The Order members finally took notice that the honoree members where no where to be found.

"Where could they have gotten off to?" Molly asked, worried.

"Not too far Mum, I mean the castle is only one of the biggest in the world." Fred said.

"So we should be able to find them in a jiffy, give or take a day or two." His other half finished.

"It's not funny you two!"

"Come on Mum, its not like Voldemort is going to waltz through the front gates at any moment." Bill said in hopes of calming his over reacting mother. The though of Harry, her adopted son, having to be the one that will be killed or kills the most feared wizard since the age of Grindelwald, had put the poor woman on the edge of hysteria.

"I am sure, Molly, that the teens will be able to take care of themselves." Dumbledore said with his blue eyes twinkling.

Snape muttered something under his breath.

James must have heard Snape mumbling and quickly turned to face him. "If you have something to say Snape, at least have the curtsey to say it loud enough so we can all hear it."

Lily laid a hand on her husband's arm in hopes of calming him.

Snape sneered and opened his mouth to make a come back before his face contoured into a pain filled one, clutching his left fore arm. "If you will excuse me, Headmaster?"

Dumbledore nodded gravely. "Be careful, Severus."

Snape quickly rose from the table and removed his wand, swishing it over his robes, turning them into Death Eater attire, picking up his mask from where it had materialized on the table; he gave a quick nod to the Order then swept around and quickly walked from the hall, his robes billowing out behind him.

Snape stepped out into the cold wind and donned his mask. "Does the Dark Lord have any idea of how cold it is?" He muttered to him self, pushing against the wind and towards the front gates. "Stupid Potter, still hasn't grown up. And the younger one has to be the on to kill the Dark Lord? Wonderful, yet another thing that I have to block from that red-eyed mad-man," Snape snorted.

Walking past the edge of the forest, he thought he heard some thing rustle the undergrowth. Snape assured himself that his wand was in the sleeve of his robe before moving on; embarrassed that a little noise had caused that kind of reaction.

Focusing on the front gates that lay fifty feet in front of him, the animals stepping out of the brush remained un-noticed for a minute or so. Turning quickly, Snape found himself being stalked by a panther, stag and wolf.

He studied them for a moment before speaking. "You three better find your selves in the castle before Mrs. Weasley tears it down looking for you."

The animals' eyes widened, taking a step backwards.

"I do not wish to comeback to find my classroom and office in shambles, believe me when I say that I will hold you three responsible." Snape sneered.

The stag nodded then they turned tail and ran towards the castle.

Snape walked though the gates and disapparated with a crack that echoed into the cold night.

Mean while, Harry, Hermione and Ron were walking through the corridors towards the Great Hall trying to catch their breath.

"How'd he know it was us?" Ron exclaimed.

Hermione shrugged, "Be thankful that he did not take points."

Harry nodded. "I could kind of feel him probing my mind when he was staring at me; I guess that's how he know it was us. It doesn't help that I have that confounded scar on my forehead even when I am 'Storm.'"

"What do you make of the meeting?" Ron asked a minute later. "Bet it'll be more exciting after Snape returns."

"Like they'll really let us attaint another meeting; if it was not for your Dad, Harry, We would not have even gotten to stay for that one." Hermione said, walking through the Great Hall doors as the swung open for them. "Did you two even take notes?"

Ron's ears got red. "What was there to take notes on? You-know-who is out there somewhere planning who knows what and the Order is at a bit of a lost of what to do?"

Hermione crossed her arms and glared at him.

"Oh there you all are!" Mrs. Wesley cried upon seeing them.

"We're fine Mrs. Wesley." Hermione assured the older woman.

"Oh I just got so worried."

Ron rolled his eyes at Harry behind Hermione's back.

Suddenly Harry clapped his hand to his scar. A white-hot pain was burning in it. He managed to stumble to a chair and sink into it.

Lily had wide eyes and looked towards her husband. James did not know what to say, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Hermione and Ron ran to their friend's side. "What is it mate?" Ron asked.

"Happy. Planning something." And with that, Harry blacked out.

Lily let out a muffled scream and rushed to her son's side. "What's going on?" She asked, looking up at the headmaster.

Dumbledore shook his head. "We will know when Mr. Potter wakes."

"We can't just leave him there." Hermione said, wringing her hands and looking around for a comfortable place to let Harry lie.

With a quick swish James had transfigured one of the chairs into an over-stuffed couch, complete with a blanket and pillows. An added flick levitated the couch and set it down in front of the fireplace.

Remus lifted the 16-year-old from the chair and carried him over to the couch.

Lily followed and covered her son in the blanket, propping his head up with one of the pillows, smoothing away his bangs, un-intently revealing the lighting bolt scar that had turned a fiery red.

The Order members had surrounded the couch and where looking sadly down at one of their youngest members.

The teens looked up with disgust at them. "He's not an animal in the zoo you know!" Ginny barked at them.

They nodded sadly and backed away from them, going towards the table. Remus, Sirius, James, Lily, Hermione, Ginny, Ron, Fred and George remained.

Lily was stroking her son's hair; James sat at the end of the couch, starring into the fire but not seeing it.

Harry was mumbling in his sleep and twitching, his eyes moving rapidly under his lids.

Hermione, Ron, the twins and Ginny quietly moved away. Leaving Sirius and Remus to try and comfort the couple.

Sirius took James while Remus went over and kneeled by Lily's knee.

"He'll be alright James." Sirius said softly, as not to startle him.

James nodded stiffly.

Sirius sighed. "You are the worst person to get to talk when you're upset."

James sharply turned towards Sirius. "That's my son, who I have not seen sincehe was one. One! Yes, you might have not seen him since then either but you get to see him grow up from his third year. I got nothing; my baby has gone from one to sixteen in a matter of seconds to me!" James starred hard at Sirius before turning back to the fire.

"Do you really think I have had it better? Sitting in Azkaban for twelve years, the only thoughts on my mind where those of how I had betrayed my best friend- no, my brother and his wife. Not to mention the thought of my godson and the faith that awaited him as soon as Hagrid flew off. You and I both know what Lily's sister is like and her thoughts towards Lily. I could only hope that they could put that behind them and take care of her son. But I knew better. Remus could not have taken Harry, what with those idiotic laws. I may have seen Harry grow up a bit, but don't you think of one minute that I had it better just because I was alive."

"He called you a father." James mumbled.

Sirius sat down next to James. "I figured that he saw me as that from the end of his fourth year on. I could see it in his eyes. I so wished it was you that he was looking at like that, not me. I didn't want to take you place, James."

"You sure filled it well enough."

Sirius growled and stalked back to the table where the rest of the Order was sitting, he poured himself a goblet of wine that had appeared and set out to nurse it thought the night; contemplating how annoying brothers can be.

"He's had to go through this before Lily, he get thought it again," Remus said, laying a hand on the red heads knee.

Lily brought her green eyes; heavy with tears up to met the concerned brown ones of the werewolf. She nodded sadly.

Remus stood and embraced her, "Shhh, do you think Harry would like to see you weeping all over him?

Snape apparated into a dark forest, smoothing his robes and dusting them off; Taking a moment to clear his mind before heading towards the fire that was just out of the edge of the woods.

Glad that he was one of the first to arrive, Snape dropped to his knees a few feet away from Voldemort and crawled the rest of the way, kissing the hem of the Dark Lords robes Snape murmured, "My Lord."

"Ah, Severus, the muggle lover not giving you to much trouble?"

Snape kept his head down, "No Master, I managed to get away from the holiday festivities before you called."

"Always the sly one Severus."

"Thank you my Lord." Snape said, inclining his head and backing into his standard position in the circle.

Over the next few minutes 'pops' where heard, dark robes figures approaching Voldemort and kissing his robes.

"Tonight should be entertaining." A silky voice drawled.

An invisible shudder ran through Snape, what the Dark Lord planned as entertainment was usually much different then the definition Snape would give. "Why is that, Lucius?"

"New members, a few muggles; also heard that Bellatrix will be punished for what happened in the summer."

"I am surprised to see you here tonight."

Malfoy chuckled. "No Dementors at Azkaban, not to much of a challenge."

Snape sneered under his mask. "Still took you long enough, The Dark Lord has not been too happy these last few months."

"I never heard anything about him sending help." There was a note of sadness in the blonde death eater's voice.

Snape had to choke back a laugh. "How did you manage to get out with out alerting the Daily Prophet?"

"Just got out two nights ago, a few memory charms, imagine there be something in there tomorrow when one of the, outside, Aurors makes his rounds."

"Have you been home yet? Narcissa will be pleased no doubt, as well as Draco."

"I was headed home before we were summoned."

By that time all the places in the circle had been filled. Nagini, the snake, was slithering around the outside of the circle. Voldemort was taking his customary walk around the circle, glaring into every Death Eaters eyes to detect any ounce of un- loyally. Moving from Crabbe to Malfoy, Snape refocused all of his thoughts towards those of the Dark Lord.

Red eyes locked into brown, so dark that they almost where black. Voldemort smirked and moved on. Snape let out a breath he did not know he was holding and watched the rest of the death eaters get 'integrated'.

"Worried about something Severus?" Malfoy sr. asked.

"Nothing that would concern you."

"Of course."

Voldemort had finished his walk and resumed his place in the middle of the circle. "My loyal Death Eaters, I am glad to see my circle complete once more, we have numerous things to discuss tonight. Severus, let me start with you."

Snape took a deep breath before speaking. "Yes, My Lord?"

"Do you or do you not bring news of what that muggle loving fool is doing?"

"I do, Master."

Voldemort inclined his head the merest half-inch and took seat on his high back chair that was in the center of the circle, right by the fire. Nagini curled up at his feet.

Severus took a step into the circle and began to speak. "Dumbledore still trusts me, although he is still not informing me of the most sensitive plans. Potter is staying at Hogwarts for the holiday break, and will more then likely stay for the Easter holiday as well."

Voldemort was rubbing his chin in thoughtfulness. "I take it the boy is very well protected."

Snape nodded. "The brat can not take two steps with out a professor popping up to check on him." He let some of his venom that he felt about Harry seep into his voice.

Voldemort chuckled. "Do not worry my boy; he will get what is coming to him."

Snap bowed his head. "Thank you My Lord."

"Continue."

Snape racked his brains for anything to feed Voldemort. "There is a plan I heard some about. They want to put the boy into hiding, a safe location if you will, over the coming summer. They are thinking someplace in the mountains of Romania." As far as Snape knew, the mountains held nothing but mountain goats and where the dragons where kept was thousands of miles away. Anyway, the Order had dismissed the plan almost as soon had it had been thought of. "Ridiculous!" Snape remembered Mrs. Weasley exclaiming.

"That is good to know. Is that all you have heard?"

"Regretfully, yes, Master."

"Not up to your usual standers, Severus, disappointing."

Snape hung his head what looked like shame, but really it was because he did not want to see the Crucitatus cruse coming for him. Instinct told him to move but doing so you would find yourself dead in a mater of seconds, Derringham found that out the hard way.

Snape could hear it whistling towards him and braced himself. Suddenly he was over come with intense pain, like white-hot knives piercing every inch of his body, his bones felt like they were on melting, his very veins had caught fire. He would not give Voldemort the satisfaction of hearing him scream.

"I hope that will encourage you to do better next time, Severus."

"Of course master, you are most kind." Snape bowed and backed into his position in the circle.

"Dolohov, what do you have for me?"

"You where let off easy." Malfoy hissed out of the corner of his mouth.

"Don't need to tell me that." Snape hissed back.

Time passed and Snape's mind was stuffed to the brim with all of the information he was obtaining.

"Wormtail, bring the new ones forward."

"Yes master." Wormtail bowed himself out of the circle and returned minutes later with a couple. He led them through his empty space and to Voldemort's feet, pushing them roughly on their backs, making them fall to their knees.

Voldemort smiled, fingering his wand lovingly. "So you wish to join my circle?"

The couple kept their heads down, the male spoke: "We crave to be apart of your noble work. We-"

"That will do." He stood and walked around them. "And you are willing to carry out my orders, any order that I give you?"

This time the female answered. "Anything that you assign us, we will carry out to perfection."

Voldemort nodded. "You do realize that you will have to be tested to see if you are worthy enough to wear my mark."

The couple shuddered a bit before answering together. "We do."

Voldemort looked around the circle, picking out those who he saw were worthy enough to test the new comers. "Lucius, Macnair, Jugson, and . . . Severus."

The chosen stepped in to the circle.

"Rise," Voldemort hissed, taking his place back in his chair.

Malfoy went first. Head of Muggle torture before Voldemort's fall, he was well versed in testing the Dark Lords new followers. He had them writhing on the ground in a matter of moments, screaming in pain. Macnair, employed by the Ministry for the execution of dangerous creatures, not letting the couple get more then two breaths of air before taking over. Jugson was next, nothing too special about him, or his testing.

Snape took a deep breath; he seemed to be doing that a lot. 'Not the time to be thinking about that.' He reminded him self. Jugson stepped back and left Snape standing in front of the sweaty, bloody, couple. Snape allowed them to shakily, get to their feet. He had to make a quick decision. To let them pass with a quick 'Crucio' or really lay it on and render them insane and not fit to serve under the Dark Lord, therefore making the Order's job easier in rounding them all up, especially after the Azkaban break out. But what would Voldemort believe a loyal Snape to do?

The couple was facing him. The man had fear in his eyes, but determination to prove that he would not be reduced to dirt. 'To late my friend, as soon as that mark hits your arm, you are filth.' Snape thought. 'Take it from experience.'

"Crucio!"

A few hours later Harry stirred, blinking against the assault the firelight was playing on his eyes. There were two figures at the end of the couch. Harry squinted, trying to make them out but could not with out his glasses.

Raising himself up on his elbows he drew the attention of his parents. "Oh, Harry!" Lily untangled herself from her husband's arms and rushed to her son's side. Engulfing him in a hug, Harry distantly remembered what a motherly hug felt like from two years ago. Harry returned the hug, his face buried in his mother long red hair.

Lily pulled back reluctantly, looking him over. "Are you ok?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah,"

James retrieved Harry's glasses from the mantel. "You gave us quite a scare," He said, handing his son the glasses with a worried look.

Harry blushed a bit, slipping on his glasses he noticed the Great Hall was dark except for the starlight that shined down from the enchanted ceiling and a glow from the table in the middle of the room with the Order sitting stonily around it.

Standing, Harry walked over to the table, sitting back at his spot between Remus and Sirius, all where looking at Harry expectedly.

"Is there any thing you need to tell us Harry?" Dumbledore asked softly.

Harry nodded and opened his mouth to speak, but the doors to the Great Hall opened and everyone turned their attention to them. A dark figure was striding toward them, taking off the mask and turning his death-eater robes back to his normal ones along the way.

"Headmaster,"

"Ah, Severus, are you all right?"

"I'm fine-" Snape caught the look Harry was giving him and raised an eyebrow.

"You really should sit down Professor."

Snape sneered at him. "And what right do you have to order me around."

Harry shrugged. "I just think that you should sit down before you collapse, that's all. Three Cruciatus Cruses tire you out."

Snape was very good at hiding his surprise and merely sat down across from Harry. "Are you starting or am I?"

Harry was wiping away sleep from his eyes. "Be my guest."

"I was one of the first to arrive, a few others were there, I could not figure out whom-"

"Avery, Rookwood, Rabastan, and Malfoy." Harry interrupted.

Everyone started at him, excluding Snape who merrily nodded. "I take it you were there from the very beginning?"

Harry nodded.

"The rest of the wizarding population will here about it, probably tomorrow, but there has been a break out of Azkaban," Gasps were heard from around the table. Dumbledore sat up a little straighter. "All Death Eaters captured at the Ministry have escaped. Malfoy said that they broke out two nights ago and the reason it has not been reported yet is because they placed memory charms on anything and everything that breathed."

Snape then recounted what he told Voldemort about Harry and the summer hiding idea. "I take it that you are not staying for Easter break?"

Harry shook his head no.

"Good, he expects you to be here. Bellatrix was torched to near insanity for her mishap in the summer."

Sirius had a satisfied look on his face.

"They are planning an attack. In a muggle neighborhood in the middle of January, Malfoy is to be leading it, as a sort of reward for escaping. But he did not receive it till he had proved his loyalty. A muggle woman was provided." Snape did not elaborate.

"The Dark Lord is determined to lay his hands on someone who knows the contents of the prophecy. And you where right, Headmaster, an attack on Hogwarts is planned for the end of the school year; it is still in the very beginning stages though and could very well get cased aside."

Snape took a sip from his goblet. "There are two new Death Eaters, a couple, Maddox is their last name. He asked me to help test them, so he still has trust in me."

Snape turned to Harry who took it as an invitation to tell what he knew.

"I don't have too much to add. After you all were dismissed, Wormtail was asked to stay behind."

Snape raised an eyebrow.

"It seems that he is testing your loyalty. The rat should arrive tomorrow and will be spying on us/you for about a week, from the forest and, if he can manage it, from the dungeons also."

"So all we have to do is catch him." James said, leaning back in his chair. "Voldemort's less one follower and we have harder evidence for Sirius case."

"Not so easy Potter. If we catch him in the first day or two, it will be awkward to how we knew he would be there. It has to be in the last three days."

"The full moon is in four days. We could try to find him then. Knowing Wormtail he will have forgotten and not take any precautions in hiding." Remus said thoughtfully.

Snape nodded. "That should work."

"I am not sure about you, but I am ready to turn in." Dumbledore said getting up. "I will have those papers ready for you by noon, James, at the latest. Severus, I advise you get some sleep before Madam Profpehy hunts you down."

Snape glared at Dumbledore, who offered him a smile. Snape then turned on his heel and stalked out of the hall.

Everyone also stood, saying his or her good-byes and heading over to the fireplace to floo home. Fred, George and Ginny joined their mother and father at the fireplace. The twins' clamed that they had to get beck to the shop, Ginny said that she had homework that needed to be done.

Reaching the common room, everyone headed strait to bed. Lily came over before Harry could clime the staircase and kissed his forehead. "Sweet dreams honey." She murmured and stared to turn away.

Harry nodded, turned and then turned back. "M- Mum?"

"Yes?"

Harry walked towards her and embraced her; Lily quickly returned the hug, stroking her son's messy black hair. She looked over his shoulder to James, her eyes glittering brightly.

James offered her a soft smile as he sat down on the couch.

Harry finally released his mother, blushing a bit. Lily softly smiled, kissed his scar and went up to bed.

Harry stood there for a moment, watching her go, then shook his head as if to shake off an annoying fly and climbed the stairs to his room.

James's eyes followed his son up the stairs, and then resumed staring into the fire. Not taking in any of his surroundings, he was trying to concentrate on what he heard that night. But his thoughts kept returning to his son. The last memory he had of Harry was when he was a year and five months old. James had just finished cleaning Harry up from dinner that night and had taken him to Lily so she could put him to bed. He then returned downstairs to absorb the new Quidditch Weekly. Then a knock came at the door and a second later it was blown off it's hinges.

James growled. That idiot Wormtail, it would be lucky if he lived to get to Sirius's trial if James had anything to say about it. Sirius's trial. That brought about another round of emotions. His best friend, no, his brother, had been thrown in jail with no trial, no questioning, nothing!

"I can't take it." James said to the empty common room and stormed out the portrait hole, not even acknowledging the fat lady as she bid him a good evening. James would have been discussed if he had known that his robes were billowing much like a certain potions professor.

Opening the front doors to the castle, James took in a deep breath to clear his head. 'Popping' he turned into Prongs and started running, not in any clear direction, just running. Maybe trying to run from the problem's his family was facing; his friends, the Order, the wizarding world, hell the whole world.

James almost did not notice a large shape staring into the lake. Slowing up, he quietly walked towards it, all to aware of his hard breathing and the white puffs of air that were escaping out of his nostrils. Getting closer towards it, James could make out antlers attached to a brown stag, slightly smaller then himself.

James snorted and the stag quickly turned his head in alarm. They just looked at each other. Harry slowly rose, staring eye to eye.

'Well, now what?' Harry thought. A sudden thought came to Harry; he punched his father in the shoulder with his nose and took off, leaving a bewildered James. Harry looked over his shoulder, smirking, if stags could smirk that is.

A light bulb clicked on over James head. Soon the two were racing over the grounds. Harry would slow down, giving James the impression that he was catching up to him, before sprinting away.

James finally caught up with his son. They both slowly walked to a tree, familiar to the both of them, laying themselves down, they both 'popped' back. James quickly conjured a fire to keep them warm. They both stared out over the lake, reflecting the almost full moon and the glistening stars.

"Dad?"

"Hmm?"

Harry heisted, and then shook his head, "Never mind."

"You sure?"

Harry nodded. 'Now is not the time to bring that subject up.' He told himself as they lapsed back into a comfortable silence.

"You two certainly had a late night." Lily remarked as James and Harry descended the stairs.

Grunts were the answer she received. "Like father, like son." She remarked. Sirius soon joined them. "Like godfather too it seems."

"When is Dumbledore supposed to have those papers together?" Sirius asked through a yawn.

James shrugged. "Sometime today."

If on cue, a small 'pop' was heard and a figure dressed in many, hand-made, socks and hats appeared in-front of the fireplace.

"Hello, Dobby." Harry said, smiling down at the house elf.

"Mr. Harry Potter, sir! Dobby has missed your visits, sir!"

"Sorry about that Dobby." Ron said, shuffling a pack of exploding snap. "But-"

"How is Winky?" Hermione interrupted.

"Winky is good ma'am, not drinking so much now!"

"That's good."

"Do you need something Dobby?" Harry asked.

"Oh! Forgive me, Mr. Harry Potter, sir! Professor Dumbledore asked Dobby to give these papers to Mr. James Potter, sir. Dobby knows that Mr. James Potter is not alive but Dobby did not tell that to Professor Dumbledore. Dobby thought to take them to Harry Potter, sir." Dobby handed Harry a roll of parchment. "Dobby is to take them back to Professor Dumbledore when you are done with them, sir."

Harry accepted the parchment and calmly handed it over to James.

Dobby's green eyes widened. "Mr.- Mr.- Mr.- James Po- Po- Potter, sir?" He squeaked out.

James nodded as he was reading down the parchment.

"Oh it is an honor to meet you sir!"

James looked up over the parchment. "The pleasure is all mine Dobby. Harry has told me all about you, and how you saved his life two years ago."

Dobby blushed all the way to his bat like ear's.

"Dobby this is my mum, Lily Potter." Harry said, nodding towards his mother.

"Mrs. Lily Potter, ma'am!" Dobby bowed low, the hats threatening to tip over but managed to stay on, mostly likely a bit of magic helped. "Dobby now sees where Mr. Harry Potter gets his eyes from, ma'am!"

Lily grinned at the small elf, making Dobby's ears look like Ron's hair.

James had passed the parchment to Remus to see what he thought about it. "Seems alright Prongs," He said, passing it to Sirius.

Sirius quickly glanced it over, "Whoa! Wait one minute. Look there Prongs." Sirius pointed out a small paragraph at the bottom of the page.

James read it over again. "Ha! There is no way that I am signing this with that on here!"

"What is it James?" Lily asked, leaning over his shoulder.

"He wants up to register!"

Lily looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Animagi! There is no way I am registering!"

"Prongs, we have no hope with Padfoot's case if you don't tell them. How are you going to explain Wormtail?" Remus reasoned.

"I hate it that you're the reasonable one." James huffed.

Lily smiled and kissed James's cheek. "I think that you could reason with Fudge. For never giving Sirius a trial, request that you two remain un-registered and that he tells no one."

James smiled at his wife, and then turned to Dobby. "Could you tell Dumbledore that we will discuss the agreement over breakfast?"

"Oh, of course, sir! Dobby will be happy to, sir!" And he exited with a 'pop'.

"That elf is a little . . . odd." James remarked.

"He's only like that because Harry freed him in our second year. Dobby practically worships the ground Harry walks on." Ron shot Harry a grin.

Harry glared at him and Ron's cards exploded.

"Hey!"

"James, I understand, but you are going to have no hope in Sirius's trial if you don't tell the Minster." Dumbledore tried to reason with the Marauder.

"But telling him is a lot different then registering." Sirius said as he reached for another piece of toast. "He can't register us. But can't we bribe him into keeping it secret?"

"How would you manage that?" McGonagall asked.

"Well, Sirius never got a trial, so it would be compassion of sorts. So we don't go running his reputation by telling people that he left Sirius and who knows who else in Azkaban with knowledge that they had never had a trial, or even a formal questioning." Lily said angrily.

McGonagall nodded. "And make sure you get him to sign a agreement that he will not disclose the information. I'm sure Miss Granger could help you with it."

Hermione blushed.

Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling had he waved his wand over the parchment and handed it back to James.

James read it over, then transfigured a spare fork into a quill and signed the bottom. He handed it to Lily who did the same.

The parchment disappeared in a wisp of smoke, many miles away it re-appeared on the desk of a Minster who was in for a very odd week.

James leaned back in his chair. "Now what do we do?"

"I have some first year essays that you can grade." Remus smirked at his fellow Marauder.

"No thanks Moony."

"I'll help Remus." Lily smacked James shoulder. "You should rest before the full moon comes."

Remus nodded. "Your probably right."

"Of course I'm right."

"And what about us?" Sirius complained. "We have to be out all night too and we don't extra rest?"

Harry, Hermione and Ron kept unusually quite.

"Ok, grip it here. That's right, keep one foot on the ground so you don't fall over." Sirius said to Harry, making good on his promise to teach his godson to drive the Black Shadow.

Harry was a bit nervous. All you had to do with his Firebolt was yell "Up!" swing your leg over it and kick off. A hippogriff was a bit harder, but still not as nerve racking as riding something that if you did anything wrong it would stop in mid-air and drop like one of Hagrid's rock cakes.

"There you go, now turn the key and-"

"Wait! You're letting me drive, by myself?" Harry shakily asked.

Sirius grinned. "You're telling me that you can face Voldemort but your scared to drive a motorcycle?"

Harry did not reply, just scowled at his godfather.

"All right, all right," Sirius swung his leg smoothly over the seat. "Your driving, I'm here incase you mess up."

"Thanks for the confidence Padfoot."

"You're quite welcome Storm. Now, as I was saying, turn the key."

Harry did so and the engine roared to life. A wide grin spread over Sirius's face. "Good, now slowly turn the handle." They began to move ever so slowly. "Lift your foot up at turn it some more."

All too soon for Harry, Sirius reached around and pressed the gold button on the side of the handle bar. They rose into the air, about a foot off the ground.

"How do you go higher?" Harry asked.

Sirius pointed down to pedals that had sprung up from no where. "Left to go down, Right to go up."

Harry tentatively put a bit of presser on the right one. Rising into the air, Harry face split into a wide grin. He now understood why Sirius liked this so much. It was different from the feeling of floating in mid-air with nothing but a stick to hold you up. You could actually feel the power radiating from it.

"Go back down a bit." Sirius requested after a while

Harry let off of the right pedal and pressed on the left. Once they were back to the original foot of the ground, Harry started to press the gold button to get fully back on the ground before Sirius stopped him. He stepped off the bike.

Harry was looking at his godfather like he had lost his mind.

"Now, don't go over the forest or the lake. And don't go any higher if you can't see me." Sirius instructed. "And don't look at me like I'm mad, I get that enough from your mother."

Harry laughed and pushed on the right pedal, soaring into the air.

Sirius swept snow from a bench and sat down.

"He's a lot better with that blasted thing then I am." James remarked, taking a seat next to Sirius.

"Sorry to say it but you are pretty bad Prongs." Sirius said. "Where is Mrs. Prongs and Moony?"

"Grading essays, they almost had me into it before I escaped."

"And you left Eclipse and Flame with them? Prongs!"

James shrugged. "Eclipse is happy to help and Flame is looking over new Quidditch moves to talk to Storm about when he gets back."

They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Padfoot?"

"Hmm?" Sirius had his eyes trained on his bike and Harry as they flew around the grounds.

"I just wanted to say that, well- I'm sorry for last night."

Sirius turned towards James and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I was acting like a prat and-"

Sirius smiled. "You're forgiven."

"So you're not going to hold one of your massive grudges against me, pretending to be over it but really not?"

"Only if you want me to."

The full moon was due to rise with in the hour. Remus had just downed his last goblet of the Wolfsbane before heading out of the common room, accompanied with James, Sirius, Hermione, Ron and Harry.

Lily said she would be fine and headed out with them, turning to the left as they turned right to make her way to the staff quarters. "Don't worry about me." She had said. "Amanda and I have a lot more to catch up on."

The group silently made their way across the grounds, careful to stay in the shadows to avoid a certain rat eyes. They sneaked up to the Womping Willow; James expertly punched the knot before the swinging limbs could be noticed for more then just wind.

Harry reached the door first and causally opened it. The shack looked the same as it did last month. A spot on the carpet could be made out from where a wolf, panther, stag and werewolf spent the night every month.

James looked around. "Hasn't changed one bit; hey! We have to go find that cabinet!" he took off for the steps and they could here him thumping around above them. Sirius raced after him calling:

"Hey! Wait for me!"

Remus smiled and shook his head as he watched them run off. Turning back around he found the comforting sight that had greeted him every month; a stag, wolf and panther, standing side by side.

Remus walked over and petted them each in turn. "What did I do to deserve this?" He asked quietly. Hermione pushed her cold nose against his open palm. Remus smiled softly, then his face courted, limbs shaking.

Eclipse started barking to draw the other's attention before Flame could put a paw over her muzzle. Golden eyes glared at the big cat.

By that time a werewolf had taken Remus's place and he was looking at them with laughter dancing in his golden eyes.

Hermione gave him a look that clearly told him to shut up. She brushed Ron's paw off her nose before walking past them all with her tail in the air.

Remus staked up to the stairs and quietly slipped into the bedroom where James and Sirius were going though the contents of the cabinet.

"Oi! Look at this!" Sirius exclaimed to James.

James took it. "Our notes on how to become Animagi, I remember, we left this here incase another werewolf came to Hogwarts."

Remus gave a threatening growl from the doorway.

James jumped about a foot in the air before he turned around and saw a full-fledged werewolf with his teeth bared at him.

James sat as stone dead still as the werewolf slowly advanced on him till they were nose to nose. James was looking scared out of his wits, before Remus opened his mouth and gave him a sloppy kiss on his cheek.

"Moony!" James exclaimed, smacking the werewolf lightly across the snout. "Should have known you would have done something like that," He got up off the floor.

"Don't worry Prongs. He did the same thing to me. Though I must say I did not react the same as you did." Sirius had to jump out of the way as James aimed to cuff his head.

They made their way down the stairs and over to the stag, wolf and panther. The wolf and panther were facing off at each other while the stag watched in amusement

"Children!" Sirius exclaimed in his best Professor Lupin voice. "You know better then that!"

Hermione and Ron looked rather guilty.

"These things are continued outside."

And on that note they all raced for the door; Remus taking the lead, followed by Hermione, Ron, Harry and then James and Sirius, who closed the door.

Making their way out of the tunnel, Hermione raced after Ron, Sirius quickly transformed and Remus took no time in pouncing on the bear like dog. James turned into Prongs and stood by Harry at the edge of the forest.

After a while, James and Harry took off in opposite directions, rounding up the rest of the 'pack' and driving them towards the forest. In an unspoken agreement, Remus took the lead with Harry, James and Hermione ran side by side, as did Ron and Sirius, breaking into the forest.

Remus had his nose to the ground, as did all the canines, and Ron, trying to pick up Wormtail's trail. Suddenly his ears perked up, picking up speed they raced into the depths of the forest, moon light fighting to make it thought the tree tops.

Moony led them to a small break in the trees where he stuck his nose up in the air, Hermione and Sirius broke from the pack and joined the werewolf in frantically smelling the ground and air. After a good five minutes with no scent found, Hermione stopped, her golden eyes seemed to shine more brightly.

Quickly 'popping' back to her original form, she reached for her wand, aiming it high into the night sky she cried out, "Olorrastro!" A green light shot into the sky before breaking apart and showering the forest in sparks.

Sirius was the first to find the hidden trail, barking excitedly as he took off. After a while he slowed, his ears moving at any and all sounds.

Harry was worried that they had lost the trail and were now in the middle of a huge forest, playing hide and seek with a death-eater.

From the look of the Stag beside him they had no worries, James could read Padfoot better then Harry could.

They picked up the pace again and Harry began to detect a scent that Remus, Sirius, Hermione and Ron must have smelled from the beginning. It reminded Harry of a dirty, public bathroom.

Sirius and Remus had changed positions and Remus was stalking up on something in front of them.

Harry figured it would be soon.

The crunching of undergrowth was the only sound in the forest for at least five minutes as they stalked in a single line deeper and deeper into the forest.

With a roar that made Hermione, Ron and Harry jump out of their skins; Remus lunged out, his mouth wide open, displaying the werewolf's huge teeth, shinning in the moonlight; pouncing on something in the dark a few feet ahead of the rest of them.

By that time Hermione, Ron, Harry, James and Sirius had returned to their human forms, wands lit, illuminating a ten-foot circle in the black forest. Remus was walking back towards them; clearly he had a mouth full of something, with a sliver arm sticking out of the front, carefully not touching any of the werewolf's skin.

Walking into the middle of the circle, Remus spat out a very wet rat whose violent shivering was not brought on by the cold, rather the five wands surrounding him and one very mad werewolf.

"Are we going to have to force you or are you going to turn back by your own free will?" James growled.

The rat had heisted to long and was engulfed in blue-white light; he was twisting like mad before another blinding flash of light. He was growing; a full-grown man was shivering on the forest floor in front of them.

"Get up." Sirius snarled at him, wand trained at Wormtail's heart.

Wormtail got to his feet, looking at the faces that made up the circle, looking for a way to escape, but from the look on his face, he knew it, this was the end.

"JJames." Pettigrew squeaked, then he saw Remus, snarling and looking ready to kill. The only thing that held him back was Hermione, trying to calm him by stroking the top of his head, and whispering into his ear.

"We're all together again. The Marauder's-"

Within a second James was at Pettigrew's throat with his wand. "NEVER call yourself a Marauder, ever again!" James whispered deadly. "The only thing that's keeping me from killing you the moment that you appeared is that fact that we need you for Sirius's trial. And I am sure Remus would have no qualms about ripping your throat out."

"JJ—James, you don't understand"

"WHAT? All I understand is that the reason my son grew up an orphan is because of you! The reason the last memory of Harry is when he was one is because of you! The reason I never got to teach him how to fly, to play Quidditch, to pass on the cloak, to tell him about all the secret passages in Hogwarts, to see his face when he got he letter is because of you! The reason Voldemort is back is because of you! The reason my best friend was in Azkaban for twelve years is because of you!"

Harry was sure that smoke would soon pour from his father's ears.

Big, fat tears began to pour from Pettigrews beady eyes. "James, James, he would have killed me James."

"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared James. "DIED RATHER THEN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!

Pettigrew was trembling so violently that he looked on the verge of tipping over. His beady eyes fixed to James's red face.

Sirius advanced on Pettigrew "Do you know what it is like sit in Azkaban? When you're innocent but charged with the murder of your best friends? To know that you could be the one to look after your godson, like you are supposed to do, but can't; feeling that you let down the people that matter most to you." Glaring daggers, Sirius waited for a response from the whimpering excuse for a full-grown wizard.

When one did not come, Sirius sneered and backed up a few feet, giving the trio the room they would need.

While Ron was transfiguring a stick into a cage, Hermione and Harry had forced Pettigrew back into Wormtail. Ron presented the cage and Harry picked up the surprisingly docile rat and dropped him into the cage. All three of them preformed an unbreakable charm to be sure that Wormtail was not going anywhere. They were not going to take any chances.

Harry, Ron, James and Sirius had already turned back into Storm, Flame, Prongs and Padfoot, Moony by their side, leaving Hermione standing in the middle of them, holding the cage.

"And may I ask how I am getting back?" She asked, tapping her foot impatiently.

Storm walked over to a fallen log and looked at Hermione expectantly.

"You want me to ride on your back?"

The stag rolled his eyes. 'So much for being a know-it-all Hermione' Harry thought, chuckling on the inside.

Hermione grumbled to herself as she walked over to the log. Stepping up on it she swung her right leg over his back and wrapped an arm around his neck to pull her self up. Settling close to his shoulders, Hermione placed the cage in her lap, one hand on it and the other around his neck.

Harry swung his head around, amusement dancing in his eyes as he made sure she was settled.

"Cheeky brat," Hermione muttered as they stared off in a light lope towards the castle.

Hundreds of miles away, an Auror opened the door to the Minster's office on his last check of the night, making sure everyone was out. In the dark, a lumpy figure was slumped on top of the Minster's desk.

The Auror advanced on the figure with wand drawn, as he got closer an empty bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey and a scroll could be made out in the darkness.

"Mr. Fudge!"

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Mrs. Fawkes