The Marauders Begin (I)

The Moving Staircases

January 1, 1972

It is late at night in the Gryffindor common room. LILY is sitting at one of the small tables by the window, surrounded by piles of books and eagerly writing on a long roll of parchment. Soon, the boys' dormitory doors open, and JAMES, SIRIUS, REMUS, and PETER sprint down to the common room.

REMUS: (spotting LILY) Oh, hey, Lily.

LILY: (skeptically) What are you all doing up so late?

JAMES: What are you doing up so late?

LILY: I'm trying to study before term starts again. I doubt that's what you were planning on doing.

SIRIUS: You are correct. Well, we must be off.

LILY: Wait! You can't leave the common room now! It's nearly midnight!

SIRIUS: Oh, lighten up, Lily.

JAMES: Yeah, we've been going out every night this week and we've never gotten caught.

LILY: What? How?

SIRIUS begins to answer, but JAMES cuts her off.

JAMES: Don't tell her. She'll just tell McGonagall on us.

LILY: Tell me what?

JAMES: Nothing. Why don't you just stay here and be a good little girl, and we'll be back in an hour or so.

JAMES and SIRIUS both hurriedly exit the common room, with PETER following them. REMUS smiles at LILY.

REMUS: You're welcome to come with us.

LILY: Remus!

REMUS exits the portrait hole. LILY hesitates for a moment, then follows him as well.

LILY: Wait! You all get back here, right now!

JAMES: (pulling out the Map and examining it) All right. Where did we say we were going next?

SIRIUS: To the moving staircases. We'll need to find a way to map out all of them.

LILY: What do you all think you're doing?

JAMES: Lily, we told you to stay in the common room. Now, if you're coming with us, you're gonna have to keep your mouth shut.

LILY: But- what is that thing? (She points to the Map).

SIRIUS: It's a map of Hogwarts. We're trying to come up with a way to enchant it so it'll show us where people are, instead of just places. Remus reckons he knows a way.

REMUS: (smiling) Well, we'll see.

JAMES: Now, come on! We're burning moonlight!

Together, the five Gryffindors quietly sprint down the corridors, checking before every turn that there are no teachers or Prefects around.

SIRIUS: If you guys see my cousins patrolling the corridors, just go ahead and hex them.

LILY: Sirius!

SIRIUS: (laughing) What? They deserve it!

They eventually make their way to the staircases, which continue to move and rotate at night. They mount one of the staircases, and JAMES places his bag on the banister and continues to examine the map.

JAMES: All right, what's the plan?

SIRIUS: Let's see. They're all on this one section of the map, so we might as well just go ahead and start counting them-

REMUS: You want to count them? That'll take ages!

SIRIUS: Well, we could-

JAMES: Wait! Shut up!

They all go silent, and eventually hear footsteps nearby.

JAMES: Someone's coming. Hurry, we need the Cloak-

Just at that moment, the staircase they are standing on begins to move, and the bag that JAMES set on the banister slips and falls below.

JAMES: Oh, damn!

SIRIUS: Did that have the Cloak in it?

JAMES: Yeah!

They can hear the footsteps approaching ever closer.

REMUS: Run!

They begin to sprint up the staircases, and eventually go in different directions. JAMES and SIRIUS continue to go up further, and LILY and REMUS take refuge in a nearby corridor, but PETER accidentally gets his foot stuck in a trick staircase.

REMUS: (peering from the corridor) Oh, no. I think Peter got stuck.

LILY: Should we go help him-?

REMUS: No! Shh!

The footsteps are very close now, and a strict voice begins to ring out in the darkness.

MINERVA: (shrilly) Mr. Pettigrew! What do you think you're doing out this late?

PETER: Sorry, Professor-

MINERVA: Who else is with you? I heard other voices.

REMUS and LILY both remain in the corridor, standing perfectly still and not daring to make a move.

REMUS: Should we run for it?

LILY: Oh, I should have never gone with you troublemakers!

On the staircase, PETER is still stuck in the staircase.

PETER: It was just me, Professor-

MINERVA: Do you take me for a fool, Mr. Pettigrew? Who else is here?

PETER remains silent, but points upwards. MINERVA follows his gesture and spots JAMES and SIRIUS scrambling above them.

MINERVA: Potter! Black! I can see you! Get yourselves down here this instant!

LILY: (whispering) Can we run now?

REMUS: Yes. Run. Run!

REMUS and LILY both sprint further down the corridor and makes their way back to Gryffindor Tower.

REMUS: I can't believe she found us. I hope they don't get in trouble.

LILY: I do! They deserve it, sneaking out every night. Good thing McGonagall caught them.

REMUS: Man, was she furious. Can you imagine the look on old McGonagall's face if she found all of us-

They round the corner to where the FAT LADY'S portrait is, but MINERVA is already waiting for them, along with JAMES, SIRIUS, and PETER.

MINERVA: Well, well, well. It's quite a party out here tonight, isn't it?

LILY: Please, Professor, we can explain-

MINERVA: I'm sure you can. In my office. Now.