Chapter Four: The Search
"Where have you checked?" he asked urgently, dimly aware that the Fat Lady was back and listening intently.
"Everyone has searched everywhere, I've searched everywhere! I checked the hospital wing, trophy room, third floor, and the sixth floor, I don't know where the other's checked mind you..."
James nodded and ran off. He had a vague idea of where he might be. He continued to run down three stairs at a time. Lily followed close at his heels.
Remus with the scared Peter was around the seventh floor. They were calling out for Sirius. Though they were aware of Filch, they didn't realize what time it was, not did they realize that he was just a floor below them, listening to the calls of Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew.
"Sirius! Oh where can you be?" Remus said irritably.
"Do you think he's alright?" peter asked worriedly. "You don't think he's hurt do you?"
"No, he can take care of himself quite well, really." Remus kept looking behind things and into empty corridors.
"And just what are you doing out this late, looking for something?" said a drawling voice behind him. Malfoy appeared from the shadows.
"Well you just happened to be out after dark also," Remus pointed out. Peter looked around nervously, as if someone he was expecting was going to pop up behind him.
"Ah, true, true. You would think that I too should follow the rules of the normal student. But I," he put a major emphasis on this word, "I am helping Filch catch night owls like you two," he smirked, " and I am also allowed to dock points that I feel necessary. So that'll be fifty points for the bout of you. Yes, that seems fair enough." His lip curled greater with every word he spoke. Peter was going to retort something when Remus stepped on his foot.
"We shall go back to our Common Rooms. Come Peter, we don't want Filch involved in this." Indeed as Remus had said this, Filch appeared before Malfoy. The startled Malfoy as he looked at him.
"Is there a problem here boys?" he addressed them with a sneer almost like Malfoy's.
"No problem sir. My friend and me were on our way back to our Common Rooms. Good night to you both." And before either of the boys could stop them, they headed back to the Common Room.
One hundred of the droplets of san magically floated back up to the top of the Gryffindor hourglass.
James and Lily were separated to take up more space to try and find Sirius. They had been walking around for an hour or so, with no luck.
Lily peered into an empty classroom that contained no one but Peeves. Peeves was snoring rather loudly, turning over in the air. Lily felt a hand placed on her shoulder. Afraid of whom it might be, she turned slowly around and saw plump little Umbridge standing before her. Lily all but screamed, not expecting to see such a scary face in the dark.
"Is something wrong, deary?" said the sugary voice that yet again sounded too sweet for her body to even make.
"Nothing, it's none of you business Dolores. Please, just continue your way," Lily said quickly. Before she could say anything, Lily turned on heel and left. Dolores quickly followed.
"But of course it's my business! I am, after all, helping the teachers. Now how many points should I take away? Hmm..." she stopped to think.
"I don't care," muttered Lily. She went back on her way to find Sirius.
Remus and Peter had gone up to the Common Room to await James and Lily's insight about where he was.
Peter was fast asleep on a chair when James arrived without his girlfriend. Peter's snores drew attention to himself, making James chuckle.
"Any luck Prongs?" Mooney asked curiously. James shook his head sadly.
"What about Lily, has she found him?" James shook his head. He was sure Lily would've been here before him. He didn't know if she was caught or not. A guilty feeling came and dropped down into his stomach.
"I have to go find her..." he was about to go out of the portrait hole when she wads called back by Remus. Peter awoke with a start and looked blurrily around.
"What Remus?" James called back, annoyingly. Remus's face was bright and hopeful. He didn't answer at once, but began rummaging around in his bag.
"What are you looking for?" James asked, still annoyed at the earlier question not being answered. But his question still wasn't answered only by the dismissal of his hand. Though he was still rummaging around in his bag, now off his chair.
"Why am I so stupid, why didn't I think of it before? It's so obvious!" Remus muttered, not looking through books and notepads.
"REMUS!" yelled James and Peter, hopeful to knock him out of his daze. And indeed it did.
"Yes, what is it?" he asked, reproachful.
"What are you looking for?" they both said.
"Ah, yes well, I'm looking for-" he was cut short as Lily stormed into the Common Room.
"That lowdown jerk of a toad! How dare she?!" she nearly screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Lily! Quiet down! What's wrong?" James asked.
"Umbridge! Oh that woman! She will pay!" James sighed when she said it was only Umbridge, and not a major threat.
At this Remus want back to looking in his bag.
"What happened between you two?" James tilted his head.
"I was looking for Sirius, right? Well I was looking and she put her hand on my shoulder and asked if anything was wrong. I said no and walked off. But no taking the hint, she followed me. Then I told her to get lost and her stupid little chuckle woke up Peeves, who was sleeping in an empty classroom. He got mad and started chucking markers, chalk, books, desks, and anything else he could muster! Mind you he was throwing them at us!"
"Aha! I have found it...interesting. Well, he's not on here, hmm, really interesting..."
"What's so interesting Remus?" asked Lily politely. She had apparently forgotten about her troubles at the moment.
"I found our map," at this James and Peter smacked their heads, realizing how stupid they had been all along, not to go to the Marauder's Map. "But I've searched it through and through, and I can't find Sirius anywhere on here," he scanned the map again, in hopes that he would just appear.
"So you're telling us that Sirius is not even at this school!" James's temper was rising to a boiling point.
"Tomorrow, we're going to see Dumbledore about this."
The next morning James awoke before everyone else again. Dressing quickly, and putting the nightmare in his head away, he went down to the Great Hall, looking for Professor Dumbledore at the High Table, walking up, and looking rather nervous.
"May I be of some service, Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore smiled through his tame beard.
"Erm...yeah. It's about Sirius...he's missing..." James's eyes shifted to the other teachers. He could tell that some of them had hopeful looks, as others were looking rather gloomy. James remembered how much the teachers enjoyed their tricks outside of class, even though they disapproved of them in class. Now, most of the teachers around Dumbledore were listening intently.
"I suggest you come to my office after Herbology. I daresay Professor Sprout has a few things to tell you," he smiled mischievously.
"Can my friends come?" I know that they also agreed, so is it alright?" he smiled when he saw the professor nod his head. James happily retreated back to the Gryffindor table, eating his toast and jam happily.
A couple of minutes later the others came into the Great Hall, all hoping to see a sign of their missing friend. What they did notice was Rubeus Hagrid grabbing what appeared to be a giant pumpkin. He was no doubt getting ready for Halloween. Remus was trying to figure out how many more days until the wonderful holiday. Twelve more days, he thought happily.
"I asked Dumbledore about Sirius and he said we can see him in his office after Herbology." James muttered to them as they sat down. "Apparently Sprout is going to teach us something important." He looked down at his plate of half-eaten eggs. The others nodded silently. Suddenly, the Quidditch Captain, Wood, came up to him.
"Alright there Potter? Ready for a full day's practice after lunch?" he smiled down at them.
"Yep! I can't wait to get back on my Comet Two-Sixty. I've been dying to test it out. Newest and fastest brand ever!" Remus turned back form Wood and went to reading the Daily Prophet.
"Great! Malfoy is going to have a hard time beating that on his old Silver Arrow!" Wood laughed and walked off back to the other members of the team.
"Don't talking Quidditch already? That's fifteen minutes earlier then expected, Prongs," squeaked little Peter. His eyes were worried, as if by that comment, James would attack him.
"Really? How long have you guys been keeping track?"
"Ever since you first met Wood in your second year," Remus answered, waving his hand in dismissal, and then pointing to the paper. "There have been more attacks on muggles, the poor people...all the little kids can't go out on Halloween because of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," he sighed, "and I was looking forward to hearing about my Mum's hoard of candy she got this year."
"Remus, tell me again, what's the point of Halloween?"
Remus laughed at the thought. He forgot that Peter, being raised in an old wizarding family, didn't know about the ancient muggle holiday.
"I swear Peter, you must take Muggle Studies next year. Halloween is where muggle children dress up in all sorts of different costumes, and go around asking for candy from all the neighborhoods. That's why we get loads of candy during the feast!"
Peter nodded. It seemed like he was trying to process all of what Remus had just said. James smiled and looked to his left. He saw Lily talking with a Ravenclaw girl. it looked liked, from the long blonde hair, she was talking to Terra Lovegood. Terra was a strange girl and always tried to read between the lines. She had her own magazine that she made called The Quibbler. Why, not even yesterday did he remember Terra screaming that she was going to die at any given moment. When the teacher looked in her cup of tealeaves, it showed what appeared to be a piglet. And according to Terra, a piglet was the quickest but most painful way to die. James smiled as Terra turned back to her food, and that she returned to him.
"Hi James." She kissed him on the cheek and sat down.
"Morning. You're cheery this morning," he raised an eyebrow, "what's the occasion?"
"Terra's Quibbler is gong nationwide when she gets out of school. But other than that, have you heard any news about Sirius?" she dropped her voice just above a whisper.
"I asked Dumbledore and he said to meet us in his office after Herbology," Lily nodded and began to tell them of Terra's newest 'death sentence.'
They walked down to Greenhouse 3 to find Professor Sprout already waiting for them. James could hear a loud drawling voice coming closer and closer.
"You know, even when the plants bite, at least it's better the anyone who is taking that lame class that Kettleburn teaches. Boring class that is, and who cares about the animals, they're just in the way!" people around Malfoy began nodding and agreeing with him.
James rolled his eyes and looked back at what they were going to do. They were going to puck out ingredients for a Truth Potion.
It felt like all day that they were in that humid greenhouse. James's insides squirmed around in his stomach as he awaited his friends in front of the stone gargoyles. Remus was walking behind Lily who seemed to be in a deep conversation. Lily of course was walking backwards, talking happily, as Remus was listening intently. Peter was walking behind them and seemed almost afraid of the thought of going to the Headmaster's office. He kept wringing his hands together nervously.
"I don't like this Remus. Why would Sirius not tell us where he went? Why would he not tell us?" he was starting to panic badly now.
"Calm down, there is nothing about the Headmaster that is remotely frightening," Lily said encouragingly. He shook his head, as if something else was bothering him.
They reached James who was happy to see them, and happy not to be alone anymore. James was greeted with another kiss on the cheek from Lily, and a smirk from the other two.
They all turned to the gargoyles. They didn't know the password, and none of them knew when the next teacher would be out. But fortunately a small voice spoke up behind them.
"Do you need to see the Headmaster?" it was Professor Flitwick of the Charms Department.
"Yes sir, we need to see Dumbledore about our friend..." Remus concluded. But the small professor didn't need to hear anymore.
"Ah, yes! Dumbledore said you would be seeing him!" he pushed through the kids, who were about two feet taller then he, as if they weren't even there.
"Lemon Drops!" he said happily as the gargoyle sprang to life and jumped out of the way.
"There you are! I wish you all luck!" and the small little teacher walked off, muttering to himself happily.
And there is chapter 4! I hope you like it, and sorry for the long delay...school is getting to me again since we're so close from getting out. Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, everything belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers... and such and such.... and people i don't care to mention .