WHEN TIME STANDS STILL
SilverKnight7: I'm not telling - read and find out!
ping*pong5: Glad you liked it. And I won't stop this before I'm done. I know that's frustrating.
Jeanne2: Thanks.
Slimpun: Thanks, I will - or rather, as I always say, I will try.
Amandinka: Well... wait and watch to see Snape's surprise.
Amerz1: Sorry! But I am keeping my promise and updating soon.
supernova8610: Glad you liked it.
Space Density: Here's the update, then. I hope you like it.
violet-angel07: Here - didn't take too long, did it?
Indiangurl: Thanks for the compliments and the suggestions - I'll keep them in mind.
Musicstarlover: Here's the update. I'll be as quick as I can over the next.
Moni: Find out;)
Disclaimer: You know I don't own it. All characters, scenes and locations belong to JKR.
Author's note: I'm not as happy with this chapter as with some of the others, but there was no point fiddling with it forever. Read on.
CHAPTER 9: Surprises
Harry stuffed the books back into the shelf, threw the Cloak over his head and hurtled headlong into the corridor. He was further from Gryffindor Tower than they were, but they weren't running as if their lives depended on it.
He tore through tapestries and ran up staircases three steps at a time. Twice he remembered a Vanishing Step only at the very last minute. As he reached the end of a hallway and raced through it to the staircase to Gryffindor Tower, he heard voices below him.
He ran as fast as he possibly could, imagining - or was he really imagining? - that the voices were growing closer. He gabbled the password at the Fat Lady, ran to the dormitory and flung himself into his bed.
*~
Sirius and James were engaged in a whispered but heated argument about the relative merits of the Jelly-Legs Jinx and the Furnunculus Curse. Sirius, whose vote was for Jelly-Legs, was describing exactly how Snape would look staggering around the Potions dungeon, when James held up a hand to stop him.
"D'you hear something?"
Sirius stopped and listened.
"Someone's on the stairs!"
"Padfoot," Peter quavered. "Do you think - do you think they've been following us?"
"Whoever it is," James growled, "if they've been spying on us, I'll make sure they're sorry they were ever born."
"Quick," Sirius said, speeding up. "We might be able to catch them."
"Careful - don't make too much noise."
He and James took the steps three at a time, practically dragging Peter by the arms. They saw the Fat Lady closing as they reached the corridor.
They ran into the Common Room. There were footsteps going up the boys' staircase. A door slammed.
"Lost him!" Sirius said in frustration.
"I'll bet you anything it was Thomson," James said. "No true Gryffindor would go sneaking up on unsuspecting people."
Sirius scowled.
"I am going to find him right now, and I am going to wring the truth out of him no matter what!"
"No you're not," James said. "You won't get anywhere. He seems to get on with Remus well enough; if there's any interrogating to do, Remus can do it. He'll stand a better chance than we will of getting any useful information."
*~
"Harry," Lily said, coming to their table in the library with a leather- bound book, "I think I've found it. Look - here - 'Defensive Portkeys are triggered by fear. For this reason, the Ministry of Magic has placed a large number in Knockturn Alley to aid people who are being pursued.'" She smiled happily. "So the reason that wizard - Philip Johnson - wasn't transported to the Ministry was because he was ambushed. Before he had time to be afraid, he was dead."
"Yeah, I guess that makes sense," Harry said, writing down. "So - what have we got left?"
"Um..." Lily consulted a list. "We've finished Charmable objects - we have to do different kinds of shields, wards, and counter-curses."
"That's good," Harry said. He looked up, about to ask another question, but there was a soft cough behind him.
He turned.
Remus Lupin was standing there, looking at him uncomfortably.
"Er... Lily... if you could give me a moment with Harry..."
"Of course," Lily said, although she gave him a suspicious glance. "I'll see you in Charms, Harry."
She picked up her books and left.
"Shall we go outside?" Remus suggested. "It might be more private. We have an hour till Charms."
They went to the lake. Harry waited for Remus to say something.
"Harry... I... That is... were you out of bed last night?"
"What if I was?" Harry said calmly. He could handle this.
"Well... not that I'm saying you were... er... spying on us or anything like that, but - well - James and Sirius think you might have been. So if you'll just tell me where you were..." He looked at Harry expectantly.
"I will tell you where I was," Harry said, "if you tell me where you were."
That stopped Remus, as he had known it would. But he recovered quickly.
"I cannot tell you where I was. And I personally think you don't particularly want me to tell you, either. But it is in your interest to be honest with me, because - and I say this from personal experience - once James and Sirius think you have a dark secret, they will go to any lengths to find out what it is."
Harry felt himself getting angry.
"You'll excuse me if I don't have a great deal of faith in James and Sirius! If I had any dark secrets, which I don't, they are the last people I would want to share them with."
"Now listen, Harry, I know they seem a little immature sometimes, but they're my best friends. Whatever you may think, they can be very sympathetic."
"Yes, like they are to Snape!"
"We will leave Snape out of this, if you please. Snape is not the issue."
"There wouldn't be an issue if your stupid friends would act like normal people. Just because James thinks being a Quidditch star makes him better than everyone else -"
"I will thank you not to speak of my friend in that manner."
"I will speak of my father exactly as I please!"
There was a moment's silence, in which Harry could have bitten out his tongue. Of all the things to do... of all the stupid, idiotic things to do... he had let his temper get the better of him again. And this time the consequences could be a lot worse than detention with Umbridge.
"Your father - James?" Remus whispered.
"Can you forget I said that?"
"You're not from this time, are you?"
"Can you please forget I said that?"
Remus drew a deep breath. "I think we need to talk. Calmly, rationally, and in detail. Tonight, after dinner, in the Common Room. We won't be overheard there - there's too much noise. Until then, I won't say anything to anybody, but I can't promise more than that."
Harry nodded silently. It was the best he could expect.
SilverKnight7: I'm not telling - read and find out!
ping*pong5: Glad you liked it. And I won't stop this before I'm done. I know that's frustrating.
Jeanne2: Thanks.
Slimpun: Thanks, I will - or rather, as I always say, I will try.
Amandinka: Well... wait and watch to see Snape's surprise.
Amerz1: Sorry! But I am keeping my promise and updating soon.
supernova8610: Glad you liked it.
Space Density: Here's the update, then. I hope you like it.
violet-angel07: Here - didn't take too long, did it?
Indiangurl: Thanks for the compliments and the suggestions - I'll keep them in mind.
Musicstarlover: Here's the update. I'll be as quick as I can over the next.
Moni: Find out;)
Disclaimer: You know I don't own it. All characters, scenes and locations belong to JKR.
Author's note: I'm not as happy with this chapter as with some of the others, but there was no point fiddling with it forever. Read on.
CHAPTER 9: Surprises
Harry stuffed the books back into the shelf, threw the Cloak over his head and hurtled headlong into the corridor. He was further from Gryffindor Tower than they were, but they weren't running as if their lives depended on it.
He tore through tapestries and ran up staircases three steps at a time. Twice he remembered a Vanishing Step only at the very last minute. As he reached the end of a hallway and raced through it to the staircase to Gryffindor Tower, he heard voices below him.
He ran as fast as he possibly could, imagining - or was he really imagining? - that the voices were growing closer. He gabbled the password at the Fat Lady, ran to the dormitory and flung himself into his bed.
*~
Sirius and James were engaged in a whispered but heated argument about the relative merits of the Jelly-Legs Jinx and the Furnunculus Curse. Sirius, whose vote was for Jelly-Legs, was describing exactly how Snape would look staggering around the Potions dungeon, when James held up a hand to stop him.
"D'you hear something?"
Sirius stopped and listened.
"Someone's on the stairs!"
"Padfoot," Peter quavered. "Do you think - do you think they've been following us?"
"Whoever it is," James growled, "if they've been spying on us, I'll make sure they're sorry they were ever born."
"Quick," Sirius said, speeding up. "We might be able to catch them."
"Careful - don't make too much noise."
He and James took the steps three at a time, practically dragging Peter by the arms. They saw the Fat Lady closing as they reached the corridor.
They ran into the Common Room. There were footsteps going up the boys' staircase. A door slammed.
"Lost him!" Sirius said in frustration.
"I'll bet you anything it was Thomson," James said. "No true Gryffindor would go sneaking up on unsuspecting people."
Sirius scowled.
"I am going to find him right now, and I am going to wring the truth out of him no matter what!"
"No you're not," James said. "You won't get anywhere. He seems to get on with Remus well enough; if there's any interrogating to do, Remus can do it. He'll stand a better chance than we will of getting any useful information."
*~
"Harry," Lily said, coming to their table in the library with a leather- bound book, "I think I've found it. Look - here - 'Defensive Portkeys are triggered by fear. For this reason, the Ministry of Magic has placed a large number in Knockturn Alley to aid people who are being pursued.'" She smiled happily. "So the reason that wizard - Philip Johnson - wasn't transported to the Ministry was because he was ambushed. Before he had time to be afraid, he was dead."
"Yeah, I guess that makes sense," Harry said, writing down. "So - what have we got left?"
"Um..." Lily consulted a list. "We've finished Charmable objects - we have to do different kinds of shields, wards, and counter-curses."
"That's good," Harry said. He looked up, about to ask another question, but there was a soft cough behind him.
He turned.
Remus Lupin was standing there, looking at him uncomfortably.
"Er... Lily... if you could give me a moment with Harry..."
"Of course," Lily said, although she gave him a suspicious glance. "I'll see you in Charms, Harry."
She picked up her books and left.
"Shall we go outside?" Remus suggested. "It might be more private. We have an hour till Charms."
They went to the lake. Harry waited for Remus to say something.
"Harry... I... That is... were you out of bed last night?"
"What if I was?" Harry said calmly. He could handle this.
"Well... not that I'm saying you were... er... spying on us or anything like that, but - well - James and Sirius think you might have been. So if you'll just tell me where you were..." He looked at Harry expectantly.
"I will tell you where I was," Harry said, "if you tell me where you were."
That stopped Remus, as he had known it would. But he recovered quickly.
"I cannot tell you where I was. And I personally think you don't particularly want me to tell you, either. But it is in your interest to be honest with me, because - and I say this from personal experience - once James and Sirius think you have a dark secret, they will go to any lengths to find out what it is."
Harry felt himself getting angry.
"You'll excuse me if I don't have a great deal of faith in James and Sirius! If I had any dark secrets, which I don't, they are the last people I would want to share them with."
"Now listen, Harry, I know they seem a little immature sometimes, but they're my best friends. Whatever you may think, they can be very sympathetic."
"Yes, like they are to Snape!"
"We will leave Snape out of this, if you please. Snape is not the issue."
"There wouldn't be an issue if your stupid friends would act like normal people. Just because James thinks being a Quidditch star makes him better than everyone else -"
"I will thank you not to speak of my friend in that manner."
"I will speak of my father exactly as I please!"
There was a moment's silence, in which Harry could have bitten out his tongue. Of all the things to do... of all the stupid, idiotic things to do... he had let his temper get the better of him again. And this time the consequences could be a lot worse than detention with Umbridge.
"Your father - James?" Remus whispered.
"Can you forget I said that?"
"You're not from this time, are you?"
"Can you please forget I said that?"
Remus drew a deep breath. "I think we need to talk. Calmly, rationally, and in detail. Tonight, after dinner, in the Common Room. We won't be overheard there - there's too much noise. Until then, I won't say anything to anybody, but I can't promise more than that."
Harry nodded silently. It was the best he could expect.