The days started passing in a blur. The last vestiges of summer faded into a cool Autumn, leaves falling from the trees and cold breezes making them shiver in the corridors between classes. James had been training on the Quidditch pitch three nights a week, and while it was always exhausting, it was good fun too. Matthew Piper was the other Hufflepuff beater, an easy going fourth year who had the eye to aim bludgers at chasers who were just about to score. They were both very effective, so much so that Madam Merryweather came to every practise to mend the broken bones of the chasers, keeper and seeker who hadn't seen a bludger flying at them.

As time went by, the Quidditch sessions became more intense, and James found that he'd stopped comparing himself to his father. He was playing for himself.

One night he was traipsing back up to the castle when he bumped into Lucy who'd ran across the grounds to meet him. "What's wrong?" he asked instantly.

"Nothing," she said. "But I've had a thought."

"Go on," he said as they went through the great doors of the castle.

"Well, we're don't see a lot of the castle," Lucy said. "All of our classes are on the lower floors. So is the common room. Why don't we… do some exploring."

"Are you crazy? We'll be caught."

Lucy looked around, making sure no one was overhearing their conversation. "Your dads invisibility cloak!"

"Oh yeah," he said. "I actually forgot I had that. It's at the bottom of my trunk. But where will we go?"

"I don't know," she said. "Isn't that the fun of it?"

"This is insane," James said as they both got under the cloak at midnight in the empty common room. "What are we going to find?"

"I haven't heard about Hogwarts my entire life, and I have an imagination. You've grown up with stories about this place. Aren't you in the least bit curious what's above the third floor?"

James smiled at her as they went out of the common room. They went without any direction at all, the only aim being to go upwards to the many towers and turrets that made up the castle. After they'd gone up the first five flights of stairs they came across, they were in an area of the castle that neither of them recognised.

"Where now?" James asked, looking around the empty dark corridors, snaking off in every direction.

"That way," Lucy said, pointing to the left. James didn't argue and followed her lead, walking slowly under the cloak. They came to a locked door and James managed to get through it with an Alohomora charm before Lucy could so much as lift her wand.

"You were practising that weren't you?" she asked. He grinned. They went through the door and then froze. They were at the edge of the building, five floors up and the door had opened to the outdoors. They were standing on a tiny stone balcony, the entirety of the grounds displayed to them in the moonlight. The stars were bright and the lake shone almost silver. James threw the cloak off, breathing in the fresh air.

"Wow," Lucy said under her breath. James had to agree. There was a small stream of smoke coming from Hagrid's hut and the forest looked imposing behind it. There were owls flying overhead, hooting quietly as they flew in and out of the owlery, some with letters tied to their legs. The view was incredible.

"What's that?" Lucy asked. James had been so taken with the view, that he hadn't noticed a cauldron on the balcony, but she had. It had a small fire underneath it, keeping it warm and the potion inside looked like molten gold.

"We have to get out of here," James said suddenly, his heart going cold. If there was a cauldron here, being heated, that meant that someone else would return at some point and find them out of their dormitories. James hadn't yet lost any house points, and he'd like to keep it that way.

"Why?" Lucy asked, clearly confused.

"Because someone's put that here to hide it," he said. "If we're found here, where we shouldn't be then…"

She took the point quickly and threw the invisibility cloak over the pair of them very quickly. Only when James was sure they were both covered did he return to the conversation. "What is it though? Do you know?"

"No," she said. "Looks like liquid gold. Who left it here?"

"Shh," he said quickly, hearing a rattle from down the corridor. He had no idea anyway, but soon the question was answered. The noises became louder and then the door opened. Both of the first years shrank against the balcony, breathing in and trying not to make a sound. A woman came onto the balcony, checking she was alone and then headed straight towards the cauldron. She poked her wand at the flames, which roared at the intrusion. The woman was Tabitha Edwards. James pointed at the door and Lucy took the point.

They moved as fast as they could, while being silent. They walked through the corridor, which seemed never ending now they had to get away quickly. When they were out of earshot, they ran, shooting down three flights of stairs, through a tiny corridor, down two more sets of stairs and not stopping running until they were outside their common room by the kitchen.

Lucy grabbed a stitch in her side, gasping for breath as James took the cloak off of them. "What on earth is she doing?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know, but it can't be good," James said. "If it was innocent, why not use her classroom? She has about two dozen cauldrons in the dungeons! And in her office."

"I know," Lucy said. "It's just such a strange place to start brewing a potion. What's the point?"

"She shouldn't be making it," James said simply. "That's the only reason." They both whirled around at a loud crash in the distance. "It's probably a pan being knocked over in the kitchens," James said reasonably.

"At two in the morning?"

He shook his head, taking his wand out of his pocket. "Lets just get back in the common room where its safe." She nodded fervently at that. It sounded like a fabulous suggestion. He tapped the barrel quickly, which then asked for the password.

"Florem Vitis!" they both said simultaneously.

Thank you so much for the reviews so far. I hope I'm living up to expectations.