Author's Notes: This was written before the release of OoP, but it really doesn't make a difference. There's lots of thinking and not much happening, but I'm trying to work on that. I really should have combined this with the next couple of chapters into one big long one… maybe that would have given the impression that something's actually happening, but then I'd lose my reviews…
And just so you know, as much as I love dear Severus, I do not have a thing for dungeons. There will be a chapter, eventually, that does not take place in one.
Chapter 1:
Footsteps echoed throughout the dungeon long after they had lost sight of their captors. Remus felt dazed. The whole situation had a surreal quality to it, intensified by the heavy metallic clang followed by the click of the lock, baring their only portal to the outside world. It sounded depressingly appropriate for a horror movie or a nightmare, but was out of place in reality. Although the events of the past half hour could very accurately be described as nightmarish, Remus knew he wasn't asleep… and he was pretty sure he wasn't going suddenly insane. The ringing in his ears died away and the silence, coupled with the smell of dust, mildew, and decay, became rather stifling. Suddenly realizing he'd been holding his breath he relaxed and let it out slowly.
He tried to make out his two companions, but the darkness was absolute.
"So…" he said finally. It was hard to believe his eyes were open.
"What the hell just happened?" Remus jumped, the voice had come from right behind him, and he had been looking for Sirius in the space to his left. He turned and took a step back, but knocked into James, causing them both to lose balance and fall. James must have grabbed Sirius on his way down because soon the air was thick with swears recognizably his.
"Remus, Sirius, are you all right?" It was still pitch black. Remus vowed to learn the wandless equivalent of lumos once they got out of this mess.
"Fine," he answered at last. Sirius grunted in the affirmative.
The rustling noise coming from Remus' left informed him that James was getting to his feet. He shivered. The floor was cold, damp, and slimy; getting up seemed like a good idea, but before he could move the door at the end of the chamber was opened again and he was momentarily blinded by the sudden stream of light. He could make out the outline of a figure being dragged in by two others, but it was too skinny to be Peter. Remus recognized the taller of the two as the blond man they had 'met' earlier. The shorter one was cowering away from him and whimpered as it addressed him. Remus wasn't surprised, the man reeked Evil. They were close enough now for Remus to discern the man's response.
"Put him in with the others, they're not going anywhere." Although he couldn't see his face, Remus was sure the man was smirking. He had his wand out and pointed at the prisoner, who was staggering slightly, as though not fully conscious. When they reached the cell already occupied by Remus, James, and Sirius, the blond unlocked the bared door with a spell and shoved the wizard, who was definitely not Peter, straight at James, who caught him but barely managed to remain standing himself. The man's eyes were glinting maliciously and, Remus had been right, he was smirking. "Happy Reunion." He said, before slamming the bars shut and striding quickly from the room with the shorter wizard trailing behind.
Remus caught a brief glimpse of a bewildered James supporting a messy-haired teen about their own age, with thick, round glasses before they were plunged into darkness again.
"Who is it?" whispered Sirius from James' other side. "It's not Wormtail, is it?"
"No…" Remus finally clambered to his feet. "Is he awake?" The wizard was groaning softly.
"I don't know… What do I do?" The whisper was uncertain with an edge of desperation. Remus groped his way to his friend through the darkness. He thanked the powers that be there were still two and a half weeks until the next full moon as he helped James support the stranger.
"Let's put him down on the floor." But the wizard (at least Remus assumed he was a wizard) seemed to have other ideas; he groaned louder and pushed off of Remus, apparently trying to regain his footing. They heard him take a couple of steps back and presumably lean against the bars. There was a moment of stillness, then:
"Who are you?" The voice was hoarse and strained, yet surprisingly alert.
"We could ask you the same question." That was Sirius.
A pause. "Hold on…" A soft rustling, a murmur, and a vague blue spot of light shimmered in the area ahead of them, materializing into a softly glowing sphere, about the size of a snitch, floating about two inches above the open palm of the stranger. Remus was impressed. The wizard was rocking his hang gently back and forth under the sphere and the glow was becoming steadily brighter. The way the ghostly-tinted light was illuminating his features from below accentuated the bags under his eyes… it was mildly unnerving.
"What spell is that?"
"So who are you?" Sirius again, blunt and to the point.
"It's my friend Hermione's, and I asked you first."
James sighed, and Remus could actually see him now. "This is Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and I'm James Potter." Remus turned back to him expectantly but the stranger just stared, and Remus thought he looked suddenly pale, although it was hard to tell in the eerie blue lighting.
The light flickered and died.