Chapter 3: Don't sweat it
Soon November had arrived and with it, the Quidditch season had begun. Thus far, no snow had fallen on the grounds of Hogwarts, but there was a bitter cold bite to the air that could be felt on each inhale of breath. James and Sirius had, together, gone to observe the try-outs in late September and Madame Hooch, seeing their hopeful faces, had patiently explained to the pair that their chance would come the following year. For now, both boys threw themselves into supporting the Gryffindor team, and brushing up on their own skills during whatever free time they had.
"Nice one James!" Sirius enthused, soaring around his friend in a loose circuit as he watched the boy launch the quaffle through the centre hoop. It was cold out, and the darkening of the clouds above indicated imminent rainfall, though neither boy was willing to surrender their time in the sky.
"We should do something for your birthday" James suggested, flying towards the ground as a sudden downpour of rain fell.
Sirius, flying down to join his friend, looked at him in almost confusion for a moment, "do something like what?" he asked. For the past few years, he'd managed to get himself banished to his room for the most part of his birthday, having done something to annoy his mother.
"I don't know" James shrugged, "we could get the elves to make you a cake or try and sneak out with the third years on the Hogsmeade trip" he added with a mischievous grin that said, I will if you will.
Sirius shook his head with a laugh, "McGonagall would have our heads" he returned, "though it doesn't sound like a bad offer" he grinned in return. James barely had a chance to register the agreement of his friend, as said friend began running up towards the castle, "come on!" he called, "we'll get drenched".
"Hey" James confronted a few of the other first years as he burst into the common room, "you've not seen Sirius anywhere, have you?" he asked before anyone could return his greeting. The pair were supposed to be going over plans for this Saturday, when the third years would be taking their last trip to Hogsmeade before Christmas break.
Shaking his head, "no, not since lunch" one mousy-haired boy confirmed, a little bewildered by the sudden onslaught.
James threw himself into the lounger as he thought about where his friend could've gotten to. They'd had lunch in the Great Hall, but then their History of Magic lesson had been interrupted when McGonagall had come and taken Sirius out of class. James wondered, for a fleeting moment, if there was any possible way Professor McGonagall could've gotten wind of their idea. No, he thought, they'd barely even mentioned it aloud, and unless the castle had ears that reported to her directly, there was no way she could have the slightest clue.
"I'd better go and ask McGonagall" James announced, standing with resolve. If it was the case that Sirius had been caught, there was no way he was going to let his friend take the fall alone. He'd go in and volunteer to do whatever depraved detention his friend had been subject to, right along with him.
"I'll come with you" the mousy-haired child offered, jumping up to trail after the other boy.
"Don't sweat it mate" James responded, before dashing off down the stairs of the tower and back out into the corridor. McGonagall was likely still in her classroom clearing up today's practical, James thought, as he decided he'd start there in his search for his head of house.
"Hey James!" another student, James thought he might be a third year, called out "you joining us for quidditich tomorrow on the main pitch?" he asked as the boy stopped.
"Course Fabian" he returned with a smile, "you've not seen Sirius anywhere, have you?" he asked, hoping the older boy might have seen or heard from him.
Fabian shook his head in response, "no, can't say I have" he added, "anyway, I've gotta shoot" he called, "got astronomy later and if I don't nap now I'll never make it through".
"see ya" James replied, continuing his walk up to the transfiguaration classroom. It wasn't long before he arrived and, with a quick wipe of his hands against his trousers, he lifted his hand to knock twice on the old wooden door.
"Good evening, Professor" James greeted, following the quiet call to enter. He glanced around, expecting to see Sirius in a corner somewhere prepping teapots which would later be turned into tortoises in some class McGonagall had planned. Thus, he was quite confused when he saw just the Professor, sat behind her large oak desk, reading a thick volume of transfiguration quarterly.
"Good evening, Mr Potter" she returned, glancing up from her work over her half-moon glasses to return the boy's greeting. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" she asked. In all fairness, she had been expecting a visit from James Potter since she'd collected Sirius Black a few hours prior. The two had been near inseparable since the start of term, and she was not naïve enough to think that James wouldn't be concerned at the absence of his friend.
James approached her desk with apprehensively, unsure of what exactly she had managed to pin his best friend for, and therefore hesitant she might pin him with the same crime.
"I just wondered if you knew where Sirius was?" James asked in concern as he reached the stern Professor. She met his hazel eyes with a sympathetic look, as she was aware that her words were unlikely to appease him. Much as she knew the Black family were not known for their patience and understanding, they remained Sirius' guardians, and were well within their rights to request he return home for the weekend.
"Mr Black received notice from home, his parents have asked that he return for the weekend" she spoke gently, watching as a million thoughts flashed across the face before her. A slight nervousness rose in her stomach at one particular expression; one that signified the formation of a reckless plan. "He will be back on Sunday evening" she added, in hopes of appeasing the boy.
"You don't understand Professor" James implored, a worried look dominating his features, his eyebrows drawn together. "They're probably disembowelling him" he added, his face losing its colour at the thought.
The professor scoffed at this, "Now James, don't you think that's a bit dramatic?" she asked in disapproval. "I suggest you find something else with which to entertain yourself" she added, closing the conversation.
James left the classroom desperately wishing that Remus hadn't decided to return home this weekend. It was difficult to think of a logical plan in his panicked state, and he knew Remus would be able to meet the task with logic and tact. Remus, however, tended to go home more frequently than other students, even missing yesterday's classes to go home.
"I need to see Remus" James muttered to himself, knowing that the boy would be able to come up with a quick, and logical means, of extracting their friend from the throes of his evil family. "Think" James muttered to himself.
"Hospital wing" James muttered, set on his plan.
"James?" Madame Pomfrey greeted him as he entered the quiet hospital wing. "Is everything alright dear?" she asked, moving over to perform a quick diagnostic as she did to most students who entered her hospital. She'd so far had a couple of run-ins with this particular one.
James managed to pull his most woebegone wounded puppy face before glancing up at the Medi witch through thick eyelashes "I'm just missing mum and dad, Madame Pomfrey" he answered dolefully.
Madame Pomfrey nodded in understanding, offering the boy a small smile, "that's a very normal feeling to experience" she comforted, "and you'll get used to being apart from them". At the boy's small shrug she added, "it's just a few more weeks until Christmas too, isn't it?", trying to cheer the child up.
"I'm not sure I can wait until then" James sighed, desperately trying to make tears pool in his eyes. He knew that in order to get this to work, he would have to employ the full works.
"Oh James" she tutted, rubbing the child's back. "How about a small dose of pepper up?" she asked.
"Please can I use your floo powder to call Mum quickly?" James asked, ignoring her question and putting on an ever so slightly infantilised pout.
Madame Pomfrey shook her head at this, "you know I can't let you do that James" she confirmed, "you must get permission from your head of house" she added.
James sniffed exaggeratedly, attempting to appear as though he was terribly upset. "Please Madame Pomfrey" he almost whined, "I'll be so quick you wont even notice" he managed to crack his voice to sound as though he was crying.
With a deep sigh, Madame Pomfrey abruptly moved over to her small office on the ward, "very well, but only for a moment" she added.
"Thank you!" James shrilled, before quickly schooling his features back to one of upset when he realised how immediately happy he had become.
"I will wait outside" the Medi witch assured, handing the child the pot of floo powder.
James watched as she closed the door behind her and, quickly rubbing his sweaty palms on his trousers, he took a deep breath before closing his eyes and firmly calling "Grimmauld Place".
James glanced wide eyed around the large parlour, his heart racing as he heard sharp footsteps heading his way. A portrait eyed him disdainfully from its place on top of the mantle, and James felt half-minded to stick his tongue out at it.
Walburga Black had been brushing her hair, admiring herself in her vanity, when an elf had interrupted her, babbling about children in the parlour. She quickly dismissed the thing, standing abruptly and making her way there, assuming Regulus was again poking around with the various artefacts. She was surprised then, when she stepped in to see a messy haired boy clad in Gryffindor embellished robes standing in the middle of her parlour.
For a moment the pair stood in silence, Walburga Black studying the boy in front of her as though he were some alien-being.
"Mrs Black" James greeted stiffly, his palms sweating at the thought of being in such close proximity to the woman he'd only heard horror stories about. "James Potter" he introduced at her blank stare, though he did notice the ever-so-slight twitch of her brow at the mention of his last name.
"Potter?" she asked in scrutiny, her tight features barely moving, though enough to show her feelings towards the family name. The silence felt daunting as the boy met deep black eyes, searching them for any sign of emotion, or something to indicate that a real human person lay behind them. "Why are you here, Mr Potter?" she asked critically.
James was stumped for words momentarily, wishing to merlin that Sirius would step out laughing and they could both head back to Hogwarts. "I was looking for Sirius" he licked his lips in nervousness, glancing again around the large parlour. He wasn't sure what was more comforting, meeting the emotionless voids that were Walburga Black's eyes, or risking making eye contact with one of the equally terrifying portraits. Merlin, he thought, Sirius had said it was bad, but he hadn't said it was quite this bad.
"He's otherwise indisposed, I'm afraid" she spoke with some malice in her tone that set James immediately on edge. She delivered the words with a sort of snarl, pearl white teeth showing that stood in stark contrast to the jet-black hair that framed her face. Indisposed? He thought, whatever could that mean.
It took James a moment but, finding his resolve, he quickly squared his shoulders, "well I'd like to see him" he asserted, much to the shock of the woman before him. There was no way he'd risked his entire position at Hogwarts to illegally use the floo network to rescue his friend, only to be intimidated by a witch like her.
At the boy's insolence, Walburga's face twisted into one of anger and she had to try desperately to school it back into one of impassive judgement. "I suggest you see yourself out" she answered quietly, before stalking back out of the room, leaving the bewildered boy standing in her parlour and wondering if that was the usual manner in which guests were received at the residence.
"Great shame" James heard the low tones of a male voice through the double doors he had stalked past. It had taken him a moment to work up the courage to seek out Sirius, leaving the safety of the parlour to move around the unfamiliar space.
"- received your mother's letter?" came the harshly delivered question. Sirius had eventually shown James the letter he had received at the start of their first term, James shuddering at the memory of the scathing words. Now, he strained to hear the conversation taking place. Orion certainly sounded like an intimidating man, and James was fighting a battle of nerves over whether to just burst into the room or not.
"I won't" James heard his friend respond firmly, no sign of any fear. James couldn't help but be impressed with his friend, for he felt scared just hearing the man.
It was the sound of a pained yelp that quickly had James abandoning his position to throw open the doors to the study, startling both occupants. He gasped at the sight before him – Orion Black stood towering over Sirius, who had squared his own shoulders and set his jaw in resolve. James gasped at the sight, his friend stood there, not even flinching at the large figure towering over him and clutching a cane in his right hand.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Orion's voice boomed, and Sirius glanced at his friend with wild eyes that screamed are you insane? Why would you come here? He desperately tried to think of a way to get James out of this, perhaps pretend that his friend had wild bouts of sleep walking, anything that might explain his presence.
James, in hastened panic, blurted out the first excuse that came to his head "Professor McGonagall sent me", and desperately grappling for a reasonable excuse he added, "Sirius got into the duelling club, and he has practice". He looked at his friend in worry, silently asking if it was a reasonable enough excuse.
Orion Black looked at this boy in judgement before turning disdainful eyes back on his eldest son, "very well" he spoke. Sirius was unsure, for a moment, what to do with himself as his father calmly returned to the chair behind his desk and began writing a letter. "You may take your leave" he spoke, as though a ministry meeting had just ended, not looking up from his scroll to pay mind to the boy.
Sirius quickly moved across the room, though he couldn't help but look back at his father briefly. A part of Sirius, though it dwindled increasingly over the years, wanted his parents to like him. It was normal, wasn't it? To want one's parents to accept them unconditionally, to show them love even when they strayed. He quickly brushed it off, no use getting lost in fantasies that won't be, he thought.
James winced at the mark the cane had left on his friends left brow, his father clearly having rapped him with the stick before James had entered.
"Come on, let's not hang around" Sirius muttered quietly, noticing his friend's wince, and leading him back towards the parlour. James shivered at the peculiar artefacts littering the walls and surfaces of the hallway, though Sirius barely noticed them anymore.
"Siri" a small, hesitant voice called from behind him as he made it into the parlour.
"What is it Reg?" he asked, turning at the sound of the familiar voice. Regulus stood, pyjama clad, staring at Sirius with wide eyes.
"Is it true?" his little brother asked, almost accusatory "mother says you deniced the Black family name" he added with uncertainty.
"Denounced" Sirius corrected without thinking, though he did offer his brother a sad tight smile. "Listen to mother" he instructed distantly, turning again to gesture at his friend that they should make ways.
"Don't go yet" his brothers voice interrupted again, "Mother said you'd have time for a game of chess before you leave".
Sirius sighed, moving back over to his brother to ruffle his hair gently, "now's not a great time for me Reg" he spoke softly. A sad sigh from his brother quickly had him adding "but it's not long till Christmas now, and we can play then, okay?"
"Okay" Regulus acquiesced, watching on wistfully as his brother and the new boy left through the floo, "Happy Birthday!" he called in forgotten afterthought, though the boys were long gone.
As the pair stepped out of the floo into the infirmary office, a welcoming party awaited them. James quickly looked away as he met the irate gaze of the Medi-Witch, who stood glaring at the two. Next to her, their head of house had an expression of equal displeasure, raising a lone brow at the two as they stepped meekly out of the flames. Finally, stood the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, who's expression was much more difficult to read.
The Medi-witch quickly felt her features morphing into one of concern as she caught sight of the gash in Sirius' head. "Mr Black, we need to get that tended to" she spoke somewhat softly, guiding the child out of the office and into the main hospital wing.
James felt on edge as he was left alone with their Head of House and Headmaster, an uncomfortable silence enveloping the room as he desperately tried to avert his eyes from hers.
"Mr Potter" came the stern admonishment of Professor McGonagall, "I distinctly recall advising you not to involve yourself in the private matters of Mr Black".
"They were gonna kill him!" James explained hurriedly, glancing between the two teachers and imploring them to understand that it was an act committed out of sheer need and desperation.
"Detention" she delivered in a crisp tone that left no room for argument, "you will report to Professor Filch tomorrow morning at 7am, where you can spend your day polishing the trophy room" she added.
"7am!?" James cried out in dismay, "but it's Saturday" he added more timidly at the even sterner expression that took over his head-of-house's face.
Raising a stern eyebrow at the boy before her she added, "and 20 points from Gryffindor for your dishonesty with Madame Pomfrey" she added, before walking over to check on Sirius who was being doted on by said medi witch.
Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat softly, waiting for the boy to make eye contact with him. The child was clearly worried that his head master would be less than pleased with this particular breach of school rules; illegal use of the floo system being a serious breach. "I must commend you for your bravery in going after your friend" the headmaster spoke.
James' head shot up in shock, looking into the blue eyes of the headmaster almost sceptically, "but aren't you angry that I used the floo, Professor?" he asked.
"Well there certainly were less illegal methods of extracting your friend" Dumbledore conceded solemnly, "however I find that the mind is quite difficult to organise when one is clouded by emotion" he added, "I trust you will approach such situations less hastily in the future".
"Yes sir" James nodded.
"That said, such bravery and loyalty ought to be rewarded" the headmaster replied, "it is a trait that I myself place in high regard, and I will award you 20 points".
"But that will undo Professor McGonagall's deductions" the child almost protested, surprised that the headmaster would consider such a thing. Though Professor Dumbledore did not respond, blue twinkling eyes instead met hazel and James would've sworn he saw a small smile on the old man's face.
"What about that promised cake then?" Sirius asked in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere. It was 8 o'clock at night and James had only just finished his detention with Filch and made it back to the common room.
James grinned in return, "you'll be pleased to know I made a slight detour on my way back from polishing trophy's". The boy stood quickly, going over to his bag where he extracted a small round chocolate cake, "the elves hadn't had a request like this in years" he added.
Placing the cake down in front of his friend, he began singing in the most off-key tones 'happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to Sirius, happy birthday to you!", his friend grinning as he did. "Make a wish mate!" he ordered, as Sirius simply sat watching the cake.
"This is brilliant" he responded with a smile, cutting it up and digging into his own slice as his friend dug into his own.
The two ate in comfortable silence, Sirius occasionally glancing over to his friend to make sure he wasn't still shaken from the experience yesterday. The pair had barely had time to talk it over, with James having been in detention the entire day today.
"Sorry about yesterday by the way" Sirius started, a bit nervously, "Can't say you met either of them at their greatest moment" he added apologetically.
James, in an attempt to console his friend, laughed out "I know I damn well didn't catch them at their worst either".
Sirius returned the laugh easily "you can say that again".
"Have they always been like that?" James asked more quietly, a serious edge to his voice that confirmed the worry he felt for his friend. Coming from a household like the Potter's, it was utterly perplexing to James that other parents were quite different from his own.
"Pretty much" Sirius clarified with a small smile, "you get used to it though" he added with a bit of a forced laugh. However, seeing his friends concern he added "honestly mate, don't worry about it, it'll be something new with them by Christmas time".
"You can always come and have Christmas with us" James offered without thinking, "Mum makes the best stuffing you'll ever taste" he added with a smile, lounging down into the common room sofa.
"I might just pull you up on that offer" Sirius returned with a smile of his own.