Mischief Managed Year One: Mayhem of the Moon

Chapter Twenty- Secret Passages and Settling In

.................................................

"I can't tell what I'm looking at," James determined after a thorough investigation.

Neither could Remus or Sirius tell what it was. They directed their energy on trying to open the door.

"Hey Remus, why don't you try the unlocking charm?"

"Me? Why me?"

"Because you successfully locked a door, the dorm door nearly a month ago. You're almost better at charms than James and Lily."

"Yes, but James is better, so shouldn't he..."

"But Remus, if you hadn't pushed us forward we never would have reached here. So the honor is yours, mate," James relented, if not a bit reluctantly.

"Are you sure?" Remus asked in a small voice, not wanting to steal a privilege that really should have been James or Sirius' over his. With the faint light streaming in Remus could see James and Sirius both smiling at him encouragingly.

"Yes, now go ahead. The suspense is killing me."

Feeling nervous, and hoping he didn't ruin this whole night by proving himself to be a failure at magic, he took out his wand.

"Alohomora."

He heard a click, and James and Sirius both thumped him on the back in a congratulatory manner. It felt nice and as he opened the door, Remus reminded himself he shouldn't care what his roommates thought of him.

Since when did he want their approval?

"Oh wow!"

Remus couldn't have said it any better himself. They were in the small boathouse filled with boats they had to clamber around. There were six rows stacked high of the mildewing and paint-chipped rowboats. But once they were free of the long coils of seaweed-covered rope and paddle-less boats piled in the boathouse they had a clear view of where they were as they looked across the stretch of greenery at the Hogsmeade Station not far off.

"We're..."

"Outside!"

"The castle! We did it! We found a passage to Hogsmeade!"

"Well, technically Hogsmeade Station...according to Hogwarts a History it's quite a walk to Hogsmeade which is on the other side of the lake..." Remus explained, but he was breathless with awe and a twisted sense of accomplishment.

'Good enough for me!'

"Indeed this is brilliant. Don't you think so, Remus?"

For once Remus didn't hesitate, "Yes, it is!"

The three of them grinned at each other, filled with a foolish boyish pride Remus never would have believed he was capable of feeling. He knew James and Sirius were "bad influences," but as he looked the other way out over the looming lake to the breathtaking castle of Hogwarts in the distance, he decided he didn't really care.

They sat on the edge of the lake and ate a basket of snacks discovered underneath one of the tipped over boats that Sirius said: "Hagrid or the conductor of the train was kind enough to leave for them." Remus was against stealing but he reasoned James and Sirius were going to eat the whole thing one way or another, and he was quite hungry. All and all it was a pleasant time and surprisingly peaceful.

He wasn't aware that James and Sirius had the capability to sit in silence as long as they did. But something about watching the faintest trace of dawn break out behind the giant castle was breathtaking enough to warrant silence from all three of them.