The Wolf and The Raven, Bk 2

Ch 8 - Secret Tunnel! Secret Tunnel!

If you've ever seen Avatar: The Last Airbender, you'll understand the title...if you haven't seen it, then do yourself the greatest favour of your life and go watch it. Right this second. Don't delay!

The next Slug Club meeting was two days before the full moon. Between the meetings and moons though, there wasn't much to distinguish the days. The boys were receiving ever-increasing amounts of homework to prepare them for their O.W.L.s. Branwen did her best to help them with Potions and Herbology, which none of them were particularly good at. In addition to their homework, Kingsley had turned up the intensity of their Quidditch practises; their first match of the season was only a few weeks away.

On a Sunday evening, after two solid days in the library, researching and writing essays, the five Marauders settled down in their dorm, preparing for yet another gruelling week.

Sirius broke the silence with a groan. He was on his back, head hanging off the edge of his bed. "I'm so bored!"

The only response was the turning of a page as Remus pored over A Compendium of Common Curses and Their Counter-Actions.

Sirius sighed, but then a maniacal gleam came into his eyes. "Say, do any of you remember that curse ol' Snivelly used on Prongs last year?" He sprang up and eyed Peter. Pointing his wand at his friend, he shouted, "Levicorpus!"

Peter was yanked out of his chair and lifted in the air to dangle by his feet. His cries for help were drowned out by the laughter of his friends. Sirius laughed so hard, he broke his concentration on the spell and Peter collapsed to the floor.

"All right, Padfoot," James wiped a tear of laughter from his eye, "what do you have in mind?"

"Let's sneak out. Go into Hogsmeade or something. We can use our Animagus forms."

"Or we could just use the tunnel under the statue of Gunhilda de Gorsemoor on the third floor."

The boys froze and stared at Branwen.

"The what?!" Sirius jumped from his bed.

"You know, the secret tunnel under the statue. Last year, during your birthday party, I went exploring, and Remus found me. It leads to Honeydukes' basement."

Their jaws dropped.

"Why haven't you told us this before?!" James finally screamed.

"Well, excuse me for being preoccupied with turning myself into a bird!"

"And what's your excuse, Moony?"

"Me?! She didn't tell me anything!"

"Is it on the Map?"

They all leapt from their seats and Sirius swept a mountain of books and parchment from the table. James unrolled the map and said the incantation. When the chart materialised, they quickly scanned its borders.

"It's there," Branwen pointed at a miniscule offshoot of the third floor.

"Are these tunnels too?" Peter's finger slid along the corners of the parchment. There were numerous extensions they had never noticed before.

James gazed around at them with all the gravity of a professor about to impart life's most important lesson. "Gentlemen – and Branwen – this is a solemn occasion. Tonight begins our real reign of chaos."

"Which one should we try first?" Sirius was trembling with excitement.

"The Honeydukes one!" Peter squeaked.

Remus tilted his head. "Wait a moment. Branwen, did you ever pay for that chocolate bar you brought back for me?"

She placed a hand on her chest and feigned a shocked demeanour."Remus John Lupin! Are you accusing me of stealing from one of our most respected local establishments? Of course I paid for it!"