Twenty minutes later they gathered around the kitchen table, Harry having been put to bed by Sirius while the others had arranged to have beds ready for the night and made everything comfortable so Lily could remain in the house for a longer period of time.
"Right, explain what the plan is."
"First we need to get a hold on my invisibility cloak, Dumbledore asked to borrow it and I was both foolish to allow him and to never ask for its return upon going into hiding," James sighed.
"I might have an idea to get it back, I'll be right back," Sirius rose to his feet and left the house.
"How...never mind, we'll hear it when he gets back," Lily shook her head.
"So that thing is Riddle's soul?" Remus eyed the gas lantern again.
James had put it behind several protective spells and silencing ones just in case it was still aware of what was going on around it, but the thing still rattled his bones in unease.
"Yes."
"And how exactly did it get in there?"
"I have to admit that I am not entirely sure about that myself," Lily shared a glance with Remus. "James called out that he'd showed up so I ran upstairs with Harry, full aware we wouldn't make it out alive and the next thing I know is hearing Sirius' voice."
"I was prepared to die, didn't have my wand within reach and when he raised his wand at me I knew I was a goner. But it wasn't him who shot off the Killing Curse and when I opened my eyes, Sirius was there and smoke was rising out of Riddle's corpse. Sirius locked it in there..."
"Sirius killed Riddle?" Remus' eyes widened.
"Yes."
"How is he handling that? He's never killed before," Lily asked worriedly.
"That's not entirely true; Death Eaters have perished before during duels. Although it is the first time he's ever aimed with the intent to kill and used the Killing Curse," Remus corrected her.
"I don't think it's really sunk in yet. Aside from my little breakdown at realising we would all be all right, we haven't really had the time to think about what happened. And no matter what, he's done it to protect me," James ran a hand through his hair.
"Do you think he'll get in trouble for it?" Remus asked quietly.
"They better give him a bloody medal, he's done what no one else has been capable of doing," Lily bit out.
"I don't want a stupid medal, just my family safe and sound. I've got your cloak and am expecting a delivery soon," Sirius spoke up as he returned and placed James' cloak on the table.
"How did you do that?" James blinked surprised.
"I called Tiffy for help to get it back without Dumbledore noticing. She said he wasn't present in his chambers so she had no trouble retrieving it along with something else that might come in handy," he tapped a book he was holding but didn't show it to them yet.
"Won't she get into trouble for doing that?"
"No, I kind of hired her so she cannot be punished for her actions or questioned by Dumbledore. And since the cloak is legally James' property, it is not considered theft that she might be held accountable for."
"You can hire her just like that?" Lily asked surprised.
"Usually a House-elf needs to be freed before they can get another Master, but it is possible when a House-elf is truly unhappy at her current home and both the current and new Master come to an agreement to take over the House-elf."
"But she wasn't unhappy, was she?" Lily frowned.
"She's been asking Sirius to take her on since our graduation, but he didn't want to endanger her since he's a target," James explained. "Even came to me to plea her case."
"Won't Dumbledore put a stop to it?" Remus wondered before he already shook his head to his own question. "Dumbledore is not her master, Hogwarts is. He is just the current Headmaster. Does that mean Hogwarts gave its blessing?"
"Did so when we graduated and Tiffy first put in the request. I only now accepted when she returned so she is in my service now."
"Then where is she?"
"Packing her belongings and arranging food and other necessary things for Lily and Harry to live here comfortable for a while. She'll stay with them to keep an eye on them and keep them safe."
"She doesn't have to stay here," Lily argued.
"It is the safest place for her. Until we've hunted down Peter, Remus and I can't return to our apartment as he might have set up a trap there and Godric's Hollow is most definitely out of the question as long as he's capable of sharing the secret with anyone."
"If we share a room then she can have the third bedroom to sleep in," Remus suggested. "What's the book you have with you?"
"Upon contacting Tiffy I informed her of what was going on and when I mentioned Horcruxes, she remembered hearing about them before and asked me to wait. When she returned with the cloak, she also brought this book and information we might be very interested in," he placed the large black leather-bound book onto the table.
"Secrets of the Darkest Arts," Remus read upside down. "This has information about Horcruxes in it?"
"Yes and Tiffy sought out an old House-elf; Moky, who was the source of her knowledge about Horcruxes and it turns out that Moky's daughter overheard a conversation between Riddle and Slughorn back when the former was still in school."
"She what?" Remus looked up from the book he and Lily were paging through. "How?"
"House-elves are meant to be unseen so no one ever notices them. They can overhear a lot of things we wouldn't even think about and remember a lot," James admitted. "What did the daughter overhear?"
"She overheard Riddle asking Slughorn about the subject and asked her mother what creating seven of them would do to a person."
"Seven!"
"I don't know if he truly made seven, but I think we need to assume he indeed made more than one."
"So you were right," James took a deep breath. "It'll save us having to visit Arcturus at least. Does it say how to destroy them?"
"Some methods that I doubt will work, but Fiendfyre would be capable. The object the soul fragment is in needs to be destroyed beyond possible repair."
"Right, how do we find out just how many he made and what they are?" Lily asked as she pushed the book at James.
"Through him," James indicated to the gas lantern. "It would be possible to break into his mind and seek their identity out."
"That would destroy your mind, Riddle is too powerful to let you break into his mind without repercussions," Lily argued.
"Actually, it could be possible. Sirius has broken into his mind before and that was accidental," Remus said.
"Both Sirius and I are capable Legilimens."
"If one of us were to shield, the other might be able to enter his mind without danger," Sirius added to James' words.
"That might just work," Remus took a sip from his tea. "But I'd like to help with the shielding. I might not be as strong as you guys, but I can help."
"Actually, I'd prefer it if you and Lily would watch over us. Not that I don't appreciate the help, but for what we're planning we'd need to merge our minds..." James trailed off.
"Something that only two extremely close parties can do," Remus nodded in understanding. "My help would actually endanger you."
"Although we are all close, Remus and I don't even come close to the kind of bond the two of you share," Lily agreed.
"Sorry," James smiled apologetically as he squeezed his wife's hand.
"Don't be, I wouldn't want to change the bond between you guys for the world," Lily returned his smile before turning to Sirius. "What would you need?"
"Probably hot chocolate and something for the massive headache we're sure to be left with."
"Got it," Lily made her way to the kitchen to begin prepare hot chocolate.
"I'll shield you. Your Occlumency levels might be naturally better, but you are more resistant against dark magic," James admitted.
"I'd prefer it that way," Sirius rose to his feet and they sat down side by side across of the gas lantern. "Are you ready?"
In response James entangled their fingers together and closed his eyes.
It felt to Remus like hours passed in which his two best friends sat motionless together while the black smoke slammed against the glass. Although James' spells made sure they couldn't hear it either, Remus just knew the soul fragment was screaming in rage, fighting their intrusion as his skin prickled.
Suddenly the smoke froze and both James and Sirius blinked as they simultaneously leaned back.
"Damn."
"What?"
"He's made five of them," James rubbed a hand over his face before taking Sirius' hand again as the other was breathing heavily.
"Do you know what they are?" Lily grabbed a two plaids and tossed it over their shoulders as both were trembling.
"Yeah and we also know where they are. It's getting them that might cause a problem," James winced in pain as he rose to his feet, helping Sirius up as well and Remus quickly stepped forward to steady him as he wobbled.
"Are you all right?" he asked worriedly.
"Just need a moment; his mind is filled with so much darkness it's hard to breathe even now."
"Here, eat this," Remus broke off two large pieces of chocolate from a bar in his pocket and handed it to both of them.
"Thanks," Sirius let Remus guide him to the table again as James bit into the chocolate. "But to get back to the subject at hand. I don't think it will actually have to be that hard to get them."
"What do you have in mind?" James asked as Lily poured hot chocolate into cups and they sat down as well.
"If we locate one of them, we can access the others as well."
"Because they are all connected to each other," James realised. "The diadem would be easiest to locate, wouldn't it be?"
"It's at Hogwarts and the only one without real protections on it. I don't know about the cup and the book, but the ring and the locket are guarded heavily."
"So the Horcruxes are a simple diadem, a book, cup, ring and locket?" Remus inquired.
"Ravenclaw's Diadem, Hufflepuff's Cup, Slytherin's Locket, the Gaunt's family ring and a personal diary," Sirius took a large sip from his chocolate.
"He made Horcruxes of priceless heirlooms?" Remus asked in disbelief.
"He did," James sighed as he explained exactly where and how the Horcruxes were hidden. "Which do you think would be the most dangerous to get our hands on?"
"The ring. Although the outer protections are easy to avoid since they have been set for humans, there is a Compulsion Charm on the ring itself and a deadly curse that activates when you do put it on."
"I'd have assumed the locket," James frowned. "You'd have to drink the potion the locket is hidden in, right?"
"Yeah, there is a charm on it that requires the potion to enter someone's throat, but the charm wouldn't recognise if that is a real one or not. Pouring it down a transfigured throat of a doll would work just as well and not expose you to the effects of the potion."
"Which in turn means you are not forced to get water from the Inferi infested lake," Remus nodded but Sirius shrugged.
"Bringing a Muggle water bottle would work just as well since it's neither magical or summoned."
"That...is actually quite ingenious," Lily swallowed. "I'd never have thought to avoid either threat that way."
"We're Marauders, it's what we do," Remus laughed.
"So the cup and the diary are out, that indeed leaves the diadem. How do you want to go get it?" Lily shook her head fondly.
"Through Aberforth. When I started working there, we needed to come up with a way for me to travel back and forth unnoticed as students aren't allowed to have jobs."
"The tunnel behind Ariana's painting," Remus realised. "Do you think it's still there?"
"Yes. When a room has been created, it always remains in the Room's memory. Unless you specifically request it to be destroyed."
"When do we leave?"
"Rem...joining us would mean actively going against Dumbledore," James softly spoke up.
"I know. Everything you guys said is true. The way he's been acting and what Hagrid told us, too much doesn't make sense and he might have had a hand in a lot of things that we are not even aware of. I...I think he's been doing a lot more than what we're even imagining."
"What do you mean?"
"For months now, there's been things he's said and done, things that you'd not really consciously notice but stay in your sub consciousness and are weird now that I truly think about it. Stuff about you," Remus directed at Sirius.
"Such as?"
"Hinting that he didn't know where you were when you didn't show up for meetings, mentioning odd meetings between your relatives and you at shady places that he didn't send you to, Peter as well actually. In hindsight, I think he might have been sowing a hint of doubt in your loyalty."
"Like I'm the spy?"
"Y-yes and I am ashamed to admit it has crossed my mind as well, despite knowing how much you hate the dark arts and would never betray James."
"Or you," Sirius frowned.
"No...I...eh," Remus looked down, ashamed the thought had even crossed his mind as he knew how much his friend had regretted his action and Sirius sucked in a sharp breath as he realised what Remus had been thinking about.
"Sirius didn't betray you," James swallowed.
"No...I know he never..."
"This really isn't the time for this, James," Sirius quietly said.
"Isn't it? You heard him, that...that so called Prank played a role in why he's begun to suspect you! We agreed we would tell him the truth after graduation."
"Once things were settled," Sirius argued softly, not looking at Remus.
"And look where that led us. You already took the fall once, if you had showed up later you might as well have taken the fall for his actions again."
"What are you guys talking about?" Lily frowned, but Remus' eyes narrowed.
"The fall for whose actions?"
"Peter's. We agreed it would be better to hide the truth for all of our safety as you had no memory of that day."
"The day of the bridge attack?" Remus warily asked.
"There was no attack, Sirius and I were the ones to blow it up to support our cover story and explain away your injuries."
"Why? What would you need a cover story for?"
"Because you transformed that day during the solar eclipse," James revealed. "We were in the library when Sirius noticed your eyes began to change colour and dragged you to an unused classroom. Peter and I were meant to create a diversion."
"Meant to?" Remus asked sharply, horrified by what he was hearing.
"We planned to Polyjuice into you guys and set off a prank to distract people, but...well..."
"You discovered you can't Polyjuice into me because I'm a werewolf," Remus swallowed. "What happened?"
"As I discovered that, I sent Peter out to keep people away from the hallway you guys were hiding in. He didn't tell me what he'd done until the night of the full moon."
"He's the one who told Snape where to find me, while polyjuiced as you," Remus realised. "Why would you not tell the truth to McGonagall and Dumbledore about that? The punishment bestowed upon you..."
"Was better than the alternative."
"How could it be better?" The frustration and anger in his voice died out as steady grey eyes met his own without hesitation.
"Because you transformed without a full moon present. If they'd discovered that, you'd have been executed immediately."
"Why did I transform? I've never done so during an eclipse before," Remus forced himself to remain on track and not let his emotions take over at what he was learning.
"We think it had to do with the liquid Snape dropped over you at breakfast that morning, although we've never been able to find proof."
"I hurt you while I was transformed," suddenly tears appeared in Remus' eyes and all his anger and frustration vaporised, making place for shame as he remembered deep bruises and half healed cuts. "You were in the hospital wing for days after the so called bridge incident and those bruises you had..."
"Weren't from the bridge," Sirius softly admitted.
"Three weeks...darn it, Siri...why?"
"To protect you. It would have shattered what little self-confidence you had if you'd known what could have happened that day and it would have destroyed you."
"The things I've said after..."
"Were said in anger and while you were of the belief I'd done what we told you I did," Sirius cut him off.
"And Peter let you do so," Remus choked out. "Who else knows the truth?"
"Just the three of us," James sighed. "I'm sorry we lied to you."
"I'm sorry you had to take the fall to protect me, I just wish you'd told me the truth," Remus reached out to take both of their hands. "I'm sorry."
"So are we."
"Do you still think he could be a traitor?" Lily asked softly, having kept silent during the revelation.
"I never truly wanted to believe it and I don't," Remus met Sirius' eyes again. "I never will again. I might be forever grateful to Dumbledore for the chance he's given me, but he is not where my loyalties lie. Just, please promise me you will not try to protect me at your expense ever again."
"I can't guarantee that," Sirius gave him an apologetic half-smile that made Remus shake his head fondly.
"I'm glad you're being honest," he sighed and forced himself to get them back on track again, ignoring his own guilt at having believed Sirius had betrayed him. "So the diadem, huh?"
"Yeah," James cleared his throat. "You can still stay here."
"Not a chance. All three of you could have died today and I wouldn't have even known until much later," Remus reached out to take Lily's hand as well, piling them all together. "I'm not leaving your sides again, if you'd died...I..."
"We're all alive and plan to stay that way," Lily smiled as she folded her free hand around his. "How do you plan to get your hands on the diadem, Sirius?"
"When we arrive at Hogwarts I can just ask the Room to reveal the diadem to us. Then if I use Catenam Interitum, I can destroy them all in one go."
"And Riddle's soul will disappear since there is nothing left to anchor him to life," Lily concluded.
"If I leave my mirror with you, we can verify that immediately upon destruction," James nodded.
"But how do we know he is truly gone?" Remus asked as he took a sip from his lukewarm chocolate.
"Through this," Sirius pulled a small black book out of his inner pocket. "It holds the family trees of all magical families residing in the world and since it is self-updating, we could immediately see if he's truly gone."
"That won't work, the book only lists Pure-Bloods, Riddle is not," James frowned.
"That is where you're wrong. Harry is in it, too."
"What?" James accepted the book when Sirius held it out to him and they all leaned in as James paged through it until he found his own family tree to indeed see Lily and Harry both listed there.
"How?"
"The book lists the reason a bloodline's purity ended. See? It lists Lily as a Muggleborn and Harry as a Half-Blood, therefore ending the Pure-Blood line with him. Mine's the same."
"You're listed in James' tree," Lily noted.
"Yeah, due to the blood adoption I'm considered a second son," Sirius nodded. "He's on my tree as well. But see this?"
"Harry's on your tree as well," surprised Lily and Remus looked at the Black family tree as James pointed it out. "Because you blood adopted him as your heir, your line's blood purity ends as well."
"Unless I have children one day, it will end with Harry. But check the Gaunts' tree," Sirius turned the pages to show them.
"Merope Gaunt married the Muggle Tom Riddle, resulting in the half-blood son Tom...that's him?" Lily asked.
"There are no other Riddles left and all the background information checks out. The date of birth matches with when he'd have been at Hogwarts."
"Your research really paid off, where did you get this book?" Lily asked as she looked through the book for a moment.
"You guys have been researching him?" Remus looked up to them surprised.
"When we realised he was after Harry, we've begun to gather as much information on him as possible in the hopes we'd find a weak spot," James turned to Sirius. "I assume you want to leave as soon as possible?"
"The sooner we get rid of him, the better."
"Can you prepare a few slips of paper with the secret on it in case we get separated and need it?" Remus retrieved some parchment as Sirius nodded.
"Let's protect it with the same charm we added to hide the Marauder's Map's identity," James suggested as he grabbed their coats so they could leave immediately afterwards.
"Smart. What do you want as the activation code?" Sirius asked as he wrote the secret down three times before waving his wand over the parchment.
"Operation vanish snaky smoke," James grinned as Sirius snorted and Lily and Remus shook their heads.
"You're horrible."
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A/N: Some of you have warned me that my stories are also on posted on Ao3 under the name Daily; rest assured, that is my own account and I am posting them there myself. But thank you, for keeping note and alerting me of it in the first place. Kudo's to you!