One day when Sirius was out Mrs. Black summoned her younger son to the drawing room.

"Regulus," she said, "I need you to do something."

"Anything, Mother."

She smiled, a rare sight. "I hoped you would say that."

"Oh, come on, Moony," said Sirius, looking pitiful. Remus straightened the book that Sirius kept knocking awry and managed not to meet his mournful gaze. "Come on, mate," Sirius persisted. "Christmas. It won't be Christmas without you."

"We could all just stay here again," offered Remus, for what felt like the thousandth time. It was November, beautiful and chilly, frost on windows and breath hanging in air, and Sirius Black was kneeling on the common room floor and not letting Remus ignore the fact that he, for the first time, was Breaking Up the Group.

"No," said Sirius. "We can't. The Potters have invited us to their place for Christmas. Look, mate, we've been over all this before. All you have to say is 'Sure, Pads, I would love to come to James's for Christmas!' and then we'd all be happy and little cherubs would burst out of the air singing, you know, and then you could go back to your book." He sat back on his heels, giving Remus his best puppy-dog face.

Remus sighed and closed the book. The common room was nearly empty this close to dinner, so there was nothing to distract him from Sirius's pleas (not that there was anything more distracting than Sirius anyway). He tried to meet Sirius's gaze but the kicked-puppy hurt and sorrow in those grey eyes made his stomach do a flip. He bit his lip and looked away. "But I can't," he said, focusing instead on the fraying upholstery of his chair. He started to pick at it. "My parents, I told you before-"

"But Moony, we're so responsible-" Remus gave a little chuff of laughter and Sirius amended, "-responsible with you anyway, I mean with your Issue, right, if that's the issue, which I guess it is because it's the Issue but you know what I mean, and if you're worried about money we can all pitch in, and if they just want to have you well they can't because we want you too-"

"Oi!" James came thumping down the staircase, mussing his hair with one hand and waving impatiently at them with the other. "What are you two doing? Still arguing? What about dinner?"

"Dinner?" said Remus distractedly, tugging halfheartedly at a thread.

"Yes, dinner," said James, leaning around the back of Remus's chair and rapping the book that still lay across his knees. "You know, that big, delicious meal that we're already missing? Where's Peter?"

"He went down already," said Remus, understandable preoccupied. Sirius was still looking at him pleadingly.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" demanded James.

"We're waiting for Remus to say yes," said Sirius accusingly.

"Oh, leave him alone, he'll come round," said James, ruffling Remus's hair affectionately. Remus squirmed. "In the meantime, I'll give you a Galleon if you can beat me to the Great Hall."

Regulus had to sit down.

"The Dark Lord?" he repeated, a trifle breathlessly. "Our Lord wants me to . . ."

"You are ideal for the task," said Mrs. Black, leaning forward in her seat. Her eyes twinkled with girlish excitement. "You are perfectly placed, trusted by all, popular with the teachers and, best of all, clever enough to do it properly. Regulus, do you understand what this means? You could become the Dark Lord's favorite! You could rise in his favor! Do this right and he will entrust you with more and more important tasks."

Regulus sat back, feeling dazed. Of course, he had always hoped to receive such an assignment, but at fifteen? It was unheard of, an incredible honor. Even his mother, usually so cool with her sons, was practically clapping with anticipation. He had only ever seen her so animated when she was talking about the Dark Lord's progress with Regulus's father.

"Why . . . why does he need it?" Regulus asked, trying to seem intelligent rather than stricken dumb. "Does it hold any power? Is it necessary for the movement?"

"He does not tell me everything, of course," said Mrs. Black. "I am hardly as valuable to him as Lucius Malfoy or your cousin Bellatrix. Or as you someday might be!" She gave him an encouraging smile. Even as he smiled back Regulus was astonished by the change in her attitude now that he had the potential of improving her status. "But I have been led to believe," she continued, lowering her voice so that he had to lean forward to hear, "that the object you recover may be used to extend the life of the Dark Lord himself."

Regulus gasped aloud, the reaction his mother had wanted. She leaned back again and beamed at him. "The honor!" she said. "Imagine!"

"Will I . . . will I be working alone?" said Regulus.

A cloud crossed her face, and for a moment Regulus saw the spiteful, petulant woman he was more accustomed to. "No," she said. "You are young and this is your first mission. You will be working with an older girl. An Evermarsh."

"Elspeth Evermarsh?" said Regulus, surprised. "But she's a Ravenclaw prefect!"

"And completely loyal to the Dark Lord. She was made Head Girl this summer and therefore will have many privileges you, as a fifth year, do not. Her connections will prove invaluable to you."

"I was made a prefect as well, Mother," said Regulus, a little testily.

"Yes, of course," she said dismissively. Regulus looked down to hide his disappointment at her response. His parents never even acknowledged this achievement unless Sirius was in the room. They assumed such success was only to be expected from their sons and only spoke of it if one of them failed. "Of course you were. But she, as Head Girl, can give you a range of passwords from which you would otherwise be restricted."

"Yes, Mother."

Mrs. Black gave him another startling, friendly smile. "I know you will do well, Regulus," she said grandly, as if her confidence was a gift to be treasured. "You are a clever boy, and loyal. You may go now."

He stood, bowed respectfully, and left the room.

" So explain to me again what you're doing?"

"I can't tell you," said Regulus exasperatedly. "I did say. Monty, didn't I already say?"

Montgomery Mountjoy looked up from his mashed potatoes and grinned. "He did. I heard him."

Regulus and his friends were sitting at the far end of the Slytherin table tonight, far away from everyone except Severus Snape, who sat shooting them dirty looks and picking at his stew. They ignored him. Monty Mountjoy sat beside Regulus, flipping through a political pamphlet from an underground group in Lithuania and half-listening to their conversation. His blond hair was raked at an odd angle, probably unintentionally, and his blue eyes flickered across the page with vague disinterest. Aubrey Zabini was sitting directly across from Regulus, looking lovely as usual with her chocolate skin, honey-colored eyes and bow-shaped lips, giving him her signature secretive smile and fluttering her eyelashes coquettishly.

Regulus rolled his eyes. "Honestly, Aubrey. I don't know what you're trying to accomplish. I can't tell you."

Aubrey sat back, smiling more genuinely now. "You can answer a question, can't you? Or evade one?"

Regulus grinned. "Ask away."

"Fine. Now, this is obviously some plot for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and obviously-"

"Shhh!" Regulus shot a panicked look at the rest of the Slytherins and then at the teachers' table. He glared at Aubrey.

"You're ridiculous," she said calmly. "Monty already cast a silencing spell." Monty waved a hand in a vague salute and turned the page of his pamphlet. "As I was saying, you're working for the Dark Lord and you're getting him a specific, hard-to-reach object, but my question is: How are you doing it?"

Regulus sat back. "Am I being that obvious?" he said wearily. "Because if I am you can just kill me right now."

"Of course you aren't," she said soothingly, taking a sip of her pumpkin juice. Aubrey Zabini could make even pumpkin juice look appealing. "I've just been watching you, that's all. But more to the point, I am interested to know how you're getting this valuable artifact. I am assuming that it is valuable, and an artifact, because if it were anything else you would have secured it already." She took another sip and looked at him expectantly.

"I . . ." He sighed. "I can't tell you. It's secret."

She gave him an overly understanding look and patted his hand. "Is it the kind of 'secret' that I'll be able to spot from a mile away?" she said kindly.

He shot her a dark look, trying to mask the grin that threatened to shine through. "If you're jealous that I didn't ask for your help," he said, mock defensively, "you could just say so, Miss Zabini."

"Oh, I'm not," she said, tossing her perfect dark curls over one shoulder. "I was just saying that your plans usually leave something to be desired."

Regulus smiled and said, with some pride, "Not that I'm acknowledging truth in anything you say, but this one doesn't."

"I can't wait," said Monty, and closed his pamphlet.

James burst through the Great Hall doors. The entire hall turned to stare. McGonagall, sitting at the teachers' table, started to rise, but Dumbledore stayed her arm with a smile. "I won!" crowed James, flinging his hands in the air and dashing towards his customary seat at the Gryffindor table. Cheers and laughter greeted him.

"You cheated!" yelled Sirius breathlessly, pelting in after him, Remus's book clutched in one hand. Remus came sprinting through the doors, not even winded but looking panicked.

"Sirius! The book!" cried Remus. "Be careful, that's on loan-"

"You cheated!" repeated Sirius breathlessly, gaining on James, "you pushed me on the st-" and he smashed into the end of the Hufflepuff bench with a thunderous crash, scattering himself and several first years like very vocal ninepins. The book flew out of his hand and skidded across the stone floor. Remus leapt after it.

"Bugger fuck ow-" Sirius was shouting to the world in general.

"Black! Potter! Lupin!" McGonagall snapped across the Hall. "Thirty points from Gryffindor!"

"Sirius! Mate! Are you- ahahaha - are you all right?" gasped James, between bouts of helpless laughter.

Remus ignored them all. The book skated down the aisle and probably would have come to rest in front of the teachers' table had a neat leather shoe not pinned it to the flagstones. Remus skidded to a halt in front of the shoe's owner.

"Lily-" he said, breathless now from worry rather an exertion, "Lily, I am so sorry-"

She scooped up the book and inspected it. "Well. Front cover nearly torn off, pages full of dust, what looks like teeth marks on one corner. When I said 'Take good care of this book, Remus,' this isn't exactly what I had in mind."

"Lily, I kept it away from them as long as I could, but he just snatched it and ran, and then the staircase moved and it was either take the long way down or break every bone in my body-"

She smiled. "It's all right. I have better copies at home. Did you really think I would loan you something I expected to see again?"

Remus looked relieved, and a little sheepish. "I try to keep them away from my things, but you know them, they just . . ."

As if on cue, they both turned to look down the aisle. Sirius was leaning heavily against the end of the Hufflepuff table, clutching one kneecap and loudly bewailing his pain. James and Peter were doubled over with laughter beside him. McGonagall, looking stormy, was descending on them like a bird of prey.

"Yes," said Lily, with contempt. "I know them."

"Good Lord," said Aubrey Zabini, wrinkling her nose prettily. "Your brother does like to put on a show, doesn't he."

"Idiot," said Regulus, not even looking up.

"Looks like he's weaseling his way out of punishment, though," observed Monty, who was craning to get a better view of the proceedings. "I'm surprised he can still play the pity card at all. It's impressive."

"I hope he broke his leg," said Regulus, savagely cutting into his pie.

"Now, that's no attitude for a Slytherin," said Aubrey. "Show a little House loyalty, Reg. A real Slytherin would arrange an accident to ensure that he does."

Reg smiled. "That is a nice thought, isn't it."

"A healing charm, ten points docked and he sits right down to dinner," said Monty admiringly, turning back to the table. "I must know his secret."

"People take pity on him because he's simple," said Regulus.

"If he were simple," said Monty, "he would have gone into Ravenclaw, just to be contrary. No, I think he's much the same as us. He just thinks he has nothing to lose."

"As I was saying," said Sirius, sitting down at the Gryffindor table and making a great show of favoring his bad leg, "Remus should come to James's for Christmas."

"Not this again," groaned Peter.

"What? Don't you want Moony to come with us?" demanded Sirius.

"I want to talk about something else over dinner for a change!"

"Here!" said Remus, with pointed brightness. "Look. Something to pique your interest and distract you from this hopeless cause." He set a piece of paper on the table with a flourish.

"Nothing can distract me," said Sirius staunchly.

James snatched up the paper. "A treasure hunt!" he exclaimed.

"Treasure? Pirates! Where?" cried Sirius, grabbing for the paper.

"Treasure of the Founders," read James in a theatrical voice. "If You Can Find It, You Deserve It. A hunt for the hidden artifacts of the Founders of our school. All Houses are invited to participate. A series of clues will be hidden throughout the school, and whichever competitor can reach the ultimate prize first wins the treasure and glory for their House. Then there's a bunch of drivel from Hogwarts: A History about the Founders' treasure."

"Remus! Where did you find this?" said Sirius, eyes shining. Remus couldn't help but grin.

"There's dozens pinned to the Hall doors," he replied. "I grabbed one as I came in. Perhaps you didn't notice them, I expect you were too busy writhing in pain at the time."

"I'm going to ignore that jibe because I am so excited," said Sirius, snatching the paper from James. "A treasure hunt! It's like it was made for us!" He scanned the paper, then frowned. "The clue! There's no clue!"

"Read, idiot," said James. "There, at the bottom."

"The first clue will be posted on all House bulletin boards in the common rooms," he read. "It will appear tomorrow morning at seven o'clock. Tomorrow! Tomorrow's a Saturday! And I have to get up at seven?"

"If you want the clue first, you do," said Remus, picking up his utensils and starting his belated dinner.

"Seven it is then," said Sirius. "And if you berks aren't up with me and the sun, then . . . then . . ."

"You'll wake us up," suggested Remus.

"You, my friend," said Sirius, "are not nearly bloody-minded enough."

"You'll peel us into little strips, feed us to the squid, and hollow flutes from our bones," amended Remus.

"Much better," said Sirius. "Now all I have to do is convince you to come to James's."

"A treasure hunt," said Peter, wonderingly. "I hope we win."

"Of course we'll win!" said James. "We win at everything!"