A/N: I own nothing.

I know I don't usually have new chapters this quickly but I wanted to keep my tradition of posting on Christmas. Big thanks to my beta, dinadan, for working quickly with me to get this chapter finished in time.

So, Merry Christmas, and please enjoy and review.

Chapter XXV

December 1993

It was the day when students left for the Christmas holiday. Unlike previous years, though, all students were required to go home for the break. It would allow Lockhart to conduct a thorough search of the castle without any distractions.

Harry and Danny had already said their goodbyes to their friends and now waited for Sirius, who always accompanied them back and forth from Hogwarts. But when it was their Uncle Moony instead, both were curious to see him.

"Where's Uncle Sirius, Moony?" Danny asked.

"Wait until we get back home." Was Remus's only answer. He had a dour appearance and didn't look as if he had gotten much sleep recently.

"Why?" Harry interjected curiously. "Did something happen?"

Remus didn't answer, which didn't help ease Harry or Danny's worry, as he shrunk their trunks and put them in his robes. He then produced a gold medallion with a large 'P' on it and held it out so that Harry and Danny could take hold.

A swift portkey ride later, the three landed outside the wards of Potter Cove. From the outside, the land looked like an unassuming, empty cliff side. The secret entrance could only be found if you already knew where to look. Remus waved his wand, muttered the ward's password, and the three stepped through.

The Potter Manor loomed large and foreboding. Harry and Danny were both nervous over Remus's silence. Why wouldn't he tell them what happened to Sirius?

They walked into the living room to see their parents together. Both James and Lily had similar appearances as Remus.

"Mum, Dad. What's going on?" Harry hoped that now they were safely inside their home that he would get some answers.

"Have a seat, boys." Their father said softly.

Harry felt Danny draw in closer as they took a seat on the couch. James leaned forward in his wheelchair and started kneading his hands together.

"I…ah…don't know how to say this." James started, but fell silent again. Lily came behind him and comfortingly rubbed his shoulders.

"Did something happen to Sirius?" Harry didn't want to ask, he feared what the answer may be, but he had to.

"We…don't know. I…" James gripped the armrests of his wheelchair like he wanted to stand up, regardless of how impossible it was. "I don't know."

Harry could see how much it was tearing his father up inside that he wasn't able to be out there. To always have to sit and wait for news. To be nothing more than a spectator. And now, he may have lost Sirius, the closest thing he had to a brother.

"So he could still be okay," said Danny, trying desperately to remain optimistic. "I mean…he could just be hiding."

"He had a mirror. There's been no response." James pointed out, pain evident in his demeanor.

Harry got up and rushed to his trunk. He frantically shifted through his belongings until he found his mirror. "Sirius Black."

Nothing about the mirror changed. No vibration. No heat. No scruffy smiling face to greet him.

"He could have just broken his. It doesn't mean…" Harry didn't dare finish his thought.

Remus stepped forward. "Which is why I'm going after him."

"Remus, you can't." Lily immediately disagreed.

Australia had a strict ban on werewolves since 1980 after a werewolf had stolen and devoured a baby that had been camping with its family near Uluru. The incident had nearly destroyed the Statue of Secrecy as many Muggle eyewitnesses claimed to see the crime. It had taken a small army of Oblivators to reach the hundreds of tourists in the area. They had used a story that a wild dingo had snuck into the camp and stolen the infant. The story had been so weak that it had led to a huge murder trial and the conviction of the innocent mother and father. It became one of the most publicized stories in Australian history and one of the most embarrassing mishaps for the Australian Ministry of Magic: All because of a werewolf.

"Sirius would do it for me." Remus insisted.

"But he's not a—" Lily argued.

"I know what I am! And I'm going!" It was obvious that Remus would not be dissuaded.

"Go. Bring him home." James ended the short argument.

"I will." Remus assured them all.

A week passed without any news. It was agonizing for everyone at Potter Cove to just sit and wait. It was like a shadow had been cast over their normally peaceful home. Harry tried everything he could to take his mind off Remus and the search for his godfather, but it was a losing effort. The rest of his family wasn't doing much better. James mostly stayed locked in his study with his mirror trying to stay in constant contact with Remus. He didn't want to lose another friend without knowing.

Lily remained in the library and immersed herself in her continued research of the Pillars. Meanwhile, Danny did whatever Harry was doing which was mostly training. Even with snow covering the entire grounds, Harry and Danny rarely spent a moment inside. Subconsciously, they both did it because they wanted to be the first to know when someone arrived. The ward entry point always remained in their line of sight.

It was the night before Christmas but the mood hardly reflected it. The Potter family sat at the dinner table. No one spoke and no one was really eating.

Buzz! Buzz!

James immediately grabbed his mirror. "James Potter."

"James! I found him! He's alive!" Remus announced urgently. In the background, it appeared that Remus was in some kind of underground dwelling.

Everyone took a collective breath of relief.

"What happen—?" James started.

"James!" Remus interrupted. "He's not the only one I found."

"Wha—Who?"

Remus's face disappeared and was replaced with a middle-aged man with a rapidly receding hairline and a long blonde beard. His face was average looking, if one ignored the slight signs of malnourishment. In a crowd, he would probably pass unnoticed but, for James, it was unmistakable.

"Peter?"

The Potters were gathered in their living room, a mood of excitement and anticipation pervaded the air. The news that Peter Pettigrew was alive and well had completely changed the mood from the last few days. James, despite his limitation, was practically dancing through the house. They had all given up hope that they would ever see the fourth member of the Marauders ever again. Lily was excited for James and to see her husband so invigorated. She would never say it, but there was always a moment when James, Remus, and Sirius were reminiscing that they would pause in sadness whenever Peter was mentioned. For herself, Lily always saw Peter as the good-natured boy who loved his friends but had always been afraid of his own shadow. As their time at school passed, Peter and her relationship became very much like a big-sister-little-brother.

Harry and Danny, though, were in a different situation. They were both, of course, pleased to see their parents so happy and excited but neither had really ever known Peter. Harry couldn't shake the nagging question of why Peter had decided to deceive his friends and run away. Did family mean nothing to him? Meanwhile, Danny had never met Peter and only had his parent's stories as a reference. Curiosity, though, left him with an open-mind.

James jerked his head towards the door. "They're here!" He announced as the wards alerted him that someone had entered the grounds.

A few moments later, the door opened and in walked the remaining members of the Marauders. Remus and Peter were supporting Sirius between them. Sirius had heavy bandages wrapped around his head and appeared mostly out of it.

"Harry, Danny, help us with him." Remus grunted.

Together, they managed to get Sirius laid down on the couch. Remus took special care with his head using an extra Cushioning Charm on the pillow. After Sirius was situated, Peter awkwardly turned to the rest of the room. His blonde beard flowed to the middle of his chest and his raggedy robes made it appear as if a homeless drifter and stumbled into their home. Lily was first to approach him.

"Welcome home, Peter." She grabbed Peter and pulled him into a hug. Peter was slow to wrap his arms around her, but was quick to let go.

"Thank you, Lily." Peter's voice was scratchy and low. It sounded like he hadn't spoken in years.

James wheeled over and, as he got closer, tears welled up in Peter's eyes and his lips trembled. He couldn't look James in the eyes but, instead, lingered on his wheelchair.

"James…I-I-…" Peter could barely choke out the words. "I-I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Peter." James reassured gently.

Peter looked at everyone. "I'm so sorry."

"It doesn't matter now." Lily rubbed Peter's arm. "You're back here with us."

As Harry watched, he still couldn't ignore the gnawing feeling that something was off. Why was his family so accepting of all this? Why were they so quick to forgive someone who abandoned them? And why wasn't anyone concerned about what happened to Sirius?

"What happened?" Harry forced himself to ask, breaking the emotional reunion happening before him.

"I was surprised." Peter started to explain. Lily guided them to sit together. "No one ever came out there and when he found my cave, I just acted. The force of the spell took him off his feet and smashed his head against the mountainside. I would have healed him, but I was never really any good at healing spells."

Remus continued from there. "He suffered a pretty severe concussion and slipped into a coma. I've nudged his recovery along, but with the amount of swelling in his brain, it's better if his magic does most of the healing. He'll be fine in a few days."

"Why didn't you call us with his mirror?" asked Harry, a little more insistently this time.

Remus produced for his robes a mirror frame without a mirror. "It fell out of his robes and shattered."

"I tried to repair it but it was too damaged." Peter turned to Sirius. "I did the best I could, but he never woke up."

"Why didn't you try to contact us?" asked Harry. James and Lily gave him a warning gaze. They didn't like Harry making this seem like an interrogation.

"No owl or floo." Which made sense for someone living in a cave and wishing to stay out of touch with the world.

"And isn't it impossible to find us here, anyway?" Danny pointed out. He usually followed Harry's lead but even he thought Harry was acting a little unreasonable.

"Yes it is, Danny. Harry," James interjected with a pointed stare.

"No, James, it's alright." Peter locked eyes with Harry. "Remus has told me a lot about you, Harry." Peter turned to Danny. "And you, Danny." He went back to Harry. "You've done so much for your family." A soft smile crept onto his face. "I would expect nothing less from James's son. I was always honored to be considered a member of this family."

Harry, though, wasn't distracted by the sentiment. If he thought so much of his 'family' then he wouldn't have left. "But you left."

Peter turned around to face James, Lily, and Remus. "I was afraid."

"We all were, Peter, but we had each other," said Lily. Despite Harry's crassness, they all wondered what caused Peter to abandon them.

"No you don't understand." Peter said with a shake of his head. "I was afraid that I would get you all killed."

"What are you talking about?" asked James.

"I know…I know that I was never the strongest, the quickest, or even that smart. All I've been good at are concealments which only made me good for spying." It was the truth, emphasized by the fact that no one sought to correct him. "But I knew that one day there would be a battle and I was afraid that if I was there, then one, or all of you, would try to protect me. I didn't want to be the reason that one of you died. Not when you all had much more to live for then me."

Peter looked back to Harry and Danny. "I didn't want you two to grow up without your parents."

Peter turned his attention back to rest of the room. "So when Dumbledore sent me to Albania, I disappeared. I cut myself off from everything in the magical world. I never even heard of the prophecy and everything that happened after, until Remus found me."

"Why Australia?" Lily asked.

"I felt it was as far as I could go." Peter answered simply.

"Did you know about everything that's been happening there for the last few months?" Lily pressed as the researcher inside her took over.

"What—?" Peter appeared to not understand the question.

"In August, there was a magical event…"

"I don't—" Peter tried to interject, but Lily didn't hear him.

"…a great beam of light was seen raising out of Uluru." Lily finished excitedly. An eyewitness account would do wonders for her research.

"I don't remember." He looked like he meant it, too. Lily, though, didn't understand how that was possible.

"It was clearly visible. Reports came from as far as a hundred kilometers."

"No, Lily, you don't understand," Peter insisted. "I don't remember anything from the last three months."

If someone told Harry that he would be welcoming Albus Dumbledore to his home, then Harry would probably laugh in their face. Such a thing was as impossible as Daphne and twins exchanging Christmas gifts. And yet, the impossible had already happened. Peter Pettigrew was still alive and had been found; not once but twice, first by Sirius and then by Remus. But the news that Peter's memories had been erased demanded more seasoned eyes, and no one was more qualified then Albus Dumbledore. Needless to say, when Remus proposed the idea, all the joy was sucked out of the room; James Potter was not happy, to say the least.

Harry felt the same way about having the headmaster at his home. But there was just something about Peter that Harry couldn't shake and if Dumbledore could shed some light on it, then Harry could accept it.

"Thank you, Harry." Dumbledore greeted Harry after he was allowed into the wards.

"Good afternoon, Headmaster, and welcome." The young wizard replied.

"Thank you, thank you. How has your break been?" Dumbledore asked casually, as if he didn't already know.

"I'd prefer one less eventful." Harry answered honestly.

"Yes, indeed. Quite a unique gift for your family this Christmas." Dumbledore said with a soft smile.

"Yeah," Harry replied dispassionately. "Everyone's really happy."

Dumbledore decided not to address Harry's lack of enthusiasm. "Shall we proceed then?"

"Everyone's waiting in the living room."

"After you."

Harry lead the way to the manor and opened the door for the headmaster. Once they stepped in, they were welcomed with the sight of everyone gathered around Danny. The young Potter had produced one of his magical orbs, Peter appeared fascinated by it.

"Oh! Don't touch it, Peter!" Lily held Peter back.

"Sorry, it's very mesmerizing." Peter only looked away for moment before his attention returned to the orb. He still looked like he wanted to touch it.

"Yeah, but touching it will send you on your ass, just ask Harry," commented James. He then looked up and noticed Harry and Dumbledore standing at the door.

Instantly, the mood changed in the room. James wheeled forward.

"Good afternoon, James." Dumbledore greeted cordially. "Thank you for welcoming me to your home."

"Thank you for coming." James remained polite but his displeasure was still noticeable.

Dumbledore noticed James's disapproval and immediately broke the awkward silence.

"There has been a rift between us, one I created with my thoughtless action. I did not intend to make you believe that I sought your son's power for my own, nor divide your family. Know that I deeply regret having broken your trust. I hope that, in time, I can regain that trust and the friendship of your family." Dumbledore extended his hand.

When James didn't immediately do the same, Lily forcefully nudged him. "I hope so, too."

Some of the tension eased out of the room after the two shook hands. Lily had a pleased smile on her face, while everyone else released a sigh of relief. There was, after all, a much more important reason for the headmaster's presence.

Dumbledore turned to Peter. "Hello Mr. Pettigrew." There was no contention in Dumbledore's voice but his body language displayed disappointment.

Peter noticeably gulped before he timidly answered. "I-I…Hello, Professor."

"You look well. I had no idea you envied my beard so much."

"Oh! Yes!" Peter embarrassingly ran his hands through his beard. "I haven't gotten around to shaving it yet. It makes me feel so old." Peter said with a smirk that immediately disappeared. "Sorry, I didn't mean—"

"No, no. I am most definitely old." Even though he was joking, Dumbledore's voice still did not carry its usual warmth.

A short moment of awkward silence followed before Dumbledore turned to address the room.

"Now, before we continue, I believe it is customary for guests to present a gift to their host during this time of year." Dumbledore reached into his robe and pulled out a small phial. "Throughout the years, I have spent many hours working on a solution for your paralysis." Everyone's attention focused in on the small bottle and the glittering blue liquid within. "I would like to see if I'm moving in the right direction." Dumbledore leaned over to present the phial to James.

James, with trembling fingers, reached out and gently cradled the bottle in his hands. Lily tenderly caressed his shoulders in excited anticipation while Harry put an arm around Danny's shoulder. This would be a true Christmas miracle, indeed.

"Drink it all and I will monitor if the potion reaches the affected areas," instructed Dumbledore as he pulled his wand and took a seat across from James.

James pulled the stopper, gave his family a hopeful look, and swiftly downed the potion in one gulp. James immediately started coughing violently.

"That's pleasant." He managed to grate before falling into another coughing fit.

"Healing potions are peculiar like that, I'm afraid." Dumbledore began to slowly waved his wand over James.

James harshly cleared his throat, when the potion's effects caused him to sit upright in his seat. "I'm feeling something."

"Describe it to me." Dumbledore asked as a doctor would ask a patient.

"It's like a tingling feeling, you know, like when your feet go to sleep, but it's all in my stomach."

James looked down and was surprised to see his stomach had turned the same color blue as the potion.

"If the potion is successful, we should see it travel to the affected area."

Everyone watched in tense silence, waiting to see if the blue light would move into James's legs. Slowly, the potion began to flow, illuminating his blood veins.

"The potion will move through the blood stream seeking any area where your magic is not performing properly." Dumbledore narrated as the potion traveled up to James's chest, arms, and head. It did not, however, move into James's legs. Eventually, the blue light started to fade.

"I don't feel the tingling anymore." James rubbed his hand over his stomach.

"I'm sorry, James." Dumbledore said regretfully. "I had hoped that some remnants of your magic remained in your legs."

"What's the next step?" James asked.

"I will continue to experiment. Reigniting magic that once was there and now is gone is not a simple process, but there are some methods I can try."

"We appreciate everything you're doing, Headmaster," said Lily.

"Perhaps I'll have better luck with you, Mr. Pettigrew." Dumbledore rose to his feet and paused at the person he saw standing under the living room archway. "Hello, Sirius."

Everyone's head swung around to see Sirius leaning heavily on a walking cane. His eyes curiously looked at everyone in the room.

"Who are you people?"

It was like the air was sucked out of the room. Had Sirius's memories been erased, too?

"It's us, Sirius." Remus cautiously stepped towards him and placed a hand to his own heart. "Remus, James, and Lily." When Sirius showed no recognition, Remus continued. "Harry, Danny, Peter. We're your family, Sirius."

"Who's Sirius?" Sirius asked with a blank stare.

That made everyone even more nervous.

"That's you," said Remus.

"I'm not Sirius." Sirius proclaimed with a shake of his head. A smile slowly then crept onto his face. "I'm never Serious."

There were a few eye rolls but mostly looks of disappointment, especially from Lily. Sirius's smile dropped. He was used to a poor reaction to his terrible pun but it was never this bad. He had no idea that his (overly) frequent word play with his name was completely inappropriate at the moment.

"What?" he asked like he'd done nothing wrong. "Did I miss something?"

"Mr. Pettigrew has lost his memories from the last three months." Dumbledore informed him.

"Ah!" he expressed shamefully. Sirius's eyes traveled to Peter. "And no one's bothered by the fact that he's been missing for the last thirteen years." Sirius turned to Dumbledore and pointed at him. "Which is probably why you're here, right, Dumbledore. Because there's no way that James would invite you here for Christmas biscuits." Sirius paused. "I didn't say that out loud, did I?"

"It appears you are still suffering from the side effects from your head trauma, Sirius." Dumbledore appeared unaffected by the harsh truth of Sirius's statement.

"Yeah, I think you're right." Sirius wobbled a little bit. "I probably should sit down." Remus managed to close the distance to catch Sirius before he hit the floor. Harry and Danny came over to help move Sirius to the larger couch and eased him down.

"So I'm assuming you're the one that did this to me." Sirius looked to Peter as he pointed to his head.

"I didn't know it was you," Peter replied sheepishly.

Sirius hummed disapprovingly. "After I'm back on my feet, you and I are going to have words." Sirius smiled gently, despite his threat, he was clearly glad to see his old friend safe and back home. Peter returned the smile and appeared a little relieved that Sirius didn't truly resent him for his injury. The moment was soon broken, though, by Dumbledore.

"If there are no more distractions, I believe Mr. Pettigrew's treatment has waited long enough."

They had reached the point where they could no longer avoid the elephant in the room. Dumbledore and Peter sat arms-length across from each other while everyone else stepped back to give them room.

"Look into my eyes, Mr. Pettigrew, and try your best to sit still," instructed Dumbledore. He had his wand out and held the tip near Peter's forehead.

"Will this hurt?" Peter asked timidly.

"Potentially." It was clear that Dumbledore wasn't interested in proper bedside manner. "We'll begin..." There was a pause as Dumbledore silently cast the mind probe. "...now."

Both of them went rigid. A haze was cast over Peter's eyes and face, as if he was being hypnotized. Neither of them moved and barely blinked for about ten minutes, the only sign that something was happening was the subtle twitches in both their eyes. Harry and the others waited in tense silence. Only Remus and Lily moved around, but that was to check up on Sirius and make sure that he was comfortable and taking his medicine.

It was after another ten minutes that it started to sink in that there was no telling how long this would take. The mind was a complicated machine and recovering lost memories was not an exact science.

"What are you thinking, Harry?" Danny whispered to his brother, but didn't take his eyes off the still pair in front of them.

"I don't know." Harry had to admit. A part of him hoped he was wrong about Peter.

The sun slowly began to disappear behind the horizon, yet Dumbledore and Peter were still locked in their unending eye contest until…

"Ahhhhh!" Peter started screaming but his head remained absolutely still and neither did he break eye contact. Lily and Remus rushed to him but before they could touch him.

"No! Don't!" warned James. Lily and Remus stopped to look at him. "Not until it's finished."

Peter had stopped screaming but was breathing heavier and his body language appeared in distress. Lily and Remus backed off but remained nearby.

"What's happening?" asked Danny as he and Harry reentered the room. They had been in the other room playing a game of Exploding Snap.

"I think we're about to find out." Sirius had woken up and pointed to Dumbledore and Peter. Both of them were showing signs of coming out of their trance.

Dumbledore was the first to move. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes as if he meant to fall asleep. He looked absolutely exhausted. Peter was next to regain his awareness and promptly collapsed into his chair. Lily came over to help him. She did a quick examination and everything appeared normal. Peter had just passed out.

"Did it work?" asked James. He had been the only one not to move from his spot.

"The answer is not as simple as a yes or a no." Dumbledore took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

"But if you had to?" James had no interest in cryptic answers.

"No." Dumbledore answered regretfully. "His mind…his memories…I've not seen something like it before."

"What are you talking about?" asked Remus.

"We should wait for Peter." Lily spoke before Dumbledore could continue.

"Yes, of course." Dumbledore appeared appreciative for the extended reprieve. "If I could trouble you for a glass of water…or a brandy."

Gretel popped in next to the headmaster with both beverages in hand. "Here's you go, sir."

"Ah, thank you." Dumbledore took the brandy but left the water. He took one healthy gulp and closed his eyes again.

Seconds later, Peter started to show signs of life. He groaned pitifully as he eyes fluttered open. Lily was there to help him and held the unwanted glass of water up for him. Peter grasped it appreciatively and took a few sips.

"How do you feel, Peter?" Lily asked.

Peter rubbed his forehead and temple. "Like my head is going to split in two."

Gretel popped in with a phial of Headache Relief potion that she handed to Peter who quickly downed it. Harry could see some relief pass over Peter's face, but he was still obviously in pain.

"Can you now tell us what happened in there?" James's patience had run out.

"I still don't remember anything." Peter informed the room.

"And you won't, I'm afraid." Dumbledore took another sip of the brandy before continuing. "When a wizard or witch has their memories obliviated, there is still a trace of the memory left in place. Depending on the skill of the caster, sufficient memory might still remain to be pieced together by the mind and the memories will be restored. The mind can do so on its own, at least, when obliviated by a novice. Otherwise the mind usually requires…prodding." Dumbledore paused again to take a breath. He still appeared exhausted.

"And…?" James asked impatiently. "Was there not enough?"

"There was nothing left."

"That's impossible," said Remus. Out of everyone, besides Dumbledore, he knew the most about the mind arts.

"Only improbable." Dumbledore corrected. "A powerful enough caster with equal skill in Legilimency would, I believe, be capable of such a thing."

"Could you?" asked Harry.

Dumbledore paused to consider the question before he shook his head. "I honestly have never thought to try."

"If there was nothing there, why did it take so long?" asked Lily. It had been close to six hours. If Peter had no memory fragments left, it should have been a relatively quick examination.

"And Peter started screaming, right there at the end." James added curiously.

"So that's why my throat hurts," Peter commented as he rubbed his neck and chest.

Dumbledore took another sip of the brandy. All these questions were not helping ease his exhaustion. "There was an unusual barrier near the area of the lost memories. It was unlike anything I have ever seen before, so I took time to investigate. The screaming you mentioned, must have occurred when I attempted to penetrate it. Obviously, I was unsuccessful."

"What could it be?" asked Lily, she was parts confused but also curious.

"I don't know. It could very well be a natural barrier that Peter's mind reflexively created, a means to shield itself from some kind of trauma, or it was the person responsible for the memory loss." Dumbledore didn't make it sound like he preferred one theory over the other.

Everyone turned to Peter.

"I have no idea." He shrugged.

There was a pause where no one spoke, each of the taking the time to digest the news.

"So," Sirius began to summarize. "Someone both powerful and a master Legilimencer not only removed Peter's memories so completely that there's no trace of them and then, possibly, created an impenetrable barrier around another part of Peter's mind."

"Your point, Sirius," Lily inquired.

"Come on! We're all thinking the same thing." Sirius looked at all of them one by one. "Voldemort. It's Voldemort."

Dumbledore was the first to speak. "I believe it is too early to reach that conclusion, Sirius."

Sirius, though, didn't back down. "Australia was the last place I had a solid lead. The trail went dead after that. And you can't deny he has the magical chops. Not to mention that it's something his demented mind would think to do."

Dumbledore nodded in agreement, but not with everything Sirius had said. "That it would. But these events recently in Australia seem more like accidental magic, on a much larger scale, of course. Voldemort has always prided himself on his supreme control of magic. He would not expose himself like this after so many years. Besides, it would be far simpler to just kill Mr. Pettigrew."

Peter paled and looked like he might just pass out again.

"A ritual then, maybe. Something to enhance his power," said Lily. She was leaning towards agreeing with Sirius, despite how frightening the idea was.

Again, though, Dumbledore was quick to counter. "I have studied many of the power enhancing ritual. One thing that became clear to me is that there is no power without consequences. All of them have severe side effects on not only the person but surrounding environment. None of which, though, are what we're seeing in Australia." Dumbledore, yet again, showed his incredible intellect. "However, it would be unwise to not leave the possibility open. Perhaps there exists a ritual beyond my ability to research or conceive."

"What does that mean for me?" Peter asked in a shaky voice. It all sounded pretty terrifying to him.

"Speaking as someone who now has an extensive knowledge of your mind, I believe you are not in any danger." Dumbledore assured Peter. It was the first time he spoke with any of his usual warmth. "I would, though, like the opportunity to continue studying the barrier."

"Alright." It would be easy enough for Peter to travel to Hogwarts and he'd definitely wouldn't mind having answers to what happened to him.

"Very good." Dumbledore rose to his feet and prepared to leave.

"Oh please, Professor, you must stay for dinner." Lily eagerly invited him. "Bobby and Gretel could prepare whatever you'd like."

A quick glance was made towards James, seeking his approval.

"Please stay, Professor." James said genuinely.

An appreciative smile spread across the headmaster's face. "I would be delighted."

Dinner began as a jovial affair; the Maruaders were reunited, Sirius was awake (though still a little loopy), and while the mystery behind Peter's memory loss was concerning, he showed no adverse effects. The four members of the Marauders shared stories, some Harry and Danny had heard before and some that were new. Dumbledore mostly sat in silence and laughed with the rest of them. He'd sometimes comment on how he figured out that the quartet were responsible for some of the larger pranks performed at the school and laughed at their shock faces.

However, once the meal had entered the main course, the conversation inevitably turned to the state of Hogwarts.

"Headmaster," James paused because he knew he was about break the happy mood. "Could you tell me how someone in their right mind could actually believe that Harry is the Heir of Slytherin?"

"Professor Lockhart is simply going where he believes the evidence is taking him," Dumbledore answered sourly.

"Oh hogwash! If that were true, then I'm an Heir of Slytherin and so is Danny." James made it clear that such an idea was ridiculous. "And if that's the case, then I'll gladly march into Gringotts, wheelchair and all, and accept that lovely inheritance."

"James, I realize the absurd nature of the claim," Dumbledore attempted to placate. "But, as you're well aware, people rarely need truth in order to follow their beliefs. They can simply claim that somewhere in your family's genealogy, a connection can be made."

James leaned back. He was aware of their world's thirst for gossip but he still didn't like to be reminded of it.

"Wait a minute!" Lily suddenly blurted out. "Bobby!"

The aforementioned house-elf popped in next to her. "Yes, Mistress."

"Please bring me the Potter Family Tree."

"Right away, Mistress."

James slapped the table, it was times like this that reminded him why he loved Lily so much. "The Potter family has a complete list of every marriage and child connected to our family."

Bobby returned with a large tome and handed it to Lily, who said. "And while some Ancient Houses have had trouble keeping it in their pants…" Her eyes turned to Sirius.

"We all are very aware of how much my family sucks." Sirius said, deliberately missing her point.

"…The Potters have never strayed from their marital bed."

"That's because we've always been attracted to beautiful, smart, strong witches who—"

"—Who are adept at Castration spells." Lily smiled good-naturedly. A gentle reminder of how lucky he was to have her.

"Yes, honey." James smiled broadly, he was well aware of how fortunate he was. He turned back to Dumbledore. "The point is; this should be more than enough to prove that Harry or any other Potter is in no way connected to that family." James strained to refer to Slytherin and his line as an actual family.

Lily passed the tome down to Dumbledore who opened to the first page. "I believe this should be more than adequate to keep Gilderoy's accusations at bay." He didn't need to add that it wasn't enough to silence the gossip.

"Headmaster," Harry spoke up. He had some questions of his own. "You said you were there the last time the Chamber was opened?"

"Yes, I was." Dumbledore closed the tome and set it aside. When he spoke, the anguish was evident. "It was one of the darkest periods of my life. I was many years into my tenure when the attacks occurred. Two years before my duel with Grindelwald. The world did not yet look to me and yet I felt the responsibility to intervene. The headmaster at the time, Armando Dippet, was a wonderful educator but not equipped to handle such a dangerous situation. The Ministry and Board of Governors were in charge and I did what I could, but I was never part of their investigation."

"When Lockhart…" Harry started.

"Professor Lockhart." Dumbledore corrected but Harry didn't stop to do so.

"…was telling you about the kind of creatures—"

"It's a basilisk." The headmaster again interrupted.

"Professor?" Remus sat up straighter. As a wizard classified as a dark creature, Remus knew more than most about the many species and subspecies in the same category.

"Yes, Remus, a basilisk."

"How certain are you?"

"90%."

Remus looked at everyone in the room before coming back around to Dumbledore. "You need to close the school."

"I strongly advocated for it," Dumbledore hoped it obvious that the safety of the students was far more important than his own reputation. "But Lord Malfoy has thrown his support behind Professor Lockhart. He has assured the Ministry and Board of Governors that Gilderoy can stop the basilisk before it attacks again."

It surprised no one that Malfoy's philosophy would be the complete opposite to Dumbledore's. After all, only Muggleborns had a reason to fear the Heir of Slytherin.

"They know!?" Remus sounded incredulous.

Dumbledore responded with a nod. "Gilderoy is a very gifted wizard who, unfortunately, developed quite an ego and an unending need to feed it."

"What precautions have been put into place?" James put in.

"Currently, the halls are being filled with every species of rooster there is. Given the basilisk's natural resistance to all forms of magic, it's all we can do at the moment."

"Sounds like a lot of nothing to me," commented Sirius.

"Will that work?" asked Lily.

"No, it will not." Everyone looked to Dumbledore to clarify. "It was the one of the first things I did, once I became headmaster. I covered every crevice of the castle, amplifying the rooster's call to deafening levels. And yet, the basilisk remained."

"Then maybe it's not a basilisk." Remus pondered hopefully. Anything other than the King of Serpents would be better.

"That's the 10%." Dumbledore put it simply, before he went more in depth. "All the times the Chamber has been opened, very little of the victims would remain. There was only ever enough left to identify the body." Dumbledore shuddered slightly as he recalled the gruesome images of the Heir's victims. "But 1943 was the first time the creature failed to kill its target. Much like Professor Lockhart, I narrowed the possible creatures down to a cockatrice and a basilisk. Given Salazar Slytherin's naturally affinity to snakes, being the first recorded British Parselmouth, the basilisk was the most logical choice."

"Let's say that it is a basilisk then," began Sirius. "And it's been there for centuries. It would be huge by now, how is it moving through a school full of people and not being seen."

"It has." Dumbledore answered simply, to the shock of everyone.

"Who?" The table collectively asked.

"Myrtle Warren."

"Myrtle Warren?" It took a moment for Lily to recognize the name. "You mean Moaning Myrtle?!" she cried incredulously.

Harry couldn't believe it. He remembered the horrific months he spent cleaning Moaning Myrtle's bathroom in his first year. All she ever did was cry and yell at him to leave her bathroom. It had been a nightmare.

"Ms. Warren died in a highly emotional state and, as such, her spirit is stuck in the same state. Getting her to speak about her death was nigh impossible." Harry could only imagine. Just the name 'Moaning Myrtle' didn't exactly scream conversationalist. Dumbledore continued. "All I could surmise from her hysteria was that she heard a male voice and saw a pair of yellow eyes."

"Were you able find anything about the voice?" questioned Sirius. "Anyone you suspected?"

"No one substantial, I'm afraid." Dumbledore answered regretfully.***

"Will the public be informed?" wondered James.

"Not yet. The Ministry would rather report the good news that the creature is dead rather than the bad news that there is little they can actually do."

James scoffed loudly. "That sounds like Fudge alright."

"Indeed." Dumbledore and James definitely agreed on that.

"What about you, Headmaster?" asked Harry. "Has Lord Malfoy made any other moves?"

"None, thus far. And before you say it, I have found no connection between him and the Chamber of Secrets. He is merely taking advantage of the situation to further discredit me, and I would have expected nothing less."

"That slime ball." Lily usually refrained from name calling but no one was surprised by her sentiment. Lucius Malfoy had been six years ahead of them at Hogwarts and he never missed an opportunity to remind Lily of her blood status; a trait he passed down to his son.

"What can Harry and I do to help?" Danny asked eagerly. His voice carried clear determination to do something to help.

"You will stay out of the way." James instead answered.

Harry nodded and looked to his brother. He planned to do just that.

***Before anyone can point out, I purposively left out Dumbledore saying he suspected Tom Riddle of opening the Chamber. Not everything in this story is canon.