Name: Lily_writes
House: Ravenclaw
Title: To Tell Or Not To Tell
Word Count: 193
Warning(s): HBP Spoiler

"Is there anything you would like to tell me?"

After all these years, I'm still not sure if I should. What would happen if he found out? Would he be able to?

Slughorn looked about the office, avoiding Dumbledore's gaze.

If I did, what good would it do? I knew Horcruxes were a banned subject, and they still are, but what would've happened if I had told Armando what I had told him? Would I have been fired? Would I be fired now? This is fine pickle I got myself into. I made one mistake over fifty years ago and it has been haunting me ever since. My dear friend and colleague, I wish I could tell you, but I can't, I just can't. I know you sent Harry to try a week ago, but I'm not telling him either. I won't let you see more than I gave you when you tricked me into it with Veritaserum. I'm sorry, Albus, but I don't. I'm not ready.

Slughorn bowed his head and slowly shook it. Dumbledore, who had worn a serene smile when Slughorn had walked in, now looked solemn, almost grave.

"I see"
Title: He Deserved It, Right?
Word Count: 351
Warning(s): None, unless you have an issue with people pranking Snape...

"Is there anything you would like to tell me?"

All four Marauders were sitting in front of Dumbledore's desk, looking down at their feet and studying them as if they had suddenly found them rather interesting.

If only Dumbledore could understand, James thought. I was only helping Peter get back at Sniv- I mean Snape. He really deserved it too. At least, I thought covering all his robes in large neon orange spots reading "I love Professor Slughorn" was a fair exchange for him splashing Peter's potion in his face. Poor Petey was in the hospital wing for a week with blue and green acne. I know I'm Head Boy now, and should be more responsible. Just please, don't tell Lily, she'll kill me!

Come on Dumbledore, don't blame James for adding the hens that were magically glued on, that was completely my idea, thought Sirius. I only threw it on as a finishing touch. It's not my fault they all lay eggs every minute, it's not like I charmed them to do that. Oh, wait, yes I did. But you have to admit it was really funny.

Professor Dumbledore, I wish you could understand, thought Remus. We Marauders are like the Three Musketeers, except there are four of us. Don't punish them for the cloud that followed him for an hour raining grease on him, that was me. Let's face it, I'm not prefect material. I can't stop my friends from pranking people, let alone myself. I wish you could forgive us.

Please Professor, don't give us detention, they were only sticking up for me, Peter thought. They only wanted to help me get revenge on Snape for what he did to me last week. Anyway, I'm the one who persuaded Peeves to follow him and scream out "here comes the king of snot" everytime he left a room.

Dumbledore looked over the four seventh-years, three of whom looked a little nervous and kept shooting him quick glances, the last one looking a bit calmer than the rest, as if he had done this hundreds of times.

"I see."