Simply Moony

"I still don't see why you actually offered to do that," Remus hissed as we walked back to the common room from our detention, huddled beneath James' Invisibility Cloak. We didn't actually need it, but Severus Snape was a Prefect, and would love the chance to knock more points from Gryffindor.

"And I still don't see why you won't accept it," I replied. "You got your sentence shortened, what are you complaining about?"

"You make me sound like a convict."

"Well, you are. You go around beating up poor innocent Slytherins, that's what you get for your trouble. Still, someone's got to do it, so it might as well be you."

"You're mental."

"Yeah, I know, I think it's hereditary -"

"Ssh! Someone's coming!" Remus grabbed my arm and flattened himself against the wall. I did the same, just in time. A second later, Snape came around the corner, followed by Rosier and somebody called Avery, who I didn't know much about. They were walking silently, all dressed in black hooded robes. I shot Remus a quizzical look.

"Where d'you think they're going?" I whispered.

"I don't know, but I'm not following them," he replied, as if reading my mind.

"Well, I'm going, and I'm taking the Cloak, so there," I said childishly, tugging the Cloak off him. I could tell he didn't know whether to believe me or not, but eventually he did, and sighed.

"All right. I'm not letting you go there by yourself."

"Good." I flung the Cloak over him and hooked my arm through his. "Now walk quietly, and don't speak."

"'Walk quietly'? How the hell do you walk quietly?"

"You know what I mean."

We walked a little bit faster than we normally would have done, until the Slytherins were in view again. They were walking straight down the corridor, past the last door, walking straight towards the solid wall at the end.

"Morsmordre," Snape whispered, and a panel slid back. The Slytherins walked through. I began to follow, but Remus grabbed my arm.

"Don't," he whispered. "It could be dangerous."

"Yeah, right - how exactly? It's probably just a secret club - I bet they have little membership cards and everything."

"Stop babbling. That password - it means something like 'eat death'. Does that sound good to you?"

"Er..."

"Exactly. Let's just go to McGonagall's, and tell her what we saw."

"Where will she be? It's late, she's probably gone to bed."

"It's worth a try, isn't it? Come on."

Safe in the knowledge that Snape was otherwise occupied, I pulled off the Cloak and we hurried to Professor McGonagall's classroom as quickly as we could. She was sitting at her desk marking something, and looked up in surprise as we entered.

"What are you -"

"We saw - we saw - Snape - and - he -"

"Miss Parker, what on earth are you talking about?" Remus, who had his breath back quicker than me, began to explain.

"We saw Snape - and Avery and Rosier - going through a secret passageway," he told her. As I'd predicted, she didn't believe him.

"Stop talking such nonsense - I know that you -"

"The password was 'morsmordre'," Remus went on. Professor McGonagall's face went pale.

"Follow me," she said abruptly, and set off almost at a run. She stopped at a stone gargoyle that I recognised - I'd accompanied Kacia this far when she turned a previously mentioned professor purple. "Chocolate strawberries," she said, and the gargoyle jumped aside.

Professor McGonagall showed us into Dumbledore's office and told us to wait.

"Do you think she knows something we don't?" I said, sitting down in a plush leather chair.

"No, of course not," Remus replied sarcastically, sitting down opposite me.

"Sarcasm is the lowest form of humour," I informed him.

"Who says I'm trying to be funny?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but at that moment, Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall appeared.

"Where was the secret passageway?" Dumbledore asked me. His tone was urgent, and I wasted no time in replying.

"At the end of the fifth floor corridor - at the end with the statue of Percival the Pompous," I said. Dumbledore turned to Professor McGonagall.

"Minerva, I want you to escort Mr. Lupin and Miss Parker back to Gryffindor Tower. Then go to the other Heads of Houses; wake them up and have them go instantly to their house's common room."

Professor McGonagall nodded, and beckoned us out of the room. She led us back to Gryffindor Tower, and then spoke quickly in a low voice.

"I want you to wake up everyone in the Tower. Get everyone assembled in the common room; I will be back as soon as possible."

She turned and left. Remus gave the password and we entered the common room. We shared a slightly nervous glance, and then darted up the stairs.

I didn't particularly want to go into my dormitory (I didn't know who would be in there, for one thing), but as I had no choice, I pushed open the door and went in.

Thankfully, Lily and Kacia were both alone in their own beds. I woke each of them, and quickly told them to help me wake up all the other girls. Lily demanded an explanation, but as soon as I said I was acting on Professor McGonagall's orders, she pulled on her dressing gown (and combed her hair in case she bumped into James - well, even Prefects like to look good) and darted out of the door.

Kacia was a lot slower. She hated getting out of bed anyway, least of all in the middle of the night. She grumbled incessantly as she pulled on her dressing gown and slippers, thoroughly combed her hair and splashed some cold water on her face to ensure that she looked more alert.

By the time I got back down to the common room, followed by a gaggle of frightened-looking second-years, all of the boys and most of the girls were already gathered there. Lily followed soon after, leading the third-years.

"Is that everyone?" I asked, looking around. Remus nodded, and so did Lily, so I chose to believe them and slumped in a chair next to Kacia, whose eyes were drooping. I elbowed her sharply and she jerked out of her stupor.

"Ow! What did you do that for?"

"To stop you falling asleep. Knowing you, you'd probably start snoring."

We sat in silence until Professor McGonagall came back, looking pale and shaken. She had a gash on her cheek running from below her left eye right down to her jawbone, and she was visibly shaking. Her appearance did nothing to comfort the nerves in the common room.

"You are all to get into pairs," she told us, "and follow me down to the Great Hall. Stick together, do not speak, and walk as quickly and quietly as possible."

I was about to stand by Kacia, but she grabbed Sirius' arm, looking scared. I smiled slightly in spite of the situation. Trust Kacia to act all Drama Queen.

"What d'you think is going on?" Remus whispered as we walked along the corridor.

"Dunno," I whispered back, as Lily turned and glared at us with a look that said "be quiet". I could tell that she was trying not to show her fear, but she was gripping James' arm in a way that said she was terrified.

We reached the Great Hall, where hundreds of red sleeping bags had been conjured up. Remus, Kacia, Sirius, James, Lily, Peter and I all grabbed one and huddled in a circle. Peter looked like he was going to cry, and Kacia reached out and gave him a hug. I don't know what astounded him more - having Kacia be nice to him or having Kacia actually near him. It was common knowledge that he'd had a thing for her since fourth year at least.

"McGonagall looked rough, didn't she?" James said quietly.

"Yeah...must be serious if even McGonagall was scared by it," Sirius said. It was strange to see him so quiet and subdued.

"Where is she, anyway?" Kacia asked, looking around.

"She's probably gone to fetch Dumbledore or someone," Lily suggested. Sure enough, Professor McGonagall soon came back, walking alongside Dumbledore. Both looked equally grave, as though someone had just died. Dumbledore approached the High Table, and held up a hand for silence. The Hall fell quiet instantly.

"I am sorry to say," he began, "that the school will have to be closed for at least two months. This is due to the fact that tonight, thanks to two sixth-year students, what could possibly have been a horrible massacre of Muggle-borns was prevented from happening. However, the school must be closed until we are sure that it is safe for you to return."

I glanced around. Everyone looked like I felt - white-faced and disbelieving.

"You will pack in the morning," Dumbledore went on. "The Hogwarts Express will be in Hogsmeade station at two o'clock. Your parents have all been owled; if anyone has trouble getting home from King's Cross, then transport will be provided."

He stepped away from the High Table, and a babble of angry voices broke out. To my surprise, Dumbledore approached where we were sitting.

"Mr. Lupin - Miss Parker - could I have a word, please?"

Remus and I glanced at each other and nodded. We followed Dumbledore to a little space, and he began to speak in a low voice.

"I must ask you," he said, "never to repeat what you saw tonight to anyone."

"You mean Snape was involved-"

"Yes," Dumbledore interrupted me. "You have no doubt not heard of the Dark wizard Voldemort, but it is my belief that in less than ten years he will have gained ultimate power - unless he is stopped, that is. He is gathering followers even as we speak, and tonight he was in this very castle. He escaped before we could catch him, but the hunt goes on. So as not to alarm them, the Ministry are choosing not to tell people about Voldemort, and I must ask you to do the same."

We both nodded. Dumbledore sighed in what must have been relief.

"Good. Oh - and you should be very proud of yourselves. Had you not alerted Professor McGonagall of what you had seen, then one of your friends - and you, Miss Parker - would not be here tonight."

"I didn't know you were Muggle-born," Remus said as we walked back to join the others.

"Well, I am," I said with a slight shrug. "So is Lily. Kacia's a half-blood - her mum's a witch. I take it you're pureblood?"

"Well...not exactly."

"What do you mean?"

"My mother was a Veela. She and my father divorced when I was about four, and I haven't seen her since."

"Oh...I'm sorry."

"So was I at first, but now I'm used to it."

We went back to sit with the others, and despite the seriousness of the night's events, Sirius soon had us all laughing with a story about his cousin and a band of pixies who lifted him by the ears and carried him fifty miles before dropping him in a field full of sheep.

By morning, however, a sombre mood had settled over the Hall again as we trooped up to Gryffindor Tower to pack, not knowing when we would see the castle again - or, for that matter, when (if ever) we would see each other again.

It was hard to smile on the train back to London. We sat in silence mostly, or talked for a little bit, but not much. Even James and Sirius couldn't seem to find much to say to each other.

By the time that the train pulled into King's Cross, night was falling and many tears were shed as we stepped off the train. I hugged everyone and promised to keep in touch, although I knew that I'd see Kacia anyway because she lived two streets away.

I cried the hardest when I was saying goodbye to Remus. We lived at opposite ends of the country - I was in Yorkshire, he was in Cornwall - which meant that it would be hard to visit each other.

We shared a lengthy kiss and promised to owl each other at least twice a week, and then he was gone, pushing his way through the crowds with his father.

My mother was already waiting with Holly. She, too, looked sadder than I'd ever seen her, and had the circumstances been normal, I would have made a comment on the fact that she had no friends to miss, but I was feeling much too miserable for that.

We were just walking to another platform to get the train home, when I heard someone shout.

"Chloe! Wait!"

I turned to see Remus, tearing through the masses of people towards me. He was holding something in his left hand; I stood in bewilderment as he came closer.

"I wanted to give you this," he said, handing me a flat parcel wrapped in brown paper. Curiously, I opened it to find a photograph of us both. I remembered the occasion - Lily's birthday. She had received a camera from her parents, and Sirius snatched it from her and took a picture of Remus and I.

"Thanks," I said, somewhat awkwardly, because my mother and Holly were stood watching. "Well...bye, then."

"Bye."

He clumsily pecked me on the cheek, and then stood for a split second before turning and running away again. I couldn't help smiling as I watched him nearly knock over an old man, and then stop to apologise profusely. He waved, and I waved back, and then he was gone again.

I missed Hogwarts already.