Not a long or exciting chapter this one, that's because I have a very exciting one due to go up in a few hours – I am spoiling you with chapters at the moment. Enjoy! x
"Well one good thing that came from all this is that I didn't have to put up with my mother for an extra night," Sirius said as he and Remus made their way downstairs towards the common room.
Remus shook his head. "The way you talk about your family is atrocious,"
"You wouldn't say that if you met them," Sirius shrugged. "Visiting your sister this holiday?"
"Doubt it. Her ward's been closed for a little while. Apparently there was an incident with a healer or something," Remus shrugged.
"Damn that's harsh."
"Its life," Remus replied, getting to the bottom step and looking around. He spotted James and Peter sitting together with Mithradates and Frank in the far corner of the common room.
"First and second years have already gone," James informed them as they sat down. "McGonagall takes the group down to the Great Hall and with the other houses they get Portkeyed… Is that a word? Never mind… To Kings Cross."
"So we have to wait?" Sirius asked, sitting down crossed legged onto the pile of cushions on the floor.
"Sadly," James shrugged.
"Oh I'm not bothered about waiting," Sirius said brightly. "It'll get me away from the 'YOU SPENT ALL YOUR YEAR WITH MUDBLOODS AND TRAITORS AND HALF-BREEDS!'."
"Half-breeds?" Frank asked. "Not hanging out with Vampires are you?"
"No, Sirius is actually quite good friends with the centaurs." James said. "They believe that he is one of their long lost sons…"
Sirius shrugged. "As long as I'm not one of the 'Ancient and most noblest house of Black', I'm good." He looked around. "Where's Mary?"
"I'm assuming still up in the dormitories." James said, checking his nail beds and clearly not interested.
"With Lily." Sirius reminded him, raising an eyebrow.
"So…" James perked up slightly. "Sorry, what were you saying about Mary?"
"Are they always like this?" Frank asked.
Remus sighed and nodded. "Worse, believe it or not." He reached over and picked up a chess piece, fiddling with it before tapping it against the table.
"I don't believe that for a second," Mithradates said smiling gently.
Peter chuckled. "Alright, swap with Remus for a week and see how you manage it."
"Actually that could be quite fun to watch," Frank said. "Next year of course,"
"Done deal," Remus said. "You and Frank will swap with Peter and I for a week."
"You do what for who now?" James looked around, blinking slightly.
"You weren't paying attention were you?" Remus asked.
"Was I meant to?" James asked.
Remus and Peter shared a glance. Peter gave a small grin. "Bet you ten galleons that you can't last one week," He told Frank.
Frank took a moment to contemplate this and nodded. "Yeah sure. Okay."
"This isn't going to go well for us," Mithradates said giving a small sigh.
Sirius stretched out his legs as the Common Room door opened and McGonagall entered. She cleared her throat and called out for the third and fourth years. They stepped forward and she counted them.
"Where's Reese?" She shouted.
"He's gone to the toilet." Someone replied.
"Oh for Merlin's sake," McGonagall sighed. "Alright, we can't waste time. He can travel with the next lot. Come on."
She whipped around and left, the third and fourth years following tightly knitted in their groups and not saying a word. James sighed and leaned forward, putting on the radio and twisting to find a decent channel. He turned down the volume slightly and sighed as the voice of some singer warbled through the speakers.
"Turn that off," said a pissy sixth year.
"I'm waiting for a news report," James snapped. "Mind your manners."
Lily and Mary had made their way downstairs, Alice behind them. Lily was pulling her hair into a loose bun. James turned up the radio as the reporter started to talk and the entire common room fell silent.
"Residents of the Wizarding town of Hogsmeade were shocked after Death Eaters, supporters of a violent vigilante known as The Dark Lord or You-Know-Who. Worrying yet, these criminals were trying to breach the country's beloved school Hogwarts but couldn't get past school defences. Twenty bodies have been recovered, and Aurors and teachers from Hogwarts are doing their best to combat the Fiendfyre that is currently ablaze. More on this story after Celestina Warbeck's latest single, 'Cauldron Full of Love.'"
"Yuck," Sirius made a face.
James clicked off the radio and glanced over at Frank. They sat in silence for a few minutes, unable to say anything to each other. It was a difficult thing to process, Hogsmede in ashes. It was like being told a friend that you used to have had died. No one knew how to react. Sirius got to his feet, rubbing his knees. He leaned over the table and pushed a chess piece forward. "Your move." He told Remus who was still playing with the piece he had picked up. Remus blinked and put the piece down and moved forward another piece giving a small sad smile.
The door clicked open again and McGonagall and the boy who had apparently gone to the toilet as the previous group was being collected. McGonagall called for the fifth and sixth year students to join her in front and checked that everyone was there. Mithradates picked up Toby and slung him in his arms and joined Frank and Remus near the back. Gravely she nodded and turned, and they followed her out.
James nudged Remus, as if he was having a thought. Remus glanced over and raised an eyebrow. "You're a Prefect, go ask if there is any further news."
Remus gaped at him, but didn't have a chance to answer as Sirius pushed him to the front. Peter made his way into the space where Remus had been and looked up towards his friends. They walked a little more in silence and Remus returned, looking pale with his arms folded.
"Well?" Sirius asked.
Remus shook his head. "Not here," He said.
McGonagall opened the doors to the Great Hall and they stepped inside. Slughorn was standing amongst the Slytherins trying to be cheery and lift moods. He had also brought food and drink along to which he was sharing with the students. James spied Snape with great distaste. He saw that Lily caught his eye and shyed away from the glance.
Sirius stood on his tip-toes and saw the Ravenclaws all sitting cross-legged on the floor with Flitwick standing over them. Xeno saw them and gave a huge wave. Sirius gave a small wave back as the Gryffindors gathered around together. All that were missing were the Hufflepuffs.
McGonagall moved across the room and brought forward a small cardboard box full of what was just junk. She pulled out four items and set them down on a small table and sighed shaking the remnants of the box. She turned swiftly as Professor Sprout entered followed by the cheery as ever Hufflepiffs.
"Attention." She called. "Now in a few moments you will be travelling to Kings Cross via Portkey. For those who have never travelled by Portkey, the experience may seem unnerving. However, you are in safe hands. Fifth years will travel first; there is an object for each house. Once these Portkeys are used they are rendered null. So the sixth years will have to wait a few moments until their Professors cast another enchantment on the items. Clear?"
There was a murmur of agreement. McGonagall checked her watch. "Okay, could I get the Gryffindors over here please?" She pointed to a smelly looking old boot that the Gryffindors gathered around pressing their hands against it and then she pointed out objects to the rest of the students.
"You're on my foot," Sirius hissed angrily.
"Sorry," James said. "It's so big and flat anyone could stand on it."
"Sort of like your head Potter," Lily smiled.
"Is that really going to be our last words to each other before we part on such adventures?" James asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, I'm good with that," Lily shrugged.
James made a face then tilted his head in a shrug, and gave a vague smile. Mithradates adjusted himself, holding onto Toby for dear life.
"Three, two, one!" McGonagall grasped a tight hold of the top of the boot.
The boot glowed and suddenly the ground below them fell away as they span. James closed his eyes as if he was about to be sick then he heard McGonagall shrieking over the noise.
"LET GO!"
He complied and tumbled down and landed hard on solid ground. He blinked open his eyes to see the rest of his year stumbling around trying to gain focus. It was Kings Cross station alright, only without the Red Shining Train. Parents were running up to students and embracing them tightly.
Remus pulled James and Peter to their feet as Sirius glanced around. McGonagall was setting up the Portkeys again just as Slughorn and the Slytherins appeared.
James spotted his parents from afar and ran over to them, first hugging his mother. Dorea smiled slightly as Sirius, Peter and Remus joined their friend.
"Will you be joining us this holiday?" She asked, giving each of them a small hug.
"Not sure yet," Sirius shrugged. "Hopefully, I would think."
Dorea nodded. "Go find your parents," She told them.
"I don't want to." Sirius shrugged as Remus and Peter moved off. Peter found his father with no avail, but his mother was nowhere to be seen. Remus silently went over to his mother and father. His mother patted him down and looked at him carefully whilst his father barely glanced down at him.
"Hold on," James said, running after Remus. Sirius followed and they pulled him to the side.
"What did McGonagall say?" James asked, as Peter joined them.
"She said that the damage is too great for it just to be repaired." Remus said. "The fire is out, but people are just dumbstruck. Minister of Magic has called for tougher security,"
"Like Dementors?" Sirius asked.
"Pretty much," Remus said. "Dumbledore is flat out refusing, insisting that he can extend the school's defences to encompass Hogsmeade too."
James sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.
"Alright, then we'll just have to sit and wait and see what happens," He said.
"Yeah." Remus nodded. "I've got to go."
James flung his arms around Remus and hugged tightly then did the same for Peter and Sirius. "I'll hopefully see you soon," He said.
Sirius nodded then sighed looking over to see his parents standing proudly with Regulus.
This was going to be a long holiday.