Accio Evans

Chapter 11: Dungeons

"Now, Mr Black, please enlighten me on why there is such a fetching picture of my dear Minerva crossing your cheek?" Professor Dumbledore enquired, a glimmer of amusement flickered in his blue eyes, as much could not be said for the Professor McGonagall who had flushed maroon and hauled Sirius to the Headmaster's office by his ear, ignoring his shouts of protest.

"I have no idea Sir." Sirius answered, adjusting his fringe so that it covered his forehead, if the Headmaster saw Remus' name then he would sure know it was the other Marauders; although Sirius suspected that Dumbledore already knew where the ink had come from, he was just waiting for him to confess and give up his friends, something he did not want to do. "I went to sleep in my dormitory and woke up like this, err, any Gryffindor could have got in." he added.

"Ah, I see. Any Gryffindor?" the Headmaster mused. Leaning back in his chair, he peered at Sirius over to Sirius, peering over the top of his half-moon spectacles, his gaze searching and yet amused. Sirius had never been under such an intense stare as that of his Headmaster, it wasn't an uncomfortable stare, but it felt as though Dumbledore could see right through you, all your thoughts, your successes, your failures, your utmost desires, the answers he wanted to seek, he could see it all. It was like being x-rayed by someone's eyes. The Headmaster paused, giving Sirius the opportunity to rat out the culprit, Sirius however, had no intention of snitching on his friends. To avoid the stare of his Headmaster, Sirius' gaze wandered to his knees to the room around him, the Headmaster's office was particularly familiar to him, in fact so was the ear tug from Professor McGonagall; he had become accustomed to both of them over the previous years.

The Headmaster supressed a smile, of course Sirius wouldn't give up the perpetrator of the ink scrawls, especially since he knew which one of his friends had been responsible. The Professor he wasn't born yesterday, he knew it was the other Marauders, if only by the handwriting across Sirius' forehead, which he had tried to cover in a frankly futile attempt at hiding his friend's name. In addition, it didn't help that the scrawls were in the same handwriting and style as the signature of the Head Boy on every document he had signed and submitted to the Headmaster over the past days. The Headmaster allowed his mouth to tug into a smile at the thought of the Head Boy; it seemed he hadn't lost his mischievous streak after all! Joining Sirius in his gazing around the office, Dumbledore admired the portraits adorning the walls; former Headmaster's covered the walls, Phineas Nigellus Black, squirmed in his portrait, embarrassed at his offspring being in the chair opposite the Headmaster, once again. Professor Dippet was sleeping in his portrait; soft snores filled the silence of the office, Heliotrope Wilkins was shooting daggers at the snoring Professor from his portrait across the room, as he attempted, vainly, to read the thick book laid across his knees. Trinkets and strange objects covered the shelves, Sirius had been tempted to investigate some of them further at many points during his Hogwarts career but always chickened out at the last minute fearing they'd release magic that was irreversible and leave him with elephant trunk or something of the sort, he wouldn't put it past he Professor to have ornaments like that laying around his office, and growing up in the Black household often left you with a nasty fear of strange objects...

"Well, if we cannot find the culprit, there is no-one to punish." The Professor concluded a moment later. Sirius failed to hide his glee as a beaming grin broke across his face. "Sherbet lemon?" Dumbledore offered, holding the open end of the yellow and green striped packet towards Sirius. Thankfully taking one of the sweets, Sirius pocketed it to eat once out of the office.

"Thank you Professor." Sirius thanked as he made to leave. He had just reached the door when the sound of the Professor's voice stopped him.

"You may want to visit the hospital wing though Sirius, I hear Madame Pomfrey had a lotion that may get rid of that ink." He advised, his blue eyes glittering.