Chapter 11 - Wands at Dusk
"I can't believe she's making us do our detention with Snape." They were on their way to the trophy room for their detention and Sirius was complaining loudly, "Do you remember what I said on our first day?" James replied. "It seems our teacher has a sense of humour, and a cruel one at that. At least we weren't suspended." Sirius chuckled and stopped complaining.
That day, at breakfast, Snape had given them such a vicious, snarling look that Peter had almost collapsed in fright. He was very bitter about the previous night and seemed determined that 'The Marauders' should take all the blame. James laughed, it wasn't their fault Snape liked to stick his over large nose in everyone else's business. If he'd stayed in bed instead of wandering around trying to get them expelled, he wouldn't have been in trouble. As for James, he couldn't believe they'd got off so lightly. He shuddered to think how many points McGonagall would have taken from them if she had been the one to catch them, they'd have been on detention for about a month, too.
He'd spent the day as normal, only half paying attention in lessons and giving Snape amused looks whenever he got the chance. He had, however, also devoted a lot of time to avoiding Lily Evans. She'd caught his eye in Charms, first lesson, and James had once again got the feeling she knew everything. It was most disconcerting. He was dying to know where she got her information.
In the trophy room, James and Sirius met a rather sour looking Severus Snape, "You're late." He hissed. "We're to polish the trophies by hand, no magic. Pringle said to leave when we're done and if they're not clean when he inspects them tomorrow we'll get a week of detentions." James realised that this would be all the conversation they would get out of Snape that evening, and set to work polishing the Quidditch cup.
After a while, Snape spoke, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I do hope your thin little friend is feeling better. He does seem to be ill a lot doesn't he? Perhaps it's serious. Maybe he'll die." He almost crowed the last part. Sirius growled at him, and James had to grab his robes to hold him back, but he was losing his cool too. "You'd love that, wouldn't you Snape?" He snapped at him. "Well it's almost regular, isn't it? He's such a weakling." Snape carried on, he had the advantage and he was pressing it. "Maybe next time it'll be really bad." Sirius gave a loud snarl of rage and whipped out his wand, "Petrificus Totalus." He yelled. At the same time, Sirius had also shouted something, and a jet of green light had emitted from his wand. Sirius toppled to the floor, his arms and legs stuck to his sides. Snape seemed unhurt, except for the stream of mucus that seemed to be pouring out of his nose, it was so funny watching him trying to stem the flow of his enthusiastically running nose that James couldn't help laughing.
James didn't have the first clue about what to do. If he went get a teacher, Sirius would get in trouble for cursing Snape and they were already in enough trouble as it was. He stood there, looking at the result of this impromptu duel, wondering what the best course of action would be. He came to a decision suddenly. He performed the counter curse on Snape, who promptly started threatening James with all sorts of curses, jinxes and finally with telling a teacher. James grinned at the furious look on Snape's face,
"Yes 'Snivellous', you go and tell a teacher. You can explain why you're perfectly fine and there's nothing wrong with you and Sirius here can't move and I will tell everyone what a snivelling little sneak you are. I suggest you finish polishing your trophy and go to your common room. Tell nobody, or you'll be in trouble." Snape seemed to see the sense in this and left, glowering at James as he swooped out the door. James glanced around the room and out of the door to check for Pringle, seeing he wasn't there, he performed a quick spell to polish the trophies, and when he was satisfied they were all gleaming, he took Sirius back to the common room, still walking fairly stiffly. James had performed the counter curse but he was still a little rusty, the full body bind is a fairly advanced spell, and James hadn't had a chance to master it properly yet.
Back in their dorm room, James told Peter all about what had happened, who listened, open-mouthed. He looked terrified that Snape knew such a horrible spell and loudly expressed a vehement hope that Snape had not taught that curse to anyone else. During this conversation, Sirius said nothing. He was sitting on his bed, stretching all of his limbs in turn, desperately trying to get his body to work properly. James decided that this was something that worked itself out after a while, which was lucky, because he didn't really want to take Sirius to the infirmary. He didn't much fancy explaining to Madame Pomfrey why Sirius was had been subjected to the full body bind curse. Sirius however didn't look like he felt very lucky.
It took a while for James to realise there was someone missing. "Peter, where's Remus?" He asked. "I don't know," came the reply "maybe he's ill again."
That night as James lay awake in bed, he remembered Snape's words "Well it's almost regular, isn't it?" As much as he hated to admit it, Snape had been right, there was definitely something odd about Remus' illness. It seemed to be happening often, and at regular intervals. There's no way he could be faking it, because he often looked very tired and haggard, very much like he was recovering from a very bad bout of the flu. James sighed and closed his eyes; he was going to have to get some answers out of Remus. It was bothering him, he felt as though he should understand something about the situation, as if the answer was buried away in his mind and all he had to do was find it.
"I can't believe she's making us do our detention with Snape." They were on their way to the trophy room for their detention and Sirius was complaining loudly, "Do you remember what I said on our first day?" James replied. "It seems our teacher has a sense of humour, and a cruel one at that. At least we weren't suspended." Sirius chuckled and stopped complaining.
That day, at breakfast, Snape had given them such a vicious, snarling look that Peter had almost collapsed in fright. He was very bitter about the previous night and seemed determined that 'The Marauders' should take all the blame. James laughed, it wasn't their fault Snape liked to stick his over large nose in everyone else's business. If he'd stayed in bed instead of wandering around trying to get them expelled, he wouldn't have been in trouble. As for James, he couldn't believe they'd got off so lightly. He shuddered to think how many points McGonagall would have taken from them if she had been the one to catch them, they'd have been on detention for about a month, too.
He'd spent the day as normal, only half paying attention in lessons and giving Snape amused looks whenever he got the chance. He had, however, also devoted a lot of time to avoiding Lily Evans. She'd caught his eye in Charms, first lesson, and James had once again got the feeling she knew everything. It was most disconcerting. He was dying to know where she got her information.
In the trophy room, James and Sirius met a rather sour looking Severus Snape, "You're late." He hissed. "We're to polish the trophies by hand, no magic. Pringle said to leave when we're done and if they're not clean when he inspects them tomorrow we'll get a week of detentions." James realised that this would be all the conversation they would get out of Snape that evening, and set to work polishing the Quidditch cup.
After a while, Snape spoke, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I do hope your thin little friend is feeling better. He does seem to be ill a lot doesn't he? Perhaps it's serious. Maybe he'll die." He almost crowed the last part. Sirius growled at him, and James had to grab his robes to hold him back, but he was losing his cool too. "You'd love that, wouldn't you Snape?" He snapped at him. "Well it's almost regular, isn't it? He's such a weakling." Snape carried on, he had the advantage and he was pressing it. "Maybe next time it'll be really bad." Sirius gave a loud snarl of rage and whipped out his wand, "Petrificus Totalus." He yelled. At the same time, Sirius had also shouted something, and a jet of green light had emitted from his wand. Sirius toppled to the floor, his arms and legs stuck to his sides. Snape seemed unhurt, except for the stream of mucus that seemed to be pouring out of his nose, it was so funny watching him trying to stem the flow of his enthusiastically running nose that James couldn't help laughing.
James didn't have the first clue about what to do. If he went get a teacher, Sirius would get in trouble for cursing Snape and they were already in enough trouble as it was. He stood there, looking at the result of this impromptu duel, wondering what the best course of action would be. He came to a decision suddenly. He performed the counter curse on Snape, who promptly started threatening James with all sorts of curses, jinxes and finally with telling a teacher. James grinned at the furious look on Snape's face,
"Yes 'Snivellous', you go and tell a teacher. You can explain why you're perfectly fine and there's nothing wrong with you and Sirius here can't move and I will tell everyone what a snivelling little sneak you are. I suggest you finish polishing your trophy and go to your common room. Tell nobody, or you'll be in trouble." Snape seemed to see the sense in this and left, glowering at James as he swooped out the door. James glanced around the room and out of the door to check for Pringle, seeing he wasn't there, he performed a quick spell to polish the trophies, and when he was satisfied they were all gleaming, he took Sirius back to the common room, still walking fairly stiffly. James had performed the counter curse but he was still a little rusty, the full body bind is a fairly advanced spell, and James hadn't had a chance to master it properly yet.
Back in their dorm room, James told Peter all about what had happened, who listened, open-mouthed. He looked terrified that Snape knew such a horrible spell and loudly expressed a vehement hope that Snape had not taught that curse to anyone else. During this conversation, Sirius said nothing. He was sitting on his bed, stretching all of his limbs in turn, desperately trying to get his body to work properly. James decided that this was something that worked itself out after a while, which was lucky, because he didn't really want to take Sirius to the infirmary. He didn't much fancy explaining to Madame Pomfrey why Sirius was had been subjected to the full body bind curse. Sirius however didn't look like he felt very lucky.
It took a while for James to realise there was someone missing. "Peter, where's Remus?" He asked. "I don't know," came the reply "maybe he's ill again."
That night as James lay awake in bed, he remembered Snape's words "Well it's almost regular, isn't it?" As much as he hated to admit it, Snape had been right, there was definitely something odd about Remus' illness. It seemed to be happening often, and at regular intervals. There's no way he could be faking it, because he often looked very tired and haggard, very much like he was recovering from a very bad bout of the flu. James sighed and closed his eyes; he was going to have to get some answers out of Remus. It was bothering him, he felt as though he should understand something about the situation, as if the answer was buried away in his mind and all he had to do was find it.