Harry's eyes blinked open to reveal a pair of sparkling blue eyes with a rather concerned expression. As he tried in vain to remember to whom they belonged, they turned from him and he heard, "Sirius! Remus! He's awake!"
He struggled to sit up as three pairs of hands pushed him back down. Suddenly, he remembered his dream. "Wormtail! He's in the Forbidden Forest! I need to see Professor Dumbledore!"
The three friends looked at each other, "Can you walk Harry?" Arabella asked.
Harry jumped up as a response, swayed a little then caught his bearings as he strode out of the room and towards Dumbledore's office. Arabella looked at the two remaining Marauders and shrugged as if to say, "He's his father's son."
Harry glanced towards the Forbidden Forest every time he reached a window on his way to Dumbledore's office. There was no sign of the Dark Mark, but he knew it was there. When he reached the guardian gargoyle well ahead of the others, he stopped thinking of a possible password. Thinking of candy, the thought briefly of Fred and George Weasley's joke shop and haphazardly tried, "Weasley's Wizard Wheezes". Harry laughed as the gargoyle sprang to life. He bounded into the office and looked around for Professor Dumbledore. Fawkes the Phoenix flew towards Harry and perched on his shoulder as Harry noticed Professor Dumbledore in the next room looking out the window. "Excuse me? Sir?" Harry hazarded as Remus, Sirius and Arabella appeared in the room.
"Ah, yes Harry. Do come here." Harry looked at Sirius who nodded. Harry walked cautiously into this new room. The room was decorated in the different House colors on each of the four walls and had a large version of the House Crest in the center. The walls were filled with glass cases containing strange artifacts, the Gryffindor wall had the sword Harry had pulled from the Sorting Hat his second year in the Chamber of Secrets. Harry glanced up at the ceiling to find an elaborate family tree. He saw, in large letters, 'Merlyn' in the center of the room, then lots of smaller names and then in equally large letters, the names of each of the founders corresponding with each of the walls. Some names were in large letters, some in small. In the corner of the room where the Slytherin and Gryffindor walls met, he saw in very large letters, almost equal to Merlyn himself, the name, 'Tom Riddle' and just beyond it in equally large, but golden, letters, 'Harry Potter'. Gasping, but not wanting to be too nosy, Harry walked towards Dumbledore and the window on the Slytherin wall. He saw the Dark Mark in the sky and remembered why he was there. Ministry wizards were swarming the scene.
"Um, Professor? I know what happened there." Dumbledore snapped to attention.
"Your scar?"
"Yes, Crabbe accidentally let Wormtail's body wander off into the Forbidden Forest and Voldemort ordered Snape to kill Crabbe to prove his loyalty. I..I think Snape killed him. I heard the curse…"
Dumbledore looked interested at this new information. "Thank you Harry. I shall have the ministry search the Forest for Wormtail's body. That should be enough to clear Sirius' name. As for Professor Snape, I have no doubts that he did exactly what was necessary to gain Voldemort's trust."
"Professor, how did Voldemort get into the Forest?"
"That is one question I cannot answer for you, but I am very happy that you came back to Hogwarts when you did. This is the safest place for you right now."
Hundreds of other questions flowed through Harry's consciousness including the questions about the names on the ceiling, but he was interrupted when Padfoot bounded into the room and dragging Dumbledore back to his office. Remus came a little more cautiously to the door of the room and said. "Excuse me Professor, Fudge is in the fireplace. Dumbledore immediately strode into the next room with Harry following after one last glance at the mysterious room.
Arabella motioned for Remus, Padfoot and Harry to follow her out of the room while Dumbledore tried once again to convince him that the Dark Mark was not a fluke. The four of them walked back to her room and after shutting the door, she asked, "Has anyone ever seen that room before?" All three shook their heads. "Well, then let's let it remain Dumbledore's secret." With a significant look at Sirius and Remus, the four returned to their memories of their Hogwarts days. Adding details for Harry's benefit, they laughed and joked and remembered. There was always a look of sadness whenever Harry's parents were mentioned and Wormtail was never mentioned at all.
"Do you remember the first time James tried to sneak up to our common room to see Lily and then the Fat Lady changed the password so that he couldn't get in? He must have waited out there for an hour to be let in!!! Frank Longbottom found him, or rather tripped over him at about midnight after he'd be out meeting that prefect." Arabella giggled at the thought. Harry looked puzzled.
"My Dad wasn't in Gryffindor?" he asked.
Sirius looked at Remus. "You never told him?"
Harry looked at them both, even more puzzled. "I didn't think it was important."
Sirius sighed, "Harry, the Marauders were all in Slytherin." Harry looked at them, completely shocked and at a loss for words.
Remus started, "I was very surprised when you turned out to be in Gryffindor, but deep down I think that the three of us should've been in Gryffindor. Maybe when we were sorted we should've been in Slytherin, but circumstances and friends seemed to change all of us so deeply that I don't think even the Sorting Hat would've figured it out."
"Lily and I were in Gryffindor and the boys always joined us at our table for meals. It was a friendship that never ceased to amaze me."
Harry took all this in and then overcoming the shock, he grinned with a gleam in his bright green eyes and said, "So that's why you were able to play so many tricks on Snape."
The three looked at each other and howled with laughter.
~~~~~~
Later that night, Harry wrote letters to both Ron and Hermione detailing the events of his birthday. He was staying in a teacher's suite for the rest of the summer. He had protested staying in Gryffindor Tower alone. He contemplated telling them about the room, but decided against it. He knew Ron would tell his father and Hermione would send him a book on the subject, "Probably Hogwarts, A History" he thought glumly. Both these were the last thing he wanted to happen.
Suddenly, as he was thanking both his friends for his gifts, he remembered that his belongings were still at the Dursley's. Groaning because he knew the Dursley's would probably burn it all, he ran to Sirius' and Remus' room. Telling them of his predicament, they glanced at each other and Sirius said, "I guess it's time for your mass murderer of a godfather to pay them a visit." Winking, he turned into Padfoot and walked of the room with Remus chasing after him with his leash.
A/N: Hum. Sorry that took so long. Review please. Next time…The Order of the Phoenix arrives and secrets of the room are revealed.
