The Blue Fountain
Nothing was quite like the days after the Quidditch match. James made it a point to visit the hospital wing as soon as he had left the pitch, with each of the other team members joining him—save for Kennedy, who had disappeared in the game's aftermath, and no one had a desire to seek him out. Michael and Raul traded off in telling King the story of the match, using rapid hand movements and several loud exclamations that prompted a few glares across the room from Madam Pomfrey. Although he had been woken up from a deep, spell-induced slumber, King grinned and delivered the only three words that James needed to hear after the Captain learned about his part in the game.
"I knew it," he mumbled before dropping off again, giving a snore that rivaled the volume of the Beaters' story.
As for the rest of Gryffindor House, they were congratulating James every time he turned around, even though Ravenclaw had still won the Cup. Enjoying his celebrity-like status, James relayed the excitement of the match to every student who asked for his side of the story. Dedalus Diggle ended up listening to his tale five times in the next two days, and James felt his chest swell when one of the other first-years asked who Kennedy was after James mentioned his name in passing. The only one of James' Housemates who seemed to grow tired of reliving his success was Lily ("You know that we didn't actually win the Cup, right?" she was overheard saying to Hillary on day six), but Peter never failed to draw closer at the start of another story, and Sirius took it upon himself to impress the younger students with additional information about his renowned roommate.
"Oh, sure, he catches Quaffles in his sleep," James overheard him telling a group of Gryffindor students in the common room. "He's even had a dream about catching the Golden Snitch—he talks during the night, you know. I can get you all his autograph if you want. Just hand over a couple of Sickles, and the deal is done! Writing hurts his throwing hand, you know, so he has to be careful with how much he does it."
"I wish I could convince Professor Slughorn of that," James told him later, once all of the students had left. "I'd love to get out of that Potions essay we have due!"
Indeed, despite his attempts to ignore it, James' homework had started to pile up in earnest, all in preparation for the end-of-the-year exams. Now that the Quidditch season had ended, he had lost his excuse to ignore his assignments, and his professors were having none of the complaints given by the other fourth-years. Peter had started to sink into his pre-exam anxiety, which was made worse in lieu of Defense Against the Dark Arts; Professor Aven almost jumped when the class asked about the upcoming exam, and James wondered how much he had prepared for the test when he proceeded to dodge their questions and give them another essay for the next week.
Just a few days before exam week, the Gryffindors and Slytherins gathered together for their last Care of Magical Creatures lesson of the school year. Most of the girls had hurried forward to admire the massive unicorn that Professor Kettleburn brought in, but James stayed back with the other boys. The lesson was a revision, and they all knew by now that unicorns preferred the presence of girls far more than that of their own, a truth that Peter had learned the hard way several weeks back. For the most part, the boys were content with keeping their distance from the unicorn's gargantuan hooves, and James conversed with his roommates several steps away from the creature.
"At least I can spend this last class period in peace," Remus said, glancing towards the pearly-white horn mounted in the center of the unicorn's skull. "The fewer opportunities I give some deadly animal to maim me, the better."
"Well, I think that I'll try and get something out of this last lesson," James spoke up after having stared at Lily and her friends for the first half of the class. "You never know—maybe the unicorn's friendly!"
Sighing, Remus raised his voice as James started to walk off. "But the 'unicorn' has done such a great job of avoiding tales of your Quidditch escapades so far. Maybe we should let it get away, just this once."
"Not a chance!" James called back, and Remus and Peter exchanged a look with Sirius, who only shook his head. Out of the corner of his vision, James saw Snape narrow his eyes next to the other Slytherin boys as he traced James' path of travel.
"Hey, Evans!" James greeted as Lily turned around. "Is there any chance that you could spare a little room?"
Fortunately, the unicorn created space for James, having eyed his approach from across the grass. Flicking its mane, it trotted off a few steps while the other girls followed, making kissing noises in an attempt to coax it back towards them. Shooting a glance at the unicorn, Lily made a brief motion to leave, but she sighed when James took up the space between her and the animal.
"What do you want, Potter?" she asked, crossing her arms as Professor Kettleburn moved after the migrating students. Close on the professor's heels, Hagrid lumbered off and left James and Lily standing alone, stuck in the short distance between both clusters of students.
"I just wanted to ask you about that trip to the lake," James told her, running his hand through the back of his unkempt hair with a grin. "After the Quidditch match, I wanted to give you the first option."
Huffing, Lily shook her head. "I don't believe you," she said, and she turned to walk towards the other girls.
Running to catch up, James blocked her way again by spreading out his arms. "Wait, I'm doing you a favor! I've had about four other girls come up and ask me about the weekend, but I turned them all down."
"We have exams to study for!" Lily answered, her green eyes sparking.
"Oh, come off it, you know that neither of us needs the extra time!" James objected. "It'll be worth your sacrifice, Evans, I'll make sure of it!"
"I said no," Lily responded, and she took careful attention to tread on James' foot before marching off to join her friends. After uttering a grunt, James held his throbbing toe and watched as she walked off. Eyes averted, he did not notice Snape's approach until the tweedy boy stood by his side.
"Did I just hear what I think I did?" Snape sneered as James set his foot down again and stood.
"It depends what you heard," James replied shortly, brushing himself off.
"Do you actually think that she would go out with you?" Snape interrupted, rolling his eyes with a curled lip. "Merlin, you're even more idiotic than I thought."
"And why would you care?" James snapped back. "Have a crush, do we, Snivellus?" When Snape turned red, James wrinkled his nose. "It's not like Evans has ever noticed you, with all the time you spend crawling after her. Why should she care? You're nothing but a two-faced snake too cowardly to make a move in case she finds out how you treat other Muggle-borns."
Looking away, Snape stared at the grass. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"Hey, I may wear these glasses, but I'm not blind," James continued, advancing on Snape. "I've seen how you look at her from across Potions—waiting for her to glance your way, like a hungry vulture. It's disgusting."
Stepping backwards as James kept moving, Snape opened his mouth to respond, but James cut him off and stared into his quickly widening eyes. "Well, let me make one thing clear: she'll never be interested in a pathetic, spineless prat who's jealous of everyone around him. So shove off of Evans, or I'll have you spitting slugs again, do you hear?"
Slowly, Snape's mouth closed and hardened into a sneer as he glared up at James, even as the taller boy stood a few centimeters away from his hooked nose. "You're so daft sometimes, it even astounds me."
"You're the one who's mouthing off to one of the school's most proficient duelers," James countered, a grin creeping across his face. "And I've already got a hand on my wand, unlike you."
As Snape's eyes shot down, James pressed his drawn wand on the Slytherin's stomach. Attempting to jerk away, Snape was promptly rendered immobile by James' Freezing Charm, and James slowly coaxed Snape's wand out of his pocket with his free hand.
"You really need to learn to keep a better guard over your stuff," James admonished. Frozen in place, Snape could only glare at James as he twirled the extra wand and pocketed it. "What's the matter, Sniv? Stuck?"
"Boys? Is there something going on over there?" Professor Kettleburn called out next to the unicorn, raising his one hand to shield his eyes.
"Nothing's the matter, Professor!" James answered, turning his head, and Kettleburn joined the circle of girls again. Smirking at Snape, James met the burning in his eyes. "I think I'll hang onto your wand for a bit. It might teach you to keep your ugly nose out of other people's business."
When Snape's eyes widened, James continued, "Oh, I'll return it before your exams. Just keep your eyes out. It might turn up where you least expect it: at the top of the Astronomy Tower, buried near the Quidditch pitch, floating on the lake. And in the meantime, leave Evans and I alone. If you don't . . ." Patting his pocket, he smirked. "Well, I hope you have an extra wand, Snivellus. I wouldn't want yours to end up accidentally snapping in half."
As James released his Freezing Charm, Snape nearly fell over as he stared up at James, the whites of his eyes showing vividly against his greasy black hair. "See you later, greaseball!" James said in parting, waving over his shoulder as he strutted back towards his roommates. James could feel Snape burning a hole in the back of his head with his gaze, but Snape did not call for Professor Kettleburn. When James rejoined his roommates, Remus glanced his way, but he did not say anything before turning back to watch the gaggle of cooing girls.
During the whole of Saturday, James caught several glimpses of Snape's prowling form around the castle hallways, always keeping James within sight while the rest of the school attended to their studies. Although James sent him the occasional wink, he never acknowledged him in front of his roommates, who seemed oblivious to the lurking Slytherin. Eventually, James tired of Snape's stalking and retreated to the Gryffindor common room, where he could not be followed. Remus, however, opted to study in the library while the others returned to Gryffindor Tower, and only Peter had his Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook open as he, James, and Sirius talked.
"A Galleon says that Remus keeps on studying even when he comes back to our room," Sirius said as the common room darkened with the evening. The area was empty now except for the three boys, who still sat by the crackling hearth.
"I'll bet he doesn't," James countered. "The full moon is tomorrow night, remember? He'll have to sleep before he leaves."
"But this is his last chance to study," Sirius argued, propping his feet up on Peter's neighboring chair. "He'll come back from the full moon a mess right before our Charms exam, and he's not going to let any time go to waste. He'll lose two nights of sleep if he has to."
"I wish that he could help me study for the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam," Peter cut in after moving aside his textbook to make room for Sirius. "Aven has hardly taught us anything useful this year! I still don't know how to cast a Healing Spell, and I have no idea what we'll be tested on. He never tells us anything!"
Ignoring Peter's interjection, James said, "Full moon or not, I'm not betting against Remus' marks. He takes school almost as seriously as I take Quidditch!"
As Sirius snorted at James' apt comparison, a soft pattering noise met the boys' ears, and another voice spoke up from inside the room just after. "Black? Hullo? I say, Sirius Black?"
Sitting upright, James glanced around the room with the others, searching for the speaker. The pattering had stopped, and James expected to see a student climbing down from the upstairs dormitories, but he spotted no one in the abandoned common room. Feeling an eerie tingle creep up his arms, he met the others' eyes again.
"Do you suppose it's a ghost?" Peter questioned, his squeaky voice breaking through the silence.
"Nick?" James spoke to the room at large, turning his head again. "Is that you?"
"How does this confounded gadget work? Gah!" the mysterious voice piped up again, and all three boys jumped at the sound. However, as the speaker continued to let out a string of raspy curses, their eyes leapt down to Sirius' pocket. "Black, can you hear me?" the voice echoed up to them, and all three of them seemed to grasp the situation at the same time.
"Mundungus, is that you?" James cried, and the older wizard's voice came back as Sirius fumbled for the two-way mirror in his robes.
"Who else would it be?" Mundungus spat, and James caught a glimpse of the wizard's red hair for the first time as Sirius brought the mirror into the light. "You're the ones that gave this ruddy mirror to me in the first place, remember?"
"What are you calling us for?" Sirius demanded, the others pressing around him as Mundungus' face came into full view. "Have you found Sibuna?"
"I think so," the answer came, and the boys shared grins.
"Where are you?" Sirius questioned, leaping up. "We can fly in tonight!"
"I was directed to some sort of an abandoned warehouse," Mundungus replied, the mirror rotating unsteadily to display a series of images. Two barred windows, a dingy chimney, and a flickering streetlamp flashed before James' eyes. "According to my sources, we should be able to find our man 'ere."
"Have you gone in yet?" Peter asked.
"No, I wanted to call you over first," Mundungus replied.
"Perfect! Just stay put until we get there!" Sirius commanded. "What's your address?"
"373 Bank Street, Portree," Mundungus answered, scratching the back of his neck with his free hand. "But won't it take a while for you to—"
"Wait for us, Mundungus," Sirius growled, cutting him off, and Mundungus stopped scratching. "Portree won't take us longer than a couple of hours to fly to," Sirius said. "Hide yourself near the warehouse, and we'll meet you there as soon as we can."
"If you say so," Mundungus agreed with a sigh, and Sirius pocketed his mirror before turning to the others.
"We've got no time to lose!" he declared. "If all goes well, we can get back before sunup! Come on!"
Without another word, he, James, and Peter ran for the portrait hole, leaving the fire's warmth. Once they reached the bottom of Gryffindor Tower, they turned and dashed silently through the halls, approaching the hidden passage on the first floor. Glancing around to make sure that no one was watching, the boys moved aside the statue of Gregory the Smarmy with their wands and slipped behind the marble. The stone slid back into place without a sound, and they jogged through the tunnel with their wands lit.
Reaching the boulder near the lake in less time than ever before, James and the others clambered into the light of the moon, which looked nearly full when the clouds parted long enough to reveal it. As James and Peter shoved the boulder back over the tunnel, Sirius ripped the Invisibility Cloak off the motorbike and hopped onto the driver's seat.
"Let's hope that no one's watching," he said, revving up the engine with a kick to the pedal. Sputtering to life, the motorbike filled the grounds with a dull roar, the beam from its spotlight shooting across the rippling water. "Grab the Cloak and get in the sidecar!" Sirius told the others.
"Can't Peter ride in there?" James protested, picking up the Cloak and wadding it into his robes' pocket.
"I don't want either of you falling off accidentally," Sirius admitted, sitting back and looking over his shoulder. "It's my first time riding it for real, and we're going to be in the air. Besides, it'll take a while to get there. If any of you fall asleep, I might not be able to catch you in time."
Tempted to point out the impossibility of dozing off with the rumble of the engine, James argued, "You seemed stable enough when you were driving in my yard. I ride a broomstick all the time, why should this be any—"
"Get in the sidecar anyway, just in case," Sirius interrupted, turning forward and gripping the motorbike's handles.
Deciding not to waste any more time, James grimaced and followed Peter into the sidecar, stepping gingerly as to avoid falling over his smaller roommate. Unfortunately, all his care went to ruin when Sirius started across the grass at full throttle, and James felt Peter slam into him at the sudden start. Clutching the rim of the sidecar, he fought against the temptation to close his eyes as they jostled over the grounds. In just a few moments, the gates of Hogwarts had come into view, and the metal bars sparkled in the motorbike's light.
"Aren't you going to bring us up?" James yelled over the noise, eyes wide as they zoomed towards the gates.
"I'm still figuring out how!" Sirius called back. All James could see of his friend was his hand flashing back and forth across the dials in the front. "Try leaning back!" Sirius finally commanded, and the others pressed even harder against the back of the sidecar. About to call off Sirius from the race as the gates loomed overhead, James closed his mouth when his roommate waved for the others to duck down.
"Keep inside!" he warned, and James felt his stomach flip-flop as the motorbike lurched into the air. Paranoid that the sidecar would break apart from the bike in the jump, James clenched his teeth and eyes as Peter let out a squeal, but before they knew it, the motorbike had steadied at a dramatic uphill angle.
Finally daring to open his eyes when they did not come crashing down, James looked over the rim of the sidecar and immediately pulled his head in again as the tip of the Hogwarts gates passed an arm's length beneath the motorbike. Straightening the bike, Sirius caused his passengers to bounce into the air before coming to rest on top of each other, temporarily paralyzed at the bottom of the sidecar. Looking up, James nearly blacked out when he saw that Sirius had released the handlebars and thrust his fists into the air, letting out a resounding crow.
"Yes! I can't believe that worked!" he whooped, and the others gaped at the front of the motorbike as it jiggled back and forth.
"Shouldn't you steer?" Peter yelled, and Sirius flashed a frown over his shoulder.
"I know what I'm doing!" he retorted, and he brought his wand out of his pocket to place it across his flattened palm. "Point me!" he said, and his wand spun around until halting in a seemingly random direction. However, Sirius seemed to understand it, and he jerked the motorbike around, throwing James and Peter to the side. "Now we wait," Sirius explained, and those were the last words spoken between the three roommates for the next two hours.
After several minutes of chilly air flying against his face and arms, James wrapped his robes more tightly around him, and he noted with a grimace that his back had not taken well to the cold metal of the sidecar. Changing positions every so often, he tried to ease the aching of his spine, and he eventually hunkered against Peter to use him as a buffer. Although his fingers and nose had started to go numb, his back ceased to scream at him, and the added warmth of Peter's body helped fight against the biting wind.
Unfortunately, the length of the ride soon brought back James' physical discomfort, and he ended up moving several more times. It seemed that he had to choose between pressing against the hard metal or sitting up to face the nipping wind, and the whole experience quickly turned miserable. The ride dragged on endlessly, and Sirius looked no more comfortable than the others, crouched against the cold air. Miraculously, the sky stayed just as dark as ever while the hours ticked on, but the motorbike passed over several towns lit up from the street windows. As the time passed, James wondered if they had left Portree behind already, but he decided not to question his friend as he shifted positions once again.
"There it is!" Sirius' voice came cutting in after hours of silence, and James jerked upright to peer over the edge of the sidecar with Peter. Beneath them, a dark town began to grow as Sirius tilted the motorbike downward, and James let the wind brush his hair from his face as his stomach rose.
"How can you tell that we're in the right place?" Peter called over the motorbike's roar.
"Sniff-Out Spell," Sirius replied vaguely, patting his pocketed wand. "Oh, could one of you hide the motorbike? We don't want any Muggles to see us."
Pulling out his Invisibility Cloak, James flung it over the motorbike with the help of Peter, and they concealed most of the contraption from view. Unfortunately, the Cloak made for an awkward covering for the boys, and Sirius had to wear it like a cape in order to properly track their descent, leaving his head and the front of the motorbike visible. As the lightless houses grew closer, James wondered if the inhabitants could see the underside of the bike as well, but he had no way to remedy their problem as they continued to lower towards the rooftops.
Eventually, the motorbike bumped onto solid ground again, rattling and skipping over large sections of the pavement before Sirius finally brought the wheels securely against the earth. Reaching over his head, James unwrapped his Invisibility Cloak from the bike, hoping that no one was watching from the nearby windows. After only half a block, Sirius coaxed the bike to a halt and looked up at the surrounding buildings.
"Does this look like the right place?" he asked the others, and James glanced up at the gaslight flickering above their heads. By the small circle of illumination it provided, James could see the outside of a dusty brick building to their right, its wide metal door sprinkled with faded graffiti. The structure looked spacious enough to be used for storage, but by the look of the barred windows, it had not been opened for quite some time.
"I recognize it," James answered, eyeing the heavy barrier. "But where's Mundungus?"
Before any of the others could reply, the sound of shuffling footsteps drew their attention away from the warehouse, and the boys looked over their shoulders to spot Mundungus waddling out from the shadows, the fresh smell of tobacco hanging onto his clothes. Holding a bottle in his fist, the wizard nodded at the boys with a greasy smile and gestured at the building behind them with his half-filled prize.
"I was wonderin' when you was goin' to show," he greeted, his raspy voice sounding less harsh than usual. Pausing with one eye closed, he lifted the bottle to his lips. "Took you long enough," he added before taking a swig.
"What are you drinking?" Sirius demanded. "You were supposed to wait for us here!"
"And I was!" Mundungus argued, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "I just decided to take a short stroll through town while I waited. There are all sorts of places awake at this hour," he informed the boys, raising the bottle again. "You just 'ave to know where to look."
"Put it down!" James said, clambering out of the sidecar. "We have work to do!"
"He's right!" Sirius agreed, jumping off the motorbike as Peter followed. "Let go of the bottle!"
Unable to rebel against a direct order from Sirius, Mundungus let the glass fall from his hands with a grumble, and the glass hit the stone street with a clatter. As a strong-scented liquid gushed out of the neck, Peter glanced up at the warehouse.
"How are we going to get in there?" he questioned, and Sirius thought for a moment before turning to Mundungus.
"You!" he spoke up, making the stubby-legged wizard jump. "You're the only one of age. Use your wand to open the door."
Although he scowled at Sirius' commanding tone, Mundungus took out his wand and waved it at the metal barrier. "Alohomora!" Despite its formidable appearance, the door swung right open, and the small company glanced between themselves, all wearing similar expressions.
"I didn't think that would work," James admitted, scratching the back of his head.
"Maybe whoever made this door only wanted wizards to get through easily," Peter guessed, and James briefly marveled at his insight.
"Lead the way," Sirius told Mundungus, shooing him along with his hand.
"But shouldn't one of you be the first to go inside?" Mundungus protested, taking a step back. "You're the ones with the problem to work out, after all, and—"
"Just light your wand!" James interrupted, shoving the wizard into the building. "And give me my mirror back!" he added, making Mundungus hiss and rummage in his pocket for the two-way mirror.
After he had returned it to James, Mundungus cast the Wand-Lighting Charm and led the others into the musty warehouse. Stepping after him, the boys kept close by his side as a series of large boxes was revealed, stacked only two compartments high due to their massive size and weight. Nearly the whole room was lined with the wooden containers, creating a low-hedged maze that rose from the cement floor. Longer than it was wide, the single room was completely windowless, and James guessed that it took up the entirety of the building. As the bulb of Mundungus' light trekked between the boxes, a droplet of water hit James' nose, and he glanced up only to have two more splash against his glasses from a crack in the ceiling.
"Is this all there is?" Peter whispered, almost holding onto James' robes as he pressed against him.
"This can't be it!" Sirius said, turning to Mundungus. "You said that Sibuna would be here!"
"Hold onto your 'at," Mundungus complained, glaring at Sirius. "If you let a wizard sniff around a little, we might be able to find something."
Hushed, the boys watched as Mundungus paced forward through the maze of crates, muttering under his breath. After a few minutes of bated breath and quiet cursing, Mundungus kicked at the side of a single box; as if released from an invisible restraint, the boys leapt forward and stood at his side, staring down at the crate for some sort of sign.
"Magic's been 'ere," Mundungus stated simply before bending down and tapping around the wooden planks with his wand. His movements seemed random and haphazard, and James hoped that he knew what he was doing.
As Mundungus mumbled a few incantations, the others stood back and watched for a short period. Their attention soon began to wander, and Peter started to play with the hem of his sleeve as Sirius tapped his foot. Clenching his teeth to keep back an onslaught of questions, James frowned and pushed back his glasses. A few minutes later, Peter began to trace the wood grains on the crate.
"Well?" James finally let slip, and Mundungus sat back with a hint of a smile.
"Sorry, lads," he said, not sounding sorry at all, "but I can't find a way in. Perhaps we'll just have to leave and try again some other—"
Mid-rise, Mundungus suddenly fell to the floor again as Peter's finger brushed against a loose nail, pushing it into the wood and sending the side of the box crashing down onto their guide. Peter yelped and drew his hand back amid Mundungus' strangled screech, and James fought the urge to laugh as the dust cleared around the wizard's flattened body.
"A little 'elp would be appreciated!" Mundungus snapped, and the three boys hoisted the wooden plank off of him as he struggled to his feet. Standing upright, Mundungus rubbed his robes of splinters, only succeeding to make himself look even more disheveled in the light of his wand. "Do you three normally stand there like fools when someone takes a fall like that?" he demanded when he had finished. "No wonder you're so 'ard to like!"
"Where does it lead?" Sirius interrupted, staring down at the opened crate. With its one side missing, it yawned like a cave opening to reveal a flight of stairs, the lower half concealed in shadow.
"There's only one way to find out, isn't there?" James spoke up, starting forward. Crouching to duck underneath the top of the crate, he placed his foot experimentally onto the first step and felt solid stone. As Sirius jumped into the opening after him, Mundungus sputtered from above.
"Shouldn't we wait for Sibuna 'ere?" he asked, Peter frozen by his side. "It's going to be daylight in a few hours! He's bound to come up!"
"We don't have that kind of time!" James answered, turning his head. "Someone's going to miss us! Come on!"
"But I—"
"Get down here!" Sirius snapped, and Mundungus chewed his lip before slowly dragging his feet after the boys. Still frozen, Peter stood at the top of the stairs and gave a whimper.
"Can't we just wait?" he pleaded, but James waved him forward before descending.
"Come on, Peter! You'll be left behind!"
Giving a groan, Peter slid into the crate behind Mundungus as the small party trooped downwards. Watching his feet by the light of Mundungus' wand, James kept his eyes trained on each step ahead of him as the air grew frigid on his face. After the fiftieth step, he lost count of the distance to the surface, and he realized with a crease of his brow that getting back to the top would be hard work if they had to move quickly. Thankfully, shortly after his realization, his feet hit against the bottom of the stairs, and he listened to the footsteps of the others echo loudly as they clambered to a halt.
The group had entered a wide chamber, which extended even longer than the storage room above. Indeed, upon taking a few steps forward, James thought that the underground space resembled more of a hallway than a room; several doorless openings branched off to the left and right from the main chamber, which led to a fountain of blue flame in the distance. Everything was carved out of stone, and the pattering of the visitors' feet bounced off the walls and filled the hallway.
Although the four of them peered down each black doorway as they passed, no one spoke before they had reached the end of the hall, which curved in a circle with tunnels branching off radially. Where one of the doorways was supposed to be, an unlit fireplace stood in its place directly across from the small group of adventurers. Drab and dark like the rest of the cavern, the fireplace stood in stark contrast with the central fountain, which crackled with blue flame where water should have been spilling out of the top.
"Should we wait here, or should we start looking down the tunnels?" Sirius finally spoke, facing James. Rubbing the back of his neck, James glanced over his shoulder at the hallway behind them.
"How many people can this place hold?" he asked aloud, staring at the space.
"Maybe we should just wait upstairs," Peter supplied, standing the farthest from the light-giving fountain. Gesturing at the dozens of passages, he asked, "Where would we even start?"
About to respond, James stared down the hallway where they had come from, but a sudden roar of flame interrupted his train of thought. Whirling around, James jumped back as a wall of green fire burst out of the fireplace just a few steps away. Peter gave a high yell and tumbled back into Mundungus, which stopped the wizard from firing his wand, and James stared at the fireplace with his heart in his mouth. Just a moment after it had flared up, the green flames died down with a rush of air, and a single person came stumbling out into the corridor.
"Remus?" James, Sirius, and Peter exclaimed together. Indeed, it was Remus; his hair was flung up out of place much like James', and he spun his head every which way before turning to his roommates.
"What are you doing here?" James demanded.
"That's what I came to ask you!" Remus responded, his mouth agape. "Why did you run off in the middle of the night before our exams? And why didn't you tell anyone where you were going? Who is that?"
Ending with a pointed finger at Mundungus, he caught his breath while the others exchanged rapid glances. "Er, he's my uncle," Sirius quickly answered. "Alphard."
"Where exactly are we?" Remus asked, glancing up at the fountain with his hands on his knees.
"373—" James began, but Remus cut him off with a shake of his head.
"373 Bank Street, Portree. I know that, but where are we?"
"We're underneath some sort of warehouse," Peter supplied from behind Sirius, but James' mouth had fallen open.
"How did you know that address?"
"Dedalus Diggle overheard you talking in the common room on the way down from his dormitory," Remus explained, brushing himself off. "He didn't think much of it, but he started to get worried when you didn't come back, and he told me as soon as I returned from the library. Which leads me to the question . . ." Trailing off, he crossed his arms as his jaw hardened, and the others winced as they prepared for the outburst.
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" Shrinking, James exchanged looks with the others as Remus' eyes blazed, almost yellow in the strange lighting. "YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE HOGWARTS RIGHT BEFORE OUR EXAMS! I DON'T CARE IF YOU THINK YOU HAD A GOOD REASON! YOU'VE DONE MENTAL THINGS BEFORE, BUT THIS ONE TAKES THE CAKE!"
Holding the bridge of his nose as he took a deep breath, Remus closed his eyes. "I told Diggle to stay quiet about the whole thing while I intercepted you. Thankfully, Professor Binns always has a bowl of Floo powder on his mantelpiece, and I was able to reach you before you did anything truly mental. Now if we can just get out of here, maybe you won't end up costing us our entire collection of House points—"
Before James or the others could say anything in their defense, the sound of running footsteps echoed from the surrounding tunnels, and Remus was cut off as dozens of shadowy figures began pouring out of the passageways. Crouched in a run, the newcomers did not slow as they broke into the circular corridor, and James did not hesitate for longer than a second before he turned and ran for the distant staircase with the others. Quickly pulling ahead, he could not see if his roommates were keeping pace behind him, but he heard their feet drumming against the stone floor as several guttural yells echoed from further behind. Mundungus' wand was still lit, and the beam of light jumped up and down as James tore down the hall, his eyes locked on the staircase at the end.
Just when he began to hope that they would make it, a figure jumped out of a black passageway to the left and grabbed at his arm. Yanking away from the sharp grip, James cried out as his attacker's nails tore his skin, and he nearly crashed into Peter as he dove to the other side of the tunnel. Thrown into the others' path, he clutched his arm as a few spots of blood welled to the surface, and he froze as the man who had grabbed him cut off his view of the staircase. James' stomach dropped as several more people emerged from the doorways beyond his attacker, but he did not have long to reflect on his fate as an ear-splitting crack sounded from beside him. Spinning around, he counted the heads of his friends, and he realized with a cold chill in his stomach that Mundungus had vanished into thin air.
"THAT COWARDLY PIECE OF—" Sirius began, but he stopped short as their pursuers caught up from behind.
"One of them's Disapparated! Quick! Grab their wands!"
Shrieking, Peter fell back as a woman in the front leapt over him and wrestled him to the ground, quickly retrieving his wand and holding it aloft. Although Sirius and Remus drew theirs, the horde of attackers soon bested them using nothing but their clawed hands, and James felt a pair of strong arms lift him into his air by his wrists, keeping him from using his wand on his friends' assailants. Kicking in retaliation, he made contact with a knee, and the man holding him let go of James long enough to snatch his wand away and throw him to the wall.
Feeling his ribs jolt uncomfortably in his chest as he hit the stone, James gasped for breath as he struggled onto his hands and knees next to his roommates, who were also on the floor. Breathing rapidly, Sirius and Remus pressed themselves against the wall beside him, but Peter was lying on his back a short distance away, the same witch panting with a smile just a few centimeters above the boy's face.
"Let him go!" James yelled, his blood boiling to his ears, and Peter cracked open his tightly-shut eyes to look at him. The people gathered around only laughed hoarsely, and the woman holding down Peter turned her smile on James unblinkingly. Barely choking back a gasp in time, James saw that her face was marred by several gashes, and he had to look away from her intense gaze after realizing that her right ear was missing.
As their captors continued to chuckle, the roommates said nothing, their eyes darting about the dark corridor. After a period, James' eyes began to adjust to the gloom of the cavern, and he surmised that the majority of their aggressors were rather short and haggard, although a few taller people dotted the crowd. Echoing eerily through the tunnel, their laughter dragged on without end, and James thought that he might burst if none of them spoke.
Finally, a man spoke up from the back of the gathering. "They look lost!"
"They isn't, though," another answered, and the crowd grew louder as several people began to talk back and forth. "No one gets in 'ere by accident."
"What if the older one comes back?"
"He won't," someone said, and the discoursing voices died down as the crowd parted for a large wizard with a scraggly salt-and-pepper beard. "He's a spineless scamp from outer London—he's done some deals for me in the past. Reckon that he's brought these four as a gift?"
As the passageway erupted into catcalls and jeers again, James looked up into the grinning face of Sibuna.