CHAPTER 12
"Reconsider our position!" James yelped as they darted up to the Gryffindor common room. "But that sounds like..."
"How funny would it be if they can't get that placard off the door! WHAT? You don't think..." Sirius who had just understood Dumbledore's words, was staring wide-eyed and horror struck at James.
"Oh no!" Peter wailed. "I was so excited about coming!"
"We won't be expelled," James reassured him, though not quite believing it himself.
As they changed and got into their beds, the other Gryffindor boys came in, laughing insanely. "Did you see it! It was hilarious! They couldn't get it off either! Anti-wrinkling charm..." Albert Davis collapsed with laughter.
"We just entered the room McGonnagal told us to and then we left it, there wasn't butter beer or anything, just an empty classroom..." Frank told them as though they might not already know.
Professor McGonnagal had told them with thin lips to go straight to Dumbledore's office that morning before breakfast. "It doesn't matter about that!" She snapped as Sirius and Peter grabbed fistfuls of dry toast. "Go now and I will be meeting you shortly."
Though as they raced up the many flights of stairs, Sirius and Peter were still stuffing themselves with food. "Where does this do d'you think?" Sirius drew to a halt by a small corridor they had not seen before.
"Not now!" James tried pulling him away but Sirius would not budge. "Come on, if we're late..."
But Sirius had vanished so reluctantly, grabbing Peter, James did the same. "Look at this! I've found something!" Sirius called. The long dark corridor did not seem to lead anywhere at all, though Sirius was grinning in a dog like way at a statue that he pushed aside to reveal a passageway. "We've found so many now we could make a map!" Sirius scribbled down directions on a small notebook he was always flashing.
"Shall we go through?" Peter asked tentatively.
"Like we have a choice." James laughed as he and Peter ran at top speed to catch up with Sirius who had just turned a corner.
The stone floor was getting dirtier, and wet. "Sirius!" James called, as the corner of his robes flicked out of sight. "I don't think this is a good idea!" It was also getting darker, making it hard for James to see Sirius at all.
"Come on!" Sirius whined, making them jump. "You're not usually this boring!"
"I'm not usually about to get chucked out of school." James muttered.
"So let's make our last hour fun then?" Sirius pleaded and without waiting for an answer began running again.
They must have been in the tunnel for at least five minutes. It was getting lighter though, but a lot muddier. As Peter jumped at having seen a rat, he splashed James with mud up to his waist.
"Sirius! Are you there?" James shouted. There had been little sound from him. James soon found out why. The tunnel led to Professor Vexalt's office. As James and Peter climbed out through a portrait of an old wizard with grey hair, they caught sight of Sirius who had been cornered.
"Oi!" James yelled as Professor Vexalt turned, Sirius craned his neck to signal to them.
"Well... you three thought you could trespass in my private trail did you?" He hissed in a deadly whisper.
"No! We... we got lost and thought we might not be late if we went that way!" Peter spluttered.
"I see." Professor Vexalt's dark eyes travelled from one guilty face to another. "I may choose not to believe you..."
"Excuse me Professor Vexalt..." Dumbledore came breezing through the door. James wondered briefly how he had known where they were. "I will take them from here." Professor Vexalt looked as though we would have liked to argue, but didn't dare because he scowled at them as they left, muttering about secrets and disturbing.
"Are we going to be expelled?" Peter asked Dumbledore nervously as Dumbledore stated the password and the stone Gargoyle sprang aside so they could enter.
"I am afraid that decision does not rest with me alone." Dumbledore explained, though there was a look in his eye that made James feel ashamed already. "Though Professor Vexalt would not have been happy if his brains had been disturbed. He is breeding."
"Breeding brains!" James blurted out.
Dumbledore said nothing, but entered his circular office where Professor McGonnagal was already seated.
"Ah, hello Minerva." Dumbledore greeted her. James also caught sight of Professor Panscratch who was sitting in the corner scribbling. "Please sit down." Dumbledore gestured at three chairs, which they occupied. "And please explain everything."
James looked at Sirius. It was hard to come up with an excuse on the spot, though they had been thinking about it all night. To their dismay, it was Peter who spoke.
"Well... we wanted to find out where Remus went every night so we set up a room to lure anyone away while...ouch!" Sirius stepped on his toes.
"We found him in the grounds and simply asked what he was doing and he got frustrated and told us and ran into the castle and we went in to get him out." James gabbled.
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows as though he did not believe a word James had spoken.
"And how should that explain why you were in the top tower with his invisibility cloak, Mr Black here was raiding my private stores? Or why an item banned from the school came into use, not to mention offending dozens of staff members with crude drawings and insults?" Professor McGonnagal was eyeing them beadily. How had she found out?
"That was so no one would find out about Remus!" Sirius retorted, glaring at Professor Panscratch who sunk low in his chair.
"Or duelling with a werewolf?" Professor McGonnagal's eyebrows vanished as she spoke, (which was near impossible as her hair was scraped back).
"We'd have been eaten alive!" James yelled as he thought he saw Dumbledore's lips flicker.
"Not when I am headmaster." He said calmly.
"Well if your story makes sense, why did you enter the castle?" McGonnagal questioned in a reporter like manner, though Professor Panscratch already occupied this position.
"I was in the astronomy tower because otherwise Remus wouldn't tell us." James confessed through gritted teeth.
"I see." McGonnagal stated.
"Please... Professor... are we going to be expelled?" Peter was twisting his hands nervously.
Professor McGonnagal turned to him. "Well Mr Petigrew, if we totalled the number of school rules broken we would be here all day! Never have we had such behaviour and many members of staff are currently talking about refusing to work, many students are still confused about the events, the entrance hall last night was near destruction. I might also add that we cannot remove or cover the sign glued to the door so if Professor Dumbledore agrees with me, I am afraid we have no choice but to do so."
They turned in horror to Dumbledore who was watching them carefully over his moon shaped glasses. Professor Panscratch had paused in his writing and was watching carefully. "I do not agree with you Minerva." Dumbledore spoke the words firmly, as the three of them breathed a sigh of relief. "I have always believed, as you know, in second chances. I remain sure this will not be the first or last time but I must insist they remain in school, you see, help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it. There is no permanent damage, I am sure we can remove that door somehow, everyone is safe, Mr Lupin's secret was not disclosed and though there are short term effects, no one is entirely flawless." He smiled at them wisely.
"Excellent speech Dumbledore." Someone must have entered the room unnoticed as the six people in the office turned abruptly to glimpse the spy. "But I may be forced to contradict you."
Professor Vexalt came hobbling into the office. "These boys would have been expelled a long time ago if I were headmaster." He pulled out a roll of parchment, which he unravelled and began to read. "Tuesday the 12th September, Mr Potter and Mr Black were sighted rummaging in Professor McGonnagal's private stores. They did the same the next day, and the week after. Thursday the 14th September, Mr Black put permanent sticking charms on the Slytherins' seats in my potions lesson. Friday the 15th September, Severus Snape was hurtling through the air in a polka dot dress. Saturday the 16th September, identical twins Sisana and Liana were displaced... Continuing with Saturday Mr Black and Potter were sneaking down to the kitchens in that cloak and tricking the house elves into sneaking dungbombs in scrambled eggs and at 7:30pm on Saturday..." Professor Vexalt began to read some of their worst tricks, to the downright funny ones, as Dumbledore's face crumpled.
As he got to a particularly nasty one involving dancing house elves, floating cabbages and Slytherins, Dumbledore let out a very audible sigh. The list seemed to go on forever, he did not miss anything as the three of them sunk so low in their seats only their heads were in sight. They were sure to be expelled now, thanks to Morgan Vexalt. What did he have against his parents to do this to him?
"And yet again, Mr Potter broke into my stores, the fifth time that week, I might add and Just like his father was..." Professor Vexalt concluded.
"Fourth." James corrected under his breath as all eyes were fixed on him.
Dumbledore's eyes were full of an emotion James had never crossed before but could not distinguish. "Professor Vexalt, may I ask why you have been keeping a diary on four of the school's students?"
"No, Dumbledore you may not." Professor Vexalt hissed, his matted hair was in his face as he hissed the words. "I think that now you agree to their expulsion?"
"Let me see the diary please." Dumbledore said coldly, thrusting out his hand in a rather aggressive manner.
Professor Vexalt handed it gracefully to him. "Certainly." He whispered eyes full of glee as Dumbledore read the parchment sadly.
"You did this under your own intentions?" He asked them grievingly.
The three of them nodded; there seemed no point in lying any more. Why was Morgan Vexalt keeping a diary on him? Was this continuing his grudge against his father at school? A/N: Mmm does this sound familiar
"Can you explain any of it?" Dumbledore asked as though clinging onto a shred of hope that they wouldn't be expelled.
"Care of magical creatures is so interesting we wanted to make the most of it, Transfiguration is a wonderful subject we wanted to experiment with in a higher quality," James caught McGonnagal and Panscratch's eyes as he spoke. "We knew what Professor Binns was talking about anyway, same goes to the other subjects. We were raiding cupboards because we wanted to advance in lessons by using higher levels of magic. Then we explored the school and grounds because we're only here seven years and school years are supposed to be the best, and in potions we were plain bored." He finished viciously as Professor Vexalt shot him a murderous glare.
"Thank you." Dumbledore smiled faintly. "I am glad there are reasons for your behaviour. I do understand about Severus Snape, I had an arch enemy at school too and I am aware that he is not entirely clean in records."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN!" Professor Vexalt was livid with rage, face red and bulging as he roared at Dumbledore. "YOU ARE GOING TO IGNORE IT?!" He bellowed, swaying on the spot.
"Yes I am." Dumbledore told him calmly. "The past is not something to be reflected on and if you were to follow others round I am sure the diaries would be similar."
"THEY WOULD NOT!" Roared Vexalt, eyes popping with madness. "YOU CAN'T IGNORE SOMETHING LIKE THIS DUMBLEDORE YOU FOOL!" He bellowed, completely scarlet and breathing heavily as though a pillow was being clamped to his mouth.
"I would not advise you to call the man you are working for a fool Professor Vexalt." Dumbledore warned in one breath, as he turned to face him. I am not going to entirely ignore the charges against them, though they are only children after all and their punishments for this..." He gestured at Vexalt's diary as though it was a ageing rag will be in the hands of Professor McGonnagal.
"WHAT?!" Vexalt spluttered as though he could not believe what was happening.
"Please leave us Professor Vexalt."
Vexalt did not go quietly. He slammed the door behind him with all the force he had left, which caused several of Dumbledore's ornaments to fall from their containers and shatter. "Well..." Dumbledore turned to them, eyes dull though determined. "I cannot say some charges Professor Vexalt had against you were... rather ingenious for your age but please do remember that if he had the tiniest bit more evidence you would be forced to leave the school. Please be careful, that is all I will say to you."
Five minutes later they ran laughing and cheering from Dumbledore's office, unable to believe they had got away with only detentions and letters home. "I am amazed we weren't expelled!" Peter said shakily as they scanned their timetables.
"It's charms." Remus said lightly without the need to grab a timetable. "We'd better hurry, we've missed more than half the lesson already!"
"There doesn't really seem any point going for the last few minutes..." Sirius began but Remus cut him off.
"Sirius! Don't you think we're not in enough trouble already without missing another lesson?" Remus said in exasperated tones so they trudged along the corridor in the vague direction of charms.
A/N: I am seriously considering redoing all of this!! I have a plot but can someone tell me if it's working or not?! Anyway, I'll try again (yet again)! THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR READING!!! I LOVE GETTING REVIEWS! AND PLEASE VISIT MY OTHER FANFIC!
"Reconsider our position!" James yelped as they darted up to the Gryffindor common room. "But that sounds like..."
"How funny would it be if they can't get that placard off the door! WHAT? You don't think..." Sirius who had just understood Dumbledore's words, was staring wide-eyed and horror struck at James.
"Oh no!" Peter wailed. "I was so excited about coming!"
"We won't be expelled," James reassured him, though not quite believing it himself.
As they changed and got into their beds, the other Gryffindor boys came in, laughing insanely. "Did you see it! It was hilarious! They couldn't get it off either! Anti-wrinkling charm..." Albert Davis collapsed with laughter.
"We just entered the room McGonnagal told us to and then we left it, there wasn't butter beer or anything, just an empty classroom..." Frank told them as though they might not already know.
Professor McGonnagal had told them with thin lips to go straight to Dumbledore's office that morning before breakfast. "It doesn't matter about that!" She snapped as Sirius and Peter grabbed fistfuls of dry toast. "Go now and I will be meeting you shortly."
Though as they raced up the many flights of stairs, Sirius and Peter were still stuffing themselves with food. "Where does this do d'you think?" Sirius drew to a halt by a small corridor they had not seen before.
"Not now!" James tried pulling him away but Sirius would not budge. "Come on, if we're late..."
But Sirius had vanished so reluctantly, grabbing Peter, James did the same. "Look at this! I've found something!" Sirius called. The long dark corridor did not seem to lead anywhere at all, though Sirius was grinning in a dog like way at a statue that he pushed aside to reveal a passageway. "We've found so many now we could make a map!" Sirius scribbled down directions on a small notebook he was always flashing.
"Shall we go through?" Peter asked tentatively.
"Like we have a choice." James laughed as he and Peter ran at top speed to catch up with Sirius who had just turned a corner.
The stone floor was getting dirtier, and wet. "Sirius!" James called, as the corner of his robes flicked out of sight. "I don't think this is a good idea!" It was also getting darker, making it hard for James to see Sirius at all.
"Come on!" Sirius whined, making them jump. "You're not usually this boring!"
"I'm not usually about to get chucked out of school." James muttered.
"So let's make our last hour fun then?" Sirius pleaded and without waiting for an answer began running again.
They must have been in the tunnel for at least five minutes. It was getting lighter though, but a lot muddier. As Peter jumped at having seen a rat, he splashed James with mud up to his waist.
"Sirius! Are you there?" James shouted. There had been little sound from him. James soon found out why. The tunnel led to Professor Vexalt's office. As James and Peter climbed out through a portrait of an old wizard with grey hair, they caught sight of Sirius who had been cornered.
"Oi!" James yelled as Professor Vexalt turned, Sirius craned his neck to signal to them.
"Well... you three thought you could trespass in my private trail did you?" He hissed in a deadly whisper.
"No! We... we got lost and thought we might not be late if we went that way!" Peter spluttered.
"I see." Professor Vexalt's dark eyes travelled from one guilty face to another. "I may choose not to believe you..."
"Excuse me Professor Vexalt..." Dumbledore came breezing through the door. James wondered briefly how he had known where they were. "I will take them from here." Professor Vexalt looked as though we would have liked to argue, but didn't dare because he scowled at them as they left, muttering about secrets and disturbing.
"Are we going to be expelled?" Peter asked Dumbledore nervously as Dumbledore stated the password and the stone Gargoyle sprang aside so they could enter.
"I am afraid that decision does not rest with me alone." Dumbledore explained, though there was a look in his eye that made James feel ashamed already. "Though Professor Vexalt would not have been happy if his brains had been disturbed. He is breeding."
"Breeding brains!" James blurted out.
Dumbledore said nothing, but entered his circular office where Professor McGonnagal was already seated.
"Ah, hello Minerva." Dumbledore greeted her. James also caught sight of Professor Panscratch who was sitting in the corner scribbling. "Please sit down." Dumbledore gestured at three chairs, which they occupied. "And please explain everything."
James looked at Sirius. It was hard to come up with an excuse on the spot, though they had been thinking about it all night. To their dismay, it was Peter who spoke.
"Well... we wanted to find out where Remus went every night so we set up a room to lure anyone away while...ouch!" Sirius stepped on his toes.
"We found him in the grounds and simply asked what he was doing and he got frustrated and told us and ran into the castle and we went in to get him out." James gabbled.
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows as though he did not believe a word James had spoken.
"And how should that explain why you were in the top tower with his invisibility cloak, Mr Black here was raiding my private stores? Or why an item banned from the school came into use, not to mention offending dozens of staff members with crude drawings and insults?" Professor McGonnagal was eyeing them beadily. How had she found out?
"That was so no one would find out about Remus!" Sirius retorted, glaring at Professor Panscratch who sunk low in his chair.
"Or duelling with a werewolf?" Professor McGonnagal's eyebrows vanished as she spoke, (which was near impossible as her hair was scraped back).
"We'd have been eaten alive!" James yelled as he thought he saw Dumbledore's lips flicker.
"Not when I am headmaster." He said calmly.
"Well if your story makes sense, why did you enter the castle?" McGonnagal questioned in a reporter like manner, though Professor Panscratch already occupied this position.
"I was in the astronomy tower because otherwise Remus wouldn't tell us." James confessed through gritted teeth.
"I see." McGonnagal stated.
"Please... Professor... are we going to be expelled?" Peter was twisting his hands nervously.
Professor McGonnagal turned to him. "Well Mr Petigrew, if we totalled the number of school rules broken we would be here all day! Never have we had such behaviour and many members of staff are currently talking about refusing to work, many students are still confused about the events, the entrance hall last night was near destruction. I might also add that we cannot remove or cover the sign glued to the door so if Professor Dumbledore agrees with me, I am afraid we have no choice but to do so."
They turned in horror to Dumbledore who was watching them carefully over his moon shaped glasses. Professor Panscratch had paused in his writing and was watching carefully. "I do not agree with you Minerva." Dumbledore spoke the words firmly, as the three of them breathed a sigh of relief. "I have always believed, as you know, in second chances. I remain sure this will not be the first or last time but I must insist they remain in school, you see, help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it. There is no permanent damage, I am sure we can remove that door somehow, everyone is safe, Mr Lupin's secret was not disclosed and though there are short term effects, no one is entirely flawless." He smiled at them wisely.
"Excellent speech Dumbledore." Someone must have entered the room unnoticed as the six people in the office turned abruptly to glimpse the spy. "But I may be forced to contradict you."
Professor Vexalt came hobbling into the office. "These boys would have been expelled a long time ago if I were headmaster." He pulled out a roll of parchment, which he unravelled and began to read. "Tuesday the 12th September, Mr Potter and Mr Black were sighted rummaging in Professor McGonnagal's private stores. They did the same the next day, and the week after. Thursday the 14th September, Mr Black put permanent sticking charms on the Slytherins' seats in my potions lesson. Friday the 15th September, Severus Snape was hurtling through the air in a polka dot dress. Saturday the 16th September, identical twins Sisana and Liana were displaced... Continuing with Saturday Mr Black and Potter were sneaking down to the kitchens in that cloak and tricking the house elves into sneaking dungbombs in scrambled eggs and at 7:30pm on Saturday..." Professor Vexalt began to read some of their worst tricks, to the downright funny ones, as Dumbledore's face crumpled.
As he got to a particularly nasty one involving dancing house elves, floating cabbages and Slytherins, Dumbledore let out a very audible sigh. The list seemed to go on forever, he did not miss anything as the three of them sunk so low in their seats only their heads were in sight. They were sure to be expelled now, thanks to Morgan Vexalt. What did he have against his parents to do this to him?
"And yet again, Mr Potter broke into my stores, the fifth time that week, I might add and Just like his father was..." Professor Vexalt concluded.
"Fourth." James corrected under his breath as all eyes were fixed on him.
Dumbledore's eyes were full of an emotion James had never crossed before but could not distinguish. "Professor Vexalt, may I ask why you have been keeping a diary on four of the school's students?"
"No, Dumbledore you may not." Professor Vexalt hissed, his matted hair was in his face as he hissed the words. "I think that now you agree to their expulsion?"
"Let me see the diary please." Dumbledore said coldly, thrusting out his hand in a rather aggressive manner.
Professor Vexalt handed it gracefully to him. "Certainly." He whispered eyes full of glee as Dumbledore read the parchment sadly.
"You did this under your own intentions?" He asked them grievingly.
The three of them nodded; there seemed no point in lying any more. Why was Morgan Vexalt keeping a diary on him? Was this continuing his grudge against his father at school? A/N: Mmm does this sound familiar
"Can you explain any of it?" Dumbledore asked as though clinging onto a shred of hope that they wouldn't be expelled.
"Care of magical creatures is so interesting we wanted to make the most of it, Transfiguration is a wonderful subject we wanted to experiment with in a higher quality," James caught McGonnagal and Panscratch's eyes as he spoke. "We knew what Professor Binns was talking about anyway, same goes to the other subjects. We were raiding cupboards because we wanted to advance in lessons by using higher levels of magic. Then we explored the school and grounds because we're only here seven years and school years are supposed to be the best, and in potions we were plain bored." He finished viciously as Professor Vexalt shot him a murderous glare.
"Thank you." Dumbledore smiled faintly. "I am glad there are reasons for your behaviour. I do understand about Severus Snape, I had an arch enemy at school too and I am aware that he is not entirely clean in records."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN!" Professor Vexalt was livid with rage, face red and bulging as he roared at Dumbledore. "YOU ARE GOING TO IGNORE IT?!" He bellowed, swaying on the spot.
"Yes I am." Dumbledore told him calmly. "The past is not something to be reflected on and if you were to follow others round I am sure the diaries would be similar."
"THEY WOULD NOT!" Roared Vexalt, eyes popping with madness. "YOU CAN'T IGNORE SOMETHING LIKE THIS DUMBLEDORE YOU FOOL!" He bellowed, completely scarlet and breathing heavily as though a pillow was being clamped to his mouth.
"I would not advise you to call the man you are working for a fool Professor Vexalt." Dumbledore warned in one breath, as he turned to face him. I am not going to entirely ignore the charges against them, though they are only children after all and their punishments for this..." He gestured at Vexalt's diary as though it was a ageing rag will be in the hands of Professor McGonnagal.
"WHAT?!" Vexalt spluttered as though he could not believe what was happening.
"Please leave us Professor Vexalt."
Vexalt did not go quietly. He slammed the door behind him with all the force he had left, which caused several of Dumbledore's ornaments to fall from their containers and shatter. "Well..." Dumbledore turned to them, eyes dull though determined. "I cannot say some charges Professor Vexalt had against you were... rather ingenious for your age but please do remember that if he had the tiniest bit more evidence you would be forced to leave the school. Please be careful, that is all I will say to you."
Five minutes later they ran laughing and cheering from Dumbledore's office, unable to believe they had got away with only detentions and letters home. "I am amazed we weren't expelled!" Peter said shakily as they scanned their timetables.
"It's charms." Remus said lightly without the need to grab a timetable. "We'd better hurry, we've missed more than half the lesson already!"
"There doesn't really seem any point going for the last few minutes..." Sirius began but Remus cut him off.
"Sirius! Don't you think we're not in enough trouble already without missing another lesson?" Remus said in exasperated tones so they trudged along the corridor in the vague direction of charms.
A/N: I am seriously considering redoing all of this!! I have a plot but can someone tell me if it's working or not?! Anyway, I'll try again (yet again)! THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR READING!!! I LOVE GETTING REVIEWS! AND PLEASE VISIT MY OTHER FANFIC!