A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Siriusly Sirius About Nothing, just because.--Rita

Chapter 21

Harry took a deep breath and held it as he took the parchment and flattened it out on the floor of the library. Everyone looked at it as he cleared his throat and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Suddenly on the paper red squiggly lines began to appear and just as quickly, disappeared. He looked at the twins and Ginny and frowned.

"Oh!" said Fred, "try waving your wand over it as you say it. That works."

Harry nodded, determined. He waved his wand over the parchment as he repeated the words. The red squiggly lines appeared but this time they ran together until the contents of the paper were fully revealed. Harry believed that the paper would expose a map of some type of Hogwarts and the nearby wizard community, just as he had seen in his vision.

They were amazed because not only did the map show them secret entrances and rooms ("Found that the first week," the twins said together pointing at several of the secret panels) it also revealed where every single person in Hogwarts and its grounds was at this very moment. Even the twins were impressed.

"Harry, you can have our sister if you'll give us the map," George said.

Ginny rolled her eyes and socked both her brothers hard on their arms.

"Hey," said Fred, "why'd you do that?" He rubbed his arm.

"Because you were thinking it, too," she said.

Fred started to protest, but he shrugged. "So, Harry, what are you going to do with it?"

Harry was still grinning as he watched the names of the people wander around on the map. Professor Dumbledore was in his chambers and Professor Snape was with him. He looked at Hagrid's hut where he saw Hagrid and Sirius, joined this time by Remus Lupin.

Harry showed Ginny and she nodded at him. He wanted to talk to Professor Lupin as soon as possible. "I don't know, actually," Harry said, fibbing a bit. Ginny knew exactly how Harry planned to use the map. "Right now, I need to go to Hagrid's."

"I'll go with you, Harry," Ginny said and he nodded. He pointed his wand at the map and said, "Mischief managed," and the map disappeared. He folded the parchment this time and put it in the breast pocket of his robes.

"It's getting awfully late, Ginny, I don't want you to get into trouble," Harry said.

"Aww," the twins said together and Ginny quelled them with a look.

"Tell me everything that happens," Ginny said, boldly kissing Harry. She stood up and helped Harry to his feet. The twins watched in anticipation whether he would do the kissing this time. Harry blushed but kissed Ginny.

"Good luck," she said.

He grabbed his invisibility cloak and put it around him as he hurried out of the library. He discovered that it was easy to slip out of the castle and he ran down the hilly slopes to Hagrid's hut. He knocked on the door, a little out of breath. Hagrid opened the door.

"Who's there?" he asked.

"Oh, sorry, Hagrid," he said removing the cloak. "It's me, Harry. I would like to see Professor Lupin."

"Professor Lupin?" Hagrid said, a little surprised.

"Yes. He's here, isn't he?"

"Let him in, Hagrid," Sirius said and Hagrid stood aside while Harry entered.

"How'd you know I was here?" Remus said.

He and Sirius were sitting at the huge table. They had some books and parchments stacked around them and they were also studying a map.

"Marauders' map," Harry said, holding up the parchment.

Sirius and Lupin looked at each other and smiled. "We wondered what happened to that," Sirius said.

"My father left it for me, along with the trunk full of other things."

"Including the invisibility cloak, I see," Remus said smiling. "How wonderful. Come in. Sirius and I were just talking about you. "

Remus cleared off a chair next to him and offered Harry a seat. He sat down and looked at the map and papers strewn out.

"How are you, Harry?" Remus asked, looking into his eyes. "I worry about you."

"You and everyone else, apparently," Harry said.

Lupin was only slightly taken aback at Harry's tone. He chose to ignore the sarcasm. "I want to teach you a spell, Harry. I think, no, I know it will be of some assistance to you. Have you heard of the patronus spell?"

"Of course I have. You told us about it when you were the DADA teacher a couple of years ago."

Remus chuckled. "I wasn't sure anyone remembered the class. I was gone a lot that year."

"Honestly, Professor, I learned a lot from you. You were an excellent teacher."

"Thank you, Harry." His smile was sincere. "Not only will the spell repel Dementors, but you can use it as a means of communication."

"Cool." The word tumbled out of Harry's lips before he realized what he said. "Can you show me?"

Remus looked at Sirius and smiled.

"Do you remember what I said one needed to do to produce a patronus, Harry?" Remus asked.

"Something about happy thoughts," he said. "I never had a happy memory so I couldn't do it."

"Well, Harry," Lupin began, "you don't need an especially happy memory, what you need is a powerful, safe memory, and it doesn't even have to be a real one." Remus smiled at Harry's expression.

"But I do have a, a safe memory, and it's a happy one as well," he said. "And I think it is real."

"All right, then, concentrate on the thought as you say the incantation, 'Expecto patronum', pointing your wand into the air." Remus demonstrated the spell and Harry watched as white smoke poured out from the tip of his wand; the white smoke began to form a shape, and then whirled around several times before disappearing into the air. "The harder you concentrate, the more defined your patronus becomes. Everyone's patronus is unique to himself."

"What's your patronus?" Harry asked.

"Let's not worry about that, Harry, let's concentrate on yours. Now take a deep breath and, now!"

Harry pointed his wand at the ceiling, concentrating on his safe and happy memory, and said the words clearly and plainly, "Expecto patronum." He felt a powerful rush coming from the core of his being to his wand. The wand was difficult to hold because and Harry had to grasp it with both hands. The white smoke whirled around in the air, desperately trying to form a distinct shape.

Sirius and Hagrid both stood with their mouths dropped in surprise as they saw the smoke coming together.

"Never before," whispered Sirius. "Can you believe that, Remus, the very first time? That's impossible."

Remus turned to them and beamed proudly. "Amazing. I knew the boy was talented."

The three of them watched as the image began to take form; Harry kept his eyes closed as he held his wand tighter. He knew something was pouring out of his wand. The smoke became whiter and almost electrically charged.

He finally opened his eyes as he heard the gasps from the others in the room. He let out an audible gasp as he saw forming near the ceiling of Hagrid's roof, the image of a huge serpent, coiled and ready to strike.

"No!" he cried, grasping his wand tighter. "You will not have me!"