Hogwarts with the Marauders (II) [OLD]

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO - Heading Home

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO - Heading Home

Predictably, Lily was the most anxious. She reminded Rowena Ravenclaw (the two had become fast friends and were now on a first-name basis) many times repeatedly to burn the book the moment they had all the information they needed, the other founders getting a head start with the enchantments back at the castle. Ravenclaw, holding onto Hogwarts: A History by Bathilda Bagshot for dear life, Disapparated with the promise of "destroying the evidence of time-travelers," as Lily put it, but for now, the founders had to learn about and finish off Hogwarts before midnight, nineteen minutes away. Thank goodness Ravenclaw read quickly.

"Lily, let's go!" whined James, and he muttered a quick, "It's way past my bed-time," under his breath, causing Sirius to snicker merrily as Lily quickly got back into line and grabbed a hold of Remus’ hands. Remus reached over and scooped up Alessia’s, who took  Sirius’ hand, who reached to Peter, who hesitantly grabbed James’. Lily and James, who were on the end and had a spare hand, raised their wands to the air at the same spot they had first fallen from.

“Have a safe trip!”

Liz, who had come out in her nightdress after hearing the commotion, was now standing on the top of the hill with them, her thin arms hugging her chest. Sirius and James had bullied Peter into telling the poor girl that they had lost her brother along the way. She hadn’t seemed too preoccupied, stating that Liam knew the way home from any point in the surrounding villages and had probably only stopped for a drink, or a nap.

With no spell said but the farewell words, blue mist was erupting from James and Lily’s wands, tumbling around them and wrapping itself around the Marauders. As it wrapped itself tighter and tighter, all of them seemed to subconsciously glance at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, smiling proudly. Something seemed to catch their eye on the astronomy tower. Someone, it seemed, was waving to them.

It couldn’t have been the founders, because they were busy inside the castle, putting up spells (namely, the Glisseo charm) and were hopefully fixing the coat of arms to match the book’s. So who was it, then?

“Wait,” said Peter slowly, “is that Lia–?”

Half of his last word was swallowed up by the mist as they were lifted off the ground.

*************************

"At least one good thing came out of all of this." announced Sirius the next morning, after all of them had a well-earned sleep. The Marauders, Alessia and Lily sat in the corner of the Gryffindor common room, feeling out of place now that they were back amongst friends. Almost everything was back to normal; even Lily had gone back to ignoring James, though she did sit on the floor in front of him as she played chess with Alessia, who sat on the couch opposite of her, next to Sirius. Remus sat on Sirius' other side with Peter on the floor, sprawled in front of the fire.

"What's that?" Alessia questioned, snuggling into Sirius' shoulder after she ordered her rook to take out Lily's queen.
 
"We're all going to ace History of Magic this year."
 
They all laughed, happy for about ten seconds until Alice Prewett ran down the marble staircase and stopped, out of breath, in front of them.
 
"Professor Dumbledore wants to see you all right now." she wheezed. "Says it's really important."
 
"You've got to be bloody kidding me." James grumbled, throwing his legs over the arm of his chair and standing up. He courteously offered Lily his hand. Everyone was surprised when she took it, thanked him, then promptly let go.
 
Alice lead them out of the common room, past the Fat Lady and down the hallway.
 
"This isn't the way to Professor Dumbledore's office." Remus noted.
 
"Dumbledore isn't in his office." she replied, as if it were obvious and she had expected Sirius or James to make the comment.
 
"Where is he?" asked James.
 
"The astronomy tower,"
 
Now, that might have been purely coincidental if the Marauders hadn’t appeared on the open platform of the astronomy tower when they arrived back in their time, and if who they believed was Liam hadn’t waved at them from the top of the astronomy tower.

“Do you know why he’d be there, Alice?” Lily asked hesitantly.

“He mentioned finding something,” replied Alice as they passed the entrance hall and began to climb the stairs. She then added, “Wait, maybe he had said founding, I’m not sure. A boy was also mentioned, though Professor Dumbledore didn’t specify.”

They had arrived at the astronomy tower and Alice left them, gazing at the back of Albus Dumbledore’s figure, his gray robes billowing in the wind behind him as he stood on the open platform. He must have sensed their presence because he said, “You did a very good job. Of course, I wouldn’t have sent you if I knew you wouldn’t.”

“You sent us, Professor?” Remus cried in shock. “But we could have died, or gotten stuck there, or something!”

“But I knew you would not.”

There was no arguing that logic.

“Do you know what happened to Liam, sir?” asked Peter.

“And Bennet!” added Alessia.

There was no reply, which was never a good sign from Professor Dumbledore. There had also been no reply when Sirius’ broom had been smashed to pieces by the Whomping Willow and he had asked if it would be able to fly again. Another time there had been no reply was when Lily had gotten a ‘Exceeds Expectations’ on her History of Magic exam and he knew it would upset her. Yes, is, Dumbledore’s silence was never a good sign.

“Well, they’re alive at least?” James inquired shyly. “Or were.”

“They were.” Dumbledore repeated, and left it at that. He then turned to them and said in what he must have hoped was an airy voice, “Now, I hope you don’t mind that even if you have just greatly helped the wizarding world and I owe you many thanks, I will not excuse you from classes; off to Herbology, all of you.”

A/N: After this, only the epilogue left. :) <3