Four To The End (prev Shifting Lines) - Book One (Marauder Era)

Chapter Fourteen - Sawdust Doesn't Make Good Candy

Then Potter was upside down again, looking like a messy-haired sloth. "Can you really? Shall we test it?"

"POTTER, I'VE WARNED YOU!"

"Madame Hooch, could we have a race?" Potter asked hopefully.

"NO YOU MOST CERTAINLY CANNOT! NOW GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!"

The fifth years let out a disappointed sigh and Potter did a sort of loopy flip, slithered off his broom and landed expertly on the ground, swinging the broom over one shoulder in a very heroic pose. The fifth years and half the first years clapped and Hooch barreled over, snatching the broom from his hand and giving him detention. Potter didn't seem like he cared.

"What a twit," Evans muttered.

Remus returned to his own flying, unable to argue with that statement.

*

Remus spent the rest of the afternoon working on homework in an empty corridor while Sir Nicholas floated nearby and talked to him. Remus kept glancing up and asking questions to which Sir Nicholas proudly replied, supplying the boy with quite a bit of information about what Hogwarts was like in the fifteenth century. Then he made a brief mention of the court, and Remus dropped his quill, staring a the ghost in absolute awe.

"You--went to court? With Henry the seventh?!"

"Oh, yes, dear boy, I am a Sir Nicholas, it's not just made up for fun you know."

"You were knighted?!" Remus hadn't even considered this before and he scrambled to his feet, excitement etched on his young face. "You met King Henry the Seventh? What was it like? What was the ceremony like? What did you wear? What did he wear? What--"

He stopped as footsteps came down the hall and Evans appeared. "Oh! There you are. Professor McGonagall said to tell you that Professor Dumbledore needs to see you. It's an urgent matter." Her green eyes were full of absolute curiosity but Remus had no idea what it could be about.

"Th-th--thank you," Remus said, picking up his things. "Wh--where's his o--office?"

"I have no idea," she replied.

"I can show you the way," Sir Nicholas said, "however I'm not too sure of the password. I suppose we can find out when we get there."

He began floating along so quickly that Remus had to run to catch up. As it turned out it wasn't too far, just up a flight of stairs and down a brightly lit corridor. Sir Nicholas stopped at a statue of a gargoyle. "Here we are. I'll nip up and let him know you--oh." The gargoyle stepped aside revealing a circular stone staircase. "I suppose he knows you're here, then. Good day!" Sir Nicholas tipped his head and floated off while Remus started climbing the staircase, shaking hard. Then he gave a yelp as the staircase began moving on its own.

I'm being expelled, he thought as he traveled upwards. That's got to be what it is.

At the top of the staircase he went to the door and knocked. "Come in," he heard the headmaster say.

Remus took in a deep breath and nervously stepped inside. Dumbledore's office was large and circular in a twisty way, clearly one of the many towers. There were loads of portraits on the walls, quite a few bookshelves, and dozens of odd looking objects sitting about including one silvery spindly thing that Remus backed away from, feeling it in his bones that it was pure silver. Then he saw a rather grand perch with a brilliant scarlet bird. A phoenix, he thought, impressed.

"Have a seat."

Remus turned to look at the headmaster sitting behind his desk, his blue eyes twinkling rather merrily. This was the first time being in his immediate presence since the time he gave to the Lupin household over the summer. Remus sat down in a chair, keeping his bag in his lap so he could cling to it. "You n-n-n-needed to--to see--see me, sir?"