Chapter 255 - Full Moon

The morning of the next full moon had started as rather overcast. It was rather worrisome because if it remained in this manner, they would have to start the entire process all over again. In their last potions class, both Severus and the Marauders had been so distracted that Professor Slughorn had to yell several times at them to get their attention. He had been most displeased, and they'd been rather lucky, he hadn't given them detentions to serve that night.

This went on for the rest of the day even when they were doing Cheering Charms in Professor Flitwick's class, which did very little to improve Severus's dower mood. Rowan rather enjoyed herself feeling rather elated and quite bright for a change. An oddity for her, but a rare occurrence that she did on occasion enjoy.

That day in, DADA, Professor Pollen was teaching them the Ventus Jinx, a jinx designated to shoot strong jets of spiraling, wind from the tip of their wand. The cast cyclone is able to blow away heavy objects or even people. Once, finished demonstrating the jinx, Professor Pollen says, "Alright, now please try to blow the books in front of you. Careful not to send them flying through the windows! Points will be docked!"

Severus clearly hadn't been listening, because once Professor Pollen said, "Go." Severus cast the spell to only send the book flying straight through the window of the classroom causing the glass to shatter.

Suddenly pulling, Severus to the ground, Rowan steps over him and takes his place. Professor Pollen whirls around to see the stunned figure of Severus on the ground and Rowan standing in his spot. "Sorry, Professor," Rowan sheepishly said.

"Ten points from Slytherin!" Professor Pollen snapped, before walking over to repair the window.

Glaring down at Severus, Rowan hisses, "Hurry and get up!" Realizing that his twin was annoyed for good reason, Severus hurriedly rises to his feet. He rather innocently casts the spell again causing the book to firmly slide forward across the bare floor.

"Very good, Mr. Prince," Professor Pollen said in approval as Rowan flashed Severus another unhappy look.

Severus remained rather alert for the rest of their class period until they were dismissed. Knowing better than to apologize when his sister was in this state, he hurriedly said, "I'll see you later," before bolting away. He was not a coward merely recalculating his new defensive position.

It was still rather overcast by nightfall, but that wasn't about to stop any of them. Making sure the girls were sound asleep, Rowan made her way into the common room, where Severus crept down the stairs. Sneaking out was the easy part, the hard part was getting out of the castle unnoticed and then back in.

Somehow, they managed to do it with a strong notice me not charm, before making their way outside at the designated meeting point behind the greenhouses. It was still overcast as they both waited on the soggy grass. Severus muttered things under his breath as he held the potion ingredients in his pouch to his chest.

"Reckon Lupin's turned yet?" Severus asked as he glanced up at the murky sky.

"The moon's already risen, so probably," Rowan mumbled as she peered into the darkness. "Remind me again, why I'm out here again?"

"This was your idea," Severus grumbled. "And you're an accomplice. And if I'm going to go down for this you are too."

"No need to so bitter about it," Rowan sniffed as she suddenly heard a rustle behind her as a voice said, "Boo!" However, it was too bad for them as she automatically slammed her elbow into their ribcage as Invisible cloak fell off of them to reveal two stunned boys with Sirius laying prone on the ground in pain.

"I could have told you that Rowan hates to have people sneak up on her," Severus said with a malicious grin.

"I thought as much," Sirius wheezed in breathless agony.

"Well, shall we get to it?" James said as he eagerly rubbed his hands.

Pointing up at the sky, Rowan sarcastically says, "It's still dark." And as if the heavens heard them both the clouds parted the moonlight feel upon them. Bloody lucky Gryffindors!

"See, I told you it would work out," James smugly said as Severus handed them each a vial.

"Wait, what do we do again?" Pettigrew panicked.

"Calm down," Severus growled. "I'll explain." Pettigrew quickly snaps his shut as he doesn't dare miss a single word from Severus's mouth. "Make sure to hold the vial in the moon's rays before you, you can't have your shadow blocking it. The potion is already ready all we have to do is spit into the vial, add a single hair from our heads.

We then have to add a single silver teaspoon of dew unseen by sunlight nor touched by human feet and the chrysalis of a Death-head's Hawk Moth. Once, you've done all those things, please cork it. And then hand them over to Rowan to put in my pouch."

Severus paused and asked, "So, are we all on the same page?"

They all nod as Severus hands over the pouch to Rowan. All four boys carefully uncorked the vial, before they paired off and said, "Okay on three!" They each gave the incantation causing the mandrake leaf to unstick and fall onto their tongue. Spitting the Mandrake into the vial, they quickly reach up to pluck a few hairs and drop them inside.

Rowan hurries over with four silver teaspoons in her hands. The boys quickly grab on as she pulls out the bottle of dew and carefully pours a teaspoon for them. They carefully make sure not to spill a single drop, before being handed the chrysalis. Carefully corking the mixture, they hand over the vials for her to take and Severus to put away in a quiet, dark spot that shan't be disturbed until the next thunderstorm.

"Phew," Pettigrew said in relief as the other boys echoed his thoughts. "Uh, this better be the last time."

"Mm," Rowan said as she handed Severus the pouch.

Severus clears his throat and says, "The most tiring part is up next. We have to exactly at sunrise and at sundown chant the incantation, Amato Animo Animato with the tip of our wands pointed at our hearts until the next night of a lightning storm-."

Suddenly Rowan clamped her hand over his mouth before hissing, "Hurry put on James cloak and don't move!" She hurriedly begins to run as she pulls James behind her and heads right for the Weeping Willow Tree.

"What's going on?" Severus tried to say, but Rowan only pulled his hand harder until he realized he could hear voices in the distance. Understanding that they probably wouldn't get this close to the weeping willow at a full moon, they round the blasted tree before heading towards the front entrance.

After the incident at the bank and after her recuperation, Rowan's mapscape had grown again. Her world mapscape now showed any individual on the premise as her much like the marauder's map. And even better, the length of her jumps and the frequency of use had increased by tenfold!

Stopping Severus with her hand, Rowan casts another strong notice me not charm over them, before dashing inside and pulling Severus alongside her. They hurry down the stairs to only turn the corner and almost run into Filch. Rowan pulls Severus around the corner as they both freeze as Filch passes by murmuring about noisy kids as they hold their breaths and press themselves to the wall.

Mrs. Norris makes a soft meow and turns to stare at Rowan and Severus. Putting her finger to her lips, Rowan pleadingly looks at the cat. Mrs. Norris stares at Rowan for a moment, before meowing and trotting after Filch.

Letting out a sigh they hadn't known they had been holding, Rowan says, "Hurry up! They rushed down the corridor and whispered, "Potentia!" They rushed inside each instantly splitting off towards their own dorms. Out of breath she hurriedly changes into her pajamas before jumping into bed.

With her own breathing sounding rather loud, Rowan suddenly hears footsteps as she quickly turns and remembers her pillow is still transfigured. Pulling her wand from the bed stand, she instantly transforms the pillow back and falls back down pulling the covers over her head. The sleepy, rather grouchy female Prefect rushes in and says, "Roll call!"

Various groans could be heard in the room as all four girls pulled back their curtains and sleepily turned to stare at her. "What is going on?" Tiffany yawned as Silvia was nodding off on her bed. Bethanie had a black eye mask on and once removed she tried to see through rather blurry eyes.

"Nothing, please go back to bed," the female Prefect said, before closing the door behind her.

"It's the middle of the middle of the night," Bethanie yawned as a snore could be heard as Silvia slumped back on her pill already dead asleep.

"Mm," Rowan mumbled before closing the curtains as Tiffany and Bethanie did the same. With her heart still racing, she grins to herself, before closing her eyes. Whoever had snuck out, they were going to be in so much trouble.