CHAPTER 19

The Start Of Year Three

Sirius Black. That was all that could be seen in the papers every single day. The name appeared even on the screen on the television. And it was a complete surprise that with the entire nation searching for such a terrible person, he wasn't yet caught.

And with every day passing by, Prof and Mrs. Black kept getting more worried. Prof wasn't even sleeping well and that could be indicated by the heavy shadows under his eyes.

"Couldn't he, by any chance, be an animagus?" Blaire asked him once when he visited. She was shelling peas in the kitchen, while he drank his tea. The ordering of food from the Hogwarts' kitchens was now done only once a week since the previous summer.

Prof sighed and said, "It takes years, Blaire."

"He's had years, Prof. Twelve of them."

"No." Prof ruled out. "He'd require study material which he lacked in those years."

Blaire frowned.

"Can one cast a wandless spell whenever you wish?"

Prof shook his head.

"You need years, Blaire."

"He's had years." Blaire repeated.

Prof stilled and said unseeingly, "Yes, he's had years."

Then he shook himself out and said, "But then the dementors wouldn't have allowed him to hold on to his thoughts and determination."

"But he escaped." Blaire said.

Prof hummed.

Blaire shrugged and said, "You know, Prof, animagi are immune to dementors."

Prof's eyes widened and he looked at her, "If that's so-" he cut himself off. "There wasn't a chance that he'd succeed. Unless he tried studying animagi before his imprisonment...but between attending Voldemort's meetings and fooling everyone on the other side, there wasn't a chance."

"He looks above forty." Blaire stated matter-of-factly. "Maybe he's had ample of time to study animagi?"

Prof snorted, "Oh, believe me, he's much younger."

"Oh."

Severus looked at her from over his cup, "You seem very fond of the animagus-Black idea."

Blaire wrinkled her nose, "It seemed rather fitting."

Prof visibly dismissed the idea from his head. "Black wouldn't have been able to do it. If he'd started it early on, probably around your age, maybe. But I really don't believe he would have been able to do it alone. Anyway, enough of the unpleasant talk. How's your animagus study going?"

"Quite well, Prof. I think we'll be done studying before the end of our third year."

"I don't want any of you falling back on your studies."

"We won't." Blaire assured him.

"What electives have you chosen?" He inquired.

"We've chosen the same, Prof, Care of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy."

"Why not Ancient runes?"

"Is it useful?"

"It isn't used often, but when it is used, it provides you with an unfailing basis to put your spells on. Meaning you will be able to put up powerful wards... you could all be well protected with a well placed rune ward."

"What do you think we should do, Prof?"

"I think, your brothers should stick to their original plan. I'm sure you've read about the handling of magical creatures and are in no need of doing a special study on the subject. I would like it, however, if both, Neville and Draco, take Muggle Studies along with their other courses. I'll speak to them about it later.

"You, however, have the potential of studying Ancient Runes. And trust me, you won't regret studying it."

"Oh...I think I'll drop CoMC then and take up Runes then. I'll send a letter to Professor Flitwick tonight."

Prof nodded and sent his cup to the sink to wash itself and hang itself on the rack.

Blaire eyed him with critical eyes, "Why don't you go up to our room and lie down, Prof. I'll wake you up in time for dinner."

"I've got to get back, Blaire. We're putting up as many protective wards as possible before the first of September. And for your peace of mind, I shall ask Professor Flitwick to put up a couple of animagi wards around. Professor McGonagall won't be very happy though...Oh well, she'd just have to stay inside the ward boundary before the ward is put up."

"Whatever for - oh, nevermind...Is there any ward that you will be putting up personally, Prof?"

"No. Not today. But I want to see that they are placed properly. I'm determined to see Black caught."

"Then, I'll wake you in an hour." Blaire said firmly.

"Too long a time, Blaire. Wake me in fifteen minutes."

"Too short a time, Prof. Forty-five minutes?"

Prof sighed.

"Half-an-hour, then."

Blaire frowned, but nodded, deciding that she wouldn't wake him until Aunt Petunia and Mrs. Black came home. He would be well rested by then. Besides, he wasn't really needed for those wards.

"Where'd it go?" came Harry's voice in her head as she heard Prof climb the stairs.

"I don't know." Neville said sounding confused. "Did you see it, Ethan?"

"See what?" Ethan asked as she watched the Professor head upstairs for a lie in.

"A dog." Harry said in exasperation. "A huge ugly, dirty thing, sitting right outside the kitchen window."

"Did you see it too, Neville?" Ethan asked.

"Uh-huh." Neville said. "Not very clearly though, I saw it slink around the corner over there."

Blaire left her seat and approached the window. Only Harry was in her line of sight, Neville and Ethan must have gone around the window.

"What've you got there?"

"A black dog." Harry replied, holding a rake in his hand. "It was dozing under our window. I've never seen it in this neighborhood before. The moment it heard me approaching it shot off."

Blaire became alert.

"Was it's behaviour human-like?"

Harry raised an eyebrow at her in question.

"Did it seem like a human disguised as an animal...an animagus?"

"It was a dog, Blaire. And it behaved like a dog too... What's going on in that head of yours?"

"I was thinking that, well...what chances are there that Sirius Black could be an animagus?"

"No chance." Harry said immediately and then stared at her thoughtfully, "And then again, there's every possibility that he is. But, why are you bothered about it? The job's for the Aurors."

Blaire hummed in agreement and turned from the window just in time to see Draco placing a small-size carton of icecream at the table for her. He had five others in his arms. He winked at her and exited the room saying, over his shoulder, "When the cats are away, the mice should come out to play."

Blaire grinned and opened her strawberry flavoured icecream.

She'd leave off her worries about Black for now. No matter what anyone said, it was her business, not just that of the Aurors. The life of her little brother depended on it.

Prof was beyond indignant when he was woken up by an amused Aunt Petunia late evening. He spent the rest of his time griping about how important his critical eye was when it came to things such as putting up wards around a castle full of 'exasperating', 'obnoxious' and 'disobedient' brats. He shot a glare at Blaire when he used the word 'disobedient' but she shamelessly smiled back at him, feeling no guilt.

Aunt Petunia cut him off halfway through dinner saying that his critical eye wouldn't be critical enough if he didn't get his sleep.

Prof fell into a mutinous silence for the rest of their meal. Then he harrumphed and headed upstairs to floo to Hogwarts.

"Now that he's gone," Aunt Petunia said sternly, "I want to know exactly how six empty cartons of icecream found their way into my dustbin."

They looked at her innocently for a moment and then Dudley giggled, setting the others off as well.

...

The holidays soon came to an end and the triplets made a huge progress in their personal assignment. The Swarm had finished with their theoretical study, mostly thanks to the portrait of James Potter (whom they suspected to have been an animagus in his life), of the animagi subject and had secretly moved on to the practical part, that for the moment didn't include anything more than meditation and control. This step would have been enjoyable, if they didn't end up dosing half-an-hour into their meditation. But they carried on nonetheless.

Their borrowed books on animagi had been returned as soon as they'd squeezed them for as much as information as possible. And now, all they had for reference was Blaire's heavily charmed pink diary overflowing with information and important notes.

Now that they would soon be heading back to Hogwarts, they tried but failed to master control. Apparently one had to have the ability to feel their entire body with their mind which wouldn't have been so difficult had they not kept getting distracted.

And speaking of traveling to Hogwarts, Prof was completely for sending the Swarm to Hogwarts via the floo. However, it took the convincing of all five of them and Mrs. Black to overule his decision.

All this had taken place on the evening before they set off to Hogwarts. Prof finally raised his hands in exasperation and said, "Fine, but whatever you do, I do not want you coming close to the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor. He's dangerous, and he's travelling to Hogwarts via the Express."

"Whatever do you mean?" Mrs. Black said, rather alarmed.

Prof ground out, "The man has a condition that I am most unfortunately forbidden from speaking about. All that I can say is that he's dangerous and you will know when he's most dangerous, for those will be the days that he shan't take your class. The rest, you will have to figure out for yourselves."

"Why's Dumbledore asked him to teach if he's dangerous?" Mrs Black asked.

"Because, the old fool has assigned me to see to it that he's been given his monthly medicine."

Mrs. Black's eyes opened wide, "You mean- Oh dear! What was Dumbledore even thinking when he agreed to hire him?"

"He didn't approach Dumbledore for the job. Dumbledore went over the Earth with a fine-tooth comb to search for him... because he happens to know Sirius Black the best!"

"But, but-"

"Exactly!" Prof exclaimed excitedly. "For all we know, he could be in cahoots with Black!"

"What do you mean?" Draco asked curiously.

Mrs. Black shared a significant look with Prof and said, "Remus Lupin was some years my junior at Hogwarts. Sirius Black too. They studied together and teamed up with a couple of other boys, creating a havoc so large that even the older students would get upset. Rowdy beasts, they were, the entire group and Dumbledore agreed to let Lupin into the school because of his sympathetic, forgiving nature that always seems to put the school in danger."

"What's happened to the other two boys, Prof?" Neville asked.

"They're dead." Prof said bluntly. "All because of Sirius Black."

Mrs. Black said hurriedly, "Anyway, I think Severus is right, you lot should skip the train ride and carry on to Hogwarts via the floo tomorrow evening."

The Swarm groaned, but had long since learnt that countering Mrs. Black's decision was a long lost argument. And so, through the floo they went along with their trunks and Hedwig.

Back at school, the Swarm took their magically weightless trunks to their respective dormitories and hurried back to Prof's quarters for tea as the Prof himself left to attend his yearly meeting.

"That means this Professor Lupin will not be attending the meeting?" Ethan said once Prof had left

"Doesn't look like." Harry said. "He's on the train."

"And he's dangerous." Draco said. "Apparently as dangerous as Sirius Black...D'ya remember how Prof looked a couple of weeks ago when he announced that Dumbledore had found a new DADA professor?"

"No." Neville said. "I wasn't there."

"He looked like he'd been trying to tug his own hair off." Draco said.

Ethan frowned, "You know, I'm going to keep an eye on this Lupin."

"But, he could hurt you!" Blaire protested.

"Oh, I won't be stalking him, Blaire!" Ethan rolled his eyes. "Remember Prof said Lupin wouldn't take some classes? I'm going to keep a record of those classes. They may have some significance after all...And remember Prof said he was instructed to give him his monthly medicine?...I think those days and the monthly medicine will coincide."

Blaire shrugged.

"Good luck with that." she said. "Well...how about we do another round of meditation and control? Fifteen minutes of each this time?"

The boys groaned but complied.

...

Soon, it was time for the other students to arrive. And when they did, Harry couldn't help but notice that everyone at the tables looked rather pale. Instinctively, he looked up at the staff table and found Prof glaring daggers at someone. That someone was a very shabby looking individual with light brown hair that seemed to be sprinkled with grey. The man seemed unphased by the glowering he was receiving and was contentedly waiting for the sorting to begin.

He looked frail and thin, and seemed like someone who frequently fell ill. Harry jerked his head. That man probably was...

"I think the new bloke over there is Remus Lupin." Harry whispered to Draco so only he could hear as he sent a mental message to the others.

"Don't all look at once!" Harry admonished. "Just stay away from him, okay?"

"Right!" Ethan, Blaire and Neville replied.

Harry turned to the second year sitting by his side and was about to ask him what happened on the Express and then thought better of it. Two years at this school had taught him that he was better off speaking only to his siblings, Neville, their friends, Draco, Tilly and the Slytherin Quidditch team. He was still considered an outcast in his own house and so was Draco, but he had long since accepted this behaviour. It was his house's loss after all.

Harry knew that he was loved by his family more than even half of his housemates. And that was all that mattered. And then, as the sorting ceremony began, a sudden, out of the blue thought struck him. Harry fixed his eyes on the stool in front of the Great Hall and imagined a soft breeze envelope him. He felt it wrap itself around his head, touching his every hair. He felt the breeze hold on to every part of him, wrapping itself around his fingers and even his toes through his shoes.

It was a wonderful feeling. And then, Harry suddenly felt his magic replacing the wind and something light brown and furry simply flashed across his mind. Before he could figure out what was happening, he was distracted out of his reverie as his house broke into applause as a girl, whose name he hadn't heard McGonagall call make her way over to the Slytherin table.

Harry couldn't help but assume that he'd gone beyond step one: meditation and control. Anyway, he'd share his findings to the rest after the feast. Or maybe tomorrow, if they were too tired today.

Soon the sorting ceremony had come to an end and Dumbledore stood up gravely and began a speech alerting everyone about the dangers both Dementors and Sirius Black posed. McGonagall looked as though she would have loved to announce the cancellation of the Quidditch matches and Hogsmeade Weekends altogether. Her lips were pinched into a firm line and the last time she'd looked so serious was when the ceiling in the Entrance Hall was blasted by Lockhart, who was surprisingly, still on the run.

Then the Headmaster clapped his hands and food loaded itself of the table, and as Harry helped himself to potatoes and roast, he vaguely wondered what that brown furry thing he saw flash aross his mind meant. Would he be a pomerian dog? Or maybe a horse? Or a lion? Harry mentally shook himself, feeling a little silly. He'd just wait and see what his form was after he took a form.

And then it fully dawned upon him. He knew, finally, that his form would be something brown and furry! He had made some sort of progress! He was really going to have to meet the rest of the Swarm after dinner by hook or by crook.

"Hey!" he said to Ethan, Blaire and Neville. "Would you be able to meet me before curfew today?"

"I don't think so, Harry." Ethan said curiously. "Whatever do you want the meeting for?"

"I think I've surpassed that meditation step. I've got a clue as to what my form will be."

"What?" Blaire said.

"I said," Harry began, "I've got-"

"Yes, yes, I heard that." Blaire said impatiently."What did you mean by that?"

"The clue?"

"Yes."

"I saw something brown and furry flashing across my mind. I think we simply need some sort of incantation at that stage to attain the form-"

"Hold it!" Neville interrupted. "Tomorrow, once we're done with homework, we will meet up in our dungeon room and discuss it. I'm finding it a little difficult to concentrate here."

"What's happened?" Ethan said.

"Apparently, the train stopped around fifteen minutes away from the Hogsmeade station and a dementors boarded the train. From what I gathered, Lupin chased it away and has really become a hero for Weasley's little gang."

"Oh." Harry said softly. "Were any of the students hurt?"

"No, no." Neville said. "Nothing of that sort, but can we discuss animagi tomorrow?"

"Of course." Harry said a little dissatisfied, filling Draco in with what he'd heard.

And so once dinner was over, off to bed they went, but Harry just couldn't get sleep. His mind was whirling around brown and fur and wouldn't seem to let go.

So as he lay in bed, he let himself calm down and closed his eyes and imagined that breeze again. He let it ensconce him from everything else and as soon as he could feel himself right from his head to his toes, Harry felt the breeze turn into his magic. Real, raw magic coursed through him and Harry caught sight of that wonderful brown furry flash of his animagus form again and then nothing else.

He woke up the next morning feeling very safe and well rested and a little disappointed that he couldn't go beyond that flash of brown and fur.

With a deep breath, he woke up and leapt off his bed. He made his way out to the dormitory bathroom. Blaise Zabini, his housemate, was just moving out.

"Morning, Potter." he greeted, much to Harry's surprise.

Harry blinked at him once, then again, and then he came to his senses and said, "Morning, Zabini."

Zabini now had already crossed him and was moving back towards his own cubicle. Harry shook his head and continued on his way feeling a little confused.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The first day of classes found Severus absolutely exhausted by the end of the day. He was sprawled out on his armchair, doing nothing in particular when he heard someone knocking on his door with dignified grace after he'd finished with his lessons. This wasn't the Swarm's noisy knocking, or Minerva's sharp rapping, or Dumbledore's slow tapping.

It didn't even sound urgent. It sounded almost ominous...or maybe, Severus was just overthinking.

Severus got himself ready by pushing his hand in such a position, he could simply get his wand out and shoot out his first spell with nothing more than a flick of his wrist, if need be. Then very carefully, he walked up to his door and opened it. And who would be standing outside but Lucius Malfoy, looking as dignified and posh as ever. The loss of his family and house-elf didn't seem to affect him in anyway. Severus vaguely wondered if he ever had any love for them or whether all that outward gentlemanly behaviour all those years ago was just for show.

Severus checked his Occlumency shields two times as he wandlessly manipulated the Swarm's portkeys directing them to the Potter Alcove, in case they needed to escape some danger and said smoothly, "Good evening, Lucius."

"Severus." the man's reply was just as smooth. "May I come in?"

Severus nodded and moved aside to let him in.

"What would you like to drink?." Severus asked as Lucius settled himself on Severus's favourite armchair. Severus decided that it wasn't his favourite anymore. As soon as the blonde-haired hog left, he was going to set it on fire and conjure himself another one.

"Nothing, Severus, nothing. How are you doing?"

"As well as the circumstances permit me to be."

"Whatever do you mean?"

Severus scowled in annoyance, "Have you ever tried living in a castle full of little beasts who've made it their lives ambition to make every other person's life a living hell?"

Lucius threw his head back and laughed.

Then he turned serious and sat up straight and waited for Severus to take a seat on his sofa before saying, "I'll get straight to the point, Snape. Where have you hidden my wife and son?"

Severus made a show of frowning slightly and then he threw back his head and laughed. To him, in reality, the situation wasn't humorous, all he felt was deep anxiety for both Narcissa and Draco.

"Is that how you do it?" he asked, pretend humor showing in his eyes.

"Do what?" Lucius hissed.

"Go on to various allies and just demand that they pull out your wife and son like muggle magicians pull rabbits from a hat?"

Lucius scowled and said, "So you don't have them?"

"Why would I have them? What would I even do with them?"

"Didn't they come to you?" Lucius asked.

"Would they have come to me?" Severus asked with incredulously.

Lucius let out a frustrated sigh.

"I thought they would. Now, I'll have to visit her mudblood relatives." He stopped talking and observed Severus carefully and said, "Do you like teaching?"

Severus spoke with practiced hesitation, never moving his eyes away from Lucius's, "I teach, because I know that our Lord would appreciate the eye I keep on Dumbledore and now, the Potters. I do not know when he will return, but when he does, he will know everything that I know."

Then Severus paused in thought and said, "I know that he will want to deal with the Potters and I won't deprive him of that."

Oh yes, Severus would definitely do anything in his power to see to it that Voldemort didn't get as close to the Potter triplets as a hundred miles.

He went on, "When he returns, Lucius, if I am not in a position to leave Hogwarts to meet up with him, will you let him know that I haven't forgotten him? That I have Dumbledore in sight? That my only goal is to serve him and him alone? That Dumbledore thinks he can use me as a spy, without fully being aware of what my loyalties truly are?"

Lucius looked at Severus with an expression that seemed to hold newfound respect for Severus and said, "Of course, old friend. And just so you know, I shall be heading for Abania just as soon as I've taken care of Narcissa and Draco."

Severus nodded approvingly, but his mind was working rapidly and his heart was pounding.

And trying to prevent any awkwardness, he said, "Why did you wait for so long, before you decided to help our Lord?"

"I could ask you the same question, Severus." he said, coldly.

Severus answered cooly, "You know, as I have just told you, that I have a cover to maintain. And you haven't given me your reason."

"Giving reasons take us nowhere, Severus." Lucius said icily. "But, if you must know...I have been long since suspicious of my wife. She's sharp and she's clever, but she has a conscience and a priority in the name of a son she'd do anything to protect. If she ever found out, I would have had to kill her...and with a suspicion of murder to my name and a son as a burden, I wouldn't have been able to accomplish my goal.

"This is only between the two on us, but I tried to test my wife, the day she left me...and believe me, she behaved exactly as I had expected. Her sole responsibility is her son and nothing else. She could kill for him, she could die for him, and I hate that. I wanted her to kill for me, to doe for me, to follow my every footstep, to worship the ground I walked on, but no...her affections went to the little ball of flesh and mouth the minute it was placed in her arms...and I hate him for it. I will kill them before I find our Lord."

"Why can't you find him first?" Severus asked slowly.

"Because, I know that he will want the traitors wiped out before his return."

They remained in silence for a minute. Lucius, as calm as ever, but Severus's brain was working at full speed

Severus cleared his throat and said, "And just for the satisfaction of my curiosity, Lucius, how on earth were you able to make your way into the castle? The wards put up around here could kill an outsider!"

Lucius chuckled darkly and moved towards Severus's fireplace.

He took out a pinch of floo from the pot on the mantle and threw it into the flames and watched as they turned green. Then he turned back to face Severus and said, "I studied in this castle for seven years, Severus. And I have learnt that there are more entrances to this mysterious place than just the gates. And I think it's time you study these entrances, my friend, you wouldn't know when the time will come for you to escape, or rather for you to prevent the other residents of this place from escaping."

He climbed into the flames and said, "Ministry of Magic, Cornelius Fudge's office!" and disappeared, leaving Severus to cast detection charms around himself and his living space to search for any sign that he was being under surveillance of any form and to decide whom he would visit and warn first, Andromeda Tonks, Narcissa Black or Albus Dumbledore.

tbc...