Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter characters. I just like to make them suffer!
Special thanks to my beta, SleepyEnigma. Here again you did a fantastic job! And thanks to Amelia-Queen-Black for final corrections.
Thanks also to Amelia-Queen-Black and Eileen Almanach for helping me with the original text (in French) and the storyboard.
Feel free to comment and tell me what you think about it. Any opinion is welcome !
"Strike still, Jupiter, overwhelm me, mutilate
The fallen enemy you know helpless!
Crushing is not overcoming, and your useless lightning
Will be extinguished in my blood"
Louise Ackermann, Prometheus
Snape had been in the infirmary for almost a full day, much longer than it took to let the news spread throughout the school. Snape, after an unfortunate incident in potion class, caught fire and ended up crawling bare-assed through the Slytherin corridor. Enough to hide in the dungeons until the OWLs.
Yet, when he had returned to the Great Hall for dinner, he had ignored the sudden silence with a dignity that James had never known. He disregarded the pointed fingers, mocking grins, pitying glances but also the compassionate smiles.
Even more surprisingly, all the Slytherins supported him. No taunting or sneers seemed to come from them. They suddenly appeared as a strong, close-knit clan, which was sure to confuse the other houses.
At first, he thought it was absurd.
Then he understood.
It wasn't Snape people respected. It was the people who were around him. The Slytherin, although appreciated by his peers, had always appeared to James as a lonely boy. But the situation seemed to have changed since the start of the school year. He was now often seen in the company of other students, who happened to be older. And now the Black sisters and the Slytherin prefect, Lucius Malfoy, had joined the group.
He looked for a moment at the pinched faces of Narcissa and Bellatrix Black, whose reputation as little pests were well established, and at the delicate profile of Malfoy, who had leaned over to Snape to whisper something in his ear.
Merlin's beard! Was it him, or had Snivellus just blushed?
No. It was ridiculous.
...No, he wasn't dreaming. With his eyes staring at his plate and a silly smile stuck to his face, Snape and his big nose looked like they were in heaven.
So Snivellus was a member of the Malfoy fan club? It wasn't that surprising after all...
Then why was it pissing him off?
"James!"
''Sirius.''
Sirius raised an eyebrow at his best friend's coldness.
''Um... You okay?''
''I'm fine.''
James hadn't even looked at him, his eyes still fixed on Snape. He and Lucius had stopped talking, but the dark-haired boy still seemed troubled.
What the hell did he say to him?
Sirius asked him a new question that he didn't pay attention to, leaving it to Peter. Who was that guy next to Bellatrix?
''Sirius, can you tell me who's sitting next to Snivellus and your cousins?''
It was Wormtail who answered, obviously embarrassed.
"James... He's gone."
There was a slight silence, James not reacting. Peter continued,
"But I believe his name is Rodolphus Lestrange…"
"Ah!"
This time the Gryffindor turned to his friend, all smiles.
"Peter. We're going to team up, you and I."
-/-/-/-
Between them, they had finally managed to identify them all; Rodolphus Lestrange, Alvy Avery, William Wilkes, Evan Rosier, and Mulciber Fabre. Pure-blood wizards who were fond of dark magic. So far, there was nothing strange. No, what was really surprising was the way they all suddenly gathered together. Something must have happened that summer outside Hogwarts. Something that didn't bode well, especially if it had ended up attracting the entire Black family, Regulus joined the small group to sit next to Bellatrix, who welcomed him with a warm pat on the shoulder.
''I don't know what they're all doing together, but it's suspicious. We're gonna have to keep an eye on them, Peter.''
''You, uh... Are you sure, James? Well, I mean... Maybe they're just friends.''
James rolled his eyes before he laid them on his close friend, looking annoyed.
''Just friends? That bunch of psychos? They're up to something really bad. Look, because of them no one's laughing at Big Nose! That means they're scaring the other Slytherins! And if they can do that, they're dangerous! ''
Peter studied him for a long time before answering.
''I get the feeling that their support for Snape is bothering you.''
James slammed his fist on the table far too aggressively.
''Of course, it's bothering me! Look at him pandering to Malfoy and his fucking peroxide hair! Seriously, it can't be that white! And Snivellus smiling like a complete idiot next to him!''
''James...''
''Look! Look how he smiles, as if nothing had happened, with his skinny white body and his little ribs sticking out. You should see them bend like an accordion when he crawls, it's fascinating…''
Peter didn't answer, merely giving James a worried sidelong glance. He cleared his throat to show his discomfort, but the other Gryffindor ignored him and suddenly straightened up.
''They're getting up. Wormtail. Come on. We must follow them!''
''But I haven't even finished my…''
The look on James' face dissuaded him from finishing his sentence. With a discreet sigh, he followed the leader of the marauders.
-/-/-/-
The two companions had followed the group of Slytherins to the stairs of the Great Hall, which were particularly agitated that evening, constantly changing, in all directions.
"Damn it," whispered James, "How are we going to keep them from noticing us? If we let them get too far away we might lose them. If we get too close, they'll see us."
"We can't take that risk," Peter replied, looking frightened. If they find out we're following them, it could get out of hand. There are too many of them."
"I know," murmured James, "we'll let them get a little further away and see where they stop..."
"Maybe they're just going to their dungeon... "
"Since when do Slytherins use the main stairs to get to their dungeon, Wormtail? "
"Since I'm afraid of being the target of ten aspiring dark mages... "
James was astonished by his friend's repartee, but made no remarks, simply watching the small group take one stairway and then another.
"Looks like they're heading for the seventh floor... "
They took the first staircase, James standing at the top of the steps, stretching out his neck to observe the direction taken by the Slytherins. They were indeed heading for the stairs leading to the top floor of the castle.
"What the hell are they doing up there? There's nothing on the seventh floor except the entrance to our common room."
"Maybe they're going to the reading room. "
"The reading room?"
"By Merlin, James, don't you study once in a while? Don't you know there is a study room on our floor?"
" I, uh... Well..."
Peter was definitely spending too much time with Remus. He had perfectly replicated the exasperated look of the werewolf. James felt like an idiot. Maybe they were just going to study together.
Yet, something felt off.
When they got to the seventh floor, they found the hallway empty. Peter pointed to the door of the study room and the two boys slid in, to find no one.
Well, there were two Ravenclaws chatting in a corner of the room, but other than that, there wasn't any sign of Severus and his gang. James scratched his neck, puzzled, before questioning the students.
"Hey, you two didn't see any Slytherins?"
The students looked at them, intrigued before they shook their heads. Peter remained silent, watching James. The latter, becoming more and more frustrated, insisted on a tour of the reading room.
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
They left the room, confused. Peter not letting go of his gaze of the other marauder who was rubbing the back of his neck, visibly upset.
''James…''
''It's impossible!''
The dark-haired boy rushed to the end of the corridor, hoping to find some secret entrance in the walls. But he didn't find anything. Except a tapestry depicting Barnabas The Obtuse's attempt of teaching ballet to trolls. A ridiculous experiment, which, of course, ended in bloody failure. It was one of the few things he had learned in his History of Magic class.
Maybe...
He slowly lifted the tapestry.
Nothing.
Still Nothing.
It was infuriating.
He swore before randomly throwing a Dissendium, which didn't reveal any hidden passageways.
''Merlin! This is unbelievable!''
There had to be a secret passageway somewhere. Another one they didn't know about. This castle was definitely too big. Even in fifth-year, they had a hard time getting to know every corner of it. If only there was a map, a magical map that would show all the rooms in the castle, even the most secret ones. A map that could even indicate the location of the teachers, the students. A map that would make it possible to keep track of everyone.
Holy Gargoyle... That wasn't such a bad idea.
''Wormtail.''
''Yes?''
''Let's go to the library.''
''Don't you want to stay here, see if they show up again?''
''No. We don't know where they are. They'll probably come out somewhere else in the castle. We'll follow them better next time. In the meantime, I've just had an idea. And I want to know if it's possible.''
-/-/-/-
James and Peter had borrowed all the manuscripts related to cartography they could find as well as books on advanced spells. After launching a Leviosa, they were on their way back to the 7th floor, followed by two huge piles of books.
When they passed Lily Evans, accompanied by Mary MacDonald, the redhead couldn't help but widen her eyes, stunned by the sight before her.
''Well, well, well. And I thought only Remus could read…''
The parallel between Lily's insulting jokes and Snape's were becoming more and more obvious. She seemed to realize it as she apologized immediately.
''I'm sorry. I just wanted to say something funny…''
The young animagus observed her face for a moment, initially ready to reply before finally giving up.
The way she smiled and looked at them, Lily was sad.
His insides twisted. Was it what happened to Snape that got her in such a state? Did she suspect him of anything?
No, if she had, she would have thrown herself at his throat by now.
Lily became silent, and neither Peter nor James dared to restart the conversation, standing in front of her with their arms dangling. Mary finally cleared her throat and Lily seemed to come back to herself, apologizing again before heading toward the stairs. She climbed a few steps before turning around.
''James, Peter, I just wanted to tell you... For Severus…''
James' stomach contracted again.
''We're sorry for what happened to him. Even he doesn't deserve this"
That remained to be proven. But it was better to say what Lily wanted to hear. She gently nodded her head, gazing at her feet for a moment before resuming,
''Well, you shouldn't be so mean... I know you don't like him, I can understand why, but you don't know what he goes through when he's not at Hog-''
She didn't have time to finish when Snape walked into the hall, Mulciber on his heels.
Although Snape shyly smiled at the redhead, his face marbled into coldness at the sight of James, their eyes making brief contact before he looked away. It was rare that he did not maintain his glare.
Wondering why the Slytherin's usual murderous gaze wasn't directed at him, James became even more confused when he realised that Snape was right in front of him, blocking his path. Mulling over his confusion, it was Mulciber's curt voice that brought him back to reality.
''Potter, in case you haven't noticed, you and your little friends are in the way. Get your books out of the path.''
The Gryffindor looked up at him. The sixth-grader looked like a bodybuilder with a cherub's head plastered on. Tall and strong but with a baby face and curly blond hair that formed a nimbus around his head.
James hesitated for a moment before looking again at Snape who persisted in ignoring him.
Was that proof that this morning's drama wasn't just a dream?
He'd come to doubt it.
Was Snape avoiding him because he was ashamed? Was he aware that he'd followed him down the hall? That he'd seen all of it? Did he miss this vital information?
He, James Potter, his lifelong enemy, had watched him crawl naked through the corridors.
Maybe he didn't know about this...
He had to tell him.
''Of course Mulciber. We're leaving right now. Oh, by the way, Severus, great show this morning. I loved the pyrotechnic effects. Your ghoul imitation was pretty good too, but they're not as ugly in general. And a little better dressed too…''
He barely had time to laugh when a violent blow hit him in the nose. Severus' forehead had just crashed into his face. Shit. He hadn't thought the Slytherin would attack him physically. He had put his hand on his wand, ready to draw.
''JAMES! SEVERUS!''
Lily tried to interfere but Mulciber pulled her away with a violent swing of his arm, knocking her to the ground. Severus charged James again, rushing at him and tipping them over the railing of the stairs.
There was a brief fall, followed by a scream.
James opened his eyes. His nose hurt like hell and he had blood in his mouth. A few feet ahead of him, Peter was leaning over the railing with his wand pointing in his direction.
Was he levitating? He couldn't feel the ground.
A new scream rang out and he saw Lily's red head almost fall down the stairs.
''SEVERUS! SEVERUS!''
She was rushing downstairs.
James turned his head as best he could.
Ah...
He could see it now. A few floors down.
The lean body of Severus, folded on itself like a spider, in a pool of blood.
Holy shit.
This time he'd really fucked up.
He suddenly opened his eyes and stood up to vomit mud.
The mixture of bile and dirt had a foul taste and texture. Remus took a long time to barf it out.
The small pond had doubled in size after a torrential rainstorm and almost swallowed him.
But Remus didn't know that.
He couldn't remember the smells or the rocks.
He had forgotten the moss and the bark.
The lichen and the roots.
Lost in the middle of the water, deep in the night and far from the lights of the castle, he just felt as if he was swimming in the void.
A thunderclap resounded in the distance, ending the silence, and the rain fell again.
It was salutary at first, Remus sighed with pleasure as he lifted his chin, letting the large drops pour down on his face, removing the taste of gall from his mouth.
But soon the rain turned into a deluge and his instinct urged him to take shelter.
The Gryffindor tried to lean on his hands to get up, but they refused to move. They were blue and swollen. Water and cold had stiffened and wrinkled them. Until they cracked.
He seemed to be frozen.
Frozen...
He was frozen.
Remus groaned. He seemed to have reconnected with the world and the world was hurting him. He could feel it now, the bite of the icy air on his body. The storm was rushing through the wet stitches of his uniform to devour his flesh.
He was going to die.
If he stayed there, he was going to die.
A lightning bolt crossed the sky, followed by another that struck one of the pillars of the Quidditch Stadium.
Remus yelped. He had to get out of that place.
He tried to straighten up but instantly lost his balance, his feet slipping in the mud. The Gryffindor whimpered in despair before resolving to crawl clumsily towards the shore, his face half-submerged, almost drowning at every movement. Violent gusts of wind and worn out muscles frustratingly impeded his retreat, sometimes forcing him to pause as he hugged his knees tightly to his chest. If he could, he would have screamed. But his tight throat only let out shallow sighs that were immediately stifled by the storm.
He finally managed to get out of the swamp, his elbows digging into the earth and dragging his body to the shore. He emptied his lungs of the viscous swamp water that had filled them and found shelter under a large rock, his muddy body merging with the dirt that covered the edges of the pond.
He shivered against the stone for a few moments, tensing with each new thunderclap before a sharp pain sliced through him, more acute than all the others.
Something in his pocket was piercing his ribs.
Grumbling, the teenager tried to contort himself to grasp the object, his torpid fingers managing only after many attempts to grip what seemed to be a long piece of wood.
A long piece of wood...
What the hell was it doing there?
Remus brought it to his face, watching it for a moment, confused before his pupils opened wide.
A wand.
It was a wand.
A sudden heat invaded his body and he managed to draw on his last strength to stand in the middle of the storm, his eyes still riveted on the object.
With that he could do anything. He could go back to the castle. A spell. All he had to do was cast a spell...
A spell...
A spell...
A spell. A spell. A spell. A spell.
He had to find it. Deep in his numb mind. He had to find a spell. A useful spell... Just something to find his way back in the darkness... Create a little light...
A small light…
''...Lumos.''
Despite his strangled, almost inaudible voice and vague gesture, a bluish glow appeared at the end of his wand. Remus felt tears of happiness slide down his already wet cheeks and tried to utter a 'thank you' which was lost in violent sobs. His swollen hand had brought the wand against him and he refused to take his eyes off the light for fear it would disappear.
Finally... he was going to be able to go home. To end this nightmare.
A slight smile sprang from his purple lips and with new strength, he walked toward a gentle slope that led to the castle. His trembling hand was holding the wand before him when he suddenly froze.
Below, a creature was watching him.