Chapter 4

Snape's Secret, Sirius' Secret

NARCISSA's POV

My sister was driving me crazy. Us crazy. And by 'us' I mean the most important Death Eaters, of which I was sadly included. Malfoy Manor had, over the years, been turned from a living spave for my small family into a refuge for those of us with the Dark Mark. Bellatrix had, over the years, become more and more unrealistic and desperate with her plans that we had to hear one idea every single day. Ideas that would never work.

Somehow, my ears had sucessfully started to block out Bella's voice automatically when heard. This had its vantages and disadvantages. Today is was disadvantage because her daily speech had actually caught my interest.

"Listen, I know I've had a lot of ideas before, good and bad. But today I thought of an answer to all of the problems," announced Bella as we took our seats.

"You've invented a mute button for your voice so we can press it when it gets too annoying," questioned my husband under his breath, in a hopeful sort of way. Thankfully, I think I was the only one who heard it.

"We need to find out where the Dark Lord is, and therefore we need to find what his strengths are. But by needing to know what his strengths are, we need to know what his weaknesses are, if any. Even so, who is the only wizard the Dark Lord feared?" asked Bella, staring around at us, expecting some sort of answer. What did was silence.

"Dumbledore," she answers for herself. "And you will only fear someone if they know your weakness. Therefore, that means that Dumbledore will hold the information we need."

"So, you're suggesting we break into Hogwarts and force answers out of Dumbledore?" says Greyback.

"Exactly," replies Bellatrix, causing anybody who was paying attention to her five seconds ago to go back to day dreaming.

But Bellatrix overlooked something. Snape. "Bella, who's the man Dumbledore would trust with any information, even his own life?"

"Hagrid."

"Maybe, but no. I mean Snape. Dumbledore must of told Snape, and he'd be easier to get too," I try to explain.

"So now we're breaking into Azkaban?" asks Lucious.

"Great. We're back to where we were before. A crazy plan with no way to execute it," growls Greyback.

"Shut your mouth, you dog. I'm not finished. Snape must of written it down."

"Why would Snape write down such valuable information?" asks Lucious.

"Because he's an idiot," suggests Crouch Jr.

"For once in my life, I agree with you Jr.," says Bellatrix.

"I guess I'll savor the moment," he responds.

"Shut it. Both of you," I snap, causing Bella to stare at me in atonishment. Since when did I boss her around? "Yes Lestrange, I just told you to do something you'd rather not," I roll my eyes. She's about to open her mouth and talk me down, but I cut her off. "It's now summer vacation for Hogwarts. Easy to break in to the Potions Master's office."

"And why the Potions Master's?" asks Greyback.

"Because Snape never had the chance to clean it out. I'd bet my wand that he has something in there with all the answers that we need. But we've got to find it soon, before James Potter does. It's his office now and if he finds it, all of the information could go to the Order of the Phoenix. And we don't want that at all."

"True. True, true, true. Well, that only leaves one more thing left for deciding," said Lucious.

"What?"

"When are we going to do it?"

AMELIA BONES' POV

It was around midnight and I was still at the office. Doing paper after paper after paper. At least I wasn't alone. A few others wanting to catch up on their paperwork were occupying their desks. I watched as one stuffed pieces of parchment, quills, and notes into his briefcase. Another going home. It was Sirius Black actually. That reminded me that I wanted to speak to him.

"Black, wait!" I called out of my opened door. He came in and stood in front of my desk.

"Yes? If it's about Bellatrix, it's the same answer as the last time you asked."

"Please close the door."

"Uh...okay," he shut it softly.

"I wanted to talk to you about your friend, Remus Lupin," I said.

An expression falls on his face with a combination of shock and fear. But it passes so quickly I think I might have imagined it.

"What about him?" Something about Black's voice told me he was guarding something from me.

"He's a werewolf," I said.

"How do you know that?"

"What do know about it?"

"I asked first."

I sigh, leaning back in my chair. "Look, Black, just tell me what do you know."

"About what? That fact that he's a werewolf? What more is there to say?"

"No. About how he's never attacked anyone."

"So what? He has a clean record, big deal," he shrugged.

"But how, Mr. Black, did he keep that clean, perfect record, may I ask?"

"What's it to you?"

I lean foward and give him a peircing glare. "How long have you been an Animagus? Unregistered? Without being caught?"

This time, atonishment and fear crosses his face, and I know for sure it's real. "H-H-How?" was all he managed to choke out.

"Just answer my question. I asked first."

"I-I became an Animagus in fifth year."

"Did anyone else become one with you?"

"No." He's starting to gain some confindence back, because next he asks, "Who else knows?"

"Just me."

"Don't lie."

"I'm not lying, Black."

"Are you going to turn me in?"

"No."

"Then what's it to you if I'm and Animagus or not?"

"Because we could easily use you for spying, in your innocent dog form."

"But I'm not regis-how the hell do you know I'm a dog Animagus?!"

"Watch your language in my office. And I know because I think. I was going through the werewolf records when I came across Lupin. See for yourself."

I toss him a piece of paper of which are written the following:

Remus J. Lupin

Born: March 10, 1960

Became werewolf: age 4

Kills: 0

Attacks: 0

Under that is a picture of him in human form, smiling and waving at the camera. In the background are Sirius, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew, laughing. For some reason, Sirius scowls at this.

"What's wrong?" I ask, confused.

"This thing disgusts me. But anyways, how did you figure out I was an Animagus, just from this picture?"

I point to something he had overlooked, a piece of paper in his hand. It was barely readible, but if anyone looked close enough, they could see PADFOOT written on it.

"I put two and two together, " I said.

Sirius cusses under his breath but I ignore it. "What are you going to do with this?" he questions.

"What?"

"With the information that you have. My biggest secret. The information and secret that could cause me to be sentenced to death, if the Ministry knows how many laws I had broken before I had even got out of Hogwarts? What are you going to do with my life?"

"You could be useful. I'm going to talk to Bagnold, get you registered, and assign you top secret assignments. In other words, you're practically being promoted."

"P-Promoted? Does that mean I actually get to do something now?"

I laugh, knowing exactly what he meant. "Oh yes, Black. You get to do a lot."