"C'mon Padfoot, we need to go."

James was whispering, but he hoped the urgency of his whisper intimated to his friend that it was time to get fucking gone. Their prank may have been a good-natured one—decorating their favorite professor and Head of House's office for Yule seemed innocuous compared to some of their other efforts over the last seven years—but they were still breaking into a professor's office, and that was generally frowned upon. Moreover, they'd broken through some serious wards on the office door and desk to accomplish their task.

The Transfiguration classroom and office were now festively decked out in the most ostentatious display of red, green, and gold to ever grace the halls of Hogwarts. Sirius had transfigured a desk into a small, singing St. Nicholas, and Remus had charmed the streamers to scroll "Happy Yule! Gryffindor Rules!" James had charmed the tinsel to multiply when someone tried to Evanesco it. It was like taking their OWL practicals all over again, but this was way more fun.

Remus was hovering near the door, watching for Peter's animagus form. Remus's hearing was only helpful as a prank lookout if none of the ghosts were nearby. Peter's only issue was Mrs. Norris, and they always made sure he had an escape hole to duck into if that wretched cat found them. The werewolf turned to glance at his friends, and his eyes narrowed when he saw Sirius open one of the drawers in McGonagall's desk.

"Just going to leave Minnie a nice Yule treat!" He smiled brightly and waved a box of Ice Mice in the air; he'd picked it up the last Hogsmeade weekend, thinking it a clever nod to McGonagall's animagus form. He set the box down, meeting the bottom of the drawer much higher than he thought he would. He quirked his head, and then tapped on the bottom.

His smile changed to a more devious grin. "Oh ho, lads, I think I've just found something." He took the box of Ice Mice back out, along with various trinkets and parchments stored in the drawer.

Remus's eyes flickered to the hallway before following James to the desk. "What?"

Sirius grinned, slipped his hand under the drawer and, after a moment, popped a small latch. The false bottom of the drawer popped up to reveal a tiny storage area with six compartments. Five of the compartments held vials, and one held a delicate gold necklace.

"Those are Penseive memories," James said reverently. "I saw them used at a trial this summer when Dad took me to the Wizengamot." He stared at the swirling white mists, wondering what was so important that Professor McGonagall would store away her memories.

"I wonder what's so special about this?"

James was jolted out of his musings by Sirius, who'd slipped the gold chain around his neck and was examining the pendant on it. It looked to be made up of three circles with an hourglass etched in the middle. The hourglass shape was silver, shining in contrast to the gold necklace.

"Is that…" whispered Remus, staring at the pendant.

"What?" asked Sirius.

"A time turner," said Remus. "Pads, take it off. Take it off now." The hair raised on the back of Remus's neck, and he felt James suck in a breath and tense up.

"Calm down, mate," drawled Sirius. "Everyone knows that the Department of Mysteries destroyed the last Time Turner during Grindelwald. It's probably an old courting gift. Did you know McGonagall was married back in the day? I bet she was a looker…" Sirius sighed and absently twisted the latch on the side of the pendant."

"Sirius, I think you should take it off," James said softly.

"Code names only, Prongs!" admonished Sirius. "Fine. I can't believe you boys have your knickers in a twist over some stupid necklace."

And Remus watched as Sirius flicked the circles forward in frustration, and then the circles turned.

And turned and turned and turned.

And then the necklace was gone. And so was Sirius.