“Ugh,” said Sirius, sitting down with a grunt on the sofa in the Common Room. “I think ‘A Potionmaker’s Handbook’ is crushing my spleen…you’d think Slughorn was trying to kill us, giving us an essay like this!” He shifted his arms so the immense stack of books on his lap fell onto the couch.
“Seeing as this is school, Sirius,” said Remus, who was sitting on the floor pouring over a piece of parchment, “you need to get used to schoolwork.
James made a disgruntled noise from an armchair near the fire. “Easy for you to say. All you have to do is say one word to Grandpa Slughorn…”
Sirius gave a bark of laughter. “Yeah Remus, what’s up with that, anyway? Why does he play favorites with you all the time?”
Remus turned slightly pink. “I believe Horace Slughorn plays favorites with anyone in his class who shows talent. Lily Evans, for example.”
“Talent is an understatement. That girl could make the Drought of Peace with half her brain tied behind her back,” said Sirius vehemently. “First of all, I a) suck at Potions, b) do not know what the hell wormgrass is, and c) do not give a bat bogey what its properties are.”
“Wormgrass is a plant found only in the northern regions of Greenland. It thrives under ice and is useful only when quite fresh, when its leaves are still razor sharp. In this form it can be a key ingredient in many different poisons.”
James chuckled. “Now, now, Remus, what have we told you about eating the textbooks?”
“If you two would just try to read a book once in a while, this assignment we be much easier.”
“I beg to differ.”
All of them looked up as Jennifer walked towards them from the portrait hole. She looked half-dead. “Old Sluggy kept me there for extra time. Apparently, he doesn’t appreciate the beauty of Snape covered in bubotuber puss.”
Sirius stared at her. “Wait--you’re telling me that you covered Snape with bubotuber puss?”
She smiled wryly. “Actually, I sort of made it explode in his face. But trust me, I had a good reason.”
James leaned in, curious. “Oh really?”
Jennifer sat down in a chair opposite his. “Let’s just say he spoke some choice words to Lily,” she growled.
“Oh yeah, where is Lily?” asked James.
Jen rolled her eyes. “Slughorn kept her late; she’s his favorite you know.” (here Sirius looked at Remus darkly) “Last I checked they were talking about moonstone or something.”
Remus finished his paper with a flourish and began rolling it up. Jennifer turned on him, incredulous. “Oy, don’t tell me you’re already finished! I haven’t even started yet!”
He shrugged and slipped the essay into his bag. “I work quickly. Anyway, I think I’ll go to bed now, I…feel kind of tired.” James looked up to see his friend walking toward the boys’ dormitories. He exchanged a quick glance with Sirius. Just one more day now...
Lily’s eyes opened slowly. For a little while she lay in her bed, not quite realizing she was awake. Why am I not asleep? Then she remembered. She’d heard something. A small noise that had awakened her…
She sat up quietly. From the moonlight shining in her window, she could see Jen and Anne in their beds. It wasn’t them…she looked around. Nothing seemed amiss. That’s when she heard it. Whispers just barely floating up from the Common Room. She pulled her jeans quietly back on and pinned on her Head Girl badge, preparing to confront any mischief makers.
She tip-toed to the dormitory door and turned the knob. Inch by inch, it opened to allow the whispering to reach her ears. Whoever it was, they were out of her view-but the orange light from the fireplace cast their elongated shadows weirdly over the carpet. There were three. She poked her head out the door to hear them.
“…not supposed to happen yet!” There was a scuffling sound.
“Whether we like it or not, it is happening. We have to get him out. Damn it, why isn’t Wormtail here yet?” More scuffling, louder this time.
One of them gave a soft groan. “We don’t have time. Let’s go.”
With that, the shadows and their owners retreated through the portrait hole. Lily waited for it to close after them, then leaped into action. She sprang down the stairs as quietly as possible, crossed the Common Room, and exited through the portrait hole. She looked around the dark corridor. No one to the right…turning around, she was just in time to see one of the front doors drifting shut.
She took off at a run. Wrenching it open, she ran out onto the grounds. And then she stopped. She surveyed the whole dark grounds, but could see no one. No one here…there’s no one here! Then she heard a yell.
She whipped around. It sounds like it came from the Whomping Willow! Her stomach did a strange flip. This trouble-making was going too far…
Ignoring her gut, Lily ran toward the Willow. There was still no one there, but she ran anyway. A cloud shifted and the moon was obscured. She stopped, fearing she would run in to something. It was almost completely dark. She gripped her wand. The moon burst forth from behind the clouds.
“NO!”
Her head whipped in the direction of the Willow. As if a fluid cloth had fallen away, the three figures came into view again. Two seemed to be fighting with the third. They thrashed and grappled, one finally pinning him to the ground. As she looked, Lily couldn’t see the other figure. Then a large black dog bounded toward the base of the tree.
The Whomping Willow sprang to life, flailing its limbs at the animal. The dog dodged its blows, weaving in and out. For a moment it was obstructed--then the tree froze. The figure on the ground dragged his captive to the base of the tree, and all three disappeared. Lily stood for a moment, undecided. Then she took off at a sprint.
As she ran toward the Willow, she noticed something she couldn’t see from her former position. There was a hole near the roots of the tree. She concentrated on it as she sped closer. She was almost there…almost…almost…NOW!
With a reckless leap, she dove head-first into the hole. Whump. She landed painfully on her stomach. A little cloud of dust rose around her. Coughing, she rose to her feet.
Wait. This isn’t a hole--it’s a tunnel. A dark passage, large enough for three people, twisted off in front of her. What is this place? I never knew there was a secret tunnel under the Whomping Willow. She held her wand out in front of her.
“Lumos.” The light from her wand showed that several low, tight passages branched off from her own. She kept to her own, the largest one. The air was damp and chilly, and she shivered. She walked in silence. After several minutes, a sound that sent a corkscrew sensation up her spine echoed down the passage. It was low and elongated; the sound of someone in extreme pain. She had to hurry. Someone was badly hurt.
She quickened her pace through sinuous passage. The person shrieked again and again, every time louder and deeper until it was like a howl. Each one sounded closer than the last. She finally felt a rush of fresh air as she neared the end of the passageway. She rounded one more curve, and then stumbled into a chamber. Her mouth opened with surprise. There were no students.
Crouched in the middle of the room, with its claws outstretched, its fangs bared, was a werewolf.
L'Amour Commence by Pinkerton
Chapter Notes: This chapter should be...interesting.