Part Forty-Three

"What do you mean my son won't welcome me! He's always welcomed me!" said a shocked Mrs. Lupin.

"For your own good, Mrs. Lupin, it would be better that no one approach him. He's had a rather horrid shock," in a quieter voice, "we all have."

Trying to lighten the mood, Professor McGonagall said, "What have you done to your hair, Mr. Black? I didn't think that you had mastered that portion of self-transfiguration and you always said that you would never change it."

"This is what comes from getting a rather nasty shock, Professor," Sirius said, fingering his now-white locks.

"Where is my sister?" snapped an irritated voice from the side. "I thought she would have been with you."

"What would you know about it?" snarled James, turning around to face Petunia, "it's not like you would care if she lived or died. She's a "freak" remember?"

Petunia paled. "Just because I don't like what she gets herself into, doesn't mean I don't care about her," she said sullenly.

Sirius snorted expressively. He would never forgive the woman for the hell that she put his godson through, not caring that Harry may have needed comfort after third year or when he was a baby. He doubted that the Dursleys would ever consider Harry worthy of comfort.

"Mr. Black!" reprimanded Professor McGonagall. "By the way, was Ms. Evans with you?"

Another look was exchanged and the two boys nodded.

"Where is she?"

"Well, that's kind of hard to explain," hedged James, "especially with so many witnesses around. We don't want any information leaking to the wrong source."

"Mr. Potter, this is not the time to be melodramatic!" snapped McGonagall. "Where is Ms. Evans?"

"Trying to talk sense into Remus," James said quietly.

"I am sure that the story behind that comment would be rather amusing," remarked Professor Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling once more, "shall we go up to my office to discuss it?"

Seeing that now the crises was past, the Black family was preparing to leave. They had done their duty and showed up at the memorial service for their youngest son. Who, as Mrs. Black had put it, could not even die properly and had to make a big production out of everything. Regulas knew that if he stayed, he would be suspect by the other Death Eaters present as their would be no reason to do so. But he very much wanted to talk to Professor Dumbledore, to give him something before he went to the Dark Lord and proclaimed he was leaving his service. This, of course, was a suicide mission in and of itself. No one was allowed to leave once they were in as far as he was, but he could not in good conscience stay. He had already resigned himself to the fact that he would die, and, for once, it would be with his head held high. No tears or begging for mercy, which wouldn't work anyway, just the same quiet courage his brother held. For once in his life, he would be a Gryffindor and not a cowardly Slytherin.

"I would like to say a few words first, Professor, if that's all right," James said, quietly.

Professor Dumbledore nodded.

James walked up to the podium and asked for quiet. "I know that most of you were saddened when you heard that we were dead. We are sorry to have worried you and caused you grief. It does my heart good that so many of you have come to a service meant for us. I know that many of us have not really gotten along and some would even say that they hate us. Over the past few days, I have learned that there are more important things in life than pranking everyone you meet, disregarding the rules which were meant for the safety of the people that they refer to, and, I know you'll be shocked to hear me say this... even I would have been shocked before a week ago today... Quidditch. The bonds of true friendship is something that even Voldemort himself can't take away. If someone turns their backs on their friends, that means they were never friends to begin with or maybe that they were what muggles call "fair-weather" friends. They will stand by you when the going is good and easy but will turn against you when the going gets tough." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Peter cringe slightly. "Everyone should think about what kind of friendships they have with people. Do they want the kind where you can't trust them to have your BACK or one where you know they will be there when you need them. Decide for yourselves and I hope you make the right decision." With that, he left the podium and went to join Sirius.

\

Peter, deciding he'd better leave before his friends turned on him, started to back away into the crowd. If he could just make it to one of the doors unoticed he could find his way to one of the passages out of the castle and escape. He didn't know how but it appeared that his friends knew at least a little about where his loyalties lay.