Up To No Good

Chapter Eight: 1 September 1973

For the first time in his life, Fleamont Potter led his son into his workshop. There were all sorts of different phials and jugs and potions piled along the walls, with all sorts of different-sized notes swept over each table. Sirius followed in great interest, eyes wide at the variety of ingredients to be found.

Fleamont stopped at one of the bookshelves which was being used to hold boxes of ingredients and pulled off an old hatbox. He turned to his son, clutching it in his hands.

"I wanted to give this to you for your birthday, James, but I think it's better I give it to you in person." He handed the box over. "This has been passed down from father to son in our family for centuries."

James looked at the box and very gingerly took off the top. Inside was a pile of some sort of fabric. When he touched it, it felt lighter than air. James took it carefully out of the box, and the silvery coils that looked so eerily like water unraveled until James held it up to the dappling light.

James couldn't believe it. He had no idea his father had owned one--he was holding an Invisibility Cloak.

Sirius realized this too. Instantly, he asked to try it. As he slipped it over his shoulders, Sirius's body disappeared. Only his disembodied head floated in midair, grinning with pleasure.

Fleamont smiled in amusement as they took turns walking around with it on and pulling it over their heads so it obscured their entire bodies. Then Fleamont placed a hand on his shoulder.

"James Potter, if you're anything like me, you'll need to keep yourself in check," he chuckled. "I was known pretty well back at Hogwarts for being a champion at dueling."

"What for, Mr. Potter?" Sirius piped up eagerly.

"Because people made fun of my name, Sirius. Now--use it well."

"Now there's one more thing," Mr. Potter went on, grabbing a piece of parchment. "Your permission slips for Hogsmeade arrived today-"

"Sorry to interrupt, sir, but I won't be able to go," Sirius explained. "I don't think my Mum would let me."

"Then I'll sign it for you," Fleamont smiled warmly, grabbing his quill.

Sirius beamed.

Use it well.

James and Sirius hurried out to the backyard. James mounted his broomstick, pulled the Cloak tight around him and his broom, and kicked off the ground. He could see through the Cloak itself, and around him he could see all the Muggle houses around him, completely unaware that he was there.

"I can't believe it," Sirius said for what seemed to be the tenth time that day. He was running his hands over the Cloak's light-as-air fabric. "This is rare. One-of-a-kind, maybe."

"I reckon we can use that to get more Mandrake leaves," James thought aloud. "It would be better than to risk running into Snape... Or Lily."

"You know, maybe you should just tell her you have feelings for her," Sirius said as he tossed the Cloak back into James's still-unorganized school trunk. "If you really like her that much..."

James laughed. "I doubt it. You've seen how she is."

Sirius shrugged, then crossed his arms. "Do you ever wonder how Moony transforms over the summer? He said Dumbledore has a place for him during term, but what about his parents?"

"I've never thought about it," James admitted. It didn't seem like much of an issue to him. "I do wonder where Dumbledore has him go, though. Somewhere far, maybe, or the whole school would know about a werewolf at Hogwarts."