Chapter 23, A fatal mistake.
That summer Lily invited us to her house.
Addi stayed at home.
James and I showed up on her door and knocked. A tall bony woman answered the door.
"Yes?"
"Hi. We're looking for Lily." We were wearing normal muggle clothes at the moment. We had only our duffel bags (magically expanded to include our brooms of course.) So I guess we looked like muggle kids. She invited us in. We stood on in the hall.
"Oh, finally some normal kids. You wouldn't believe some of the people she hangs out with. Tell me do you know what quiddich is."
"No, what's that?" I said innocently. James gasped for air. Petunia didn't notice.
"Sirius! James! When did you guys get here?" Lily ran down the stairs followed by Remus and Erin. Peter lagged behind. Lately he had been grumpy.
We slapped a high five with Remus. And I kissed Erin. She blushed, but no one else noticed. Petunia made several gasping noises and stomped from the room. She pushed past a small plump woman who hurried past her.
"So Lily who are these fine young men?" We grinned
"Mum, these are James and Sirius."
"Oh the two who always get you in trouble."
"Get you in trouble?"
"What, you do."
I folded my arms. "And just who's idea was it to make Snape into the world's only human parrot?"
"He called me and you mudbloods. And you did the actual cursing."
Mrs. Young just laughed pulled us into the kitchen and sat us down at the table. " You boys must be hungry. You friends have already eaten but I saved some for you two when you came. Heaven knows, I don't know what boys eat. I don't have any. But if you have an appetite like you friend here," she motion to Remus. " I'll have to make bigger meals." She said all this as she piled our plates with food. We were eating when a tall rather skinny man opened the door. He saw all six of us gathered around the table. He smiled.
"Well, Lily, when I said you could have some friends over I didn't know you were bringing the whole school." We laughed and he sat down next to us at the table.
"Petunia, dinner." Mrs. Young called up the stairs. She stomped down the stairs. She sat down in the only empty chair. Next to me.
"So I hear you boys have a rep for being pranksters." Mr. Young asked us. We looked as innocent as possible as Petunia found a mouse in her salad.
We spent much of the next few weeks causing terror in the muggle town Lily lived in. Her mother tried to make us eat a 8th helping at every meal. Her dad wanted to know all about the wizarding world. I could tell they loved having a witch in the family. Petunia of course hated us, and with good reason. We played endless jokes on her and her fat beefy boyfriend.
But in the first week of my sixth year, I made an almost fatal mistake.
It was the first week. It was the day of the full moon. We weren't planning to go out with Remus because of all our homework. Our class was potions. Snape was being a real jerk, teasing Remus about being poor and sick all the time. Remus took it as long as he could but he just wasn't up to it today. He walked out in the middle of class saying he felt sick.
"Where's your little friend gone now, Black? Off to see his mummy?" He sneered as we left potions.
"Mind your on business Snape."
"Make me. Tell me what you and your little friends like so much about that big tree outside."
"Why should I?"
"oh no reason. Just that It's probably where you two go to cry and whine like the orphaned little babies you are."
"Well, why don't you press the knot and find out what's inside." The words were out of my mouth before I knew it. James grabbed my sleeve and pulled me down the hall, Peter in tow. He pulled me into an empty classroom. He threw me into a chair, none too gently.
"Do you know what you just did?"
"I, I, he just," I stammered. Of course I knew. I just couldn't believe I had done it. I got up and ran from the room before anyone could say anything else. I ran up to our room and just sat there on the bed, curled up in a ball. I had betrayed my friend. What if Snape tried it? What if he found out everything. We would all be expelled. Because of me. Remus had trusted me and I had practically blurted out his secret to our worst enemy. I shook my head. In my mind anything that hurt my friends was my enemy. To let the smallest thing slip was a betrayal. That was the ultimate sin in my world, to betray a trusted friend. And I felt like I had just done that. I heard the door open and I pulled the curtains closed. James ripped them open. He had looked both shocked and furious before, but now he just looked worried.
"Sirius?"
"What?" I mumbled.
"I know you didn't mean to do that. Snape was being a complete git."
"No James. I let him get to me. Remus trusted me with his biggest secret and I blurt it out to Snape of all people."
"You didn't tell him, he probably won't even do anything. He just wanted to make you mad."
"No, you don't understand. I betrayed Moony."
He sighed. " Padfoot, I know how much you value friendship. But you didn't. You got mad and let something slip it's not a big deal." But it was.
Later that night we were doing our homework in the common room. I was seated by the window that looked out at the whomping willow. I couldn't help think about Moony and how lonely he would be without the other marauders. I had just decided to tell him what I'd done when I noticed a dark shape hurrying across the lawn toward the tree.
"James. Come here." He leaned over and watched . His eyes widened. We watched as the figure picked up a branch and prodded the knot that froze the tree. A beam of moonlight lighted the figures face as he turned and looked up at the castle.
"Oh God, its Snape." We both stared. Then James jumped into leader mode. " Sirius go get Professor Dumbledore. Tell him Snape is going in the tunnel. And Remus is down there." We bolted out the door turning and down the staircase, he going down and I going up.
I ran for the secret entrance to his office. I said the magic words, licorice and ran up the stairs. He was seated at his desk talking to Professor McGonagall. They looked up when I entered.
"Sirius, what's wrong?" He asked his blue eyes sparkling.
"Snape, in the tree, Remus is there." I panted. His grin faded and he got up and followed me out the door. I was surprised at how fast he could run. When we got to the tree however, Snape was sitting on the ground glaring at James who was leaning against a rock gasping for breath. He was bleeding. Without a word we were all led back up to Dumbledore's now empty office.
He sat us down. " Now who wants to tell me what three students are doing out of their common rooms this late. And in a place you should not be."
"Sir, They tried to kill me. Remus Lupin is a werewolf. They sent me down to a werewolf!" Snape pointed at us. We didn't say anything.
"Boys?"
" Please sir, It's my fault. He was saying some thing and I just got so mad I just blurted it out. I didn't mean it, and I didn't think he'd really go down there. James didn't know anything about it. He went to get him out. He doesn't deserve to get in trouble." I told him.
He thought for a while and nodded. " Mr. Snape, this is not your fault." He looked smug. " But as you were out of bed I will have to give you one detention. And I must ask you not to breathe a word about what you have seen, or I will be forced to expel you. You may go." Snape got up and left scowling
"Sirius, I must say I am very disappointed in you. I expected better from Orion and Fiona's son. But I do know that we all say things we don't mean to say. And I know you feel truly sorry for this. Guilt is often the greatest punishment. Therefore you will receive one detention." James smiled at me. That wasn't so bad. I had been worried we would be expelled. " And 50 points for Gryffindor."
We stared. "But why sir? I started this whole thing."
" For extraordinary bravery. You came and got me. You were willing to risk of getting expelled to warn me. To save an enemy. And from what I have seen you are a good friend and Remus is lucky to have you. Just try to keep your temper in check, although I believe what I ask is impossible." We grinned.
"One more thing, I assume form this you know of Mr. Lupin's condition."
"We don't think of it as a condition sir. More like a minor setback." James told him. He smiled.
"Yes, sir. We figured it out our first year."
"I knew you would. You are too bright to fool. Now Sirius go one to bed. I still need to talk to James." I didn't protest but I waited for James outside. When he came out he was grinning.
"I got 100 points for us. He said I showed real bravery and nobility going after him at the risk of my own life. I just didn't want him to get hurt."
"Why not? He hates you. He would have let you go in there and laughed."
"I don't know. Partly Remus. He would know he killed some one. And also I couldn't live with myself knowing I let some one die. But something else. As much as I hate him I couldn't let him get hurt. I just couldn't."
"That's why you're the brave and noble one remember?" He smiled. We were quite for a moment thinking of what had almost happened. Then we went to bed.
Needless to say, Remus wasn't very happy with us in the morning. But to our surprise and relief Snape said or did nothing for the entire year. Remus forgave me almost instantaneously for opening my big mouth then he pushed me into my oatmeal, short sheeted my bed (a muggle trick he had learned from Lily) and turned Ernie blue. Ernie never really got over it and refused to deliver owls to Remus for the whole summer. But I guess I deserved it. And thing went along great. Our sixth year was so much fun. We pulled pranks every class. We pulled better grades than we ever had.
That summer James got a letter saying he was head boy. We teased him relentlessly, calling him bighead boy. He took it well, by taking 10 points off Gryffindor. But it would be my seventh year that would change my life and those of my friends.
I bet you knew this was that part.
Well there you have it. My version of what happened with Snape. Oh and all the people who asked me to give Snape some depth. In my opinion when he was a kid he didn't have any depth. He saw shallow and snobby. Or at least if he did it wasn't something he would let Sirius see. Yes, I know he's a good guy. ( unfortunately) But I believe the less obvious feelings came later after he was in with Voldemort and saw all the pain and suffering his master caused and that was what inspired him to turn spy. Plus I don't like him. And I don't like Petunia. Or at least Sirius doesn't.
As for Sirius's reaction to his own big mouth, I think friendship and loyalty are his most endearing qualities. Protecting his friends came first in his mind. T hey are the things that mean the most to him and that's why it hit him so bad when James and Lily died. Because in his mind he had failed to protect them. He felt like had had to protect every one of his friends secrets with his life if he had too. And even that little slip felt like a betrayal.
Nothing and no one belongs to me. Addi is from my imagination but since she helped Sirius take over my mind I don't think anyone owns her. Please review and no flames. Thank you.