The Marauders: Year Two | #Wattys2016

The Hospital Wing

It didn't matter what time it was, or that his mates were still asleep. He flicked his wrist to light the lamps, "Oi, get up you lot. Wake up - I think something really bad has happened." Sirius was groggily struggling to awaken, Peter curled defiantly into a ball beneath his covers and Remus groaned as James shook him all the harder. "Get up."

"What the ruddy hell's gotten into you?" Sirius demanded, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands.

"Something's happened," James answered.

"Loads of things happen," Remus murmured.

"Something bad," James repeated. "Bilius Weasley's up in the hospital wing and Derek's not back yet and Professor Blythe's crying -- there's strange wizards here, Resistance wizards." James looked concerned between Sirius and Remus, who were both sitting upright now. "And I think something's happened to Professor Kettleburn."

Remus yawned, "Lose another limb, did he?"

"I think --" James bit his lip, then blurted, "I think he might be dead."

"Dead?" Suddenly Peter was awake, too, sitting up as well. "Why's he dead?"

Sirius snapped, "Well I'm sure he didn't plan to be dead, stupid."

"That's not what I meant," Peter snapped, "I meant, what killed him? Why do you think he's dead?"

"Well Bilius and Alex said that's who Professor Blythe's engaged to, yeah? She was downstairs, I saw her, with a body that Flitwick was moving to the hospital wing. She was crying."

Remus was wide awake now. "There's a body?"

James nodded, "Yes. I'm telling you - they must've gone from the N.E.W.T.s to do something for the Resistance and somebody's been murdered by Voldemort and by Blythe's reaction, I'm guessing it's Kettleburn!"

Sirius got up quickly and threw open his trunk and started getting dressed.

"I was going to ask Derek, but I can't find him. He wasn't in the common room or their dorm, so maybe he's on his way to Madam Pomfrey's as well, I don't know, I didn't see him, though," James said. Then, a worried note to his voice came up, "I hope my Dad's alright, if it was something for the Resistance, he was probably there, too."

Remus was up and getting dressed now, too, tying his Gryffindor necktie loose 'round his neck, "If something was the matter with your dad, Derek would've come here first before anywhere else. You know he would've."

"Yeah, true, so my dad must be alright then," James said, nodding. "Still, we ought to find Derek anyway and find out what's happened just the same."

They tried waking Peter, but he still wouldn't budge, so they left him there and went down to the common room. People were starting to wake up now and filter out of their dormitories. A notice had gone up on the board they were gathered about and a commotion was going through them, exciting them all, and there were whoops of glee.

James and Sirius exchanged glances and shoved their way through the crowd to the front of the room -- it was about the exams schedule. Seventh Years were to take the N.E.W.T.s at a later date and the O.W.L.s were to participate in their sixth year. All other end-of-terms were cancelled altogether.

"Blimey," said James.

Sirius nodded, "It must be serious if they've cancelled the exams. C'mon." They found their way back to Remus, who was waiting by the portrait hole. Lily had found her way over to him and was looking anxious. "They've cancelled the exams," Sirius informed them.