The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix - Part One

XIII: 9 September, 1993

It was all over the school. Whispers echoed through the Great Hall like a bubbling brook, cascading along over the House Tables, traversing among the students - a wildfire of excellent accounts.

"Saw it with my own eyes..."

"That Longbottom bloke's done it..."

"Serves Snape right for being a great bully!"

"D'ya reckon he had on a pair of Neville's gran's knickers, too? Or just the hat?"

The cackles of the Weasley twins could be heard ringing above the rest as they composed a sort of Irish-style drinking song and clanked their cups of Pumpkin Juice jovially, slapping Neville Longbottom across the back and congratulating him for popping the Potions Master in his gran's old vulture hat. "Greatest thing I never saw," announced George.

"Absolutely brilliant," Fred agreed.

"If only it could be immortalized - as a statue or something!"

"Could put it right in the center of the courtyard, we could."

"Oh no, Fred," George said, shaking his head, "Not the courtyards... the Prefect's toilet, of course, right by the door of the shower! He could guard it!"

"Merlin's beard, Georgie," Fred shook his head, "He'd never let anyone in and then we'd all end up a bunch of greasy-headed gits!"

Remus smirked quietly into his stew as he sat at the Faculty table at the front of the Hall, steadily keeping his eyes down, trying to hide his amusement as the twins joked and played, their voices carrying on and on.

"Are you quite... pleased... with yourself?" drawled Severus Snape's voice directly behind Remus's shoulder.

Remus cleared his throat and turned 'round to face him. "Proud of myself? Whatever for?"

"Humiliating...me," Snape murmured, eyes cold and dark. He stared down his long nose at Remus, but when Remus opened his mouth to speak, Severus leaned down closer and his voice lowered and he said, quietly, "Do keep in mind... as you stoop to your old ways that the old ways never got you very far, did they, and neither did they protect your... precious friends." Severus's sneer rumbled in Remus's ear. "And remember, too, who it is that is mixing your Wolfsbane each month... a simple tip of the wrist... a few more leaves of aconite than the recipe calls for and..." Snape let the words trail off. "You get the point I am making."

Remus sat stiff, staring directly ahead.

"Now please excuse me," Severus stood up. "But I'm just itching to speak to the Headmaster about... everything." He walked away, sweeping across the room like a horridly oversized bat, his robes swishing about his ankles as he moved with determination.

Remus took a deep breath and reached for his cup, and though his hand shook ever so slightly, he felt as though he had done well to keep his cool.

"Mr. Lupin."

He looked up and found Minerva McGonagall staring down at him, her tall green hat set upon her head, mouth pursed, peering over her spectacles. "Professor?" he asked.

McGonagall sighed. "Please come with me to my office."

Remus hesitated, then a smirk quivered on his face. "I reckon some things never change, ey?"

McGonagall raised one eyebrow. "Evidently not."

Minerva McGonagall poured tea into a tartan colored cup on her desk, her eyes trained on the dark amber liquid as it fell from the spout. She could feel Remus Lupin's presence behind her, looking over the tea cups on display on the shelves of her office, his hands in his pockets as he rocked on the balls of his feet. There was a lot of anxious energy radiating from Remus, tension that kept his shoulders rigid and his demeanor serious and detached. Minerva turned 'round, holding out the steaming cup and saucer to Remus silently.  She knew exactly what he was looking at, without so much as a glance to the shelf.