The Cave

"What we have to do to pass?" asked Sirius when they reached the hole in the wall, where the only barrel between them and the lake was a stone. When Harry conjured a knife, Regulus took it from him.

"If it's blood, let me do it."

Harry nodded and Regulus cut his own hand, letting the blood drop over the stone. As he moaned with pain, an ironical laugh skipped through his lips.

"This is one of the purest bloods in Europe, do you believe?"

After they passed through the narrow space on the wall a boat appeared, and James' eyes widened.

"We won't fit in this small thing, it'll sink!"

"It doesn't see your weight, yet it sees your magical power." Harry remembered as he analyzed. "We are students, so our magical weight is none, but for the size only three of us can go."

"I'm not sitting on anyone's lap!" Sirius assured, driving away. His friends rolled eyes and yelled together:

"Shut it, Sirius!"

The marauder wanted to defend, but Ron interrupted:

"Sirius, Peter and I stay here. We'll be guarding in case something happens." He gazed anxiously to the cave.

"Right; when we ask I need you to light a fire here so we can leave, ok?"

"AAAAH!" James screamed, running away from the lake. "IS THIS A HAND?"

Peter shrieked and ran scared towards Sirius. Regulus went slowly to the water, looking at what was inside. Fascinated, he turned to the others with a strange shine in his eyes.

"Corpses, Inferius. A lake full of them."

"Yes, but don't mind. Let's go." Harry hurried, entering the boat. James, tremulous, entered right after, being followed by Regulus. The boat slide through the water smoothly, and when it moored the boys got out and walked the rocky island.

"What is this?" James asked, passing his hand over the translucent potion. Harry glanced to it and conjured a glass.

"I'm going to drink it. There's no other way. The locket is within."

"We can make it disappear." Regulus suggested, but Harry denied.

"I've tried. Now listen: I'll probably ask you to stop giving me the potion, but don't listen to me. It's the effect."

"But-" James begun and Harry looked determined to his father.

"James, please forget we're friends for today."

The marauder nodded reluctantly, and Harry picked the glass and drank the potion, which burned down his throat. Another sip and nothing. After the fifth sip, Harry started to feel dizzy, and vaguely noticed having dropped the glass.

"HARRY!"

"Go away, girl. You don't have to die, just give me the boy."

"NO!"

"Get away… Well, if you insist… AVADA KEDAVRA!"

"NO!" Harry screamed, and James grabbed the glass from the floor, shaking.

"What if-"

"He said that's the effect, James." Regulus said unsurely. Harry curled on the floor desperately but none of them said anything, concentrated in giving the potion.

"Please stop!" begged Harry, and James widened his eyes when he began to cry.

"Let me go, please! I did nothing to you, Dudley!"

Another sip, and then Regulus started fiving the potion. Harry curled and started muttering. The two exchanged gazed and then jumped of fright suddenly.

"SIRIUS!" screamed Harry, crawling on the ground. "SIRIUS, NO! YOU KILLED HIM!"

James let the glass fall.

"I…I don't want this anymore, I… Regulus, what is this bloke saying?"

"Dad!" cried Harry. "Dad, they killed Sirius, dad! He wants me, dad!"

"Harry, what are you talking about?" James asked and Regulus gave more potion.

"My parents are dead, Remus! Sirius is dead; I have no one else, Remus!" Harry cried harder. Regulus saw the locket on the bottom of the potion and stretched his arm to grab it, but a kind of barrier stopped him.

"Water!" Harry suddenly yelled, stopping to cry. Regulus gaze the last drop to him and squatted near the lake to pick water.

"Come on, Regulus!" hurried James, holding Harry in his arms. He begged for water, and Regulus took a little of the lake on the glass and gave it to James.

"Here, Kid, drink this."

"JAMES!" Regulus screamed, and James turned quickly to see what had happened. A pale arm pulled Regulus to the lake, and many other inferius crawled to the island. James left Harry lying and pulled Regulus' other arm.

"SIRIUS!" screamed the marauder, and his friend's voice echoed on the cave.

"WHAT?"

"LIGHT A FIRE, PLEASE!"

"AH? OK!"

A big red blaze passed through the lake, and James took Harry and went to the boat followed by Regulus. Desperate and tremulous he started the boat, feeling the floor shake over the corpse that longed to drag them to the bottom of the lake. When they reached the others Regulus took the locket from his pocket and analyzed it.

"We got it."

"Harry!" cried Ron, but Harry raised his hand weakly.

"I'm fine, Ron… just a little weak. You made it?"

"Yes." said James. "Mate, you said some weird things on that island."

"Weird?" Harry froze.

"Yeah… Well, forget. Later we see about that. Let's go back."

Carrying Harry, they apparated. When they got to Hogsmeade, dark at night, the six tripped to the Shrinking Shack, Peter leading to press the tree. The yard was murky, but they sneaked to the seventh floor quickly.

"How are you going back, Regulus?" Sirius asked his brother, who grinned.

"Relax; I know a good passage from her to the dungeons. Keep the locket, it's too risky for me to take it."

"Good luck." Wished Peter, and the Fat Lady gazed angrily at them.

"Password? I want to sleep, you know."

"Spring Sun." Ron rolled his eyes.

As they entered the common room their friends were waiting in pajamas. Ginny ran for Harry and Sirius raised the locket.

"Here, we only need to destroy."

Hermione smiled tiredly and got to the girl's dorm to pick the teeth as Lily commented:

"You look scared."

"You don't know half of it, Lil. Harry began to scream when he took the potion. Is it not, kid?" James threw himself on the couch.

Harry bubbled:

"I…I…"

"He said something about Sirius being dead, and his parents too! He seemed to be talking with you, Remus."

"Talking with me? Do you know me from the future, Harry?"

"We have a problem." Hermione interrupted fearfully. "I forgot the rest of the teeth at the Prewett's."