The Marauders: Year Seven Part Two

Up to No Good

Laughing as they went, they hurried down a hall, took a trick door they'd completely forgotten about before they'd gotten the map back, and came out in a hall near the astronomy tower. They clattered up a stairwell, took two lefts and a passageway and —- soon enough, they were racing along the corridor past a large midnight and silver star chart that really moved with the motion of the planets, and coming up by the turn to where the three ickle ones were tucked behind the armor. They could see on the map that Mrs. Norris had turned and gone down to the 6th floor some time before, but the DWO didn't know that, of course, as they had no map, and they were too afraid of being caught by Filch to yet chance leaving their clever hiding spot.

Sirius's eyes gleamed as he folded the map, quietly muttering, "Mischief managed," and shoved it into his pocket. In the motion of putting away the map, something brightly colored on the floor caught his eyes and he bent down to pick it up. It was a single Filibuster's No Heat Wet Start Firework in a color labelled "Furious Fuchsia".  Sirius held it up, quarter-turning to look at Remus and Peter. Remus, just knowing what Sirius was thinking, shook his head - but telling Sirius no was like daring him to do whatever it was. And this was no exception. Sirius grinned a positively wicked grin and drew his wand from his hair, tapped it to the end of the wick on the firework, and there was a quiet hissing sound, and Sirius waved his wand and the Filibuster hovered slowly around the corner until...

KABOOM!!!!

"You bloody idiot!" Remus shouted over the sound.

The firework whistled and loop-de-looped 'round the corner and into the alcove behind the suit of armor, and exploded against the wall with a shower of fizzing sparks that whistled and shrieked and lit the entire corridor in a brilliant pinkish-red flare of color, sparks, and stars that spun about like confetti before sizzling out.

Peter had his fingers stuffed in his ears as the deafening shrieks and whistles filled the corridor, shaking the portraits - even knocking a couple off the walls - the rush of air from the explosion snuffing out a couple torches and rattling the glass in the windows. The coat of armor knocked forward, the helmet rolling, clattering loudly as it yelled, "What's going on! I dare say!" and fell to several shining silver pieces scattered about the floor.

"WHOAAAAAAA!" Dexter cried and the three younger boys were falling over one another to push their way out of the alcove, landing on the carpet in a jumble, fighting to get away first. Wally grabbed onto Dexter's ankle, knocking him down and causing him to land on Ollie. "WHOAAA!" Dexter cried again as the noise died down.

Smoke plumed down the corridor, and for a moment there was no way anybody could see through all the fog from the firework. The sound of Mrs. Norris's bell on the stairwell alerted them that the cat was back, and through the fog they could just hear Filch's oily voice complaining about the racket and the smoke, threatening to tether whoever he found when it cleared to the ceiling of his office with chains so that they hung upside down by their toes. "Mark my words, you're in big trouble now... Whatever Dumbledore's decided about the old punishments... doesn't matter... going to string you up, I am..." he muttered, flapping his arms to clear the smoke away.

"C'mon," Remus hissed and the three Marauders ran forward, each grabbing onto one of the younger boys, and dragging them out of the smoky cloud and down the corridor, 'round the corner, and into a secret passageway behind a cabinet. "Lumos!" Remus announced, lighting his wand and revealing the coughing pile of Dexter, Wally, and Ollie. 

Their robes had singed circles where the sparks had struck them and they smelled of burnt hair and smoke. Wally was missing one eyebrow and his face was smoky on one side.

Wally's eyes focused on the three Marauders standing over them and he gasped. "YOU lot!" he said accusingly, "Should've known!"

Ollie coughed and a puff of smoke came out his mouth.