A/N oh my gosh everybody i am so sorry that i haven't been able to get this up before now. my computer went crazy and blocked this site, and i couldnt update or read fics or ANYTHING!!! well the chapter is up now but if i dont update for a long time again, just remember - it's not my fault! ok so finally - chapter 18.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognize it's JK Rowling's.

The second the door closed behind Dumbledore, James turned to his friends. "Come on."

"Where?" Remus asked, and James rolled his eyes.

"To rescue Sirius," the boy replied. "We can't just leave him."

"We can't?"

"Remus!" James was getting exasperated. Why didn't Remus understand? "You know that it wasn't Sirius doing that. He wouldn't do something that messed up!"

Remus sighed. He hated being angry – it always reminded him of his transformations. "I know."

"Well then, let's go!"

"But Dumbledore told us to stay here!" Peter protested. James turned to stare at him, and the other boy soon dropped his eyes. They left the office quickly, stepping into a deserted corridor. Almost immediately, they had to duck into a broom closet as a tall, intimidating wizard swept by, his cloak blowing behind him like there was a gale-force wind going against him. Remus' jaw dropped.

"I know who that is!" he whispered loudly. "He's got a reputation all over the country! That's one of the best Aurors there's ever been!"

"I know who it is!" Though he tried to act calm and collected, James was buzzing with energy. "His name's Darr Bentley. No one knows why his cloak blows behind him like that-"

"-but they say it's because he's got so much magic," Remus completed, staring after the man in awe. Peter looked at his two friends, wide-eyed.

"Where'd you learn all that?" he wondered.

"We read newspapers, Peter," James replied with a touch of exasperation. "I've heard some folks say that if anyone catches that murderer, it'll be him."

"He's going the wrong way."

James gave Remus a strange look. "Huh?"

"Those guys dropped us in a box at the other end of the castle. I'd think that they would put the box near wherever their escape was." Remus looked at James. "Do you think Bentley could be wrong?"

"Nah," James scoffed. "He's probably going that way because that's where the men are right now. Maybe they had to do something else before they left."

"Maybe." Remus still wasn't sure. "Let's go this way, just to make sure."

The three boys walked quickly down the corridor in the direction that Darr Bentley had just come from.

"This is probably a waste of time," James commented as they turned a corner. "I think Bentley knows what he's doing."

"Yeah, but those guys might've left Sirius over here and gone in the other direction," Remus stated. "I think that he would be more worried about catching the kidnappers than getting the kidnapped taken care of."

"Good –"

James' sentence was cut off as they once again jumped through the nearest door, this time into an empty classroom. McGonagall stopped to talk to Dumbledore, who had just climbed the stairs.

"Professor Dumbledore, I'm afraid that there are four boys missing from the Gryffindor House," Remus heard McGonagall say in a worried tone. "No one knows where they've gone."

"Potter, Lupin, and Pettigrew are safe in my office, and we are searching for Mr. Black right now."

Two pairs of footsteps echoed down the corridor, growing fainter and fainter, and the boys immediately started down the hallway again. Now, they walked in silence, afraid that someone might be nearby to overhear. Remus felt more alert than usual. Every small sound made him jump. Suddenly, they heard someone knocking on a door. Cautiously, James opened the door and peeked inside. Sirius was on the floor, bound and gagged.

"It's him," he told the others, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Wait!"

James stopped, but he shook his head. "Remus-"

"No, seriously, wait," Remus repeated. "You think that Sirius did that because Jub or Jab or whatever that kid's name is, hypnotized him or something, right?"

"Yes," James replied firmly.

"Well then, what if he's still hypnotized?"

At first, James was tempted to scoff at the suggestion, then he started to think about it. Was it possible that Sirius was still the enemy?

"All right, I won't untie him," James promised, "but we should at least take him with us."

"How are we supposed to get back into Dumbledore's office?" Remus asked as they led Sirius down the hallway. James started to answer, but he was interrupted.

"Boys!"

"Her, I guess," mumble James, turning to face McGonagall. She was fuming.

"What do you think you are doing, wandering about while others are trying to keep you out of danger? Don't you realize what you are doing? I would have expected more from any of you! Twenty points from Gryffindor!"

"But Professor," James protested, "we found Sirius!"

"Then you may escort him to Professor Dumbledore's office. The headmaster will be with you shortly."

Still grumbling under his breath, James led the way back down the corridor. They stood in front of the statue, waiting for Dumbledore to let them in. They only had to wait for a few minutes.

"The three men are on their way to the Ministry of Magic, where they will be held for questioning," Dumbledore told them as he walked swiftly towards them. "Newt Nougat." The gargoyle sprang to the side and the boys followed the Headmaster down the corridor.

"Now," Dumbledore said as he settled behind his desk. "I see you have found Sirius. I trust that you will now be kind enough to tell me exactly why this castle is being invaded by Death Eaters searching for you boys."

Taking a deep breath, James glanced at his two friends, and began to tell the headmaster everything, starting with their trip to Hogsmeade. "We weren't going to stay for very long, just long enough to get something for Ashley, but then we saw a little girl in one of the alleys. We were going to find her parents, but four guys jumped out and started chasing us." He went on and on, describing everything that had happened. He told how the same four men had been there when he was controlled, and how the same four men had showed up out of nowhere earlier in the day.

"You say there were four men chasing you?" Dumbledore questioned, his eyes unreadable.

"Yes, sir," James replied, wondering how much trouble he had just gotten into. Dumbledore stood and began pacing.

"But only three men were found in the castle," he murmured. "One managed to get away." Stopping abruptly, he looked at the three boys. "You may go, but be careful. Avoid Jeb at all costs, and return here if you see the fourth man again. I will have to consider the actions that should be taken concerning you boys."

"But sir, Sirius – well, we're not sure if he's-"

Dumbledore walked around his desk and looked Sirius in the eye. "He is back to normal," he assured them, using his wand to untie the boy. Sirius stood slowly, but didn't speak. He looked around with an odd mixture of fear and sadness on his face.

"Sorry," he mumbled, looking at the ground. Both Remus and James could see that he wasn't in the mood to talk, and simply nodded. Peter took his cue from his two friends and didn't say anything.

As they walked back to Gryffindor tower, Sirius' heavy mood seemed to settle over them. Remus was worried. Sirius was the one who made a joke out of almost everything, and his mood now seemed out of place. When they climbed through the portrait door, they were mobbed by fellow Gryffindors asking about what had happened. Silently, the four boys climbed the staircase and went to bed. Even in the darkness, Remus couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

A/N Ok, the end wasn't as good as I wanted it to be, but at least I got to it. Three reviews this time! Yay!

TheDudeLordOfFantasy – Nope, James, Remus, and Peter didn't stay in Dumbledore's office. Do you understand who those men are? I thought I explained it in the last chapter, but I guess not. Thanx for the review!

Emily – nope, I'm not Kelley. But I'm glad you think it's good! Thanx for your review, and I hope you keep reviewing!!!

K – Glad you like it! Sirius is possessed . . well, I guess you could think of it that way. Thanx for your review! Plz review again!