To Be Loyal

Chapter Nine

Disclaimer: I decided to explore other parts of J.K.'s backyard besides the sandbox. It's nice that she lets us fanfic authors play with whatever we want back here. The broomshed even has a Firebolt! Sadly, I can't take it home…

A/N: You may have noticed that I've already used up a lot of good Dumbledore quotes. There's only one that I've really been saving for a particular chapter. I don't know if I'll use others more than once, find other quotes, or find new quotes for chapters I've already written. Doesn't matter a ton either way.

You also may have noticed that we have diverged a bit from Sirius… there's some focus on him this chapter, and we'll learn more about Mel and the mystery attacker soon.

Also, thank you to TheSphynx for the first review of this story! I appreciate you.

"Let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure." Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

"Our parents have a long reach, not to mention the Dark Lord. One day, Sirius, you'll get yourself hurt, and maybe your friends, too." —Regulus Black to Sirius Black, winter of 1973

September 17, 1976

"-would've been fine anyway," a familiar voice said. Who was that? Sirius wondered, struggling to open his eyes. His chest was throbbing painfully, and part of him wanted to sink back into sleep.

"That was a wicked Knee-Reversal Hex you put on Rowle." James!

Sirius glanced down and saw that his chest was swathed in bandages. Everything came rushing back: the fight, the fiery pain in his chest, and passing out in the corridor outside the Great Hall.

"Bye, Potter." That was Lily.

"Don't even think about asking her out, James," Remus warned. Sirius relaxed slightly in relief at hearing Remus's voice.

"How did you even know I was going to say anything?" James asked in amazement.

"I know you," Remus said dryly. "Also, I've accepted the fact that you are never going to give up on Lily Evans, so for her sake and yours, I might as well help you."

James threw his head back and laughed for the second time in the last several minutes. "Honest, I couldn't ask for a better wingman, Moony. How are you feeling?"

"Like I've got a Bludger locked in my skull," Remus groaned.

"I need to run a few scans on you, Mr. Lupin," Madam Pomfrey announced from somewhere across the room, and Sirius heard the sounds of curtains being pulled aside. All this is my fault, Sirius thought, tears welling up in his eyes from both guilt and physical pain. They were after me, not Remus and James.

A minute later, Madam Pomfrey announced that Remus could leave in a few hours, but he would need to skip classes for the next week. Sirius smiled slightly as James guffawed and said that he thought Remus wasn't going to be punished for his part in the fight.

"Your parents will be here soon for you and Mr. Black, Mr. Potter," Pomfrey told James, and a frisson of fear ran up Sirius's spine. "Mr. Lupin, your parents visited earlier and asked to be informed when you woke up. I will owl them immediately."

"Thanks for taking good care of me, like always," Remus said. "At least this time I'm not in here because of a full moon."

"You're welcome, dear," Madam Pomfrey replied warmly.

"No," Sirius croaked. He tried to sit up and immediately regretted it. "Ah, ah," he hissed, clenching his teeth in pain as he eased himself back onto the pillows. He heard James roll out of bed and turned toward the sound just as James threw back the curtains around Sirius's bed and rushed to his side.

"Mr. Potter, you still need to rest," Pomfrey huffed as she bustled over to Sirius's bedside. "Drink up, Mr. Black," she ordered, waving a vial in his face. Sirius blinked and opened his mouth, and she poured its contents inside and told him to swallow. It tasted terrible, as did the next two potions, but Sirius felt the pain in his chest fade.

After Madam Pomfrey finished checking Sirius's bandages and rattling off facts about his condition and treatment, she forced James to sit down in the chair beside Sirius's bed before walking away. For the first time, Sirius noticed the worry and fear that dominated James's expression and realized that his friend had been covering his anxiety with humor.

"Hey, what's the matter, Prongs?" Sirius asked sleepily.

"What's the matter? Didn't you listen to Pomfrey? You almost died, Padfoot!" James half-shouted, starting to get to his feet, and Pomfrey turned a disapproving glare on him. Remus walked up behind James, pushing the shiny silver armchair Dumbledore had conjured, and gave James a pointed look before sitting down and letting his head loll back on the chair's comfortable upholstery.

"What happened, James?" Remus asked calmly.

Starting after the point when Remus had been knocked out, James proceded to relate the events of the fight in angry, descriptive bursts, then relayed the reasons behind Dumbledore's decision to expel none of the Slytherins save Rabastan Lestrange. "Now do you understand why I'm mad, Remus?" James asked, an angry edge in his voice.

"That's… honestly scary," Remus said, leaning forward in the chair. Sirius could tell that Remus was thinking about what this meant for the future, and that his predictions were scaring him. "I can definitely understand why James is mad."

"Dumbledore's got to do what he's got to do," Sirius said numbly. "He can't give their parents an excuse to mess with Hogwarts, and maybe some of them do deserve another chance."

"Are you sick?" Remus asked incredulously.

"Hey," Sirius said defensively. "All of the lectures you and Dumbledore and Evans gave me about the Slytherins not being all bad have sunk in a little, ok? When you three are singing the same tune, listening is a good idea. I want those bloodthirsty bigots out of here, but I don't like the idea of them dying in the war."

"How can you say that?" James exploded, throwing up his hands. "In general, I agree, but in this case-Dumbledore has a responsibility to keep us safe!"

"I'm sorry, you're right, James," Sirius mumbled, staring down at his sheets.

Just then, Mr. and Mrs. Potter strode into the Hospital Wing. Unintentionally mimicking her son, Mrs. Potter rushed to Sirius's other side. "How are you, dear?" she asked anxiously, laying a gentle hand on the side of his face. "Fleamont and I came the moment we got the message."

Sirius felt a lump in his throat as he looked up into Mrs. Potter's eyes. "Please don't be mad," he whispered. He tried to blink back the tears forming in his eyes. Mrs. Potter frowned in confusion and concern and took Sirius's left hand in her own.

"What happened, James?" Mr. Potter asked sharply. James sighed and began to tell the story of the fight from the beginning. Sirius stared down at his white hospital sheets and felt guilt creep back over him when James mentioned that the Slytherins had most likely been after Sirius.

"I'm sorry for putting James in danger," Sirius interjected, his voice slightly choked. "Please just don't…"

Mr. Potter knelt next to Sirius's bed. "Don't what, Sirius?"

"Please, don't be mad," Sirius implored softly.

"Oh, honey, we're not upset with you," Mrs. Potter reassured him, rubbing the back of his hand that she held with her thumb. "It's not your fault."

"We're going to be right here with you, just like I promised," Mr. Potter reminded Sirius, taking Sirius's other hand. Sirius nodded slowly. A strange, warm feeling was replacing the fear that had been putting him on edge.

"This wasn't your fault, Sirius," Remus said gently. "The Slytherins would have gone after us anyway we're Gryffindor 'blood traitors.' They've been dying for a chance to prove their worth to their cause." He made air quotes with his fingers as he casually stated one of the Slytherins' favorite insults.

"I just can't stand this," James cut in. "How are we supposed to go back to normal if the people who attacked us don't get what they deserve?"

"It's not that simple, James," Mr. Potter said tiredly, running his free hand through his messy black hair. Not for the first time, Sirius noticed how similar Mr. Potter's hazel eyes were to his son's. "Several of the reasons you said that Dumbledore mentioned make sense. For one, I know the parents of these kids, and they would raise one hell of a fuss if Dumbledore expelled all of the Slytherins involved. Most importantly, if you were Dumbledore, would you want their blood, or that of someone they killed, on your hands?"

James stared at the ground. "I'm sorry. It makes sense to try to keep the Slytherins out of the war. I understand that I've got to think about more than… than I don't know what." He locked eyes with Sirius, and Sirius was surprised to see that James's eyes were wet. "It was just hard for me to see you like that, Sirius."

Sirius nodded in understanding. "C'mere, little brother," he ordered as he made an attempt at a smile. Mrs. Potter sniffed and squeezed Sirius's hand tightly.

James groaned loudly as he stood up, shaking his head. "Just because I'm five months younger, I swear…" In James's eyes, however, Sirius could see that he appreciated the gesture. James carefully put his hands behind Sirius's shoulders while Sirius gently released the Potters' hands and wrapped his arms around his friend. Sirius pressed his head against James's shoulder and took a deep breath, reveling in the feeling of safety.

James stepped back and sat down. "I've got an idea to keep us all safer," he said without preamble.

"Let's hear it," Sirius replied, eyes intent on James's face.


September 17, 1976

The moment James, Remus, and Peter stepped through the portrait hole, they were met with a barrage of questions from the other Gryffindors. It was a Saturday morning, so no one was in class, and many of the Gryffindors tended to sleep in.

"Are you three okay? Was it only Black they were after?"

"Is Sirius okay?" That was Marlene.

"How many Slytherins did you send to the Hospital Wing this time?"

"Is he dead?!"

The last question made Peter swallow hard. He glanced at Remus and saw that he was staring down at his shoes. Neither had seen the severity of Sirius's injury the way James had, but it had still scared them. He could have died, Peter thought, feeling a strange mixture of anger and fear.

"Everyone, please, give us some room," James said, gesturing for the crowd of Gryffindors to move back a bit. "I have something very important I'd like to say to you all," he announced to the whole common room, and almost every Gryffindor in the room sat up and took notice at his somber tone. Remus saw Lily, Alice, and Frank Longbottom watching James curiously from over the back of a couch near the fireplace. Peter smiled lightly. He knew that they were about to see a different side of James.

James held his head high, and when he spoke, his tone was resolute. "Yesterday evening, a group of seven Slytherins ambushed Peter, Remus, Sirius, and myself. We believe that they were after Sirius because he ran away from home this past summer. They used spells that could have killed us, and Rabastan Lestrange injured Sirius badly with a Reductor Curse-" Here James held up a hand to cut off a tide of muttered exclamations. "Sirius is currently recovering in the Hospital Wing. He will be fine, but I believe that it is our duty to protect him in the future."

Peter flinched in surprise at the sudden roar of assent from the crowd of Gryffindors. "Where do you need us, James?" Oscar Brown called over the hubbub.

"Remus has Sirius's class schedule," James said, and Remus nodded in acknowledgement. "If you're at least a fifth year who's confident in your dueling abilities and are interested in helping to guard Sirius on his way to classes or meals, talk to him and he'll have Peter put you down for a slot." Peter unrolled the parchment he was holding and set it on a nearby table. "It's not a big time commitment. If you have a class with Sirius, or are walking the same way to lunch-well, two or three extra wands helping us could make all the difference, as it did yesterday." He grinned suddenly. "I'd like to publicly thank Lily Evans, Alice Macmillan, and Marlene McKinnon for assisting us in the fight yesterday." Marlene, who had already been at the front of the crowd, blushed deeply, and Lily, Frank, and Alice walked over to join the crowd.

"However, I also want to ask you all something-and I understand that this is weird, coming from me-not to starts fights with the Slytherins over stupid stuff. This is serious , and you could get yourself or your friends hurt. I've been thinking that how I've been acting over the years in regards to the Slytherins has been wrong in the first place. Anyway, bottom line? We already have enough to fight about."

A low, surprised murmur took hold of the crowd, but Lily broke it with a cheer. Frank and Alice started clapping. Slowly, heads began to nod around the room, although Peter noted that several of the Gryffindors were wearing rebellious expressions.

"Most importantly, we need your help," James continued, his smile fading slowly as he turned a serious gaze over the crowd of Gryffindors. "For Sirius, and for everyone who is falling prey to those who follow Voldemort's cause." Peter and many students in the crowd gasped as James casually said the feared name, and James rolled his eyes. "Come on, we're Gryffindors. The house of the brave shouldn't be afraid to say their enemy's name.

"We need to be brave for every Muggle-born or anyone else who is being picked on or attacked. Stay in groups. Stick up for one another, even if you don't always get along, like Lily did for me." James held the silence for a long moment, meeting the eyes of several students. "If you're with me… For Gryffindor!" he shouted suddenly, and the crowd repeated the cry. Dozens of young voices echoed off the walls, and Remus and Peter found themselves the target of a sudden stampede of enthusiastic volunteers. Remus lived up to his reputation as a good organizer as he cross-referenced each student's class schedule with Sirius's, found a time each one could help, and rattled off the results to Peter, who scribbled the information down on the parchment. Peter tried to focus on the task at hand, but a slight feeling of shame was niggling at him.

After Peter had had some time to think over everything that happened, his first thought had been to distance himself from the other Marauders outside of Gryffindor Tower and their classes. Sirius's injury had scared him badly, and he knew that it would be easy enough to take different corridors to class. In the wake of James's inspiring speech, however, Peter felt a little guilty. All of these Gryffindors are willing to put themselves at risk to help Sirius, but I wasn't going to, and I'm supposed to be his family.

He shook his head angrily to shake off the thought. It doesn't matter. The Gryffindors are going to help guard Sirius, so all of us will be safe.

His train of thought was broken by Lily Evans, who was third in line. "Was that someone Polyjuiced to look like James Potter?" she asked Remus, half-seriously.

"That's James," Peter spoke up as he finished writing down the second request. "He's always been a good leader, and he's good with a crowd, when he wants to be." Peter was sure that James would become very successful one day.

Lily blinked in surprise at Peter's interjection and glanced over at James, who was speaking intently to a small group of fifth years. James laughed as Frank Longbottom walked over and slapped him on the back. "Huh," Lily muttered, then signed up for three different times each week.

After Lily, the faces went by in a blur. To James's delight, they ran out of slots to fill with four volunteers remaining, all of them members of the group of fifth-years that James had been speaking with. "Hang on, let us get your names down," James said. "Peter, we've got Hunter MacDougal, Evelyn Malone, Leo Corner, and…" he trailed off as he pointed at the last student.

"Ava Williams," she supplied with a broad smile, and Peter nodded and wrote down her name.

"Thank you very much for your help," James said to the small group of fifth-years before turning back to Remus and Peter.

"Well, that went well," Remus said to James and Peter.

"Yeah, I thought so!" James agreed happily. Peter knew that the success of one of his ideas always put James in a good mood.

"I agree," Lily chimed in. Peter had spotted her hanging back after her friends had left. "I liked your speech, James." She smiled at James and headed off the girls' dormitory.

Once Lily was out of earshot, James sat down heavily at the table where Peter had been writing down the guard schedule. "Did you hear that? She liked it, and she called me by my first name!" he exclaimed, appearing slightly awestruck and quite nervous. "I'm totally going to mess this up."

Remus patted his shoulder. "You'll be fine. You really blew her away, James. Nice work, and great idea in the first place."

"Yeah, thanks for your help," James said, smiling at Remus and Peter. "Marauders-and all of us, really-gotta look out for one another, right?"

"Right," Peter said, ignoring another pang of guilt.

A/N: Please review! Let me know-is it too slow-paced? I have a lot of interesting and varied plot events planned for the future, but it took more words than I feel comfortable with to get to this point. Have a nice day!