The Revised Chronicles of

Those-Who-Lived

Chapter Fourteen:

"No, fuck it!"

Harry swore vehemently at the unfolding scene, his hands gripping the railing and his eyes locked on the two players.

Alan Prince looped Cho Chang on the Quidditch pitch and snagged the Snitch out from under her nose. Harry ground his teeth and thumped the rail in disgust: Alan would've eaten dirt before that kind of trick worked on him.

Ron stamped his foot again and growled. Harry shrugged off his frustration and let go of the railing. No point griping at a finished game. Harry grabbed Ron's shirt and dragged him along to follow everyone else out of the stands. Ron followed and started up their conversation again with,

"Think Angelina would kill us if we suggested she try modelling some moves after that Ravenclaw who fouled four times during the game?"

Harry laughed, "I saw the Slytherins started to balk going near him, but he almost got tossed out of the game."

"So? She doesn't have to actually do it, just look like it."

Harry considered it until he was dragged out of his thoughts by Ron comparing the two Keepers. They were passing the changing rooms Slytherin was using when something shot out and rapped him on the side of the head. He turned with a snarl, but it was a pale face and black hair that disappeared back inside.

"What was that, Harry?"

"Nothing... just a dirty joke, I'm sure." He scooped up the paper and made a show of tearing it in half before crumpling it up and pretending to throw it away. It ended up inside his sleeve, so he could read it later. "Isn't that bloody stupid? Honestly – they didn't even hex the paper. How stupid is that?"

Ron laughed, easily distracted. "Almost as stupid as last week when Goyle tried to kick one of Hagrid's salamanders."

Harry joined in, but as soon as they were back in the common room, he slipped upstairs to read Alan's note. It was simple to mend the paper again to read. All it said was: 'Meet me tonight, with Myrtle after curfew. I have something to tell you that you might be interested in. It may take a while.'

Harry frowned, leaning back and then levitating and burning the note. He and Alan had talked often in the library about themselves and their lives, but never in too much detail. There had always been the risk of being overheard, and both of them had secrets they never wanted anyone else to know. Harry didn't want to ever say aloud the fear he had that everyone thought he was the boy of prophecy; Alan had never elaborated on his family, either. What was it he was going to say in the safety of the Chamber of Secrets?

It was definite. He was going to meet him there.

Harry stayed in bed all evening, pretending to read. He actually did finish his Charms homework while waiting, and, when everyone else was finally asleep, he slipped on the cloak. He slid out of the curtains of his bed and followed Neville through the dorm room door and, past him, to the Fat Lady. Neville stopped in the common room and went straight to Hermione's side to start another quiet argument with her. Whatever was between them had their full attention, so when there was a loud thunk and a yelp as the door caught him on his way out, neither one of them came after him.

As for him...

It always surprised Harry how easy it really was to wander the castle at night. He could have forgone the cloak and been perfectly fine, in all honesty. He kept it on in the interest of safety, but the halls were dead as the grave – he didn't even run into any of the ghosts until he reached the second-floor bathroom.

Myrtle was glad to see him and reluctant as usual to end her chance to talk and tell him Alan was already in the Chamber. Harry nervously opened the sink to slide down. To his surprise, it was clean. He'd heard from his father that explorations had been done, but never had he thought it would have been so extensive. The slide had been cleaned, and at the bottom, the animal skeletons were gone and the walls, while dark, were no longer grimy.

He wandered slowly through the tunnels until he came out in the main hall, where he and Alan had fought the basilisk. Between the tall, carved pillars stood a long table and a bunch of chairs. Alan had seated himself at the head, his back to him as he stared into the light of the torches.

"Hey," Harry said.

Alan startled and turned to face him. He smiled. "Hey, yourself. I brought a snack." He tossed him something, and Harry caught it, finding a sandwich in a plastic bag.

"Are we going to be here that long?"

"Maybe. Depends on how much you want to know."

"Everything, of course." Harry grinned. "What could I not want to know?"

Alan pulled out an apple and sighed. He spent a moment frowning at it before he spoke in a strange light and flat tone. "A few things. Alfaerus stuff, the names of the pet rats that Green took off with, how long it took to straighten out my schooling here, the boy-girl argument about that, that Voldemort killed my mom..."

Harry felt a pinch at the last and jerked away. "That… How do you know that?"

Alan leaned his arms on the table, smiling thinly. "My mother was on the run – she was a Parselmouth, from a family rumoured to be a cadet line of Slytherin, and you know how obsessed Voldemort was. She recruited my godfather to help hide her, and it... didn't work. Voldemort killed her, and so my godfather took me to her sister in Salem, asking for asylum." Alan looked up at him a moment and then down again. "My godfather was a Death Eater, you know."

"Right." Harry shook his head. "Do you realize how crazy that sounds?"

"Truth can be stranger than fiction. Didn't your mother used to like Snape?" he challenged with a glare

"What? Ew! No!" Harry widened his eyes purposely. "Did he tell you that? Why did you say that? I think I'm scarred!"

Alan was apparently failing to maintain his glare. "Harry, that was pathetic."

"No, really, that was not something I wanted to think about! Snape kissing – No, just no! Something, anything else!"

"You remember Louis?" Alan asked. "And Green, his brother?"

"Yes?" Harry ventured.

"They once got on the wrong sides of an aphrodisiac and –"

"Alan!"

He laughed quietly. "They managed to get out of it without too many scars…" Harry wiped off his face. "...the second time, at least."

Harry dropped his head to the table. "Alan… Did you do this just to scar me?"

"No, I did that only after you mocked my godfather."

"I'm sorry, okay? I still just don't think much of Death Eaters."

"He's sorry about it," Alan explained. "And he nearly died trying to leave. Without him, I'd be dead, okay?"

"So did he raise you?"

"Sorta." Alan shrugged. "He wasn't really up to it alone. I think it was more my aunt Philana and Louis who raised me, but they all had their parts. Salem is kind of a big family when you live in the school."

"How so?"

"There's just people everywhere." He grinned. "The Alfaerus are every bit of the rumours and then some." He faltered. "And just as dangerous. I think my Aunt and Louis are some of the sanest people there... well, and Lyall." He looked at Harry sidelong. "She's a werewolf, and the receptionist."

"So, the necromancer and the werewolf are the bastions of sanity there?"

"Nah, just the next best thing."

"That sounds a little too exciting."

"It is." Alan shook his head. "Enough about me. What about you? How ordinary is your life?"

"Ordinary." Harry pouted. "I have an annoying little sister, something of a community family too, and doting parents with a few more expectations than I would like."

"Which you're already flouting."

"Of course!" Harry grinned. "That's what any half-decent kid does! I've got a good example in my godfather anyways."

"Who exactly is your godfather? Frank?"

"No, Sirius."

"Sirius Black?" Alan's mouth twitched. "Cool."

"You know him?"

Alan coughed. "Of him. A lot of Slytherins talk about the rebellious Black heir. Is he as bad as they claim?"

"Probably worse." Harry sighed. "You know, it's kind of a hassle having so many people around me all the time."

"You mean the Marauders?"

"Snape told you?"

"Yeah. They're like a bunch of chaperones or something?"

"They can be. Other times, they can be really demanding and pushy. What about your cousins?"

"It's not the cousins I had to worry about: the triplets are too caught up in their work." Alan grinned. "It was the kids my age. There's about six in my age range: a set of identical twins, the family heir, and a vampire, along with a few of their closest younger siblings."

"A what?"

Alan grinned. "Yes, a vampire. He's kinda my best friend. It's a long story, and no, I'm not relating it right now. It gets really confusing; I don't get it myself, but he's a good friend. Very loyal."

Harry shrugged. "Who are the Alfaerus?" Alan started listing names, and Harry abruptly cut him off. "Okay, forget I asked, forget it. How did your mother and Snape meet, anyways?"

Alan looked away, his lips tight.

"Alan?"

"You're not going to tell anyone about this, right?"

"Of course not," Harry answered, confused. "Why would I? What's so bad, Alan? She's your mum."

"I…" He swallowed, paused, and then started again, "My godfather always told me my mother was my father's confidante when he needed her most. I did always know who my father most likely was, but… It could've been someone else, because my mother… was a confidante to a lot of people."

Harry took a moment to wrap his mind around what Alan was saying. Did he mean his mother slept around? Some people just didn't get married: Merlin knows, Sirius sure wasn't! It wasn't anything to be ashamed of, but what exactly was a 'confidante' in that sense?

"Did she just see a lot of men?"

"For money. She saw them for money."

Harry sat back hard. "Oh." That was something else. What would that be like, to know your mother had… He tried to keep a sense of disgust off his face, finally asking, "Snape doesn't seem bothered by it."

Alan shrugged tightly. "He says he doesn't care. He's proud of me as a son."

Harry watched him, saw him turned away, unable to look at him, and sighed. "Alan, I don't think less of you for that."

"Liar," Alan called him on it, but Harry turned it around on him,

"Do you think less of me for having a bigot for a father?" That got his attention again, and Harry found a smile. "You're not your parents."

Alan smiled faintly. "Yeah. It's just hard sometimes."

"Yeah, it is. But," he rallied himself, "it's not like you did it. Maybe she had reasons she never said. That doesn't say anything about who you are – or else I'm screwed to be an ignorant Gryffindor my whole life. And I'm not."

Alan smiled again and rested his chin in his hands. "Anything else you want to know about?"

"What kind of stuff did you get into as a kid?"

"A lot of classes I wasn't supposed to be in at my age."

"Like what?"

Alan's eyes gleamed. "Everything. I probably know more than Hermione."

"And remember less than half she does," Harry scoffed. "I'm in good with Remus, and I know you failed the last test we took."

"What?" Alan sat up abruptly. "How – you're lying!"

Harry grinned. "Am not."

"Are too!" His face fell. "What did I get wrong? I was sure of it –"

Harry got to his feet and danced away. "I'm not telling you!"

"Get back here!"

Alan pushed his chair back and ran at him. Harry darted out of his way and further into the tunnels, tripping lightly, but keeping well ahead. He laughed delightedly at Alan's curses. The boy needed to remember his place, and Harry was going to keep reminding him of that.

Especially when he found out he wasn't lying, either.

IIII

True to form, they both got lost and slept through breakfast Monday morning. That day, after Slytherin had Defence, Alan stormed down on Harry and picked another fight about him jinxing his test. They both ended up in detention for a week and in the doghouse: none of their friends were willing to excuse their arguments anymore.

It was late in the week when Harry was coming into the common room from Quidditch practice that he slammed to a halt in the doorway by a now-familiar argument.

"My schedule is none of your concern!" Hermione screamed.

"Like Hell it's not!" Neville shouted back. "You're up at all hours with your homework still undone, you can't keep your eyes open in Ancient Runes, and you expect me to believe that you're fine?"

Rubbing his eyes, Harry joined Ron by the fireplace and stared at his yelling friend again. "What are Hermione and Neville on about now?"

"Her studies." Ron muttered from where he was bent over his own work. "Again. Why'd Wood keep you behind?"

"Planning for the game against Ravenclaw." Harry ducked as something slammed into the floor behind him. "He's a touch worried about their Chaser, Hodges." Harry elaborated. "I told him I'll be fine as long as he doesn't try to steal the Beaters' bats, but he kept me there anyways."

"I happen to like that class!" Hermione shrieked.

"And it's completely and utterly pointless!" Neville roared back. "You're muggleborn, you thick-headed idiot! You know more than the teacher!"

"It doesn't mean I should ditch it!"

"It means you're killing yourself for no bloody good reason! You're a freaking sucker for punishment. You wanna be the whole bloody school's arse?"

Harry felt his eyes nearly bug out, and he turned in time to see Hermione's face contort. She gave a strangled screech and Neville didn't duck fast enough. Her heavy Ancient Runes book slammed into his face, and he fell flat on his back. He rolled onto his side, groaning. Hermione's eyes were wide and she was panting for breath, but she finally gave in and kicked Neville's rump for good measure.

"Don't you dare tell me what to do, Longbottom!" she spat. "You have no right – no right at all!"

"Granger!" Percy interrupted. "That was out of line!"

"He's being a controlling prat!"

"That gives you no right to throw a book at his face!" Percy hissed. "Ten points each, and a detention with Filch. Longbottom?" he asked. "What were you bugging her about?"

Neville was just sitting up, a hand over his nose. Blood was trickling down to his mouth, and he grumpily said, "Nuthin'."

"Excuse me, Mr Longbottom, that wasn't 'nothing'. You were bugging her about her studies. You have no right to police her work." All he got in return was a sullen glare. Percy made an angry noise like a squeezed balloon and pointed to the door. "A detention for you, too. You may go see Pomfrey about your nose."

"So kind," Neville groused, and without looking at Hermione, he scrambled to his feet and out the portrait hole.

Hermione was red in the face, but she still yelled after him, "Don't you dare insult me like that again!"

He flipped her off as he shut the door behind him. Percy tried to swell indignantly, but was cut short: Carmine Hodges came up behind him and dragged him up the stairs. Several students started catcalling – including the twins. Her response made it clear she wasn't going to ravish him, but some yelled it out anyways.

As Hermione settled into her work again, Harry shook his head and grandly indicated the common room to Ron. "Isn't this such a wonderful place to be?"

Ron snorted. "It sure isn't boring. Makes homework easier when it's punctuated by something insane."

Harry couldn't argue with that.

IIII

Harry was sitting at the breakfast table the morning of the match against Ravenclaw, turning a paper over in his hands. He'd gotten it the first of February, delivered to his plate. It had to be from a pureblood: how many muggleborns knew the first of February had a name?

'Happy Imbolc, Potter' it read.

He didn't know what to think of it. Hermione had said it looked like a girl's handwriting. Ron had suggested he cheat and ask Remus whose it was, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know. If it was a pureblood, she probably wasn't willing to openly date a 'muggle-lover'. If it was Daphne…

Harry's face went bright red, and Wood came over and slapped him on the back. "C'mon, Potter, we've a game to win!"

Harry scrambled to his feet just as Ron gave him a suspicious look.

"Harry, are you still reading that note?"

Shoving it in his pocket, Harry smiled at him, distracted. "No, I'm not. Wish me luck."

He walked away, ignoring Hermione's answer behind him. "I think that's a yes. Does he know who –"

No, he didn't. And he didn't want to know, because he wasn't sure if he wanted to be flattered or scared.

Outside, up against the Ravenclaw team, Harry was smiling tightly as the captains shook hands. Fred and George were sizing up the boy he'd marked out as aggressive. He was in the same year as the twins and met their attention with a saucy grin. They grinned right on back. Wood had told them to spare no expense to take him out of the game: he apparently did not want to risk getting hit in the face with a Quaffle.

Harry was just glad the Hodges boy wasn't a Beater. The only thing he'd have to watch for was possibly getting the Quaffle thrown at him, or getting steamrollered if he got too close.

The whistle came, and Harry shot straight up into the air – and nearly fell off his broom. Clutching it quickly, he levelled off and then looped around Cho with a wide grin. The female Seeker gave him a tight smile and seemed to turn away when they levelled off as the play began. It wasn't long before he caught her tailing him closely. Harry grinned. They were on matching brooms, but he was still smaller than she was. He dropped towards the ground and marked the perimeter at the same level as the goals.

Glancing towards the game, Harry could only smile. The twins were monopolizing the Bludgers: the Hodges boy was hard-pressed to take even one hand off his broom or risk being smeared. The other two chasers, while doing alright, weren't aggressive enough to beat the Gryffindor girls.

Taking a risk, Harry dropped and dove under the goals, making a beeline for the stands on the opposite side of the pitch. Chang was directly on his heels. In the midst of the Chasers, Harry glimpsed motion in his peripheral vision – blue robes. He turned too late, and Hodges slammed into his side. Harry rolled under his broom and swung himself back up, his head low on his broom. Hodges' elbow still skimmed the back of his skull even as Hooch blew the whistle at the foul.

Furious, Harry grabbed Hodges' collar, ready to yell at him. His words stopped unspoken at the sight of a Bludger racing towards the Ravenclaw's back. Harry jerked his broom backwards, keeping a hold of Hodges' collar. The Ravenclaw gagged and twisted to try and get free, turning sidelong to the Bludger barely in time to see it. Hodges twisted with surprising agility and the Bludger only slammed into the edge of his thigh.

The Ravenclaw dropped him at the pain, and Harry took the chance to break away and let Hooch come between them. After all the chaos of the encounter, Harry was surprised to hear it was Gryffindor who got the penalty shots. He went back into the air, still breathing a little hard... and still, Chang was trailing his every move.

Harry opted to ignore her for the time being, circling and watching as usual. Hodges was apparently growing weary of the twins – he fouled twice more and took another glancing blow to his arm. However, when they got fifty points up, the twins seemed to lose interest – or Wood told them to back off – and Hodges took the Quaffle, putting it through the hoop within ten minutes to bring Ravenclaw to fifty points total. Chang cheered him on.

Harry glowered, spinning to drop into another dive – half to feel the wind, half to throw the Ravenclaw seeker off balance again. He pushed his broom for speed, but not all out – he deliberately let her keep up. He caught a glimpse of gold, a flutter at his eyelid, then jackknifed in the air to follow it over his own shoulder. He got a glorious look at Chang's shocked face as he shot over her head, up into the air after the tiny, golden Snitch. She turned, her movement less sharp, and her broom not quite as fast. Harry shot behind it and followed the golden glitter again as it darted down. Harry opted against another jackknife – instead, he rolled his broom over, hanging underneath until it fell and pointed towards the ground, kicking it back and rolling overtop.

The nearest stand was screaming, and he could hear the Gryffindors chanting his name. The Snitch was slowly pulling away from him, and Chang was catching up from the side. Harry flattened himself to his broom, pushing it for all the speed it could give, and leaned forward. Seconds later, seconds before Chang could catch up, he lashed his hand forward, groped, missed, and caught it.

He levelled out, holding the Snitch in the air and grinning as the black-haired girl subsided beside him. She smiled.

"Nice chase!"

"Thanks!"

He didn't even make it to the ground before Oliver Wood slammed into him, a bruise already forming on the Captain's eye. The others joined in, just as excited.

It took him a moment to pull free from his ecstatic team and glance towards the stands where he'd remembered Neville, Ron, and Ginny sitting. Hermione, strangely, hadn't even come outside. Very likely she had refused out of fury at Neville for their detentions. His friends were no longer in the stands, however. At the base, he found them – face to face with Alan and his friends. It was Ginny's name that came up, and in the pure-blood Zabini's pompous tone of voice. Harry landed just as Neville stopped Ron's charge.

Dropping his broom, Harry stormed forward. Not five metres from him, Alan looked up and smirked infuriatingly. Harry felt satisfaction warm his belly as he closed in, a pleasant fury simmering. Zabini would regret involving his friends, and he would enjoy the process of making him.

Zabini looked up shortly after Alan did and paled. Harry was ready to go for his wand when suddenly his momentum came to a halt. He jerked and growled, "What the fuck, guys?"

"Sorry, Harry," one of the twins began.

"But Wood said it's our spots if we let you take out an opposing Seeker."

"Even if he wasn't playing us this match."

Harry jerked on their restraining arms. "I wasn't going for Prince – I was gonna finish your little brother's aim at Zabini."

"Still, no go, Harry."

"Not even if he deserves it."

"Getting pinned down, Potter?" Alan drawled. "So sorry. Blaise, move it. The ginger spot will still be there another day. You can salve your wounded pride before they take it out of your skin. I don't think they're holding him too tight."

Zabini snorted, but he backed off, looking a little worried. Harry subsided and then jerked free.

"Great, spoil my fun."

The twins shrugged in unison. "Not our fault."

"Don't try it in front of Wood."

"And we'll help you corner the little suckers."

Harry deliberately straightened his robes before answering. "I'll keep it in mind. Can one of you get me my broom? The summoning –"

"Accio." Neville incanted. The broom leaped off the grass towards them, and Harry snatched it out of the air before smiling.

"Thanks, Neville."

"We learn it next year," Neville scoffed. "I can't believe you don't know it yet."

"I am neither you, nor am I Hermione," Harry retorted. "And we have a party to get to, and I need a shower. I will see you there, alright?" They nodded, and before they finished leaving, Harry caught Neville's shoulder. "Try not to pick another fight with Hermione tonight, okay?"

Neville scowled. "I won't. She knows I'm right, and arguing it won't make her give in any sooner. She'll figure it out soon enough."

Harry wasn't sure what to think of that.

IIII

It required Harry and Neville both to taunt Hermione into leaving the castle with the promise of the oft-falsified history of the Shrieking Shack. It got her away from her books and down to Hogsmeade, where the two boys took turns making it up until they had her laughing and enjoying herself in the chilly weather. It made it more than worth their time.

Two days later, it was Valentine's. Harry wasn't sure what to think of that. Last year had been embarrassing. He was too worried to even make bets with Neville about the breakups, but Neville turned from that to teasing Ron until he made a Valentine for Hannah and then slipped it to Professor Sprout after Herbology that Monday so she could pass it on anonymously.

Harry almost smiled at it until their next class. It seemed someone else – three people, actually – had had the same idea. McGonagall gave him three Valentine's with his assignment when she handed it back! He refused to open them and tried to throw them away. Neville tore them from his hands and eagerly flipped them open.

"Hm, one just says 'Happy Valentine's Day' in pretty letters. The next… same thing, except – wow! Whoever did this, practised their letters a lot. You should see this, it's really good stuff. The last…" He snorted. "Oh, cute. 'She still has a crush, you know.' Same girl as last year, I'd bet."

Harry snatched them back and opened them himself. "Merlin, this is just ridiculous. Leave it alone, Neville. I don't see you getting any Valentine's."

He snorted. "I don't need any girls fainting over me. You get to be the lucky one this time, brother."

Harry stopped in place and glared at Neville's retreating back. Some days, having a best friend was a real pain in the ass.

"– my favourite pair," a girl nearby whined, "with a hole clean through the crotch. And I'd have sworn they were clean, but they turned up with a crusty stain!"

"I can't believe it's happening again, I thought it had stopped early this year! I found a pair of mine in the same state. My favourite panties! I wore them on my last date; he loved them –"

Harry's face turned bright red, and he stalked to catch up with Neville. The girls would kill him for overhearing that one. He completely ignored Neville's look and buried his attention in getting lunch until he asked.

"What on earth were those Ravenclaws talking about? Sex?"

Harry glared. "That is neither of our business."

"What is it, really?"

"Chewed panties, if you must know," Harry snapped. Ron, across from them, went scarlet. "C'mon, Neville, they're sixteen. That is not our business."

Neville rolled his eyes, smiling slightly. "Yeah, but it's really amusing anyways."

IIII

Remus straightened the test papers he'd received back and scanned across his first-year Gryffindor/Ravenclaw class. His attention tracked to the Ravenclaw side where Astoria Greengrass was chatting with her friends. In a small, black velvet bag by her side was a black rat.

He reflexively inhaled to try to get a scent, but all he smelled was perfume.

Melanie had come to him immediately after getting off the train in all her stubborn glory, jumping immediately into blaming Astoria and her rat for nearly everything that had gone wrong last year and a few things they couldn't possibly have anything to do with. Remus had calmed her down and promised to keep an eye on them. At this point, he'd seen enough; he wanted to get his hands on that rat to know for sure.

The bell rang, and Remus called out, "Miss Greengrass, please stay behind."

The girl in question glared at him but walked to the door, chatting with her friends, before she walked back up to his desk. He noted immediately that her bag was behind her back now and was hanging lighter. He stifled a frown: she'd let her rat go. Still, however, he needed to talk to her.

"Miss Greengrass, may I ask when you got your pet rat?"

She frowned delicately at him, trying to look like a sweet little girl. While she was one of the more sweet-faced girls in her year, Remus had faced down that act before from women with far more experience. When he wasn't moved, she pouted and answered, "Three years ago, sir."

"Has he been known to get into places he shouldn't?"

"I have a cage for him at home."

"Does he get out?"

"What does my rat have to do with class, sir?"

Remus sighed and pinched his nose. "Miss Greengrass, I believe you have been approached about the possible dangers your pet possesses. If you wish to know if he is safe –"

"My rat is fine!" Astoria yelled. "You and your friends are bullying him; he's been scared and off his food! You're mean!"

"Miss Greengrass, this is in regards to the safety of the school –" Remus argued, but he'd lost and he knew it. He kept his swearing in his head and watched the girl dissolve into angry tears and start sobbing. Turning aside, he sent a Patronus to Pomfrey and turned back to the girl. "Alright, Miss Greengrass. I know this can be upsetting. Pomfrey will take you upstairs and get you anything you need to feel better."

"I don't want anything from you!" she shrieked, sitting down hard in a chair and curling her legs up.

Remus ignored her and started on a note to James and Sirius. They needed to drop by more often; and James needed to stop simply tinkering with the map and figure out how to get it to home in on a name. It would make it much easier to police the grounds for someone who should not be there.

Someone like Peter Pettigrew.

IIII

Harry returned to the common room from hanging out in the library with a small smile on his face. He glanced around and stifled a snort before he took a seat next to Neville, waiting for him to notice he had company. It was a few minutes before Neville looked over and frowned.

"What are you smiling at me for?"

"First off, you're staring at Hermione," Harry answered under his breath. "Second, you look very interested. Third, you also look concerned – it's sweet, really!" Harry quickly reassured him, raising his voice to normal. "And I'm wondering if you want to come exploring with me?"

Neville's attention moved back to him. "What kind of exploring?"

Ron closed his book and looked up. "What are we doing? Anything to get out of homework!"

"Ron!" Hermione didn't look, but spoke up anyways. "Homework is very important!"

"Just because you're drowning in it, doesn't mean I have to!" Ron glanced back with worry. "Are you two done with your homework already?"

Harry shrugged; he'd finished his in the library. Neville didn't answer either; Harry suspected he did his while trying to keep an eye on Hermione. The two still weren't really talking. Still, he owed Ron an answer. "I haven't had much else to do. I've avoided detention so far this month, and Quidditch practise doesn't tire me as much as it does you. You're doing well, Ron, and getting attacked by Chasers all evening… What don't you have done?"

"Care of Magical Creatures," Ron moaned. "And Divination."

"You're good at bullshitting Divination," Neville pointed out. "Ask Harry about Care. He's memorized the damn book-creature."

Harry grabbed Ron's essay and glanced down it. He easily identified what was missing and flipped open his book. "This is easy. Look here, and here."

Ron looked down the page and grinned, scribbling down the answers and finishing. Bullshitting Divination became a game between him, Harry, and Neville until the latter boy sidled over to Hermione to ask if he could help. She was so frazzled, she agreed. By the time Ron's work was finished, Harry looked up to see Hermione with her head on her arms, Neville pretending to be reading over an essay but watching her out of the corner of his eye. Harry gave his friend a look.

"She's fine," Neville answered absently. "However, I think whatever your diversion might be would be good for her too. What did you have planned?"

Harry eyed Hermione dubiously and then moved to sit on the table, Ron standing by his side.

"I want to go check out the Forbidden Forest."

Hermione straightened immediately. "Harry James Potter, that's against the rules!"

Neville cut her off, "And how closely are you following them right now?"

Hermione surprisingly shut up and turned away. "Fine. I need to get out of this tower, I can't breathe."

Harry blinked. He still didn't know what was going on with her, but he could agree with her last statement. After Neville getting beaten with a textbook three times this year, he did not argue with Hermione.

"Okay," he agreed. "Let me get a few things from upstairs, and we sojourn to the library."

Harry opened his trunk and paused. Did he really need his invisibility cloak? He could almost hear Alan's voice in his head, 'Do you really only break the rules when you're with me? What kind of Slytherin is that?'

'I am not a Slytherin.'

Alan had merely looked at him and back down with a coy smile. It hadn't been hard to understand what he meant. For the moment, he left it behind and decided to be a Gryffindor tonight.

After all, everyone would just blame his father for this one anyways.

Leaving the cloak behind, Harry scanned the room and grabbed a few of filibuster's fireworks, his spare wand holster, and then raided Neville's trunk for his spare wand and its holster. His spare had formerly belonged to Rufus Scrimgeour – ash, dragon heartstring, fifteen inches, rigid. Ron and Hermione could use the holsters, and he could use some kind of back-up. He looked around the room, ran his hand over his hair and then darted downstairs.

"What were you getting?" Neville demanded.

"Stuff," Harry answered, skipping towards the portrait-hole and holding it open. "C'mon, to the library!"

Hermione was smiling weakly, and Ron was almost jumping with excitement. Neville seemed resigned, but Harry knew him too well. He was excited too. Harry hadn't planned something this dangerous in a long time. It was the Forbidden Forest, but there was a trail, wasn't there? He'd killed a basilisk last year. What could the forest spit up that he couldn't handle?

Out in the hallway, Harry jogged up to Ron and Hermione and handed them the wand holsters. Leaving Neville to help Hermione get hers on, Harry showed Ron the ins and outs and then jogged a little forward, running a hand through his hair again.

Hermione made a small disgusted sound. "You look ridiculous when you mess your hair up like that."

Harry turned and nearly repeated the motion just to be contrary when he realized what he was doing. It was a habit his dad had when he was excited. He aborted the motion with a small jump and grinned at her, shrugging.

Neville was watching him with interest.

"Why are you really coming, Hermione?" Harry asked.

She shrugged. "I have barely left the common room in months except for Quidditch matches. I found it a bit silly."

"So you're coming with me into the Forbidden Forest just to get out of the common room?"

"C'mon, Harry," Ron whined. "It's gonna be an adventure!"

"Unwinding isn't a bad thing," Neville put in.

"Even if it's in a forest full of dangerous creatures?" Harry teased.

"I take it you plan on starting on the path we followed with Hagrid?" Neville clarified.

Harry nodded. "Just trail along it for a little while, and then turn around. No harm, no foul. Just adventure."

Everyone seemed to agree with that plan, and it wasn't until they'd snuck outside that Hermione finally asked, "How long is a 'little while' to you guys?"

Harry glanced back at Neville and shrugged. "An hour? Maybe two? We're already breaking the rules; being late won't change much."

That seemed to make sense to Hermione, who simply shrugged and followed them into the underbrush. It was already dark outside, but when they entered the forest, the moonlight dimmed significantly. It was a bright moon, high and full. Harry thought for a second he'd misjudged something, but shrugged it off. Remus hadn't looked too bad yesterday, and besides, the other three Marauders had the night off tonight. They may have dragged him somewhere else entirely anyways.

Well, too late now. Wolfsbane was a blessing.

Harry was in the front of the arrangement, leading the way down the dark path. Trees weren't exactly close to the path – it was cleared to allow for Hagrid to move down it. Four thirteen-year-olds were easily left feeling safe on the wide path.

"Where are we?" Ron asked after some time.

Harry glanced around. They'd been walking for at least a half hour, wands raised with light and staring into the deep woods around them. They'd come to a hollow, the bushes around the trees minimized to short ferns. Hermione was squeezed between him and Neville, with Ron standing at her back. She stared out at the forest with her eyes a little wide, but Harry wasn't sure his face was any better. He was feeling a little unnerved.

"Not sure."

"Thirty minutes into the forest and counting?" Neville offered sarcastically.

"Oh, lovely," Hermione said. Her voice was a little higher than normal, and she did not sound happy.

"C'mon." Harry moved forward up the path, leading the way out of the hollow and to the other side. The trail skipped to the right and began to follow what seemed to be a soft ridge between two hollows, the forest dropping away on both sides in a field of stark trunks and ferns, the ground mottled with moonlight.

There wasn't another debate other than soft commentary until they were stopped at the edge of an abrupt drop, where part of the path had washed away. Looking down, it was almost black, with some white, glittery strings amongst the trees. Ron immediately backed away, whimpering. Harry scoffed,

"Ron, that's not spiderweb. It's too thick."

Neville leaned out, holding onto a branch. "You sure about that, Harry?"

"Neville!" Harry hissed, "Don't panic him!"

After a minute of silence, Hermione came closer and shook his shoulder. "Harry..." she whispered "... what was it that Hagrid told us about last year?"

"What, exactly?" His mind was on whether that really was web or not.

"Didn't he get caught raising an –"

Harry jerked backwards and knocked Hermione down. He had to swallow before he could get past his fear. "Oh, right. I think that's deep enough, don't you?"

Neville laughed a little sharply. "Oh, yeah. C'mon, Ron. Race you back to the bend?"

He took off running, and Ron followed with remarkable speed, the a-feared webbing probably helping.

"Boys," Hermione huffed.

Harry laughed and slapped her shoulder. "C'mon, Hermione, I know you can run!" He took off, and Hermione yelped, following behind. They slowed down once Ron and Neville were in sight, down at the bottom of the second hollow they'd slipped through. Coming up the other side, something crashed in the forest behind them. They froze.

"What was that?" Ron whimpered.

"Dunno." Harry swallowed, and insisted, "Could just be Buckbeak."

"Or thestrals," Neville offered softly.

"Do they eat people?" Ron begged.

"Nah, carrion." He looked over and clarified, "Stuff already dead."

"Oh, joy."

"Let's keep going," Harry insisted. "Stay on the path."

They got up to looking down the next hollow, and Neville stopped Ron abruptly.

"Harry, something's down there."

Moving in front of Ron, Harry looked down and frowned.

It was darkness on top of darkness: a shadow over the ferns, creeping among the stark tree trunks. The problem was that it looked like it was taller than Hagrid and he didn't know what it was – at least, not until it moved across the path. Ron whimpered behind him. It was unmistakably a spider – a large one.

"Do they eat people?" Hermione whispered.

"Sometimes," Harry answered just as softly. "And they hear very well."

Ron stuffed his hand in his mouth to muffle himself, and Neville, beside him, was still. The monster moved through the hollow and further up the other side.

"What do we do?"

Harry shook his head at Hermione and softly breathed out. "I… Move quickly and quietly. We just need to get out of here."

They set down the hill and up the other side, moving with far more noise than Harry wanted, but they were moving.

They got about a dozen metres past before the crashing returned behind them. Harry started jogging lightly forward, looking back every few feet. They'd been moving for maybe five minutes before the shadow darted across the path and to the far side.

Harry yelped. "Run!"

They took off, and Neville passed him without another word. Ron shoved past on his other side, and Harry was left, trying to keep Hermione moving onward.

"C'mon, Hermione!"

How far did they have to go? They'd left the hollows behind. Ahead of them was ground without the dips, thick forest, and –

He fell flat out, skidding in the dirt and tumbling into a tree. Hermione tripped over his legs with a shriek that halted Neville and Ron ahead. Neville ran back; Ron was frozen in place until a loud crash to the side – ahead of Harry and Hermione, nearer to Ron – sent him running for the comfort of others.

Hermione was pulled up, and Harry stood, shaking on a leg laced with pain. He winced and leaned against the tree, trying to catch his breath and his thoughts. What worked against an acromantula? What would work? Ice seemed a good all-around spell, if he could figure out where to hit it. The last place it would expect would be underneath, right?

It didn't matter. Crashing sounded opposite the spider just as it sidled towards the path, and a chittering sound echoed.

It was drowned out by a deep roar. The black spider was rammed from the side by another dark shadow – thickset, heavy, and strong. Onto its back went a lighter shadow, a lighter creature. A slimmer dark animal darted onto the path before them and growled before turning to check on them. Shining black eyes in a dog's face let Harry breathe a sigh of relief; Ron, however, panicked.

"It's a Grim, a Grim! We're dead, we're dead, we're dead!"

"Shut up, Ron," Neville and Harry repeated in unison.

Further ahead, the light shadow leapt off the spider to rebound from a tree to the ground. The acromantula took off, leaving the heavier black shadow behind. Hermione suddenly squeaked and grabbed Harry's sleeve hard.

"Harry… Harry, what is that?"

Deciding it was worth salvaging the fun of the night, Harry responded. "I think it's a bear."

"A bear?" She stared forward again, but Moony was closer. She took a long look at the lighter shadow, the more canine shadow of a wolf with a tufted tail, and then whimpered. "No, God no, Harry what have you done?"

"Saved your lives, I take it," a man's voice cut in.

Hermione spun and fell over. Ron shrieked, and Neville bit down on his sleeve.

Harry tried to let Hermione down more slowly before answering, "Hi, Dad."

"Harry, what are you doing out here?"

Behind them, the bear also changed shape as Padfoot moved over to keep Moony company. Frank Longbottom stepped up behind his son and gave them a stern look as well.

"Um…" Harry tried to think of a good excuse and opted to run his hand through his hair to stifle his nerves. "For the Hell of it? I wanted to check out the forest, Dad! I was sure you'd be out here in case we ran into trouble!" Actually, he really hadn't thought he'd be here, but he was bloody glad for it!

"Yes, I would be out here with a werewolf!" James glared, his face twitching. "If Remus wasn't dosed with wolfsbane, he'd be trying to kill you just like that acromantula."

"But he is dosed," Harry insisted. "I know he's dosed. He's sane!"

"You shouldn't even be out here!"

"Did you ever care about that?"

James couldn't argue that. Harry smiled tightly at his father and then ducked his head. "I would like to be out of here now, though. I think that was more than enough excitement." He shifted on his heels and smiled. "I was more than ready to think of something to do. I did kill a basilisk, Dad."

His father doubled over laughing, his hand over his eyes. "Merlin, boy, you kill me! I'm going to lose my hair by the time you graduate!" Behind them, the grim was making a chortling noise, and the werewolf was rolling on the ground. Frank had hugged his son and stepped back, staring at the canopy.

"Alright," James agreed. "Alright, you four, we'll escort you out. Don't get caught getting back to bed, and we won't tell anyone. Okay? And Harry." He stared at him. "Don't try this again. You've been into the forest. Call it enough, all right? Moony isn't always the only werewolf in the forest. And there's more acromantula than that one."

Harry nodded seriously and watched his father and Neville's fade into the forest, Frank changing to a lumbering shadow, and his father to a sleek stag with a tall, majestic rack.

Hermione finally allowed him to help her to her feet, and Ron's breathing had returned to something more normal. They started walking silently, sometimes looking back to see one of the three Animagi on the trail behind.

Ron squeaked every time it was Sirius standing there, and finally Harry offered.

"It's Sirius, Ron. It's not a real Grim. You don't have to keep freaking out."

Ron turned a little red.

"What's a Grim?" Hermione asked.

"It's supposedly an omen of death," Neville answered. "If you see one, you are going to die soon thereafter."

"It's not superstition!" Ron insisted. "My uncle –"

"Your uncle probably died of fright if he reacted anything like you." Hermione sniffed.

"Hermione," Harry scolded. "Be nice."

"Well, if seeing one out here is an omen, we're really dead," Hermione added. "After all, we already nearly died. If it weren't for your father –"

"If it weren't for my father," Harry added, "We wouldn't even be seeing a Grim, because that Grim happens to be my godfather."

"Doesn't say much about Sirius as a person, though," Neville smiled.

Harry rolled his eyes. "We're almost out."

"Good to know," Neville sighed and yawned. "Yikes, that was more than enough for me."

"How long have we been out for?" Ron asked lightly. "Two hours?"

"Quite long enough," Hermione insisted. "I still have to finish my Enchantments work."

Harry laughed. "Merlin, Hermione, do you have your priorities straight."

A/n: And a little late. Noon counts, I swear! I live on the West Coast, c'mon.
Whatever. Hope you enjoyed the trip into the forest, and see ya in two weeks.

Please Review?
Fire & Napalm