Phineas

Dumbledore marched over to another portrait, this time of a clever-looking wizard with a pointed beard, who had been painted wearing the Slytherin colours of green and silver and was apparently sleeping so deeply that he could not hear Dumbledore's voice when he attempted to rouse him.

"Phineas, Phineas." - Albus Percival Brian Wulfric Dumbledore (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix UK edition page 417)

Chapter Two

Detention and desperation

Sirius and Tom Potter were in different houses, however they both had Potions together. The Potions master was head of Gryffindor, but did not favor his house above all others. Sirius winked at Tom as he took something out of his pocket. He threw it behind Professor Lawrence's back and it landed in Gareth Jones' cauldron. With a boom the potion flew everywhere, and everyone tried to hide under the tables.

"Detention Nigellus, Potter!" called Professor Lawrence.

"Sir?" asked Sirius pretending innocence, yet still shocked. He thought that he could get away with anything, but then again after yesterday things had changed.

"I know you did it. You will spend the rest of break cleaning up this mess and then report to Professor Rodgers tonight!" commanded the deputy head.

"But sir, it's Quidditch training tonight!" complained Tom, looking beseechingly at his head of house.

"No, Professor Nigellus has told all the staff that detentions must now occur on the night they are set. Staff are also allowed to set extra things for students to do for punishment, and I think this is suitable."

The sound of a ringing bell echoed through the corridors. Ding-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling! The other students packed away their cauldrons, and Sirius and Tom remained, clearing up.

***

The potion had gone everywhere! On the desks, on the floor, even on the ceiling! The worst thing was, they had been mixing a Floating Concoction, which did not drip down if it had gone on the ceiling. Gareth Jones had mixed a perfect one, most unfortunately.

Tom held a chair as Sirius stood on tiptoes to wipe away the mess with a damp rag.

"Done!" he gasped out eventually. The ceiling was the last thing they were doing, not wanting to have to grab onto or walk over anything with the sticky mess all over it. According to Professor Lawrence, the potion was spattered all over a room to keep away insects due to its pungent smell. It certainly was smelly.

As the bell went, the two boys left the classroom in relief and immediately split up. Tom had Transfiguration and Sirius had Herbology, plus they were not in very friendly houses generally. They passed their sisters on the way because they had Potions next.

Sirius brought Andromeda aside.

"Father has instructed the teachers to act the same towards us as to everyone else. Be careful what you do."

Andromeda nodded seriously, and continued to her class. Sirius sped up as there were only a few minutes left before the five-minute bell went and class began.

***

Tom and Sirius waited outside Classroom Eleven, which was always used for detentions. They stayed at a reasonable distance, not so far as to be obvious but not so near as to look friendly. Several Hufflepuffs and many Gryffindors and Slytherins, who had been caught fighting, were also there glaring daggers at each other.

Mr. Rodgers and his beloved cat Serena came weaving through the crowd. She was a wildcat, and would only act tamely when the caretaker was around. She obeyed his instructions only, and everyone else was ignored.

He stood in front of the door, and grinned evilly at all the students.

"Our esteemed headmaster Professor Nigellus has instructed me to tell you that the method of detention is now changing. From now on you will be writing lines." His voice was oily and oppressive.

Several students began digging in their bags, which they had with them for some reason, for a quill.

"You will be writing lines..." Mr. Rodgers brought a bundle of quills out of his pocket, "with these. They have been fixed with anti-cheating charms, as well as anti-self-writing charms."

As the students filed through the door, they were handed the normal-looking quills. Sirius examined his closely as he sat as near to Tom as he dared; it looked normal, and there was only the average magical power hovering on it. It was unusual to have desks in Classroom Eleven, and the chains still hung from the ceiling.

Mr. Rodgers handed out a piece of parchment to each student. At the top of each appeared a single line, different on each one. Sirius had I must not cause mayhem in Potions, whereas Tom had I must not distract professors from working.

"Begin!" ordered Mr. Rodgers, "200 lines each!"

A seventh year put up their hand.

"What?" barked Rodgers crossly.

"We haven't got ink," she said nervously.

"You don't need ink!" uttered Rodgers in a threatening manner. "Just write!"

Sirius put his quill down and moved it over the paper. As he carefully drew each letter neatly, a line forming the same shape as them formed a cut in his hand. The ink was red. Sirius gasped in pain, and began to write the next line. The cut in his hand, which had just sealed, opened again in the same shape. The line was so long that it went onto a second one on his hand.

Sirius suddenly realised what was happening. He was writing the lines in his own blood! He looked at Tom, who glanced round at him and then looked back.

"Keep writing, keep writing!" said Mr. Rodgers with a grin.

With pain making their hands ache, they wrote the lines given to them. By the end of the session the words had been carved into Sirius' hand with a thick red line marking them. Blood was beginning to ooze out of it, and he felt very drained.

Many said that Phineas Nigellus had in fact gone mad.