Note: If you are going to read this chapter, you have to go to the end. There is a little twist near the bottom and I don't want anyone to give up reading at one part without getting to the end explanation. I've done that before, and I assure you that this story hasn't totally gone off the wall. At least, I don't think so.
After taking in their Animagi forms, Lily found that absorbing the Marauders' map was a breeze. She was—for the second time that day—marveling over how truly talented those four were. Nothing struck her about the Marauder's Map so much as the genius—and dedication to mischief—that had obviously gone into its creation. Its complexity fascinated Lily and when the Marauders let her use her own wand to call up that fluid floor plan of Hogwarts, she peered interestedly at the minute spider writing that labeled every soul in the school.
"Conceived in love, crafted in mayhem," announced Sirius proudly. "Like my own bastard child." James snorted.
"Padfoot, please never start a family. And don't go anywhere near mine."
"What does the map do if you don't know how to use it?" asked Lily, who had learned to ignore Sirius and James as much as possible and was examining the dots in the Gryffindor Tower. "Is it just parchment then?"
"Just parchment? You underestimate us, Lily," smirked James. He muttered the proper "Mischief managed!" and so wiped the map clean. "Tap it with your wand, but be sure to say who you are."
Lily squinted suspiciously around the room. Four different versions of the same anticipatory, beaming grin met her eyes. She sighed and laid the tip of her wand on the parchment.
"I, Lily Evans, want to…er, use this map."
Flowering ink curled into four distinct messages that had Lily laughing in a moment.
Mr. Moony is confounded to admit that indeed, Mr. Prongs must have had some success this term if Miss Evans is reading this message.
Mr. Prongs declares his undying love for Miss Evans, and reminds her that she looks exceptionally stunning today simply because she is alive and with him.
Mr. Padfoot strongly urges Miss Evans to run while she still can.
Mr. Wormtail is particularly happy that Miss Evans is not Severus Snape, or else the parchment would be sodden with oil by now.
"Excellent messages this time!" said James briskly while Sirius snickered.
"But how did you do all of this?" Lily exclaimed. "This is advanced, this is complicated, this is so much more than any of you ever do on a piece of homework—"
"We just have our priorities in order," cut in Sirius over Remus' mellow objections. "What would you want more, an essay on flobberworms or a moving map of the Hogwarts grounds?"
"No contest," breathed Lily, immensely engrossed in the map. She was turning it over in her hands and studying it like she might study a logic puzzle or a hidden key in a lock. Lily tried a non-verbal revealing spell with her wand, which emitted a small puff of cloudy white light and no results. She knew that the Marauders were exchanging amused looks but she did not care. Another spell did nothing and Lily's final incantation ended up with a large pink begonia bursting out of her wand. She frowned and removed the flower as the Marauders laughed uproariously.
"Come now, Lily," said James, removing her wand hand from the Map. "Don't try and spoil our fun."
"But there's a…a mechanism," she answered distractedly. The Marauder's Map was practically a magical artifact. "You... layered, maybe? One charm over another with—"
"Moony thought of most of it, so you'd need to ask him," interrupted James. "He did what seemed like ages in the library. The Pince nearly had his head after a while. But he wouldn't tell even if you did ask him because he is a Marauder. Right, Moony?"
"Not to mention that I'm not even entirely sure how this all worked, but yes," grinned Remus. "Besides, Prongs and Padfoot put most of it into the parchment. They're better at magic than me."
"I bought the parchment," said Peter cheerfully. "And looked through some books with Moony."
"Yep, Wormtail actually got us the stuff we needed for some bits," acknowledged James. Peter glowed with pride. "He was able to slip out and get some, er… essentials while we were technically supposed to be sleeping."
"How did you manage to pass any classes sixth year, if you were making this?" demanded Lily. James only winked. Lily sighed.
"You four probably know more about Hogwarts than even Dumbledore."
"I hope so," said Sirius. "We've crawled over every part of it at least twice."
"Even the girls' rooms?" asked Lily slyly. The boys blushed.
"We're still working on that one," conceded Sirius. Then his cockiness returned. "No fear, Lily. You can see Prongs whenever you want without him popping out from under your bed. The rest of us certainly don't want to see him."
"Our secret world isn't all that glamorous, Lily, as Padfoot is constantly revealing" Remus said with a slight smile. "We're mostly a gang of troublemakers who've just gone beyond our callings. Then of course, compared to other students, we also—"
"—tell better stories," interjected Sirius. "Like when we found out in first year that Moony had been shaving his face on and off since he was nine."
"No!"
"Yes!" rang in James. Lily sensed that James and Sirius were getting into their strides now, and soon there would be a lot of embarrassing memories flying back and forth. Remus must have sensed it too.
"Maybe we should—"
"Moony, everyone here knows your big secret," waved off Sirius insouciantly. "What harm can be in filling in a few more details for Lily? As a matter of fact, what about when we discovered you had a thing for Madam Pomfrey—"
"I did not have a thing for Madam Pomfrey!" said Remus hotly. Lily laughed; she knew Remus' annoyance spurred James and Sirius on to far greater heights.
"Oh, I think you did," smirked James. "Remember second year, when you gave her flowers on Christmas—"
"—they were in a package from my mother!" exclaimed Remus. "I couldn't use them!"
"—or what about when Moony chased that rabbit through Hagrid's pumpkins—"
"—or when Filch's kitten went for Wormtail—"
"—or when Prongs' antlers caught on the Whomping Willow—"
"—or when Padfoot couldn't get his tail to disappear during fourth year Potions class and he accidentally—"
"Don't tell that story, Prongs," warned Sirius dangerously, and naturally this was the first tale that Lily heard.
She spent the rest of the evening as the rapt audience of the indomitable Marauders. Alternating among holding her sides, wiping her eyes, and begging for mercy, Lily learned of all of the stories that James would not have told her only days ago. The trials of being an Animagus and the dangers of looking for acromantulas were only two of the themes addressed in that wonderful time. Lily had never felt so much at home; the Marauders welcomed her like a sister into their brotherhood of misbehavior. Lily also guessed that they had been aching to brag about all of their misadventures since they started. She could not hold it against them because Lily knew that if she had learned how to swim in the lake (like Peter had) she would certainly tell the story.
It was at ten o'clock when Lily finally wrenched herself away, wiping her tears and still giggling.
"This was fun, so very fun, but James and I have to go patrol now."
"Leaving so soon?" exhaled Sirius on a shaky breath, still trying to smother his laughter from Remus' story about Moaning Myrtle.
"I'm afraid so. Even if we didn't have to go, I'd still have mountains of homework to finish. You're ruining my study habits you know."
"Then goodbye to studying," said James pleasantly, standing up and putting his arm around Lily. "Although to think, none of this would have been possible without Snivellus and his big mouth. And I hadn't thought that anything could be bigger than his nose…"
"That's right, it was all his fault," growled Sirius. He frowned slightly, his eyes narrowed. "I say, the next time we see him, we ought to chin that—"
"We should wait," said Remus quietly.
"Why?" said James with scorn. "As if he didn't deserve a good beating when he ignored Dumbledore's orders and told Rosier—"
"That's just it," explained Remus. "He obviously doesn't care about Dumbledore's orders. Bit scary, isn't it? I've got to think that there's something else going on."
"He should respect what Dumbledore said," shot back Sirius touchily. "I mean, it's not like Dumbledore told him to do something ridiculous, like bathing or not being a git. He told him to keep quiet about you being a werewolf, Moony, which is a damn well important subject—"
"Well, you didn't listen to Dumbledore either when you became Animagi," pointed out Lily. Sirius looked stricken.
"That's because we wanted to help Moony, and I doubt that Snivelly has any inclinations to do the same—"
"That's true Lily," added Peter. "We wanted to keep Remus company, but Severus is probably going to do something mean. Why would he tell Evan Rosier for any other reason?"
"Wormtail's right," said James. "We're all right. I think if Moony says to wait, we'll wait. We don't know what Snape is planning."
"He needn't be planning anything," said Lily exasperatedly. "Why does every move he makes have to be part of some conspiracy?"
"Because it is," said Sirius, highly disdainful. "At least, it's been like that ever since—well, for a long while now. He hates us, Lily. He hates Prongs, he hates Moony, and he hates me and Wormtail. He's a spiteful arse. He told Rosier about Moony, didn't he? That was plain enough from their giggling earlier today."
"Fine then," conceded Lily. "I won't try to talk you out of it. All I ask is that you plan all of this later, when I'm in bed and after the halls have been patrolled."
Remus nodded. Sirius was inclined to be grouchy and gave in anyway, flopping back onto his pillow.
"Then we're off," announced James.
"And thank you for everything," smiled Lily. Sirius winked back.
"No, thank you," he said. "We've been waiting for a captive audience."
"Remember," Remus said anxiously, "this is all—"
"—completely secret," interrupted Lily. "Right. Got it. I promise not to mess up here, Remus. Sleep easy."
"Thanks."
"He won't," added Sirius. "But I will."
Lily flushed only once as she marched through the Common Room, arm-in-arm with James. Luckily it was nearly deserted, and Lily was fairly sure that no one would say anything about the circumstances (at least to her face). Only when Lily and James were checking on the Astronomy Tower did she mention James' Invisibility Cloak.
"How often do you use that thing?" she asked suspiciously.
"Not as much now that we've got a good map," replied James in an offhanded way. "But I still keep it with me, and it was put to good use between first year and now."
"Are you carrying it with you?" asked Lily with an edge of curiosity to her voice. "I've never seen one before."
"Of course you haven't seen one, they're Invisibility Cloaks."
"James, be serious. You make miserable puns. Can I see it?"
"I don't think you'll be able to, but if you want to try—"
"James," warned Lily. He had the temerity to laugh. Lily noticed that James was in a rather fantastically good mood.
"All right, Lily, since you asked so nicely…" James reached into the folds of his cloak and brought out a silvery bundle. They were on the stairs to the Astronomy Tower, and he looked once up and once down before he let the slithering material fall like a waterfall on his arms.
Lily ran her hands over the grey weave, marveling the sleek and curious feel of the fabric.
"Can I—" James cut her off by swirling the coat around once and settling it over his shoulder. She gasped out loud in shock. Even with all of her magical schooling, seeing something disappear—seeing a person disappear—just like that, in front of her… Lily stifled another shriek when James' invisible arms reached out and pulled her close.
"Cool, huh?" he said smugly.
"This is, er, different," Lily said breathlessly. It looked like she was being hugged by the air while talking to James' head, a sensation that had only occurred one other time in a very strange dream during a high fever.
"Isn't it just?" smirked James, leaning in for a kiss.
"James, we really, really do have to check the hall—"
"We can go in a minute."
Five minutes later, they were safely at the base of the Astronomy Tower with the cloak tucked away once more.
"Where would you ever get something like that?" muttered Lily some time later, after they had fled Peeves in the Charms Corridor.
"Get wha—oh, the cloak. Right. Actually, my dad gave it to me."
"Is your dad just like you?' said Lily dryly. "Practically the title on Filch's list?"
"Nah, he's too old for Filch's time," said James neutrally. "Dad's not…well, he's a brilliant wizard and all that but he's not really like me. Or I'm not like him, I guess."
"You don't know where you get it from?"
James rumpled his hair with a grin. Lily made his disregard for rules sound like an inherited trait, maybe like unattached earlobes or a widow's peak. Now that is a funny thought.
"No. I don't know where I get it from, whatever it is. Maybe Mum, though she'd never admit it." Lily was thoughtful for a minute as their shoes clicked down a back staircase.
"I had always figured that you'd been seriously spoiled as a kid. Is that true?"
"Mostly, yeah," he said, and James said it in a way that was even-toned with a tang of apology. "I'm the only child—"
"I would have guessed that."
"—and both of my parents are a little, er, old. They had nothing else to spoil, not even a pet. Though my dad had a kneazle once, but Mum hates cats…"
"Oh," said Lily quietly. "I didn't mean the question to offend, you know."
"I know," answered James. "I have been known to be a bit of a…ah, let's say that I haven't been at my best on some occasions. You know I'm sorry for that now."
"Yes, I know you are," said Lily gently. "Let's check the dungeons and head back."
They did so. Lily and James had taken two full corridors of the slimy underground when a disquieting sound met their ears. James immediately took out his wand, and both Lily and James took care to walk more quietly.
The noise was coming from one of the dungeon classrooms; Lily realized that it was their own Potions room. The thick door was closed so that only a thumb's width of the inner room was visible. Visible might have been a generous word, for it seemed as if the only light was a singular candle on the distant side of the room. The Head Girl and Head Boy crept to the doorway and listened at the narrow slit.
In the faint orange glow there was an outline of a smaller student seated in a chair. A somewhat familiar voice played on Lily's mind, a voice which she could not quite place.
"Did you want to see any more?"
"No, no I don't!" cried the silhouette.
"You took the dare from your friends," hissed the voice. "You came here at night. You came to see…and I showed the ghost to you, didn't I?"
"You did! Now can I go?" pleaded the boy.
"I don't know. What do you think, Salazar?" Lily heard the frightful noise of what sounded like chains being rattled and potion bottles smashed. The voice answered a moment later on a menacing sneer.
"He says no."
"Please, please, I want to go back to the tower!"
"Why don't you ask your Gryffindor ghost to come and help you?" sneered the voice. "Hmm? Slytherin answers the call of his own. You remember what will happen if anyone finds out about this."
"I do, I do," the boy sobbed. "But I have to—" In a split second before he did it, Lily knew that James was about to spring inside the room. The door crashed with a bang and the boy screamed. Breathing heavily and wand at the ready, James looked around.
The scene inside was quite odd. There was only one person in the room, and he was a smallish first year with thick brown hair and squinty brown eyes. He was scrunched up on a chair in the center of the room with his hands balled up into fists and a bad shake running through his body.
"What happened?" snapped James, who peered under upturned chairs and behind desks. Lily went straight to the first year. He looked up at her defiantly, sticking out his chin. She recognized a boy that had been Sorted into Gryffindor, and now if only she could remember his name. Arnie, Archie…
"Arkie," she said suddenly. "Arkie…something…"
"Philpott," sniffled the boy, looking over Lily's shoulder with dark eyes. Lily whirled around to see only the blank wall, and James cursing as he searched the room and kicked rubbish bins. He seemed to be stamping unnaturally loudly.
"Listen Arkie, I'm Lily Evans. Do you know who I am?"
"You're the Head Girl. You get to go out at nights," he said sullenly. Lily could not help but smile because only a true Gryffindor would be belligerent after being found screaming in the dungeons. Nevertheless, the boy's face was that strange, knotty shape that indicated a person who was trying not to cry.
"I do. And what are you doing out tonight?"
"I don't know."
"Really? You don't know why you left your room?"
"I said I don't know," he repeated with a bit more volume. Lily stared him in the face.
"You didn't…make a bet with anyone—"
"Please don't ask me to tell!" said Arkie Philpott quickly, his eyes scattering around the classroom. He finally looked as young as his age. "I…I really can't."
"I can help you if you tell."
"No you can't," he whispered, and he looked away again. Lily sighed.
"You know I should take ten points away from Gryffindor, Arkie."
"But it's your own house!" he said, shocked. "You wouldn't do tha—"
"We're not going to," said James tersely, now looming over Lily and the first year. "Just tell us what happened."
"I can't, I can't!" he answered forcefully. "I'd get in trouble."
"You'll get in more trouble if you—" Lily laid a hand on James' arm to stop him.
"James was right. We won't take points away. Do you want to go to the dorms now?"
"Yeah…sure," he answered shakily. Lily braced Arkie's shoulders. James scowled and pulled his hand through his hair.
"Let's go straightaway, right James?"
"Fine," he snapped. And he had not yet put his wand away.
The walk back to the Common Room was uncomfortable. James was as wound up as clockwork and thinking as hard as he could. A passageway? No, we know those. A spell? A potion? A charm for—
"Goodnight, Arkie," called Lily. They were in the Common Room and James had not even realized it.
"Wait," said James. Arkie turned on the stairs and looked at him. Lily was watching him too, like she might need to leap forward and cover his mouth. She did not want him to distress the first year anymore than necessary. They could figure out this mystery on their own. James isn't acting himself.
"Arkie, that wasn't Salazar Slytherin's ghost or any rot like that," James said abruptly, making up his mind as to what to say. Lily's warning glare nearly threw James from his feet, although that had never stopped him before. Arkie Philpott's eyes grew like an owl's.
"Whatever Regulus was telling you isn't worth a—ahem, isn't worth a knut. It's always rubbish with those Slytherins, got that? Don't let them scare you."
"H-how did you know?"
"Trust me." James smiled for the first time since he had stridden towards the dungeons. Arkie offered a small grin and nodded.
"If you're sure—"
"I am."
"—then okay. Goodnight Lily, and goodnight James, and thanks!" Arkie hurried off to his room. Lily turned on James the instant the boy left.
"James. What the hell are you talking about? You can't possibly have any idea of what happened! You just—"
"Lily," said James, "that was no ghost of Slytherin."
"I knew that!" she snapped.
"—but you didn't recognize that voice, did you? The voice of someone who would bully some little kid for his own fun?"
"No," conceded Lily grudgingly. "But we don't know what really went on there, James, it might have—"
"Lily, think about it. It's the Slytherins as always, except they've picked first years as their new bait and they have a few new tricks up their sleeves" said James stonily. "The voice we heard was Regulus Black!"
There you have it! It wasn't a ridiculous sequence with Slytherin's ghost or anything, because it was just what James said it was. But why? And how? Who is involved? Why are they doing it? Could it have something to do with Voldemort? With Christmas break? With anything else? Hmm? Hmm! You'll find out next chapter, or at least I think so. I'm pretty sure, anyway. Don't give up! Review! Thank you!
Meantime, I'll have everyone know that Chapter 2 is spiffified, and that I just had to punch out a Narnia one shot and get it out of my bloodstream. I'm sorry about the delay that caused, but it wasn't much of one. I was mostly just lazy, and caught up in exams. Feel free to read that story too.
THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO READ AND ALL WHO REVIEW!