The Marauders: Year Five #Wattys2017

McGonagall's Office

McGonagall's Office

The only way to quiet Regulus was to send James away. And so, as quickly as she could, Madam Pomfrey had given James a bit of potion and McGonagall had sent him to her office to wait for her. She'd offered him the little couch when she'd sent him off, but he'd sat in his usual chair across from her desk. And so there James sat, staring at the dark mahogany wood of her desk top, his chin in his palm, waiting. A clock on the mantel ticked and he glanced over at it, then turned away, slipping back into his unfocused stare. He took off his glasses and rubbed his face, dizzy from exhaustion and nerves and his shoulders slumped with guilt. Every breath felt like it weighed more than an elephant upon his chest.

There was a knock on the door and James got up and opened it, without putting on his glasses, peering blurrily out into the hall. Lily Evans stood in the corridor with wide eyes. She stared at James in surprise. "Potter! You're - you're here!"

James nodded, "I'm here."

"But Peter said you were at Grimmauld Place."

"I was, but I'm back already," James answered, his voice a sad monotone.

Lily looked nervous, "Are you alright, then?"

James shrugged.

"You need to see Madam Pomfrey and be sure, here come along, I'll see you to the hospital wing," she held out her hand for his. "Where are your glasses?"

"On McGonagall's desk..." James stared at her palm for a long moment, then looked up at her, "I've already been to see Pomfrey, but thanks."

Lily asked, "Already been? But haven't you just floo'd in?"

"No, the floo network's disconnected from Grimmauld Place now," James replied. "Kreacher brought Maryrose and I in earlier and... and I ran out and McGonagall's brought me back." He closed his eyes in pain at the memory that he had an escape story but Maryrose did not.

"Oh, so - so Maryrose went with you? That's... that's good," Lily said, "I'm glad you weren't by yourself. And she's a very clever girl. I'm sure she was really helpful. Is she here, too? Has she gone to see Pomfrey?"

James swallowed the lump in his throat and shook his head in response.

"No? No what? She hasn't been to Pomfrey? I can see her up..."

"No she's not - she's not here."

"Well where is she? Did she go back to the Hufflepuff common room? She should really be examined before she --"

"She isn't at Hogwarts, Evans!" he said in exasperation, "She isn't here!" he yelled the last bit and tears blurred his eyes even more and he punched the wall in frustration, then banged his forehead against it. "And it's my fault."

Lily stood there awkwardly a moment, watching him as he leaned there, eyes squeezed closed in anguish, and she drew a deep breath and stepped forward, putting a palm on his shoulder. "James... what's happened?" she asked.

"I'm an idiot."

"You're not."

"I am."

"Well what idiot thing did you do then? Tell me about it."

"I've saved Lucy Minchum."

"The Minister's Granddaughter?"

"Yeah. The one he's got is a fake."

Lily's face dropped in shock, "What?" Then, "Bloody hell, so you've saved the real one from Grimmauld Place? The Blacks had her this whole time?"