Chapter 35

Friday 26 November 1993

James awoke in the Hospital Wing once again. He cringed at Madam Pomfrey's disappointed frown. She didn't need to say anything. James knew she wasn't happy he was back so soon.

"How bad is it?" he mumbled as he looked away.

"I didn't quite hear that. Were you asking how much you undid all my work trying to keep you from puncturing a lung, the effort to make sure you have full use of your shoulder or was it about the new injury you collected?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"You're in trouble," James heard Morgan taunt.

James swallowed and looked up to meet Madam Pomfrey's eyes. "All of it."

Madam Pomfrey sighed and ran a hand over her face as she took a step back. "Fortunately, you didn't undo my work. The slash was easy enough to heal. Your friends carried you in here and then made themselves scarce very quickly; though I might have encouraged them to leave. I won't bother telling you to take it easy. You apparently wouldn't listen if I did."

"How long am I here for this time?"

"Until you get out of bed. I won't ask what happened. Your friends were tight-lipped and I'll find out soon enough anyway. Dinner is coming up soon. Take your sister and get something to eat."

James breathed a sigh of relief, got out of bed, and found Morgan sitting next to Veronica. "Hey sis, looks like I'm not in trouble," James said, sticking out his tongue.

Morgan stuck hers out back at him but started packing up the toys and work she had brought today. James looked at Veronica who was still deep in the depths of Living Death induced sleep. 'Hurry up and get well Mom. I have questions I need to ask you, and I don't know how much longer things will hold together without you. I thought I was strong. I thought I was alpha material, but when it came down to it, you were the only one to win.'

James realized he was clenching his hand in a fist and deliberately opened it. Once Morgan finished packing, they went to dinner. They arrived before most of the student body.

"James, can I eat with you tonight?" Morgan asked.

James started to ask why but caught himself when he realized why. She'd been stuck in the hospital all day and he doubted Remus would have much energy to spare for her. He wasn't feeling great himself but he was the best suited to take care of her. 'The joys of being a responsible big brother.'

"Fine. Just try not to embarrass me too much." Morgan beamed at him and rushed over to the Hufflepuff table.

"Like you need my help," she teased as she sat down. Slowly, the students filed in, followed by the teachers until it was time for dinner to start. James looked up as the food appeared and frowned when he saw Remus was missing.

"Where's Dad?" Morgan asked, looking up at the teacher's table herself.

"Probably doing whatever has been keeping him busy."

"Do you know why he's spending all his time with that dumb dog?" Morgan asked downcast and playing with her food.

"He promised he would tell me tonight. I'll get some answers then." James said trying to reassure her.

"How much longer do we have to stay here?"

James didn't have an answer so he just let it drop. Morgan's enthusiasm for food seemed to have died, and his own appetite was absent.

"So, how did it feel to smash his face in?" Zacharias asked out of the blue. Everyone nearby leaned in to listen. Most of them hadn't seen the fight, but word spread quickly.

'Huh,' James thought, sticking another fork full in his mouth. 'I guess I should be surprised they waited this long to ask.'

"Painful. I wish he'd have waited until my ribs were better. Fighting with cracked ribs is no fun." James replied.

There was some stilted laughter at that. A few more people asked questions, but James wasn't eager to talk about it and the conversation soon moved on without him.

"Do you want me to take you back to Mom, or stick with me until the end of the study session?" James asked Morgan as they left the Great Hall at the end of dinner.

Morgan thought it over for a second, frowning as she thought about the options. "I don't want to go back there. Can't I just go back to the apartment?"

"Both of us would get in trouble if I left you alone in the apartment so that's not an option."

Morgan shrugged. "I'd be fine. It's not like I am five anymore."

James agreed but wasn't going to tell her that. "To bad. I guess if you really don't want to go back to the Hospital Wing you will have to join me at the study session." With no other good option, Morgan decided to stay with James.

It was James' first study session in a while and he was surprised how much work the second years had piled up. They claimed they didn't want to get something wrong without him there to help them. James got through their backlog of questions before he asked why they didn't just ask someone else.

"Because you actually help us," Steven said.

"We did, but aside from Neville with Herbology most everyone else just gives us the answer. Why do you think we kept coming when this grew beyond you paying us back." Helga said.

"Go figure," James muttered. Once he was done helping them he worked until the end of the session on his own work with his friends.

Afterward, James took Morgan back to the apartment. Remus wasn't there. James told Morgan to get ready for bed. She protested, but with impeccable big brother logic James won out.

As she got ready James waited for Remus to arrive.

After she was ready James played with her for a bit and waited for Remus to arrive.

Morgan passed out in the living room. James levitated her to her room, tucked her in, and waited for Remus to arrive.

James was struggling to stay awake and dreading the next day. His everything hurt, his eyes were heavy, the waning moon was high in the sky, and still no Remus. His eyes drooped down until James fell asleep in the chair.

The sounds of the door opening, talking and footsteps woke him up.

"We aren't stopping yet Bla- Padfoot," Remus slurred as he stumbled towards the kitchen. "Just coffee, a swig of Pepper-up, and we are back at it."

James fought to stay awake. He forced himself out of the chair, hissing as pain blossomed in his chest.

"James!" Remus cried out, his eyes widening in shock. "What are you doing here. You should have been in bed hours ago."

"Well, you see, someone had to take care of Morgan, what with her being six years old. Since Mom is basically in a coma, and you are too busy with," James waved a hand at the two of them, "whatever the hell it is that is more important than her and your own health, I had to step up. What the hell is going on Dad?"

Remus collapsed to the ground, missing the chair he'd been aiming for. He took a deep breath, taking time to compose his answer. Black didn't wait. He claimed a spot near the fireplace, curled up, and fell asleep.

"Dad," James prodded after a moment.

"We almost have him; I know it. Black saw him Monday. We saw him on the map right before dinner tonight. Peter's here, James. If I can catch him we can go home. No more Britain, no dementors, no Greyback, no more Veronica and you getting hurt. That's what has me so busy. I haven't gotten more than a few minutes of sleep since the full moon." Remus groaned as he tried to push himself off the floor. His arm gave out and he barely caught himself from face planting into the floor.

James' anger evaporated. "Dammit Dad, killing yourself in the process won't help," he said, offering a hand to Remus. He pulled it back quickly and grabbed a chair for Remus to use instead.

Remus pulled himself into the chair. "I know that, James."

"Then why are you doing this?"

"Because it is what I can do." Remus looked James in the eye. "You defeated me to become the alpha male. It was a surprise, but it wasn't. We've talked about how I knew it was going to come someday. Still, I am your dad. I should be able to help you, protect you, keep you and my family safe, yet I did nothing. I should be a strong arm for you if needed, but I wasn't. If it wasn't for Hagrid, you and Veronica would likely be dead."

"You were watching the other guy and protecting Morgan," James said, taking a seat next to Remus.

"Maybe, but it doesn't change the fact you both are hurt. If I can catch Peter we won't have to worry about it anymore. We can go home and call this whole thing done."

"Why don't we just do that anyway. We know the truth now. We go home, take Princess with us, then have him claim asylum."

"It isn't that easy James. Even assuming we could get him on the plane and out of the UK and into the US, there is no guarantee they would grant asylum. Especially not on our word." Remus held up a hand to forestall James' questions.

"We are werewolves, James. While the US is better than most other places there are still limits on us. We had to get special permission to travel outside the country. We are still something most wizards and witches are wary of. If it wasn't for the actions of people like Alpha Hardfast and a few of the other older leaders of the werewolf communities providing distinguished service in The Suppression things would still be much like they are here."

James frowned, not quite believing Remus. Remus sighed and leaned over the table.

"James, we are monsters. Werewolves are monsters. Back home we have found a way to balance the monster. To accept that it is a part of us and let it out in limited ways. People are capable of great monstrosity too so there is no reason it can't be possible, but that doesn't change the fact for most of the past three-hundred years any werewolves in the States tended to live away from population centers and if caught in a city were as like to be put to death as not."

"I know it carries the death penalty if we bite someone on a full moon, dad," James said.

"True, but it used to be much the same as things here, but you know your history. The Statute of Secrecy is a European creation. As we colonized and conquered the world we brought it with us. Some people didn't like that."

"No kidding. There are still flare-ups in parts of Africa." James said with a snort.

"True, and those are small scale, James. Grindelwald and the Great Wizard's War was all about the Statute. Grindelwald felt we should rule, others vigorously disagreed. However, there were those that agreed."

"The Suppression Wars," James muttered.

"Exactly. They are what changed things for werewolves in the states. The Great Wizard's War left Europe wrecked and cost MCUSA many lives. When most of Africa, south-east Asia and elsewhere tried to throw off the statute, manpower was needed to fight them. Most of Europe couldn't get involved. They were busy trying to rebuild and were exhausted from the war. The USA wound up having to take the lead and Alpha Hardfast and a group of other young wolves offered to provide just that, for a price."

"Equality, or at least better rights," James said. "I didn't realize things were quite like that."

"Neither had I until we tried to go to the States, but that is a story for another time," Remus said, his head falling for a second. Remus shook himself back awake, but it didn't look like he would last much longer.

"What does this have to do with bringing Black back with us?" James asked, trying to draw the conversation back to the point. History was all well and good, but James didn't see how it applied here.

"They won't take our word Black is innocent or that I saw Peter Pettigrew on a parchment map I made decades ago. We are tolerated, provided we follow the rules and don't make trouble. Black is a murderer to the rest of the world. There is a chance the MCUSA will extradite him."

"But Ambassador Sonne doesn't seem like he'd do that."

"James, you met him for all of five minutes. He might not like the Brits, but he was also playing the game of politics at that moment. If it gets the MCUSA something they want they will turn Black over."

"But they might also keep him, right? If they can leverage that better?"

"Maybe, but would you really take that chance in his position," Remus asked, nodding his head at Black. "I'll get some sleep and take tomorrow off, okay?"

"For now. Get some sleep, take care of yourself and take care of Morgan like the father you are supposed to be." James said, a bit of frustration leaking into his voice.

Remus winced, nodded and stood. "Alright, but I am going to keep checking the map or have Black on it."

"Fine. Now get some sleep, Dad." Remus stumbled up the stairs to his room. James waited until he heard the door close then left. He headed back to the Hufflepuff dorms. Along the way, he checked the time. He groaned when he saw it was only a few hours until breakfast. 'Fuck it, I'll skip food if it means I get to sleep.'

XxX

James woke to his alarm, stumbled about the empty room, giving thanks Wayne let him sleep, dressed, downed a pain potion, and made for the Potions classroom. He encountered Professor Snape on the way down. They walked in silence to the classroom. After Professor Snape opened the door, James made right for the cleaning station and got to work.

"That is good enough for today," Professor Snape said when James was about halfway done. "Leave the rest for tomorrow. Your answer?"

"James Lupin."

James met Professor Snape's eyes and waited for him to be the one to look away. Professor Snape held his stare.

"Do you enjoy these detentions? We both know the truth of that statement. You are no more James Lupin than I am the Minister of Magic."

Several witty, shitty, and ill-conceived replies ran through James' head. With a force of will, he held his tongue. Professor Snape wanted him to talk, wanted him to give something away.

"Go." Professor Snape said after a minute, leaving James to do something in the storeroom behind the classroom.

James left. He planned to head back to the dorm room and get some more sleep, or maybe stop by the kitchen when he ran into something large.

"There you are, James." Professor Hagrid said. James took a step back and looked up to see Hogwarts largest professor filling the hallway. "I've been looking all over you. Where 'ave you been 'iding? You weren't tryna get outta our talk were you?"

"Huh," James asked.

"The other night, once everything had settled down I said we were gonna have a sit-down and talk about some things. Don't tell me you forgot?" Professor Hagrid said, looking disappointed.

None of that sounded familiar. "I don't. To be fair I just remember you saved my bacon then waking up in the infirmary, but since we probably shouldn't be talking about it out in the open…"

Hagrid frowned but nodded in agreement. "Aye, I suppose that's fair. Well, let's head on down to my cabin. We can talk over tea and some rock cakes."

'Rock cakes?' James wondered as he followed Hagrid down to his cabin.

"[Wolf.]" Fang huffed when he saw James walking up with Hagrid, lifting his head up to growl. James glared at the boarhound and followed Hagrid into his home.

The inside was… homey. It was a single room affair and James made a conscious decision not to question the bathroom situation. A massive bed was built into one side with quilts and blankets spread haphazardly upon it. The opposite wall boasted a roaring fireplace with a steaming kettle suspended about the flames and thick logs stacked nearby. The center of the cabin was filled with a sturdy table and chairs. The walls were lined with cabinets and hooks. Pots and other household tools hung from the exposed rafters.

"Sit down, it will only take me a minute," Hagrid said as he busied himself gathering tea, mugs, and the rock cakes he had offered. James sat, finding the chair surprisingly comfortable. The exact opposite of him right now.

Hagrid soon set the kettle, cups, and cakes down. "Tea will be ready in a few. Then we can enjoy the cakes."

James pondered why they needed tea to enjoy the cakes, but was willing to wait. Even if hunger was gnawing at his belly.

"So while we wait, let's discuss what 'appened last weekend shall we," Hagrid said suddenly becoming much more serious.

"Okay, where do you want to start?" James asked.

"You were fighting Fenrir Greyback in the Forbidden Forest. 'e 'ad with 'im two other werewolves. Was that your first encounter with 'im?"

"No."

"When and where before?" Hagrid asked, leaning forward.

"Edinburgh just the day before," James answered.

"And you 'adn't seen 'im in the forest before that?"

"No. Though he did claim someone had told him about us, or me specifically recently."

"Who?"

"He didn't say, but I think it was someone from the town. Another werewolf I might have smelled in Hogshead the last Hogsmeade weekend if I had to guess."

"Someone in Hogshead does sound likely. Which raises the question of what you were doing in a seedy bar."

James supposed it was a fair point, but he did have cause to be in there. "I was thanking Mister Aberforth for saving me from the Dementors back in October."

Hagrid accepted the answer and poured the tea. He took one of the cakes, dipped it, and took a bite. James tried to take a bite of the cake after taking a sip. It was hard as a rock. Then he tried dipping it in the tea, it was almost as hard as a rock, but not quite. The cake itself wasn't great, but it was better than nothing.

"My next question is what you lot were doing outside the Shack. You're supposed to stay in there as I recall."

"It is an old building. It wasn't hard to get out. Is it really surprising the four of us didn't stay in there." James said.

"Maybe, but you are taking the wolfsbane potion right? So you should still be of the proper mind and be able to follow directions." Hagrid said. James took a sip of his tea to delay answering.

'We aren't, but I can't exactly say that. What can I say instead? Well, we are a teenager, a little girl, and two parents exhausted from a week of work… Maybe he'll buy that.'

"True, but staying in a small building is wildly different from being back home. So long as we don't hurt anyone and didn't get seen, it should have been fine. Mom and Dad tried to keep us in, but I am a teenager, and Morgan doesn't like to be confined."

Hagrid eyed James suspicious he was being lied to but let it pass. "So you say."

They ate and drank in silence for a few minutes before Hagrid spoke up. "My job before becoming the Care Professor was Keeper of the Keys and Gameskeeper. Both those jobs require me to look after the school and its livestock. The Forbidden Forest is the largest magical stretch of woodland in the 'ole of Britain."

James nodded along not sure where this was going, but happy it wasn't about him.

"For the better part of my life I 'eld that job, still do, seeing as Dumbledore 'asn't 'ired someone new to do it. I have advantages that protect me against the things that would 'urt a normal wizard, but I can't fight a war alone. The real question I 'ave to ask is do you expect 'e'll be back."

James frowned and thought it over. "Dad said you hurting him will keep him busy the next full moon defending his position. Come January though, maybe."

Hagrid grunted and set his tea down. "Maybe?"

"He will need to make us submit, but he will have to ensure we are here to do it. If we don't answer his challenge… You did injure him and kill another. He might try to get you, but if he brings his whole packs to help he will look weak and that might kick off another challenge against him. At the same time, he could always try to force the grounds and get into the school, but I doubt that would work out well or he'd have done it before."

"Aye, 'e has tried it before, and it would go worse for 'im if 'e tried again," Hagrid said, looking out a window at the forest.

"He's tried to get into the school before? On a full moon?"

"Aye, he did," Hagrid said, turning back to James. "Aurors said I wasn't to 'elp. I spent the whole thing sitting by the doors, waiting for something to 'appen."

"And?" James asked leadingly after Hagrid failed to elaborate.

"And the Aurors forced him back and I didn't have to do anything, but in the next few months after that a few of the werewolves stalked the forest and I had to encourage them to go elsewhere," Hagrid said, draining his tea and pouring a second cup.

"And that is what has you wanting to talk to me?"

"Some. More importantly, I want to talk about why Greyback was fighting you and why it was you and not Remus." Hagrid said.

James stuttered and coughed as tea tried to go down the wrong pipe. He started to pound his chest but winced and stopped. Eventually, the coughing died down, though the pain remained.

"Why?"

Hagrid gave James an almost disappointed look. "Do I really need to spell it out for you?" James didn't reply but Hagrid took that for an answer. "I thought not. So you want to explain or do you want me guessing?"

James frowned, put his tea down, and took a deep breath. "How much do you know about Werewolves, packs, and hierarchy?"

"A bit 'ere and there, but nothing from an actual werewolf."

James steeled himself and began to tell Hagrid everything he thought might apply in this situation. It took some time, but when he finished Hagrid had a hand rubbing his chin through his beard.

"So you took leadership of your family from Remus, at least part of it. Greyback though is the top dog of all of Britain, so once he found you he wanted to put you in your place?"

"Pretty close. Mom is still the Alpha female of our pack but typically the Alpha male is responsible for defending the pack."

"Something you did a pretty poor job of."

James winced but couldn't deny Hagrid's words. Really he'd been a pretty poor alpha so far. He let his secret get out. He'd been incapacitated repeatedly. He wasn't leading his pack, he was doing what he was told and being a good student. Was that the wrong thing to be doing now? Was this all his fault?

Hagrid must have seen something on James' face because he cleared his throat and gave James an awkward grin. "Don't worry 'bout it too much eh? You are young and it worked out well enough this time."

James nodded but wondered about that. 'Did it work out well enough?'

James left Hagrid's at noon with much more on his mind than before. He went straight to the Great Hall for lunch. The tea and rock cakes having been nowhere near enough to sate his hunger.

He saw Remus and Morgan sitting at the head table and felt relieved to see Remus looked better than the previous day. James caught up with his friends and was looking forward to spending a bit of time hanging out with them in the common room.

As lunch was winding down, those plans were derailed when Professor McGonagall cleared her throat behind him.

James turned confused. 'What does Professor McGonagall want? Oh, that's right! She wanted to talk too. Dammit!'

"Professor McGonagall, enjoying your weekend?" James asked, wondering how she was going to bring up her desire to talk.

"Well enough I suppose Mister Lupin. Did you enjoy the journal I left you?" She said, referring the Transfiguration journal she'd given him while in the infirmary.

"Yes ma'am," James said honestly.

"I am glad to hear it, but I'm afraid I need to ask for it back today. Could you bring it by my office sometime in the next hour?"

'Well, there goes my Saturday. I wonder how bad this one will go.' James sighed, nodded and stood up from the table.

"I can do that. I'll get there shortly."

"Good. I hope the rest of you aren't getting into any trouble this weekend." She said addressing the other students at the table. A chorus of "No Professor" answered her. She gave them a curt nod and left continuing on to the Gryffindor table.

James set out for his room to grab the journal with Roger, Wayne, and Heather joining him on the way back to the common room. They waved goodbye when he left, but continued with the new card game Roger wanted to play. James scowled as he left, annoyed he wasn't getting to join them.

'Why can't I just get a bit of time to myself.' He thought, taking his sweet time walking to Professor McGonagall's office. 'I've got cracked ribs, a bad shoulder, and a man fifty plus years older plotting ways to kill me. I have one teacher digging into my past, another interrogating me about said murder happy man, and another one that wants to talk about who knows what.'

James didn't realize he was growling as he rounded a corner. 'Mom is incapacitated, and Dad is being an idiot. I am failing as alpha and letting myself get jerked around by everyone. I have to get stronger, but I can't while I am injured. At best I can start working out after the new year. That will be too late if we come back here. Hell, even if I started today would it be enough?'

James growled and grumbled under his breath as he walked. His introspective thoughts dragging his mood further and further down. Fortunately, there wasn't anyone else along the path he chose. Eventually, he reached Professor McGonagall's office and knocked, perhaps a bit harder than necessary.

"Come in," Professor McGonagall called. "Place the journal over there," She said, pointing to a bookcase filled with others of the same publication.

As soon as the journal touched the bookcase, it leapt from James' hand, flew along the shelves, then wiggled its way into its spot. On a different day, James would have been fascinated by the magic at work. Today, he just turned and stood, waiting for Professor McGonagall to get to the point.

"James, do you know why I wanted to talk to you?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Is it to share secrets of Transfiguration because I'm the best student you have ever had?" James asked flippantly.

Professor McGonagall dropped the faint smile she was wearing in favor of a stern glare. "Sit down, James." She said. She pulled out her wand, changed the door into a part of the wall, conjured egg cartons and affixed them to the wall, cast a series of spells on top of them and obscured the window with blinds.

"Notice there are no portraits, no pictures of any kind, in here right now. The spell I just cast will block anything from listening in. Observe. Mippy, I would like some tea." She said in a short, clipped tone.

A few seconds passed and nothing happened.

"Proof that even house elves cannot listen in."

James sat as he was told, but didn't respond. These kinds of precautions did not bode well.

"Miss McGonagall, why did you want to talk. I am still healing, haven't really had a day off in over two weeks, I don't count the time in the infirmary, have to deal with Dad nearly working himself to death, Mom basically being in a coma, my own school work, Morgan, and dealing with wondering if the person that did this will want to do it again." James said.

"Let's start with the last thing you said." Professor McGonagall said staring James down. "I wanted to know what drove you to try and fight Fenrir Greyback. I also want to talk about why you chose to fight young Mister Malfoy on Friday as well."

James bristled at that. "I didn't go out of my way to start either of those fights. They came to me. I couldn't back down from Greyback, and I wasn't going to back down before Malfoy."

Professor McGonagall kept her eyes locked on his waiting for James to look away. He wilted under her stare. He was about to look away, but a spike of anger from nowhere caused him to hold eye contact.

"Fenrir Greyback is currently the most wanted being in Magical Britain. He has a higher kill count than the next five beings wanted by the Aurors. Why did you fight him?"

"Would you rather I let him become our Alpha? Have my pack fall under his command? Do you want us to become pawns of his? What do you think would happen then?" James shot back. "It was fight or submit and I am not going to submit to him."

"Why you and not Remus?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Because I took Remus' place months ago."

Professor McGonagall blinked at that. She shook her head. "Fine, you had to fight Greyback. What about Mister Malfoy?"

"He came after me. He wanted a fight. Even if I tried to avoid it do you really think he wouldn't have tried again?"

Professor McGonagall frowned. "That is no excuse."

"That isn't an answer, Ma'am." James hopped out of the seat. "Is that all or is there a detention to be added into everything else?"

"Sit back down, James." Professor McGonagall said pointing at the seat. "Or do I have to make you?"

James gave her a defiant look but eventually sat back down.

"Since none of the staff saw what happened, no one will be punished. It is only the rumors racing around the halls that even brought it to my attention." Professor McGonagall informed him. Then she took a deep breath and leaned back in her chair. Her face softened and Professor McGonagall got a faraway look.

"James, I have watched you these past few months and everything that has happened has me worried about you. Your parents, James and Lily, were friends of mine after they were students in my house for seven years. Their deaths were terrible, but your survival miraculous. I just wanted to know you aren't putting yourself in danger needlessly."

James growled. "Put MYSELF in danger needlessly? The Dementors weren't my fault. Black getting in the castle wasn't my fault, and I was never in danger that night. The second Dementor attack was on everyone, not just me. Fighting Malfoy was inevitable ever since I exposed him as a liar and gave him a nickname. Greyback… What do you want to hear? He learned we were here and do you really think he was ever going to just let it be. He was the one who bit Dad. He seemed to know Mom. Me and Veronica came as a surprise, but he is the freaking Alpha of Alphas here in the UK. He isn't going to let another pack exist outside his control if he can help it." James said, listing out every major threat to his or others health he could think of.

"We were safe back home. If we had stayed we would have been fine. You are worried about me? Then accept that this is all your own fault. You threatened us. You threatened me to bring us here. How is that for respecting the 'miracle of my survival?'"

Professor McGonagall sat in stunned silence. James worried he might have overdone it with his outburst, but he wasn't sorry. He felt a bit better getting it all off his chest.

"James," Professor McGonagall began. "I never meant to put you or your family in danger when I found Remus and insisted on him taking this job. I wanted to ensure Black was caught and the students protected. I was clearly wrong on the protection of students and we haven't gotten any closer to catching Black. The possibility Remus raised back in July does not negate the need to capture Black."

James grunted. 'You say that, but you don't know anything.'

Professor McGonagall restored the room to its original configuration. "I wanted to know what was going on and wound it with more answers than I expected. I am sorry for what has happened to you and your family. If there is anything I can do, just ask. I will do my best to aid you."

James started to open the door but stopped. "If you really mean that, keep an eye out for a rat with a missing toe. If you find it capture it and bring it to Dad."

"Why does Remus need Mister Weasley's missing pet," Professor McGonagall asked her eyebrows scrunching in confusion.

"If you find the rat you'll find out," James said, leaving before she could ask anything else.

XxX

AN: Thank you to everyone that has been leaving Reviews. They really do help and let me know when I am missing something, doing something right, or starting to tread towards plotholes.