The Gift From Death

Chapter 22: First year Part 11

6th, August, 1998. 5.30pm...

"Okay basically what has happened is that we got taken to Minerva's office and that's where we will start." Harry explained.

Things couldn't have been worse.

"I bet they could have!" Sirius grinned.

Filch took them down to Professor McGonagall's study on the first floor, where they sat and waited without saying a word to each other.

"We were never that quiet. Padfoot always complained about getting caught." Remus commented.

Hermione was trembling

They all grinned as Hermione went pink.

"I wasn't used to being in trouble." she said.

Excuses, alibis and wild cover-up stories chased each other around Harry's brain,

"They never work, Harry," James said wisely. "She can always tell."

Sirius shuddered. "I don't know how she does it."

"Call it teachers intuition." Minerva smiled.

each more feeble than the last.

"Never stopped us from using them anyway." Sirius snorted.

"Unless I was there you mean." Remus mused, "I could usually get us out of too much trouble." he explained.

"Unless you weren't there. In that situation we usually ended up with a week or more of detentions." James muttered.

He couldn't see how they were going to get out of trouble this time. They were cornered.

"Well, it can't be worse than detention and a few points, right?" James asked. "We done worse."

"Yeah." Sirius agreed.

"Thank Merlin for that." Remus sighed.

How could they have been so stupid as to forget the Cloak?

"Even the best make mistakes, Harry." James grinned. "Except me, seeing as I'm so damn perfect!"

Sirius snorted. "Yeah right!"

"Hey!"

There was no reason on earth that Professor McGonagall would accept for their being out of bed and creeping around the school in the dead of night, let alone being up the tallest astronomy tower, which was out-of-bounds except for classes.

"That sounds like a challenge!" Sirius grinned.

"No, Sirius, don't." Remus sighed.

"Dont what?" Bill asked.

"Challenge! I have to come up with an excuse good enough!" Sirius exclaimed.

"I bet you can't come up with one!" James grinned.

"You're on, mate!"