Disclaimer: Believe me, nothing would give me more joy than buying Harry Potter out from under JK Rowling, thus making all content and characters mine and leaving her in the dust. But I'm not that rich, so I don't own Harry Potter.

Chapter 43

"So, this is what the library looks like?" George Weasley grinned as he and his brother sat down across from Harry and Hermione. "The architecture really is quite splendid, isn't it Fred?"

"Simply superb, George." Fred had an impish smile of his own. "The organization of illustrious volumes by content is what really sells it for me. You know, I might actually stop by here now that I know just how beautiful it is."

"Are you two finished?" Hermione glowered, slamming the Marauder's Map on the table. The mischievous demeanor that the Weasley twins were famous for vanished instantly, and they nodded. "Tell us about the passages into Hogwarts."

"Ah, planning on sneaking out, are you?" George snickered. "Away from prying eyes?"

"Shut up." Harry mumbled, fighting the blush that was slowly creeping up on his face. "It's not like that. It's about Sirius Black."

"That so?" Fred's eyebrows shot towards the cavernous ceilings above them.

"We have reason to believe," Hermione began in a very matter-of-fact tone, "that Sirius Black was one of the creators of this map."

"No way!" The twins exclaimed in unison. "Wicked!"

"Not wicked!" Hermione fired back, her nostrils flaring. The redheads shut their mouths and nodded meekly. "Since he might be one of the creators of the Marauder's Map, it's entirely possible that he knows about the ways into Hogwarts castle."

"Ah, so you reckon that's how he got to the Fat Lady." Fred said nonchalantly.

"And eventually the bed of one Ickle Ronniekins." George added, equally unbothered.

"Well…yes." Hermione blinked in surprise at the twins' quick conclusion.

"And you want to know which passages are worth considering."

"As a suitable means for breaking into Hogwarts."

"You know, if you two used this logical ability in the classroom, you would both be – "

"Granger, you've already dragged us to the library." Fred huffed. "Please don't start lecturing us on our academic habits."

"That's what you've got Harry for! Well, besides snogging on the Quidditch pitch." George added with a wink in Harry's direction.

"Our tongues stayed inside our mouths after the match, thank you very much!" Hermione fired back at the winking twin. "Plus, you're one to talk."

"Hermione," Harry whispered, "that's George. Fred's the one who snogged Angelina."

"Oh, enough about kissing!" Hermione threw her hands up in exasperation, and the Weasley twins bit their fists to stifle their laughter. "Honestly, you would think the jokes would be cast aside when we're talking about a mass-murderer."

"Alright, alright." Fred sighed, unable to subdue his grin. "You want to know what we know about the passages, am I correct?"

Harry and Hermione nodded in unison. Fred took the map and unfolded it in its entirety, glancing over his shoulders to make sure nobody was nearby. Truth be told, there was no need to worry. It was a gorgeous Saturday in mid-May, and most of the student body was out on the grounds or enjoying the castle at their leisure rather than worry about schoolwork in the library.

"There's seven passages that lead from this very castle into Hogsmeade village." Fred began in an uncharacteristically professorial voice. "We'll start with the ones out of commission. This one here, the one behind that mirror on the fourth floor, is completely caved in about halfway through."

"It's completely useless." George jumped in, sounding equally pedagogical. "No amount of digging or spells will get you through that rubble. So no need to worry about that one."

"This one here, the entrance is right underneath the Whomping Willow." Fred continued, pointing to a tunnel that originated on the Hogwarts grounds.

"The famed Nimbus-killer." George snickered. "The tree, as I'm sure you're aware, is sentient and has a nasty habit of whipping its branches around to attack anything and everything in sight. Going near the Whomping Willow is a death sentence, so once again, no need to worry about that one."

"Now, here's where it gets a bit complicated." Fred sighed, his eyes darting around the map. "Here, here, here, and here. These are the four passages that the beloved – did I say beloved? I meant reviled – Argus Filch is aware of. We know he often checks them at night and when he suspects students may be sneaking into the village for some privacy."

"Valentine's Day, right after big Quidditch victories, Hogsmeade visits." George elucidated.

"The problem is, he doesn't constantly check them. So it's perfectly possible that Black used one of these to break into the castle."

"No." Harry suddenly perked up, a triumphant smile on his face. "When Black attacked the Fat Lady, it was on Halloween – the day of the first Hogsmeade trip. So Filch would have been prowling the passages, right?" He waited for the twins to nod before continuing. "And when he broke into Gryffindor Tower, that was the night of the match against Ravenclaw, when we won to stay in first place. Surely that counts as a big Quidditch victory?"

"I suppose it does." George grinned. "We threw quite the party, didn't we Fred?"

"Quite the party." Fred smirked. "Alright, then. So that leaves one last passage." He placed his finger on a spot in the third-floor corridor. "Are you two familiar with the statue of the One-Eyed Witch?"

"You mean Gunhilda de Gorsemoor?" Hermione gasped, beaming with excitement. "She was a brilliant healer from the sixteenth century! After she attended Hogwarts she went on to develop a cure for Dragon Pox! She was truly exceptional at what she did, and her work must have saved countless lives, and she – " She stopped as the three boys stared at her, dumbstruck. Well, the twins were dumbstruck. Harry was looking at her in awe. "Sorry." She mumbled shyly.

"Don't apologize." Harry said immediately, his lips curling into an amazed smile. "That was brilliant! Where did you learn all of that?"

"Well," Hermione blushed, "I actually read – "

"Bloody hell, you two, there's a mass murderer on the loose! Is this how you two flirt? You know what, don't answer that." George grumbled, quickly getting the attention of the two third-years. "So, as my slightly less-attractive brother was saying, there is a statue of a One-Eyed Witch, also known as Gesundheit de Gargamel – "

"Gunhilda de Gorsemoor." Hermione cut in, but George just waved her off.

"The entrance to the seventh and final passage in and out of Hogwarts is through the hump of the statue. It leads straight into the cellar of Honeydukes Sweets Shop in Hogsmeade." He pressed on. "I'm willing to bet all of the money in my pockets against all of the money in your pockets that if Sirius Black were to use any of these passages, it would be this one. Filch doesn't know it exists, there's no major obstructions, nada. It's the perfect storm."

"The walk is about an hour. It's a dank tunnel with a dirt floor, but it's easy enough to get around. It's how we smuggle in butterbeers and sweets for the victory parties." Fred explained. "Now, I don't know how you came to the conclusion that Black is one of the Marauders, and I doubt you're going to bother explaining it to me. But it isn't often that Hermione Granger is wrong, and my brother and I owe everything to Harry here for saving Ginny's life last year."

Both Harry and Hermione blushed, and George jumped in. "Whatever you're going to do with this information, we trust you. Just don't get yourselves hurt. We've started taking bets on when you get married, so early deaths would really hurt our business."

Harry choked on air, coughing so hard he was certain his lungs would come flying out of his throat. Hermione gasped, and instinctively curled up into a ball, and the twins just rolled their eyes at the pair.

"Good luck. You're both welcome to join us in launching Dungbombs at the Slytherins." Fred nodded purposefully as he and his brother got up from the table, leaving Harry and Hermione to mull things over. The former sighed, picking up the map and staring at the section dedicated to the third-floor corridor, where the One-Eyed Witch resided. He pursed his lips in thought, his mind wandering to visions of Sirius Black walking the tunnel in pitch darkness for an hour, muttering to himself about getting to kill Harry Potter.

"Are you ready?" Hermione asked uncertainly, placing a hand on his arm and ripping him away from his thoughts. "Are you sure you still want to do this?"

"Yes." Harry said weakly, muttering "Mischief managed" and folding up the now blank parchment and returning it to his bag. "You reckon he'll be mad?"

"For this? Why would he be mad?" Hermione raised an eyebrow quizzically. "You're handing over the map for a good cause, and you very well could be contributing to the capture of the most wanted wizard in Britain."

"I meant…" Harry trailed off as he shouldered his bag and began walking with Hermione out of the library. "I meant for not handing it over earlier. If this had fallen into the wrong hands I could be dead."

"Well…" Hermione sighed, slipping her hand into his but keeping her eyes straight ahead. "I did make my opinions on that very clear."

"Ah, yes, telling me to give it to McGonagall. You know, without the map, I'm not sure I would have figured out Lupin's…you know…condition." Harry shrugged innocently. "The map has led to some profound discoveries, it's not all bad."

"For the record, I figured it out without the map." Hermione teased, bumping her shoulder into his side.

"Yeah, yeah." Harry groaned. "Hermione smart, Harry dumb. Did I get it right?"

"Harry is certainly not dumb. Although if you keep using horrific grammar like that you won't be doing yourself any favors." She smirked as Harry rolled his eyes. The pair stopped outside a familiar oak door, bracing themselves. "Are you ready?" She asked for the second time. Harry just shrugged and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Professor Lupin's voice rang out from the other side. Slowly, Harry opened the door and walked in with Hermione. "Ah, here to hand in the Hinkypunk essay early, are we?" He couldn't hide his amusement at the sight of his two best students. Both teenagers offered weak smiles and he conjured a pair of armchairs. "What can I do for you two?"

"Professor," Harry began uncertainly, "I think I have something of yours."

"Oh?" Lupin tilted his head in curiosity. "What would that be?"

"This." Harry reached into his bag and extracted a blank piece of folded up parchment.

"Harry, unless that has my name on it, I don't see how a spare bit of parchment – "

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Harry cut him off, pressing his wand to the center of the paper. Lupin's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, and for a moment Harry thought he had been petrified. Then, quick as lightning, he snatched his wand off the desk and flicked it towards the door to his office, locking it.

"Start talking."

"They should have caught him by now." Harry sighed dejectedly as he and Hermione walked back to Gryffindor Tower from their Herbology final exam. "I mean, they've had professors patrolling that corridor for weeks. If Black was using that passage he'd have been caught by now."

"Harry, please tell me you actually focused on the Herbology exam and didn't spend the last two hours thinking about Sirius Black?" Hermione moaned when she caught sight of his anxious expression. "Look, Sirius Black only broke into Hogwarts twice this year."

"That we know of." Harry grumbled, but Hermione acted as if he hadn't said anything.

"You have to consider that both occasions were months apart, and both break-ins have led to heightened security measures. It's more likely that he's too scared to try infiltrating the castle again." Hermione reassured him, slipping her hand into his.

It had been three weeks since Harry and Hermione had handed the Marauder's Map over to Professor Lupin. Naturally, he had been stunned beyond belief that it had come into Harry's possession, but he thanked them for being proactive and willingly giving it up. In response, multiple professors guarded the entrance to the passage in the third-floor corridor by the One-Eyed Witch statue in hopes of catching him in the act and giving him a one-way ticket to Azkaban.

"Harry, please don't worry about Black." Hermione pleaded when she saw Harry's brow grow increasingly furrowed. "He'll be caught, and nobody will get hurt."

"I mean…" Harry sighed. "Is there any way to use those other passages? What about the one that's caved in, do you really think there's no way to get around it? There has to be some magical way to clear debris, right?"

"Harry, please." Hermione squeezed his hand.

"And what if there's some way to subdue the Whomping Willow, maybe that's how Black is – "

"Harry, listen to yourself." Hermione's voice sharpened, and they stopped in the middle of the hallway. "I know you're worried about Sirius Black breaking in, but the professors are on it."

"The same professors who guarded the Sorcerer's Stone so well that two first-years could – "

"Don't finish that sentence." She huffed, and Harry obeyed, literally biting his tongue. "This is not something worth stressing over, Harry. If Sirius Black is really using that passage, and he tries to use it, he will be caught. But we still aren't certain he is using that passage, right?" She waited for Harry to nod. "Plus, we have to acknowledge how risky it is for him to break in. He might not even bother for the rest of the year." She added, her voice softening as she stepped closer to Harry and gently wrapped her arms around him. "Please, at least try to relax and focus on school and such?"

"I guess." Harry sighed, returning the hug.

"Now, can I interest you in studying for Defense?" Hermione stepped back, smiling again. "I think you might be needing some pointers."

"You seem to be forgetting which one of us is top of the class in that subject." Harry found himself grinning, and Hermione just rolled her eyes.

"Fine then. Harry Potter, rightful King of Defense Against the Dark Arts, would you be willing to assist me, but a humble peasant girl, in studying for our final exam?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Sure." Harry snorted, lacing his fingers with hers. "Only since you're so desperate for my help – "

"Oh, shut up." She giggled as they resumed their walk towards Gryffindor Tower. "I've actually devised a new studying strategy that I think both of us will enjoy."

"Can't wait." Harry shook his head in amusement.

"Oh, you mock me now." Hermione teased, her eyes twinkling mischievously as they reached the Fat Lady. "Malum Lunam Ortu." She said, and the portrait swung open.

"What does that password even mean, anyway?" Harry asked as they entered the Gryffindor common room. "It sounds like your tongue swelled up and you can't speak proper English."

"It's Latin, for bad moon rising." Hermione smirked.

"Well that just fills me with optimism." Harry grumbled.

"Oh, relax." Hermione mock-reprimanded him before collapsing onto their couch. "Get your notes out, we're studying until dinner."

"You're not serious." Harry gaped. "Dinner isn't for another four hours!"

"I am well aware of that, Harry Potter, now get your notes out before I leave you to study on your own." She fired back. Harry obeyed, throwing his hands up in surrender and extracting a thick stack of papers along with his textbook. "Now, how many legs does a Hinkypunk have?"

"What? Oh, erm…one." Harry answered, not even needing to look at his notes. Hermione beamed and leaned forward, planting a quick kiss on the tip of his nose. "Oh, alright then." He grinned. "Ask away."

"Describe the habitat of a Grindylow."

"Grindylows usually live in the beds of rivers and lakes in Great Britain and Ireland." Harry answered automatically, smiling in self-satisfaction. Hermione nodded eagerly and gave him a lingering kiss on the cheek.

"What is the best jinx to defend oneself from a Grindylow underwater?"

"Erm…" Harry paused, trying to recall if it was the Evulsion Jinx or the Ebulio Jinx. He glanced at his notes for a second for confirmation. "The Evulsion Jinx."

"Correct." Hermione said matter-of-factly. "True or false, Muggles can see Boggarts."

"Hey, I got it right!" Harry raised his eyebrows in confusion. "No kiss?"

"You only get one if you don't look at your notes. And if it's correct, of course."

"Oh." Harry said dumbly. "Um, true. Muggles can see Boggarts but they usually write it off as a hallucination."

Hermione winked before brushing her lips with his. "What do you think of this strategy?"

"I…" Harry was a bit dazed and had to blink a few times. "I could get used to this." He smirked, and Hermione gave a small smile of her own before resuming her questioning.

Two hours later, Harry and Hermione were grinning like idiots and had cycled through the entire course. Every inch of Harry's face felt like it had been kissed by an angel, which, to him, was what had actually happened. Hermione stared at him expectantly, fiddling with her tie.

"Should I ask you some questions?" He asked, still grinning from ear to ear. Hermione nodded eagerly, and Harry grabbed one of his study guides. "Which potion is an effective method of repelling red-caps?"

"The Beautification Potion." Hermione responded instantly. Harry happily leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. He smirked as he pulled away and saw she was blushing furiously.

"Why is the Evulsion Jinx so effective against Grindylows?"

"It shoots a jet of boiling water, temporarily stunning them." Hermione beamed, and Harry kissed her on the lips this time, lingering for a moment before pulling away.

"This was one of your best ideas yet." Harry paused. "Although, it's safe to assume you know all the answers already, right?" Hermione's blush deepened, but she nodded sheepishly. "So…there's really no point in me asking you these questions. I think we should stop it here to avoid wasting time."

"No!" Hermione cried out, causing Harry to snicker. "Oh, you're teasing me, aren't you?"

"Perhaps."

"You're a prat."

"You better get used to it." Harry grinned. Hermione pouted, jutting her lips out and Harry couldn't stop himself from kissing her again.

"I didn't even answer a question that time." She said dreamily, brushing her lips with her fingers. "Not that I'm complaining, of course."

Harry just shrugged before peppering her with question after question, and subsequently peppering her with kiss after kiss. Two hours later, Lavender Brown walked over and reminded them that dinner was about to start, her eyebrows raised as she eyed two pairs of swollen lips.

"I don't know about you, but I fully expect to get an Outstanding on the exam now." Harry grinned as he helped Hermione off the couch. "Plus, I think that's the longest I've gone without thinking about Sirius Black."

"If all it took to get you to stop thinking about a murderer was kissing I would have adopted this strategy ages ago." She waggled her eyebrows. Harry blushed as Hermione stood on her tiptoes for another quick peck on the cheek. "Hungry?"

"Starving." He nodded with a smile, and they walked down to the Great Hall, eager for the next day to arrive.

A/N: Howdy! First things first, bad moon rising is a blatant West Wing (and Credence Clearwater Revival) reference. As is the line "I'm willing to bet all the money in my pockets against all the money in your pockets."

Hopefully you guys enjoyed this chapter! Logical Harry and Hermione do the logical thing. Plus, the study session was something I had written out ages ago and originally planned to add it to an earlier chapter, but it just felt shoehorned in, so I placed it here to end on a happy note. To all of my faithful reviewers, my diligent followers, my beloved favorite-rs, I love you all so much. You guys make it that much better to publish a new chapter and it makes my day to see that people are enjoying what I write. Thank you all, and stay safe!