After dinner, the three Gryffindors and Dawn wearily trudged back to the dorm. They lingered in the common room, laughing about the imps and enjoying each other's company in front of the fire until the girls began to drift off to sleep. Ron appeared to be next, so they bid each other goodnight and retreated to their respective dorms. The letter waited on Harry's bed.
Harry,
End of the tunnel. 1 am. Bring Ron and Hermione if you can. Be careful – there are vampires about.
Sirius
"I guess he made it," Ron said, peering over Harry's shoulder. "He must mean the Shrieking Shack. Should we get 'Mione?"
"No." Harry answered emphatically, "I don't want to involve Grey. We told Sirius about him, so Sirius must want to meet us alone. Dawn's in there with her, and she might mention it. We can fill Hermione in later."
"What d'you s'pose he means by vampires?"
"He probably saw Spike on patrol. Does it matter? We can't exactly not go, can we?"
Ron shook his head.
"Say that again?"
"Saw a big black dog, mate. 'Cept it didn't smell like a dog, and it looked at me oddly."
Spike had come in from patrol to find Grey, who had finally coaxed a very tipsy Willow to bed. The vampire thoroughly enjoyed how brassed off the Jedi was at being pulled from her arms.
"You got me up because of a dog?"
"I'm telling you, it wasn't a dog. Jus' looked like one." That gave Grey pause.
"Alright. Let me throw some clothes on and you can show me where you found it."
Wearing a dark blue sweatshirt and cargo pants, Grey stood next to Spike and observed the area around the Whomping Willow. He absently fingered the engraved end of the lightsaber hanging at his side.
Spike sniffed the air.
"What is it?"
"Shut up for a minute." He peered at the tree. "I hear some heartbeats, but I don't see anythin'."
The Whomping Willow began to move. Spike watched dumbfounded as a stick lifted of its accord and touched the tree. The branches halted in mid-air, they heard shuffling noises and two whispering voices, and then the stick dropped.
"What the bloody hell was that?"
"Harry, Ron, and their fabulous invisibility cloak. Let's go find out what's so special about that tree."
An hour later, Sirius still had not appeared in the Shrieking Shack. Nothing had changed since Ron and Harry's last visit.
"Maybe the letter got here early, and he meant tomorrow night," Ron suggested.
"I don't think so," Harry said. "He wouldn't have sent it like that if it did."
"D'you think he's in trouble?"
"Could be. We should just wait awhile longer, until…" A sound in the hallway stopped him. They both turned expectantly towards the door.
Grey and Spike walked in. Grey felt an odd buzzing in his head, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.
"Harry. Ron," the Jedi said. "What…"
The enormous growl caught them off guard. Sirius, figuring the vampire would investigate, had hidden himself in the shack. He leapt from his hiding place and slammed headlong into Spike. Standing atop the sprawled vampire, Sirius tore into him with his claws. Grey drew the lightsaber.
"No!" Harry shouted. "EXPELLIARMUS!" The curse came from both students, sending the lightsaber spinning into the air and toppling Grey over backwards. Spike, game face on and fangs bared, viciously returned the dog's pummeling. "Everybody stop! Now!"
Harry's shout halted Sirius, opening him up to a fearsome strike. Spike's punch lifted him off of the vampire and into an old, scarred chair; the chair shattered on contact, but Sirius escaped unscathed.
"Harry, what the hell is going on here?" Grey yelled as he cast around for his weapon.
"Yeah, scar-boy! What's with you attacking us?" Spike's shirt had been shredded, but most of his body and his duster were intact.
"We should have told you. I'm sorry." He turned to the dog. "Sirius, it's alright. They're on our side. They broke me out of the Dursley's this summer."
The dog seemed to nod, and began to change. He became a gaunt wizard clad in ill-fitting robes, though Harry and Ron noticed that his hair and beard were less filthy than they had been.
Grey let loose his own growl. "Sirius Black."
"Grey," Harry said, stepping between them, "there are some things you should know." The Jedi looked at him questioningly, then back at Black. Harry explained the story of Sirius' escape. "And Sirius, there are some things you should know. The vampire is Spike, I wrote you about him and about Grey." Sirius nodded, wary of the vampire and auror regardless.
"So Pettigrew was the one, eh?" Spike said, lighting a cigarette. "Always wondered why you'd do that to James and Lily. Whiny bastard." He turned to Grey. "Picture Neville, but a pandering, simpering idiot instead of a decent human being." Grey nodded.
"You know about that?" Sirius asked, speaking for the first time.
"Damn right I do. Dumbledore had gotten in touch with me about protecting Lily and James. We did a bit o' work together one time. Couldn't get away from what I was wrapped up in." He shrugged. "Wouldn't have done much good anyhow."
"And now you work here, for Dumbledore?"
"That's right."
"And you," he said to Grey, "I thought aurors didn't carry those these days." He gestured to the lightsaber, which Grey had recovered.
"Not an auror anymore," he replied guardedly. "Why are you here?"
"Mostly, I wanted to make sure Harry was alright." Everyone turned and examined the Boy Who Lived.
"You knew my parents?" He asked Spike.
"Just a little bit, Harry. Only worked with 'em the once. You look like them, you know, your dad especially. Got your mum's eyes, though."
Harry nodded, surprised. He spoke to Sirius next.
"I'm fine, Sirius. There's a lot going on, more than what I wrote you."
"He probably needs to know it, Harry," Grey said. "I wish you had told me."
"I figured that he wanted to meet me alone," Harry answered honestly.
"I understand. No problem." Grey seemed less than pleased, but let it go and spoke to Sirius. "We've got Harry's cloak. We should take you to Dumbledore so that he can fill you in."
The five of them stumbled into a meeting between Dumbledore and Giles.
"Can I help you gentlemen?" Dumbledore asked. "Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter, I do believe it is far past the time when the two of you should be in bed, especially after today's events."
Harry and Ron glanced at each other, neither knowing what to say. Sirius saved them by pulling off the cloak.
"Oh my," Giles said.
"I see," Dumbledore said, "Sirius, I must say this is a surprise. I was given to understand you had not quite finished your assignment."
"Couldn't find anything." Sirius shook his head. "It's a waste. Whatever he's doing with the giants, they're keeping it as secret as when Hagrid went. Same with the vampires and the Zombie Lord in Sydney. I got nervous when I heard of the attacks and returned."
"Whoa," Ron said, his voice barely audible.
"You were with the giants?" Harry asked with awe.
"I've been gathering intelligence on the alliances Voldemort has been seeking."
"Sounds like they're keeping it pretty tight," Grey said.
"And I hear more than most, I suspect, since people tend not to notice a dog in their midst. He's gearing up, but not for an instant attack. I'd say the full-scale assault is a few years off."
"Which vampires?" This came from Spike.
"Some of the Asian orders. The European ones are mostly neutral."
"Makes sense. They don't like to piss in their own backyards," he said. "'Course, they aren't likely to help us either."
"Albus, if he's making all those moves…" Grey let it hang.
"Yes, we will have to find a way to effectively counter them. It is on my mind quite a lot, I assure you. I think, however, that we should save that discussion for another time. Rupert has been explaining to me that to help Miss O'Brien we will need several rather rare items."
"Miss O'Brien?" Sirius asked.
"Long story, mate," Spike said. "Someone'll fill you in later."
"Yes, indeed, I think that would be most beneficial," Dumbledore agreed. "As I was saying, Mr. Giles came to ask me about one item in particular, the Eye of the Golem. It is rather unique. My good friend Nicholas Flamel created it several centuries past."
"So you do know what it does, then?" Giles said.
"Indeed. It serves as a filter, removing all emotional intent from the magical energy passed through it."
"Aah," Giles said, understanding. Once cleansed of all intentions, the magical energy for the Spring Rain spell could be manipulated to balance the purely malevolent energies of the Plague of Hades. "Does your friend still possess it?"
"Sadly not," Dumbledore said, his white beard bobbing side to side with his shaking head. "I'm afraid Nicholas has passed on, and in any case has not possessed it for a good number of years."
Harry caught Ron's eye, and the redhead nodded sadly.
"Perhaps one of my associates with the Watcher's Council will know where it rests. I also have several other avenues of inquiry to pursue," Giles said, his eyes distant with thought.
"I suggest you pursue them quickly," Dumbledore said. "Based on the frequency and severity of attacks, I would say the sooner we can put this matter to rest, the better off we'll be. Sirius, might I suggest that you remain with us for the time being?"
The escaped prisoner nodded.
"I can change form for the majority of the time. One of you can say that you got a dog for Christmas."
"I quite agree. Perhaps Spike would be willing to house you?"
"Sure, why not," the vampire said. "You like Passions, mate?"