James had to duck his head as they walked through the tunnel, tugging on Remus' shoulder to get him to slow down. The tunnel twisted and turned, and James ran his hand along the edge, feeling tree roots when they entered, changing into hard packed mud further down. As they rounded another corner, he saw a hole. The smell that hit him was overpowering; shit and blood and the musky scent of animal.

Remus didn't seem to notice.

"Can't you smell that?"

James couldn't see anything in the darkness, but he sensed his friend tense up as they neared the hole. "That's me," he whispered, voice almost too low for James to hear. "Well, the wolf. I guess I'm kind of used to it."

James just nodded, not knowing what to say, feeling more than a little guilty for his words.

They came out into the shack and James glanced around, pulling the cloak tighter. In one corner of the room was a bundle of torn wood that looked like it could have once been a wardrobe. There was blood splattered on some of the wall, and piles of wolf dung in another corner. The walls themselves, and what little furniture there was, looking like it had been scratched to pieces.

In the dim light from the moon, coming in through the only window in the room, James could see the red blush on Remus' face as he shifted awkwardly.

"Come on," Remus said, nodding his head towards the door. James walked with him, glancing around as they came out onto the landing. Dust was thick on the floor and walls, and there were patches along the corridor where pictures had once hung. Parts of the floor were littered with broken glass, a few scraps of paper among the debris. Remus didn't say anything as they climbed down the stairs and went to the front door. There were scratches up and down it, too, and a large indent in the wood.

Remus pointed his wand at the door, muttered the spell under his breath, and they heard the tell-tale click of a door being unlocked.

"We need to remember to lock it when we go back," Remus said. "Otherwise…" He glanced over his shoulder. "I might get out."

The shack was built on a hill, the large garden around it sloping downwards to the metal fence that lined the property. They darted down, heading for the single gate. It was connected to the house by a grey stone path. The land around it was overgrown, and grass and nettles brushed against their legs as they moved.

The gate was padlocked, but nearby, further down there was a section of the fence that had been widened, the bars bent outward, just enough to let a small fourth or fifth year through. Remus nodded to it and they moved down the fence, squeezing through one at a time, Remus temporarily relinquishing the cloak. James threw it back over him as they got to the other side, and neither noticed the curtain twitch in one of the homes closest to the shack.

The street was quiet, but at the end they could see lights on in The Three Broomsticks pub.

Remus pulled James with him as they made their way down the main part of the village. The shops were dark, their wares barely visible in the wide windows made up to display whatever the shops had on offer. Above them, there were a few lights on in the small flats above the shop. Further back from the main street were cottages, the homes of people who wanted to live in the only all wizarding village in Britain.

They turned off the road, heading between houses with little of a gap between them. The street grew narrower as they walked down it, but finally they reached their destination. Remus and James stood in front of a non-descript building, a cottage that fit in perfectly with the others around it. The only difference was the small plague beside the door.

Potions & Brews.

Remus unlocked the door easily enough with a spell, grabbing the parchment with the ingredient list written on it. He glanced down the items as James opened the door. The room they entered was small, with shelves all around containing jars of various items. Eyes rolled in them, tongues flapped uselessly. There was a counter near the far wall with a till and, behind that, small bottles and vials, the names of each one written on parchment and taped to the shelf beneath.

A sign on the till advertised Potions made to order.

They went around quickly, both staying beneath the cloak, Remus opening jars as James held a small black, velvet lined bag open beside him. Remus threw each item in, double checking when he turned to the next one that it was what they were looking for.

There was a price list behind the counter. Once they had gathered the required ingredients, Remus matched them up with the list and added up the cost.

James dug the money from his pocket, leaving it on the counter beside the list of things they had taken.

Once they were back on the street, Remus ensured he locked up the shop.

"Seems pretty stupid," James said, stuffing the black bag into the pocket of his cloak. "I mean, it's not hard to unlock that door, is it?"

Remus shrugged. "There's not exactly a lot of thievery here. It's one of the safest places in the UK, not just for wizards."

They quickened their pace when they came out onto the main street, only slowing down when they spotted the group gathered near one of the last houses.

"I told you, I saw one!" one man said, gesturing towards the shack. "A ghost! Not like up at the school, this was…different." He shuddered, while one of the others rolled his eyes.

"Even if it was a ghost, it was just…" He shrugged. "Well, a ghost."

"But…but…"

"Leave it alone, Robert," a woman snapped. "The Shack is haunted. We've all come to accept that now."

"But…"

The pair carried on, Remus clamping a hand over James' mouth to stop him sniggering.

"We can't get back through," Remus whispered, keeping his voice low. "Not here. Not under the cloak. Come on." He yanked James down the line of the railing, keeping an eye out for a way into the shack once they were out of sight of the wizards.

"Wait." James reached for Remus, grabbing him and pulling him back. "Remus, we can't…" He glanced over his shoulder. "They're in clear view of the door! If they see it opening and closing…"

Remus swore under his breath. The two boys walked back towards the edge of the main street, finding that the crowd had grown bigger now. Some were arguing with the man who had seen them, while others were reporting on other strange things they had seen in the house.

"I heard unnatural sounds, just last month!" one man cried, pointing at the shack. "We should burn it down!"

"And be arrested?" another scoffed. "You know, for arson and property damage."

"No one owns it!"

"Yes, they do. We just don't know who."

James glanced at Remus. He mouthed "Dumbledore," with a smile on his face. James nodded.

They walked towards the group, listening as words were thrown back and forth between those gathered.

Remus' foot connected with something, and a rock came skittering towards the group.

The man who had started it all saw. His face paled at a rate Remus didn't think was possible, his eyes growing wide. He pointed at the rock.

"Ghosts!" he cried. "They've come for us!"

A few of the villagers panicked. The group split up, some staggering towards the two boys. James and Remus backed up quickly, trying to find a way out. They were surrounded, suddenly, moving with the crowd to avoid anyone knocking into them. They clung to each other, dodging and weaving between the adults, screams and panic filling the air.

More people came out onto the street as the group neared the Three Broomsticks.

Somehow, in the commotion, Remus and James slipped out of the crowd of people and found themselves against the wall of Honeydukes.

Half of the crowd were still facing the shack, stopping Remus and James from going back the way they came.

"What do we do?"

Remus glanced up and down, as much at a loss as his friend.

The lights in the shop behind them came on, and both scampered out of the way as a shape appeared behind the display of confectionary. The door swung open.

"What is going on out here?" the man, tall with a kindly face and twinkling eyes, stared out at the group gathered on the street.

"Come on." Without thinking, James yanked Remus towards the open door. As the man stepped out, they slipped in. They moved through the shop, Remus drooling as he glanced around at the various chocolates on display. "Remus, we can't stop," James whispered, yanking his friend's sleeve.

"Where are we going?"

"I don't know!" They came to the counter, stopping and breathing slowly. Remus glanced down, gesturing to a trapdoor.

"Down there. We can…I don't know, hide out, I suppose. Sneak out in the morning."

James nodded, sweat running down his face as he glanced over his shoulder at the group now gathered around the entrance, explaining to the owner what had happened. "Well, we're not getting out that way."

Remus reached down and yanked the door open. Both boys scrambled in, Remus carefully pulling the door down as they descended into the basement.

"We should have grabbed some chocolate," he muttered. "I'm starving."

"I thought you were against stealing," James said, pulling the cloak off both of them. Remus blushed, shrugged and shifted awkwardly, glancing around. He walked towards the back of the cellar, surrounded by boxes and boxes of sweets and chocolates. "Remus, stop."

"What?" He spun around, eyes wide as he stared at James, panic filling him. James frowned, moving closer as he stared at the floor.

"There, just there," he gestured to Remus' feet, "when you stepped on it, the floor sounded…hollow."

Remus frowned, crouching down and running his hand over the dusty floor. His eyes widened when he felt something, and he pointed his wand at the floor, moved back, and whispered a spell James didn't recognise.

The floor beneath them rose.

Above them, in the shop, they heard the door close.

"Get down!" James said, gesturing to Remus. Remus didn't need telling twice. He climbed into the hole, James following closely and pulling the door shut behind him.

Both boys lit their wands as soon as they were inside. Remus lowered his, revealing a long staircase dug into the earth.

"Cool!" James flashed him a grin. "Where do you think it leads?"

Remus sighed, shook his head, and held his palm out flat. He placed his wand across it, whispered another spell, and waited as the wand spun around, still lit, until it settled on a direction. It pointed down the tunnel.

"Well, that's north," he said, shrugging as he picked up his wand. "And north is Hogwarts so, if we're lucky…"

Footsteps, coming down the stairs above them.

"Let's go," James whispered. "Don't want him to see the light through the cracks."

Remus nodded, and both boys began walking.

They took the stairs slowly, James with the cloak thrown over his shoulder, giving the eerie impression he was only half there. The steps felt like they went on forever and though they were going downwards, Remus felt his legs begin to ache.

Eventually, finally, they stepped onto flat ground. Remus let out a sigh of relief, using his wand to glance up the tunnel. It sloped downwards, gradually, and the pair began to move quicker.

"What time do you think it is?" James whispered.

"No idea. Late, though."

They had left their bed curtains closed. James had been faking a cold all day, and Remus had managed a few fake coughs by the end. If anyone asked, both boys were feeling poorly, had gone to bed early. Remus just hoped everyone in the castle was sound asleep by the time they got back.

If they ever got back.

The floor levelled out, and they quickened their pace once again.

"What if it doesn't lead to Hogwarts?" James asked, glancing at the earthen walls. "What if we just reach a dead end?"

"We turn around," Remus said, cringing as the tunnel began to twist and turn. "We head back and hope we're back before light. The villagers should be in their beds, anyway. We can get back through the shack."

James nodded, though he thought if that had to happen they wouldn't get back to the castle until way past dawn.

"At least there's no classes tomorrow," he said.

Remus wrapped his arms around himself, shaking. He took a deep breath, sniffed, and grinned. "We're almost there."

"How can you tell?"

He glanced upwards. "Because…we're under the castle. I can smell it. It has its own smell. Well, you know. Depending on where you are." He took another breath. "We're under the dungeons. Near potions. Come on."

The floor swooped upwards again and, in some parts, James found himself having to duck his head. They rounded another corner, and Remus lifted his wand up.

"Bloody hell."

The ground in front of them curved up sharply, forming a slide. Remus glanced around, moving forward as he waved his wand near the wall.

"How are we going to get up there?" James whispered, shaking his head. "Come on, Remus. We should head back."

"Wait…" There was something etched into the wall. Remus frowned. Dissendium. He inched forward, tapping the bottom of the slide, and muttered the word. The slide shifted, parts of it sinking inwards to form a set of stairs. He looked over his shoulder, grinning at James.

"Come on!" James said, moving with Remus to the stairs. The pair began to climb, Remus feeling a strange sense of excitement over what they had discovered.

They reached the top of the stairs and the top of the tunnel. James reached up, sliding something back and scrambling out. He put his hand down, grabbed Remus' wrists and pulled. Remus found himself emerging from the hunchback of a witch, glancing up and down the corridor as he climbed down and James pushed the hunchback back into place. Remus grinned at him, right before James threw the cloak over them.

"Right," James whispered. "Where in the castle are we?"

They moved forward, glancing around for anything that would identify where they were. Finally, Remus let out a sigh of relief.

"It's fine," he said. "I know where we are. Come on."

They scampered towards the Gryffindor tower, Remus leading the way, hearts beating madly at what they had accomplished, both of them eager to tell the other two about the tunnel leading to Hogsmeade.