The Marauders: Year Three | #Wattys2016

Four Marauders, Safe and Sound

Four Marauders, Safe and Sound

Peter held James's arm 'round his shoulder, supporting him all the way as they made their way along the path through the woods. James still was having trouble inhaling all the way - his chest ached severely and his face had a bruise along one side from some of the rougher treatment he'd been given. Bruises covered most of his arms, too, and Peter was very careful not to touch the places where it would hurt if touched him wrong.

"You were so brave," said James in a raspy voice.

Peter said, "Only because you were brave first."

James smiled. "We both were."

"Sirius was, too," Peter said, "And Remus. You should've seen them back at the Shrieking Shack. Remus was incredible."

James asked, "What happened to Professor Veigler?"

"I dunno," Peter replied. "He ran out the door and Rey went after him and that's all I know."

"I hope he's okay," said James.

Peter nodded, "Me, too. And Remus, too."

"Yeah, especially Remus," James said.

They arrived to the edge of the clearing in back of the Shrieking Shack and made their way through the snow, the shafts of morning light hot on their backs. Peter kept glancing back, kept half expecting Rudolphus Lestrange to appear before them or from behind them, but they seemed to be alone.

Peter helped James up the stairs and through the front door of the shack, "Careful, there's a step there..." He felt better already, knowing they were so close to the tunnel that would lead to Hogwarts. Whatever else had happened, or would happen, they would be safe once they got onto the grounds of Hogwarts.

"My parents are going to kill me for losing my glasses," James said, squinting around the dark shack.

"Do you have any spares?" Peter asked. James shook his head. "Well, I'm sure Dumbledore will be able to help..."

Peter didn't want to hang about long. He hurried to the trapdoor and tugged it open before carefully helping James to lower himself into the tunnel. He jumped down behind him and was about to tug the door shut when a voice cut through the Shrieking Shack.

"Oh thanking goodness! Thanking goodness that you is here! Master Remus is be needing help!" Peter looked up and pushed the tunnel back open. In the front doorway stood a tiny house elf with big flapping ears and wide bulbous eyes. "You is needing to come with Tizzy! Quickly!" she cried.

Peter looked down at James, who was staring up from below. "Go on," he said, "I'll find my way to the castle from here... I won't be any use to you out there anyway, I'll just be an added problem with not being able to see... and it's not like it's much different with or without my glasses down here anyway."

Peter nodded and slid back out of the tunnel, summoning the bravery he'd felt earlier (though it felt a good deal harder now that he'd been so close to safety again) and hurried to follow Tizzy out the door of the Shrieking Shack. The house elf beckoned him along, back across the snow to the line of trees and a little ways in, where a thick patch of brush covered the floor of the forest. "In here, sir, in here!" Tizzy said and she tugged Peter down by his Gryffindor tie, as though he were a dog, pulling him along under the jagged little branches. "I says to him he should be hiding in case of the bad guys is looking for him," Tizzy explained. "Master Remus is be needing help and Tizzy was needing to go and find it for him because Master Remus is not able to be getting the help hisself!"