Moonlit Horizons – Chapter 25                   

http://www.geocities.com/halutirius/moonlithorizons

for spoilers on future chapters, art from the chapters and random thoughts…  

***

Wow.  Sorry once again for the delay, but I just got chucked by the man I had really honestly love with my everything so I've spent the past few days in a corner crying, pretending not to exist.  Then I thought perhaps writing more about MH might help.  I don't think it has so far, but then again I've only written the Author's note…. Onward…  This is such a Linkin Park influenced chapter, that's' only because that was what I've been listening to recently.

***

Remus took his place in the circle of chairs in a sealed room deep within the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  To his left sat Sirius Black, Dedalus Diggle and Arthur Weasley, across from his sat the Aurors Alastor Moody, Edea DuCruet and Mundungus Fletcher.  To his right sat Harry Potter Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.  In between sat many other members of the old Order of the Phoenix.  Arabella Figg sat beside Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape.  Minerva McGonagall took the seat that had one been occupied by Lily Potter.  Remus had noticed that Sirius was having trouble looking at many of the people in the circle.  He preferred to look down at his hands, well aware that many eyes were on him.  It had been established as a Phoenix secret that Sirius had been framed.  The facts had been put straight and those within the Order had no choice but to accept the latest twist.

"Mundungus, can you update us on the situation at the ministry?" Dumbledore asked, cleaning his half moon spectacles.

A portly man stood up, pulling his robe sleeves down.  "Er… yes…" he cleared his throat.  "Well, Fudge is remaining in ignorance of the current events.  I… took the opportunity to contact some members of the Department of Mysteries… they are well aware of the Dark Lord's return, though for security reasons are unable to disclose this to the public or many members of the ministry, I'm sure you understand why, especially after the Rookwood Situation the last time around."

There were various mumbles of assent and some were nodding.

"As we know, the Dark Lord's main target seems to still be young Harry here." Mundungus sent a sympathetic look towards Harry.  "Now, as a member of the Order of the Phoenix, you can call up a member whenever you like, by using the special Order Charm that you will be taught.  We cannot guarantee who will show up, but whoever it is will help you to the greatest of their abilities."

Remus could distinctly remember using the charm himself, when he was cornered by three particularly vicious looking death eaters.  Who should show up? Only Sirius Black.  Having a friend made him feel better, but the action always seemed to get to Sirius' head.  He went slightly out of control at times like that. 

"We have procured information…" Arabella Figg was now standing, reading some notes off a piece of parchment with her pince-nez perched on her nose. "That Igor Karkaroff has been murdered.  In hiding in an abandoned castle."  Remus noticed how this had suddenly caught Snape's attention.  His wife was not in the crowd.  Nobody had really trusted her enough to ask her to join.  Indeed she never showed any desire to join.  "The murderer left no clues other than the silver dagger that was presumably the weapon they used.  There were no traceable fingerprints or magical residues that could lead us to the attacker."

Hermione had stood up, looking slightly self-conscious. "Wasn't Lord Voldemort after Karkaroff? I mean after the TriWizard Tournament… Because Karkaroff wouldn't join with the Death Eaters again?"

Dumbledore smiled kindly at Hermione. "That is indeed what we believe, and thus it is highly possible that the attacker was an accomplished Death Eater, if not Voldemort himself."

Remus glanced at Snape, remembering the note Severus had given him just before the feast.  It said that Draezyc had had to dispose of Karkaroff.  It must have been her, which was why she had been coated in blood when he last saw her.  Nobody else knew of Draezyc's involvement other than Remus, Anna and Severus.  It was possible that Dumbledore knew, but he was showing no knowledge of it.  Remus had not told Sirius the contents of the letter, even though it concerned him. 

Remus looked up at Edea who was glancing between Dumbledore and Snape.  Her eyes were narrowed and it was clear that she was doing some quick calculations of the same sort that Remus had just done. 

"Well, it was in the Daily Prophet this morning." Dedalus Diggle raised his voice.  "Front page news it was."

"So it was made public." Edea nodded. "Did they have any suspicions?"

"Something about his run of debts with some foreign dignitaries, but those weren't of such consequence to cause murder.  Nothing about his Death Eater past was mentioned."

"Of course not." Moody barked, everybody jumped at his sudden outburst. "Ministry's censoring everything they can get their hands on, and the editor of the Prophet is a good friend of Fudge's."

"I think that perhaps we should place our energies into informing as many people as possible about the threats looming in the shadows and prepare for the worst.  If we follow on Voldemort's past actions we can presume that by now he will have quite a mass of troops to fight with.  Trolls most probably." Arabella sniffed disdainfully.

Remus frowned as Snape sneered. "You don't presume he would do an exact replica of what he did before, do you?"  He smirked.  "It's a great pity you don't have access to such information.  He has not recruited any trolls as of late.  Just death eaters.  And so far he has no large scale attacks planned.  Abductions yes, but no armies."

"Who, Severus?"  Arabella looked kindly at him

"Potter, obviously." Snape rolled his eyes.  Remus glanced at Sirius who was growling under his breath.  "And the Phaerren, oh yes, and Black."

"ME?"

"He believes that taking you will lead to Potter's demise." Snape said shortly.

"He won't get to Harry." Sirius muttered menacingly.  "I won't let him get anywhere near."

***

It's all very well for Sirius to be acting like that, but he's not thinking literally.  Flights of fancy and clever plans can only get you so far.  This isn't a school rivalry anymore, this is no place for Marauder antics.  This is for real.

"Remus?"

Remus started.  He turned to see Harry smiling apologetically at him.

"Harry, how are you doing?" Remus smiled, taking a seat in the empty classroom

"I'm alright.  I wanted to ask you something though."

"Yes?" Remus sounded interested now, it was rare that Harry would come to him for advice, much preferring to take his queries to Sirius.

"I didn't want to ask Sirius, because he might take it the wrong way…" Harry looked confused.  "What was it like to have my dad as an animagus, when you were…"

"When the wolf takes over?" Remus finished the question.  He took in a deep breath, trying not to let the mental images of James reappear.  "At first, to tell you the truth, terrifying, I was rather worried it might go wrong, but it was a success.  When we were convinced that it had gone correctly and that the wolf was not a threat to their animal forms it was one of the most wonderful times of my life.  One of the most selfless acts of their friendship with me.  And if Sirius had not done it, he most definitely would not be here now.  It is quite amazing how childhood actions can influence your later life.  But to be able to have my friends with me, when I was in such a state was… a feeling I find very hard to describe still."

"I want to become an animagus."

Remus was caught off guard by this.  It must be his desire to get closer to the memory of his father.  He must think that he can feel closer to James if he follows in his father's footsteps… "Harry… I appreciate why you want to do this, but I don't think…"

"You all managed it in your fifth year… I'm in my fifth year, what is there that you can do that I can't?" Harry frowned.  "I don't want to tell Sirius…"

"He won't be told until you tell him." Remus nodded.  "But I don't agree with this. There are a thousand and one things that could go wrong."

"But think of the possibilities if it went right!  I could be better protected against Voldemort for one…"

"You have the best protection already, Harry."  Remus bit his lip, this was one argument he was not going to win.

"I want to become a true marauder, not just a Marauder Junior, not a Prongs Junior… I want to be able to stay with you and Sirius during full moons.  You're all the real family I have left."  Harry said in an exasperated voice.  "What could be so difficult?"

"You realise that a wrong turn, just one single wrong utterance in your primary transformation can cause permanent damage, you could be paralysed or blinded… or fall into a terminal coma."  Remus said in his usual calm voice.

"But who's saying that it will?"

"Oh Harry.  Think about what you're doing.  For Sirius, think about it." Remus stood up.  "You should get to lunch before they stop serving."

Harry nodded, and when he was walking out of the door, Remus noticed a book in his arms that James had carried around with him for many weeks in their third year.  Advanced Transfiguration, from Animagi to Zygometry… Remus shook his head sadly, if Sirius caught his godson reading that, there would be hell to pay.

***

"Moony?"

Remus had been sitting in a chair in front of the fire lost in his own thoughts when Sirius had taken a seat across form him.  "Alright Padfoot?"

"Yeah, mostly." Sirius flashed a hint of his grin.  "Royally teed off Eddie. But that's nothing I can't remedy later."

"Oh?"

"About my drinking habits again."

"You do tend to overindulge in that department, and answering that you haven't had any for the past decade doesn't qualify as an excuse I'm afraid." Remus smiled

"You will have to remain answerless then." Sirius sighed.  "But honestly Moony… what do you think Voldie has up his sleeve this time round?"

"Same as usual, although this time we know who the spy for him is."

"Pettigrew…" Sirius spat angrily.  "Some wounds, they will not heal."

"he's been rather quiet since he was last spotted, don't you think?"

"Well Moony, he is supposed to be dead you know…" Sirius groaned.  "Pity I didn't get the chance…"

"Sirius! You kill him and you lose your chance of freedom.  You don't have a choice but to play along until we can capture him."

"I cant stand running round Hogwarts as Padfoot, running forever like some guilty fugitive…  When I should be out there, trying to track down the rat who framed me for he best part of my life."

"When the time is right, you will catch up with him, and it will be him who will pay for his crimes.  You need to be patient, we all do."

"Patience is a trait that I'm well known for my lack of."

"We all lose it some times."

"But in the end, it doesn't even matter, does it?"

"Not in the end, in the 'end' end nothing matters, no matter who you place your trust in, or where you end up.  In the end nothing matters." Remus nodded, watching the flickering light of the flames in the fireplace.  "But Peter owes Harry a life debt.  Deep magic that cannot be reversed.  He cannot take part in any misdemeanour that may involve Harry.  He knows this."

"But he doesn't care… if that hand is really silver, really as powerful as the rumours go… We are all in trouble… never give insecure people any grasping of power… That is what makes dictators so… dictator-like." Sirius frowned, that last part of the sentence didn't flow…

"It isn't real, it may be there, but it's not part of Pettigrew, what can be given can be taken away just as easily, I have no doubts when I say the moment Pettigrew makes a mistake in the eyes of Voldemort, that hand will be gone quicker than you can say sugar quill."

"Oh no.  Don't start with sugar quills.  I cant stand the sandpaper thoughts that grate on my sanity.  And they include your like for sugar quills."

"But you still brought me back a batch from Saskatchewan…"

"That was sixteen years ago Moony!" Sirius groaned.  "I thought you'd like the maple syrupy taste… so I bought you a bunch of them…"

"And I thank you for them, they were very nice."

"Too much information."

"I fail to understand how you can degrade something as innocent as a sugar quill."

"You're the only person I know that has a fetish for them."

"I do not." Remus said indignantly

"You so do!  You admitted it in our seventh year!"

"I refuse to comment on that." Remus huffed, knowing full well that Sirius was right.

"Well at least you're easy to buy birthday presents for."  Sirius smiled, leaning back in his chair.  Their heated discussion about Pettigrew momentarily forgotten.  "Where's Anna today?"

"Library last time I saw her, in the magical heritage section."

"Oh, she's having a Lily mood, a do not disturb my reading on pains of death kind of mood." Sirius nodded understanding.

"She said she'd be back for supper… That's still a few hours." Remus glanced up at the clock on the mantelpiece. "Fancy a game of chess?"

"As long as I can play my name colour, yes."  Sirius agreed, pulling his chair closer to the small marble chess board engraved into the coffee table.  He started arranging his black pieces on the squares as Remus pulled a cushion off the chair and sat on the floor.

"Ten sickles I win." Sirius placed a handful of coins on the table.

"I see your ten, and I raise it ten." Remus placed twenty sickles on the table.

"Oh fine… twenty sickles I win." Sirius placed the extra ten on the table.

"You're on." Remus smiled knowing full well that Sirius would not win, chess ws something Sirius never won, but insisted he was a master at.

TBC

2nd A/N – no, writing more really didn't help much, even tho me and Tim sort of sorted it out whilst I was writing it, we're "friends" again…. Yeah right.  I'm glad he doesn't read fanfic… oh his reason? – "I realised we made a mistake I wanted to finish it before anybody was really hurt." He obviously hasn't been taking any notice of my recent moods then… Apparently we're too much of good friends to risk it by having a relationship… I wouldn't mind risking everything for a relationship, but that doesn't seem to matter… damn, and there was me thinking this was actually going to last… never date a 20 yr old guy when you're three years younger than him, even if you are soulmates… its daaaaangerous.  I'm sure a lot of my mood will show through in the next chapter… grrrr!