Remus followed Archie's wishes and did not go to Hogwarts to watch the third task. Instead, he found himself in the Lower Alleys, at the Dancing Phoenix, seeking after Rispah. After a brief discussion of why he was so stressed out, she dragged him out to Diagon Alley to watch Archie on the mirror, and dragged Leo along with them.

The task, as it happened, was a duel. Remus felt an anxious twist in his stomach at that; Harry was the duelist, not Archie. Which was of course why it was such a surprise when the teenager on the stage twisted deftly out of the way of the oncoming spell, moving into a fighter's stance. Next to him, Leo drew in a sharp breath.

Rigel Black won his duel, of course. Then Remus turned to meet Leo's hazel eyes, and saw his own inescapable conclusion written there.

"You go back to the Phoenix," said Leo. "I'll go. We can't go together; that would be far too odd. And I think a non-family-member might garner a better reaction just now."

"All right," said Remus, though he burned to go storming up himself and demand to know just what the hell was going on.

He went back to the Phoenix with Rispah instead.

xxx

Leo waited in a corner of the Three Broomsticks, nursing a drink, until Hermione came in with another student he thought might have been a competitor. When she saw him, she came over to his table.

"Leo," she said. "What are you doing in Hogsmeade?"

"I need to speak to Rigel Black in person," said Leo. "It's somewhat urgent. Can you get a discreet message to him, and tell him I need to speak to him on his cousin's behalf?"

"All right," said Hermione, frowning. She turned and left the Three Broomsticks then, and within the hour had returned with Rigel, who seemed quite tense. Leo himself was calm on the surface, but deep down he was a roiling mess of emotions.

"Thank you," he said to Hermione. "Archie," he went on, for that was the name of the Black scion he'd met, "what I have to say isn't for prying ears. Walk with me?"

"All right," said Rigel, low and tense. He followed Leo out the door and into the alley behind the Three Broomsticks, whereupon Leo held out his arm.

"Leo," said Rigel, "are you sure this is necessary? I know Harry trusts you, but—"

"Do you really want to have this conversation here?" asked Leo. "I know a hundred more secure places than this." Harry—for he was sure that this was Harry by now—swallowed.

"No," she said softly, and took hold of his arm. Leo Disapparated, and brought her to his place. It was as well warded as anything, and no one would think to look for her here.

He studied her; she was afraid, he knew. He studied her, and thought, and finally spoke.

"That's why you got the flat," he said. "As an alibi, if it came out that the student at AIM was Arcturus Black instead of Harry Potter. As a bolt hole, if you got caught out at Hogwarts." Harry said nothing, and he sighed. "Lass, I'm hardly going to hand you over," he said. "What do you take me for, a lawman? I'm the King of the Rogue. My lips are sealed, now and forever." Harry shuddered then, and before he knew it she was crying quietly. He'd never seen her cry before, he realized distantly, and he found he didn't quite know what to do now that she was.

"Three years," she mumbled, swiping futilely at her eyes. "Three and a half goddamn years, and it's a stupid bloody duel that catches me out."

Leo stepped towards her then, and carefully put his arms around her. She stiffened momentarily against him but didn't pull away, so he supposed he'd not done anything too wrong.

After a time, her tears subsided. Harry sighed and pulled away then, rubbing her eyes.

"Why do it?" he asked.

"Archie didn't want to go to Hogwarts," she said. "He wanted a school that would let him get a Healing certificate at seventeen. And I wanted to study under Severus Snape, learn potions from him, more than anything. So we switched places. Archie went off to America as me, and I took his place at Hogwarts."

Archie had gone to America. Of course. It was little wonder, then, that Harry had rebuked him so strongly for sending Marek to her school. She wouldn't have wanted him to catch on to her ruse—a ruse he could already tell was growing increasingly complex as she grew older.

"And with every passing minute, the lies mount upon lies, so you can't so much as twitch without it crumbling down," said Leo. At Harry's surprise, he laughed. "I am the Rogue, lass. I know a thing or two about lies." Here he paused, evaluating Harry's state; she was more stable than she had been before, he thought.

"There's something you ought to know," he continued. "I wasn't alone when I watched the mirror, though I daresay there's only one other person who would have recognized you as I did, and he was with me."

Harry froze. "Remus," she said, voice whisper-soft.

"Aye," said Leo. "He's at the Phoenix now. You can go see him now, or later, or not at all if you don't want to."

"Will he say a word, do you think?" asked Harry, worrying the strap of her potions bag between her fingers.

"I'd be shocked if he did," said Leo. "More than shocked; I would even go so far as to nearly stake my life on his silence, unless it was wrested forcibly from him. He does want to talk to you, though, if you feel you're up to it."

He saw her swallow, saw her steel herself, and knew what her answer would be. Had always known, really.

"I'll go," she said, and her voice was soft but steady. "I—I owe him that much."

Leo frowned, but nodded. "Take my arm, then," he said. It wouldn't do, after all, to have Rigel Black seen wandering the Lower Alleys just then. Not when the youngest Champion should have been at Hogwarts, celebrating his victory.

He Disapparated them to reappear in the courtyard behind the Phoenix, and saw Harry swallow.

"There are private rooms here," he said, "though they don't see much use. I can show you to one, then bring Remus up to you, if you want."

"That would probably be best," said Harry stiffly, and so he led her up to the suite that had been his rooms until the place had burned and he'd decided he needed a more secure place to stay.

"I can stay and listen, or I can leave you two alone," he said. "Your choice, or you can pass the choice off to Remus."

"I think we'll be better off alone," she said, and he nodded.

"Then I'll be back in a minute."

He went down to the main room and saw Remus, looking far more scattered than he normally did, sitting by Rispah and having a whispered conversation.

"Rigel's upstairs," said Leo. "He's ready to talk to you. I can show you up." The common room was not quite as well warded as his old rooms, and he was hardly going to take his very first chance to betray Harry's trust: Harry Potter was in America, after all. Only Rigel Black could possibly be here.

So he showed Remus up to his old rooms and reluctantly went down to sit with Rispah. Had it been nearly anyone else, he would have stayed to listen, but this wasn't anyone else. This was Harry, and he could not betray her trust.

He drank lemonade and waited in the tense silence. What he really wanted was ale—he knew he'd have some later, at least, or perhaps liquor; liquor would be good—but he had to stay sober for now.

Rispah did not try to speak to him, for which he was grateful; there was nothing to be said, not now at least. Not here.

Leo sat there for more than an hour, the silence and his worries becoming increasingly oppressive as the day wore on, until finally Harry appeared at the top of the stairs, Remus behind her, looking wan. Her hands, clenched around the strap of her potions bag, seemed to shake ever so slightly. He tilted his head at her, but she shook hers curtly in reply; he nodded, and said nothing.

"I think I'm ready to go back," said Harry, walking briskly to the courtyard behind the Phoenix. Leo, not quite following her yet, turned to Remus, who spoke without being prompted.

"There's nothing to discuss," he said, and Leo nodded again, then followed Harry.

He Apparated them to the alley behind the Three Broomsticks, and brought her around the side of the building before walking with her in a heavy silence to the school gates. Before she could make to enter, he placed a hand lightly on her shoulder.

"Rigel," he said, "I ought to have said this earlier—if you ever need my help, with anything at all, you need only to ask."

"Thank you," said Harry, though she didn't quite sound sincere, at least not in any intent to actually ask him for aid, and that wouldn't quite do.

"I mean it," he said softly. "Anything you need my help for—your wish is my command."

"All right," said Harry, and she seemed slightly more sincere. It was the best Leo would get from her, he knew.

"Best of luck, then," he said, and she nodded and gave him a slight smile.

Then she was gone, walking back into the lion's den, and he could only stand there and watch her go, and hope that she would not be consumed by it.

Once he could no longer see her, Leo turned on his heel and vanished.