The Marauders: Year One | #Wattys2016

In the Headmaster's Office

In the Headmaster's Office

McGonagall waved the First Year Gryffindors into their seats before Dumbledore's desk. Seated in one already was the auror, Alastor Moody, leaning onto the elbow of his seat and rubbing his chin thoughtfully as they set themselves down, his one eye examining them. Professor McGonagall sat as well. Moody leaned back in his seat as Dumbledore magicked a tea set onto his desk, and Moody pulled a flask out of his robes and said, "You understand, Albus," as he unscrewed the cap and took a sip of whatever it was inside.

James had a feeling that it wasn't pumpkin juice.

They each took their teas - Peter's cup clattered nervously against the mismatched saucer - and they sipped, waiting for the punishments to begin. Lily felt sick rather suddenly - it wasn't normal for the headmaster and two professors to be present to assign detentions, she realized, and she worried they were all about to be expelled. Had a house's entire year ever been expelled at once, she wondered? What would her parents say when they found out that Lily had been expelled in her first year at the new school? They'd be so disappointed in her - let down when they found they no longer had a witch in the family... At least Petunia would be quite happy... but Lily didn't want to be expelled. She loved Hogwarts far too much... and, she hated to admit it, she'd miss the boys.

As though reading her mind, Dumbledore stated, "I won't be expelling you."

Lily breathed in relief.

"This time," Dumbledore added after a moment. He cast a glance at them through his half-moon spectacles, stern, but in a caring way. "What you did last night was very dangerous, you were far over your heads and could have been killed. You are all lucky that Voldemort likes to... play with his food," he said.

Moody grumbled, "Tormenting's his favorite part of the kill."

James felt his mouth go rather dry at the word kill.

"You all owe Severus Snape quite a lot for having come to me," Dumbledore added.

James hung his head.

"As such, I have awarded Slytherin house with fifty points," Dumbledore said, "For honesty and looking out for one another, among houses." McGonagall's jaw quavered slightly. "This puts Slytherin in first place for the House Cup with only a short time left in the term."

Sirius frowned. Before, Ravenclaw had been in first and Gryffindor in second - putting them impossibly behind. Now there'd be no way for Gryffindor to catch up. Just more to add to the things that were his fault.

Dumbledore sipped his tea, then put down the cup and saucer. "I think, however, that what bothers me the most about this entire occasion is that you didn't come to me with your worries, that you chose instead to act upon yourselves."

James and Sirius both looked up quickly, their eyes wide. Remus and Peter both looked 'round at them, knowing what was going through their minds. "We did tell you about it, sir!" Shouted Sirius, the first to wrap his mouth around words. "We told you back at the start of the year, remember? I even gave you a bit of the mirror and you didn't do anything about it!"

"Didn't do anything about it?" Dumbledore asked, his eyebrows raised, "Whyever should you think I did not do anything about it?"

"Because Lucius Malfoy was strutting about the castle as though he owned it," James spoke up, "Beating up on Bilius Weasley and bragging to whoever would listen how he'd got away with imperiusing Professor Tutman!" This last, of course, was a bit of a stretch of what had actually happened, but the exaggeration seemed warranted.