Four To The End (prev Shifting Lines) Book Three (Marauders Era)

Chapter Fifty-Seven - The Big Scandal

Author's Note: CW for references to basically magical drugs

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Detention with Professor Charlemagne turned out to be very nice, in Remus's opinion. Actually, beyond nice. More than fun. It was not detention at all... at least not for him. Charlemagne gave him an answer sheet and then a pile of tests from the first and second years, and told him to mark off all the wrong answers, tally everything up, and put the grades down. Remus held the sheet, unable to believe his luck.

"Are you s... sure?" he asked.

Charlemagne gave him a strange look. "Yes, this will help me," he said, "and you cannot do the third year tests since that is your year."

Remus sat down at a desk and began going through the papers, trying not to grin; he didn't want Charlemagne to know how much he was enjoying this. It gave him such a thrill to look through each answer, find the correct and wrong ones, and mark them. He itched to add his own comments, but managed to refrain. For instance, one second year wrote a rather witty answer even though it was wrong. Remus wanted to write in the margins that it was a clever wordplay, and give encouragement. Instead, he put a red X next to the answer. When he tallied up that test he was saddened to find it was one point below passing. He reluctantly wrote down the numbers and a P.

One of the tests had the name Regulus Black written in very neat, pretty cursive at the top. Remus hesitated then raised his hand. "Professor, this belongs to Sirius's brother. Do you still want me to grade it or would it be... erm... conflict of interest?"

"Mark the test, I will be going over all these when you are done so if there is anything you have done wrong whether on accident or purpose, I shall see," Charlemagne responded.

Remus was conflicted, though, after giving Regulus the O for a perfect score. His short, neat answers were correct but they lacked something. It felt so textbook. He knew damn well Regulus didn't deserve anything less, however he wished Sirius's brother didn't sound so much like a statue come to life.

I wonder how he is doing with his spells, he wondered as he pulled the next paper over. B. Crouch Jr was scrawled along the top. At first Remus gave the check marks until...

Frowning, he pulled Regulus's paper back and compared.

Merlin.

"Um. P-Professor?"

"Yes?"

Remus stood up, shaking a little. "This is... er... I mean to say... the thing is..."

Charlemagne looked up at him, warmth in his eyes. "What is wrong?"

He took in a deep breath and set the papers down. "The answers are identical, sir." Did Regulus cheat? No way! He wouldn't! Would he? Did the pressure of getting a good grade for his parents push him into doing this? Or was it the Crouch kid?

Charlemagne looked over both tests. "It seems you are right," he sighed. He quickly wrote a note and handed it to Remus. "Please fetch Professor Slughorn, would you?"

Remus made his way through the school, heart pounding. What if Regulus got into big trouble? Would Sirius blame Remus? Professor Charlemagne would have seen it, though, even without Remus... right? No, yes, of course he would, it wasn't Remus's fault... still, he couldn't help but feel like it was.

"Come in," Slughorn said when Remus knocked at his office door.

He pushed the door open and stepped into the office, muttering that he was sorry to interrupt (two older students sat in front of his desk) but Charlemagne had a note for him. He set the note down and scurried back, not sure what to do as Slughorn read the note. He was seized with a sudden panic that somehow Slughorn would know he had some Polyjuice potion in his bag, as he hadn't had time to put it in his trunk. It was silly, to think his teacher could sense it like that, but he couldn't help it.