The Shrieking Shack || The Marauders (Book 1)

REMUS

"Ouch! That's my toe!" hissed Sirius.

Remus, James and Sirius were now hidden inside the invisibility cloak making their way up spiral staircase of the Astronomy Tower. Peter, who had been the most eager to try on the cloak in their dormitory, for some reason had turned down the offer to accompany Sirius and James. Remus, on the other hand, had agreed to come along hoping, to their annoyance, to convince them to drop the whole idea.

"Stop pulling the cloak!" whispered James.

"I'm telling you this isn't a good idea," murmured Remus, even though he was quite sure that he was fighting a lost battle.

"Oh shut up!" Sirius and James snapped at him together.

A silvery-white ghost emerged from the wall at their right suddenly, surely alerted by all the noise they were making. It was Bloody Baron, the Slytherin ghost, with his gaunt face, blank eyes and blood stained robes. He stared around ominously for a moment or two, then drifted across and vanished through the left wall, but not before going through the three of them as well. Remus shuddered as noiselessly as possible feeling as though he had been drowsed in ice-cold water.

When they reached the top of the tower,  James stowed his cloak in his pocket while  Sirius threw open the trap doorand they all stepped out into the cold dark night.

Remus could feel his stomach fluttering as he breathed in the icy night air. This was technically the first time he was directly involved in rule-breaking, even if he was there trying to stop the nuisance.

"I thought you weren't going to turn up at all," came Snape's sneering voice. "Didn't get cold-feet, did you, Black?"

At once they all drew their wands and turned around to find Snape standing by the ramparts. With his black robes billowing quietly in the wind and eyes gleaming in the dark, he stood absolutely still, his wand in his hand, gazing menacingly at Sirius.

For a moment Sirius stood still, his eyes narrowed at Snape, as he waited for the other to make the first move. James patted Sirius on his shoulder and then stood back.

"I'm saying it again guys, this is not- what the hell are you both duelling for anyway?" Remus tried once again, exasperated by the senselessness of the situation.

Sirius didn't reply. Remus could see he had made up his mind.

"Listen to your friend, Black. You still have time, run back to your mommy," Snape said in a silky whisper and that seemed to have done it.

Suddenly, Sirius raised his wand, "Tarantallegra!" "Scilenco!"

Sirius's hex hit Snape square at the chest and at once he started jerking his legs uncontrollably and struggled to stay upright. Sirius, on the other hand, didn't seem to have encountered any harm on expense of Snape's spell.

Behind Remus, James burst out laughing, looking at the vigorously tap dancing Snape who was having a rather hard time standing on his feet, and Sirius joined in. But something wasn't right, Remus could feel it in the air, most particularly because as Snape struggled to stand straight he still bore a malicious grin on his face.

"Furnunculus!" Snape yelled, pointing his wand roughly at Sirius.

Sirius barely dodged the hex, took aim with his wand and opened his mouth undoubtedly to say a formidable jinx. But nothing came out. Shocked, Sirius tried again and again, but it was useless. He couldn't utter a single syllable.

Snape, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying the moment and his next hex came in almost a bored drawl, "Incarcerous!"

Sirius jumped and the spell missed him wide by nearly a foot. He turned around to face Snape again, ready to dodge more hexes, but Snape had his wand pointed at his own feet. He murmured something inaudible and at once his feet stopped dancing.