Eclipsed

The Welcoming Feast at the beginning of the spring term was as delicious as ever, and James was absolutely thrilled to be back in the company of his friends, and of course, Marlene. James’ new girlfriend had chosen to spend the meal with the Marauders instead of her usual place with the Gryffindor girls, and was now on the receiving end of glares from Lily, who felt betrayed by her friend’s choice in not only boyfriends, but also seating arrangements. Sirius and Remus had chosen seats intentionally with their backs to the Slytherin table, keeping Sirius away from the looks he was getting not only from them, but from the other pureblood students around the hall, who’d all heard in one way or another about the events that had happened at 12 Grimmauld Place over the break. The delusional hope that other students would keep their involvement in the matter to stares and whispers, though, was short lived. 

As soon as the Marauders had left the hall, prepared to spend a nice, relaxing evening together before classes began the next morning, a group of Slytherins intercepted their group. Their haughty, defacto leader, Edwin Mulciber, was flanked by Snape and Gregory Nott, among others. Their sneers and jeers echoed off the stone walls, drawing the attention of other nearby students.

“Well, well, well. Look who decided to grace us with his presence,” Mulciber sneered, his lips curling into a disdainful smirk. “The disgraced Black heir… or former heir, I should say, since you’ve been disowned. Slumming it with the blood traitors and mudbloods now, are we?”

Sirius bristled at the insult, his fists clenching at his sides. “Watch your mouth, Mulciber,” he shot back, his voice edged with anger. “You don’t know anything about me or my family.”

Mulciber laughed mockingly, the sound ringing in the Marauders' ears like nails on a chalkboard. “Oh, I know enough,” he retorted, his tone dripping with contempt. “Your family disowned you, Sirius. Regulus told us all about it.” Regulus, who usually stayed out of these confrontations between the Slytherins and Gryffindors, was standing on the edge of their pack, looking pale and overwhelmed as he was unwillingly drawn into the altercation. 

Mulciber's words struck a nerve, igniting a barrage of emotions ricocheting inside Sirius' mind. He took a step forward, his eyes flashing with fury. “You don’t know the first thing about me,” he spat, his voice low and dangerous. “And I recommend you keep my name out of your nasty, inbred mouth.” 

While Sirius was usually quick to draw his wand, something about having Regulus standing there, where the younger boy could potentially get caught up in whatever fight was bound to happen, made him think twice over escalating this particular situation. James stepped up from behind, wrapping an arm around his friend, and grasping his own wand firmly in his hand. 

“I think that’s enough, Mulciber,” James said loudly, his voice firm and commanding. “You’ve said your piece. Now leave it alone.” He twirled his wand between his fingers, signaling that he was ready for whatever the Slytherins were going to try with them. 

Edwin didn’t back down that easily. He smirked wickedly, his eyes cold and calculating. “Or what, Potter? You’ll cry to Dumbledore?” he taunted, his voice laced with arrogance. His gaze flickered over to Remus, standing a few paces away with Peter and Marlene, with one reassuring hand grasping her shoulder. ”How about you, half-breed pussy- I mean, prefect? Got anything to say to me?” Remus stared back, his face set in stone as Mulciber mocked him. 

“What’s the point of having a prefect as a pet, Black, if he won’t serve his master?” Instantly, James pulled out his wand, as did Sirius, Snape, and Nott. Regulus seemed to fade into the shadows, and as James watched Mulciber lift his wand, ready to cast the first spell, Remus’ lanky figure came rushing into James’ eyeline.  Faster than any of them had ever seen him move before, Remus lunged forward, his fists flying, clocking Mulciber directly in the face and causing him to drop his wand. 

Remus starting a Muggle-style fist fight wasn’t on anybody’s 1976 bingo card, but for a second, Sirius and James stared in shock as their friend nearly leapt onto the Slytherin, who’d been swiftly pushed to the floor, physically holding him down. 

“I am nobody’s dog, you hear me, you fucking prick, I swear to you I’ll—“ 

Seeing Snape pointing his wand at their friend seemed to snap them both out of their stupors, and instantly Sirius sent a stinging hex towards the greasy-haired git, starting a bit of a duel, with James and Gregory Nott exchanging a couple of hexes between the two of them as well. Before things could escalate further, Lily Evans, her eyes blazing, pushed her way through the small crowd that had gathered around the fight. 

“What in Merlin’s name is going on here?” she demanded, her voice cutting through the noise like a knife. Wanting to stay out of trouble, most of the students watching the fight left, leaving only the Gryffindor boys, and Marlene, with Snape, Nott, and, of course, Mulciber. 

Her gaze swept over the group, hardening as she took in the sight of Remus on the floor on top of Mulciber. While they’d wrestled a bit, Remus was clearly winning the fight, since even with a bloody nose, he’d still ended up on top, and had managed to get a couple more hits in. Hearing Lily coming down the hall, Peter had weaseled his way into the fray, doing his best to pull Remus off of the other boy. He’d been largely unsuccessful until Lily’s appearance caused Remus to lose focus, and Peter took the opportunity to yank him back, stumbling onto his feet. 

Lily’s expression darkened with disapproval as she glared at Remus, being steadied by Peter, breathing heavily. “I expected better from you, Lupin,” she scolded, disappointment palpable in her voice. “From the rest of these tossers, I would expect this, but from you?” She shook her head in disappointment. “I don’t know what McGonagall was thinking, making you a prefect.”

Snape, standing with his arms crossed nearby, snorted with satisfaction, relishing Lily’s public reprimand of their rivals. However, his smirk vanished when Lily turned her gaze towards him. “Don’t think you’re getting out of this either, Sev,” she admonished, her tone stern. “I saw you with your wand drawn.”

Snape flushed with embarrassment, avoiding Lily’s gaze as he shuffled his feet awkwardly. 

“Really, you should all be ashamed of yourselves. Get back to your common rooms, before I call Professor McGonagall over here.”

“Sorry,” Mulciber sneered, rising from the ground and wiping the blood from his nose with the sleeve of his robes, “I don’t take orders from mudbloods.” Lily’s cheeks flushed with surprise, her fists clenching at her sides as she struggled to contain her embarrassment and outrage. No one had ever had the audacity to speak to her like that to her face before.

James stepped forward, ready to defend her honor, but Snape intervened before he could speak. “Edwin, leave her out of it,” Snape muttered, shooting a warning glance at Mulciber. Reluctantly, Mulciber backed down, wandering over to Snape’s side and wrapping an arm around the smaller boy’s shoulders.

“I guess if Black gets a pet dog, I don’t see why you shouldn’t have one too,” Mulciber taunted, earning a fiery glare from James, who immediately reached for his wand.

“Say that again, you prick, I dare you!” James seethed, his voice laced with fury.

“Say what again, Mr. Potter?” A stern voice cut through the tension, causing everyone to turn towards Professor McGonagall, who had appeared from around the corner.

“Mr. Mulciber, would you care to repeat that for me?” McGonagall’s voice was firm, her gaze unwavering as she addressed the Slytherin.

Mulciber remained silent, refusing to meet McGonagall’s gaze. Sensing the gravity of the situation, McGonagall turned her attention to Lily, who stood flustered and red-faced amidst the confrontation.

“Miss Evans?” McGonagall prompted, her voice expectant.

With everyone’s focus on her, Lily’s face went even more red, and she stammered for a moment, unsure what to do. She knew her housemates supported her, but Mulciber’s glare warned her of the consequences if she spoke out, while Snape’s pleading gaze urged her to maintain peace.

“I… I just arrived, Professor,” Lily finally stammered, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. “I’m not sure what they were fighting about.”

McGonagall exhaled in disappointment, knowing that Lily wasn’t being entirely truthful but choosing not to press further in front of so many witnesses.

“Very well, Miss Evans,” McGonagall conceded. “Miss McKinnon, why don’t you accompany her back to the dormitory?”

Marlene emerged from the shadows, offering Lily a sympathetic look before the two girls hurriedly left the scene.

“Now, you boys,” McGonagall continued, her tone stern as she addressed the remaining students. “Fifty points from each of you for fighting in the halls. Lupin, I’ll see you in my office tomorrow morning.”

The Slytherins wasted no time in retreating, leaving the Gryffindors to face their head of house. Remus took the lead, stepping forward to address McGonagall.

“Peter wasn’t fighting, Professor,” Remus explained, gently removing Peter’s arm from his shoulder. “He was only trying to stop the fight.”

“And Remus was only standing up for me,” Sirius added, his voice tinged with resignation as he cast his gaze downward. McGonagall turned her attention back to the Gryffindors, her expression inscrutable as she listened to their explanations.

“For what, Mr. Black? Only a minute ago, nobody seemed inclined to say anything,” McGonagall observed, her tone measured.

“You probably haven’t heard yet, Professor, but I’ve been disowned,” Sirius told her, voice feeling thick with emotion. “In fact, I didn’t know for sure until Mulciber informed me a couple of minutes ago.”

McGonagall’s expression softened, a flicker of sympathy crossing her features. “I am terribly sorry to hear that, Sirius,” she said sincerely, her gaze shifting to Remus. “Mr. Lupin, I’m afraid our meeting will have to wait. Mr. Black, why don’t you come see me in my office tomorrow before breakfast. I think we have some things to discuss.”

Sirius agreed to come see her, and McGonagall gave him a reassuring nod before addressing the group as a whole.

“Very well, back to your dormitories, all of you,” she instructed, her tone firm yet understanding. “And points returned to Mr. Pettigrew for trying to do the right thing.”

With the matter settled, the four boys made their way back to Gryffindor Tower, slightly worse-off than they’d planned to be. The encounter served as a somber omen for the term to come, and the fight with Lily only drove the point home. 

She seemed to be waiting for them when they arrived back, in an armchair by the portrait hole. Remus, who’d stepped through first, had tried to get away by pretending to not have seen her, but she was quick to stand and catch up with him as he made his way to the boy’s stairs. 

“Remus Lupin,” she called out, her voice cutting through the subdued atmosphere. Remus turned to face her, his features betraying a mix of resignation and remorse.

“Lily,” he acknowledged quietly, bracing himself for what he knew was coming.

“I can’t believe what I just witnessed out there,” Lily began, her tone accusatory. “You, of all people, getting into a fight in the middle of the hallway? What kind of example does that set for the younger students? And as a prefect, no less!”

Remus listened in silence, his gaze fixed on the floor as Lily continued her reprimand, but Sirius had had enough. 

“Hold on a minute,” he interjected, stepping forward to stand beside Remus. “Remus didn’t start that fight. He was just looking out for me.”

Lily’s eyes narrowed, her frustration evident as she turned her gaze to James and Sirius. “That may be, but that doesn’t excuse his behavior. As a prefect, he should know better.”

“Maybe you should mind your own business, Lily,” James retorted, his tone bristling with irritation. It had been a long day, and he wasn’t in the mood to let his friend get chewed out by a prefect with an intolerable dedication to following the rules over doing the right thing. “I think McGonagall's got the lecturing covered, if that’s all you’re trying to do here.”

Remus, whose adrenaline from the fight was quickly dropping and giving his body a moment to feel his injuries, didn’t mince words as he addressed Lily’s accusation. 

“I’m sorry, Lily, for being a bad prefect, but not for fighting. If you have an issue with me, bring it up to McGonagall, or Dumbledore, or even just wait to yell at me tomorrow. I am exhausted and sore, and no offense, but I really cannot be bothered with your attack on my personality right now. I’ll see you tomorrow in class.” With that, he turned and headed up the stairs, Sirius and Peter trailing behind him. 

“Stay out of things you don’t know about, Evans,” James whispered sharply, his voice tinged with frustration as he glared at her. “Remus is a better man than you’ll ever know, and just because you think you know the facts and think you can judge him at all doesn’t mean you should.” Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and followed his friends up the stairs, leaving Lily seething with anger at the bottom.

The tension in the air was palpable as Lily stood alone in the common room, her fists clenched at her sides. 

Bad omen indeed.