{1} The Marauders and the Whomping Willow ✔️

Chapter 16: Inside the Shack

Remus and Sirius crouched by the corridor their wands ready. The stakes were higher than they thought possible. The cloaked man was pacing about the courtyard, seemingly indecisive about something. Before he finally whirled around and limped towards the willow.

"Looks like the Willow is going to kill him for us." whispered Sirius with a smile.

Remus shooks his head. "Look."

He had petrified the tree and dissappeared within it.

"There's a passage beneath the willow?" asked Sirius. "That's the strangest thing he's done the whole time we've observed him."

"Yeah..." muttered Remus absentmindedly.

"Let's follow him."

"What?'

"C'mon Remus. It may be the only chance we have to find out what he's doing."

"Alright let's go."

The two boys, under the guise of the invisibilty cloak raced after the man.

"He did he make it freeze?" asked Sirius hestitant as they approached the swinging branches of the Willow.

Remus bent over and stroked the knog, petrifying the tree. Sirius looked at him awed.

"You're brilliant you know that?"

"You say it alot its hard to forget." said Remus, trying to keep his face from revealing any emotion.

With that Remys opened the trap-door and slid into the passageway. The cloaked man wasn't there, he must have gotten ahead. With a nod they drew thei wands and edged forward. They soon came to a steep incline.

"How the hell are we going to get up there?" asked Sirius.

Remus realised their problem. They be able to climb it but they would definitely be able to keep the invisibilty cloak on them for long.

"We wont need to." Remus realised as the sound of voices clear and succinct filled his ears. "I can hear them."

Sirius frowned slightly before nodding. He could hear them as well.

"...My Lord. I assure you, it is quite safe, I have almost broken down the protective shields."

"And the werewolf?" came a cold voice.

Remus stiffened.

"Won't be coming back, not after what I did to him."

So he didn't know. He didn't know that the werewold was none other that a student at Hogwarts.

"When will preparations be made?"

"In a few months my Lord, during their exams. The shields still haven't all been broken down..."

"Yes my lord."

A light faded and their was some shiffling. Sirius quickly pulled Remus away from the makeshift stairs as the Death Eater stumbled out. Together they took off the invisibilty cloak and climbed up the stairs. 

They opened the trap door and climbed out.

"It's the Shrieking Shack!" exclaimed Sirius. "They say its the most haunted building ever, the Third Years talk about it all the time. No one can get in. That's probably because of the shields that the Death Eater talked about."

"Yeah..."

"What is going to happen now?"

Remus grinned.

"I declare a Prank War."

~~~

The next morning James Potter went to take a shower and ran out screaming.

"My hair's pink!" he crieds anguished. To which Remus and Sirius burst out laughing. Peter gave them a confused look, before Remus calmed down somewhat to say two words.

"Prank War!"

"I hate you!"

"We know." said Sirius

"Why?" bemoaned James.

So Sirius and Remus talked about what happened in the passage beneath the Willow.

"There's a werewolf in the shack?" asked James.

"Yeah apparently..." replied Sirius.

Peter shuddered. "Mum says they're evil creatures and deserve nothing but death."

Remus looked at the floor and started picking at his nails. He had considered telling them, but that clearly wasn't an option.

"Who cares about the wolf." said Sirius. "What are we going to do with the information. We can't let him and this Lord Voldemort get into the school."

"We should tell Dumbledore..." said Peter.

"After all out pranks do you really think he'll believe us?" asked Sirius cynically.

The three boys frowned and nodded.

"Remus you got a plan?" asked James.

"It's half-formed. But this Prank War is essential." Then an idea entered his head. "You just need to follow exactly what I tell you..even if it means I get killed."

"You're joking!" exclaimed James to which Remus gave him a grave look.

"I'm serious." he said.

"No stupid you're Remus, I'm Sirius." said the boy. To which they all burst out laughing, lightening the desolate mood.

"I mean it though." said Remus. "You have to promise me or we can forget about it and let Voldemort take over."

If it came to it he wasn't going to let his friends die. One death was enough and if it got rid of the monster in his parents life it was all the better.

James grimaced, Sirius frowned and Peter was deathly pale. James reluctantly nodded.

"Alright, but it won't come to killing..." said James almost as a compromise.

"I can't promise that." said Remus.

~~~