CHAPTER 17

The Week of the Dark Mark

The next day, Sirius took them all into the library (Madam Pince almost had an ulcer as they stepped in the door) and pulled out a book in the Transfiguration section.

"You know how Professor McGonagall can turn into a cat?" Sirius said, scanning through the books. "Well, that's because she's an Animagus."

"A what?" Peter asked.

"It means that she can turn into an animal at will," James clarified.

"It takes a lot of skill to become one," Sirius said, taking a book off of the shelf and walking towards an empty seat. "Hardly anyone can handle it. Only seven have been registered in this century, one of them being Professor McGonagall."

"What are you getting to, Sirius?" Remus took a seat as Sirius opened the book and scanned the table of contents.

"I have a question, Remus," Sirius said. "Can werewolves hurt animals?"

"No," Remus said. "I accidentally bit my cat once, and she was perfectly fine."

"Perfect." Sirius pointed to the page, and read aloud, "Animagi are extremely rare, and only some of the best wizards on earth are known to be able to handle the spell. But look, there's instructions here on how to teach yourself. It looks fairly hard. What are you thinking, James? Two or three years to learn it?"

"I'd say at least four," James interjected, looking at the spell.

"What are you guys talking about?" Remus was very confused, and it looked like Peter was, too.

"You're not going to be by yourself anymore," James said. "We're coming with you."

"What?" he exclaimed. "Are you out of your minds?"

"Don't worry, Remus," Sirius said, turning the page. "We're not going to be humans."

"Then what are you going to be?"

Sirius got that sly smile on his face, and he turned the book around to show Remus. Remus peered down at the colorful picture staring back at him. It showed a diagram of a man turning into a horse.

"You are out of your minds," Remus said, shoving the book away. "There is no possible way that three second year students are going to be able to do it right without something going wrong."

"What could possibly go wrong?" Sirius said, looking at the picture.

"Why do you think they keep tabs on Animagi?" Remus asked. "Because the transformations can mess up. You could end up half lizard and half human for the rest of your life!"

"Oh, stop worrying," he said, and flipped the page again, "Me and James are getting top marks now, and we can help Peter along. It won't be that difficult. Plus you'll be loads of help."

"It's dangerous, too dangerous," Remus argued.

"You remember how the wolf disappeared when you were with me?" James interrupted, looking straight at Remus. "You remember how you had control? It seems that when you get around people that you know, and trust --- you start to take over. You'll have control if we're there with you. Don't you want to fight it?"

Remus was quiet, and he then slowly nodded his head. "Yeah, okay. Yeah."

"Good," Sirius said as he flipped the page again. "We start tonight. With a little luck we can maybe get it down by our seventh year."

"Do we get to pick our animals?" Peter asked eagerly.

"No, it says here the form chooses the wizard," Remus said. "So it isn't up to you, I'm afraid."

"Wonder what I'll be," Sirius smiled. "Maybe a dragon."

"Okay, it says that to begin the transformation," James said, "you must clear your mind of all distractions and humanly things. Then we have to see ourselves, and think very hard about no one and nothing but ourselves."

"That won't be hard for you," Sirius laughed, balancing on two legs on his chair.

"Shut up," James said, and he continued reading. "If everything goes as planned, we'll turn into the animal, and be free to wander around Hogwarts. You can stay in that animal shape for however long you'd like."

"Sounds like a cinch," Sirius remarked.

"But it's not." James turned the page, and pointed at a very gruesome picture. Sirius, Remus, and Peter leaned over to take a look at it, and their eyes grew big as they were faced with an illustration of what they thought could have been a man (or a llama) at some point in time.

"Ugh!" Remus said, turning away.

"That's disgusting!" said Sirius.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Peter said, holding his stomach.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Remus said, looking pretty pale himself.

"It is," James said, shutting the book, "and it will work. We stick together. I know that you would do the same for any one of us, Remus."

Sirius nodded weakly, and Remus sighed. "Well, good luck. That's all I've got to say."

""""""""""""""""

That night, they ran up to their dormitory room earlier than usual. Remus was eating Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans on his bed, watching his three friends pouring over the book. They had moved the beds to the side of the walls, to give themselves room to "transform," if the spell worked. None of them knew exactly what they were getting into, or what would happen. But they were willing to risk it.

"Okay," James said, "I'll go first, just to make sure it's safe and all. Here, Remus." He handed the book to his friend on the bed. "Read off the directions slowly to me. You guys step back."

Sirius gave a snort, and they took a seat on Peter's bed.

"All right," Remus said, scanning the page. "It says for the first time, close your eyes," James closed his eyes, "and relax. You're not relaxing."

"How can you expect him to relax? He may end up half turtle and half sardine for all we know," Sirius interjected.

"Next, you have to put everything out of your head, and think only of yourself. Only of your personality. It helps to answer questions like, 'What is my favorite color,' 'what sort of food do I like,' personal things like that," Remus said. "It says that the more sense of self you have, the better it works."

James nodded, and took a breath in and out. The other three watched as they waited for a smoke of magic light and a cat to be sitting there. But nothing happened.

"Now what?" James asked, opening one eye.

"Um --- let me see ---" Remus turned the page, and kept reading. "Well, it says to focus on your animal --- but you have no idea what your animal is, so I guess that this isn't going to work."

"There must be a way," James said. "Everyone does it the first time without knowing what sort of thing they're turning into."

"Hey, I know," Sirius said. "What if we asked Professor McGonagall how she turned into a cat?"

"Yeah!" James said, snapping his fingers in delight. "But we'll have to wait until tomorrow. It's ten at night."

"Yeah." Remus shut the book and held his every-flavored beans out. "Anyone care to try the toe jam flavored one?"

"""""""""""""""""""

Transfiguration seemed to drag on forever. Finally, the end of class came, and they were dismissed. Remus had been chosen to ask Professor McGonagall, since she had taken a liking to him.

He quietly walked to her desk and cleared his throat. "Er, Professor? Could I ask you something?"

"Why, certainly, Mr. Lupin," Professor McGonagall said from behind her desk. She had just transformed a mouse into a tea kettle for a demonstration.

"Well, I'm doing a report for --- one of my other classes --- and we're learning about --- about the most difficult spells to perform. And so I was doing some of my homework, and I was reading about Animagi." Professor McGonagall looked more attentive. "And I know that you're an Animagus, and so I was wondering if I can clarify something with you."

"What is it?"

"Well, I was reading that to transform, you need to concentrate on the form of that animal. But what about the first time, when you don't know which animal you are to transform into?"

Professor McGonagall smiled and said, "Very excellent question, Mr. Lupin." She put the mouse/kettle away and sat down behind her desk. "Most wizards know what their animal is by whatever form their Patronus takes."

"But what if they haven't produced a Patronus?"

"Well, that was my problem when I began to study the craft," Professor McGonagall said. "You see, you must know what your animal is. You must be so in tune with yourself and your wants and desires, and your personality, that you understand which form the spell will give you. Many adult wizards have tried to acquaint themselves with themselves, and have failed. It is a rare thing that someone can become an Animagus."

"Oh. Well, thank you, Professor," Remus said.

"You're very welcome, Mr. Lupin. Oh, and Mr. Lupin," Professor McGonagall said as Remus walked to the door, "Professor Snorks and Professor Sprout will not be accompanying you to the tree anymore. It will be Madam Pomfrey from now on that comes to fetch you."

"All right," Remus said, his mind on other things at the moment. "That's fine."

"""""""""""""""""""""""

"Get to know ourselves?" Sirius barked as Remus told them what to do that night. "Why would I want to get to know myself?"

"You have to for the spell to work. You have to know what your animal is. Either that, or conjure a Patronus, whatever that is."

"Lemme give it a shot," James said, and stood again in the middle of the room.

"Actually, I think it might be best if Sirius does it. He seems to be more capable of it," Remus suggested, and Sirius' jaw dropped as he looked at Remus.

"What?" he said.

"Fine, get up there and start soul-searching," James said, pushing Sirius to the middle of the floor.

Sirius stood there for a few minutes, and then closed his eyes. This was mad, he concluded. This was just crazy --- lunacy ---

"Do you know your animal, yet?" Remus asked hopefully.

"No," Sirius growled. "No, I don't."

"I think this is going to take a while," James sighed, and he lay on his bed.

"""""""""""""

And it did. Halloween and Christmas passed in the blink of an eye, and soon enough, it was second term of their second year. Nothing had come of anything, and usually the transformation attempts turned into social hour between the four boys. It wasn't until months later did they finally calm down enough to attempt the practicing.

Still, summer hit, and none of them could see their animal in their mind's eye. James had declared one night that he was a hawk, and had concentrated very hard on the visual image of himself soaring through the sky. But alas that was not his animal, and he gave up.

It was June, and exams were upon them, coming even closer. Again, Professor F dully said that he had not the time or energy to continue his job, and another teacher would be taking his place.

Caught up in the excitement of Remus's secret and their attempts to transform, they had forgotten about the rally that had taken place over the holidays, as they found out from Sirius's cousin who had been whispering to her friend.

"My mother left just this morning," she said.

But that was the only news that they had gotten. Until one unexpected Monday morning, when the Daily Prophet landed in front of Sirius. On the front page was a picture of a house, demolished, and a sort of symbol floating above it, shining in green light. It was a skull, with a snake slithering out of its mouth.

The headline read: Masked Figures Murder Family of Three!

"What is that?" James said, pointing at the picture.

"Oh my God," Sirius said, reading on. "The Callings. They live two streets down from us. They were a couple of Muggles who had a witch for a daughter. She went to Hogwarts a few years ago, and --- they're dead."

"What?" Remus said, scanning the story. "They're dead? How could they be dead?"

"Authorities say that the Avada Kedavra curse could be to blame," Sirius read aloud. "They also believe that the symbol above the house may have been left by a group that is thought to be led by certain individual by the name of 'Voldemort.' Upon investigating the remains of the house, an anonymous message was written upon the rubble. It read 'Lord Voldemort shall reign. [Muggle - borns beware.' Sources have informed the Daily Prophet that the murderers disappeared late last night, and should be considered dangerous. He is likely not alone."

"So it's started," James said, "and we didn't do anything about it."

"We're kids, James," Sirius said. "What are we supposed to do? Dungbomb them to death?"

"We have to do something, Sirius," James said. "I mean, who's going to be next? It could be my family, or Remus's, or Peter's."

"Why not Sirius's?" Peter asked.

"'Cause my family's the sort that aren't into defending Mud --- I mean, Muggle-borns."

"My parents refused Klein's offer, Sirius," James said, and looked nervously back at the picture. "That could be my house any day now. And what about Remus? Klein knows what he is. And his dad's a Muggle-born. He's a candidate, too, you know."

"My family's pureblood," Peter said proudly.

"Bully for you," Sirius growled.

"I'm not just going to sit around here and do nothing. There must be something we can do. At least tell Dumbledore or Professor McGonagall what we heard that night. You know, with Snape and Klein?" James said.

"I don't think Klein's the only teacher that's turned," Remus said, looking up at the High table. Slughorn was leaning over Snorks's empty chair, laughing wholeheartedly with the Headmaster.

"What?"

"Well, you remember when Snorks said that he was going to visit some friends?"

Sirius nodded. "Yeah ---"

"Well then, there you go," Remus said. "Not much to go on, but I just have a wrong feeling about all this."

"Come on, Remus," Sirius snorted, waving a hand at Snorks. "Have you seen him! He's harmless! The worst he ever did to anyone was give them an extra page of homework! I mean, I can see Klein. He was just plain evil. But Snorks?"

"Yes, Snorks," Remus retorted. "It isn't just evil people that don't like us half-bloods. There are others."

"But --- Snorks?" Sirius repeated.

"And others," Remus continued, looking up at the table. "You know most of the Slytherins' families were there at the rally. You named a lot of them, Sirius. Old wizarding families that no one would ever say a bad word about. Even Darryl's family was involved."

"Blimey, I knew there was something rotten about that kid," James muttered to himself.

"So you're saying it's a conspiracy?" Peter whispered, frightened.

"More than a conspiracy," Remus said, growing quieter. "I'd say it was a full out genocide."

The boys grew quiet, and then Remus's eyes flew back down to the paper. "This is just the beginning. I can feel it. There's more to come."

"""""""""""""""""""""

Dumbledore seemed to have lost that twinkle in his eye after the murder of the Callers. As Remus had predicted, there was a long stream of mysterious killings that week, all families that were not of pure blood. The Ministry of Magic was in a panic, and James was becoming very worried.

"What if they come to my house?" he whispered to Sirius through passing period. "What if I go home and that --- that thing --- is hanging over my house?"

"It won't be," Sirius said, not so sure he was telling the truth.

The last week of school was not an enjoyable one. Everyone was on ends about the killings. The supporters of Lord Voldemort had announced on another cryptic message (this time on a wall in the Warwicks' house) that their name was the Death Eaters, and that they were growing in number. Soon we will cover this world with our numbers, it read.

"I guess Knights of Walpurgis wasn't working for them," Sirius said, folding the paper back into place.

To get their mind off of the current events, James had concluded that they should take another trip under the Cloak before they packed up to head home.

"Just to get our mind off of things," he said, taking his prized possession out of the trunk and unfolding it.

The four of them climbed out of the Fat Lady's portrait and made their way down the halls, heading for the kitchen. Upon arriving, they found Snorks's supply of midnight snacks, and had devoured them all when the door brushed open and three figures entered the room. It was Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Snorks.

The boys hid in the pantry out of sight, even if their Cloak was draped over them.

"Any more news, Frederick?" Dumbledore's quiet voice came.

"No, only that they're getting ready for another rally sometime soon. His numbers are growing quickly. And he's branded us with these." Snorks's robes ruffled. Professor McGonagall gave a small gasp.

"You've sacrificed more than your share, Frederick," Dumbledore said admiringly, and then he continued on with business. "And what is Voldemort doing at this time?"

"Well, I only heard one conversation between him and one of his followers. They advised that he took Hogwarts under his control, but he refused to attack the school. He said something about the Headmaster." Snorks laughed. "Imagine, the 'Dark Lord' scared of you."

"I have met Tom before," Dumbledore said. "He was my student years ago. I taught him well, I see."

There was a silence, and then Dumbledore clapped his hands. "Well, Frederick, we have detained you long enough. I have some magnificent treacle in my office if you would like to join me for some."

"Oh, no thank you, Albus," Snorks said, "I better be getting along back to my own office. Busy day tomorrow, what with all the work to catch up on."

"Yes, quite. You know, I sometimes miss teaching in the classroom. I loved their faces when I assigned them entire encyclopedias to write," Dumbledore said.

And then there were more footsteps, and the shutting of a door.

"I thought this little adventure was supposed to get our minds off the Death Eaters," Sirius said, throwing the Cloak off of him.

"I was wrong," Remus said, smiling and following Sirius into the clear. "Snorks isn't bad after all. He's spying for Dumbledore."

"I told you he was too --- cheery --- to ever be one of Voldemort's minions," Sirius said.