The Marauders Year Five Part 2 #Wattys2017

What Do You See in Them?

What Do You See In Them?

Mary Macdonald's story was told in whispers throughout the school. Despite Dumbledore's persistence, however, Mary Macdonald would not tell him or McGonagall who it was that had hurt her, or who it was that had helped her. She was afraid, she said, of the attackers coming at her again, and her rescuer had asked her not to tell. That was all she would say of the topic.

A ripple of fear went through the students - a horrible terror that had the muggle-borns walking together. It was James's idea that the Marauders walk with Lily Evans to every class, and James who led the way, brandishing his wand like a sword, swaggering along ahead of her like he was a grandmaster of a parade, shouting for people to "watch out, muggle-born coming through, watch out, make way for the muggle-born, you gits".

Of course everyone had their own theories, and several of the Slytherin boys were among the names spreading about the castle. Although Lily never particularly liked gossip, this story she paid a fair bit of attention to because of how nauseated it made her feel, how much it fueled her passion to be a good prefect, to watch over the first years like they were ducklings, always counting and recounting them, making sure all seven were there...

Remus threw himself into prefect duties, too, with a vigor that he'd lacked all year long until then. For suddenly there was no Sirius Black to distract him, but rather he now needed distracting from Sirius Black. And so every night Remus Lupin was among the last to leave the common room, sitting for hours and hours on end at the table, helping the first years with their homework assignments or volunteering to do things in the library to help Madam Pince.

James poured his energies into drawing plays for the quidditch match against Hufflepuff - the rematch from the month before. He sat chewing on a quill for hours in the chair by the fire, his hair falling over his forehead in a way that made Lily Evans lose her train of thought as she worked... Peter would be sitting on the floor beside him, drawing or doing homework or playing chess by himself (being both players allowed Peter to win now and then).

But the most concerning of all that week was Sirius Black, who, following his afternoon crying to Lily Evans, had seemed to turn to stone. He lay on his bed in the dormitory, staring at the canopy that hung above his four poster. The darkness would fall and he wouldn't bother to light a lamp, nor would he sleep, he'd just lay and stare... While the others paraded Lily Evans about from class to class, Sirius trailed behind a few steps, watching his own feet as he walked. And he wasn't really saying much of anything.

Even when James tried telling him jokes. Even when Peter put on his favorite records. And most especially not when Remus was in the room.

"Mr. Black, do you know the incantation to changing this rock into an egg?" Professor McGonagall asked. It was a fairly simple question, they'd covered it in third year. It was for a revision test for the O.W.L., and she'd chosen it because when they'd covered it Sirius had laughed quite profoundly because the incantation was eggtasti and he'd made loads of puns about it being aneggsellent incantation, calling it eggtastic and sworn he would never forget it.

Now, he shrugged.

She held him back after class and looked him over with an uneasy expression, "Mr. Black, is there something the matter?"

Sirius murmured, "I'm fine, Professor McGonagall."

She raised her eyebrow. "Professor McGonagall?"

Sirius looked up.

"In five years, I can count on my hand the number of time you've called me Professor McGonagall, Sirius... Are you sure everything is alright?"