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Author's Note: So I don't know if you all remember this, because I know I didn't until iwas listening to the book on tape recently for the trillionth time, but there was the little incedent with the whomping willow. Remember that? How Sirius "tried to kill snape"? Anyway, here you have it, the incedent as it will be reffered to as in the future, is about to occur. Not to spoil it or anything...
Chapter 25
A Whomping
As it turned out Lily did not tell Dumbledore about James being the one to have administered the love potion. Perhaps that was her way of returning a favor. Perhaps she just felt badly for him. She did, however, tell hprofessor Dumbledore about the map. He said nothing, but merely nodded and smiled knowingly.
Their lessons were going the same as before. Lily could successfully throw off any attempt to read her thoughts, and could break through Dumbledore's every time. They had begun training to induce the dreams, which was a tricky thing to do as Lily could not really practice it on her own time. But even in light of this, lessons were going well. And Lily was happy. Cooper was very sweet, Hazel was the best friend she could have wished for, Alice, Holly, Janette, and Caroline were not fighting with anybody, and she had completed all of her homework for the weekend. Things were going well for Lily, her only problem was boredom. When something intense is happeneing in someone's life, they usually just want things to calm down and work themselves out. However, when everything is calm, people have a tendency for creating drama. People crave action and excitement, so when they could just coast they uinstead create excitement where there otherwise would be none.
Lily, for the time being, was coasting. Severus Snape, however, was wishing that things would calm down.
"Snivelus, I've warned you before, keep your nose out of other people's buisness. I realize that's especially difficult for you, considering your nose is particularly large and everything, but you're going to have to make an especially large effort, for your own safety, that you mind your own buisness!" Severus was cowering against a wall. He had managed to attract the fury of Sirius Black, once again.
Sirius had been beyond outraged when he found out what had happened in the astronomy tower that night. If Remus hadn't been there, Severus probably would not have lived. For that, Severus was oddly greatful to the freakish boy, although he never would admit it. The reason he had attracted Sirius's anger this time was because Sirius had overheard him talking about Remus's "condition." Well, speculating rather than speaking. No one knew the truth about Remus outside of his circle of friends.
"I have a right to know where he goes every month. As a fellow student, my personal safety-" Severus started to say in a quavering voice. He knew that he should not talk back, but he could not keep his mouth shut. He never could. And besides, if anyone's mother was as sickly as Remus's, she would be dead. Well, actually, it is surprising what you can live through, thought Severus as a mental image of his own mother flashed through his thoughts. But still, since when did Hogwarts send students home every time their mother got a little cold? They certainly never offered to send him home. The only occasion which would warrant a student leaving school to visit home would be if sthe parent in question were at death's door. And if Remus's mother were at death's door every month, she would have died, Severus thought reasonably.
"It's none of your concern." Sirius told him, jabbing the wand forward threateningly. "The only threat to your personal safetly right now is me." Sirius told him.
"I think that I have a right to know." Severus said, staunchly refusing to surrender, although he was wandless and cowering on the floor at the larger boy's feet.
"I think you don't. What is your problem anyway? Why are you always sneaking around, trying to get us expelled? Why do you hate us so much?" Sirius demanded. Severus did not reply. "So, you think you have a right to know?" Sirius asked, throwing his head back and laughing. "All right then, tonight when it gets dark, go out to the whomping willow." Sirius saw the expression of terror on Severus's face. "Unless of course you don't really want to know, in which case I don't know why you're wasting so much energy asking about it all the time..." he said.
"No, I do want to know, tell me!" Severus said loudly, his curiousity getting the better of him. He knew that, in dealing with marauders, one should always be on the lookout for a prank. Especially him. Especially since he had just almost killed Potter's girl. Especially since he had tricked them into helping him and made them look like fools. Not that the rest of the school knew about it of course. Not yet, at any rate.
"Fine. Go to the whomping willow tonight, prod the knot with a big long stick. Then you'll see the entrance at the base of the tree. Go through it. Follow the corridor a little ways, you'll see all you ever wanted to see and more," Sirius sneered. Severus did not reply, although in his mind he was debating whether or not he should go.
Sirius turned away, abandoning his designs to hex Severus into oblivion, that would be done much less messily for him tonight, and climbed the stairs out of the dungeon.
'Perhaps I'll bring friends...' Severus thought to himself. 'No, I won't. They would get all the credit for discovering it. I'll be the hero this time.' Severus smiled at the prospect of discovering the truth about Lupin. He had been waiting a long time for this moment, and now it was here. How foolish Lupin's friends were to betray his secret like that. Unless...perhaps this was some sort of trap for Severus. Potter, Black, Lupin and Pettigrew would lie in wait and catch him out on the grounds at night. But that couldn't be there plan, he thought, upon further reflection, they would be in trouble for being out as well. So what was the plan? Surely Potter and the others were in on it. They had to be. But what was it they were in on? 'Well' he concluded, 'I'll just have to go tonight and find out for myself.'
The four marauders were busy plotting that night's adventures. Remus would go down with Madame Pomfrey just before sunset. Then, when it got dark, the other three would go down underneath the invisibility cloak and transform, as they always did.
"You're being awfully quiet, mate." James said, noticing Sirius's uncharacteristic silence.
"I'm not." Sirius told him, although it was true.
"Well what do you want to do tonight?" James demanded.
"I dunno. We could go into Hogsmede." Sirius suggested.
"But we did that last time." Peter complained.
"Then the forest. There are bound to be all sorts of interesting things in there. Why else would they make it off bounds?" Sirius said triumphantly. They had never truely explored the forest before.
"I suppose." James said, sounding aggitated.
"What's wrong, Prongsie? Scared?" Sirius asked mockingly.
"'Course not. I just think it's a bit rash is all. Exploring the forest at night in the dark?" James said. Sirius was very rash. He rarely thought through his plans.
"But you'll be a stag, what could hurt you?" Sirius demanded.
"I won't be a stag." Peter told him. "It's all right for some. You lot got big scary animals. I'm just a rat. I hardly think it's fair." Peter whined.
"But Wormtail, we needed someone to be small so they could let us in. Without you we'd be nothing." Sirius reminded him winningly.
"I s'pose so." Peter conceeded, glad for the praise he was recieving. "But I'll still be very small in that big forest. What if something ate me?" Peter asked, looking scared.
"What would want to eat you?" Sirius asked him.
"Well, an owl might." Remus told him. "They eat rodents and such. And they come out and feed at night."
"You're not helping, Moony." Sirius reprimanded. "No owl will attack you when you're with three other large anmials. They're nocturnal, not moronic." Sirius told him, looking at Remus with a grin that planly said 'Ha! I know more than you about owls!' Remus just shook his head despairingly and looked the other way.
"I don't know, I agree with Wormy. I don't think we should go to the forest. Let's just decide tonight, I'm tired of talking about it," James said. "What do we do until then?" he asked, looking around the group for suggestions.
"We could go find that obnoxious prat who was cheeking you the other day. Remember him?" Sirius suggested, again rashly.
"Who?" Remus asked.
"Barty Crouch, he said his name was." Sirius said sullenly. "Little git," he added for good measure.
"Padfoot, all he said was 'excuse me' when he walked past in the hall. He was not being cheeky." James told him.
"Ruddy prat." Sirius said, looking at the floor.
"Someone's in a bad mood tonight." James told him.
"I'm hungry." Sirius told him, ignoring that comment.
"How can you be hungry?" Peter demanded incredulously. "We just had dinner."
"That was almost an hour ago!" Sirius protested.
"I'll go to the kitchens with you." James offered, looking to Remus and Peter.
"Count me out." Remus told them. "I hate eating before transformations, it makes me ill." He reminded them.
"I'll stay here with Moony." Peter told them. "I might get a bit peeky too." James and Sirius grabbed the invisibility cloak, just in case, and went down to the kitchens.
"So, what's up with you?" James asked as he tickled the pear and grasped the handle that it turned into.
"Nothing." Sirius told him. James looked at him suspiciously as they entered the kitchens and were immediately surrounded by houselves.
"Having any more trouble with Snivelus?" James suggested. Sirius snorted.
"I doubt we'll be having much trouble with him again. Not after tonight." Sirius told him, grinning over the head of a house elf who was offering him cake. Sirius accepted eagerly and wolfed it down.
"Why do you say that?" James asked, "did you two get into another fight?" James asked him warily.
"You could say that." Sirius told him.
"What happened?" James asked him.
"The usual. He was poking his nose in where it didn't belong and I told him off." Sirius told him, leaving out the bit about telling Severus to go down to the willow.
"Well, it's difficult, what with his nose being so abnormally large." Sirius grinned at this comment.
"I told him that." Sirius told James, shoving him a little and causing him to knock over two houselves who were standing on his other side with a tea tray.
"Sorry." James said to the houselves, who had already recovered and were again bustling around them energetically.
"It's no matter, master Potter. Can Dinky get you anything to eat? Perhaps some pie? Or a crumpet?" The houself Dinky asked him, bowing low.
"Yes please," both boy chorused delightedly. They were ushered to a table in the corner and immediately supplied with all manners of delicacies.
"Good chaps, these houselves." Sirius said around a mouthful of food a moment later. "Good service, this is." Dinky beamed at this praise.
"Padfoot, what happened with Snivelus?" James asked him, swallowing a large quantity of pumpkin juice.
"Well, like I said, I don't think he'll be giving us any more trouble." Sirius told him. James snorted.
"That'll be the day. The day he stops trying to get us into trouble will be the day he dies."
"Exactly, Prongs." Sirius said. James looked at him suspiciously.
"Pad, tell me what you did." James said, concern in his voice.
"I just told him that if he wanted to know the truth about Moony he should go to the whomping willow tonight." Sirius said nonchallantly, grinning at his genius.
"You did what?" James demanded. "How could you be so stupid?"
"Hey, calm down. Like you said, the day he stops trying to get us expelled will be the day he dies. He deserves it, look at what he did to Lily." Sirius said, looking slightly less pleased with himself. He had obviously expected James to join in on the hilarious joke.
"Sirius,
this is not funny. This is not a harmless prank. He could die." Sirius
blanched.
"Moony would never forgive you. His secret would get out. He
would probably get kicked out of Hogwarts, and you would too if anyone
found out it was you." James told him. "Moony would never get over it."
"I hadn't really thought of that." Sirius was never one to think the pranks through all the way. He was more of a spur of the moment type guy.
"That's obvious." James said, standing up and rushing out of the kitchens with the invisibility cloak. He had to stop Severus from going down the tree. How could Sirius have been so stupid? Lily would have a fit if she found out, that was all he could think of as he raced up to the dormitory to warn Remus.
When he arrived he only saw Peter and Edgar talking. Remus had left, presumably to meet with Madame Pomfrey. James sprinted down the stairs, ignoring Peter who was calling after him. Lily would have a fit. Images of her telling him how foolish this was, how dangerous, how someone could die. And she would be right too, just as she always was.
James jumped down the last three steps and ran through the common room. There were still many people there, and it was not late yet. He managed to avoid stepping on anyone. He only paused for a moment before leaving to look at Lily, sitting in a corner and laughing, talking to Gideon Prewett, the seventh year. James was about to stalk over in his invisibility cloak and scare the living daylights out of Gideon when he remembered his task. He sprinted out of the portrait hole, causing the fat lady to squwack with annoyance. He rushed as quickly as possible down the stairs. He saw Sirius coming up as he went down. James tripped him slightly. He saw Sirius looking around wildly as James chortled to himself.
Sirius rushed up to the common room, undoubtedly looking for James and Remus, trying to catch them in time.
James left the castle and ran across the grounds to the whomping willow. The branches were frozen. The moon was up and making its way higher in the sky. It would be too much to hope that the tree had just been frozen by Madam Pomfrey. James dove through the branches before they started swinging again and slid through the entrance to the shreiking shack.
He could hear Moony snarling in the distance, ripping the furniture to shreds. James saw the outline of someone's profile. There was long, dark, greasy hair and an abnormally large nose. James knew at once that it was Severus. He rushed to grab him. He saw Severus was staring, transfixed by the snarling creature in front of him. Moony, fortunately, had not spotted him yet. He was occupied with tearing the furniture to shreds and clawing the walls. He had probably just transformed moments before, and judging by the expression of joy and horror on Severus's face, he had witnessed the whole thing.
James shoved Severus back up the corridor, hoping that Moony had not caught their scent. When they reached the top of the trap door, James was sure that he heard the tread of an animal coming from behind them. Panicked, he shoved Severus out of the tree, pushing the knot to freeze the branches as he did so. When he himself emerged, he saw Severus staring triumphantly at the passage he had just exited.
"So that's the secret," he said. "You were trying to get me killed. Well, the headmaster will hear about this. That...that thing will be out of here before you can blink. And you and your little friends too. You were trying to get me killed, sending me down there." Severus accused. James saw that he was shaking slightly.
"Severus" James employed his given name rather than the cruel nickname, "you can't tell anyone about this. And it wasn't me. I only just found out about it. I swear, Remus and I were not trying to get you killed. I don't really think Sirius was either. He just didn't think it through. I promise." James told him desperately, hoping that Severus would not get them all kicked out.
"As if I'd believe that!" Severus said, laughing like a lunatic. "As if I don't know you were all in on it!" He exclaimed.
"Severus, wait!" James cried as Severus began to run up to the castle. James ran to the spot where he had flung the invisibility claok and put it on, running back to the castle. He needed to get to Dumbledore first. James reached the dormitory and threw the invisbility cloak headlessly to the ground. Sirius looked up.
"There you are mate, where did you run off t-" Sirius started to say, smiling.
"You really did it this time, Pads. Snivelus knows, and he's off to find Dumbledore. We have to get there first. Come on, move yourself." James said, leaving the dormitory once again. Edgar Bones was looking mystified, as was Peter. Neither said anything. Peter had a faint idea of what was going on, and knew that his friends would tell them later. He just shrugged to Edgar and the two resumed their previous occupations.
Sirius and James ran down the corridors, not worrying about running into teachers or getting caught out after they were supposed to be in their dormitories.
"What- happened?" Sirius panted as the sprinted towards Dumbledore's office, trying to get to him before Severus.
"He knows." James said simply. Sirius stopped for a breath, long enough for James to out distance him. The two reached the gargoyle, Sirius panting for breath and arriving a moment or two after James. James had already commenced banging on the doors with his fists, calling for Dumbledore.
"Shouldn't-we-lay-low?" Sirius said, still swallowing air in deep gulps. "Wait-for-him-to-call-us?"
"We have to get to him first- Dumbledore!" James called out, his voice growing louder as he called Dumbledore's name.
"What is all this rukus?" Dumbledore demanded, opening the doors from the inside. "Ah, I had expected to see you two. Severus is up in my office now. You are just the people I wanted to see." Dumbledore told them grimly, stepping aside to allow them entrance. James and Sirius exchanged nervous glances. "Severus told me that you two were conspiring to kill him. He seems very distraught," Dumbledore told them leading them up to his office and closing the door. James was sure he heard the lock click. Dubledore was now sitting down behind his desk, his eyes flashing between the three boys. His eyes stopped on Sirius and James, taking in their breathless and disheveled appearances. "Have a seat Mr. Black, Mr. Potter." Dumbledore said, motioning to two empty seats in front of his desk. Severus muttered something inaudible under his breath.
"Like I was saying, professor, these two were trying to kill me. They told me to go down the whomping willow so that I could get eaten by a werewolf." Severus informed the professor, looking triumphant. At last the trouble makers would be expelled. And the werewolf too.
"Ahh." Dumbledore replied, looking slightly aggitated.
"That's not true professor!" James cut in angrily, glaring at Severus. Dumbledore looked mildly interested in what he had to say. His crytal blue eyes pierced through James. James shivered a little.
"Isn't it?" He asked.
"No, it isn't," James told him firmly and determinedly.
"What is your side of it, Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore asked him.
"Sirius here, he was mad at Snivelus-er, Severus I mean, because he tried to get Lily killed," James explained.
"And he was snooping about trying to find out about Remus" Sirius added.
"Yeah," James agreed, "And so Sirius told him that he should go down the tree tonight. And when I found out I went to go stop him, because we didn't want him to actually find out about Remus," James continued.
"I didn't actually think he would go down the tree," Sirius added desperately.
"But I found him in the tree and pulled him out. We weren't trying to get him killed and I didn't have anything to do with him being there. Moony, er I mean Remus that is, didn't have anything to do with it either" James clarified, hoping that Dumbledore would believe him.
"I see. Is this true Mr. Black?" Professor Dumbledore asked, his piercing gaze now fixed on Sirius.
"Er, yes, I'm sorry to say it is." Sirius admitted, clearing his throat a little. Dumbledore looked disappointed and sad. He turned to Severus next.
"And this is not the way you saw it happen?" Dumbledore asked him.
"Well, I admit that there is a certain amount of truth in what they say. But I find it hard to beleive that Potter and his other chums had nothing to do with this plot on my life." Severus told Dumbledore angrily. He did, however, look a little smug. He was sure that they would be expelled for this.
"Well, now that that is cleared up." Dumbledore said, still fixing his clear blue eys on Severus. "Would you care to tell me what Messers Potter and Black are reffering to when they say you had designs to kill Ms. Evans?" Dumbledore asked him. Severus began to splutter.
"But, Professor, it's not all cleared up!" he said at last, his face turning a little red.
"Isn't it?" Dumbledore asked him. "Was there something you wanted to add to your testimony?"
"I already told you! These two tried to kill me with the help of their, their creature!" Severus told him, clearly insensed.
"And I have heard your side of it. Now it is up to me how to deal with it. I will, however, warn you that you are not to mention Mr. Lupin's condition to anyone. Do you understand?" Dumbledore told him. Severus again began to splutter. It was Sirius and James's turn to look smug.
"But professor! The students have a right to know!" Severs gasped.
"It is none of their concern. I assure you, Mr. Snape, this situation is under control," Dumbledore told him.
"But I could have died because of that beast!" Sever said, his voice rising.
"Mr. Snape, you will never mention what happened this night again. You almost died tonight because of your own and Mr. Black's foolishness. You were lucky Mr. Potter was there to save your life. You are further lucky that Mr. Lupin did not attack you as he might have done. You should be counting your lucky stars for this" Dumbledore told him warningly.
"They won't even be punished?" demanded Severus. How could this be happeneing? He had had them this time! They should be out of Hogwarts for this, and instead the headmaster was defending the two miscreants. He was even crediting Potter with his life! And the werewolf, he was suggesting that he should be grateful to that beast!
"They will of course be punished, Mr. Snape, as you will be. You were all out of bounds tonight. You should not have been on the grounds without permission. But their punishment is none of your concern. I will deal with them later. Now I am curious to know about this incedent regarding Ms. Evans' life, although I already have a good idea. I was going to call you in for it tomorrow actually. Seeing as I have you here now, however, we can get this out of the way and save time," Dumbledore told him, settling back in his chair and waiting.
"Well, see, it's like this," Severus started, clearly annoyed by this turn of events. "These two asked me for a love potion to give Lily," Severus told him. "Well, Potter really is the one who asked. Black told him it was stupid," Severus sneered at the two, sure that he would get them in trouble at last. Dumbledore arched his eyebrow, clearly surprised by this information. Lily had not told him that.
"That's not true!" James cried out, unable to hold his tongue.
"What do you think happened, Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore asked him, looking intrigued.
"We were walking in the hall and he offered to make a love potion to get Lily to like me," here James blushed, "she doesn't like me very much," James admitted, blushing still more deeply. 'On the contrary, I think she likes you a good deal if she was willing to withold that piece of information to keep you out of trouble.' Dumbledore thought to himself, although he said nothing out loud. He merely looked back to Severus.
"Well the dult is the one who gave her the potion! I think he deserves more punishment!" Severus declared. He could not bear the fact that Potter and Black would get out of this scott free while he was to be punished!
"The matter of who shall get what punishments is my descision, not yours," Dumbledore reminded him firmly. "Perhaps you would care to tell us all how exactly you were threatening Ms. Evan's life," Dumbledore suggested, to James's surprise he looked slightly amused.
"I was not threatening her life," Severus said deffiantly. And it was true, to a certain extent. He had not been personally threatening her life. And it had not been his idea. But still, the others would never forgive him if he betrayed them. Dumbledore just sighed, waiting for more, obivously. Lily had told him the whole story, or what she knew of it. So he had a pretty good idea of what had happened. He was just waiting to see if Severus would tell him the truth.
"We were on the astronomy tower," Severus told him at last.
"I see. And what were you doing there, may I ask?" Dumbledore asked him, pressing for more information.
"We were meeting friends," Severus told him stubornly. Dumbledore was disappointed, but he would not press for more. He knew exactly which friends he had been meeting and for what reasons too. At least, he could guess. He was not sure exactly which death eaters they had been, but he had a fairly good idea.
"I'm afraid that I will have to relieve you of your prefect post," Dumbledore said at last, letting it go. Severus inhaled sharply, touching the badge that was pinned to his chest. Not his prefects badge! How could he? "I will also be giving you a weeks worth of detentions, and you will write a letter of apology to Ms. Evans," Dumbledore decided.
"But professor!" Severus gasped, gaping at the headmaster. "I was nearly killed! Why am I being punished?" Severus demanded.
"You were out of bounds on the grounds after hours. That is why you have detention. I am relieving you of your prefect's post because of the love potion incedent and for being in the astronomy tower, again after hours. The letter of apology is for what you did to Ms. Evans," Dumbledore told him. "I don't think I need to remind you of what that was," he added shrewdly.
"What about him?" sneered Severus, looking at James. "And him?" he asked, looking in turn at Sirius.
"Mr. Black and I will have a chat after you leave. Mr. Potter, you will have a detention for being out of bounds and after hours tonight. You will also be suspended from the next quiddich game for your part in the love potion incedent," Dumbledore said, adressing James.
"Professor!" James gasped, horrified. He could not miss a quiddich game! They would fall behind in the quiddich cup race and the house cup race! And if Sirius was right then the next game would be when he played Cooper. It would mean missing his chance to prove to Lily that he truely was the better man.
"Professor!" Severus also yelled out, equally upset.
"He get's one detention when I got a weeks? Only one game?" Severus demanded. He had wanted at least a lifetime ban. Or a suspension for longer than one day!
"You will remember, Mr. Snape, that Mr. Potter risked his own life to save yours tonight. He knew the risks in going into that tree after you, and yet he did it anyway. You would do well to remember that. Also, he redeemed himself slightly by rescuing Ms. Evans from the astronomy tower. He also is not the one who concocted the potion or even the idea for the potion," Dumbledore reminded Severus sternly. Severus rose and walked to the door, not looking at Dumbledore or waiting to listen to any more. "Mr. Snape, I believe that I need your badge," Dumbledore reminded him just as Severus was stretching his hand out for the door handle. Severus again fingered the badge on his breast lovingly. James may have been mistaken, but he was sure that he saw a flash of amusement in Dumbledore's eyes again.
Snape was forced to make the walk of shame back across the room to Dumbledore's desk, past James and Sirius. Dumbledore was adding insult to injury. He placed the badge on Dumbledore's desk and turned again, stubbornly refusing to meet anyone's eyes.
"And Mr. Snape, you will remember what I told you. You are not to tell anyone about Mr. Lupin's condition, under pain of expulsion" Dumbledore told him, deadly serious. Snape's face was contorted in rage. He looked as if he were about to fly into another temper, decrying the injustice of the situation, but he did not. He nodded and left Dumbledore's office.
Severus was very bitter over the night's occurances. It had been his finest hour. He knew the secret and was going to expose it to everyone. The marauders would all be expelled with the possible exception of Pettigrew. Instead, he was no longer a prefect and had a week of detentions coming. And he had to write that dratted letter to Evans. It was too bad that he would not even be able to deliver it in person.
He walked back to Slytherin common room, debating just exactly how now he would contrive to get them expelled. If that couldn't do it, nothing could. It was not right. Potter and Black would go on living their lives according to their usual routine, while he had to be punished for their attempted murder. He still could not beleive that they had tried to kill him. He had known that all four were violent, and possibly insane, but he had not expected them to be capable of murder. This was beyond forgivness. And was Dumbledore mad, beleiveing that Potter had not had some hand in planning this? He and Black planned and did everything together. And you could bet the creature was in on it too. How could he not be? Well, his father had said that Dumbledore was too weak and trusting to be a headmaster, but he had gotten the job anyway and see where that had lead? Potter, Black, and Dumbledore were probably talking about him right now, he thought angrily. One thing was for sure, he would never, never forgive Black for this. Ever.
James looked between the somber expression in Dumbledore's face and the determined and yet frightened expression in Sirius's and immediately felt uncomfortable.
"Right, er, so we'll just be off then?" James asked hesitantly, half rising from his seat.
"Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said, nodding for him to sit again. James sat. "What you boys did tonight-" Dumbledore started to say, but he was cut off by Sirius.
"Don't blame this on James!" he ordered, standing up to his full and impressive height. His eyes were dark with anger. "James was a hero, this is all my stupid fault. Mine and Snivelus's" he did not even bother to correct himself for using the nickname, "so don't you blame this on James. You've given him enough by banning him from quiddich, when he saved Snivelus's life!" Sirius yelled at Dumbledore, again not correcting the nickname. Dumbledore again looked vaguley amused by this outburst.
"Peace, Mr. Black. Please take your seat" Dumbledore instructed him. Sirius did not sit, but merely stood there like a scowling pillar. He looked very intimidating in his black cloak, with an equally dark expression of anger on his face. Dumbledore sighed. "I have no intention of punishing Mr. Potter further" he told Sirius, again motioning for him to take his seat. Sirius sat in a huff, not even bothering to look embarassed for his outburst. "What Mr. Potter did tonight as very nobel of him. He risked his own life to save someone who needed his protection. I wanted to congratulate and thank him, as well as to award him fifty house points for Gryffindor" Dumbledore said. James grinned. Was that a wink that he had just seen Dumbledore give him? He could not be sure, as it was gone a moment later.
"Fifty" Sirius whispered in awe. James thought he saw him smiling faintly himself.
"However,"
Dumbledore said, any trace of amusement or pleasure vanishing as
quickly as it had come. "I would tell you that what you did was
foolish, reckless, and fool hardy, as well as dangerous" Dumbledore
told him angrily. Sirius hung his head. "You will be restricted to the
Hogwarts grounds and forbidden to go to Hogsmede for the rest of the
year. You will serve detentions until I see a change in your behavior.
You will not be allowed flying priveleges.
You will be watched so carefully that you will wish you had never done
anything of this kind," Dumbledore informed him, now working himself
into a towering rage. "You will also write a letter to Mr. Snape,
apologizing for risking his life," Dumbledore concluded, obviously
incapable of thinking of anything else he could take away that Sirius
might value. He had taken away his pride and his freedom, what else was
there?
"Professor!" Sirius said in outrage. He then subsided after having thought of it. Dumbledore was
right. He had nothing else to say, so he sat sulking instead.
"Now
is a time for Hogwarts to stand united. Now more than ever we need to
cooperate, to work as one. How is that possible, how can we ever
achieve unity, when people are constantly fighting what we are working
for? People like you. This rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin has
to stop. I look to you to do your best to stop it. I should have
thought that you would be thinking more of that, especially in these
troubled times," Dumbledore said sadly. Sirius
did not look up. James was struck by the similarities between this
speech and all the ones Lily had given him. Dumbledore ran his hand
through his beard. "You may go," he said at last.
James and Sirius stood and exited the office wordlessly. They did not so much as look at each
other as they exited made their way back to Gryffindor tower. Both were thinking the same thing, what will Moony say?
Julia