Hello again!
Thanks for the lovely feedback on the previous chapters.
This is my take on The Prank. I personally find it difficult to believe that Snape would keep Remus' condition a secret as a teenager; particularly when he maliciously failed to do so as an adult. I also wanted to play around with the incident itself, to see what the repercussions could have been. I had hoped to confine it to one chapter, but it was getting too long so there will be multiple instalments.
TW/CW: There are mentions of blood, injuries and vomit; nothing overly graphic, but it is there.
This wasn't meant to be a Marauders-centric collection but here we are. We'll go back to the Weasleys later!
I do not own Harry Potter.
—
"James? James!"
If the use of his first name - rarely used since they'd discovered their future Animagus forms - wasn't reason enough for concern, then Sirius' panicked tone and hurried steps as he searched for his best friend were.
He flew into the dormitory, a wild look in his eyes, his face flushed. Truly worried now, James put down his Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook (he'd promised Moony that he would at least start his essay tonight), stood up from his bed and moved straight for Sirius.
"Padfoot? What-"
"James I don't know what to do, I did something really bad and I think Moony's in danger."
James froze.
"Padfoot, what did you do?"
Sirius looked close to tears and so very pale.
"I told Snape how to get past the Whomping Willow."
—
Less than a minute later James and Sirius were sprinting through the castle. When they reached the door to the grounds, James stopped suddenly, nearly colliding with Sirius.
"Go get McGonagall or Dumbledore," he ordered.
"No I have to see-"
"You've done enough damage this evening, Sirius, and I can't trust you near Snape."
Sirius looked as though James had slapped him. He swallowed, nodded, and ran off again to find help.
James continued outside, his heart pounding; adrenaline and just a little bit of guilt coursing through him. He felt bad for his angry words to Sirius - they hadn't fought since first year - but he was so worried about Remus that he couldn't bring himself to take them back. What Sirius had done was far beyond his trademark reckless behaviour.
Looking up as he ran, James saw that the branches of the Whomping Willow were no longer moving and his heart seized. He pushed himself to run faster, breath coming in gasps now, and slid to the trunk of the Willow just seconds before it became reanimated.
He dashed inside, running through the passageway and berating himself for not checking if the moon had risen yet. They may still have time…
He realised quickly that he had been too optimistic.
A shout of pain echoed through the passageway… then a howl. In his haste to find Snape, James tripped and he hit the ground hard, his glasses flying. He cursed, summoned his glasses and made his way again towards the trapdoor.
"Snape," he hissed as loudly as he dared. "Snape!"
He turned the corner just in time to see Snape point his wand towards the trapdoor leading to the Shrieking Shack.
"Snape, don't!"
Severus Snape turned to James with his usual disinterested sneer.
"Did your lapdog tell you to come find me or are you just afraid that even the great James Potter couldn't dodge out of a punishment for whatever Lupin's hiding for you here?
"Clever enchantment by the way. That scream would deter most people from looking."
"Severus, don't open that trapdoor, please."
"Since when do you say 'please', Potter? Loopy Lupin is the only one of you miscreants who seems to have any manners and that's just because he can't believe his luck at getting three square meals a day."
James fumed at the insults to Remus, but the situation was too perilous for him to retaliate.
"Don't open the door, it's not safe," he urged.
"Sorry Potter, I don't take instructions from a dunderheaded Gryffindor."
Snape waved his wand and the latch came undone, causing the trapdoor to swing open.
A beat.
Then a claw.
James thanked the heavens repeatedly over the coming days for his reflexes. He sprang towards Snape, knocking him to the ground as the werewolf's claws tore James' robes, scraping his skin.
"MOVE," he roared at Snape as the werewolf tried to jam itself through the too-small trapdoor.
Snape was frozen in place, staring at the yellow eyes, pointed snout and sharp teeth that were now through the trapdoor.
"Lupin…" he whispered to himself. James could have throttled Sirius then and there.
"Snape we have to move, it isn't safe," he pleaded.
"Not safe?!" Snape answered hysterically, but before he could go any further; the wolf started making a renewed effort to get to the two boys.
Picking up a rock, James whispered a soft "Sorry Moony," before flinging it at the wolf's face, catching him right in the eye. The wolf reared back in pain, howling, and James slammed and locked the trapdoor.
"MOVE." he roared at Snape again, pulling him upright and half dragging him away from the trapdoor. Snape finally found his feet and as they ran, they could hear the destruction the wolf was causing. Thuds, howls and crashes reverberated around them and James' vision became cloudy as he fought to keep the tears at bay. He punched the knot in the tree as they ran, not stopping until they were safely behind the tree's reach. Snape dropped heavily to his knees, his breathing rapid and sharp and his body shaking.
A long, tortured howl echoed through the night and then silence fell.
The other Marauders had found out about Remus' "condition" in the February of their second year. It wasn't until two years later that Remus confided in them that negative emotions tended to make the transformations worse. He'd also told them, when they brought up the idea of becoming Animagi to ease his suffering, that while being locked up was unpleasant, knowing that there were other living beings nearby would send the wolf into a frenzy.
That conversation played back in James' mind and he bent double, throwing up onto the grass.
He felt arms around him but he tried to shake them off and sat slowly on the ground.
"Prongs… Prongs," the hands were shaking his shoulders gently now.
James looked up to see Sirius hunkered down in front of him, his face creased in concern. He looked over Sirius' shoulder to see Professors Dumbledore and Slughorn with Snape and noticed, somewhat belatedly, that Professor McGonagall was standing behind Sirius.
"Give him room to breathe, Mr Black," she put her hand on Sirius' shoulder and gently steered him away.
"Are you okay, Mr Potter?" she asked, reaching a hand out to where his robes were torn. Sirius hadn't noticed this and he swore.
"Professor… Remus," James gulped.
She glanced at the Whomping Willow which had become reanimated and was viciously chasing a bird around its branches.
"There's nothing we can do for him tonight, Mr Potter," she told him. "We'll have to wait until morning."
The only comfort James took from those words was that she seemed just as worried as he was.
—
They made a funny group walking back to the castle. James was walking unsteadily with Professor McGonagall's hand hovering protectively somewhere near his elbow. He had shrugged off Sirius' offer of assistance, still not ready to face him, but Sirius stayed nearby just in case. Ahead of them, Dumbledore led the way, with Snape and Professor Slughorn following closely behind, Snape leaning heavily on his Head of House.
Madam Pomfrey must have already been alerted by her colleagues, because when they arrived at the Hospital Wing, she got them quickly settled into beds and handed them each a vial of sweet-smelling liquid. James held his carefully with two hands, balanced on his lap as he watched Snape continue the tirade he had started in the tunnel of the Whomping Willow.
"How can a monster like that be allowed near the castle? He could have killed me!"
James could feel Sirius tense. He still couldn't bring himself to look at his friend so he ignored it and focused instead on the claw marks Madam Pomfrey was healing on his arm. They weren't deep, thankfully; just shallow scratches. James was hopeful they would heal before Remus found out, as he would undoubtedly torture himself with guilt.
"I assure you, Mr Snape, you have never been at risk until tonight when you were out of bounds after hours," Dumbledore calmly explained.
"You're going to blame this on me?" Snape screeched. "I was nearly murdered by that… thing! How can you let that mongrel roam the grounds at the risk of every other student here? Everyone thinks he's a quiet boy who wouldn't hurt a fly - when he's really a monster that could kill us all in our sleep? You made him a Prefect for Merlin's sake!"
"I think that's quite enough, Mr Snape," Professor McGonagall said coolly. "Please take the Calming Draught Madam Pomfrey has brought for you, and we'll discuss this in the morning when the shock has worn off."
"I won't be silenced on this," Snape growled. "The other students deserve to know what they're dealing with."
"We will speak about this in the morning Mr Snape," Professor Dumbledore said firmly. "I would ask for your discretion in this matter, and we will discuss it further tomorrow."
"Reparo," James heard from his right. He watched as the vial that had been holding his Calming Draught was being rebuilt. He'd been clenching his fists so hard during Snape's rant that it had smashed without him noticing.
Madam Pomfrey checked his palms which were somehow unscathed, before encouraging him to drink the potion.
"Can I go back to my dormitory, please?" he asked the Medi-witch.
She looked at him sceptically.
"You seem well enough - certainly better than others at least… let me check with your Professors."
She returned with Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore, who, after ascertaining that Snape was finally settled, led James and Sirius to the Headmaster's office. Professor Dumbledore had just taken his seat when Sirius started talking.
"It's my fault," he admitted shakily. "James saved Sniv- Snape's life. Snape cornered me on the fifth floor corridor after Defence today and asked where Remus was."
Remus had been particularly unwell in the lead up to that month's moon and hadn't made it to his classes at all that day. That sobering fact only added to James' trepidation at what state they would find their friend in come sunrise.
"I was trying to get to the Hospital Wing to visit Remus before dinner so I tried to ignore him but he was insistent. I tried to leave but he got me with a leglocker curse and when I fell he walked over and whispered that he knew our secret.
"He said he knew where Remus went every month and that soon the whole school would know what we were up to."
"So you told him exactly where to confirm that information?" James asked, in disbelief.
Sirius' eyes filled with tears but he hung his head before anyone could see them fall.
"Go on, Mr Black," Dumbledore urged.
"I told him how to press the knot at the base of the Willow to freeze its branches," he sniffled. "I thought if I told him that, he'd assume it was a trap and wouldn't go.
"The second Snape left, I realised what I had done and ran to find James to try fix it. I would never do anything to hurt Remus, I swear to it."
He broke off into thick, heaving sobs that shocked James as much as seeing the wolf earlier that evening. The two Professors in the room seemed equally disturbed, but it was Professor McGonagall who led Sirius to a seat, conjuring some water and a handkerchief.
Professor Dumbledore surveyed them over his half-moon spectacles and gestured to James to take a seat before speaking.
"I don't know how you came across that information regarding the Whomping Willow, but I must impress upon you both the importance of keeping this evening's events a secret."
He made eye contact with James as he finished talking, and James understood what he was really asking.
Do not tell anyone that Remus Lupin is a werewolf.
He figured the truth couldn't hurt, if it would ease his Professors' minds.
"With all due respect Sir, we have known about Remus' condition since second year; Sirius, Peter and I. We've already promised Remus to keep his secret."
Sirius flinched at his words. Professor McGonagall's eyebrows shot up in surprise and a hand flew to her mouth.
"We know about the Whomping Willow because we… watch him walk down with Madam Pomfrey."
James purposefully neglected to mention that he, Sirius and Peter took it in turns to walk by Remus' side down to the Willow under the cover of the Invisibility Cloak. Though looking at the twinkle that now returned to Professor Dumbledore's eyes, he reckoned the Headmaster knew more than he was letting on.
"I am very pleased to know that Mr Lupin has such loyal friends," Dumbledore continued, "but there still stands the matter that several students were put in danger tonight."
He turned to Sirius; "Mr Black, I shall be writing to your parents this evening."
James now shot a concerned glance at Sirius, whose head was still bowed.
"Please sir," James interrupted, noting that Sirius wasn't going to. "Sirius… he lives with me now. With my parents."
"When did this occur?" Dumbledore asked, curiously.
"At Christmas, Sir."
"Be that as it may, I must still write to Mr Black's guardians."
"Please Sir," Sirius whispered, finally raising his head to look at Professor Dumbledore. Tears were still rolling steadily down his cheeks. "Please don't write to the Potters. I… I'll take any punishment. I'll go back to my parents instead-"
"You'll do no such thing!" James yelped, outraged.
"I don't want to disappoint them, Sir," Sirius half-whispered, ignoring James and lowering his head again.
Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall shared a look before Dumbledore spoke again.
"Very well, Mister Black.
"One hundred and fifty points from Gryffindor for your reckless and downright dangerous behaviour tonight. You will also be removed from the Quidditch team for the rest of the school year and will replace your bi-weekly training sessions with detention. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes Sir. Thank you, Sir."
"Mister Potter," Dumbledore continued, "your bravery was ill-advised but nonetheless, you saved a student's life. I therefore award one hundred points to Gryffindor."
"Thank you, Sir," James replied, though he couldn't take his eyes away from Sirius' wilted form.
"Professor McGonagall, would you please escort your students back to Gryffindor Tower?"
Professor McGonagall sniffed, her eyes watering, and nodded as she held the door open.
—
It was a quiet walk back to the Gryffindor Common Room. It was late in the night, well past past curfew, and even Peeves seemed to have turned in for the night. The only sounds were their footsteps and intermittent sniffles from Sirius. The moonlight seemed to follow them mockingly through the castle and not for the first time that evening, James felt an uncomfortable weight settle at the pit of his stomach.
"Mandragora."
Professor McGonagall spoke the password and led the way into the Common Room. She looked at the two boys for a moment, lost for words.
"I think we have all learned some valuable lessons tonight," she said, her tone gentler than they would have believed of their Transfiguration Professor. "We'll speak no more of it, but I will say this: Mr Lupin is no doubt as heartened by your friendship and loyalty to him as the Headmaster and I were this evening. Therefore, I ask you not to hide yourself away from him."
She squeezed Sirius' shoulder.
"You owe him an explanation and an apology, but you also owe him the opportunity to forgive you. Whether he does or not is his decision to make, but you must not take it from him by withdrawing your friendship based only on your own guilt."
Sirius nodded but made no sound. Professor McGonagall pursed her lips, bade them goodnight and left through the portrait hole once more.
James stood still for a moment, before racing for the dormitory. Peter was snoring loudly in his bed, blissfully unaware of the turmoil his friends were facing. James grabbed something from his trunk and ran back downstairs again.
Sirius was standing in the same place, facing the slowly dying fire. Despite the heat still emanating from the fireplace, he was shaking.
James reached out to grasp his friend's shoulder and was horrified when Sirius flinched violently, pulling his shoulder away and turning. His eyes were red and wide, making him look young and very frightened. Not for the first time that night, James' heart broke for one of his closest friends.
He held his hands up flat towards Sirius, but didn't move any closer.
"I'm not going to hurt you Padfoot, I promise," he said, certainly sounding calmer than he felt.
"You should," Sirius muttered. "You should hate me. What I did… I deserve nothing less. My parents were ri-"
"NO," James raised his voice as much as he dared, trying to ignore the flinch that came from Sirius at his tone. "You never deserved it and they weren't right."
He grabbed Sirius' hand and pulled him to sit on the couch.
"I am so mad at you right now Padfoot, madder than I think I've ever been at you."
"I-"
"Let me finish. What you did was incredibly stupid, not to mention dangerous. It's going to take a while to forgive you, and I will be informed by Remus on that process, but I don't hate you. I could never hate you."
James almost didn't hear the whispered question that came next.
"Why not?"
James took a deep breath. He had seen firsthand the physical effects of Sirius' upbringing - not least the night he turned up that Christmas Eve at the Potter household in torn robes with blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. The emotional effects were more subtle but still there, festering. It seemed they had all come to the surface tonight.
"Because you're my brother, Padfoot. You're my family. I know that word may not mean much after the way you've been treated, but it's everything to me."
Sirius looked at him uncertainly, but relaxed when James threw an arm around him and pulled him into a hug.
James pulled away and looked at Sirius again.
"Okay?" he asked.
Sirius nodded.
"Then let's go," he said, brandishing the Invisibility Cloak he had just taken from the dormitory. "The sun will be rising soon and our Furry Friend needs our support."
—
It was somewhat of a ritual now for the Marauders to take cover under the Invisibility Cloak and wait outside the Whomping Willow for Remus to emerge with Madam Pomfrey after his transformations. The first time they did this in second year had been a huge shock on both parts. Sirius, James and Peter had never seen Remus directly after a transformation - they had only learned the truth of Remus' condition a few months previous. His pale skin was marred by fresh cuts, bruises and… was that… blood? They stood, frozen to the spot as Remus emerged, heavily supported on his right side by Madam Pomfrey. They were in such a state of horror that they didn't move quickly enough, and Remus managed to stand on the end of the Invisibility Cloak with his left foot, momentarily uncovering Sirius' white face and terrified eyes. Remus recoiled in shock, almost losing his balance. Thankfully, Sirius was covered back up by the time Madam Pomfrey turned her head to see what had unbalanced Remus.
It was the first time they had seen Remus lose his temper. The other Marauders had sneaked into the Hospital Wing that night to check on him. When they removed the Cloak, he immediately launched into a tirade about how irresponsible and dangerous they had been, how they could have been hurt - by him or the Whomping Willow - or seen by Madam Pomfrey.
Sirius had been so shocked by Remus outburst that he stared for a minute, before snorting and quickly covering his mouth, as if he could physically hold in the laughter that was bursting out of him. James looked over at him in surprise but soon also succumbed to the giggles, which set Peter off. Remus looked at his three friends (he still couldn't believe that they were still his friends) and couldn't fight the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Now that they were older and taller, it was too much of a squeeze for more than two of them to fit under the cloak now, so James, Sirius and Peter would take it in turns to escort their friend back up to the castle.
Fifteen minutes later, James and Sirius made sure no-one was around to see when they carefully pushed open the doors to the Hogwarts grounds. As they were about to close the door, something flew towards them at speed and they ducked quickly.
They watched as a small bird sped past them and through the door down the Entrance Hall. It was a little larger than a robin and had a long, broad tail. The most distinctive thing about it though, was that it was silver, and left a brief trail of light in its wake. A Patronus. James and Sirius exchanged an uneasy glance under the Cloak. Who would be sending a Patronus into the castle at this hour of the morning?
They continued down to the grounds, unconsciously speeding up until they were nearly jogging. The Whomping Willow was within sight now, but as they drew closer, the sense of dread they had staved off since leaving the castle returned with a vengeance.
It was silent around the Whomping Willow, though the sun had risen by now. The boys had half expected to meet Madam Pomfrey and Remus along the way, but the grounds were completely deserted so they waited nearby. The Marauders rarely strayed past the thick branches of the tree on mornings like this, preferring instead to wait until Madam Pomfrey touched the knot in the trunk on the way out so they could safely flank Remus on his way back up to the castle.
As time went by without sight of Remus, James' anxiety grew. He could tell by Sirius' increased fidgeting that he too was unsettled. A loud thud from the distance stopped all movement, and James and Sirius faced the castle to see four figures running towards them. Still under the cloak, James grabbed Sirius by the elbow and tried to pull him further away from the mouth of the tunnel over to the side of the tree, conscious of avoiding the attention of the branches.
"Prongs," Sirius whispered urgently, resisting James' directions.
"Padfoot we have to move," James replied, but Sirius stood, frozen, still facing the castle.
"Prongs, why is your mum here?"
James' felt like his chest had seized up. He held his breath as he loosened his grip on Sirius and carefully turned. As the figures came closer, he could see who was running towards them.
Professor Dumbledore led the way, running quicker than James would have believed possible, his robes billowing out in his wake. Professor McGonagall followed, wisps of hair flying from her usually neat bun, and a look of sheer terror on her face. She was accompanied on either side by Euphemia Potter and a young, black-haired witch, both sporting the lime green robes that formed the uniform of the Healers at St Mungo's.
As they drew closer, the Whomping Willow's branches - which had swayed menacingly in the morning breeze - froze completely. Madam Pomfrey stood at the tunnel. Her face was pale and drawn and she looked older than James and Sirius had ever seen her. She beckoned the healers quickly through the tunnel and Professor McGonagall in turn placed a comforting hand on her colleague's shoulder. James' heart lurched when he saw tears sliding down Madam Pomfrey's face, but his attention was quickly drawn to Sirius once more, as he swayed on the spot. Steadying his friend, he followed Sirius' gaze to where Madam Pomfrey's hand still rested on the trunk. It was covered in blood.
Before ducking into the tunnel, Professor Dumbledore turned and looked exactly at where the boys were standing, huddled under the cloak.
"Please go back to your dormitory," he said calmly, though his face was taut with worry. "We'll look after Remus."
His tone brooked no argument from the boys and they slowly and silently made their way back to the castle.
—
James wasn't sure whether or not he was grateful that it was a Saturday. It meant they didn't have to struggle their way through classes, but it left them with too much time on their hands to fret.
Neither he nor Sirius slept when they got back to their dormitory. They sat side-by-side on James' bed; James catching and releasing the snitch he kept in his beside locker, and Sirius absent-mindedly picking fluff off James' duvet. Every now and again, one of them would lean up to glance out the window towards the castle grounds, but there was nothing to see.
Peter roused himself at about 9:30am and set about getting ready for breakfast until he spotted his friends watching him from James' bed.
"What happened?"
