See The Rainbows In My Eyes

Toilet Clogging

Monday 13th September 1976

The journey through the castle to North Tower was a long one. Six years at Hogwarts and Sirius still wasn't used to the neverending stairs. He thought he was fit for his age, but the wobble of his legs after his third flight proved otherwise.

"There's — got — to — be — a — short — cut," he panted, as he and Remus climbed the seventh long staircase and emerged on an unfamiliar landing, where there was nothing but a large painting of a bare stretch of grass hanging on the stone wall.

Remus was the only one out of their friend group who'd selected Divination on Monday mornings as well, but he didn't seem as worn out as Sirius after their hike up the stairs, only breathing slightly heavier.

Sirius clutch his stomach that was cramping painfully, turning right down an empty passageway, but Remus grabbed his arm and tugged him in the opposite direction. "Didn't you look at the map like I said?"

Sirius let out a sound almost like a laugh, but more breathless, gasping. "That old thing? Nah. Knew you'd do it, that way I could tag along."

Remus peered down at him. "I could be guiding us in the completely wrong direction, you realize that?"

Sirius forced a tiresome smile, tossing his hair back. "With those charming brains? Never."

Puffing loudly, they climbed tightly spiraling steps, getting dizzier and dizzier, until at last they heard the murmur of voices above them and knew they had reached the classroom.

"Would you look at that," Sirius marveled as they climbed the last few steps and emerged onto a tiny landing. He looked up at Remus who only came out of all that with slightly tousled hair and red ears like he'd stood too long in the cold. "You did know where you were headed."

Remus tisked, a faint smile turning his lips.

There were no doors off this landing, but Sirius nudged Remus and pointed at the ceiling, where there was a circular trapdoor with a brass plaque on it. Inika Chaudhry, Divination Teacher.

"Give me a lift, yeah," Sirius joked and raised his foot for Remus to grab.

"Like hell I will," and as if hearing their banter, the trapdoor suddenly opened, and a silvery ladder descended right at Sirius' feet. Everyone got quiet.

"Ladies first," said Remus, grinning down at him, so Sirius grimly climbed the ladder first.

He emerged into the strangest-looking classroom he had ever seen. In fact, it didn't look like a classroom at all, more like a cross between someone's attic and an old-fashioned tea shop. At least twenty small, circular tables were crammed inside it, all surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat little poufs. Everything was lit with a dim, crimson light; the curtains at the windows were all closed, and the many lamps were draped with dark red scarves. It was stiflingly warm, and the fire that was burning under the crowded mantelpiece was giving off a heavy, sickly sort of perfume as it heated a large copper kettle. The shelves running around the circular walls were crammed with dusty-looking feathers, stubs of candles, colorful jagged crystals, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless silvery crystal balls - the same crystal balls he'd enchanted to repeat Dumbledore has foot fungus, a stack of fading spined books, and a huge array of teacups.

Sirius fell back, waiting for Remus to appear as the class assembled around them, all talking in whispers. 

"Where is she?" Sirius whispered, staying close to Remus' shoulder.

"Scared, Black?" he smirked.

"Pfft, course not," and took a step off to the side, but kept a careful eye out as they took their seats.