Semele Perdita

All standard disclaimers and such apply. Sue me if you want, I don’t have any money, it won’t do you any good. In fact, I think the only thing I have of worth might be my books, but really if you’re reading HP fanfiction who needs the books? You probably have them memorized already.

Have a nice day and I hope you find some amusement or something of worth from this stuff that I write. I’m really bored, so I’m writing way too much. In fact, this chapter is full of nonsense. But I think that is how you guys like it, so onward with the nonsense and enjoy reading!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Semele Perdita

Chapter 8: Enter: The Messrs of Hogwarts

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

-James-

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

An unnatural hush had descended on the grounds of Hogwarts tonight. The sky was breaking into pastels, stretching its fingers into the sky for its last few moments of glory before the night took control. A small sliver of the moon could be seen, the last sunrays blocking it from shining its face down yet. We only had about three hours until it was time.

As we had gotten in the habit of doing, Sirius, Peter, and I had holed up in our dormitory. Clothes and old school papers were thrown across the floor, creating a mangled view of the worn stone floor. We were sitting in silence; Peter was staring out the small window, watching the dusk slowly fade. Sirius was looking idly at his Defense textbook, but wasn’t reading it obviously, as a page hadn’t been turned in quite some time. I was sorting through many old, wrinkled papers looking for the Map.

The Map, or the Marauders’ Map, as Remus had dubbed it was a map we had created of Hogwarts. It had taken us almost all of 5^th year, with our combined efforts. It had started out with the rough sketch by Peter, who was an uncannily good artist. Then we had added an encoding charm, so it only opened with the saying of certain words. At the suggestion of Sirius, we added a ‘security’ personality. Or maybe I should say personalities, as we made the personality to answer saying, “The Messrs of Hogwarts would like to inform you…” or using any of our nicknames: Padfoot, Wormtail, Moony and Prongs. I’m sure it will come in handy one day, if anyone ever actually tries to break into the map without the words. Actually, if it ever did happen, I wish I were there to see it happen, I’m sure it would be quite amusing.

Before Remus had taken ill, he had actually started to work on a charm to show us the location of people in Hogwarts, but wasn’t able to finish. Oh well, we’ll get it done when he is back to health again.

“It’s almost time,” Peter said suddenly, breaking the brooding silence. I glanced over to the window, seeing that he was right. The last streaks of orange were fading to be replaced by a dark blue occasionally dotted with stars.

I laid the stack of papers I had been sorting through down and reached up to rub the bridge of my nose right under my glasses. I rolled my neck around to pop it and looked over to where Sirius was. He was likewise preparing himself to move.

As I stood from my bed, I was careful not to step on anything sharp on the ground. I had dropped a few safety pins over here the other day and hadn’t been able to find them yet.

“Let’s get going then.” Sirius spoke finally. I nodded silently to him, grabbing my Invisibility Cloak that was draped over my trunk. My father had given it to me as a birthday present when I was thirteen.

“Right,” I swallowed. We had only done this a few times before and though I would never admit it to Sirius or Peter; I was still slightly apprehensive about the whole thing.

We walked down the cold stairwell in silence until we reached the common room, in which was unoccupied at the time. Looking around and double-checking no one was there, I motioned for Peter and Sirius to get under the Cloak with me.

It was rather uncomfortable, all three of us under the cloak. As Sirius and I were quite tall and Peter was slightly wider than most, it was a tight fit. Especially when Remus was with us.

We padded down the familiar halls with ease; the only trouble was us bumping into each other so frequently. Note to self: find some way to expand Invisibility Cloak. Wait…was that even possible?

“Ouch! That was my foot!” I heard Sirius whisper angrily as I stepped not so lightly on his foot. I winced; we really need to stop growing.

“Sorry,” I whispered back. “I can’t exactly see.” Peter snorted at the joke. This time it had nothing to do with my glasses, the cloak made the people under it invisible even to themselves. Therefore, I really couldn’t see anything. Though, it was true, I was blind as a bat without my glasses and sometimes even with them.

We reached the passage we needed to get outside without much incident. It looked innocent enough: a tapestry of an irritable Chinese Fireball dragon. Most people would never expect a tunnel to behind it. Of course, most people would never wander in an obscure corridor on the fourth floor of the and accidentally trip on the tapestry’s tassels, as Peter had. Poor bloke, he was quite clumsy sometimes. That was back in fourth year and we had known about the passage ever since.

I pulled aside the tapestry carefully, as to not disturb its sleeping occupant. Quite a cranky dragon, that one was.

We entered the tunnel and replaced the tapestry neatly behind us, sealing the entrance. I slid out from under the cloak and shook myself.

“I think that’s the first time we’ve made it without getting in any scrapes,” I commented proudly. I grinned as I heard as my two mates emerged from under the cloak. However, it reminded me there was no light in the tunnel causing me to fumble around my pockets for my wand.

When I found it I muttered, “Lumos!” My wand tip brightened, shedding a small strip of light around the three of us. Following my lead. Sirius and Peter both brought out their wands after a bit of searching. Soon two more strips of light joined mine.

“Ready?” I asked the two. They nodded to me and we started to descend the jutting stairs. It was a steep staircase, causing there to be almost no foot room on each stair. You almost had to walk sidewise in the tunnel, not because of the width of the tunnel but because of the size of the steps.

After the long descend, we finally came to a fairly flat path to replace the stairs. I heard Sirius breathe a heavy sigh of relief. He hated stairs, bad childhood experience. We walked for several more minutes until we came to a small trapdoor.

Sirius handed the Cloak, which he had been carrying, to me. He reached up and easily unlatched the hook and eye that kept the trapdoor. After he unhooked it, he pulled forcefully on a rusted handle next to it and jumped aside quickly. A shower of sand spilled out onto the tunnel floor, barely missing Sirius’ head.

“Come on, Pete, you first.” I nodded to Peter. He swallowed and agreeably let himself be pushed up through the hole by Sirius and me.

“Hey, Wormtail!” Sirius whispered loudly. “Take the Cloak and put it on in case anyone comes.” He grabbed the cloak from my hands and threw it through the trapdoor. I heard a rush of air as Peter caught it. I nodded thankfully, Wormtail didn’t always have the best coordination.

“Go ahead, Prongs, I can get up by myself.” Sirius motioned for me to go first. He cupped his hand for my foot, so he could push me up. I placed my foot in his hand and nodded again.

“Up I go then, Padfoot,” I said lightly and grabbed the very edges of the trapdoor’s entrance. Sirius pushed me up with a grunt and I pulled my body trough the hole with relative ease.

After I had gotten through, I reached a hand down for Sirius to grab onto. I felt him clasp it and pulled as hard as I could. With another heave, Sirius tumbled out of the hole. I let out a small laugh at the expression on his face as he smoothed his hair back in place.

“Smooth, Padfoot,” came Peter’s voice, startling us. He pulled off the Cloak from his head, showing he was to the right of us. After we had all righted ourselves and slipped back under the Cloak, rather clumsily I might add, we continued on our way.

The clouds drifted across the sky only letting selected shafts of moonlight dance across the grounds. It gave an almost surreal look to the surroundings. Our feet hurried a bit faster now until we reached the massive willow tree near the . The Whomping Willow, it was planted the year we came. No one but professors, Remus, and us three know what its real use is. Everyone else assumes it’s just a sick sort of decoration or an extra incentive to stay away from the . In a way, they are almost right, it is an incentive to stay away from something, but not the forest, like they think.

Before either of us could say anything, Peter started to mumble under his breath. He had started doing this right before he transformed last year out of nervousness. I guess he hadn’t grown out of it yet.

In a matter of a minute or so, Peter’s bulk was twisting rapidly into a smaller form. Soon, Peter had completed his transformation into a beaten looking rat that was rather plump. The day that Peter had first transformed, he had been rather disappointed to find out that his form was a rat. Sirius had jokingly started to call him “Wormtail” and the name stuck much to Peter’s dismay.

Sirius and I watched in practiced silence under the Cloak as Wormtail scurried forward to the tree and disappeared for a second. He re-appeared a second later and gave a small squeak. He had gotten to the knot. I let out a breath I hadn’t known I was holding.

The had frozen, even from swaying in the slight breeze. I was about to walk out from under the Cloak and transform myself when Sirius pulled me back. I looked at him in surprise.

“What is it, Padfoot?” I asked, concerned at the slight discomfort I saw in his eyes.

“It’s—it’s just, I’m not sure Moony ever fully forgave me for last year’s…er—incident.” He looked past me, refusing to look me in the eye. “I know this isn’t really the time, but what if Moony…well—won’t forgive me?” Sirius swallowed visibly and adverted his eyes from night sky to my own.

“I don’t know,” I answered truthfully. “You’ll--- just have to sit Moony down and confront him about it, I guess. Now, though, we have to help him, whether guilty or not. You’re still one of his best friends, he won’t forget that over a slight of mind, Padfoot.”

Sirius nodded, his right hand rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. He sighed heavily and removed the Cloak from over our heads.

Just as I walked in the other direction to transform, he called after me softly, “Thanks, Prongs.”

“No problem, mate.”

When I got to a clear patch of ground, I concentrated hard on the knot of magic inside me. Feeling an uncomfortable pressure on my stomach, I fell to my knees. My head snapped back with sudden shots of pain as I felt my arms extending. After another minute of the sharp, stabbing pain, and I felt my muscles begin to stretch. Each time I did this, the feeling was novel to me. Even anticipated, the sensation of your bones elongating and muscles stretching and your face taking a complete new form was mind-boggling.

Before I could embrace the feeling though, it was over. I felt myself balanced wobbly on four stilt-like legs. As a sharp bark called me over to the , I felt the hooves begin to move forward. After so many times of doing this, I just couldn’t get over having to work four legs, it was harder than it looks. The first time I tried to walk as a stag turned out worse than just a few shaky steps though. Let’s just say, I had a very sore bum for quite some time.

My now huge ears flickered forward at the sound of a small squeak and I told myself not to move as I felt four scampering paws run up a hind leg. It was only Wormtail after all. He preferred to tag a ride on my back rather than Padfoot because Padfoot was rather energetic at times and forgot about his passenger.

Padfoot stumbled into the narrow passageway first, knocking stray loam everywhere and plowing throw the rocky pathway easily. I took the pathway a bit more carefully, because I knew from experience if I got a stone in my hoof it could be quite painful. So we traveled for the next ten minutes, Padfoot loping along ahead of Wormtail and I, who was picking my way carefully along the well-trodden path. Even though in the back of my mind I knew it was coming, I unwillingly froze at the chilling sound of the first howl that night. It was wracked in pain and was rather rattling. I could sense Wormtail’s fear as his claws dug into my coat. I twitched it a bit to tell him to quit, after a minute he retracted his claws.

Slowly, I began to pick up my pace as Padfoot slowed his. So it happened when we entered the Shack, which was now vibrating with heart-wrenching howls and whimpers, Padfoot was only a few strides ahead of Wormtail and me.

As another howl ripped through the Shrieking Shack, Padfoot caught my eye. It was time to meet up with Moony and I wasn’t entirely sure this would be a fun visit like in the past.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

okay I lied, detention will be in the next chapter, and I’m not sure who’s POV it will be in, I’m leaning towards James though, if anyone has a preference tell me…anyways, I think this is the first chapter that was completely James, its not really meant to be funny right now as I’m sure they were very serious about Remus and his condition but I promise James isn’t some serious goody-goody or something lol:-D Now I’m taking a leaf out of other people’s books and saying no reviews no new chapter! So give me lots of wonderful reviews and I’ll post faster…--Julie

review replies:

mercedes1327 – lol, well I guess everyone has a few things they always wanted to say for no reason…and Laila won’t get punished officially as there is no real proof she did anything wrong its her word against Lily’s and well…okay so its unfair but it is life

Draco’s Gurl – thanks for reviewing I hope you enjoyed this chapter:-D

Holly – of course you did, lazy bum. I’m still convinced you did because you’re a loser O:-)

Hpfanmelissa – thanks lots and I promise I will stop doing that, I just write the numbers in short form without thinking sometimes

anonymous, shortcake thanks for reviewing!

Now everyone review!