A/N Have I been totally confusing everyone? Sorry! I guess I just know what
I'm thinking and assume everyone else does too! Ok I'll try to clear some
things up in this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything here but the plot.
Remus and Sirius dashed up the stairs and into the dormitory, stopping in front of James' bed. They stood there for a moment, wondering what exactly they were supposed to do.
"Do you really think it could've been him?" Remus asked, afraid of the answer.
"He wouldn't have," Sirius replied, although his voice sounded a little unsure. "I've known him for a long time, and he would never do anything like that."
Remus was almost sure that James would never attack Dumbledore, but all the clues pointed in one direction. Then, something occurred to him. "What if," he began, then paused.
"What if what?" Sirius prodded, eager for anything to prove his friend innocent.
"What if he was being controlled?" Remus said slowly. "What if something happened when he went down that corridor? I've read somewhere that there's a curse that can control people. Maybe someone else was trying to kill Dumbledore, and they used James."
At first, the idea seemed far-fetched to Sirius. After all, why would someone pick James out of the hundreds of students at this school? Then, slowly, it made more and more sense. It was likely that a person who was looking for someone to use would take the first kid that they found. If they had met up with James at night, it would have been too good of a chance to give up.
"So you're saying that James is under a spell to make him try and kill Dumbledore?" Sirius asked, trying to put all the pieces together.
"I'm not sure," Remus answered, fiddling with the hem of his sleeve. Sirius had learned that Remus did that whenever he was thinking hard. "I'd have to do some research, but it's the best idea that I have so far."
"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's get to the library!" Sirius was halfway to the door when Remus stopped him.
"We can't leave," Remus reminded him. "I'm willing to bet that we'd get a little more than just a few points lost if we go to the library now."
Sirius looked at James again, suddenly realizing how loud they were talking. "Let's go back downstairs before we wake him up," he whispered.
"Are you crazy?" Remus whispered back. "There's tons of people down there!"
"Exactly," Sirius replied, moving towards the stairs. "Which means it'll be less likely that we'll be overheard." Remus stood for a moment, considering the logic, then followed Sirius.
"Ok," Remus said once they were out of the dormitory. "They can't keep us in here more than a day. It can't take them more than that to search the castle. So once they let us out, I'll go to the library and start looking up that curse."
"And I'll help," Sirius said, but Remus shook his head firmly.
"No," he told Sirius. The boy opened his mouth to argue, but Remus continued. "If we both go, that would leave only Peter with James. Do you really want to leave James completely unwatched? He could do anything! One of us has to be with him all the time. We both know that James could get away from me easily, so you have to stay with him. Got it?"
Sirius was about to protest, but then he began to think about what Remus was saying. Finally, he nodded once. "Alright. You hurry up and find some information about that curse, and I'll keep an eye on him."
The day passed slowly. James joined the two boys downstairs after a few hours, but Peter wouldn't leave the dormitory. He was pale and visibly trembling. Remus tried to coax him out, but it was no use. Sirius would have laughed if he hadn't been so worried about other things.
At about 4:00 that afternoon, Professor McGonagall returned to tell them that they were free to leave the Common Room, but several people seemed to feel safer where they were. Remus went to the library alone, feeling extremely nervous.
"Remus?"
He nearly fell out of his seat and accidentally knocked a couple of books off of the table he was sitting at. Looking up, he saw Lily standing next to him.
"Oh, hi," he replied, trying to discreetly move in front of the books.
"What are you reading?" she asked as she picked up one of the books. "Ancient Curses? The Worst Curse? What exactly are you looking for?"
"J-just curious about something P-p-professor Flitwick mentioned in c- class," he stammered, feeling his face grow red. He always stumbled over his words when he was nervous, and he hated it.
"Hm." Lily stood for a moment, staring at the books.
"Was there something you n-needed?" Remus asked. Lily snapped back to attention.
"Sirius is looking for you," she told him. "I came in here to check out Hogwarts: A History and saw you, so I figured I'd tell you. Knowing him, he'll end up getting lost."
Remus attempted a feeble laugh before answering. "What about James? Was he with Sirius?"
Lily frowned. "No, that was the odd thing. Usually those two are together."
Gulping, Remus stammered, "Ok, then, I g-g-guess I'd b-better g-go now." He sped off to the exit, leaving Lily staring after him.
"Boys," she muttered, rolling her eyes.
Remus nearly ran into Sirius as he ran out of the library.
"I lost him!" Sirius exclaimed, then, looking around, lowered his voice. "He gave me the slip when we were going for some food. That blundering idiot Peter tripped and knocked me over, and by the time I got up, James was gone!"
The news shocked Remus. "B-but that means-"He looked up and down the corridor, hoping to see James coming towards them, but the hall was empty.
"We have to find Dumbledore!" Sirius turned and began running to the stairs.
"You don't even know where his office is!" Remus called after him as he started to run.
"Yes I do! Follow me!"
The two boys sprinted up three sets of stairs, then Sirius put a finger to his lips, warning Remus to be quiet. They crept down the long hallway and looked around a corner. In front of a stone gryffin, James was kneeling down. Sirius motioned for Remus to stay put, and began walking silently toward James.
"Sirius! I've been looking all over for you!"
Peter came out of an adjoining corridor and froze, taking in the strange scene. James spun around and looked first at Peter, then at Sirius, and took off. Swearing loudly, Sirius followed him at top speed. Remus followed suit, going after the two taller boys as fast as he could.
"Stay there and don't move!" he shouted at Peter, angry that the boy had ruined their trap. As he started to run up his fourth set of stairs, James and Sirius came rolling down, kicking and punching each other. Remus jumped out of the way, catching sight of a wand being pulled out.
"Sirius! Watch out!" he shouted. The words had barely left his mouth when there was a bright flash of light and a cloud of smoke. The sounds of struggling died down, and Remus was sure he had been too late. He stood there, waiting for one of his best friends to kill him. The smoke began to clear, and Remus waited to see what had happened to Sirius.
A/N Ok chapter? Review please!
TheDudeLordOfFantasy – So did I explain things a little better? I hope you like this chapter! And about the Animagi thing – I thought that was what happened. That's why I haven't had them start learning yet. Anyhow, thanks for the review!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything here but the plot.
Remus and Sirius dashed up the stairs and into the dormitory, stopping in front of James' bed. They stood there for a moment, wondering what exactly they were supposed to do.
"Do you really think it could've been him?" Remus asked, afraid of the answer.
"He wouldn't have," Sirius replied, although his voice sounded a little unsure. "I've known him for a long time, and he would never do anything like that."
Remus was almost sure that James would never attack Dumbledore, but all the clues pointed in one direction. Then, something occurred to him. "What if," he began, then paused.
"What if what?" Sirius prodded, eager for anything to prove his friend innocent.
"What if he was being controlled?" Remus said slowly. "What if something happened when he went down that corridor? I've read somewhere that there's a curse that can control people. Maybe someone else was trying to kill Dumbledore, and they used James."
At first, the idea seemed far-fetched to Sirius. After all, why would someone pick James out of the hundreds of students at this school? Then, slowly, it made more and more sense. It was likely that a person who was looking for someone to use would take the first kid that they found. If they had met up with James at night, it would have been too good of a chance to give up.
"So you're saying that James is under a spell to make him try and kill Dumbledore?" Sirius asked, trying to put all the pieces together.
"I'm not sure," Remus answered, fiddling with the hem of his sleeve. Sirius had learned that Remus did that whenever he was thinking hard. "I'd have to do some research, but it's the best idea that I have so far."
"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's get to the library!" Sirius was halfway to the door when Remus stopped him.
"We can't leave," Remus reminded him. "I'm willing to bet that we'd get a little more than just a few points lost if we go to the library now."
Sirius looked at James again, suddenly realizing how loud they were talking. "Let's go back downstairs before we wake him up," he whispered.
"Are you crazy?" Remus whispered back. "There's tons of people down there!"
"Exactly," Sirius replied, moving towards the stairs. "Which means it'll be less likely that we'll be overheard." Remus stood for a moment, considering the logic, then followed Sirius.
"Ok," Remus said once they were out of the dormitory. "They can't keep us in here more than a day. It can't take them more than that to search the castle. So once they let us out, I'll go to the library and start looking up that curse."
"And I'll help," Sirius said, but Remus shook his head firmly.
"No," he told Sirius. The boy opened his mouth to argue, but Remus continued. "If we both go, that would leave only Peter with James. Do you really want to leave James completely unwatched? He could do anything! One of us has to be with him all the time. We both know that James could get away from me easily, so you have to stay with him. Got it?"
Sirius was about to protest, but then he began to think about what Remus was saying. Finally, he nodded once. "Alright. You hurry up and find some information about that curse, and I'll keep an eye on him."
The day passed slowly. James joined the two boys downstairs after a few hours, but Peter wouldn't leave the dormitory. He was pale and visibly trembling. Remus tried to coax him out, but it was no use. Sirius would have laughed if he hadn't been so worried about other things.
At about 4:00 that afternoon, Professor McGonagall returned to tell them that they were free to leave the Common Room, but several people seemed to feel safer where they were. Remus went to the library alone, feeling extremely nervous.
"Remus?"
He nearly fell out of his seat and accidentally knocked a couple of books off of the table he was sitting at. Looking up, he saw Lily standing next to him.
"Oh, hi," he replied, trying to discreetly move in front of the books.
"What are you reading?" she asked as she picked up one of the books. "Ancient Curses? The Worst Curse? What exactly are you looking for?"
"J-just curious about something P-p-professor Flitwick mentioned in c- class," he stammered, feeling his face grow red. He always stumbled over his words when he was nervous, and he hated it.
"Hm." Lily stood for a moment, staring at the books.
"Was there something you n-needed?" Remus asked. Lily snapped back to attention.
"Sirius is looking for you," she told him. "I came in here to check out Hogwarts: A History and saw you, so I figured I'd tell you. Knowing him, he'll end up getting lost."
Remus attempted a feeble laugh before answering. "What about James? Was he with Sirius?"
Lily frowned. "No, that was the odd thing. Usually those two are together."
Gulping, Remus stammered, "Ok, then, I g-g-guess I'd b-better g-go now." He sped off to the exit, leaving Lily staring after him.
"Boys," she muttered, rolling her eyes.
Remus nearly ran into Sirius as he ran out of the library.
"I lost him!" Sirius exclaimed, then, looking around, lowered his voice. "He gave me the slip when we were going for some food. That blundering idiot Peter tripped and knocked me over, and by the time I got up, James was gone!"
The news shocked Remus. "B-but that means-"He looked up and down the corridor, hoping to see James coming towards them, but the hall was empty.
"We have to find Dumbledore!" Sirius turned and began running to the stairs.
"You don't even know where his office is!" Remus called after him as he started to run.
"Yes I do! Follow me!"
The two boys sprinted up three sets of stairs, then Sirius put a finger to his lips, warning Remus to be quiet. They crept down the long hallway and looked around a corner. In front of a stone gryffin, James was kneeling down. Sirius motioned for Remus to stay put, and began walking silently toward James.
"Sirius! I've been looking all over for you!"
Peter came out of an adjoining corridor and froze, taking in the strange scene. James spun around and looked first at Peter, then at Sirius, and took off. Swearing loudly, Sirius followed him at top speed. Remus followed suit, going after the two taller boys as fast as he could.
"Stay there and don't move!" he shouted at Peter, angry that the boy had ruined their trap. As he started to run up his fourth set of stairs, James and Sirius came rolling down, kicking and punching each other. Remus jumped out of the way, catching sight of a wand being pulled out.
"Sirius! Watch out!" he shouted. The words had barely left his mouth when there was a bright flash of light and a cloud of smoke. The sounds of struggling died down, and Remus was sure he had been too late. He stood there, waiting for one of his best friends to kill him. The smoke began to clear, and Remus waited to see what had happened to Sirius.
A/N Ok chapter? Review please!
TheDudeLordOfFantasy – So did I explain things a little better? I hope you like this chapter! And about the Animagi thing – I thought that was what happened. That's why I haven't had them start learning yet. Anyhow, thanks for the review!