The Marauders: Year Six #Wattys2017

Scared Little Seagulls

Scared Little Seagulls

There was no stopping the story from spreading through the train - no stopping the chaos that ensued. Students of every year, every house, were frantic. Misunderstandings were had in the process of the story being passed about from compartment to compartment in whispered tones and by the time James got to the Marauders' compartment, it was to find Sirius Black pacing. "They said you saw it happen?" he asked.

"What?"

"Liam Harding being killed? Murdered at Kings Cross?"

"Bloody hell," James muttered, "Is that what they're saying? No. Liam was murdered over the summer. Walter Grant and the other first -- well, I guess they're second years now-- found out in the lot at King's Cross, so Lily and I were taking care of the little seagulls."

Sirius didn't look much appeased.

Everyone on the train was a right mess. There was a good deal of crying and carrying on. In the compartment that Dexter Cardwall, Oliver Kent, and Wally Grant were in, Wally was angry. He punched the wall so hard his hand smarted and complained -- "Why are they all acting like he was their bloody friend? None of them knew him! None of them were his best mate like I was! Selfish bastards. Listen to them, blubbering on like it's them that's lost something." He was shaking he was so angry.

Ollie snuffled into a handkerchief.

"None of us are safe," Dexter murmured, "The Dark Lord's gonna kill us all."

Wally punched the wall again.

Remus stopped in on their compartment several times during the ride, checking on them more than he was anyone else because he knew how upset they were but Wally didn't want to talk to him about it, and would just insist everything was fine. Remus could tell this wasn't true by the look of worry on Ollie's face, but there wasn't anything he could do but leave and promise to come back to check on them again soon. He felt terrible for Wally, who had lost his best mate, but he also felt bad for Ollie, who had never gotten along as well with Liam as Wally had - yet Ollie was crying, too, and it was all in empathy for Wally, he imagined, in wanting to be there for Wally, but not being able to. Remus sighed -- Sirius would be like that, inconsolable, he imagined, if anything ever happened to --- but Remus stopped the process of thought there. Nothing would ever happen like that, so thinking on it was silly. He pushed the thoughts from his mind, and went on worrying about the first - no second years.

When they arrived to the platform in Hogsmeade, Remus and Lily helped herd the students from the train and in telling the many, many first years that were fumbling about to go to Hagrid, who stood in his usual spot with a big lantern shouting, "Firs' years, over here!" at the top of his voice, looming over the heads of the older students who stampeded for the thestral-drawn carriages.

Lily spotted Siris coming down the hall with Peter and, walking a couple steps behind them, tugging his robes on and biting his wand between his teeth, James. She nervously tucked her hair behind her ears, straightening up as quick as she could. "Hey there Evans," said Sirius as they reached her and he stopped, blocking up traffic in the corridor as James stowed his wand in his pocket and pressed his back to the wall to allow space for people to pass by. He nudged Peter and Sirius to do the same as they did - a herd of fourth year Slytherins pushed past - including Barty Crouch Jr., but no Regulus...

James wondered where he was and glanced back down the corridor.

"How was the rest of your summer, Sirius?" Lily asked.

Sirius grinned. "Well, I snogged Moony and I learned Yoga and I got these --" Sirius yanked his school robe sleeves up so Lily could see the tattoo about his left wrist - the full moon and the trees and he said, "It moves with the moon cycle see? And there's others..." he sort of grazed his fingers across the places on his arm and chest and said, "And on my back, too."