A/N Oops, my bad. It's a gargoyle that guards Dumbledore's office, not a
gryffin. Anyhow, next chapter! Hope you like it! And jut FYI , I love the
Beatles!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything familiar to you peoples, it belongs to Rowling.
It seemed to take forever the smoke to disappear. Remus waited, holding his breath. Then, he let out a yell.
"Yes!"
It burst out of him, echoing down the corridors. Instead of seeing Sirius dead on the floor, he saw Sirius pinning James to the floor, with James' wand a couple of feet away. Remus ran to get it and pointed it at James. As he began to think about what was happening, he felt nauseous. This was his friend that they were defending themselves from. Before he could think anything else, though, he heard another voice.
"What do you think you are doing?!"
McGonagall looked at the three boys, first with confusion, then with anger. "I am ashamed of you boys! Acting like this when we are all in danger! Besides that, you, who are best friends, are using your wands on each other for a small quarrel! Black, get off of Potter this instant!"
Sirius didn't move. "Professor, you don't understand-"
"I understand perfectly, thank you!" McGonagall seemed ready to explode with anger. "If you do not get up, you will lose your House twenty points and have detention for a week! And you, Lupin," she said, turning her wrath on Remus, "you know better than this! You not only let your friends fight, you participated!"
Remus' jaw dropped. "But Professor-"
"But nothing! After all that has been going on, after the attack, I had hoped that you at least-"
"Listen!"
He hadn't intended to yell it, but that was how it came out. McGonagall hesitated for a moment, amazed that Remus had interrupted her so rudely in the middle of her lecture. He took advantage of her silence and started to talk very quickly.
"We think we know who attacked Dumbledore last night," he said, glancing at Sirius. The other boy opened his mouth to protest, then shut it again. Remus took this as an acknowledgment that the truth needed to come out, and hurried on. "See, James was acting really odd yesterday, and we couldn't figure out what was wrong. Today, when we heard about Dumbledore, we thought that something might have happened to James and he might have done it. Then, when I was at the library, James ditched Sirius, so we went looking for him and found him in front of Dumbledore's office doing something. Sirius was going to see what he was doing, and James turned around and saw him and started running. When Sirius caught him, James tried to curse Sirius or something, but Sirius dodged it and pinned him down. And that – that was when you came."
There was a long silence. Swallowing, Remus chanced a look at McGonagall. Her mouth had almost disappeared, and her eyes shot daggers at him. Snap, he thought.
"Remus Lupin," McGonagall said in a quiet voice that radiated anger. "I would have thought that you – you, of all people – would have something better to do than think up cock-and-bull stories to try and cover for your friends. We are going to see the Headmaster. Follow me."
"But what about-"
"Now, Mr. Black!"
Sirius scowled. "Fine." Roughly, he pushed James onto his stomach and pulled the boy's hands behind his back. Standing up, he yanked James up and waited for McGonagall to lead the way.
"I think that Potter can walk by himself," McGonagall told him acidly. Remus' stomach churned. If James got away, things could get bad.
"No."
Sirius' remark made the professor raise her eyebrows, then she turned and walked briskly down the corridor. The three boys followed her, silent except for the sounds of footsteps.
"Dragon Drops."
No sooner had she spoken than the stone gargoyle sprang to life, hopping to the side. As Remus stepped inside, he found that the only thing he could think about was that he hadn't stammered once while he had been talking to McGonagall. Strangely, he was still calm. If anyone believed their story, it would be Dumbledore.
"Go inside and explain yourselves to Professor Dumbledore," McGonagall ordered them, still seething. Sirius glared at her, and she glared back. Neither would break eye contact until Remus pulled Sirius away.
As they entered, Dumbledore looked up in surprise. "Is there something you need, boys?" He gave Sirius and James a long look, but didn't say anything else.
Swallowing hard, Remus prepared to repeat their story. As he explained everything, Dumbledore remained silent, listening intently. He told the headmaster everything except the part that they were wandering around the school at night. When he was finished, he took a deep breath and tried to keep looking Dumbledore in the eye. Without speaking, Dumbledore rose and walked over to look at James, shaking his head.
"You were good to think so, Remus, but I'm afraid that James is not under the Imperius Curse," he finally told them. It suddenly became very hard for Remus to swallow.
"What?" Sirius yelped, the color draining out of his face. "You mean he did that on his own free will?"
"Oh, no," Dumbledore replied quickly, "I simply mean that he is not under the Imperius Curse. There is more than one way to control a person, I'm afraid."
"So what's wrong with him?" Remus asked. Dumbledore shook his head.
"I'm not quite sure yet," he admitted, and Remus' stomach sank. Dumbledore couldn't not know! He couldn't!
"So what're we supposed to do?" Sirius yelled, tightening his grip as James began to struggle more violently.
"Just a moment." The longer Dumbledore looked at James, the harder James tried to break loose. Sirius was starting to sweat from the effort of keeping his friend under control. A flash of understanding came into Dumbledore's face, and he gripped James' shoulders. Remus watched, curious and a little afraid, as the headmaster murmured strange words under his breath. James began to stop struggling, growing calmer as Dumbledore continued to mutter.
"NO!"
Remus jumped out of his skin, and Sirius released James in surprise. The boy sank to the floor, gripping his head between his knees. Gently but firmly, Dumbledore pulled him back up.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I couldn't stop it!" James was shouting incoherently. "I tried not to but it was too strong! I didn't want to!"
"James, you must calm down," Dumbledore said, giving James a little shake. Slowly, James began to breathe a bit more slowly. Dumbledore nodded and asked, "Would you please tell us what happened?"
Closing his eyes, James nodded, took a deep breath, and began his story.
A/N End of Chapter Thirteen! Review Please!
TheDudeLordOfFantasy – Peter? Hmm. You'll just have to wait until next time to find out! Thanx for the review!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything familiar to you peoples, it belongs to Rowling.
It seemed to take forever the smoke to disappear. Remus waited, holding his breath. Then, he let out a yell.
"Yes!"
It burst out of him, echoing down the corridors. Instead of seeing Sirius dead on the floor, he saw Sirius pinning James to the floor, with James' wand a couple of feet away. Remus ran to get it and pointed it at James. As he began to think about what was happening, he felt nauseous. This was his friend that they were defending themselves from. Before he could think anything else, though, he heard another voice.
"What do you think you are doing?!"
McGonagall looked at the three boys, first with confusion, then with anger. "I am ashamed of you boys! Acting like this when we are all in danger! Besides that, you, who are best friends, are using your wands on each other for a small quarrel! Black, get off of Potter this instant!"
Sirius didn't move. "Professor, you don't understand-"
"I understand perfectly, thank you!" McGonagall seemed ready to explode with anger. "If you do not get up, you will lose your House twenty points and have detention for a week! And you, Lupin," she said, turning her wrath on Remus, "you know better than this! You not only let your friends fight, you participated!"
Remus' jaw dropped. "But Professor-"
"But nothing! After all that has been going on, after the attack, I had hoped that you at least-"
"Listen!"
He hadn't intended to yell it, but that was how it came out. McGonagall hesitated for a moment, amazed that Remus had interrupted her so rudely in the middle of her lecture. He took advantage of her silence and started to talk very quickly.
"We think we know who attacked Dumbledore last night," he said, glancing at Sirius. The other boy opened his mouth to protest, then shut it again. Remus took this as an acknowledgment that the truth needed to come out, and hurried on. "See, James was acting really odd yesterday, and we couldn't figure out what was wrong. Today, when we heard about Dumbledore, we thought that something might have happened to James and he might have done it. Then, when I was at the library, James ditched Sirius, so we went looking for him and found him in front of Dumbledore's office doing something. Sirius was going to see what he was doing, and James turned around and saw him and started running. When Sirius caught him, James tried to curse Sirius or something, but Sirius dodged it and pinned him down. And that – that was when you came."
There was a long silence. Swallowing, Remus chanced a look at McGonagall. Her mouth had almost disappeared, and her eyes shot daggers at him. Snap, he thought.
"Remus Lupin," McGonagall said in a quiet voice that radiated anger. "I would have thought that you – you, of all people – would have something better to do than think up cock-and-bull stories to try and cover for your friends. We are going to see the Headmaster. Follow me."
"But what about-"
"Now, Mr. Black!"
Sirius scowled. "Fine." Roughly, he pushed James onto his stomach and pulled the boy's hands behind his back. Standing up, he yanked James up and waited for McGonagall to lead the way.
"I think that Potter can walk by himself," McGonagall told him acidly. Remus' stomach churned. If James got away, things could get bad.
"No."
Sirius' remark made the professor raise her eyebrows, then she turned and walked briskly down the corridor. The three boys followed her, silent except for the sounds of footsteps.
"Dragon Drops."
No sooner had she spoken than the stone gargoyle sprang to life, hopping to the side. As Remus stepped inside, he found that the only thing he could think about was that he hadn't stammered once while he had been talking to McGonagall. Strangely, he was still calm. If anyone believed their story, it would be Dumbledore.
"Go inside and explain yourselves to Professor Dumbledore," McGonagall ordered them, still seething. Sirius glared at her, and she glared back. Neither would break eye contact until Remus pulled Sirius away.
As they entered, Dumbledore looked up in surprise. "Is there something you need, boys?" He gave Sirius and James a long look, but didn't say anything else.
Swallowing hard, Remus prepared to repeat their story. As he explained everything, Dumbledore remained silent, listening intently. He told the headmaster everything except the part that they were wandering around the school at night. When he was finished, he took a deep breath and tried to keep looking Dumbledore in the eye. Without speaking, Dumbledore rose and walked over to look at James, shaking his head.
"You were good to think so, Remus, but I'm afraid that James is not under the Imperius Curse," he finally told them. It suddenly became very hard for Remus to swallow.
"What?" Sirius yelped, the color draining out of his face. "You mean he did that on his own free will?"
"Oh, no," Dumbledore replied quickly, "I simply mean that he is not under the Imperius Curse. There is more than one way to control a person, I'm afraid."
"So what's wrong with him?" Remus asked. Dumbledore shook his head.
"I'm not quite sure yet," he admitted, and Remus' stomach sank. Dumbledore couldn't not know! He couldn't!
"So what're we supposed to do?" Sirius yelled, tightening his grip as James began to struggle more violently.
"Just a moment." The longer Dumbledore looked at James, the harder James tried to break loose. Sirius was starting to sweat from the effort of keeping his friend under control. A flash of understanding came into Dumbledore's face, and he gripped James' shoulders. Remus watched, curious and a little afraid, as the headmaster murmured strange words under his breath. James began to stop struggling, growing calmer as Dumbledore continued to mutter.
"NO!"
Remus jumped out of his skin, and Sirius released James in surprise. The boy sank to the floor, gripping his head between his knees. Gently but firmly, Dumbledore pulled him back up.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I couldn't stop it!" James was shouting incoherently. "I tried not to but it was too strong! I didn't want to!"
"James, you must calm down," Dumbledore said, giving James a little shake. Slowly, James began to breathe a bit more slowly. Dumbledore nodded and asked, "Would you please tell us what happened?"
Closing his eyes, James nodded, took a deep breath, and began his story.
A/N End of Chapter Thirteen! Review Please!
TheDudeLordOfFantasy – Peter? Hmm. You'll just have to wait until next time to find out! Thanx for the review!