In His Memory:
Part 12: Moony and Padfoot
What's the use of living if you never learn to laugh?
Look at me, I grew up down among the riff and raff
But you won't catch me glooming 'round without a hint of smile
And when I have to do a thing, I do it right, with style
Philosophy
Mercedes Lackey
I solemnly swear that I am up to no good
Words to activate the Marauder's Map
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
The light from their wands bounced off the stone walls of the passage, casting strange shadows on the rough stone walls around Remus and Sirius. Keeping an eye out for dead ends, rubble and other obstacles, they made their way down the dark corridor they had discovered behind a fireplace in Castle Gryffindor's Great Hall. The passage was stuffy and dusty and the air smelled stale. There was no breeze and the passage lay cloaked in deep silence. The dust on the floor proved that no one had been in this passage for years, not even animals. It was as empty as a tomb and about as inviting as one too.
"Try not to think of that…" though Remus.
They must have been the first people to set foot here in perhaps thousands of years.
Sirius felt quite at home in dark tunnels for he had spent most of his life either exploring them with his school friends or else hiding from the Ministry in them during his years on the run. His eyes were bright and had the glint of adventure in them. Tunnels reminded him of safety and security and he felt as if nothing could ever harm him or touch him while he was in one. Remus, on the other hand, hated tunnels with a passion. He had always been and continued to be slightly claustrophobic and tunnels only reminded him of his curse and of a prison. He'd spent too many years hiding in tunnels during full moons to feel anything but loathing for them now. It was only in memory of the explorations they had made as children and the fact that they needed to get the information they carried back to Hogwarts by the safest and quickest path and because they needed to get passed the magical barrier that had been set around the castle that Remus had followed Sirius at all.
They held their wands high over their heads and walked forward in silence, the only sound was the soft rustling of their robes and their quiet footfalls. They walked side-by-side, Sirius' eyes trying to pierce the darkness at the edge of the wand light, Remus listening and occasionally sniffing the air around them. After several minutes of traveling in silence, Sirius said, his eyes bright with something that looked like tears, " Remember the time we got lost in that tunnel under Hogwarts?"
Remus grinned at the memory. The four of them had been on a "nightly stroll of the castle" in their fifth year and had become hopelessly lost in the labyrinth of tunnels that meet under Hogwarts.
"I remember…you were the one who got us lost," Remus laughed softly. "You and Peter were walking behind us arguing about which way was the way out. How we got out of that one without getting caught I'll never know."
"It was James' unerring sense of direction that got us out. He always knew which way to go," Sirius laughed too, his eyes sparkling in the wand light. "He was always ready for some new mischief and always ready to lend a hand. This journey has reminded me of the old days…Sometimes I wish…things hadn't changed. That James, Lily, Harry and Peter were still here."
"Not a day goes by that I don't think of them," said Remus, his voice full of emotion.
They both lapsed into silence again, remembering that adventure and two of their lost childhood friends. They had wandered father then usual that night for some reason, leaving behind all the familiar passages and some they were almost completely lost. They had stopped in a large, cavernous room several hours later to rest and to try to think of how to get back to Hogwarts. Peter had begun to panic as they had an exam first thing after breakfast, which was, but two hours away. Finally, James had declared that he knew the way back and they had followed him as he retraced the path they had taken. After about an hour and a half, they found themselves back in familiar territory and they were able to return to their dormitory without mishap under James' Invisibility Cloak. By lunchtime that day, they had decided that it had been a great adventure, perhaps their greatest yet. They had gone back later to explore that tunnel more fully and as far as they dared go, leaving their initials to mark the farthest cavern they had explored, a cavern full of softly glowing crystals that had shimmered in their wand light, and a date: June 23, 1976.
Sirius and Remus continued to walk, each wrapped in their own thoughts, their own memories of happier times, the time before their world had come crashing down around them. They didn't notice that hours had passed. The tunnel seemed to stretch on before them. It beckoned to them and they followed its call. They began at last to grow weary and they paused to rest on some flat stones next to a small cave-like opening in the wall to their left. They looked at their watches and were shocked to discover that two hours had passed.
"Maybe we should turn back," suggested Sirius. " The others will wonder were we've got to."
Remus started to agree when he felt something prompting him to go on. It was as if someone were nudging him onward. He felt for sometime, since entering Castle Gryffindor in fact, that they were being watched. He sniffed the stale air and a familiar scent came to him, but he could not place it. Finally, after a moment of reflection, he said, "No, I think we should move on. The others know we may be gone awhile and Draco could use the rest."
"He doesn't look well, does he?"
"No and I'm not sure why…He acting as if he can feel Seth-Ra and his magic and he's been having visions. He seems to be in a great deal of pain most of the time, though he says nothing of it."
Sirius nodded and Remus knew that he'd been watching Draco as well.
"I wonder why Harry…?" Remus began.
Sirius shrugged and Remus saw the glint of adventure in his haunted and shadowed eyes. He smiled and nodded, remembering that gleam all to well. They rested for several minutes more, eating a little and stretching tired muscles before continuing down the passage. Half an hour later found then several miles farther down the passage with new energy in their step. Several more minutes passed before they came to an area where four passages intersected. Sirius performed the Four Point spell to determine which passage of the four would take them in the direction nearest Hogwarts and freedom.
"West is the only way…Hogwarts is west of here," he muttered to himself, looking to Remus for confirmation.
Remus nodded, not caring as long as they kept moving and found some way out of the stifling tunnel that was beginning to close in on him. He shivered again. He was still having the feeling that they were being watched, but whoever was watching was invisible and did not have a scent. Remus looked carefully around him but he could sense nothing. Sirius, meanwhile, took the left hand passage, headed west. Remus followed wondering where they were headed and whether or not Sirius really knew what he was doing.
"Hope we find the way out soon…" Remus thought.
They had traveled down the westward passage for several minutes with the walls around them becoming rougher and more natural, when Remus felt something cold brush his shoulder, making him feel like someone had poured ice cold water on it. Encounters with ghosts had always made him feel like that in the past. Whatever was watching them had to be a ghost then.
"I wonder if Seth-Ra has ghosts in his service…" Remus shivered, thinking of the kinds of ghosts Seth-Ra might employ.
Whatever this spirit was, it wasn't attempting to block their progress so it was probably nothing more then a curious spirit. He decided to reserve judgment until he'd actually seen the ghost in question.
"If I ever do."
Sirius continued down the passage, which was dimly lit by their wands, as if nothing concerned him. Yet, he was beginning to get worried. He wouldn't let Remus know this but he was beginning to think he was lost in this maze of caverns. He felt as if he had lost his way yet again, like he'd taken the wrong path always in his life. Ever since his name had been cleared he'd been fighting to prove that he was innocent to others. Most people still felt that he was guilty of the crimes he'd be imprisoned for and that he'd somehow gotten off. Sirius really couldn't blame them for their attitude but their distrustful stares and muttered comments still hurt. Having true friends at his side had been a great help to him but now most of them were dead and gone. Things had not been the same since Voldemort's rise…since Harry's death. Harry had always been a light in Sirius' dark world and when he died it was as if the sun had been extinguished. He shook his head, trying to clear it of the painful memories it held but they floated to the surface anyway. He saw again the flag draped casket…the procession across the battle ravages Hogwart's grounds…the people in somber black…their heads bowed…the quiet sobs of the mourner and his own tears hot on his cheeks…
"Stop it…stop beating yourself up…there was nothing you could do…you knew he might die in that battle…Remember what he told you…you were like the father I never had…I'll always remember that no matter what happens…"
An hour later, the pair were still wandering the tunnels and had come to a fork in the western path.
"We're lost aren't we…" Remus said in a voice laced with exhaustion.
"No!" Sirius replied then, seeing Remus flinch at the tone of his voice, he added, "Hang on a minute.
Sirius studied the two openings before them. He closed his eyes and thought hard. Finally, he opened his eyes and chose the right hand one. They had traveled down this passage for several minutes when it opened onto a cavern that glowed with a soft light that came from crystals and other gems embedded in the walls of the chamber. Their mouths fell open in amazement.
"The Crystal Chamber!" they said, awe coloring their voices.
They had, by some good fortune hit upon the correct series of passages that would lead them straight back to Hogwarts, and one that would take them along paths they knew well. Their wand light bounced off the nearest crystals, which cast a faint light into the room. It also picked out four sets of initials and a date…June 24, 1976.
Well things are moving nicely now…I have several more chapters of this written and if I'm lucky I'll be able to post them in the coming weeks. Thank you for reading and if you don't mind please take the time to review. Part 13 will be called…Hogwarts Embattled.
WeasleyTwin2