Sirius Black's Twin

Punishment

"I've never been so disappointed in you five," Dumbledore said.

James, Sirius, Lyra, Peter, and Remus were sitting in Dumbledores office the next morning after he made Snape swear not to tell anyone about Remus. Lyra had the worst feeling in her stomach, she would have been okay if Dumbledore was angry, but disappointed Dumbledore was hard to look at. It was hard for the person you respected so much to look at you like that.

"Professor Dumbledore, they had nothing to do with it," Sirius spoke up, looking up at the Headmaster through his eyelashes. "I'm the one who told Snape about the knot in the tree."

"Mr. Snape has informed me that all of you were in on this," Dumbledore said after a silence.

"He's lying," Lyra said. "He justs wants us all to get expelled. That's why he's been following us around for five years, he's been trying to catch us in the act of doing something expell-worthy."

"Nevertheless, since you five are the ones that are in trouble, and Mr. Snape is a mere victim, I am inclined to believe him," Dumbledore signed and leaned back in his chair, looking very tired. "Your punishment is detention every saturday with Mr. Pringle. You may go."

The five stood up. Peter was shaking slightly, but he was releived. Remus was strangely quiet and calm, but his eyes were burning with a fire that no one ever seen before. Lyra was frowning but didn't look too troubled. Sirius looked very annoyed. And James. . . James looked as though he had been punched in the stomach.

Peter, Remus, Lyra and Sirius left the room, but James stood in front of the desk. The others left, knowing he would want to be alone with the headmaster.

The second his friends left, James spoke up.

"I'm sure they didn't mean what happened to happen, Professor," James said, his hazel eyes going as wide as they could.

"They? I was aware that this was Mr. Sirius Black's doing," Professor Dumbledore leaned foreward, looking up at James over his half moon spectacles.

James wondered if it would be worse if he said that Lyra was in on it too. . . surely it would; Dumbledore was the headmaster.

"There is no need to tell me who else was involved," Dumbledore said, a feint smile on his face. "I know you led Ms. Lyra Black astray the second you two met."

James grinned a bit, before letting it drop. "They really are good people. It's just sometimes Snape pushes them, and they don't like to be pushed."

"I understand," Dumbledore said, his disappointed look had vanished, and James was so relieved that he was a little light headed. James was just out the door when he eard Dumbledore say; "But you still have detention, Mr. Potter."

James grinned, not at all upset by that and practically ran down the spiral staircase to his four friends, who weren't waiting for him - but arguing.

"I can't believe you told Snape about the knot in the tree!" Remus was shouting.

James was suddenly on alert. Though he had a closer relationship with Sirius, he would never let anyone yell at Lyra, no matter how close to them he was. But when he reached the scene it wasn't Lyra Remus was yelling at. It was, in fact, Sirius.

"The git was following me-"

"It doesn't matter!" Remus yelled, his eyes sparking with rage. This was the first time James had ever seen Remus for what he was, a werewolf. "You swore you would never tell anyone about me!"

"I didn't!" Sirius looked insulted. "I didn't tell anyone about you-"

"Yeah, you just hoped he'll find out," Remus looked quite deranged, he was yanking on his light brown hair.

"No, I  -  I didn't think it through!" Sirius admitted defensively.

"That's the problem!" Remus shouted. "You didn't think at all! You never think! And now look what it's done! If Snape goes back on his word and tells the whole school about me I'll be done for! Everyone will know what I am - a disgusting werewolf!"

There was a ringing silence. Peter watched the scene hungrily, as though waiting for someone to throw a hex. Lyra looked hesitant; she was wondering if she should step in. Then there was James, who didn't know if he should take his best friends side, or side with Remus, who he thought was completely right.

"Your not disgusting, Moo-" Sirius bagan.

"Don't," Remus said quietly, turning around and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Don't say it. I know what I am."

Sirius looked guilty, but the determination to defend his actions was still there. "Snivelly is a nosy git, he got what he deserved-"

Remus, stiffening at the sound of Sirius' voice, whipped around and - so quickly that no one could stop him - he punched Sirius straight in the nose. There was a loud crack and when the others rushed forward to help Sirius, Remus was already storming out of the corridor, his robes flapping behind him.

"Padfoot, mate, are you okay?" James asked quietly.

"Do," Sirius said, barely talking through the blood. "I dink he broke by nobe."

"What?" Peter looked confused.

"Don't be daft, Wormtail," Lyra snapped, helping her brother get to hs feet. "He said 'I think he broke my nose'."

"Oh," Peter said, frowning. "Well why didin't you stop him?"

"Well, no one expected that punch to come, did they Wormtail?" Lyra said, getting annoyed. "Come on, Padfoot, I'll take you to the Hospital Wing."

Lyra and Sirius disapeared down the corridor.

"Is it bad that I think Padfoot deserved that punch?" James asked Peter while they walked to the Gryffindor Common Room to go comfort Remus.

"I - I don't know," Peter said, his eyes wide at what James had said.

"Because I don't feel bad," James contiued. "He did deserve it."