Hi all! We hope everyone is staying safe, doing their part to keep socially distant, but also continuing to practice good mental health in the meantime! Sorry for the long wait on this! We've had it written for some time now, but we were going to try and wait til we had more chapters ready so the waits wouldn't be as crazy...but things got out of hand :/ However, we hope you enjoyed it and eagerly await any feedback you might have! Promise to have the next one up soon!


Rule 71: When a Marauder decides to go out on their own into the, what was once thought to be large but is now realized to be quite small, dating pool of Hogwarts, it is up to his fellow Maruarders to help him find a suitable suitor, or else we'll be stuck to relive some of our terrible past dating decisions (Wormtail apologizes for times past when he unknowingly dated one of Padfoot's cousins).

Lyla's Point of View

It was my favorite time of year at Hogwarts, and the castle was buzzing with a certain special energy.. Exams were approaching, the fate of our futures were hanging in the balance, and the panic was setting in. Everyone was vibrating at a certain frequency and it was like a drug for me. As sick as it was, and everyone was all too quick to point it out to me, I lived for this pressure.

My sister on the other hand, did not approach our exams with the same fervor. As much as Alexa tended to downplay her intelligence, she had proven to everyone during my sabbatical from my studies that she, too, had inherited the Parker brains. However, as she puts it, she used all her academic capital for the rest of the year in those few months and our impending exams should only be classified as a 'socially acceptable form of child abuse."

"I mean really though, what are these exams going to even tell us?" Alexa posited as Lily, Blair and I sat around a table in the library. "How can some exam determine my worth as a human or measure my potential contribution to society. We are more than an exam result. Should we all protest, they can't fail us all, right?"

Lily shifted her eyes to the side to look at me incredulously. I stifled the laugh that bubbled up inside and lifted my book to hide my face. "Alex," Blair started, putting her arm around my sister, "This is the first round of exams that you've actually prepared for, thanks to your brief stint of intense studying. You're going to be fine."

Alexa lamented dramatically and slumped in her seat. "I think that's part of the problem," she suggested. "Usually I'm prepared just enough to have a false sense of confidence. I usually don't know what I don't know. But now that I've actually read the material, the knowledge is paralyzing. I don't know how you two do it exam after exam," she added, nodding to Lily and I.

I shook my head at Alexa. "You are going to be just fine," I assured her as I gathered my books up, shoving them and the loose papers into my bag. "Now, I'm off to meet up with Remus, you all hold down the fort and study hard." Alexa and Blair wiggled their eyebrows suggestively, while Lily tapped the books in front of them to refocus their attention.

Remus had told me to meet him in the Great Hall, he said that he was meeting Sirius there before we all headed off for a review session. I could only hope that they planned to meet there to procure some snacks before we settled in for some studying. My attention was more successfully held when my tummy was full.

After taking a couple steps up one of the many staircases, I felt the stone shift below my feet and the whole staircase began to shift. Even after being at Hogwarts for nearly seven years, I still hadn't been able to see any rhyme or reason to the moving of the staircases. While I waited for the stone steps to determine their new location I noticed a small group of girls huddled together just a few steps ahead of me. From their robes I could tell they were a mix of a few Gryffindors and a few Hufflepuffs, and their baby faces and child like wonder in their eyes told me they were probably fourth years.

I couldn't help but smile as I thought about Blair, Alexa and I at their age, and how we probably looked just like them at one point, all grouped together discussing some piece of gossip that we had heard. Then my ears perked up at the mention of an all too familiar name, and the subject of much gossip over the years.

"And you're sure it was Sirius Black?" the freckle-faced blonde pressed her friend with the dark, short bob.

The girl who appeared to be the source of the information nodded her head assuredly. "Totally sure," she answered. "Annabelle said that her boyfriend's brother's friend told her brother that Sirius sat him down and asked him all these questions about his dating history and his likes and dislikes."

"That's so odd," another girl chimed in. "I've heard that he and his girlfriend are in a bit of a rut and that they're looking for something, or someone, to spice up their relationship." They all shared a scandalized knowing look with each other.

The girl with the short hair shrugged her shoulders and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Maybe, but I also heard from someone on good authority that Sirius' interests no longer lie with the fairer sex." The small blonde's eyes widened and you could tell that the brunette was very pleased with the bit of information she was able to share with her friends.

The staircase had stopped moving without the girls noticing. I cleared my throat and the young ladies turned to acknowledge my presence for the first time. "Excuse me," I said to them with a smile and a nod. They all slowly registered who I was as they stepped to the side to let me pass. Before I walked on to the landing and made my way toward the Great Hall I turned back to the girls and leaned in. "Between you and me, Sirius and James spend an unhealthy amount of time together. And I have it on good authority that they were living together over the last few holidays, but you didn't hear that from me." They all nodded their heads fervently and had looks on their faces of disbelief.

I laughed to myself as I left them in total shock, feeling only a little bad about feeding the ridiculous rumor. After spending a significant amount of time with the Marauders and being the subject of the Hogwarts rumor mill myself, I had learned that you can't be too serious about the things you hear floating around the vast corridors of the castle. I had no idea what Sirius was up to, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I had a little fun with the nonsense that was being created around it by the student body.

The Great Hall was virtually empty at this time of day. The lunch rush had already cleared and it was far too early for the dinner crowd to show up. There were four souls that occupied one of the tables in the far corner of the large hall. Sirius and Peter sat across from a seventh year Hufflepuff, Peter scribbling notes on a piece of parchment furiously as Sirius eyed the boy across from him. A little further down the table sat Remus reading a book, totally disinterested from the conversation happening close by.

I slid onto the bench next to Remus and placed a kiss on his cheek. "So what am I looking at here?" I asked him, leaning across him to look at Sirius and Peter. "Don't tell me the rumors flying around the castle are true," I said jokingly. "Is Sirius looking to take a new lover? Does Alexa know?"

Remus shook his head and tried to hide the smile spreading across his lips. "Sirius has taken it upon himself to find Blair a new suitor," he explained, taking my hand in his and pulling me in closer. "He's been interviewing guys for several days now, he's been very thorough."

I wished I could say I was surprised by this, but nothing about the Marauders surprised me anymore. "Well, Marcus, that will be all for today," Sirius concluded, closing the folder lying on the table in front of him. "We will be in touch."

He offered his hand out to the bewildered looking Hufflepuff. "And what was this all for?" Marcus asked, completely clueless to why he was here getting grilled by three-fourths of the Marauders. Sirius stood up from the table and pulled Marcus closer across the table.

"The 'whys' of this don't really concern you, Marcus. You will be made privy to the necessary information if the occasion arises. Until then, go about your day as if none of this happened." And with that, the matter was settled. Sirius motioned to the entrance of the Great Hall and Marcus took off. Sirius turned to me and Remus and offered a smile. "Lyla, dear, so glad you could join us, but I will have to ask that you don't mention any of this to our dear Blair."

I pantomimed sealing my lips, a promise of my discretion. "I just have one question and then I will drop the subject entirely," I negotiated. Sirius nodded for me to continue. "Why are you doing all this, Sirius?"

Sirius shrugged his shoulders and collected the folders into his bag. "Blair's like family," he stated simply. "I would do anything for you all." I pulled Sirius into a hug and held him tightly. Sirius had been betrayed and cast aside by his birth family time and time again; but Sirius had found his family and I was just so grateful to be a part of it. "All right there, Lyls?" He asked, realizing that I had been clutching him tightly for probably a little too long.

Finally releasing Sirius from my hold, I gave his shoulders one last squeeze. "I just think it is very sweet what you're doing for her," I explained. He smiled and nodded, playing off the gratitude like it was no big deal. "But you should know that there are some rumors floating around the corridors because of all this."

Sirius put up his hand to stop me. "Trust me, none of these guys are my type," he assured me. "Besides, if I were to take up the company of a gentleman caller, it just makes the most sense that it would be James. But, alas, I merely love the poor git as a brother and we are both otherwise engaged with women we'll most likely spend the rest of our lives with. So, the rumor mills will be waiting for some time to prove that rumor true."

"How very progressive of you, Padfoot," Remus commended. "And I'll try not to take it personally that you would choose Prongs over me, mate." I patted Remus on the chest to offer my condolences as Sirius came between us to wrap his arms around Remus.

Sirius snuggled his head into the crook of Remus' neck and let out a sigh. "Oh my dear Moony, it would never work between us, though I wish it could," he crooned. "What I wouldn't give to get lost in those dreamy golden eyes."

I rolled my eyes at the ongoing charade and dug my elbow into Sirius' side. "All right, homewrecker, hands off my husband," I chided. "Just keep your matchmaking skills focused on Blair and we won't have any problems." Sirius threw up his hands in surrender and we all headed out of the Great Hall to head for our review session.

A couple of days later, as the weekend approached, Alexa and I sat around in the Common Room taking a much needed break as Sirius sat close combing over the Marauder's Map. We hadn't been able to figure out what exactly Sirius was looking for, but he never seemed to find what he was looking for. "Is no one else a little on edge with our Hogsmeade trip coming up?" Alexa asked, crossing her legs underneath her body on the couch. "Whoever those people were, they sounded serious, and I can only imagine what kind of sick shit they have planned."

I took a sip of my tea and murmured in agreement. "There's nothing we can really do though," I lamented. "We still haven't been able to figure out who they were and they didn't mention any tangible details. I'm wondering if we should even go to Hogsmeade this weekend, we don't know how bad it's going to be."

"That's exactly why we need to go," Sirius piped up, not pulling his eyes from the map. "We may not know what's going to go down, but if we can be there and be on high alert we can maybe help to lessen the damage. This is the whole reason we joined the Order, right?"

Alexa acknowledged Sirius' point with a nod. I could tell that she was pleased mostly at the fact that Sirius had eased up on trying to get her to quit the Order and was now actively implicating her in unsanctioned Order business. "Right, the Order," I said, a little bitter. "The same Order that Dumbledore essentially told us to butt out of for now?

Sirius gave me an understanding look. "You know I don't agree with Dumbledore's decree that we should lie low, so we wouldn't be acting as members, but we can't just not do anything," Sirius reasoned. "If we know something is going to happen in Hogsmeade and people get hurt when we could have done something about it, I know I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

Before we could continue the conversation, Blair bounded into the room, slightly out of breath. Alexa and I looked at her with wide eyes as she leaned over the arm of the red velvet couch trying to slow her breathing. "Whew," she breathed out. "I really have to start doing more cardio, this castle is too damn big to be this out of shape." I couldn't help but laugh at Blair's statement. Blair was one of those people who on first glance you would assume worked out six days a week and ate nothing but steamed veg. The reality was that you would rarely see Blair break out in anything more than a light jog and she sustained herself mostly on pumpkin pasties and chocolate frogs.

"Well, hello, Blair," I greeted her with a smile. "Was there something you wanted to share with us?" Alexa shifted over on the couch closer to me to free up a spot for Blair.

She gladly took the seat and sat up straight, prepared to deliver her exciting news. "I, Blair Winchester, have been asked out on a date," she announced ceremoniously. Alexa and I showered her with excitement and then I snuck a glance over to Sirius who shook his head letting me know he had nothing to do with it.

Alexa pulled Blair into a hug and then took her hands. "Tell us about the lucky guy who gets to have our B on his arm for an evening," she pressed our very thrilled friend.

"His name is Damon, he's a seventh year Ravenclaw," she rattled off. "He's the one in year two who cried when Sinistra read his tea leaves, which gave me some pause, but he's really recovered from that, hasn't cried in class since and he got totally hot. I think the public humiliation really helped his character and his looks." She paused for a moment lost in her own thoughts and then came back to the presents in a matter of seconds. "Anyways, he's taking me out for the Hogsmeade outing and I'm really excited about it and I'm going to need outfit and location opinions."

Alexa smiled, but I could tell that behind that smile was worry. "This Hogsmeade weekend?" Alexa questioned, hoping that she didn't already know the answer.

"Of course this Hogsmeade weekend," Blair stated matter-of-factly. "I don't have time to be booking dates out months in advance, we're going to be graduating soon." Well, she wasn't wrong. Blair sure was planning to make the most of our remaining time here at Hogwarts.

That didn't change the fact that Blair's date was potentially going to get a major disruption; but this didn't seem like the time to bring that up. "We're so excited for you, B. And of course we're here for all your wardrobe needs," I assured her.

Blair clapped her hands together and let out a squeal. It was honestly so nice to see Blair this excited about a date. Even though Blair had gone on quite a number of dates since James, nothing quite stuck and she never really seemed to be enjoying herself. "So where do you think we should go?" Blair brainstormed. "I don't want anything too crowded, can't handle all the looky-loos, but nothing too intimate; it's a first date after all."

To all of our surprise, a familiar voice emerged from behind Blair. Lily made her way over from the entrance to the Common Room and sat on the arm of the couch. "Madam Puddifoot's is great for a first date," Lily offered. "Most people will be crowding into the Three Broomsticks and the younger kids will be getting their sugar high from the sweet shop. Plus, there's no better way to get to know someone than over a cup of tea."

I dare not speak it out loud, but it was starting to feel like the ice between Lily and Blair was beginning to thaw a bit. Lily seemed genuinely excited for Blair and her date, and it was nice for all of us to be able to sit around and support one another. "I think that sounds just right," Blair responded. "Thanks, Lily." They both shared a smile as Alexa squeezed my knee as she observed their connection.

While this moment was lovely, it was becoming customary that these sweet moments would only last so long. "Blair, there is something that we need to tell you though," I started, feeling the air in the room change. Blair looked at me perplexed. "When Lily, Alexa and I were studying in the library, we overheard two people talking about some sort of attack happening in Hogsmeade during the outing." Her eyes widened and looked to Alexa and Lily for confirmation. "We don't know what's going to happen, or even who we need to keep an eye out for, but we just want you to be prepared."

Alexa gave Blair's arm a squeeze and a comforting smile. "You just need to worry about enjoying your date, and we will look out for you," Alexa promised. "But, you know, keep your wand close by just in case things kick off."

Blair's face scrunched up and she nodded. "Sure, just what a first date needs-impending peril. Now, how does one dress for that sort of vibe?"


"So explain to me again why we all had to head to Hogsmeade separately," Remus said as we made the trek down to the quaint village. The air was crisp and the flowers were just starting to bloom along the pathway, I was hoping that it was a true sign of new beginnings.

I held tighter to Remus' arm and laced our fingers together. "I told you, we don't want Blair to think that we're completely spying on her and keeping tabs. A staggered arrival makes it seem more coincidental." I explained to him.

Remus rolled his eyes and shook his head. "But we are spying on her date, yes?" he asked, seeking clarification.

"Well, yes, but we don't want to be obvious about it." As if that explained our, admittedly, insane behavior. In all honesty we were curious about Blair's date, but I also felt better knowing that we were all going to be close by just in case an attack took place.

Blair had gotten ready this morning in the girl's dormitory with Alexa, Lily, and I as fashion experts. Despite Alexa's bid for a far too short mini skirt and a bralette, we all agreed that Blair should instead go for a simple pair of jeans and a flowing blue top that really highlighted her eyes and hair.

As we neared the village, I could tell that Remus was preoccupied with a thought, and was currently piecing something out. "Now, I could be wrong, but even if we don't all show up at the same time, don't you think Blair is going to notice all of us sitting nearby? Madam Pudifoots isn't exactly a large establishment and we aren't exactly an inconspicuous group."

I definitely saw where Remus was coming from, but I just shrugged my shoulders. We all were probably way too invested in Blair's love life, but we just wanted her to be happy and she had the poor misfortune of being one of our remaining single friends. And if Peter ever plucked up the courage to ask a girl out we would show the same enthusiasm.

As we got close to the tea shop, Remus let go of my hand to grab for the door. "Just act natural," I instructed. Remus smirked in response and motioned for me to go before him. Inside, the small tea house was as cozy as ever and the sweet smell of tea leaves and confections wrapped you in a warm hug. I spotted Alexa at a back table in the corner and she waved at us discreetly.

We quickly made a bee line for their table and quickly saw that everyone else had arrived and were by far the largest group in the shop. Alexa hastily gestured for us to sit down. She was donning large sunglasses and a silk scarf tied around her head in a bonnet. "Don't you think that's a bit much?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at my sister.

She lowered her sunglasses down to where she was peering down just over the rims. "Never pass up the opportunity for an outfit, dear Lyla," she educated me on the matter. "I'm frankly disappointed that no one else jumped at this opportunity. Blair would have agreed with me on this."

Sirius rubbed his face with his hands, faking his disbelief at his girlfriend's actions. I took this moment to do a quick scan of the rest of the patrons, Blair and her date noticeably absent. "Speaking of, where is Blair?"

"Isn't that the big question of the afternoon," Lily murmured, scooting a little closer to James, who looked a little uncomfortable. "We've been here for ages and we've seen neither tail nor hide of Ms. Winchester or her new beau."

Very odd indeed, especially given that Blair had left ages before any of us. "Well, did anyone check the Map to see where she is?" I suggested. Alexa breathed out an 'ah-ha' as she turned expectantly to Sirius. Her attention was merely met with Sirius patting his pockets with no pertinent discovery. Our focus quickly shifted to James who diverted his gaze to the ceiling. The last of our hope fell onto Remus who just gave me a sheepish grin. "I swear, there's hardly ever a moment that you lot aren't using that blasted map, and a time when we really could use it you all conveniently leave it behind." The chastisement came off a little more school marm-y than I had intended.

In the next moment, Alexa ripped the sunglasses from her face and pointed toward the front window. "That turncoat!" she shouted in a purely accusatorial tone. We all shifted to follow her gaze and saw none other than Blair entering into the Three Broomsticks with her date. "She's a crafty one, that Blair, but she forgets that we are craftier and petty as hell." She slid her sunglasses back on and grabbed her jacket. "Come on, let's go."

She stood up from the table unceremoniously and was stopped by Sirius' hand on her arm. "Can't we just sit for a minute?" he requested. Alexa's expression implied that his request was completely unreasonable. "I only ask this because I've ordered some lovely scones for the table and I'd hate to see them go to waste." I directed my stifled laugh into Remus' shoulder in an attempt to spare myself from Alexa's ire.

Alexa let out an exasperated sigh and sat back down in her seat. "We'll box them up and eat them later," she compromised. "And I'm eating at least two." My sister, the master negotiator.

Once the scones were securely packed up for us and placed into Alexa's bag, we settled up and headed for the Three Broomsticks, where Blair was undoubtedly enjoying a pleasant and private first date. When we entered into the familiar establishment, it was bustling with students and villagers alike. It was honestly hard to sort out the people from one another, making it clear that Blair had thought this all out very masterfully.

"I feel like we should divide and conquer," Lily suggested. Alexa and I shared a proud look that she was joining in on our shenanigans and then gave her a nod in agreement. Remus and I headed off in one direction as everyone else went their own way.

As we ducked in and out of the various groups scattered around the pub, Remus spoke. "Man, I'm sure glad that you and I didn't have to endure this amount of scrutiny."

I turned to face him, wrapping my arms around his neck and stretching up on my tiptoes to place a kiss on his lips. "Oh, we most certainly did," I assured him. "But it's cute that you didn't notice." He looked confused by this revelation. "We were all a little bit more careful with our skulking around back then, but I know for a fact that Alexa and Blair were constantly keeping an eye on us and needling me endlessly about it. I can't imagine Sirius and James didn't do the same."

Remus pursed his lips and squinted his eyes. He tightened his hold around my waist and shook his head. "I guess my attention was solely fixed on the most incredible, brilliant, beautiful girl I had ever met in my whole life," he told me with a cheeky smile.

I rolled my eyes, Remus knowing full well that I appreciated his sweet words. "Need I remind you that I've already married you?" I questioned. "No need to butter me up; you already got me."

"Oh, I fully admit that I tricked you into a lifetime with me with sweet platitudes," he teased. "I have to keep up the facade so you don't wise up and hit the road. So, I will tell you every single day how amazing you are and how grateful I am to call you my partner." I had to admit, I was giddy and completely forgot why we were here in the first place. I pulled him into another kiss, letting the large crowd of people fade away.

It was all brought back in an instant as James appeared and pulled us apart. "Despite your poor effort in locating Blair, I was able to find them, but she definitely saw me and didn't look pleased," he quickly explained. "Alexa hustled a table from some fifth years, so we need to head that way and lay low."

As if Merlin himself was orchestrating some sick joke, Blair arrived at the table at the exact moment we arrived, looking rather annoyed. Her gaze quickly moved from person to person, as if she wasn't quite sure who to lay into first. Alexa stole her moment, however, going on a strong offense. "Well, well, well, if it isn't our dear, dear friend," she began. "Our dear friend with whom I thought we had no secrets; but it seems I have been mistaken."

Blair rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Don't even think about turning this on me," Blair responded. "Look, I love you lot, but I knew you were going to show up and cause a scene. Again, I love you all, but none of us have exactly been successful dating outside of this small, incestuous little circle of ours, and I really need to give this a shot."

I could see the sincerity in Blair's eyes, and felt her plea. She was right, any time any of us girls attempted to date outside of the Marauders it tended to end in disaster, tears, and hurt feelings. Blair did need this; and honestly, so did James and Lily. I took Blair's hand in mine and gave it a squeeze. "We're sorry, B," I apologized on behalf of all of us. "We just want to see you happy and I think we can all admit that we let that desire cloud our judgement. She returned my words with a smile. "So, how's it going so far?"

Blair's expression softened even more. "Actually, surprisingly well," she gushed. "We're getting on really well, and he seems really sweet."

"He better be," Sirius piped up, taking a slightly defensive tone. "You just make sure he is a proper gentleman; I don't want to hear about any funny business. And while I appreciate your need to expand your dating pool, I think we should all take a pass at him before any final decisions are made."

Without missing a step, Blair responded. "I can assure you that that will not happen," she told him. "But I do appreciate the concern. Now, if I don't get back over there soon, he's going to think I've been in the bathroom for far too long and have some sort of weird condition."

"Have fun, Blair," Lily offered, as she got up from the table to join James next to Remus and I. They shared a nod with one another.

Alexa pulled Blair into a hug, taking Blair by surprise. "We'll clear out of here and leave you to it, but if you need anything we'll be close by," she notified her. Blair gave her a questioning look. "Not within eye or ear shot, but not too far nonetheless."

Blair kept an eye on the door as we all filed out of the Three Broomsticks, rightfully so. Once we were all outside in the fresh air we huddled together to regroup. "Well, not our most successful mission," Sirius admitted with a laugh. "So, what do you propose we do now?"

"Well, I actually needed to stop into Scrivenshaft's for some new ink and quills," I suggested. Alexa looked less than thrilled about my plan and I could almost sense her desperation for someone else to counter my offer. "We can always split up and plan to meet back in a half hour or so," throwing everyone a life raft from the horrors of quill shopping. "Just keep in mind that there still could be some sort of attack, so just stick together and stay alert."

Sirius got a mischievous look on his face, like he always did, and threw an arm around James. "May I suggest leading a party to Zonko's? For surveillance purposes of course." Alexa, James, Sirius and Remus took off for the joke shop and Lily was good enough to come with me to do my shopping.

"How did you draw the short straw?" I joked with her and we headed toward the quill shop.

Lily shook her head and laughed. "Even though I'm dating the likes of James Potter, doesn't mean that I prefer jokes and trinkets to the simple pleasures of crisp stationary," she clarified. "I know we've had our issues in the past, but you and I are very much alike."

"Will you judge me if I try every single quill, even though I will inevitably buy the same quills that I get every time I come here?" I asked with a smile.

"Only if you don't judge me for taking far too long to decide between two sets of stationary that have nearly imperceptible differences," she negotiated. I stuck out my hand and we shook on our mutual agreement.

We shared a smile as I picked up a quill and let the smooth feather slide through my fingers. "You know, I never really had a problem with you," I confided. Lily raised her eyebrow at me as she flipped through various parchments. "Sure, there was that brief period where you were aligned with people who had set out to make our lives miserable, but I could always tell that that wasn't really you. We're all just looking for a place to belong, and I'm glad we all finally found each other."

Lily seemed stunned at my words. She dropped the packet of parchment she was holding back on the shelf and threw her arms around me suddenly. She squeezed me tight, holding me for a few moments before she finally released me. Her eyes were glassy, but her expression was of happiness. "And I hope you all know that I would want to be your friend even if I wasn't with James." I gave her hand a squeeze and we both turned back to the quills and papers before us.

Tucking our purchases into our bags, we set out onto the quaint cobblestone streets of Hogsmeade and found our other companions milling about nearby. "Successful shopping trip?" James asked as he threw an arm around Lily's shoulders.

"Quills and ink have been acquired," I replied. "I can continue to take notes for you lazy lot, never fear." They all rolled their eyes at my chiding.

"Now that that's sorted, shall we mosey over to the Shack to test our wares from old Zonko's free from prying eyes?" Sirius suggested as he walked backward in the direction of the Shrieking Shack, clearly indicating that his question was less of a suggestion and more of a directive.

As we neared the Shrieking Shack we heard some commotion just over the hill that led to the abandoned dilapidated building. We all stopped right in our tracks as we heard a strangled scream. After exchanging panicked we took off in a run to locate the source of the sound.

There were several tall figures arranged in a circle, their focus centered on the ground in front of them. As we got closer we could see a body crumpled up in the middle of the group of people and whoever it was was writhing in pain. As they shifted and contorted, no one seemed to be doing anything to help them. There was a flash and the body on the ground again cried out in pain. I realized that the flash was from one of the towering figures and their wands were drawn.

"What the hell is going on?" Alexa posited. "We have to do something." As she began to take off for the group, Sirius grabbed her arm to give her some pause. She gave him a look as she pulled her arm away from him. "This is not the time, Sirius."

Sirius let out a groan and then pulled out his wand. "At least get your wand out to protect yourself," Sirius instructed, restraint in his voice. Another flash of light and another scream escaped. The body on the ground shifted and we could now see the pained face more clearly. A chill ran down my spine as I registered what I was seeing.

"Blair," I choked out, my throat drier than a desert. "It's Blair." James processed what I was saying and searched my face for a different answer and then looked back to where Blair was lying. He drew his wand and took off toward the group of people, all of us following closely behind him.

"Leave her alone," James shouted as he shoved one of the individuals hurting Blair. Before I knew it, spells were being cast, and chaos had ensued. It was hard to focus on any one thing as the mass of people dispersed. I shook myself from my reverie and deflected a spell that had been shot my way. I saw Remus disarm a boy that looked a little younger than us, and then my attention was caught by the shaking figure on the ground.

It was then that I realized Blair was still crumpled on the ground. She had momentarily been forgotten by her tormentors and she remained in her spot. At first she didn't seem to be moving but as I got closer to her, I could see she was shaking. Weaving through the people and spells, I finally reached Blair and dropped to the ground beside her.

Her eyes were filled with fear and there were tears streaming down her cheeks. "Blair, it's okay, it's going to be okay, we've got you now," I assured her. I could barely see it, but she shook her head as she tried to say something. The words wouldn't come even as she struggled to say anything, which only caused more tears to pour forth. I laid down on the ground next to her, my face inches from hers and took her hand in mine. "You're going to be okay," I told her again. I had to keep saying it as much for myself as for Blair.

She still looked so scared and her body was still shaking in pain. "D-d-d-amon," Blair struggled to whisper to me. I nodded my head and smoothed the hair around her face, trying to give her some comfort.

I jumped slightly as I felt a hand on my arm. Remus was next to me and was pulling me up from my spot. "Lyla, we have to go," he said hurriedly. "We have to get Blair up to Madame Pomfrey."

Blair's eyes searched mine and Remus' face for answers as the crowd began to disperse and we were the only ones who remained. "Who were those people? What is going on, Remus?" I asked frantically. Remus muttered something about there not being time as he scooped Blair up into his arms. Blair grimaced as her body was manipulated and I followed right behind Remus as he made his way toward the castle.

Behind us, Alexa, James, Lily and Sirius we running to catch up with us. James and Sirius eclipsed us and they ran ahead to make sure Madam Pomfrey was there and ready. Everything moved in a blur as we reached the Hospital Wing. We were greeted by Madam Pomfrey and she led Remus over to the nearest bed where he carefully placed Blair's weak body on the white linens.

"What curses were used on her?" Madam Pomfrey questioned us. Her question was met with our silence. "My dear Miss Winchester, can you tell me what happened?"

Tears began to form in Blair's eyes as she struggled to form the words. Eventually, Blair muttered a word that was inaudible at first. We all moved a bit closer to better hear what our friend had to say. "Mudblood," she repeated.

There was a sudden loud crash that made us all jump. Sirius had pushed over a tray of instruments and was fuming with obvious anger. "All right, all of you out," Madam Pomfrey ordered. "That kind of behavior is not going to do anything to help Miss Winchester. You can all wait outside, the Headmaster is already on his way and can speak with you when he arrives."

Sirius looked more enraged by our banishment, but Alexa rushed over to him and grabbed his arms to pull him toward the door. She gave him a look that silenced Sirius before he could say anything he would regret. Moments later, Dumbledore and McGonagall arrived; Dumbledore passing us without a word into the Hospital Wing.

McGonagall paused for a moment. "I want you all to wait here, the Headmaster and I want to have a word with all of you after we get some clarity on the situation from Miss Winchester," she told us. "We are Gryffindors and will conduct ourselves as such," she added, the look in her eyes softening. "We are brave in the face of adversity and we show restraint even when our emotions move to get the better of us. That being said, Gryffindors also defend their own at all costs; and I hold myself to that standard."

She turned without another word and followed after Dumbledore, closing the large door behind her. Sirius hit his hand against the wall. "I'm so fucking tired of this shit," he said through gritted teeth. Alexa rubbed her hands over her face in frustration. "This pureblood bullshit has got to stop."

"Sirius, I know you're upset, we all are, but McGonagall is right," Alexa pleaded with him. "We need to wait and hear what Blair says, and until then, we need to keep it together. Acting out and doing something stupid is not going to help Blair, and it's not going to help us in the bigger fight against all this." She reached for his arm and Sirius pulled away slightly and then gave her an apologetic look.

James slid down the wall and propped his arms on his bent knees. "Did anyone get a good look at the people who were torturing Blair?" he asked cooly.

Lily shook her head in disappointment. "Everything happened so fast," she responded. "It took all my focus to try and block all the spells that were coming at us. But they didn't look any older than us, they had to have been students, some of them even looked younger."

I suddenly remembered what Blair had said when I had finally reached her. "Damon," I spoke up. Everyone looked at me, perplexed. "When I asked Blair what had happened, all she could get out was Damon's name. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but he was a part of it, and he's wrapped up in all this pureblood nonsense."

"I'll kill the son of a bitch," Sirius muttered under his breath.

Alexa shot him another look. "You will do no such thing," she commanded. "We're going to make sure Blair is okay, and Dumbledore and McGonagall will deal with any students that were involved in the attack."

"This fight is only going to get dirtier and more personal," Remus reasoned. "If we react emotionally every time someone we love or know is targeted or attacked, we are going to lose this fight and we will all suffer a tremendous loss. We have to use that anger and that emotion to fuel the fire but we can't let it consume us.

"This is bigger than us, than this castle," Remus continued. "We have to do what's best not only for Blair but for all of the muggle borns, mixed bloods and anyone else who is deemed different." Sirius gave him a reluctant nod, at least somewhat agreeing with what Remus was saying. "Don't worry, mate, Damon won't get away with this. Gryffindors may protect their own, but Marauders don't let a challenge go unanswered."

The door to the Hospital Wing opened abruptly and Dumbledore passed by us without a word or even a look. McGonagall exited shortly after and once again stopped before us. "You may see Miss Winchester now," she told us. "I want you all back in the Common Room by night fall, no roaming about getting into trouble." This last part was directed at the Marauders, made even more clear by the pointed look she gave each of the boys.

We all nodded and then headed in to see Blair. She was resting on the bed, her body no longer contorted and shaking. She was sitting up on the bed and had dark circles under her eyes. Alexa threw her arms around Blair and held her tightly as I took a seat on the end of the cot.

"Don't scare us like that again," Alexa commanded. Blair gave her a weak smile as they separated. "What happened, B?"

"Trust me, there's nothing about what happened that I wish to repeat," she assured us. "It's all a bit of a blur to be honest. After I saw you all, Damon and I carried on chatting over butterbeers and then we went for a stroll. Before I knew it, I was on the ground, Damon was nowhere to be found and these dark hooded figures descended upon me and I was in an immense amount of pain, more than I've ever experienced in my life. Luckily, I think I blacked out for a bit and when I came to you all had shown up."

"Did you get a good look at any of the others that were there?" Sirius probed, fire and vengeance in his eyes.

Blair shook her head slightly. "It was really hard to focus on anything at the time," she admitted. "I know they were students though, they had to be. I know I can't prove anything but I can just feel it in my gut. And Damon was clearly wrapped up in all of it. I'm so stupid, I should have known it was too good to be true."

I patted Blair on the knee to provide some comfort. There was no way Blair could have forseen this. "Blair, trust me, we are going to hold someone responsible for this," James assured her. "Did you tell Dumbledore that Damon was one of the students?"

At this Blair paused and I could see tears starting to form again. She shook her head with some shame. "The last thing he said to me before they all started to torture me was that if I said anything about his, or anyone else's, involvement that the next person wouldn't be treated as kindly. One by one they are planning to target every single muggleborn in the castle. I shudder to think what they would do if I reported him; I can't have that on my conscience."

Lily gasped softly and hugged her arms around her waist, leaning into James. He consoled her with his arms as he realized that Lily could be next. Sirius forced his hands through his hair and bit back the anger that was swelling inside him. "It's all just so overwhelming," I spoke freely. "It seems like we're battling the devil himself. How are we supposed to fight against that?"

Sirius collected himself briefly. "At the end of the day, they are just individual people who have bought into this insane idea of superiority that has been sold to them by people too fucking insecure to own up to the fact that we are all flawed, no matter how pure your blood is. We have to be smart about it, but we have to start fighting back, holding people responsible for their actions. And I know just where to start."