Can I call you Dad?
Chapter 5
Remus puttered about in the attic that afternoon; he had sent Harry off to get some homework done. Harry had muttered about Remus going into Prefect-mode again, but went up to his room anyway. Remus on the other hand wanted to at least find that journal he had told Harry about.
He was sure that Harry would want the journal sooner than all of the boring history books; and Remus quite remembered that he hadn't put the book with James trunk, but he was sure that it was in the attic. He was looking through a huge pile of books that he had kept from his own time at Hogwarts, he set aside some books that he had 'borrowed' from the library but never got the chance to return.
Remus sighed as he began searching violently for the book; how could he have been so stupid? He should have kept it someplace that he would remember putting it! Sometimes Sirius was right, he was hopeless!
"You still have those books on Animagi transformation?" Sirius asked his friend as they tried to organize the Lupin family attic; it was raining outside and Remus had wanted some company, so Sirius graciously left his own family in order to spend the last week of summer before fifth year with Remus.
"You are hopeless! Are you still trying to do it yourself?" Sirius asked.
"If I do that, I'll just transform into my Werewolf form sooner rather than later!"
"Just kidding! But really, you don't know what you'd turn into! Maybe you'd turn into a Snidget!" Sirius laughed.
"And be confused with a Snitch? I don't think so!"
"Oh, come on! You can just take the potion! Remember, you take the potion, wait five minutes and then prick your finger and let a drop of blood onto the paper and then it draws the form you'd be if you went on," Sirius explained.
"I remember, but it takes two months to brew it," Remus scowled.
"I still have a vile left over, I brought it with me!"
"Oh…all right," Remus agreed.
"Great, I'll go get it, you get some parchment!" and with that, Sirius ran down the stairs to Remus' bedroom that they shared.
"What if I'm a rodent of unusual size?" Remus couldn't help but ask himself.
"Harry?" Remus knocked on the door that was partially open. He pushed it a bit more and saw that Harry was scowling at something.
"I hate potions!" Harry said as he looked up at Remus.
"Come and have lunch, I'll help you afterwards," Remus said. Harry happily followed Remus down to the kitchen. On the table was some cucumber sandwiches, cold milk and some chocolate cake.
The two had small conversation while they ate and then they cleaned up. Remus made some tea and they sat back down at the kitchen table.
"It took me forever to find this," he said, and handed a book to Harry. It was a dark blue with the words Mr. Prongs written in silver on it.
"Oh wow…"
"It is pass word protected, but you can read it using the same pass word and closing phrase as the map is protected with," Remus explained.
"Will the ministry know if I used my wand?"
"No, trust me! We tried once and it worked!" Remus replied.
"Cool! Thank you"
"No need to thank me, I made a promise and I'm going to see too it that I keep it,"
"Still, thank you," Harry said, he stood and rounded the table; he gave Remus a quick hug before he bound out of the kitchen. Remus heard Harry run up the stairs to his room. Remus cringed at the noise, with only two weeks to the full moon, his senses had become stronger and better hearing always came first!
"Oh! You should have seen the look on my Mum's face when I walked out on her!" Sirius said; currently, he, James, Remus and Peter were lounging around in James' room in Yorkshire where the Potter family lived during the summer.
"I'm glad you got out of there; you're family scares the life out of me!" Peter said, a shiver going up his spine.
"Don't I know it! They tried to get me to be a bloody Death Eater but I wouldn't have it!" Sirius muttered.
"Good, but now you can never go back, they'd just kill you,"
"Too true, which would mean that it would be more merciful if I killed you on a full moon," Remus said in a matter of fact tone.
"Hey! I'm not going to die any time soon, so, sorry to burst your bubble!"
"We're joking, MERLIN!" James yelled.
"Can't you take a joke?" Remus mock-glared.
"Call the presses! Remmy made a JOKE!"
"Shut up you bloody mutt!"
"Oooooh, Mooooonnnnnnnnyyyyyyyysssssssssss MAD!"
"And it's from hanging about you lot for five years of my life," Remus rolled his eyes.
"Hey! I'm the grounded one!" Peter objected.
"Yeah, your grounded because your Mum found out about that hex you tried to do on Malfoy," James told him.
"You mean that one that made him grow boils that leaked orange puss?"
"Yeah, or did you forget?"
"Har. Har. Har!" Peter stuck his tongue out at Sirius. Sirius did the same to Peter and they went at it for a few minutes.
"So, what huge prank will we play this year?" Remus asked.
"OH NO! Who are you and what did you do with PREFECT-MONY?" Sirius and James yelled at the same time.
"Will you two not yell?" Remus glared.
"Sorry,"
"So, we need to do something big! And it has to be different from last year," Peter said.
"I think we should stay away from changing peoples hair to another color, Lily was awfully upset at you James for her hair being yellow instead of red," Remus raised and eyebrow.
"Yeah well, I put it to rights didn't I?"
"What about we put a charm on the doors that change the Slytherins robes into PINK, fluffy too-too's!" Sirius cried.
"Yeah! And then we can charm them to dance Swan Lake or something," Peter put in.
"That really isn't a bad idea," James conceded.
"I'll look up the charms," Remus said.
"This will be so much fun!" Sirius started to jump up and down.
"Yeah!" Peter agreed.
The rest of the evening was spent researching the charms and chatting in relative peace.
Moony? Are you there? – Pad foot
Yes, what is it? – Moony
I've come across a DE meeting; they're talking about Pronglet! -- I've come across a DE meeting; they're talking about Pronglet! – Padfoot
What did they say? – Moony
They know that I adopted him and that you're the temporary guardian. They don't know where you live though, Maris at the DODC at the MOM wouldn't give your information. I suggest you talk to Dumbledore about this, and soon – Padfoot
I don't think I'll need too; I'll set up some Marauder charms and see what's going on – Moony
Make sure you can get Harry away safely; can you have a portkey in each room just in case? –Padfoot
Sure – I'll have the Portkey go to the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley lives there and her son Ron is Harry's best friend – Moony
Good, I'll keep you posted! – Padfoot
As the parchment cleared itself of the writing; Remus sighed and sat back. He knew this was coming, he knew that sooner or later things would get dangerous for them. Wasn't that why he did it though? Well, there was only one thing to do.
Remus took up his wand and went outside. The Fidelius charm was one charm that he and his friends had done numerous times. They had done it over the flat the Remus and Peter had shared at one point in time, and they had also done it over the house in Godric's Hollow, this was no different, but Remus knew that he would be the Secret Keeper. He couldn't trust Albus Dumbledore at this moment.
"The Fidelius charm? Who's the secret keeper?" Harry asked.
"I am, I can always transfer it too someone else, but for the moment this is best," Remus said.
"Will it keep owl post out?" Harry asked.
"No, you can write letters to your friends without worrying," Remus smiled.
"Why'd this come on so suddenly?" Harry asked, Remus sat down on the end of the bed. It was late afternoon and Harry was going to get some homework done before he read his fathers journal.
"Sirius wrote me; he said that he came upon a Death Eater meeting, they were talking about you and they knew that Sirius had adopted you and name me temporary guardian, I need to keep you safe, I've also put a muggle repelling charm on the house and I've made a portkey for every room," Remus said, he handed Harry a thick book.
"The pass word is safety, it's the same for all the portkeys, you'll go straight to the burrow," Remus explained.
"Thank you, I'm sorry,"
"Please, you have nothing to be sorry about, this is no one's fault; Sirius suggested it and I did as he thought was best, he really isn't as stupid as he act's sometimes," Remus tried to make Harry smile. Harry gave him a raised eyebrow before giving a small smile.
"That's my boy," Remus said and pulled Harry into a strong hug.
A/N – Okay, I decided to try and get the plot going; like I said, problems and even more problems! I'm glad you all like this story! I love it! Now remember, Remus and Sirius were able to talk to each other through parchment because the parchment was charmed. For example. Say you and your friend each have some note paper, now imagine that if you wrote something on your piece of note paper it'll automatically show up on your friends note paper. That's the way Sirius and Remus are talking to each other. They had these bits of parchment in school which they (and James and Peter) used to write notes to each other if they were on separate sides of the room.
Remus charmed it to so that they could communicate through the paper over long distances. They did this during the summer when Sirius was banned from Owl post by his mother. Sirius sent it to Remus in The Cold Room.
POLE -- What animagus do you think Remus should be?
Ordinary Wolf
Snidget
Other
Please vote in a PM!
Ta,
Poppy
