I am so sorry this took incredibly long. In my defence, I was extremely busy with schoolwork and Bella's chapter got half as long as expected. i hope it was wortht the wait!

Ch. 10 the Marauder's Map

POV BELLA MCLAGGEN:

"Tell me everything."

Harry and I were walking across the grounds, just the two of us, and he was telling me about the conversation he'd had with Lupin the other day. "I asked him why the Dementors affected me so much," he said. "He said it had nothing to do with me being weak-"

"Of course not," I smiled.

Harry paused, and chewed his lip. "He said the Dementors affect me worse than the others because there are horrors in my past that others don't have, to use his exact words."

"Probably why Claire passed out, too," I noted. "But you're one of the strongest people I know, Harry. It makes sense they affect you more because there have been more sad moments in your life."

"But Claire didn't faint during the match," Harry said.

"Because that time in the train the Dementors were very close to her!" I said. "Don't blame yourself, Harry! What happened to you is bad enough to make anyone fall of their broom!"

"When they get near me-"

Harry bit his lip and didn't want to finish the sentence. I linked my arm into his. "What happens when they get near you?"

"I can hear Voldemort murdering my mum."

I stopped dead and looked into his eyes. "Oh, Harry!" I said. "Why haven't you told me before?"

"It's just-" he spluttered. "I thought-"

"You thought I'd find you a whimp, is that it?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, actually," he said, getting red.

I grabbed his face with both my hands and saw his eyes widen. I was forcing him to look at me, bringing his face very close. "Listen to me," I said clearly. "You are the bravest, strongest person I know. You don't need to be ashamed of anything towards me. You are my brother! Get the message into that thick skull of yours!"

"Understood," said Harry quickly, laughing and engulfing me into a hug.

My head could rest on top of his shoulder, and my fingers twirled with his jet-black, messy hair. I could feel his face bury in my hair and I felt a grin spread on my face. Harry removed his face from my hair and said, "Lupin's going to teach me how to fend them off."

"That's great!" I said, letting go. "Then those stupid Dementors won't be an issue anymore!"

"I wasn't allowed to tell anyone, though," Harry said.

"I wasn't going to rat you out!" I said indignantly. "I thought you thought better of me."

"I do think very highly of you," he smiled. "You're my best friend. You're like a sister to me. And Janice's accident is not your fault."

"It was," I said. "I was the one she went after. I should have the one who got attacked, not her. I deserve to be punished for this."

"She went after you because she wanted to," said Harry. "That's who she is, she cares for you and was afraid you'd get hurt."

"I suppose she is a bit of a hero, is she not?" I smiled. "Like you."

Harry went scarlet. "I'm not a hero."

"You are," I said, straightening his glasses. "You're going to save me a thousand times over, I know it. And wizard-God! I'm going to need it!"

"Do you think she's going to be all right, though? Janice?" Harry said.

"The bite was infected," I said softly. "And we know what that means."

"How bad is it?"

"There's no cure for lycanthropy, Harry," I said. "Werewolves are shunned by the wizarding world. It is said transformation is extremely painful. And you heard Snape, werewolfs could kill their best friends if they came across them. Can you imagine Janice's guilt if she killed one of us?"

"She wouldn't be able to cope," said Harry. "I feel bad for her, but I'm glad you got away. How did you get away, actually?"

"Er-"

Because your convict godfather saved me in his Grim/Animagus form, you dipshit. Couldn't say that, could I? Harry would never believe me about Sirius, and I had to give Sirius the chance to say it himself.

I knew how much good it would do Harry if he knew the truth about his godfather. The closest thing to a parent I could give him. And I would gladly give him that. "Just lucky, I guess," I shrugged.

"Was it true what Lexie said? Didn't the Zabini guy offer you anything?" Harry asked.

"Lexie is mostly correct with business like that. Mind you, she and Zabini think very much the same," I noted. "She is just… kinder."

Harry laughed. "It's not really the correct word, is it?"

"She does care about us a lot, I know she does," I said. "She's just got a very peculiar way of showing it."

"To be honest," said Harry, "sometimes I'm more scared of her than a hundred Dementors combined."

I laughed. "I know, right?"

"You never told me how the four of you become friends, actually," said Harry. "You've hardly told me anything about your past."

"That is because my past is boring," I said. "Nothing like your past."

"I would gladly switch with you," said Harry.

"Sorry," I croaked. "I don't mean I'm complaining that I have parents, and a brother-"

"I'm not angry at you," Harry chuckled. "And I can't imagine your life being boring. You get yourself into trouble almost every second. So, tell me. How did the four of you meet?"

I grinned. "I was six. It was my first day at a Muggle primary school. My father had suddenly decided it would be good for me to know the Muggle ways of life as well, and maybe make some Muggle friends. I bet he was just trying to look good for the Ministry."

"You should be glad or you would have never met Janice, Claire or Lexie," said Harry. "Until Hogwarts, at least."

"I am glad," I said. "They're the most wonderful people in my life, together with you and Ron and Mione."

"But continue," Harry pleaded. "I won't interrupt again."

"I knew nothing of the Muggle world. I went to school in bright green trousers, three sizes too big, not to mention they had dirt on them-" Harry chuckled. I grinned, and continued. "- I wore an orange top with a yellow sun on it, which was so short it didn't even reach my belly button. I had little rabbit slippers underneath it, and an old, dirty backpack. My hair was in a terrible, palmtree ponytail right on the top of my head, and I remember I had some marmalade on my right cheek."

"You must have looked gorgeous," Harry sniggered.

"What was that about not interrupting?" I smirked.

"Sorry," he grinned apologetically. "A girl and her friends were really mean to me, and that was when Janice came to my rescue. Her mother knew a thing or two about the Muggle world, so she was just dressed in a plain pink dress, and therefore normal. She made the girls leave, wiped the marmalade from my cheek with her hand, and we shared our lunch together."

I could remember it like it was yesterday. Janice, with two black ponytails on the side of her head, wearing the pink dress, trading me her pack of gummy bears for my banana muffin.

"Lexie was the third one to join our group," I said.

"I can hardly imagine Lexie as a child," Harry said.

"She was already a bit strange back then," I said. "She never said much, but her eyes were looking everywhere. She was like a little Sherlock Holmes. She saw everything, and with her incredible deductive powers, therefore she knew everything."

"How did you become friends with her?" he asked.

"I believe it was just a week before Christmas," I said. "The playground was covered in snow, and Janice and I both got hit with a snowball. Michael's doing. No one knew exactly what happened, but one moment after the other Michael was suddenly covered in purple boils, and was certainly tripping over his own feet wherever he went. Lexie had been the one doing it. Janice and I looked at each other. She was one of us, we thought. We sort of adopted her."

"I don't like this Michael kid," said Harry. "He sounds like someone Dudley would be great friends with."

"Dudley is awful, Harry," I said. "But compared to Michael your cousin is a sweetheart. Even Lexie called him sadistic, and she's the biggest sadist out of all of us."

"And this summer- did she give him purple boils again?" Harry asked. "You said she solved it in Lexie-style."

"It was a little worse than purple boils," I said awkwardly. "I was glad she did it, though. I had my hands around his throat and he spit me in the face. I let go, and seconds after that Michael was screaming, writhing on the grass, like he was being burned by some invisible flame."

Harry shuddered.

"Claire was the last one to join our group," I continued. "She completed it. Claire didn't have many friends, actually, no friends at all. Even if she was wearing normal clothes, and didn't have marmalade on her face. She hardly spoke to anyone, and always had her nose buried in a book."

"So pretty much the same as she is now," Harry grinned.

I smiled. "Janice thought she was lonely, wanted some friends, and immediately pitied her, of course. I took a bit of convincing, thought. Lexie thought Claire wanted to be left alone and therefore should be left alone. I wasn't that enthusiastic because the only Claire had ever said to me wasn't exactly a compliment. But Janice was right in the end, as she always is."

POV JANICE DIGGORY:

Christmas had arrived, and everyone was staying here for the holidays. Ron, Hermione, Harry, Claire, Lexie and Bella. To everyone's except Harry's delight, another Hogsmeade visit had been planned for the holidays. I was glad my friends could go, and Harry and I would probably just spend the day doing homework or hanging out.

"We can do all our Christmas shopping there!" said Hermione. "Mum and Dad would really love those Toothflossing Stringmints from Honeydukes!"

"That's about the only thing from Honeydukes they'll love," Bella joked.

My ankle was starting to heal a little, though the holes were the teeth had been would probably become scars. At least the flesh wasn't green anymore, and with a little help I could walk.

On the Saturday morning of the Hogsmeade trip, Harry and I bid goodbye to Ron, Claire, Bella, Hermione and Lexie, and we were headed to Hufflepuff tower (which had no password, but you had to enter with a Hufflepuff. It was a House Unit thing and I rather liked it).

Snow had started to fall outside the windows, and the castle was very still and quiet.

"Psst- Harry! Janice!"

We turned, halfway along the third-floor corridor, to see Fred and George peering out at us from behind a statue of a humpbacked, one-eyed witch. "What are you doing?" said Harry curiously. "How come you're not going to Hogsmeade?"

"We've come to give you a festive cheer before we go," said Fred, with a mysterious wink. "Come in here…"

He nodded toward an empty classroom to the left of the one-eyed statue. Harry and I followed the twins inside, exchanging curious glances. George closed the door quietly and then turned, beaming, to look at Harry.

"Early Christmas present for you, Harry," he said.

Fred pulled something from inside his cloak with a flourish and laid it on of the desks. It was a large, square, very worn piece of parchment with nothing written on it. Harry, suspecting one of Fred and George's jokes, was staring at it. "What's that supposed to be?"

"This, Harry, is the secret of our success," said George, patting the parchment fondly.

"It's a wrench, giving it to you," said Fred, "but Bella helped us make the decision. Your need's greater than ours."

"Anyway, we know it by heart," said George. "We bequeath it to you. we don't really need it anymore."

"And what do I need with a bit of old parchment?" said Harry.

"A bit of old parchment!" said Fred, closing his eyes with a grimace as though Harry had mortally offended him. "Explain, George."

"Well… when we were in your first year, Harry- young, carefree, and innocent-"

Harry snorted. "I doubt you have ever been innocent," I huffed.

"-well, more innocent than we are now- we got into a spot of bother with Filch."

"We let off a Dungbomb in the corridor and it upset him for some reason-"

"So he hauled is into his office and started threatening us with the usual-"

"-detention-"

"-disembowelment-"

"-and we couldn't help noticing a drawer in one of his filling cabinets marked Confiscated and Highly Dangerous."

"Don't tell me-" said Harry, started to grin, while I gasped, "It was marked that for a reason!"

"Well, what would you've done?" said Fred. "George caused a diversion by dropping another Dungbomb, I whipped the drawer open, and grabbed- this."

"It's not as bad as it sounds, you know," said George. "We don't reckon Filch ever found out how to work it. He probably suspected what is was, though, or he wouldn't have confiscated it."

"And you know how to work it?"

"Oh yes," said Fred, smirking. "This little beauty's taught us more than all the teachers in this school."

"You're winding me up," said Harry, looking at the ragged old parchment.

"Oh, are we?" said George. He took out his wand, touched the parchment lightly, and said, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

And at once, thin ink lines began to spread like a spider's web from the point that George's wand had touched. They joined each other, they crisscrossed, they fanned into every corner of the parchment; then words began to blossom across the top, great, curly, green words, that proclaimed:

Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs
Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers
are proud to present
THE MARAUDER'S MAP

"This can't be good," I murmured.

It was a map showing every detail of the Hogwarts castle and the grounds. But the truly remarkable things were the tiny ink dots moving around it, each labelled with a name in miniscule writing.

A labelled dot in the top left corner showed that Professor Dumbledore was pacing in his study; the caretaker's cat, Mrs. Norris, was prowling the second floor; and Peeves the Poltergeist was bouncing around the trophy room.

As my eyes travelled up and down the familiar corridors, I noticed something else. This map showed a set of passages I had never entered. And many of them seemed to lead-

"Right into Hogsmeade," said Fred. "There are seven in all. Now, Filch knows about these four" –he pointed them out- "but we're sure we're the only ones who know about these. Don't bother with the one behind the mirror on the fourth floor. We used it until last winter, but it's caved in- completely blocked. And we don't reckon anyone's ever used this one, because the Whomping Willow's planted right over the entrance. But this one here, this one leads right into the cellar of Honeydukes. We've used it loads of times. And as you might've noticed, the entrance is right outside this room, through that one-eyed crone's crump."

"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and prongs," sighed George, patting the heading of the map. "We owe them so much."

"Noble men, working tirelessly to help a new generation of lawbreakers," said Fred solemnly.

I rolled my eyes. "Right," said George briskly. "Don't forget to wipe it after you've used it-"

"-or anyone can read it," said Fred warningly. "just tap it again and say, 'Mischief managed!' and it'll go blank."

"So, young Harry," said Fred, in an uncanny impersonation of Percy, "mind you behave yourself."

"See you in Honeydukes," said George, winking.

"And why'd you give it to Harry and not to me?" I asked.

"You can use it," said Fred. "But you can't have it."

"You'd tell McGonagall," George smiled. "No offense, Janice."

They left the classroom. "You're not actually going to use it, are you, Harry?" I asked sternly.

Harry smiled apologetically.

"You want to come or not?"

POV CLAIRE GIBBS:

I hope you are willing to forgive me for what happened last summer, or otherwise I hope you'd want to forget our hostilities for a moment, a so-called truce? I hope to hear from you soon.
I am truly sorry for what happened, Michael.

Regards from Claire

"How soon d'you want this one delivered, ma'am?" the plump witch behind the service desk of the post office in Hogsmeade asked.

"How soon can you get it there?" I asked.

"Where's it s'pps'd ter go?" the witch asked in a fat accent.

"Colchester," I said.

"That'd be three Galleons, and it'll arrive today," she answered.

I laid my money and my letter on the table and I went back outside where my friends were waiting. "Shall we go to Honeydukes?" Hermione proposed.

"No, thank you very much," I groaned. "The smell alone makes me sick to the stomach."

"Only if you're there too long," Lexie half-agreed.

"It's candy, Claire!" Bella said. "It smells sweet and good, and it tastes even better!"

"I smelled those blood-lollies once, though," said Ron. "I got pretty sick then."

Suddenly, Lexie burst out into laughter. "I- I gave Blaise one once, saying it was strawberry-flavoured-" she laughed, "and- and he nearly vomited in the middle of the common room! It was so funny!"

"I'd have paid ten Galleons to see that," Bella chuckled.

"We could get Harry and Janice something from Honeydukes?" said Ron.

"All right then," I sighed.

When we walked into Honeydukes, the sweet aromas and all the pretty looking candies displayed around me made my stomach churn. It'd been so long since I'd had a proper meal. And it wasn't working. I was still unsociable, fat and ugly.

Even Cedric seemed to have realized. After Janice had been attacked he'd asked me how I was doing, I had snarled a nasty comment in response. Nothing more than I usually do.

"Maybe Harry would like these," Lexie said with a nasty smile, examining the blood lollipops.

"Ugh, no, Harry won't want one of those, they're for vampires, I expect," Hermione was saying.

"How about these?" said Ron, shoving a jar of Cockroach Clusters under Hermione's nose.

"Definitely not," said a voice that sounded remarkably like Harry's.

Ron nearly dropped the jar. "Harry! Janice!" squealed Hermione. "What are you doing here- how did you?"

"I'd rather not talk about it," said Janice. "It feels bad-"

"Is that your conscience?" Lexie said. "Or do you always complain when you get another way, yet probably an illegal way, to do something?"

"How did you get here, actually?" Bella asked.

Harry started explaining about the Marauders Map. To admit it, I was impressed. It was a fair bit of magic going on there. Even though it was used for something as completely unavailing as pranking around and making a mess of the school.

"How come Fred and George never gave it to me!" said Ron, outraged. "I'm their brother!"

"But Harry isn't going to keep it" said Hermione, as though the idea were ridiculous. "He's going to hand it in to Professor McGonagall, aren't you, Harry?"

"No, I'm not!" said Harry.

"That sounds preposterous even to me," I said. "Why would Harry hand it in?"

"Are you mad?" said Ron, goggling at Hermione. "Hand in something that good?"

"Besides," said Lexie, "he'll have to say how he got it. That wouldn't be fair to the Ginger Twins."

"Yes!" said Harry. "Filch would know Fred and George had nicked it!"

"But what about Sirius Black?" Hermione hissed. "He could be using one of the passages on that map to get into the castle! the teachers have got to know!"

"He can't be getting through a passage," said Harry quickly. "There are seven on the map, right? Fred and George reckon Filch only knows about four of them. And of the other three- one of them's caved in, so no one can get through it. One of them's got the Whomping Willow planted over it. And the one I just came through- well- it's really hard to see the entrance to it down in the cellar, so unless he knew it was there…"

Harry hesitated. I frowned too. What if Black did know the passage was there? "Tell you what," said Ron. "Shall we go for a Butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks?"

I was more than willing; the wind was fierce and my hands were freezing, so we crossed the road, and in a few minutes were entering the tiny inn. It was extremely crowded, noisy, warm, and smoky. Ron offered to get the drinks, going slightly red while admiring Madam Rosmerta from a distance.

"He's got a little crush," Lexie whispered, and Bella and Janice giggled, while Harry smirked.

We took the only vacant table in the inn, which was almost hidden by a handsome Christmas tree. Ron returned with the Butterbeers, murmured, "Merry Christmas!" and sat down with us.

A sudden breeze ruffled my hair. the door of the Three Broomsticks had opened again, letting McGonagall, Hagrid and the Minister of Magic in. "Harry!" squealed Hermione nervously.

"Calm down, Mione," said Bella. "They won't be able to see him from behind this tree."

They took the table closest to us, and even though the tree was hiding us from view, we could hear their voices clearly.

"A small gillywater-"

"Mine," said McGonagall's voice.

"Four pints of mulled mead-"

"Ta, Rosmerta," said Hagrid.

"So you'll be the red currant rum, Minister."

"Thank you Rosmerta," said Fudge's voice. "Sit down and have one of yourself."

The waitress murmured a thanks and I assumed she sat down. "So, what brings you to this neck of the woods, Minister?" came her voice. "What else, m'dear, but Sirius Black? I daresay you heard what happened up at the school at Halloween?"

"I did hear a rumour," she admitted. "I still have trouble believing it, you know… Of all the people going to the Dark Side, he was the last I would have thought. I remember him when he was a boy at Hogwarts."

"You don't know half of it, Rosmerta," said McGonagall earnestly. "The worst he did isn't widely known."

"The worst?" said Madam Rosmerta. "Worse than murdering all those people, you mean? I can't believe that. What could possibly be worse?"

I'd like to know that, too, I thought. "You say you remember him at Hogwarts," said Fudge. "Do you remember who his best friend was?"

"Naturally," said Madam Rosmerta with a small laugh. "Never one without the other, did you? the number of times I had them in here- ooh, they used to make me laugh. Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter!"

I looked around. Harry was white as marble, Ron looked flabbergasted, Hermione had her hand clasped in front of her mouth, Bella had her hand in front of Janice's, who had probably been about to gasp loudly. Lexie was frowning and looked like she was doing some serious thinking.

"Precisely," said McGonagall. "Black and Potter. Ring leaders of their little gang. Both very bright- exceptionally so- but I don't think we've ever had such a pair of troublemakers-"

"I dunno," said Hagrid "Fred and george Weasley could give 'em a run for their money. And if Bella keeps doing what she's doing, the same will conut for her."

"You'd have thought they were borhters!" said Madam Rosmerta. "Inseparable!"

"Of course they were," said Fudge. "Potter trusted Black with everything. Black was his best man when James married Lily. They named him godfather to Harry. Harry has no idea, of course. You can imagine how the idea would torment him." The look on my friend's face told me I didn't have to imagine anymore.

POV LEXIE JONES:

If you know where too look, you could see the silver outline of the Cloak a bit. The person under the Cloak was the source of the little sobs ringing through the empty forest. I carefully moved my hand forward until my fingers touched the silk, then removed it.

Harry's eyes were bloodshot.

At moments like this, it was better to keep your mouth shut until they've had their good, long cry-moments. I sat down next to him on the frozen forest ground and wrapped my arms around him, placing his head on my shoulder with my left hand, and caressing his messy hair after doing so.

After a few seconds his arms flung around my waist and pulled me so close I was eventually almost choking, while the sobbing got harder. "He was their friend," Harry cried. "He was their friend!"

He loosened himself from my grip, and rose. I saw his face contort with fury. "He was their friend!" Harry shouted again.

"I know he was," I said softly. "But it's happened. It's in the past. You can't do anything about it anymore."

"They say Black is looking for me don't they?" Harry spat. "Well, if he finds me, I'll be ready. I'll kill him. I'LL KILL HIM!"

"You can't mean that," I said. "You're not a killer, Harry."

"How would you know?" he snapped. "You don't know me."

"On the contrary," I smirked. "I know you better than you know yourself. And I say you are not a killer."

"Why are you so sure?" Harry said.

"Because you have something that I lack," I said. "Mercy."

"Mercy?" he spat. "Mercy is not for criminals! You don't understand how mad I am! This is the maddest I've ever been!"

I bit my lip. This was only going to work in one way. It would mean choosing an option I've always hated. Showing something I never wanted to show. Vulnerability. Respect. "You are merciful," I said. "I've always admired you for that."

"So you're saying you wouldn't kill Black if you were me?" Harry almost laughed.

"I wouldn't do it without any serious plotting," I said. "And you are so mad you would probably more likely get yourself killed than do any real damage to him."

"I want revenge," said Harry, and he sounded close to tears again. "My parents-"

"Wouldn't have wanted their son to become a killer," I said, flicking his bangs out of his eyes. "You wouldn't be any better than Voldemort. No better than Black himself."

"If he finds me, I can't let him get away," Harry whispered.

"You can't kill him either," I said. "You are a hero. Heroes don't kill. You are a good person."

"All these compliments all of sudden," Golden Boy laughed through his tears.

"I can do that too, you know," I smiled cheekily. "You like it?"

"Yeah," said Harry. "And I realize I was wrong. We are friends."

"Told you," I smirked.

Harry dabbed at his eyes to wipe away the last of the tears. "And you haven't even called me darling once."

I smirked. "Let's hug it out, darling."

"Dammit!"

I want to thank everyone for the reviews I've had so far!
1. Did you like the story of how my girls met? It just popped into my head.
2. Janice's POV was of course about the Marauder's Map and pretty much canon. Hope you liked it anyways.
3. What do you think Claire needed from Michael ? Why she wrote the letter? (to look if you paid attention ;) )
4. The whole story about Sirius Black is not included, but I hope everyone knoww that by hard now ;)
5. Lexie's POV is a little shorter than usual, hope you don't mind. It's a bit that's not in the book, but sort of in the movie. I've always loved that scene and I had this in mind when I started writing Lost Friendships. You like it ?