Body
All In The Name of Love
Chapter 16 - Major Rethink
Back at Hogwarts Ellie and Peter were concerned.
"I can't find them anywhere!" Ellie hissed at her counterpart.
"Neither can I. Oh, do you think they're dead. Have they been killed. Flick was right! We should have-"
"Peter, you are not helping!" Ellie told the boy, sternly. "We need Remus and the map. If they're in the castle it will show them. If they're not, we'll have to hope that we're not too late." The two of them hurried off in search of Remus. They bumped into him on the way to the Gryffindor Common room.
"We have a problem." He told them grimly.
"Flick and Lily?"
"Gone. In between Care of Magical Creatures and Divination. Completely vanished, along with someone called Zephyr Howkins. Do you know her?"
"Ravenclaw. Left last year. Not particularly friendly. Never saw her as being the type for the Dark Arts, mind you." Eleanor rattled off facts.
"Marvellous. Hold on, they can't have Apparated-"
"They used a Portkey." Ellie finished the sentence for him. "Absolutely fabulous, I don't think. Now what do we do?"
"Find the others. They have to get whoever it is that's off to Dumbledore's office. Then we can launch Operation R." Remus informed her.
"Um, Remus," Ellie began, tentatively, "we don't have a plan R."
"Rescue. We'll go after them."
"If they're not already dead." Peter said gloomily. Remus and Eleanor glared at him. "What? What did I say?"
* * * *
Lily and Felicity were far from dead, but not particularly happy.
"Why is it I always end up enduring the Unforgivables?" Lily asked, suddenly. They were in a dark, wet, smelly dungeon. Apparently Gretl had to make plans. "What happened to fair shares and everything?"
'I don't know." Flick replied honestly. "But do you think you could warm it up in here. And where on earth is Rattie?"
"Here." Lily replied, removing the creature from her robes. "Maybe she'll attack Gretl or something. And how exactly am I supposed to warm it up in here?"
"You're a witch."
"Without a wand." Lily finished. "And my name is not Halfreda. Wandless magic is her speciality."
"Lil, what's Rattie got." Lily picked up the ratunike, and pulled a wand from between the animals teeth.
"I don't believe it! It's my wand! She must have picked it up just before we were transported! Rattie! I love you!" She turned to smirk at Flick. "And you told me I was daft to learn all that stuff about ratunikes last year. All that research is working." And she kissed the little animal rapturously. Within minutes their cell was considerably warmer.
"We should be working out how to get out of this joint." Flick said, thoughtfully.
"Maybe we should wait. Remus said-"
"Yeah, and look where that plan got us! A prolonged stay in a dungeon. Marvellous. Or not."
"I see your point." Lily said dryly. "And I hurt all over."
"Better than being dead."
"No, it would be much better if I woke up about now, and realised that it was all a nightmare. Sadly that's not going to happen. But you're right. You've done their forging, and can you honestly see them letting us go?"
"Um no." Flick said bluntly. "We know too much."
"Precisely. So we wait until we're out of this hellhole, and then we make a break for it. The only problem I can see is that I don't have a clue where we are."
"Right." Flick said.
"Oh, come on Flick give me some help here!" Lily said, exasperated.
"Well I don't know where we are either."
"Rattie." Lily said, suddenly.
"Lily, she's here."
"No, stupid! Ratunikes can Apparate, the only magical creature that can, except for wizards and witches. If we give Rattie a note, then she can take it to Remus or Ellie, and then perhaps they'll be able to get us out of here!"
The two of them constructed a note using the quill and parchment that Flick had in her robes.
GUYS, DON'T HAVE A CLUE WHERE WE ARE. COULD BE IN TIMBUKTU, BUT WE DOUBT IT, IT'S TOO COLD. SOME CRAZY WOMAN CALLED GRETL IS THE MASTERMIND BEHIND THIS WHOLE LEAD THING. SHE WAS GRINDELWALD'S FIANCEE. THE THINGS PEOPLE DO FOR LOVE! IF YOU COULD USE RATTIE TO FIGURE OUT WHERE EXACTLY WE ARE, WE'D APPRECIATE IT.
JAMES, YOU CAN MAKE USE OF ALL THAT RESEARCH WE DID FOR FLICK, HOW TO TALK TO ANIMALS. AND HURRY UP. WE'RE HOPING TO GET OUT OF THIS JOINT, BUT HAVE NO WAY OF RETURNING TO HOGWARTS. AND ZEPHYR HOWKINS IS THE DOUBLE AGENT THERE, IF YOU HADN'T WORKED THAT OUT ALREADY. FLICK HAS DONE THE FORGED DOCUMENTS, YOU CAN'T ALL COME, SOMEONE NEEDS TO GUARD DUMBLEDORE'S OFFICE.
NONE OF YOU HAVE TO COME, IF YOU COULD GIVE RATTIE DIRECTIONS SO WE CAN GO HOME. ALTHOUGH WE MIGHT NEED TRANSPORT. AND I STILL SAY YOU SHOULD TELL DUMBLEDORE.
LOVE
FLICK & LILY
Lily told the ratunike exactly what she was supposed to do, and the little rodent-like creature disappeared. All the girls could do now was wait and hope.
* * * *
When Rattie appeared in front of him James Potter was nothing if not surprised. As far as he knew, she was supposed to be with Lily, and Lily was the only person, with the exception of Hagrid, who could actually go neat the little creature without the risk of losing fingers.
"What on earth is that doing here?" Sirius asked him curiously.
"She's supposed to be with Lily." James said, concerned.
"It also seems she has a note." Sirius observed.
"You going to tell me how exactly I'm supposed to get this note?" James asked him. "I like having ten fingers. Nine would be one too few." Rattie answered his question by dropping the parchment at his feet, and then moving into the shadows to wait. James bent to pick it up, unfolded it, and read it, Sirius looking over his shoulder.
"Damn. Next time I say we let Flick do the planning." Sirius said, gruffly.
"There won't be a next time." James replied grimly. "I swear those two only have to breathe and they run into trouble."
"What did Lily mean, talking to animals?"
"I'll explain later, we need to find- Remus! Excellent, we were just going to look for you."
"Lil and Flick are in trouble." Remus told him breathlessly.
"We know." Sirius said calmly. "They told us."
"How the- I don't want to know. So, what've we got to do?"
"Talk to that rodent-" Sirius began.
"Rattie." James interrupted.
"And figure out where they are, then give them directions back. And someone should go to get them transport."
"It'll have to be broom power. They can't Apparate, we can't make portkeys, and there are no handy hippogriffs." Remus told them.
An hour later, the rescue party was formed. Remus and James would go with Ellie, while Sirius would stay at Hogwarts along with Cee and Peter, and capture their elusive spy.
"I still say Remus should stay here and I should go with you and Ellie." Sirus told James.
"Exactly why you're staying. If you and Flick get together she'll probably screech at you for half an hour, and then our cover will be blown. So you stay here and detain the plant, and we'll go and rescue your lady love. Okay."
"No. You get to go."
"Lily isn't quite as vocal as Flick in times of trouble. Besides which she only yells at me when I do something wrong."
"Prongs, she never yells at you."
"Because I'm perfect."
"Yeah. You just keep thinking that. Good luck, and don't get yourself killed."
"Ditto. Be back soon. Come on Ellie, Remus. The sooner we go, the sooner we're back, the sooner it's out of our hands."
So they separated, Sirius, Cee and Peter to watch for hours, and James, Remus and Ellie to help their friends.
Chapter 17 - Cave By The Sea
Lily and Felicity had made their escape route. They had spent hours exploring their dungeon, and Felicity had discovered a secret passage that would hopefully get them out of the dungeons. All they needed to do was enter it. So they were profoundly grateful for the wand Rattie had salvaged for Lily. A simple exploding spell left a gaping hole in the floor, and a quick mutter and it was restored, the two girls safely underneath the ground.
"It's even more damp down here!" Lily complained. "Whose brilliant idea was this?"
"Yours." Flick replied. "And anything is better than spending the next ten years of out life rotting in a dungeon. So stop moaning."
"Easy for you to say." Lily retorted. "You're not the one who spent several hours being cursed. Not that I'm complaining."
"Not at all." Flick muttered. "Hurry up will you. It's cold down here as well as damp. And if we don't move fast they'll realise that we've gone."
So the two of them hurried along the narrow passageway, moving, for the most part, in silence, making regular checks to ensure that they were not being followed. At last they reached a rather rotten looking wooden door.
"It doesn't look like it's been used recently." Flick said, doubtfully.
"Probably has something to do with the fact that prisoners don't generally come equipped with escape tools. We're just lucky."
"Really." Flick said dryly. "I'd hate to be with you when we were unlucky."
"Ha ha! You know exactly what I mean." Lily grasped the handle, and opened the door firmly. An almighty creak, and they were free.
"Thank heavens!" Felicity breathed a sigh of relief.
"Flick!" Lily muttered to her friend. "What do we do now?"
"Wait for the rescue party. You couldn't magic up some food, could you? I'm starving!"
"Trust you to think of your stomach!" Lily laughed. All the same, she conjured up some sandwiches, and a jug of Butterbeer, and the two of them hid in a little cave that was conveniently situated a few metres from the door. The stone structure had two entrances, and chance made Felicity look out of the one they hadn't used, about an hour later. What she saw made her screech in horror.
"LILY!!"
"Shhh! Someone will hear. What's up?"
"That's what's up!" Flick gestured towards the entrance, where water was rising, rapidly. "We seem to be trapped by an incoming tide. We could go back-" but an almighty crash drowned out the rest of her words. Startled, the two girls turned to see that the hole they had entered the cave from had been blocked by a fall of rock.
"Fantastic!" Flick exclaimed. "Now we're stranded in a cave with no way of leaving, and on the way to a watery grave. Forgive me for being hysterical, but WHAT DO WE DO NOW??!!"
"Keep calm Flick!" Lily chastised her friend. "We're okay for now, and if we're lucky the water might not reach us. When the tide's gone out again, we'll be able to get out, and then the others will turn up, and we'll leave this dump for good!"
"Or we could use that wand, and make some kind of shield, so that we don't drown."
"Why don't we wait until it's desperate before doing that. What's the point of doing that if we're not sure whether we'll be affected. And incidentally where would you rather be? Here, or being tortured. And don't say being tortured, because you never have been. Personally, I'd rather be here. We are witches after all!"
"You just want lover-boy to race to the rescue!" Felicity retorted.
"Flick! Shut up!" Lily glowered at her friend, and they sat in uncomfortable silence.
Meanwhile, the rescue party had arrived at the castle. Somehow, they had managed to transport themselves and Rattie without any of them coming to harm. And for some peculiar reason, the ratunike was straining to get away from the castle, towards the rising tide.
"What on earth is that creature doing?" Remus asked curiously.
"I don't know. But Lily and Flick said to listen to her, so that's what we do." Ellie stated, firmly. Before either of the boys could stop her, she was off after Rattie. James and Remus followed. When they reached the sea front, the ratunike plunged into the water, and started swimming towards a distant opening in the rock of the cliff.
"I didn't know ratunikes could swim!" James said worriedly.
"I didn't know ratunikes existed." came Remus' exasperated reply. "Ellie! What are you doing? ELEANOR!!" For as he had spoken, Ellie had plunged into the water and followed Rattie. James looked at Remus and raised his eyebrows before plunging in after her. Remus followed, muttering something about women.
Within half an hour, the four of them, including Rattie, were inside the cave. The water was shallow enough to wade in here, and James was just about to ask what exactly it was that they were doing, when a squeal startled him.
"ELLIE!!! You don't know how pleased I am to see you!" It was a rather irate Felicity. "James! Remus! Where's Sirius?" She asked frowning.
"Guarding Dumbledore's office with Cee and Peter." Remus told her. "Where's Lil?"
"Here!" Lily replied. "You took your time didn't you?"
"Hi Remus, how are you Remus, thank you for coming Remus!" James teased, smiling at her.
"This is not the time for pleasantries!" she retorted. "Some of us have been freezing in this, well, I'm not sure exactly what it is, but all we want to do is get back to Hogwarts. But Hi Remus, how are you Remus, thanks for coming, now we can go!" Remus laughed at her reply. Then he frowned.
"We have a minor problem," he began. "We left our brooms on the other side of that," gesturing towards the watery expanse, "so we're actually stranded."
"Or not." Lily replied. "Honestly, don't you listen to anything. We spent a whole lesson on Summoning Charms and the one time they have a practical use, you act defeatist."
"Oh. Yeah. Accio broom!" Remus spoke the charm, and his broom returned to him. Ellie and James did the same.
"Okay, peeps, Lil, Flick, you need to share a broom with someone else." Ellie informed them. "Flick, you can fly mine if you like, you're better at it than me."
"It's not hard to be better than you." Lily told her, lightly.
"I wish I could say the same about you, but sadly it's not true." Ellie stated sorrowfully. "I'd have offered to let you. but I thought you'd like to spend time with him." she jerked her head towards James, smiling.
They all settled on to the three brooms, and then they were off. It was beginning to get dark, but the sky was clear, and the stars were bright. As they travelled, Lily grew drowsy in James' arms, and by the time they reached Hogwarts, she was half asleep. He shook her gently.
"Lily! We're back!"
"Leave me alone!" she muttered, eyes closed.
"Lily! Come on Lil, we've got to go in! It's freezing out here!"
"You might as well try and wake the dead for all the good that's doing!" Ellie exclaimed. She stroked Lily's cheek once, firmly. Lily's eyes opened, and she blinked a couple of times to focus. "Easy when you know how!" Ellie smirked at James.
"What the- never mind!" and so they straggled into the entrance hall where they were met by a grim looking Sirius. He smiled when he saw them.
"Good! You're back!" But then he frowned again. "Peter, Ellie and I have seen Dumbledore. We're to go straight to bed, and he'll see us in the morning."
"Did you get Zephyr?" Flick asked, anxiously.
"Lets' just say we got a little more than we bargained for." Sirius replied grimly. One look at his face told the others they would get nothing more from him, so wordlessly they entered the Gryffindor Tower, and went to bed.
Chapter 18 - All In The Name Of Love
The next morning the girls were the first down to breakfast. All of them looked tired, Lily and Flick both had huge dark circles under their eyes, testimony to the nightmares they had endured in. But in spite of this, all were incredibly cheerful, as they helped themselves to sausage, bacon, and eggs. When the boys turned up they smiled at them.
"Tired boys?" Flick asked, genially.
"Fine thanks." Remus informed her. "Slept like a log."
"We noticed." Cee told him.
"How?" Sirius demanded.
"Hey, you guys aren't the only ones to enter other peoples' dormitories uninvited." Lily informed them. "We just thought we'd take a peek, and maybe get a picture or two!"
"You didn't- You couldn't-" James stuttered.
"Oh, but we did." Ellie cackled, gleefully. "You looked incredibly sweet. Oh, and Peter, what's your bear called?"
"My-! You know-! I'll-!" He stuttered.
"Don't worry about it." said Cee, feeling sorry for him. "Lily still has all of her teddies."
"Cee!" Lily hit her friend playfully.
"What? They knew that already!" Cee replied.
"You can't talk Cecelia Hall!" Felicity said to her. "You still have all yours, under the false pretence that they're for your niece. Yeah right!"
After breakfast, they made their way to Dumbledore's office, seemingly happy, if not without trepidation. At the door, Lily paused and turned to Sirius, inquisitively.
"So what happened yesterday?" she asked.
"I suggest we go in, and I have no doubt Dumbledore will make us tell you." he replied. They piled into the study, and Dumbledore greeted them.
"Ah! You're here then! Marvellous. Right, after yesterday's events, perhaps you should explain what it was you were doing.
"We told you about what we suspected ages ago," Lily began. "But we weren't sure that you'd take us seriously, so we investigated for ourselves. And we found out that Flick was involved in a plot to discredit you. And we found out when it was going to happen, so we planned to prevent it."
"I take it that events didn't go quite to plan." Dumbledore stated.
"You could say that." Flick told him. "Lily and I ended up in a castle somewhere, and then this woman, Gretl told us her plan, and said I had to forge some documents, because I'm good at copying other people's handwriting." she blushed as she said that.
"You'd never use that gift for illegal purposes of course." Dumbledore said, smiling.
"Of course not." Flick agreed. "Well, anyway I said no, and she said I had to, and I said I didn't have to do anything. So she said that she'd hurt Lily, but I still said no, and so she did. And when she realised that neither of us were going to give in, she said that she would kill her. And she wasn't joking, so I agreed. And so I did her forging, and then she gave me a dose of the Unforgivables, and then we were locked up in a cell...." and Flick told the entire story of their escape. "...and Sirius said we had to see you this morning, so here we are."
"So, Mr Black, Mr Pettigrew, Miss Hall." Dumbledore began. "What did you do while your friends were on their mission of mercy?
"After James said that Sirius should stay here, we all carried on waiting, because we knew that eventually Zephyr would turn up and try to frame you. We must have been there for hours, and then we saw two people in black. Well obviously we were surprised - we were only expecting one. Still, they didn't know the password to your office, and one of them had this thing that she held up to the portrait and it just froze."
"Brentry key." Dumbledore informed her.
"Yes, well, we couldn't let them get in. We'd seen you go out, of course, so we knew there'd be no resistance, so we Stunned them, and then we got you, and you put them in that room. And that's it." She finished.
"Quite true. Perhaps we should have Gretl and Zephyr tell their story. I am particularly interested in why Miss Howkins did it."
Dumbledore left the room, and a minute later re-entered, accompanied by Zephyr and Gretl. Lily shrank back against James, and Flick gasped.
"You!" Gretl spat at Flick.
"Me." Flick agreed. "Well, you didn't honestly think I'd let my best friend be half killed by you, and undergo a bit of it myself without some kind of justice, did you?"
"You call this justice. This is false imprisonment. If it wasn't for you and you friends-"
"Professor Dumbledore would be in Azkaban." Flick finished her sentence. "Clearly we don't agree on what justice is."
"Thank you Miss Howell." Dumbledore said, calmly. "Gretl, Zephyr. Why?"
"You." Gretl said, and the one word was filled with hate. "You ruined my whole life in one blow. I was getting married in a week. And suddenly my world came tumbling down. My fiancé was defeated, disappeared. His supporters deserted me. One day I was the most powerful woman in the world, I had everything I ever wanted. The next I was desperate. I wanted you to feel what it was like to be desperate. You have absolutely no idea about what it was like. It was just another do good cause to you. My fiancé never did anyone any harm-" James snorted at that, anyone with any sense knew that Grindelwald was just about as far into the Dark Side as you could get.
"He was a man. He deserved to be treated better than that. I deserved better than that. You ruined my life. I wanted to ruin yours."
"Eloquently put." Dumbledore observed. "I'd guessed as much. But why you Miss Howkins. You had everything going for you. You've only been out of Hogwarts for one year."
"I'll tell you why." the girl spoke softly. "Three months after I left school, I fell in love. With Sam Grindelwald. Grindelwald's nephew. He was part of the neo-lead group. He was funny, clever, nothing you would associate with the Dark Arts. And I loved him. I'd have married him, you know. But he never got the chance to ask. Because he was involved in a faction uncovered by hit wizards. Sam once said to me he'd rather die than go to Azkaban. I didn't believe him. But it was almost as if he knew. Because he would have gone to Azkaban. He never got the chance to choose though. One of the other members of the faction killed him. My beautiful Sam, he was dead. And he was working to clear his family name. He believed Grindelwald was good, deep down. And when he died, I felt that I should take his place. I didn't join for the cause. I joined in the name of love. And I did as I was told, because that is what I was told to do. And now, I suppose I'll be in Azkaban. But it doesn't matter. Not anymore."
Dumbledore nodded at the eight seventh years, and they left the office. When they reached the Gryffindor Common room, James turned to Lily.
"You aren't a member of any unheard of movement are you?"
"Well, yeah, actually, now you come to mention it, there's the RSPCA, the NSPCC, I'm a big supporter of that one, actually, RSPB mainly because of the owls you know, and then there's Dr Banardo's-" Lily smiled wickedly as she rattled of the names of several Muggle charities, and James looked more and more confused.
"Don't you think that's a bit radical Lil? How many of these things do you support for goodness sake?"
"Loads. You don't take Muggle Studies, do you James?"
"No. And you already knew that."
"Well, they're all charities for children and animals in the Muggle world. Honestly do I look like I dabble in illegal business?"
"No, you look tired." and he ducked before she could hit him.
Chapter 19 - In The Astronomy Tower
After the hype surrounding the Lead case died down, the marauders went back to marauding. They might have been at the top of the school, and old enough to know better, but as James told Lily when she reminded him of this, life should always be fun.
One night, however, two figures met up in the Gryffindor common room, and it was certain that they weren't intent of mischief. Before they left, they vanished, reappearing only when they reached the Astronomy Tower.
"I can see Venus." Lily remarked, peering through a telescope.
"I don't believe you're star gazing."
"Neither do I. I don't believe that I got up at one o'clock in the morning to come and stargaze with you, either. What did you put in my dinner before you suggested it?"
"And Agreement Curse." James said grinning at her.
"Ha ha. Very funny." Lily was sarcastic. Then she frowned. "But why are we here?"
"Because I wanted to talk to you. And because it's light in here without any sort of fire, with all the stars."
"So what do you want to talk about?" Lily asked, settling herself in a chair.
"Life, the world, the universe in general." came James' reply, as he sat across the table from her.
"Quite a big topic, don't you think?" Lily smiled at him.
"Okay, seriously, what are you doing when we leave school?"
"Going home." Lily told him, deadpan.
"I'm killing myself with laughter. You know exactly what I mean."
"Not really, no. I plan to get a job, like anybody else. And I plan on getting a house. And if you're agreeable, maybe I'll see you occasionally."
"Fair enough. So will you live by yourself?"
"No. With Flick. We're going to get a flat together in London, near to where she is. That way we'll both be fairly close to our parents. And talking of parents-"
"We were?" James asked.
"We are now." Lily informed him. "When do I meet yours. I write to them, they write to me-"
"They do?"
"Mainly when your mum wants to check you haven't blown everywhere up yet. Anyway, she wants to know when she's going to meet me."
"Graduation." James said promptly.
"You can tell her then." Lily replied. "Have we finished yet? I'm tired!"
"No. I want to show you something."
"What?"
"Look." James manipulated the telescope, and Lily peered into it.
"Wow! When did you see that?"
"Ages ago. Pretty isn't she. You don't see then very often. They're supposed to bring you good luck." James smiled, satisfied.
"You think you need it?" Lily asked.
"Nah! I've got you. What could be more lucky than that?"
"You know, sometimes I think I'm in love with you." Lily whispered.
"You know, I think the same about you, all the time." he replied, before kissing her lightly. They were interrupted by a low whistle.
"Okay! Break it up!" came Felicity's usual clarion tones.
"What are you doing here?" James asked bluntly.
"We came to watch the romance movie. What do you think?" Sirius asked, sarcastically, appearing at that moment.
"More to the point," Lily said, ignoring Sirius, "How did you know we were here."
"Well, when James woke you up he was rather loud. And so I thought you might do something McGonagall wouldn't approve of. So I woke Sirius up-"
"You woke Sirius, and you were coming to see if we were doing something we shouldn't be!" Lily exclaimed.
"And we followed you. But we didn't listen to any of that - honest!"
"Apart from the bit where James told Lily he loved her." Sirius told Flick.
"He did! When? I mean, Sirius, we weren't supposed to listen. Did you really tell her you love her?" Flick turned to James.
"Not exactly."
"Liar." Lily whispered in his ear.
"What was that Lil?" Sirius asked, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
"None of your business!" she replied, briskly.
"So why are you really here?"
"Because we fancied a romantic midnight stroll, same as you." Flick said dryly.
"Yeah right. You two are even less romantic than we are!"
"Hey! We can be-" James silenced Lily with a glare.
"I dread to think what you would describe as romantic, if you think the way you and Lily act is not romantic!" Sirius declared. "You're permanently attached."
"Really." Lily raised her eyebrow.
"Well, maybe not permanently, but a lot of the time. Anyway, why are we really here? We're here because it's one o'clock in the morning, and all sane people are sleeping. However, as you decided this morning you'd be insane, we thought we'd join you."
"Very nicely put, Sirius. Amazing grammar!" Lily said, dryly. "James, take your babbling friend up to your dormitory, and then Flick and I will be able to get some sleep!"
Chapter 20 - Lost Map
The Gryffindor seventh years had a penchant for mischief. The girls were as bad as the boys, only subtler. Consequently, the boys were blamed for the girls' misdeeds. And James, Sirius, Peter and Remus had a mischief making accessory that made life so much easier for them. The Marauders Map. They had made it themselves in the previous year, and it was a companion on the majority of their outings. One lunchtime, when the girls were visiting Hagrid, the boys decided to plant Dungbombs in the Slytherin Common room. The map made this easy. The school was riddled with secret passages, and one led directly from the corridor outside the Gryffindor Common room into the Slytherin Common room.
"Have you got the map?" James asked Sirius impatiently, and they squeezed under the invisibility cloak.
"Yep. The Slytherins are going to love this, Prongs my friend. Come on Moony, we've got to go!"
Remus joined them, and the four boys entered the secret passage. Once inside, they shrugged the cloak off, and James pocketed it.
"I bet the Slytherins don't know about this!" Peter said to Remus. "If they did-"
"They don't though. James, who's actually planting these things?"
"Padfoot. It was his idea. Besides, they never blow up on him."
"Blame Flick for the last one. It was her idea." Sirius laughed. "You should have seen your face!" They were referring to an incident when, while he was planting Dungbombs in Severus Snape's dormitory, one of them exploded on him. Needless to say, Remus, Sirius and Peter had been hysterical, while James was less than amused.
"I don't care. You're doing the bombs." James told Sirius.
"Ah well, if you insist." Sirius grinned.
He had just about finished when he heard whistling. Sirius hurried back to the secret passage, and joined the others.
"You cut that a bit fine, didn't you?" Remus asked.
"I didn't want to do a James, and come out covered in dungbomb, understandably! These things need loving care and nourishment." Sirius said, in a singsong voice.
"You're mad!" Peter whispered. "Within ten years you'll be in a mental hospital!"
"We already knew that!" James told him. "Come on, we need to get back to the Common room before someone starts to get suspicious."
"James, they're suspicious already!" Remus told him.
"Exactly." Came the satisfied reply.
They were half way up the corridor when Sirius began to search his pockets frantically. James turned and happened to see him doing so. He frowned.
"What's up?" James hissed at Sirius.
"I can't find the map!" Sirius hissed back.
"Fantastic." Remus put in sarcastically. "I suppose we'd better go and find it."
They backtracked three quarters of the way. Just as the boys were beginning to despair of ever getting the map back, Sirius issued a triumphant yelp. His triumph was short-lived however, as James and Remus turned to look at him, his eyes widened it horror. He had seen the map, but someone else had too. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter squeezed behind a statue, and watched with dread. Filch, the caretaker, picked up the old and battered piece of parchment, and looked at it, suspiciously. He pocketed it, and moved on.
"Nice one Sirius!" James hissed. "Now what're we going to do?"
"It's not my fault!"
"You had it!"
"Well I don't now."
"I realise that!" James sighed. "I suppose arguing's not going to bring it back. We're never going to live this down!"
When they were back in the common room, the girls greeted them.
"Why're you looking so glum?" Flick asked, brightly.
"Sirius dropped the map, and now Filch has it!" Peter informed them.
"He did what?" Lily exclaimed.
"It's all right, he couldn't work it in a million years!" Remus assured her.
"Just as well." Lily informed them. "Because if he could, there'd be no more night time rambles, no more jokes no more extra food no more-"
"I think we get the picture." Flick said to her. "I just don't believe you lost it. That map was every mischief-maker's bread and butter, and now it's gone!"
"Thanks for that Flick!" Sirius growled.
"My pleasure! What I want to know is what it was you were doing that involved the map in the first place."
"You'll know soon enough!" Was Sirius less than satisfying reply.
"I want to know now!" Flick whined.
"Patience, my dear Felicity is a virtue."
"Well it's not one of mine, and if you don't lose that preaching tone, you'll find that some of us are slightly more proficient at fighting than you might think."
"I think we already knew that!"
"So, what were you doing?"
"They were baiting the Slytherins, what else?" Lily told her.
"Hey! How did you know?" Sirius asked.
"Because I have ten brain cells more than you. And because that's all you ever use the map for." Sirius was saved from replying by an almighty roar.
"POTTER!! BLACK!! LUPIN!! PETTIGREW!! MY OFFICE, NOW!"
"I don't think Professor McGonagall shares your sense of humour." Felicity informed the boys, sweetly.