Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe belongs to J. K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The author does not claim or imply the rights to any item related nor belonging to the Harry Potter Universe.

Summary: enter Sirius and Lupin!

Chapter IV

Gathering of the Pack

"Wow! Could you believe that?" Ron said excitedly.  "He wasn't bad at all."

"I don't know," Hermione thought out loud.  "There's something about him that just doesn't feel right."

Harry silently agreed.

"What?" exclaimed Ron.  "Sure, he's a Snape, and I hate that slime ball just as much as anybody, but his cousin is well—cool."

"But what about him being good friends with Lucius Malfoy?"  Hermione said grimly.

"Ah, Draco's all talk, you know that.  Old Snape's friends with that ghoul and poor LeSal, he probably gets blamed for stuff that those two do.  I think LeSal is just too nice to be all that Draco thinks he is."

Hermione looked like she was about to say something, but was abruptly cut off. 

"Hey there Ronnykins!" it was Fred and George.  "Hi Harry.  Say, when are we gonna start practice?"

"I don't know," Harry began.  "How about this afternoon?"  He was eager to begin.

"No, I'm busy," Fred replied with a grin.

"Wood's not here," they said somewhat dismally.  "So we're going to need a new captain."

"Yah, we're nominating you," informed George.

"Me?" Harry hadn't been expecting this.  "But you two have been here longer.  I'm only in my fifth year."

"Wood was captain in his fifth year," Fred pointed out.

This was true, and the position of captain was enticing.  "Well, there's other members on our team.  How about we meet first thing tomorrow morning and let the others decide.  And I'm nominating you, Fred," Harry added.

* * *

Saturday morning, Harry grabbed his Firebolt and headed out to the Quidditch field before anyone else awoke.  It seemed forever since he had flown last and he spent an hour flying around the Hogwarts ground.  The weather was cool and mist hung low along the fields.  Like some great monster afraid of the light, it crept slowly toward the Forbidden Forest as the sun rose.  Hagrid was already out, feeding some of his animals.  Harry waved but didn't land.  He was enjoying this time by himself and didn't want to disrupt it, even to speak to Hagrid.

"Harry!" two voices hailed him when the sun had climbed a little higher in the sky.  It was Fred and George.  He landed to greet them.  They had each come out with their brooms and behind them, Harry could see three girls approaching.

"Thought we'd get an early start on practice," said George.  "Merlin knows we'll need it, after a whole year off."

Harry nodded and surveyed the Gryffindor Quidditch team.  Yes, Wood was gone and they were now short their captain and keeper.  "Like you two said before, we're going to need to find a new keeper," he said quickly.

"And we're going to have to vote on a new captain," said one of the girls, Angelina Johnson.

This wasn't good.  They were short a player and a captain, but then the other house teams were in the same state as they were.

"We'll have to take care of that soon," Harry replied.  "But for today, we can just get back in the air for a while."

They all stood there for a moment until Fred said loudly, "All right then.  Let's get cracking!"

For a quarter of an hour, they all zig zagged over the Quidditch field before pulling out the bludgers, quaffle, and snitch.  Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet zoomed around with the quaffle while Angelina Johnson temporarily took the position of keeper.  Fred and George beat the bludgers around and Harry kept chasing after the snitch.  The first time he closed his fingers around the small, golden, winged ball, it gave him a surge of joy.  Harry was not truly back at Hogwarts until he had caught a fluttering snitch.

It wasn't until lunchtime that they all came back down to the ground.  When they did, someone was waiting for them.

"Professor Dumbledore said you would be here," said Professor McGonagall.  "Thank goodness you started practicing.  Professor Snape was so very kind to inform me that the Slytherin team has already met this year and to remind me that his cousin will be refereeing the games."

"I don't see how Dumbledore could do that!" Fred blurted out.  "He's obviously going to favor the Slytherins."

"And that'll be something you'll have to take into consideration when preparing for games," McGonagall replied unhappily.  "However, the Slytherin team captain is Draco Malfoy, and I believe that to be a good thing."

"How?" all of them said at once completely upset by the prospect.

Harry thought about it.  "Malfoy isn't a good player," he reminded.  "He won't be half as confident as Flint was.  He'll want to rely a lot on cheating and will think he can get away with it with Professor LeSal making the calls, but after LeSal's class, I don't think he'll stand for much."

"I wouldn't get your hopes up, Mr. Potter," said McGonagall grimly.  "I usually never comment to students on fellow staff members, but for the good of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, I'll let my opinion slip.  I began teaching when he was a student here and he played for four years on the Slytherin House team.  And let us just say that he wasn't above playing dirty.  He was one of the meanest players.  Just plain nasty."

They were taken aback by McGonagall's attitude.  They'd never seen her talk this way about any professor, though she had on occasion hinted that she wasn't too fond of Snape, and she had had a thing or two to say about Professor Lockheart.  They were all just staring at her.

"Now don't any of you say anything," McGonagall said quickly.  "I just wanted to give my House team some advice.  I gave it to you in confidence, so don't embarrass me.  So who is the team captain now?"

They all looked dumbly at each other.  Harry was about to say they were going to vote on it later when Fred and George blurted out, "Potter is."

By the look of surprise on Harry's face, McGonagall read that this was an impromptu decision.  She looked over at the other team members.  They all nodded in agreement.

"Harry?" McGonagall said questioningly.

Harry scanned his teammates.

"Duh, who else Potter?" George said loudly.

"Definitely not Fred or George," Alicia said grinning.  Both Fred and George frowned.

Harry turned back to McGonagall and shrugged.  "I guess it's me."

"Good.  Now you'll have to check with Professor Salazar about reserving the field for practice times, and most importantly, we need a new keeper.  Normally I 'd ask Madam Hooch, but since she's not here to give me suggestions from the second years in her Quidditch classes, I don't know.  I wouldn't dare trust Professor Salazar to choose a member of our team for us.  You'll have to go searching on your own.  Now why don't you all go have lunch?  Harry, you're to come with me.  Dumbledore needs to speak with you."

Slightly bewildered, Harry left his teammates and followed Professor McGonagall into the castle.  Upon reaching the top of the staircase, he immediately recognized one of the voices coming from Dumbledore's office.  He hurried up the last few steps and flew to the door.  McGonagall barely managed to grab his shoulder to keep him from entering and when he saw all that was going on, he was glad she had stopped him.  He hid himself around the corner as McGonagall stepped in, but she had to wait to say anything.

On one side of Dumbledore's office stood Sirius Black, whose voice it was Harry had heard.  He was clean shaven, his hair was under control and was wearing a ragged, but clean pair of robes that looked awfully like the belonged to the man standing next to him, Remus Lupin.  He hadn't changed since Harry saw him last at the end of his third year.  Though he was standing near Sirius, he was leaving some distance, the reason being quite obvious. 

Professor Snape was on the other side of the room; wand out and looking daggers back at Sirius.  Professor LeSal was at his side but was leaving about the same distance between him and his cousin as Lupin was of Sirius.  If curses began to fly, neither LeSal nor Lupin looked the least bit interested in getting in the way.  Dumbledore was standing between with his arms crossed.  A very brave place to be, in Harry's opinion.

"I have no real decision in this matter, Snape!" exclaimed Black.

"He's right, Severus," LeSal began but he was cut off.

"No, Salazar, you won't," Snape said firmly.  "Black's been locked up too long to know what's going on."

"He knows more than I do," Lupin said.

"You stay out of this, Lupin," Snape snarled.

"Severus, please," LeSal tried again.  "We really have no choice…"

"You will not," Snape said lowly in such a cold voice as Harry never though possible.

"Don't you say what I can and cannot do," LeSal argued in a tone rivaling Severus'.

"Something needs to be done about Fudge," Sirius broke in.  "It's obvious that he's…"

"But you're not going to have Salazar do that.  And since when did you take this over?  You messed things up enough that you have to be in hiding now.  Just shut up and hide."

"Watch it, Snape," Sirius said in a low growl.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Snape returned.  "Don't you dare threaten me.  No one threatens me."

"Severus, stop it."  LeSal stepped in front of his cousin, a position that Harry definitely would not do.

"Salazar, you're to stay out of this.  You don't know what's at stake," and Snape pushed LeSal aside.

Harry wondered when Dumbledore was going to step forward and stop them before one of them got blasted away.

LeSal's face became livid.  "I don't know what's at stake?  If anyone here doesn't know what's at stake, it's you.  I've been in Azkaban, so has Black.  I know what I'm up against.  This is my decision and I'm not fifteen years old anymore.  I can make my own decisions.  Don't you dare treat me as a little brother."

"I'm giving you advice, Salazar," Snape's jaw twitched.  "I'm surprised that you'd take Black's advice over mine."

"It's not like yours ever did me any good," LeSal shot back chillingly.

For a brief moment, Harry could have sworn that a hurt look crossed Snape's face.

"Perhaps I ought to start listening to Sirius," LeSal said in a whisper.

Snape's face again became angry.  "You watch what you say."

"Or what?" LeSal said defiantly.  "I've learned a hell of a lot since the last time we fought.  I dare you to try.  But I'd be careful, your daddy's not here to fix your nose."

Snape's fingers curled tighter around his wand.  It was then that Harry noticed LeSal's staff.  Professor LeSal was gripping the shiny, black, twisted wood so tightly that his knuckles were white.  The stone, gripped in the carved talons, was no longer blue, but green, and it was slowly growing in brightness.

"LeSal," Dumbledore said softly.  He looked up at the glowing green stone then at LeSal and shook his head.

This made LeSal back down.  He stepped back and stared at the floor while everyone in the room looked at this staff.

"Our disagreements are only victories for Voldemort," said Dumbledore sadly.  "Before we talk on this again, I want all four of you to put the past behind you and find a common ground.  If you don't, we will not have a strong enough force to contend with what lays ahead."

"Ah, Minerva," he said, finally turning to McGonagall.  "Did you bring Harry?  Yes, Harry, come in."

Harry cautiously stepped into the room.  Snape gave him a disdainful look and stormed from the room.  LeSal turned to go, the stone in his staff back to blue, but he said to Dumbledore, "I'm sorry, Headmaster.  I suppose I still haven't go control…"

"Salazar, why don't you go prepare a room for Remus and Sirius.  I thought the best place to hide them would be in yours and Severus' apartment since it's rather removed from the rest of the staff quarters.  And I'll inform the house elves not to bother you this year."  Harry noticed that Dumbledore's tone was very different from what he was used to.  Whatever LeSal had done, it had made him angry.

Professor LeSal seemed to sense this and he left the room submissively silent.  Sirius and Lupin threw Dumbledore a look of concern.

"He's trying.  We must give LeSal time."  Dumbledore's voice had that wizened, fatherly tone again.  "His hearts in the right place but he's having to battle his training.  He didn't learn magic like you or I, and having to unlearn something is far more difficult than having to learn.  He just needs a little guidance and reminding now and then."

"Snape isn't helping any," Lupin commented.

"He is.  They argue because they're cousins—more like brothers.  Brothers have their squabbles."

"But an argument between those two isn't exactly a childish quibble," Sirius pointed out.

"That is true," Dumbledore agreed.  "Now I'll go see about helping them.  I thought you'd be safest staying with them, and it'll give you a chance to learn to work together."  Dumbledore had to suddenly turn away after he said this.  Harry thought if he could see his face, he'd be chuckling.  "Sorry you had to hear all that, Harry, now have a nice lunch with your Godfather," and with a flick of his wand, a table full of food suddenly appeared.  "And Harry, I'm giving you special permission to visit Sirius.  It'll better for you to go to him I think."

After Dumbledore left, Harry immediately ran up to his Godfather.  Sirius embraced him and Harry noticed how thin he still was.

"So you're going to be staying here?"  Harry said excitedly.  "And you too, Professor—uh, Mr. Lupin." 

Lupin gave a warm smile.  "And it's good to see you again, Harry."  He still looked tired.  "That food looks good and I'm a bit hungry."

Harry and Sirius followed Lupin over to the table.  The dishes were the same as used in the Great Hall and Harry wondered how Dumbledore had made a whole table of food suddenly appear from the kitchens.

"How was your summer?" Sirius asked after they began to dig in.

"Nothing new.  The Dursley's still hate me but for the most part they let me alone as long as I don't bother them or look suspicious in front of the neighbors.  I got to spend the last few weeks over my friend's, Ron Weasley."

"The Weasleys are a good family.  You choose your friends well, Harry."

Harry looked over at Lupin, who was helping himself to a second serving of potatoes.  "It's a shame you're not teaching.  You're still the best Defense Against the Dark Arts professor we've had."

Lupin smiled.  "I wish I could come back and teach, but I've got more important things to do right now."

"What is Dumbledore having you two do?" Harry asked.

Sirius and Lupin looked across the table at one another.  Sirius cleared his throat.  "Not many people will admit that Voldemort's back.  Remus and I, for the most part, have been laying low.  That Fudge seems to make the Ministry think I'm more of a threat than Voldemort right now.  We're keeping an eye on his followers.  Old and new."

"Snape used to be a spy."  Harry had decided to ask something that had been on his mind all summer, "Is he working as one again?  Has he had to go back to Voldemort?"

"Where'd you hear about that?" Lupin asked.

"From Dumbledore," Harry replied, which was only part of the truth.

"Uh…" Sirius had to clear his throat again.  "Snape is returning.  Both he and Salazar will be working undercover for us as they did before."

"But Voldemort may kill him," Harry suddenly felt concerned.  Concerned about Snape!

"They've already gone back to him.  Over the summer.  They knew it was a possibility so they went back together."

"I remember, though."  It was a painful memory for Harry but he had to bring up that night right now.  "When Voldemort…Last Spring, during the Tri Wizard Tournament.  When he called the Death Eaters, there were two missing.  I'm guessing they were Karkaroff and Snape.  Voldemort called one a coward and said that was going to make him pay.  The other one he said was gone from him forever—and that he would kill him."

For a moment, Sirius and Lupin stared at one another.  "Harry," Sirius said quietly, "some Death Eaters killed Karkaroff over the summer.  Have you told this detail to Dumbledore?"

"I don't remember," Harry replied truthfully.

"Snape deserves to know this," said Lupin.

Sirius nodded in agreement.  "We may not have the inside information after all."  He looked solemnly at Harry.  "Karkaroff was most likely the one whom he intended to kill.  What did he say he was going to do to the other?"

"Just 'make him pay,'" answered Harry.

"That doesn't sound good.  Snape may need to pull out."

"But nothing was said about Salazar.  And well, Salazar I believe has some, umhm, power in Voldemort's little circle…" Lupin began.  "He may have been able to save Snape from some of that 'punishment.'"

"It'll have to be their call," Sirius said quickly.  "It's their necks."

"Was Salazar a Death Eater?" Harry asked.

Sirius and Lupin exchanged looks.

"Not exactly," Lupin said slowly.

"Harry, Salazar Snape…" Sirius seemed to be fumbling for what to say.  "I don't know for sure, but there are many that say that he was an apprentice to Voldemort."

"Him having the Staff of Orkney seems to surely make it look that way," Lupin added.

"And he left school after his fifth year.  There's no other incident of Voldemort accepting an underage wizard into his circle."

"There's also the way Fudge acts around him."

"Fudge was instrumental in the decision to throw him into Azkaban when he brought himself to the ministry," Sirius said sharply.  "Fudge tends to like making rash judgments and then throwing people to the Dementors."

No one bothered to comment on this.

Harry felt uncomfortable with the gloom that had settle from this.  "So you're staying here at Hogwarts?" he said, attempting to brighten the conversation.

"Yes, I am." Sirius actually smiled.

"Dumbledore said I could come and see you?"

"Just go step through the mirror in the front hall," Lupin explained.  "And try not to let too many professors see you."

Author's Note: *She whispers*  "It's Alice Through the Looking Glass."  No, I'm not that nuts.