Chapter 11
The Mauraders Map
"You should have seen Sirius!" Harry said through his laughter.
"What did he do?" James wondered. "Wait don't tell me, he stole the mic again, didn't he?" James laughed. Harry just nodded, to overcome with laughter.
"Hi James." Lupin greeted as the two Potters entered the Dormitory. "Hi Neville. James, you know what tonight is, right?" James blanched, and then looked at Harry.
"Will you excuse us? You might want to hide before any other Gryffindors see you." James ordered off-handedly. Harry nodded, wondering what tonight was. He set off to see if he could find Hermione. She was sitting in a corner, reading the book that they had confiscated from the library.
"This book is incredible!" Harry kissed her shyly on the forehead. She blushed, but smiled all the same as she continued. "I think that we should make sure to find it in the library when we get back. Or I could order a copy through Witch Weekly. They have an enormous selection of books in the back of the catalogue. It's not just a magazine that makes up horrendous rumors. What's the matter?" Hermione asked upon seeing Harry's face.
"What's tonight?" Harry asked worriedly.
"What do you mean?" Hermione wondered.
"Lupin said to my dad, 'you know what tonight is, right?' What does that mean?" Harry pondered aloud. Hermione looked thoughtful.
"The night before full moon!" Hermione groaned. "Don't you remember? It's not just on the full moon that he goes into werewolf form. Maybe we should keep an eye on them. Remember what Lupin told us that one time? They wandered around the grounds! How irresponsible is that?" Harry shifted uncomfortably.
"They weren't purposefully trying to hurt anyone." Harry said, tyring to defend his dad. He didn't like the idea of him being irresponsible. Hermione gave him a half smile, understanding Harry's overprotectivness for his father. She got up from her spot in the corner and gave him a hug.
"You're such a sweet dork." She said, lightly kissing him on the cheek.
"Gee, thanks." He commented sarcastically.
"You're quite-" But Harry cut off Hermione's comment by kissing her forcefully on the lips. "Keep your comments to yourself, will ya?" He smirked, seeing her dazed look. She responded after a second of thought.
"If that's the way you're going to shut me up, then maybe I should think of new comments." She smirked back. He glared at her.
"Meanie."
"Baby."
"Bookworm."
"Ditzy."
"Clumsy."
"Peebrain." The list continued on as Sirius came into the room.
"Moron." Harry declared.
"What did I ever do to you?" Sirius demanded.
"Oh, not you, her." Harry said, pointing to Hermione. Sirius lifted his eyebrows.
"Aren't you a bit old for name-calling?" Sirius asked seriously.
"She started it!" Harry pouted. Sirius mouthed the words, "kids these days," and left the room. "I don't think that he likes me." Harry frowned.
"That's because you're such a-" Harry silenenced her with another kiss, and she smiled beneath his lips.
After it had gotten dark outside, Harry looked out the window and frowned. He wondered if Hermione was right. Maybe they should keep an eye on his dad.
"I think you're right about checking up on them." Harry declared. "I don't think the my dad, Sirius, and the bastard Wormtail have left yet."
"Harry James Potter! Watch your mouth." She ordered.
"I'd much rather watch yours." He grinned.
"Pervert."
"Let's not start that again." Harry said.
Sirius suddenly came downstairs from his bedroom and said quickly "I'll see you two later." He told them breathlessly as he bolted out through the portrait hole. Harry and Hermione looked at each other with raised eyebrows.
"Shit!" Harry snapped.
"Harry!" Hermione warned, but before she could continue, he grabbed her hand and the two of them rushed after Sirius. They ran through the darkness of the castle, trying to find where on Earth he had gone when they finally decided to check the grounds. Sirius was not far off, looking at the Mauraders map, probably trying to find where James, Lupin and Peter had gone. Hermione covered her mouth with her hands and gasped,
"Oh shit!"
Harry turned to her with his mouth hanging open. "What's wrong?" He asked with concern.
Sirius suddenly stopped walking and he turned around. His eyes had gone very wide and his mouth opened and closed as he slowly pointed a finger to a certain spot on the map. Harry mimicked Hermione's speech, "Shit!" He gasped. Sirius looked up, gave Harry the once-over and then looked down at the map again. Then he looked up once again and pointed at Harry, making sputtering sounds. "Mwa-heh-ah-you-ack!" Suddenly James appeared just as Sirius's eyes rolled into the back of his head and had just enough strength to say "Lily's eyes" before passing out cold.
James looked at the still form of his friend on the grass and then noticed that Harry and Hermione were standing only a few feet away. "What happened?" James cried.
Harry tried to speak but for some reason his mouth refused to work properly. "Uh-um-n-nothing."
"What did you do to him?" James demanded angrily, getting down on his knees beside the unconscious teenager. It was then that he noticed the map sprawled next to Sirius, dampening in the dewey grass.
"No!" Hermione cried when James picked up the piece of parchment. She started towards him, but James brandished his wand and pointed at her.
"Don't move," He warned. She stepped back beside Harry, holding her breath as James looked down at the map. Then he realized exactly what had occurred.
"Lily's eyes." He repeated Sirius's last words. Then he looked up at Harry, pointed a finger at him and then fainted almost immediately afterwards. Hermione sighed, looking down at the grass.
"Oh dear," she breathed. "This is NOT good."
"No kidding," said Harry. "What do we do now?"
Hermione said the only thing she could think of at this point, which was "RUN!" And the two of them took off for the castle.
"You should have seen Sirius!" Harry said through his laughter.
"What did he do?" James wondered. "Wait don't tell me, he stole the mic again, didn't he?" James laughed. Harry just nodded, to overcome with laughter.
"Hi James." Lupin greeted as the two Potters entered the Dormitory. "Hi Neville. James, you know what tonight is, right?" James blanched, and then looked at Harry.
"Will you excuse us? You might want to hide before any other Gryffindors see you." James ordered off-handedly. Harry nodded, wondering what tonight was. He set off to see if he could find Hermione. She was sitting in a corner, reading the book that they had confiscated from the library.
"This book is incredible!" Harry kissed her shyly on the forehead. She blushed, but smiled all the same as she continued. "I think that we should make sure to find it in the library when we get back. Or I could order a copy through Witch Weekly. They have an enormous selection of books in the back of the catalogue. It's not just a magazine that makes up horrendous rumors. What's the matter?" Hermione asked upon seeing Harry's face.
"What's tonight?" Harry asked worriedly.
"What do you mean?" Hermione wondered.
"Lupin said to my dad, 'you know what tonight is, right?' What does that mean?" Harry pondered aloud. Hermione looked thoughtful.
"The night before full moon!" Hermione groaned. "Don't you remember? It's not just on the full moon that he goes into werewolf form. Maybe we should keep an eye on them. Remember what Lupin told us that one time? They wandered around the grounds! How irresponsible is that?" Harry shifted uncomfortably.
"They weren't purposefully trying to hurt anyone." Harry said, tyring to defend his dad. He didn't like the idea of him being irresponsible. Hermione gave him a half smile, understanding Harry's overprotectivness for his father. She got up from her spot in the corner and gave him a hug.
"You're such a sweet dork." She said, lightly kissing him on the cheek.
"Gee, thanks." He commented sarcastically.
"You're quite-" But Harry cut off Hermione's comment by kissing her forcefully on the lips. "Keep your comments to yourself, will ya?" He smirked, seeing her dazed look. She responded after a second of thought.
"If that's the way you're going to shut me up, then maybe I should think of new comments." She smirked back. He glared at her.
"Meanie."
"Baby."
"Bookworm."
"Ditzy."
"Clumsy."
"Peebrain." The list continued on as Sirius came into the room.
"Moron." Harry declared.
"What did I ever do to you?" Sirius demanded.
"Oh, not you, her." Harry said, pointing to Hermione. Sirius lifted his eyebrows.
"Aren't you a bit old for name-calling?" Sirius asked seriously.
"She started it!" Harry pouted. Sirius mouthed the words, "kids these days," and left the room. "I don't think that he likes me." Harry frowned.
"That's because you're such a-" Harry silenenced her with another kiss, and she smiled beneath his lips.
After it had gotten dark outside, Harry looked out the window and frowned. He wondered if Hermione was right. Maybe they should keep an eye on his dad.
"I think you're right about checking up on them." Harry declared. "I don't think the my dad, Sirius, and the bastard Wormtail have left yet."
"Harry James Potter! Watch your mouth." She ordered.
"I'd much rather watch yours." He grinned.
"Pervert."
"Let's not start that again." Harry said.
Sirius suddenly came downstairs from his bedroom and said quickly "I'll see you two later." He told them breathlessly as he bolted out through the portrait hole. Harry and Hermione looked at each other with raised eyebrows.
"Shit!" Harry snapped.
"Harry!" Hermione warned, but before she could continue, he grabbed her hand and the two of them rushed after Sirius. They ran through the darkness of the castle, trying to find where on Earth he had gone when they finally decided to check the grounds. Sirius was not far off, looking at the Mauraders map, probably trying to find where James, Lupin and Peter had gone. Hermione covered her mouth with her hands and gasped,
"Oh shit!"
Harry turned to her with his mouth hanging open. "What's wrong?" He asked with concern.
Sirius suddenly stopped walking and he turned around. His eyes had gone very wide and his mouth opened and closed as he slowly pointed a finger to a certain spot on the map. Harry mimicked Hermione's speech, "Shit!" He gasped. Sirius looked up, gave Harry the once-over and then looked down at the map again. Then he looked up once again and pointed at Harry, making sputtering sounds. "Mwa-heh-ah-you-ack!" Suddenly James appeared just as Sirius's eyes rolled into the back of his head and had just enough strength to say "Lily's eyes" before passing out cold.
James looked at the still form of his friend on the grass and then noticed that Harry and Hermione were standing only a few feet away. "What happened?" James cried.
Harry tried to speak but for some reason his mouth refused to work properly. "Uh-um-n-nothing."
"What did you do to him?" James demanded angrily, getting down on his knees beside the unconscious teenager. It was then that he noticed the map sprawled next to Sirius, dampening in the dewey grass.
"No!" Hermione cried when James picked up the piece of parchment. She started towards him, but James brandished his wand and pointed at her.
"Don't move," He warned. She stepped back beside Harry, holding her breath as James looked down at the map. Then he realized exactly what had occurred.
"Lily's eyes." He repeated Sirius's last words. Then he looked up at Harry, pointed a finger at him and then fainted almost immediately afterwards. Hermione sighed, looking down at the grass.
"Oh dear," she breathed. "This is NOT good."
"No kidding," said Harry. "What do we do now?"
Hermione said the only thing she could think of at this point, which was "RUN!" And the two of them took off for the castle.