The Marauder's Guide to Hogwarts

Part 11 - The Terrible Trio Thwarted (Part 2)

She had never, ever, ever done this before. The halls of Hogwarts were different at night with moon light shifting in through windows, the snores of the subjects in the portraits and the foot steps of a rather furious Professor Snape. Hermione, had to wait for long moments as the Professor prowled about her, trying to find out if a student with an invisible cloak was about. Thankfully he had missed and had gone on his way after moments of staring at her.

A swish of her wand and the soft clicking of the lock and she was inside the library. No one was about but she did not breathe easily just because this fear had been dispelled. The library was slightly illuminated by sconces on the walls. Hermione tip toed her way to the Forbidden Section of the library. The gate opened just as easily for her.

Muttering to herself, she found the book in question. She looked about her before she took off the invisibility cloak. From her book bag she brought out a school book that was about the same size and weight as the Forbidden book. Another flick of her wand and this book took on the cover of the Forbidden and the Forbidden looked like an innocent potions book. She grabbed the potions book and put the fake one back in the empty slot on the shelf before her.

This done, she threw the cloak over he head again and made sure that her stolen book was safe in the book bag. She would have to safeguard this book. If anyone else found it she was liable to get expelled. And even though she desperately wanted to know what sort of magic was being played on them - she didn't want to get expelled.

- - -

Harry was snoring. The past week had been hard on them all. Ron was tossing about in his bed, talking about belly dancing spiders. Hermione rolled her eyes, teenage boys were such perverts. She woke Ron first, he sat up quickly. Muttering still about spiders.

"What?" he whispered.

"I found out what sort of magic was played on us," Hermione replied.

"Let's wake Harry then," Ron crawled out of bed. It took them longer to wake the Boy-Who-Lived, but in the end they had and they had all gone down to the Common Room in order to talk and not wake anyone. The clock on the mantle struck two in the morning.

"What is it Hermione?" Harry asked, yawning.

She smiled; "It's House Elf Magic Harry,"

"Huh? You mean a House Elf overheard us talking?" Ron asked.

"Exactly,"

Harry and Ron looked at each other and in the next moment a Lumos went on in their heads and at the same time they gasped out; "Dobby!"

"Exactly," Hermione looked proud of herself.

"Well, that makes sense then," Ron shrugged.

"Can we go back to bed now?" Harry asked.

"We have to get Dobby to take the curse off you, Harry," Hermione replied with a roll of her eyes.

"But, why would he curse me with a disappearing Snape?" Harry scratched the back of his head in befuddlement.

"You lummox," Ron smacked Harry in the arm, "What she means is that you saved Dobby from slavery in the Malfoy House Hold, of course he'd curse you,"

"Oh," Harry smacked his forehead.

"I should go and talk to him now," Harry muttered.

"Here is the invisibility cloak, don't get caught," Hermione handed over Harry's cloak. He nodded.

_ _ _

The Kitchen was quiet when he finally arrived. Yawning, he wished he had saved this trip till the morrow when he would be awake. However, the kitchen was cheerful as ever. Most of the Elves were asleep but Dobby was there anyway.

"Oh, its Harry Potter!"

"Dobby, I have to ask you to do something for me, its important," Harry said suddenly. The House Elf looked down in thought, then he nodded and looked up at Harry.

"Can you please make it so that Snape stops disappearing. I'll never get through potions like this. It's not that I don't appreciate it, I honestly do, but it won't help my potions marks," Harry explained.

Dobby sighed as if the whole thing was such a chore and why couldn't Harry just leave it alone. Then he gave Harry a slight look and shook his head.

"What do you mean no?" Harry asked, blinking. Was Dobby crazy!?

"No,"

That was the end of that conversation.

_ _ _

Harry went straight back to bed. He wondered why Dobby had refused to take the curse off. Maybe it wasn't exactly a curse. If it worked on Snape than would it work on Death Eaters? And for that matter…if he couldn't get close to Voldemort what the hell was he supposed to do then?

Tossing and turning. Harry lied awake for the rest of the night.

_ _ _

Sirius Black yawned. Full Moon nights were always tiring. His bandages had come undone in his sleep and he was sore all over. James had gotten a blackened eye from Moony and it was only Wormtail that had escaped major injury.

Remus, however - was looking much better. He had dark circles about his eyes and he looked paler than usual, but he was smiling. He wasn't bleeding, he looked happier than he had after the other Full Moon nights.

"I don't know how much to thank you," he shook his head. Sirius just shrugged.

"It was nothing," that from James who was dozing in the chair by the fire. Outside it was snowing. Sirius didn't remember being cold, maybe it was because he was so hairy and had run around for most of the night trying to keep Remus in line. Bloody Werewolves were such a pain in the arse, literally!

Remus got the couch, he was ensconced in blankets and looked to be about to fall back to sleep. Sirius sat in front of the couch, his knees folded before him and his arms encircling the before mentioned limbs. He yawned again.

"Sirius, maybe you should go up to bed," Remus said gently. However, soft snoring answered him. He shook his head and closed his eyes. In moments, he too, was asleep.

_ _ _

Remus woke suddenly. The room was dim, as always. He threw back the moth eaten blankets and pulled on his shoes. In his shirt sleeves he went in search of Sirius Black.

Grimwald Place was as silent as the grave with only him and Sirius occupying the old house. He found him in the kitchen.

"Do you know where we put it?" Remus asked suddenly.

Sirius looked up from his cup of tea to blink blindly at Remus; "Put what?"

"The Marauder's Guide to Hogwarts…"

TBC

A/n - will Remus and Sirius allow the Terrible Trio to keep the book? Or will they support the Trio in their pranking? Whatever is a responsible Remus to do? Find out next time!