Chapter Seven: Illuminated
“Oh, no!” Tami exclaimed suddenly, sitting straight up in the squishy yellow armchair she’d just dropped into. “I’ve just realized--that transfiguration essay on ‘Same-Material Switches’ is due for tomorrow, too!”
“Oh, great,” said Lily, and removed the Sugar Quill she’d been contentedly sucking on from her mouth. “Now you remember? You said there was only Care of Magical Creatures for homework!”
Tami raised her eyebrows, then glared at Lily. “Yeah, well...why do I have to remember everything? Maybe you should start marking it down, for a change.”
Lily had an almost uncontrollable urge to laugh and relieve the tension building up between them, but previous experiences had shown her that this would annoy Tami even more, so she swallowed the chuckle that bubbled up. Besides, now that she thought it over, there was nothing remotely amusing about the situation.
When have we ever worried about homework? She always did reasonably well in school, but never fussed over her work like some other students did.
Tami had never focused much on homework, either, but that had been Muggle homework. Lily had always envied the way Tami’s dad would wave it off if she ever got bad marks in school. Now Lily understood, though, that the reason for that was because it had been muggle homework. Lily was sure that if they started failing their subjects in Hogwarts, Mr. Lorens would be very disappointed in Tami.
And Lily didn’t want Mr. Lorens to think badly of her, either. Besides, Lily’s parents had always expected her to do well, too, and that didn’t change whether she attended a muggle school or not.
Since her arrival at Hogwarts, she was finding it difficult to be bothered by trivial matters. She was so happy to actually be in a genuine, honest-to-goodness magical school, that she couldn’t get herself really worked up over something as mundane as homework.
But she was sure she’d feel different about it in the morning, when they would have to face their displeased professors. She stared absently at the scrap of parchment lying on the table, which she had filled with doodles of cats and flowers, and crumpled it in frustration, clenching it tightly in her fist. What are we going to do? she thought despairingly.
By the third week of January, the holidays felt like ages ago, and they were knee-deep in homework that threatened to increase to chest-deep. The novelty of doing magical homework had pretty much worn off, and now they rarely ever did their work the day it was assigned. The spells they were learning were frustratingly simple, and the first years longed to perform powerful magic.
Of course, as Professor McGonagall told them every time they complained, the higher levels of magic would be unattainable unless they mastered the basics first...but still. Who wanted to write an essay on the theory of levitation rather than just levitate something?
Nobody the girls knew. Except for one swot in fifth year who sat with his books and parchment and muttered to himself at odd intervals. But they didn’t really know him, of course, so he didn’t count. They’d only ever heard him speak once-after they laughed loudly at a joke Dani made-and that was to let them know that if they didn’t shut up he’d hex them. So they changed their favorite couch to the squishy yellow one near the staircase instead of the faded red one near the fire.
Lately, they’d been pushing off their homework for the last day possible, but it had always gotten done in time for class. Until now.
“So,” said Lily, stating her thought aloud, “what are we going to do? We might need to check some stuff up at the library, and we’ve only got twenty-five minutes till curfew.”
“Don’t look at me.” Tami shrugged and glanced away.
“Okay guys, shut up,” Dani chimed in, looking up from the book she was reading. “I’ve got a great idea!”
“Oh, fancy you telling us to shut up,” Tami said grumpily. “You talk more than both of us combined.”
“Oh?” Danielle raised her eyebrows. “Maybe I do. I’ll shut up, then. My fantastic idea will stay right here,”-she raised one finger and tapped her left temple gently-“and I’ll leave you two to gripe at each other while you write your essays! How’s that?” She picked up her book resolutely and hid her face once more behind it.
“Aww, come on, Dani...” Lily interjected. “At least tell me!”
“Hmm...” Dani peered around the edge of the book, then smiled widely. “Okay. You gotta hear this.” She bent to Lily’s ear and moved away a strand of dark red hair. Lily’s green eyes opened wide as Dani murmured softly so that Tami couldn’t hear.
“Wicked!” Lily grinned. “Dani, you’re a complete genius!”
“I always thought so,” Dani replied, smiling. Then she winked at Lily. “But thanks for confirming my opinion.”
“Ah, you can’t leave me to do the essay on my own!” Tami exclaimed.
“Says who?” Danielle replied coolly, staring into Tami’s light brown eyes, which were wide open in outrage.
“Come on, Dani...You know I didn’t mean it!”
“Do I?” she asked, raising her eyebrows. “How would I know?” Dani tried to keep a smile off her face as she sensed an impending victory.
Tami let out a deep breath and closed her eyes. “Dani,” she said slowly, “I’m sorry, okay?”
“No problem.” Dani grinned and punched her lightly on the shoulder. “Now, my plan is...”
“I dunno,” Tami said doubtfully, after hearing Dani’s idea. “You think he’ll do it? We’ve never really met him-I mean, you’ve introduced us, and all, but we’ve never really spoken to him, and--”
“Now that I think of it that way,” Lily said slowly, “it is sort of rude to go to him just when we need his help with homework...”
“Oh, come on. Scott’s not like that at all. He says he thought you were very nice when he met you, and Merlin’s beard, we’ve been friends for years. Even if he didn’t want to do it for you, he’d do it for me. But anyway, he’d do it for you, too-he’s really nice.”
“I think only you should go, Dani,” said Lily decisively.
“What? I’m not going there myself this late! I mean, the Bloody Baron’s bound to show up just at that bit where the corridor on the second floor is dark, and--”
“Hey, okay,” Tami interrupted. ‘We’ll walk you till the corridor before the Ravenclaw one, and we’ll wait next to that statue of Brian the Bighearted--”
“While you go talk to Scott,” Lily finished.
“Hmm.” Dani pondered this idea for a moment, then nodded. “Okay.” She led the way out of the Gryffindor common room and closed the portrait as Lily and Tami exited behind her.
“And since he’s a Ravenclaw, he probably got the homework right,” Lily said thoughtfully as they set off for the Ravenclaw common room.
“Exactly,” said Dani, grinning.
Scott McAllen was Dani’s best friend and next-door neighbor back in Wales. When they’d been sorted into different houses, Dani had been inconsolable, at first. Then, after she’d made friends with Tami and Lily, she realized that having more friends didn’t take away from her friendship with Scott.
Dani and Scott hung out together a few hours a week, and Tami and Lily had, so far, not joined Scott and Dani in their walks around the castle and grounds, despite both Dani and Scott assuring them that they could, and asking them if they would join them. Tami and Lily had felt uncomfortable...after all, they were friends with Dani for a few months, while Scott had years of friendship behind him. Also, Scott was sort of shy when Dani wasn’t around...
Dani understood Lily’s and Tami’s hesitance to combine the friendships. They were, of course, different-after all, she had millions of small jokes and memories with Scott, and sometimes all it took was a glance for one to know what the other meant to say. Still, Dani wished sometimes that they could all hang out together. She’d decided not to push the matter and figured that with time, the girls and Scott would become more comfortable with each other. Until then, she had Scott all to herself...and she didn’t really mind.
Tami and Lily huddled next to the large marble statue of Brian the Bighearted, shivering a bit as a draft blew down the corridor, probably the fault of a window left carelessly open somewhere nearby. The torches on the walls flickered a little, but didn’t go out.
“I swear, it’s nearly as cold here as it is in the dungeons.”
Lily nodded at this pronouncement and hugged herself, trembling slightly from the chill. “Should’ve thought to bring a cloak.”
A passing prefect glanced at them and pointed at his watch. Tami nodded to show they got the message. “Puffed-up toad,” she muttered as he turned the corner. “We know what time it is.”
Dani leaned against the wall opposite the Ravenclaw entrance tapestry, waiting for a Ravenclaw to arrive so that she could ask them to call Scott for her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something move next to her, and leaped away from the wall with a small shriek as a beetle scurried downwards.
“Dani!” a voice exclaimed, and there was Scott, rounding the corner. “Are you okay? It’s twenty-five minutes to curfew, you know.”
Dani rolled her eyes. “I know.” She shuddered. “I can’t stand all these bugs. They’re so horrid.”
“Bugs?” He raised his eyebrows. “I haven’t noticed. It makes sense, though, because there are cracks and tiny holes all over the walls. Think of it this way-we’re making all this bright light and noise in their homes, and they’re just scared and trying to find someplace to hide.”
“Yeah, I reckon I see what you mean...so should I feel sorry for them?” Dani asked.
Scott shrugged, and tossed his head as a strand of golden brown hair fell over his left eye. “If you want to. So what’s up? Why’d you come over here?”
“Oh, that. Um...tell me, have you done your Transfiguration homework?”
Scott grinned, a dimple showing in one cheek. “Why do you ask? Have you been promoted to prefect?”
“Very funny. Ha, ha,” said Dani dryly. “Okay, I’m in a bit of a tight spot...see, I just realized I haven’t done it--”
“Why’d you leave it for so late, Dani?”
“Oh, so now you’re the prefect?” she retorted.
Scott laughed. “You’ve got a point there. Okay, yes--I have finished my homework, and yeah, you can have it...but I want it back at breakfast tomorrow.”
“Fine, I’ll be done with it by then.”
“Come on in, then,” said Scott, and whispered the password to the silently pacing werewolves on the tapestry that concealed the entrance. They paused and snarled softly, then Scott pushed aside the tapestry, motioning for Dani to enter ahead of him.
In the common room, Dani flopped onto a spare couch while Scott went upstairs to get his bookbag, and felt several Ravenclaws staring at her. Usually the only Gryffindors that came in here were older students, especially if they were dating a Ravenclaw. Thank Merlin the couple status isn’t a requirement to be allowed into the room. That would just be...weird.
Scott walked over to her with his eyes lit up. “Guess what I got today?”
“Um...I dunno. What?”
“Agrippa!” Scott was an avid Famous Witches and Wizards cards collector, and he was missing only six cards. Agrippa was particularly rare; it was rumored that only ten of them were printed every year.
“Really? Let me see!” Dani bent over the card and inspected the wizard’s weather-beaten face. His eyes were kind, though sort of sad, and his nose was rather long. “Wow, he looks...noble.”
“He was,” Scott replied. “He once stayed in a city that was nearly wiped out by plague to care for the few sick people that were left.”
“Amazing.” Now the wizard smiled a little, but his eyes remained sad. Dani stared a few minutes longer, than tore her eyes away. “Well, keep it somewhere safe.”
“You think you have to tell me that? I will. And if I ever want to sell it, it’s worth a fair amount of gold to really dedicated collectors.”
“Yeah.” Dani yawned. “Oh! I’m sorry about that, it’s just that it’s the end of a really long day...”
“That’s okay, don’t worry about it. You need to get going, anyway. Here’s the essay.” He drew a tightly-rolled parchment out of his bookbag. “And there’s no need to copy it all“it’s three feet long.”
“Copy?” Dani asked, grinning. “Who said anything about copying? We’re just gonna use it as...er...an outline.”
Scott smiled widely and winked as he escorted Dani to the entrance. “Whatever you say. Just remember, I want it back by breakfast tomorrow, no later.”
Dani shrugged. “Sure...’night. And thanks.”
“Anytime,” Scott replied, punching her lightly on the shoulder as she left the room.
“I’m so bored,” said Sirius, as he flopped onto a couch in a corner of the Gryffindor common room.
James, sitting at the scratched oak table next to the couch, frowned slightly as he reread the paragraph he’d just written. He crossed out the third sentence, then grinned and slammed his books shut. “All done.” He collected his books, parchment and quills which he’d spread over half the table and threw them into his bookbag. “I’ll be back in a few minutes; just going to put these away.”
“No problem, mate. I’ll be right here,” Sirius replied. “And see what Remus is up to, he’s been in the dorm much longer than he said he would be. Do me a favor, and don’t get stuck up there, too, okay?”
“I’ll do my best.” James grinned and headed for the staircase.
Sirius’ eyes followed James as he traipsed upstairs, then he was alone next tho the flickering fire. A bunch of sixth year boys sat down on the couch next to him, and Sirius thought he heard the clink of hidden Firewhiskey bottles. Sirius had always helped himself to alcohol at number twelve, Grimmauld Place-he never thought it as his house, and especially not as ‘home’-and it irritated him that here in Hogwarts he had no access to the drinks he sometimes wanted. Not that he was an alcoholic, but sometimes he could really have used just a few shots of something strong.
Like, for example, last week Monday. And Sirius’ thoughts focused once more on the scene he’d been trying to block out ever since it had happened.
He’d known he wasn’t off the hook when his mother completely ignored the fact that he’d liberally poisoned her Christmas dinner. She didn’t have any proof he did it, but then again, she never waited for evidence before blaming and punishing him. So it had unnerved him when she didn’t mention a thing about it. She hadn’t even shown any discomfort after her initial painful reaction, and he later found out that she had an antidote hidden.
But of course, it wouldn’t occur to her to test the antidote on me after she poisoned me, he thought angrily, remembering the time she’d poured the evil liquid down his throat. The punishment he’d endured last week had been worse, in a way, and he was still feeling the repercussions. Literally.
He raised a hand to his right shoulder, touching it gingerly. This time, his dear old mum had waited till he returned to school and was nicely settled in after the holidays. He’d just pushed the entire incident from his mind, chalking it up to a victory on his side, when his mum struck back.
James, Sirius, Peter and Remus had been at dinner in the Great Hall, which was packed to its capacity. It’d been a long day, and Sirius filled a plate with chicken and baked potatoes. He’d just raised a chicken leg to his mouth, barely taken a bite, when he saw it.
“Hey, check that out,” James said, motioning at the pure black owl soaring towards them. “I’ve never seen--” He cut himself off, his voice rising in surprise. “Hold on, it’s headed for our table!” The owl landed next to Sirius, knocking over his goblet with one wing as he eagerly gouged a bite of chicken with his curved beak. He helped himself to James’ pumpkin juice, then took off, circling the Great Hall once before exiting through an opening high on the wall.
“Well,” Remus started, “that was sort of rude...” he trailed off when he saw Sirius’ face, eyes fixed on a red envelope sitting next to his plate. Smoke began rising from the edges of the parchment.
“No,” Sirius muttered, his face white. “She can’t have. She can’t.” He could feel curious eyes on him-apparently, many people had noticed the owl’s arrival. It was unusual for an owl to deliver anything in the evening at Hogwarts.
“What--” Peter started, and the envelope suddenly burst into flames. A high, screeching voice echoed around the Great Hall, yelling Sirius’ name.
“Sirius Black!”
“Yeah, mum,” Sirius snarled. “Make sure everyone knows exactly who you’re yelling at.”
“You filthy piece of vermin! You thought you could get away with something as abominable as that?! You vile bit of disgusting flesh! You aren’t fit to feed the most gruesome acromantula“no death is good enough for you! You stinking bit of...”
Her voice went on and on. Almost everyone was staring at Sirius with shocked looks on their faces, wondering what on earth he’d done. Walburga Black had a seemingly endless supply of curse words, and she barely refrained from using words that would’ve made even the toughest seventh year raise an eyebrow in surprise.
Professor McGonagall leaned over and whispered to Dumbledore. “Not that I think we should interfere in family affairs, but don’t you think this is a bit too much for--” She gasped as Walburga finally lost control and shrieked an especially foul word.
Dumbledore shook his head sadly. “I don’t know what he’s done, but nothing short of mass murder should warrant such language. And even then...” He stood decisively and drew his wand. “Finite Incantatem!” he shouted.
Nothing happened. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. “Silencio!” he said, waving his wand emphatically. The wailing voice of Walburga Black continued.
Sirius groaned and buried his head in his arms. She’s bewitched it, it’s never going to stop...never... Small mutterings started up. Nobody had ever seen Dumbledore unable to resolve any sort of problem.
Then, as Walburga launched more deeply into her vile monologue, encouraging the Slytherins to deliver as many hexes as possible from her to Sirius, Dumbledore suddenly smiled and strode over to the Gryffindor table.
“Agaumenti!” he yelled over Walburga’s shrieks, and water spilled onto the burning envelope and began to spread in an ever-increasing circle on the table, cascading over the edge.
As the flames hissed and sparked the voice crackled as well, breaking off, then starting up again, but this time unclear and garbled. Dumbledore continued pouring water, one final shriek sounded, and the flames went out.
Dumbledore sighed. “I’m sorry, Mr. Potter, Black, Pettigrew and Lupin. It appears the water has soaked your robes...kindly go upstairs and change, you wouldn’t want to catch cold. And it seems a terrible inconvenience to come back down afterwards...I’ll send dinner up to your common room.” He pointed his wand upwards, rotating it quickly, and blue sparks flew out of it, disappearing before they reached the ceiling.
“Thank you, sir.” Remus stood up. The Great Hall was murmuring, some students eyeing Sirius with pity, others-mostly the Slytherins-smirking and poking each other. Every head turned to follow James, Remus, Sirius and Peter as they left the Great Hall.
“Good old Dumbledore,” Remus said as they began climbing the stairs. There was a long silence, during which none of the boys looked at each other.
Sirius’ face was red with anger and embarrassment. James turned towards him. “I’m--” He paused awkwardly. “I’m sorry, mate.” Remus and Peter nodded.
Sirius turned tortured eyes towards James. “It’s...I reckon it’s better this way,” he muttered. “Now you know what the old hag’s all about...” his voice trailed off and he bowed his head, staring at the hem of his robe as it swished around his moving feet.
In all the months James had been friends with Sirius, he’d never seen him so...beaten. Though Sirius had occasional outbursts about his parents, seeing Sirius so dismal was unnatural, disturbing. The boys were silent for a while, trudging up steps and through tapestries.
When they reached the common room ten minutes later, they ate the sandwiches lying on the central table-courtesy of Professor Dumbledore-and chatted lightly, tactfully avoiding the subject of what had just occurred in the Great Hall.
Now, a week later, they still didn’t talk about it, unless Sirius mentioned it. Sirius appreciated that they were giving him the room he needed. Although I’ve got to tell James someday about what I did on Christmas. He’ll love that. Sirius grinned and stretched, then grimaced as his tender right shoulder made contact with the back of the armchair.
Some fifth-year Slytherins had taken Walburga Black at her word, and begun bothering him whenever there were no teachers present. His sore shoulder was the remainder of a bullying incident just yesterday, when Sirius had tripped on his way out of Potions and banged his shoulder hard into the stone wall.
Of course, the Slytherin had denied that he’d had anything to do with Sirius’ fall when Sirius confronted him, but Sirius hadn’t missed the fact that the Slytherin had been pointing his wand at him, jinxing him.
Sirius scowled as he stared into the flames. His mother had ensured that if she wouldn’t be here to torture him, other people would do the nasty work for her. He sighed, watching as a new stick of wood appeared, hovered over the fire for a moment, then fell onto the flames, which hissed hungrily and immediately began licking at the dry wood.
He knew most mums loved their children, but to him the entire concept was foreign. His mother had never shown him any affection whatsoever. In fact, his earliest memory from his childhood was when he was about five, of his mother hexing him so that he couldn’t move or speak and then leaving him in a broom closet for two days.
But still, she was his mother. And he couldn’t suppress the natural urge he often got, wanting to please her, hoping that this time, she’d forgive him for whatever she hated him for. He usually did the odd and sometimes demented tasks she set for him willingly, whenever it didn’t involve hurting himself or anyone else. He was desperate to earn her love and respect. But it never happened...
James took the stairs two at a time, climbing them till he reached the first years’ dormitory. He opened the door and his eyebrows went up in surprise. “Remus? Why are you in bed, mate?”
Remus sat up quickly and shrugged. “I was just a bit...tired, that’s all,” he said, not quite meeting James’ eyes as he spoke.
James raised an eyebrow. “If you say so.”
Remus had avoided showing his exhaustion so far before and after his visits ‘home’, but more often now, he was slipping up. Not for the first time, he thought of how much easier it would be if his friends would know about his condition...No. I’m not going to tell them. They’d never talk to me again...
James chucked his bookbag on the floor next to his night table, then came over and sat on Remus’ bed.
“Oh, and I was talking to Peter,” Remus added.
“Hullo, Peter,” James said, smiling at him. “What were you two talking about?”
Peter smiled back shyly at James, before nodding at Remus. “You tell him.”
“Well,” Remus started, “remember we really wanted to pay back that Slytherin fifth year, Robinson--the one that trip-jinxed Sirius in the Charms corridor last week?”
James nodded slowly, knitting his eyebrows. “Yeah...”
“Okay, so Peter, here,” said Remus, raising a hand in Peter’s direction, “had a marvelous idea.”
“You did?” James asked Peter excitedly. “What is it?”
“Erm...” Peter looked slightly uncomfortable under James’ inquiring glance. He wasn’t sure what sort of reception his suggestion was going to get.
Remus nodded at him encouragingly.
“I thought...you know how we’ve learnt levitation in Charms?”
James nodded. “Go on.”
“So I thought, we could levitate his goblet right after he’s filled it pumpkin juice, and--”
“Let it fall onto him!” James completed, his eyes sparkling. “Brilliant!”
Peter grinned. “You think so?”
“Yes, I really do,” James responded. “Just let me go get Sirius up here-we can’t discuss this in the common room, it’s too crowded-and we can work out all the details!” James bounded to the door and pulled it open.
Back in the common room, Sirius sighed, debating whether or not he should ask the sixth years for a swig of firewhiskey. He glanced over at them-their conversation was steadily getting louder-and changed his mind when he saw their flushed faces. If they were drunk already, they probably wouldn’t be feeling too generous.
He began to sigh again, but it changed into a yawn, and he stood resignedly. James is taking too long. He headed for the stairs leading to the boys’ dormitories, kicking a table leg as he went.
Halfway down the curving stairs James collided hard into somebody. “Oh, Merlin! I’m sorry, I--Sirius?” James asked as he straightened up and saw who he had bumped into. “I thought you were going to wait downstairs?”
“Well, yeah, but it was taking you a bit too long, so I reckoned I’d come up and see what was keeping you both,” Sirius replied, with an injured expression, rubbing his shoulder. “And that hurt, James. Now I can’t move either one of my shoulders.”
“I’m really sorry,” James said again. “But you’ve got to hurry upstairs, Peter had this absolutely wonderful idea...”
“He did?” Sirius asked, somewhat surprised. “What sort of idea?”
“About revenging ourselves on that fifth year that trip-jinxed you yesterday,” James replied.
“Really?” Sirius asked, his eyes brightening. “Now that I’ve got to hear.”
A/N: So...you like?? Tell me, tell me!!