, or in a wide space of some sort," she said.
Remus lowered his head, "I am really, really sorry. I thought it would be a good spell to practice for the upcoming O.W.L.s. I suppose I wasn't really thinking."
The teacher sighed deeply and shook her head sadly, "Fortunatly nobody was seriously hurt and Mr. Snape and Madam Pince are allowed out of the Hospital Wing tonight..."
"Snape's out early? I hope Peter got there in time," Remus thought.
"But it still could've been worse," the professor continued. "So now I have no choice but to keep my word. Mr. Lupin, I hearby take away fifty points from Gryffindor House and give you detention with Professor Flitwick. You will spend your free periods and after-dinner hours putting the library back to rights, without magic."
"Yes Professor," Remus said.
"And as an additional punishment, due to your Prefect status, you will write a foot and a half long apology letter to both Madam Pince and Mr. Snape without copying one for the other. I also wish for you to make a personal apology to Ms. Evans, for not only causing her emotional distress over a loved one, but for also losing the points that she won us during the Tournament."
At that statement Remus really did feel bad. Not only had he lost points from his House but they were also the points Lily had worked tirelessly to win against Bellatrix. Why didn't he think of that sooner? Why didn't he just wait?
Sighing again Professor McGonagall dismissed him and the solemn Prefect left her room feeling worse than ever.
When he went back into the Tower Remus immediately noticed a familiar shade of red hair sitting in one of the comfortable armchairs by the fire. Lily's face was emerced into the book he had gotten her for her birthday and her eyes were drifting over the words in a leisurly pace.
Remus cleared his throat and Lily looked up from the pages smiling.
"How long will that last?" Remus thought miserably.
"Hey Rem! Why are you up so late?" Lily asked. Then she saw his sad expression, "Remus, what is it?"
Remus came over and sat on the couch next to the armchair.
"Lily, I have to tell you something," he began.
"Okay," Lily coaxed on.
"You know the accident that happened this afternoon in the library?"
"Yes," she replied sadly. "Sev said that he saw you run out of the library while it happened, but I told him he could've been mistaken..."
"No, he was right," Remus sighed. "It was my fault. I carelessly used a Kinetix Charm and I wasn't aware of the damaged I had caused.
Lily gasped and covered her mouth in shock as he continued, "I didn't know anybody was in the middle of the shelves. I thought the Charm would stop after I lowered my wand and I didn't think..."
"No you didn't think!" she finally exclaimed.
She got out of her seat and stood in front of him, casting an infuriated shadow over him.
"And what's more you didn't turn around and see what the consequences were! Didn't you know that the Kinetix Charm disipates all spells within reach! Those books were held there by magic and that Charm is powerful enough to negate the spell that was used to keep them from falling!"
She turned her back to him, "Of all people to know better than practice something like that I- Hang on..."
Lily faced Remus again and asked, "Why were you practicing that spell anyway?"
"I was trying to come up with something that would give me extra-credit points on the Practical Charms O.W.L.," he answered.
"So you did all of that for extra-credit?" Lily yelled. "Are you really that desperate?"
"Look, I'm truly sorry about what I did Lily..."
"You should be," she hissed.
Before Remus could say more Lily stormed back to her chair, grabbed her book and stomped her way to the portrait hole. She went through and ran the rest of the way down to meet her patrol partner.
Once she had left Remus took out a gently-used piece of parchment and checked out the dotted surface for a familiar set of footprints going into the Hospital Wing.
"Hopefully this plan will work and everything can return to normal," the lycan thought, pocketing the piece again.
A.N. What do you all think? Should I turn everything back to normal?
*Thinking* Hmmm... Let's keep reading and find out together shall we?
R&R!