Hi,

I will later return to things that are going on inside the broom closet, but now we will focus for a bit in Marauders and Regulus.

-EveryJohn

Someone, who was used to reading subtle changes in the flow of quidditch matches, had noticed in the Great Hall something that all the prefects and professors had failed to pay any attention to.

"Regulus. Your brother and those other seventh-year Gryffindors are up to something", Tiberius, who was half-way devouring a plateful of spicy chicken legs, remarked casually and pointed towards Sirius and his friends.

Regulus narrowed his eyes to see better. Marauders had gathered tightly together and were discussing about something quite excitedly.

"Well, they have been unusually quiet for a while..."

"Calm before storm?" Tiber suggested, tilting his large head.

Regulus sighed and rubbed his temples. "Have you seen, what they have been doing?"

Tiberius nodded slowly. "Your brother just gave something to Lucinda, after which she left the Great Hall in hurry." Tiber pointed to the direction of the exit with a chicken leg.

"You mean Lucinda Talkalot?" Regulus confirmed and frowned.

"Yes, our Lucinda. He better not try anything foul with her or I will use his head as a budger in the next upcoming quidditch match", the Slytherin beater threatened as leisurely as he always talked.

Tiber´s protectiveness was easily aroused when it came to Talkalot. The girl had went through a grinder during her first weeks in Hogwarts. In addition to the usual bullying and shunning, which most half-bloods had to endure until they managed to prove themselves and find their place in Slytherin, Lucinda had also been with Regulus and Tiber at the quidditch pitch on the very day, when the manticore had escaped from the seventh-year Magical Creatures lesson. Regulus would not have been terribly surprised if the violent incident had left the small girl scarred for life. Had the beast decided to head to their direction, their lives would have been in real danger. Especially this was true about the girl, who was on a broom for the first time in her life. Perhaps, Lucinda had not fully understood the danger for herself. She had, however, seen how the manticore's nails tore through the arm of an teacher and seeing Severus stand against the wizard killer, had shaken the girl to core.

Before that day Regulus had no clue that Lucinda knew Severus. Only later the identity of the older Slytherin, who had helped the girl to find the Slytherin chambers on her first night, was revealed to him. It had never even crossed Regulus´s mind, that Severus could be the honorable knight of the girl's story. Mainly, because first-years usually tended to avoid Severus like dragonpox and he seemed to like it that way.

After the manticore incident Severus had spent the night outside the castle. At least, he had not slept in the Slytherin quarters and no-one seemed to have seen him. Regulus himself had restlessly waited his return until morning. Lucinda had wrecked her nerves for him just as much. Tiber had eventually practically forced the exhausted girl to bed. Afterwards, Regulus and Tiber, with a sense of some sort of shared responsibility, had taken Lucinda Talkalot under their wing. Her age-mates still shunned her, but when the two older Slytherins kept her company she was at least left alone.

"I will go ask, what Sirius wanted", Regulus decided.

Tiberius bit out a large chunk of meat and gave an approving nod. Now that it was decided, Regulus headed towards the first-year Slytherins.

/

"I heard that my brother, Sirius Black, came here. What did he want with you?" Regulus asked the girls, after first having greeted them properly.

"Your brother wanted one of us to deliver a book to an older Slytherin."

Regulus nodded, listening attentively. His eyes stopped briefly on Sirius, who was laughing loudly. His arms were around his best friends Lupin and Potter.

"Did any of you agree to help?"

The girls looked at each other and giggled.

"Talkalot did. She has a crush on Snape. Thinks, she can get into his good grades by doing a favor", one scoffed.

"As if! Snape will not look at her twice", the other stated self-assuredly.

Regulus thought to himself that if the task involved Severus, it was no wonder, that Lucinda had stepped up for the situation. She had waited for the longest time for a chance to thank the older Slytherin. Unfortunately, Severus being mentioned was also a clear testament that Marauders were once again up to no good.

/

"Lupin."

Someone tapped Remus´s shoulder. He twisted his body to see the face of the intruder. His eyes stopped on the polished prefect pin on the chest of the fine black robe. Then his gaze traveled upwards. "Regulus?", he muttered, clearly surprised to see the younger Slytherin Prefect.

"I have something to talk with you, Lupin."

"Go away, sissy. It is Halloween and this is Gryffindor table. Remus gets to have fun like everyone else", Sirius interrupted loudly.

"With all due respect, brother, he is a prefect and I need to talk to him", Regulus insisted.

"Moony, tell that little bureaucrat to go break his broom to Whomping Willow and leave us alone."

"Calm down, Sirius", Remus appeased. He was known for his reasonable personality after all. He got up from the bench and slowly stretched his back. "Sorry, but Regulus is right. I have to do my duty as a prefect. I will be back soon. Don't get into too much trouble, while I'm gone. "

/

They walked out of the Great Hall and stopped to talk in a quiet hallway.

"What are they scheming? Should I be concerned?" Regulus asked straight.

Remus's lips twisted nervously. After Regulus's stern look, he decided to give a direct answer to the direct question. "Just the usual. Pranks... You know your brother. He doesn´t listen to anyone, when he gets something into his head. The others are no better."

"This time they involved a first-year Slytherin", Regulus reminded, measuring the other prefect with his gaze. "I knew already, that they have plans that involve Snape. And, unfortunately, I don´t trust their judgement, when it comes to him. Their pranks go too far and you know it."

Remus looked at his feet in silence. It was not like Regulus was wrong after all.

"Think about it. Do you really want Potter to lose his headboy badge because of this childishness, Lupin? Your friends need you to be the voice of reason in these situations", Regulus appealed.

"It is not that bad", Remus groaned.

"May I remind, that they thought that it was a laughing matter, when as a result of their prank half the classroom almost got killed", Regulus stated.

Remus opened his mouth to argue the claim, but then thought again and shrugged his shoulders in resignation. "All right, I will tell you. They somehow managed to get their hands on a boggart. Sirius hid it in a trunk and transfigured it to look like a book. He made that first-year girl to deliver it to Snape so that he would not suspect anything", he confessed. "It is stupid, I know. But do you really think, that Severus can't handle it?"

Regulus stared the other prefect in disbelief. "Based on, what I have seen, Severus can handle whatever reckless stunts you can come up with", he finally stated, "But Lucinda is but a girl. What if something goes wrong?"

Remus found out that he had no proper answer to that.

They paused their discussion for a while, when a group of seventh-year-Slytherins passed them. One of them was limping a little. They were snickering and comparing their earlier heroics in some occasion. Remus recognized Mulciber´s stuffy basso. Then the word "Snivelius" carried to his ears, followed by gleeful laughter.

The two prefects exchanged concerned looks.

"Did you happen to meet Severus on your way here?" Regulus asked the boys, when they still were within the hearing range. Travers was about to say something, but Mulciber beat him to it. "No, we didn't. What is it to you, anyway, Black? And how come, you now spent time with the same pauper as your blood traitor brother?" Mulciber cast Remus a dirty look, which he answered with a dry smile.

"Is that true? You really didn't meet him?" Regulus confirmed, letting his gaze wander in Mulciber's companions. Travers seemed to have hard time holding in his laughter.

"I already told you, Black", Mulciber groaned. Without engaging in further discussion, he went on with walking and others followed his example.

As soon as they were out of sight, Remus remarked: "I don't know about you, but I would not believe them a moment."

Regulus nodded grimly. "They must have done something to him", he muttered.

Remus had not been ready for the other prefect to agree with him that whole-heartedly. "Well... Everything could also be just alright", he tried to reason.

The younger prefect turned his worried brown eyes to the other and shook his head. "It is not only Severus I am worrying about. Lucinda was out there too. I need to know if they both made it to sleeping quarters. You don't know Mulciber like I do. You can expect anything from him. And Severus certainly made him mad this morning."

Remus's hand petted a thick scar, which marred his chin. It was something he had gotten years ago in one extremely stressful full moon night. It had become a habit of his to feel the light-colored thick skin of the old wound whenever in deep thoughts. He reached the much needed certainty soon and announced his decision to Regulus: "I will talk to the boys. They had a piece of scrying crystal attached to the transfigured book, which they gave to Lucinda. They should be able to get clues of their whereabouts through it."

/

"Change of plans, Marauders. We need to know, where Snape is right now", Remus announced to his friends. Peter and James raised their heads, when they heard his voice, but Sirius still looked down to his hands and did not notice Regulus, who had kept quiet.

"Oh, Moony, you came back already. It took a while to get the crystal to work and now it shows only darkness."

"Then, I suggest you to check the map", the Regulus commented sharply.

Sirius's eyebrows furrowed immediately. "What is the sissy still doing here, Moony?"

Regulus ignored his taunt. "Just co-operate for once and get out that magic map of yours, Sirius. Check quickly, where Severus is. After that I will gladly leave you alone."

"What map might you talk about, my idiot brother?"

Regulus sighed impatiently. "You asked my help with it on my second year, Sirius. I told you not to complete it, because it would require tying your souls to the magic of Hogwarts. No one could predict the eventual outcome of such magic. Therefore only a fool would do it!"

"What makes you think that I did it, then?"

"Do you take me that gullible? I knew that you could not resist the temptation and would also talk your friends into it. Four house heads and four of you. You, my brother, would never leave such a chance unturned."

"You know nothing! Coward like you can only criticize others as you never dare to try anything great yourself. Always worrying and playing it to the safe side... Even our parents did not have great hopes for you."

"There is nothing to brag about in stupid recklessness, Sirius!"

"It was not stupid, you moron! We managed to create something unique and astounding. We have been using it for three years without anything bad happening to us!"

"Yet! But you are leaving Hogwarts next year, Sirius. Hogwarts magic is not malicious, but its much greater than what you four have, even when combined together. Anything could happen!"

"What do you care, wimp. You chose to side with our parents against me."

"You are so stubborn and stupid, Sirius!" Regulus groaned. He had to take a calming breath. "Lets say, you win. I don't care, not enough to listen this nonsense, anyway. You do, what you want, but I need to know, where Severus is, and you have a map that can give me that information. So get on with it!"

"Just do it, Sirius. If he keeps shouting, someone is bound to notice."

"Yeah, he has known for years, but has not told to anyone. Just gratify his curiosity for once. We won't lose anything for it. Besides I want to know myself, where Severus has disappeared and why the scrying crystal has suddenly jammed."

Sirius was not pleased and grumbled something to himself. He however took the map out, activated it and showed it in front of Regulus. "Well, here you are!"

/

"He is not in the sleeping chambers."

"He said that he was heading there so lets search backwards from there to here."

"Who is Lucinda Talkalot?"

"The girl, whom Sirius tricked into carrying that book. Why? Where did you find her?"

"Here. Look, hers and Snape's names are intertwined. They must be real close to each other. Where is this? Somewhere in the West Wing. What do you say, Prongs?"

"Isn't that the same broom closet, where Sirius was caught by Filch, when he was snogging with a fourth year Hufflepuff."

"Oh, thanks for reminding me of that, Prongs..."

"Always, dear Padfoot, always!"

"I need to go there. Which of you can show me the way?" Regulus decided.

"Why bother, if Snivellius is for once in his lifetime spending alone time with a girl?" Sirius snorted.

Regulus cast his big brother a withering look, which would have shut up and wilted a mandrake. "With a boggart in tow, Sirius? And Lucinda is eleven..."

"I will go with Regulus", Remus promised quickly.

"Moony, you know Snape. He is going to attack you immediately just because you are a Marauder, whether you are there to help him or not. We will come too to keep you safe", James promised.

/

A while later they found themselves in front of an innocent looking small door in the West Wing of the castle.

"This is the place", Remus muttered. "According to the map, they should be there. Right behind that door."

"So, get done with it... Open the door so that we can go back to the Great Hall", Sirius grumbled.

"It is locked."

"Whatever. Just hit it with alohomora already."

Remus did as he suggested. "It doesn't work. Weird... Snape and the girl should be right behind it but I don't hear anything from inside."

"Could you let me see", Regulus asked. The others made a way for him. He inspected the door carefully. "Someone has put a ward on the door."

"Well... Does anyone know anything about runes and how wards can be lifted safely? I don't think that a simple finite will work on this", James muttered looking at the rune mark that Regulus had pointed out to them.

"The ward is already wearing down. Look. Do you notice, how dim the rune has become. It wont hold up much longer."

"Should we just wait it out, then?" Sirius sighed.

"I'd rather not. If I put some mechanical pressure on it... like this. It just might interrupt the already faltering ward." Regulus rubbed the mark on the door with his finger nail.

Suddenly the rune blinked and wobbled, then it simply crumbled down like a pile of dry dust.

Now they could finally hear something from inside. Someone was crying quietly. James kicked the door open without waiting any longer and burst inside.

The light of the hallway cut the darkness enough for them to see inside the closet. Severus lied on the floor. He was white as the death itself. His hand rested on the hand of the short girl, who was sitting next to him. Severus's eyes were closed tightly and he didn't react at all to the people rushing in. The girl, however, saw them and looked at them mutely.

Regulus crouched over the pair and tried to gently remove girls grip from Severus's hand. Sirius came to aid. He forced the hands apart almost crudely. He flashed a smile to the girl. "You can move now. I bet it was not fun to be tucked with him that tightly." The girl gave him a murderous look and threw a shoe at him. Sirius's eyes widened comically, when he had to suddenly avoid the flying object.

"What is it with Snape?" James asked and stepped further in the tiny space to see better.

"I don't know..." Regulus looked into Lucinda but the girl didn't say a word. She had once again grabbed a tight hold on Severus's hand.

"Where is the boggart anyway?" Sirius muttered.

Lucinda shrugged her shoulders. Then she pointed down on the object she was sitting on. A trunk was shaking badly even as they looked at it. They all stared at it for a while in dreadful silence and went through all kinds of things that could have taken place before their arrival.

/

"We... I think, we should take them both to Madam Pomfrey", James said eventually.

"Remus already went to get a Professor", Peter Pettigrew informed them.

"What? Was there really need for that?"

"Sirius, this is far beyond the prank, which we intended. Someone locked them in... With a ward. And not just Snape but also an eleven-year-old girl."