Chapter three

  The rest of the holidays were very boring and except for Sirius receiving a howler, the first week back was pretty boring too. Things began to hot up again in potions class when they were asked to make a laughing potion and its antidote. Sirius was the volunteer to try out the potion and when Peter's making it you know something's going to go VERY wrong!

  The lesson was going perfectly until everyone was asked to give their partners the potion and antidote. James and Remus switched potions and everything worked and the class cheered. When it finally came to Sirius and Peter they switched potions and drank. Peter started laughing and then stopped after drinking the antidote. Sirius, however, wasn't quite so lucky! Yes, he started laughing but when he drank the "antidote" he started to shrink (still laughing). Immediately everyone jumped on tables or chairs to avoid treading on the tiny Sirius. This was enough to set James and Remus off laughing again and soon the whole class was laughing.

   James was laughing harder than anyone so mini-Sirius decided to climb up next to his ear and onto his head, where he grabbed a few strands of hair and pulled. James jerked his head round launching Sirius, who then landed on Lucius Malfoy's head. He screamed and Sirius fell off landing with a bump on the floor. He felt someone pick him up very gently and hand him a shrunken cup.

"Drink." A booming voice (the teacher) said.

    Sirius drunk and began to grow again. His right arm was limp and his face had turned slightly green. The teacher gave orders to pack up while she mended Sirius' arm, and as she led him out of the room a very red-faced Peter gathered his things and Sirius' and then legged it. Thankfully, no-one blamed him for what had happened. In fact, a few people thanked him for making the lesson so much fun. However, this still didn't make him feel any better.

    They went to Defense against the dark arts that afternoon to find Sirius sat down and Peter apologizing. Sirius smiled at them and seeing them eyeing the sling decided to explain.

"I have to keep it in this sling until tomorrow." He grimaced.

"I am very sorry Sirius." Peter apologized….again!

"And I've said a million times now that it's Ok, so stop moping about!!!"

"Yeah, come on Peter! That was the funniest lesson we've ever had!" James laughed.

"If you want something to make you smile then just think of Malfoy's face when Sirius landed on his head!"

"That wasn't funny!" a sulky voice behind Remus retorted. Remus could just about manage to say "Yes it was!!!!!" before him and the others (even Peter!) burst out laughing and doing spirited imitations of him. That is, until Professor Kestrel entered the room. She shut them up with just one look, and wrote 'I am Professor Kestrel's TWIN SISTER. You may call me Professor Kestrel. Today I was allowed to choose what to study. Dumbledore doesn't know I'm here so he doesn't know what my choice is! I have discussed it with my sister and we have decided to study…………WEREWOLVES.'

   Sirius, James and Peter glanced at each other and then at Remus. It was James that spoke up.

"Please miss, we're not meant to study werewolves for YEARS yet. Also, I think you should inform your sister that it is illegal to choose your own substitute and subject to study!"

"SIT DOWN!!!!! TEN POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR!!" She pointed at Remus and barked "YOU!!!! DETENTION!!!!! ONE HUNDRED MORE POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR!!!!" Everyone in Gryffindor glared at Remus and a few made nasty comments. James saw the look on his face and stood up once more as did Sirius.

"Excuse me" Sirius began as politely as his temper would let him. "But would you mind telling us WHY he got a detention?!?!" he sat down triumphantly as a murmur of agreement came from the class.

"Because he's him!"

"Well that's just stupid then isn't it!?!?" James added.

"SHUTTIT! TEN MORE POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR!" Everyone shut up after that and they got on with their lesson.

Altogether Gryffindor lost one hundred and twenty points that lesson and Remus looked worse and worse as the lesson went on and with six rolls of parchment on werewolves and how to recognize them as homework no-one was happy. At the end of the lesson Professor Kestrel no. 2 asked to see James and Remus.

"I don't know what made you think that you had the right to answer me back" she said to James and then said to Remus "And you! I don't know what makes you think you have the right to BE in this school! For your detention you will write out 2000 lines of 'I am the lowest being on the planet.' Now BOTH of you get out of my sight!" James and Remus turned and ran out of the classroom and into Transfiguration where Professor McGonnagal took them aside asking them to explain why they were late.

"Why are you boys late?"

"Well it all started when….." but Remus interrupted hastily

"We talked all through our defense against the dark arts lesson."

"Right." Professor McGonnagal didn't look convinced and she looked at James who shook his head and gestured at Remus.

"I'll see you both in my office at lunchtime as soon as you have finished eating."

Remus shot James a look that made James back off.

   After the lesson they walked to lunch in silence both dreading what would be waiting in McGonnagal's office. Not only that, but Remus was now ignoring James. Neither of them ate anything at lunch and they still weren't talking once they'd reached the office door. They knocked.

"Come in."  The door creaked slightly as they opened it. Professor McGonnagal indicated for them to sit down and as they glanced around the office the door creaked open.

"I do hope I'm not too late!"

"Good afternoon Albus. No, you're not too late. In fact, you're just in time! Please take a seat." She clasped her hands and began to speak in a matter-of-fact kind of voice. "I hope you know why you're both here." They nodded. "Then don't you think its explanation time?" she paused. "Well?" James took a deep breath and began to speak.

"She was picking on Remus"

"Who?"

"Professor Kestrel's twin sister."

"Twin? Why was her twin sister taking the lesson she is supposed to teach?"

"Because Professor Kestrel is ill so she made her twin supply and said they would decide between them what to give a lesson on."

"What did she give a lesson on?"

"Well……" James hesitated, glancing at Remus "She gave us six rolls of parchment on them and how to recognize them for homework!"

"On what?"

"Werewolves." James whispered. The teachers both looked at Remus with almost a look of sympathy.

"What else did she do?" It was at this point that Remus piped up.

"She took 100 points off of Gryffindor for me and 20 for James because he stood up for me. She also gave me a detention writing 2000 lines of 'I am the lowest being on the planet.'"

"THAT IS OUTRAGEOUS!" Dumbledore burst out an angry glint in his eyes. He rose, and stormed out of the door. Professor McGonnagal hurried after him leaving James and Remus staring after her. It was a couple of seconds before James broke the silence. Grabbing Remus' arm he muttered

"Let's go."

"What? But Professor D--"

"Look Remus, if we don't go now we're going to have to answer even MORE questions! The teachers know that I know about you being a werewolf but they think Sirius and Peter haven't a clue. We don't want to get into too much trouble. We've only just sorted Professor Kestrel two out!"

"Fine. I'll come!"

     With that they ran as fast as they could back to the Gryffindor Tower. They burst through the door and were immediately surrounded by concern from their friends which is somewhere that neither of them particularly wanted to be. Especially with people staring at them as they stamped up to their dorm, after shouting at Sirius and Peter. They through themselves onto their beds and almost straight away fell fast asleep!

The next morning, they apologized to the others and went to their first lesson, which was Herbology. They were greeted by Hagrid, the groundskeeper at Hogwarts.

"Now I want yeh all t'know what yer dealin with 'ere because if yer don't listen now yeh could end up in the 'ospital wing for a while!!!" he threw each pupil a pair of gloves. They put them on hesitantly and shrunk away from the snapping plants that Hagrid lifted out of a cage.

"If yeh know 'ow to handle them then yeh've got no problem!!" he reassured them "Now, I need a volunteer!" Everyone took a step back except Sirius.

"I'll have a go."

"Right then. All yeh need t'do is grab their stalk with one hand and put the other hand over their mouths. That's why yeh need the gloves. Because they're poisonous! If they bite yeh, tell me immediately. I'm only standing in for yer teacher so all I can do is send yeh to the hospital wing." He took a deep breath. "Right then…….go on Sirius."

    Sirius moved slowly towards the plant and with a sudden movement he had grabbed the plant. After about 30 seconds the plant went limp in his hands.

"Excellent!" Hagrid bellowed. The class all tried after Sirius and no one failed. The class had been a real success.