Lies

By Neurotica

Thirteen

One would think that the library found at Number Twelve, Grimmuald Place would have enough books about Dark Lords to satisfy any normal wizard. One would further think that what one couldn't find at Number Twelve one would be able to find in the Hogwarts library's restricted section. But most unfortunately for Remus J. Lupin, one would be wrong.

Our resident werewolf sat in the back of the Hogwarts library the day after Halloween in frustration. He'd gone through everything—Most Potente Potions; Born to Dark: A Study of Dark Lords Over Four Centuries—and he'd found nothing. His normally perfectly combed hair was a mess from repeatedly running his hands through it. His blue eyes were strained and bloodshot from lack of sleep and non-stop reading. He'd been in the same spot, without giving himself a break, since the evening before with Madame Pince helping him find the books he needed.

What information was Remus so desperately seeking, you ask? He wanted to know exactly why Lord Voldemort had chosen the former home of his friends for his rebirth. What was it about Godric's Hollow that Voldemort wanted? While he hadn't expected to have a book jump off the shelves with his answers, Remus had at the very least hoped he'd be able to find something that would lead him in the right direction.

Remus laid his head on his folded arms and closed his eyes for a few moments' rest. The pile of books in front of him provided the Lycan with the ability to hide himself from any students that happened to wander into the library. While he enjoyed speaking with the students on his visits, he couldn't afford the disruptions.

Should have asked Harry for the Invisibility Cloak, Remus thought sleepily.

Somebody cleared their throat quietly from above Remus. His eyes snapped open and he slowly raised his head. Dumbledore was standing before him with his amused, twinkling eyes.

"Hello, sir," Remus said tiredly.

"Good morning, Remus. Might I ask why it is that you are sleeping in Madam Pince's sanctuary?" the Headmaster asked.

Remus chuckled. "Just resting my eyes, Albus."

"Have you any luck?"

"No, sir," Remus said regretfully. "I've gone through almost every book in here, and I've found nothing." Madam Pince looked up sharply from her desk and glared at Remus for insulting her precious books before going back to her work.

Dumbledore's lips twitched as Remus sent the librarian an apologetic glance. "Perhaps we should talk in my office, hmm?"

Remus smiled, nodded, and stood. He waved his wand over the piles of books on the table, sending them back to their respective shelves. Satisfied, Remus followed the headmaster back to his office.

"I understand you had a bit of an, er, encounter with Professor Snape recently, Remus," Dumbledore said lightly as they walked.

Remus winced and glanced sheepishly at the Headmaster. "You heard about that?" Dumbledore nodded. "Sorry about that, sir. I lost my temper."

"No need for apologies, Remus. But I must ask you to exercise a little more control around Severus Snape. I realize you, Sirius, and Severus have never been the closest of friends, but we are all on the same side now," Dumbledore said.

"Of course, sir," Remus said.

"Though I must say, that evening, even Severus' own self-prepared headache potion didn't help him," Dumbledore said with his eyes twinkling again.


Sirius crossed the gates of Hogwarts and was immediately ambushed by three fourth year students. Harry and Ron were strangely excited about something, and Hermione stood behind them rolling her eyes. The boys were quickly trying to explain something to Sirius.

"What are they on about?" Sirius whispered loudly to Hermione.

"They're excited because some Quidditch player is here with Durmstrang," Hermione said exasperatedly.

"Some Quidditch player, Hermione?" Ron said incredulously. "Sirius, Viktor Krum is here!"

"Really?" the Head Auror asked just as excitedly as the boys.

Hermione turned away from the three wizards and walked away, huffing about "them all being the same".

Sirius led the two boys across the front lawn and up to the school. "Harry, have you seen Remus at all?"

"Last I saw him he was in the library," Harry replied.

Sirius nodded. "Figures," he muttered. "All right, I've got a Headmaster to meet with. You lot... go... do homework or something."

"Homework?" Harry said incredulously. "Okay, who are you and what have you done with my godfather?"

Sirius rolled his eyes and grinned. "Give me a break, here. I'm trying to be responsible. See you later."

"Bye!"

Sirius made his way through the Hogwarts corridors to the Headmaster's office. He was becoming quite worried about Remus. His friend had been obsessed with discovering the mystery surrounding Godric's Hollow. Every minute of every day for the past weeks have been dedicated through volume after volume of books. He would only stop when Sirius threatened to call Molly on his lack of eating and sleeping. Of course, Sirius wanted to know what Voldemort had been doing, but he wasn't going to kill himself over it. Working at the Ministry these days was enough to do that.

"I've told you before, Igor, you cannot walk around the school flashing that in front of my face," sneered the voice of Severus Snape.

Sirius approached a corner and listened in on the conversation.

"But if we're summoned—"

"Then we go. But you must practice secrecy. That's how you were captured the first time," Snape said coldly.

"Moody is why I was captured, Severus. And that's another thing; how do we get off the grounds with that man around?"

"There are ways, Igor," Snape said impatiently. "When the time comes, you will have to discover them on your own. Now if you will excuse me, I have work to do."

Sirius pressed himself against the wall as Snape swiftly walked down the corridors. Igor Karkaroff waited a moment and made his way back to his ship.

Sirius had, of course, been aware of Snape's involvement with the Death Eaters. Yes, he hated the man, but having an insider with Voldemort had its uses. What he hadn't been aware of was Karkaroff's continued loyalty to the Dark Lord. After the deal Karkaroff made with the Ministry, Sirius assumed Karkaroff would want to stay off Voldemort's radar. Cutting deals with the Ministry to get out of Azkaban was severely frowned upon by the Dark Lord.

Sirius quickened his pace to Dumbledore's office. He thought it insanely ignorant to have Snape teaching at Hogwarts, but to have a Death Eater who has never truly proved his loyalty to the light side...

The Auror said the password to the stone gargoyle and made his way up the revolving staircase as he had done countless times in the past. After being permitted entrance, Sirius found Remus, Dumbledore, and Moody having a deep discussion.

"Sirius, please, join us," Dumbledore greeted.

Sirius sat beside Remus on the sofa. "I just heard Snape talking with Karkaroff in the hall. I assume they were talking about Voldemort."

"We were just discussing Karkaroff, actually," Remus said.

"All I want to know it why he's here. He's a bloody Death Eater," Sirius said.

Dumbledore sighed. "Alastor and I have discussed this several times, Sirius. Until Igor Karkaroff has been once again discovered in league with Voldemort, there is nothing the Ministry, nor I, can do about it."

"That's bloody stupid," Sirius muttered.

Moody grunted in agreement.

"Harry will not be touched under my watch, Sirius," Dumbledore assured him.

"He sure as hell better not be! Or we'll have a Death Eater drowning in the lake," Sirius said.

Dumbledore raised an amused eyebrow. Sirius Black never did try to cover his protectiveness of Harry, or Remus, for that matter. "Now that we've discussed Karkaroff, I believe we have much wanted information for you, Sirius," Dumbledore said.

"Really? And that would be...?" Sirius said.

"As you know, Remus has been trying to research why Voldemort was at Lily and James' home. This afternoon, Severus Snape came to us with information regarding this."

"And?" Sirius asked eagerly. He glanced quickly at Remus and found his friend looking disgusted and a bit fearful. Apparently, he'd already heard all of this.

Dumbledore continued. "When Peter Pettigrew kidnapped Harry eight years ago, as you fully know, he attempted to resurrect Voldemort using Harry's blood, Pettigrew's flesh, and the bone of Voldemort's father. Though you destroyed the cauldron, thus ruining the ritual, those, er, ingredients remained in what was left of Voldemort's body. Lucius Malfoy prepared a potion to finish bringing Voldemort back," he explained.

Sirius already discovered these things and wondered where Dumbledore was going with this. "So if Voldemort had all of those things in his body, they why did he wait eight years to return?" he asked.

"The potion was quite a difficult one. Some of the ingredients, for example, could only be found once every two years. And the potion itself takes a year to brew," Dumbledore said.

Sirius nodded. "But why Godric's Hollow?" He could feel Remus tense next to him and sent his friend a questioning glance.

"When a witch or wizard dies a tragic death, some of their powers can be left behind in the area in which they died. The amount of magic left behind varies from witch or wizard. James and Lily, as you are well aware, were both quite powerful. They were two of the most powerful I had seen in years. This was demonstrated with Lily's sacrifice for Harry; an average witch could not have performed the magic that saved Harry that night."

Dumbledore sighed as if he was preparing himself for something big. "When Lily and James were murdered by Lord Voldemort, the majority of their magic remained in their home. While some of Voldemort's powers were transferred to Harry when the killing curse failed, most of his powers were left behind in what remained of the house, as well. Voldemort returned to Godric's Hollow in hopes he would gain what was left of his powers back; he was successful. In addition to his own powers, he also absorbed the magic left behind by Lily and James."

Sirius stared at Dumbledore without blinking for long minutes. "Let me see if I've got this straight," he said quietly and slowly. "Not only does Voldemort have his powers back, but now he's stronger with Lily and James' magic? Is that what you're saying?"

"Yes," Dumbledore confirmed.

"But Lily and James never used their powers for Dark Magic..."

"It doesn't matter," Remus said slightly hoarsely. "Lily and James were powerful, and they had the ability to use their magic for evil. They just chose not to."

"What does that mean for us?" Sirius asked, looking at the other wizards.

"There really is no way to know for sure until Voldemort comes out of hiding," Dumbledore said regretfully. "But it could mean that Voldemort will possibly be the strongest Dark Lord in history."


Dumbledore invited Sirius and Remus to remain at Hogwarts for the Goblet of Fire ceremony that night. They sat together at the staff table trying to enjoy the large feast before them, but found it impossible.

Remus understood what Snape had said earlier in the day before Sirius' arrival, but that didn't make it any easier to accept. Somewhere Voldemort had the power of five average wizards running through his blood. Remus always knew Lily and James Potter were the most powerful pair in their year at Hogwarts, and as Dumbledore said, in many years. Separately, they could battle Voldemort on certain terms and perhaps win, but together, they matched Voldemort's powers. It was proved in three different instances when they met the Dark Lord and escaped with minimal injuries.

The question now, as Sirius had said, was what does that mean for them? Whatever waited for them could not be good, in any case.

Sirius elbowed Remus in the arm and nodded towards Dumbledore. The Headmaster was preparing the students for the Goblet of Fire's choices for who would compete in the Triwizard Tournament. The candles in the Great Hall had been extinguished, leaving them with only the blue light of the goblet.

Three slips of scorched parchment were sent from the goblet in the coming minutes. The Hufflepuffs erupted in cheers as Cedric Diggory was selected Hogwarts champion. Fleur Delacour was selected for Beauxbatons, and Viktor Krum was chosen for Durmstrang. The three champions were sent into a small chamber off the Great Hall to await further instructions.

Before Dumbledore left to meet with the champions, he wished the other students a good night and sent them off to bed.

Sirius and Remus stood and waited for the inevitable moment when Harry and his friends would make their way to the staff table.

"I was hoping it would be Angelina," Ron was saying as they approached.

"Yeah, me too, but I'm sure Diggory won't do too badly," Harry said. "Hey, Sirius. Hey, Remus."

"Hey, kids, enjoy the feast?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah, but we just had one last night, so I didn't eat as much," Harry said. Sirius shook his head in mock-disappointment. It was a known fact that Sirius and Harry had regular eating contests.

"I believe the Headmaster sent the students to bed," said a cold voice from behind Sirius.

"Careful, Snivellus, Remus might have to hit you again if you don't stop being rude to Hogwarts guests," Sirius warned without turning around.

"Lupin wouldn't have the courage. As I was saying, Black, these students were sent to bed. If they are not out of this hall in ten seconds, they will each be receiving a detention," Snape said.

"If you don't mind, Severus, we are talking to them," Remus said, also not turning around.

"But I do mind. Twenty points from Gryffindor," Snape responded.

Harry and Ron opened their mouths to argue, but Remus motioned for them to keep quiet. "They've done nothing wrong, Severus. There is no need to dock points."

"Unless I am quite mistaken, Lupin, you are no longer a part of the Hogwarts staff; therefore, you have no say in when points can be taken from students who think themselves above the rules," Snape said smoothly, examining his fingernails.

"And whose fault is it that he's not a member of the staff anymore?" Harry asked heatedly.

"Detention, Potter. Now get to bed. All of you," Snape said before walking past them out of the Great Hall.

The only thing that kept Sirius from cursing Snape as he left was the presence of Hagrid, McGonagall, and Moody.

"Black, Lupin, if you would be so kind as to walk Potter, Weasley, and Granger to Gryffindor Tower," McGonagall said. "Oh, and Miss Granger, could you hand me that napkin, please?" Hermione reached down, picked up the napkin on the floor, and handed it to McGonagall. "Thank you, Miss Granger. Twenty points to Gryffindor," she said with a small smile and a wink.


"Minerva McGonagall never ceases to amaze me," Sirius said later that night at Number Twelve.

Remus chuckled and nodded in agreement. "She may be tough sometimes, but you can never accuse her of being unfair to her students."

"Very true."

"Well, it's late, and I haven't slept in two days. See you in the morning, Sirius." Remus yawned.

"Night, Moony." Sirius remained in the kitchen long after Remus had gone to bed thinking over what he'd heard throughout the day.

He would be assigning a team of Aurors to monitor Karkaroff's movements in the coming months. He found himself eager to see the Death Eater back in Azkaban to fulfill the sentence that had never should have ended in the first place. Death Eaters should never have been allowed to make deals with the Ministry, no matter what information they had. They could all thank Barty Crouch for that one. Though he hadn't been able to attend the trials for Death Eaters captured after Voldemort's first downfall, Remus told him of many of them. The only one of real importance in Sirius' opinion was Karkaroff's. The more Death Eaters on the loose, the tougher the job would be for the Order of the Phoenix to defeat them.

Of course, it wouldn't be easy now that Voldemort had Lily's and James' magic running through his dirty veins. In school, Sirius learned about how magic of a witch or wizard could be left behind after a tragic demise. And there was nothing more tragic that how the Potters died. James was murdered trying to save his family; Lily was murdered trying to save her only son.

The day would come when Harry would have to face Voldemort on his own. The day would come when Harry would have to either defeat Voldemort or face his own demise. Sirius' only mission in life was to put that day off for as long as possible.

The prophecy was rarely spoken of between Sirius, Remus, and Harry, but they all knew it would never go away. Not until it was fulfilled. As far as Sirius knew, Voldemort was still clueless about the second half of the prophecy's contents. As long as the prophecy remained safe, they could keep Harry safe.

But with a war, undetermined factors came into play. No matter how much he wanted to believe they would all come out of it alive, Sirius worried endlessly about the safety of his family and friends. He learned in the first war that nothing was certain; each day was darker than the one previous.

What would happen in the coming weeks was up to Voldemort. The Order couldn't do anything but continue their search for the Dark Lord until he wanted to make himself known. The longer it took for that moment to come, the worse it would be.

But Sirius Black was prepared to fight with all he had to protect his family. He wouldn't lie down and watch more families suffer like the last time.

What will come will come, but Merlin forbid the moment somebody close to Sirius was harmed again.