Chapter 3: The Backwards Pumpkin Song

Lupin was lethargic. Whenever he closed his eyes the werewolf was having a great deal of trouble opening them again. His head bobbed, begging to fall over. The early morning air would have been crisp in Lupin's nostrils had there not been the stench of drying blood instead. His body ached, but most of all his heart still ached. Sirius was dead. His last friend. Dead.

"This is it. This is the house," escaped Lupin's dry lips.

"What? I don't see anyth-"

"Wait! You badgering baboon. It will appear if you just wait."

And it did indeed. The familiar building stood before the two of them like it had been their the whole time. In fact it had, but Lupin could tell it did not sit well with the man next to him. A man who looked like he at one time carried plenty of fat, but had lost it quite quickly and never got it back. His face annoyed Lupin, with its man-boyness. It's innocence. Yet under that misleading face Lupin knew camoflauged another man. They always hid under those types of guises. "Let's go inside," Lupin said.

Luckily Bagman had had the intelligence to make a decent hovering charm. His right leg was the part that physically hurt the worst. Thank God he was at least smart enough to do that. Ludo carried up Lupin up to the narrow door and knocked.

The door opened quickly. A large black man with an earring stood there, wand pointed and waiting to strike. "What is James Potter animagus form?" Ludo looked shocked. His eyes darted left and right like they were trying to find a clever answer that wasn't there.

Lupin laughed at the stupidity of Ludo. Kingsley turned to him with a look of confusion on his face, but still with a look that could kill a man in an instant if he gave the wrong answer. "A stag."

"Oh jeez! Lupin what happened to you? Quick, get inside." Kingsley picked up Lupin this time. At a much quicker pace he was carried into the house. Darkness fell on them. Lupin's stomach seamed to drop to his feet. This was Sirius's home. A home that he hated. A home that he never would return to again. He could feel the man's presence in the house still. Depression hung in the air. Depression of a man who walked these vacant halls endlessly, with nothing to do. Falling asleep with only one thing on his mind: Harry Potter. His dead best friend's child, and his only outlet to the this scary new world. But he was gone now. Gone forever. No one would ever bark laughter like Sirius. No one could ever flip their hair so elegantly. No one now remained that could Lupin could share stories of the old days with.

Kingsley interrupted his thoughts, "Who is this man Lupin? It can't be? Ludo Bagman!" Kingsley gave the man an evil glare and Ludo shrank further into the darkness.

"Pardon me," Ludo whispered, "but what is that screaming?"

The portrait of Sirius's mother was howling insults better than ever. Lupin had grown so accustomed to it that he hardly picked up the noise anymore.

"That's not important right now," Kingsley said as they passed Sirius's mother. "Close the drapes will you?" Kingsley commanded Ludo. Ludo obeyed. "But what about you Lupin? What happened?" said as the two men arrived in the dirty kitchen, with the ragged man hot on their heels.

"LUPIN!" Tonks shouted. She had finally seen him. Over the past few months the kid had been asking him so many questions. Lupin believed he was almost like a father to her. "Is he alright?" her voiced shook.

"Move Tonks and I will find out." Kingsley laid Lupin down on the table and bent over his face. "That's easily repaired," the big black man said. Then he moved to his legs, and stayed there a while longer. "Your right leg looks pretty bad Lupin, but it should be alright I think. Looks like a wolf bite, but it's not a full moon?"

Their eyes met. "Voldemort is having Death Eaters enchant wolves and patrol the street. It is no longer safe even around this house. Who knows how many are out there? I did manage to seriously injure at least two, but that is easily mended. Just like me."

Tonks gave a nervous laugh. "But he will be alright, won't he Kingsley?"

"Yeah, you know as well as I do that he will. We both took Auror classes did we not?"

"True," she said almost to herself. Her hair had gone pitch black in her heightened state of stress. This clashed strongly with her pale face, giving her the look of a zombie. Under the light she looked like a scared child.

Kingsley began the process of healing his wounds. In a few minutes, Lupin was feeling a lot better, but still very tired. Tonks looked relieved, relaxed, and finally realized there was another man standing in the room.

"Who are you?!"

"How many times do I have to answer this question?" Ludo coughed.

"That's Ludo Bagman, Tonks. One of the many men Voldemort wants dead. I offered him protection, which he gladly accepted," Lupin said. "But I do have a few conditions for him." Lupin turned to stare at Bagman.

"You will help me do what I need to do, no matter what it is. Do you understand?"

"What is it that you want me to?"

"I cannot tell you yet. Not before you agree."

"What? Why should I settle for such a foolish thing? That's madness."

The room suddenly became very still. Silence fell and was hard to make leave.

"Then you are back on the streets."

"But surely-"

"NO Bagman! There is no choice! You must help me or you must leave!"

"You can't make me go. I could tell You-know-who's men where this place is!"

"Oh yes, you would offer yourself up so he can kill you after. Plus, we will put some hard to break memory charms on you. You won't even know that you have been here, and neither would the Death Eaters if they caught you."

Ludo seamed to be considering this prospect. His face tensed up. Eyes again shot back and forth.

"You used to be a gambler Ludo. Remember those days? You are now gambling with your life. The stakes are higher. Are you man enough to do that?"

Ludo looked offended. The kitchen again became silent. Tonks and Kingsley stood quietly waiting for the argument to end. They had nothing to add.

"Fine," Ludo said simply.

"Fine what?"

"I-I" he stammered, "I will help you with whatever you have to do."

"You will risk your life if you have to? You will journey into dangerous territory for the Order of the Phoenix's protection?"

"Yes. If I have to."

"Good."

Then Kingsley said, "I'm sorry, but both of you need rest. The pair of you look like exhausted hinkypunks."

Lupin laughed yet again, but before he was through he had fallen asleep.