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Students Out of Bed


Peter had completely forgotten which direction they'd come from when he scrambled into the hall. In his panic, he'd run the length of the corridor and, thinking he heard Lucius Malfoy coming up behind him, he blindly opened the first door he put hands on. Wrenching it opened, he ducked inside, stumbled backwards, and fell down a couple short steps that brought him into an inset part of the floor, landing flat on his back.

He found he was staring up at a ceiling that looked rather like a giant green fish tank, with long, swirling aquatic plants looming like shadows through the water beyond the glass. It cast an erie, dark green glow about the room. He rolled onto his stomach and looked around. There were couches and chairs surrounding a wrought iron fire place with large decorative snakes that wound and curled from the sides. Green and silver and stone walls cast a dark sophistication about the room. He felt his mouth go quite dry and he scrambled to his feet.

Somehow or other, he'd ended up in the Slytherin common room.

He rushed to get to the door again when a figure stepped out of the dark, blocking his way.

“What are you doing here?” came a slick voice. The figure stepped into the green glow and his shaggy, greasy hair was unmistakable. Severus Snape stared at him through the dark as Peter squirmed quite uncomfortably. Severus, who had heard Lucius Malfoy rush from the common room, had gotten up to go investigate and been nearly bowled over by Peter running into the room. Peter was now trembling before him, and obviously wasn't about to tell him what he was doing in the room. Only a Slytherin could open the door; in lieu of a password, the handle was bewitched in much a similar fashion as the sorting hat. Peter's ability to open the door was interesting, to say the least. Severus squinted at him. “Well?” he prompted.

Peter shook his head and made to dodge 'round Severus for the door, but Severus caught him by the arm to stop him going out and stared at him severely. Peter grimaced away. After a moment of silence, Severus's face lit with an expression of understanding, or suspicion. He looked back at the door for a moment, then back to Peter. “Where are your friends?” he asked thickly.

“I'm alone,” Peter squeaked.

“Obviously,” Snape said darkly. “But you weren't when you came down here to snoop about, were you? Where did they go?”

“Dunno what you're talking about,” Peter stammered, “I – I came down – uh – alone.”

Severus's voice was flat, “You wouldn't come here alone. You aren't brave enough.”

“I'm brave,” Peter said tremulously. “I'm in Gryffindor.”

“I don't know how.” Severus considered him a moment. “Either way – with or without them – you're in an awful lot of trouble. You aren't supposed to be in another house's common room for one, or even out of bed at all, at this hour, for another. I think Mr. Filch will be quite interested in hearing about this visit you've paid us here.”

Peter couldn't believe the trouble he was about to be in, all because of James, Sirius, and Remus. It was all their faults! If they'd just minded their own business and not dragged him down here on this stupid, so-called mission… Like there was anything they could do about it – Them! First years! It was pointless, and now he was going to get detention – or expelled, or something – and it wasn't even his fault, his idea. Yet where were James and Sirius now? Not getting caught, that's where, probably already tucked back in their beds, warm and comfortable...

Severus smirked darkly. “Perhaps if you were not caught alone, you could explain exactly what happened and not be in so much trouble.”

Peter looked up at Severus, a simpering sort of expression on his face. It was as though Severus could read his mind, he thought. And – oh, how tempted he was to tell Severus the boys had been there! It would be much easier to push off the trouble on the others… but they were the only others in the Gryffindor house, besides Lily, and he didn't want to lose them as friends. However much their adventures put him in danger or got him into trouble. He didn't want to spend the next six years in exile, with backs-turned in the dormitory. So, instead of giving them up, he shook his head, “I told you,” he stammered, “I came alone.”

“Fine,” Severus said, “Don't tell, then.” Pulling Peter along, he jerked open the door and dragged him along into the hallway, past the prefect's toilet – which Peter glanced back at fearfully as they passed – and up the steps into the entrance hall.

In the hall, there was a new scene happening. Malfoy was halfway up the stairs to the second floor, pulling along a struggling James Potter, following behind Mr. Filch, who was dragging along Sirius Black.

“Let – me – go!” James was saying, fighting against Lucius's strong grasp on his elbow, “I can walk on my own, thank you very much!” But the effect was only that Lucius tightened his grip.

“Students out of bed, wandering around the castle like it's a fun house…” muttered Filch, seeming almost gleeful at the prospect of getting to punish them.

Severus hurried across the flagstone floor, Peter walking up behind him resignedly, “I've found another one,” he announced, his voice echoing up the stairs. Malfoy glanced back and a wicked glint lit his eyes as a smirk crossed his face.

“Oh great,” groaned Sirius, “It's Snivelly.”

“A third?” hissed Filch, looking back as well. “Utter mutiny! They've abandoned all sense! Breaking the rules so blatantly, as though they're above such things… Will be sorry, won't you?” he added, turning to look at Sirius's scowling face, “Once you've been punished. Lucky, you are, that Dumbledore took away the old punishments… I'd string you up and cane you, if I could...”

A booming voice suddenly filled the moon-lit hall, “Nobody will be being strung up and beaten tonight, Mr. Filch.”

All six pairs of eyes in the room turned to see Albus Dumbledore coming down the stairs, followed by Remus Lupin, who was practically running to keep up with the headmaster, taking three steps for each of the older wizard's long strides.

“Students caught out of bed, sir,” Mr. Filch said eagerly.

“Nevertheless, there is no need to manhandle students,” Dumbledore said. Reluctantly, Filch let go of Sirius's arm. Sirius glowered up at him and rubbed the spot Filch's hand had clutched him. Behind them, Malfoy and Snape both released their prey, equally reluctantly. Dumbledore smiled, “Very good. Now, let us go and have a seat and figure out exactly what is going on this evening, shall we?” he waved toward the Great Hall, and they all shuffled into the empty room, the enchanted ceiling glowing with magically reflected star and moon light overhead.

They all took a seat facing one another across the nearest table, the Ravenclaw's house table. Dumbledore magicked a chintz chair and settled himself down at the head of the table where they were all sitting. “Tea?” he asked, and before anyone could answer – not that anyone was about to – he waved his wand and eight tea cups appeared before them. Dumbledore smiled benignly, lifted his cup to his mouth and looked about. “So,” he said, “Who is going to explain why so many students are out of bed at such an hour?”

“Disrespect!” Filch sneered, “No fear of punishment! Thinking they can get away with doing whatever they like...” he glared around at the students.

Dumbledore rubbed his fingertips together. “Perhaps.”

“I heard quite a lot of noise in the hallway outside of the Slytherin common room,” Malfoy said in a commanding voice, “And, being Head Boy, I thought it my duty to enforce the rules of the castle and I went, expecting to find Slytherin students, to collect the offenders and found these first years --”

James exploded, “That's a lie!”

“Yeah! He summoned you,” Sirius snapped.

Malfoy's eyes flickered ever so slightly as he looked at the two first years. “I haven't any idea what you're talking about.”

“The Dark Lord!” Sirius snapped.

Dumbledore looked mildly surprised, pressing his steepled hands to his lips as he looked over the seven people seated 'round the end of the table. “Let us not assign titles like 'Lord' to those who have not earned them,” he said. “The man to whom you are referring calls himself Voldemort these days. We shall use that name for him in this school.”

“Well Voldemort, then,” Sirius said. “Malfoy's a Death Eater! He works for Voldemort.”

Malfoy chuckled, eyeing Sirius darkly, “My, my, how quickly we'll turn on even blood in the name of getting out of trouble.” He turned back to Dumbledore. “This is, of course, absurd.”

“Indeed,” mumbled Dumbledore, but his expression seemed grim.

“These four students were out of bounds, out of their dorms, in the middle of the night, sneaking 'round the Slytherin halls,” Lucius said hotly, “Doing Merlin-knows-what… They're known bullies,” he added. “They've antagonized Severus since the first day of term.”

Severus felt his face grow hot with anger. He felt betrayed by Lucius for having brought his trouble with the Gryffindors up at a time like this.

“He's bullied us back,” muttered Sirius hotly.

“Bullocks!” Severus snapped. “I haven't bullied you!”

“You have!” James yelped, “Turned Lily against us, too, haven't you?”

“Don't talk about Lily! You don't even know her!” Severus snapped.

“She doesn't belong to you!” James said, “She isn't your house elf, which is how you seem to treat her.”

Sirius scoffed, “James, please, Severus doesn't have any clue how a house elf is treated. His family's too poor to have a house elf.”

“See?!” shouted Severus, pointing, “Always that lot that starts it!”

And quite suddenly Severus, James, and Sirius were all shouting at once at one another, arguing about who had started what and when.

Dumbledore stood up, “Enough.” They all shut up. “I am led to believe that everyone at this table is quite guilty of exactly the same thing – being out of bed at a late hour – and -” Dumbledore held up his hand to stop Sirius from interrupting him, “- I don't think I am getting a full story from any of you. Just a lot of finger pointing across this table. I believe that we need to be careful of the accusations that we pass, and keep in mind that when we point a finger at someone else, there are four others pointing back at ourselves. Now, for tonight, I say that we shall all go to bed and trust that I shall be looking into the things we have discussed here tonight – and keeping an eye on each of you. I recommend that we follow the rules that have been set at this school, and respect them.”

Filch's voice was panicked. “What? No punishment?”

“Not tonight, Mr. Filch, I am very sorry to inform you,” Dumbledore said. “Now, please, Mr. Filch, if you will see Severus and Lucius to the Slytherin dungeons, I will bring Remus, James, Peter, and Sirius to Gryffindor tower.”

Filch looked rather depressed. “Yes, headmaster,” he muttered.

“Very good,” Dumbledore said brightly, “Pip, pip, then.” He waved his wand and the tea cups and chair he'd been sitting in disappeared with a pop. He shooed the students and Filch out of the Great Hall, leading the shuffling Gryffindors up the stairs as Filch muttered under his breath, leading Lucius and Severus down into the dungeons. Severus glared back over his shoulder before they turned the corner at the bottom of the steps.

Dumbledore waved the Gryffindors ahead of him up the stairs, “Come along,” he said, “Off to bed, to dream dreams and rest our minds.”

They trudged along. As they climbed the stairs through the castle, all the way up to Gryffindor Tower, Sirius wondered how he could convince Dumbledore of what they'd found out. It was at the portrait of the Fat Lady, as the other three were climbing through, that Sirius turned back to the headmaster. “He's in the mirror somehow,” he said.

Dumbledore looked mildly interested.

“Voldemort, I mean,” Sirius expanded, “In the prefect's toilet. We saw him. Somehow the mirror doesn't reflect what's in front of it, but something else.” He reached into his pocket and withdrew the piece of broken mirror that James had found. “This piece broke off from it.” He paused, and anded it to Dumbledore slowly, guiltily. “I don't know. We just wanted to check it out. Bilius Weasley was suspicious, too. He thought Professor Tutman might be… might be imperiused. By Malfoy. I'm sorry, sir.”

Dumbledore nodded. “I appreciate you telling me the truth, Sirius,” he said, taking the bit of mirror. “And as I said downstairs, I will look into this. But, in the future, it would be advisable to share your suspicions with me first… rather than investigating the matter yourself. Do you understand?”

“Yes sir,” Sirius nodded.

Dumbledore eyed him for a moment, then sighed and straightened his glasses, tucking the bit of mirror into a pocket in his long robes. “Very well. To bed with you, then.”

“Good night, sir,” Sirius said.

“Good night,” Dumbledore said.

Dumbledore watched Sirius disappear into the common room, and closed the portrait hole. He mused to himself, pulling the mirror from his pocket once more, and walked off down the corridor, back to his office, examining it as he turned it over in his hands.