The Meeting in the Hog's Head
Once back at Hogwarts, James returned to his regular Quidditch practices with the rest of the Gryffindor team. Ever after their mid-match brawl, Kennedy avoided talking to James whenever possible. This suited James just fine, and he likewise kept to himself while out on the field. At the very least, their fight had seemed to purge Kennedy of the majority of his "helpful" remarks, and practices became much more enjoyable with the newfound quiet.
And with the approach of the weekend trip to Hogsmeade, James had an even more pressing reason to make sure that the practices went smoothly. He feared that King might forbid the team from enjoying the break if they did not shape up in time for their second match. James did not relish the prospect of letting Sirius and Peter search for Mundungus on their own, mostly because he wanted to tell off the squat-legged traitor himself.
Fortunately, at the conclusion of Gryffindor's final practice before the weekend, King only wished his teammates a relaxing day in Hogsmeade before dismissing them. Skipping all the way back to the castle, James met Sirius and Peter in their dormitory, Remus being gone during the full moon, and he stopped short at their reddened faces.
"What's the matter with you two?" James asked as Sirius crossed his arms and glared at Peter. Afraid that Sirius might lunge at the smaller boy, James stepped forward and held out his arm. "What's gotten into you?"
"Peter's being a pansy," Sirius spat, and Peter flushed.
"I just don't see why we can't wait to take the Animagus Potion," Peter whined, pointing at the open book on Sirius' four-poster. "Animagi in the Making says that the potion will turn us into animals straight away, so why do we have to do anything now?"
"It's to help us get ready for the potion," James explained. "It's too dangerous to just take it without preparing for the Transfiguration. We might get stuck with an irreversible tail, or worse."
"But we don't even have a place to practice!" Peter insisted. "Remus is only gone for the weekend, and we can't Transfigure ourselves while he's here!"
"There are plenty of rooms in the castle," Sirius shot back.
"But a professor might walk in at any moment!" Peter continued. "And don't forget about Mrs. Norris. I think that she can smell trouble."
"We can practice in the Shrieking Shack," Sirius argued. "We know how to get there, and it's empty most of the month."
"But—"
"Just stop arguing, Peter, you're giving me a headache!" Sirius exploded again. "Do you have to fight this every step of the way?"
Although Peter hung his head, he turned a scowl on the floor as Sirius stalked away. Mulling over the conversation, James kept his thoughts to himself. None of the three had actually joined Remus down the tunnel beneath the Whomping Willow before, so they had no way of knowing if there were extra obstacles to get through before reaching the Shrieking Shack. Any passwords or booby-traps would force them to turn back, and they could not risk consulting Remus beforehand. As much as James hesitated to admit it, Peter was probably right; they would have to settle for a room in the castle, but which one? Nowhere that James could think of would ensure them complete privacy.
Opting to wrestle with the decision later, James forgot about the issue while he, Sirius, and Peter ambled down the road leading towards Hogsmeade that weekend. As Sirius had predicted, the town had begun to pull out pink streamers and heart-shaped balloons to celebrate the approach of Valentine's Day, hoping to attract the Hogwarts students to the local cafés. With the snow still not fully melted off the buildings' rooftops, the main street looked almost comical with the dozens of winged, diaper-clad cherubs flapping above the passersby, shivering as they searched for a target to hit with their arrows. A passing third-year jumped as a drop of water from the melting snow splashed on her nose from overhead, and she glanced nervously up at the cherubs dancing on the rooftop of the Three Broomsticks as James and his roommates entered the inn.
"Hello, Rosmerta!" Sirius called out with a wave at the curvy bartender, who flashed a smile when she saw who was speaking.
Glancing to the side, James felt his heart jump to his throat; Lily and Alice were sitting together on two of the barstools in front of the counter. Flashing a hand to his hair, James rubbed it back and found that it would not stay down. Thankfully, the girls had not noticed him yet, and he pushed his hand the other way to mess it up even more.
"Well, if it isn't Sirius Black and his mates!" Madam Rosmerta greeted, and Lily finally looked James' way as the bartender leaned over the counter with a beam. "What can I get you three today?"
"We're not actually here for the drinks, even though we'd love to stay and chat," Sirius answered, propping one leg up on Alice's barstool and shoving her a bit. "Move aside, will you, Newshod?"
Nearly falling off of her stool, Alice gave Sirius enough room to hoist himself up. Shooting a glare at Sirius, Lily set down her butterbeer. "Find your own seat, Black."
"You know what they say about inns, Evans," Sirius told Lily, giving her a wry look. "No room." Turning back to Rosmerta, he said, "I was hoping that you could tell us where to find a certain Mundungus Fletcher." When Madam Rosmerta and the other girls frowned, Sirius lifted his hand from the ground and described, "He's about this tall, messy red hair, smells like old tobacco."
"I can't say that I've seen him around," Rosmerta responded, shaking her head. "I'm sorry."
"Is there anyone who might have seen him?" James questioned, leaning in.
Lifting a hand to her chin, Madam Rosmerta suggested, "You might try Junckleberg's down the street. Lots of people stop there for a small bite to eat, although the man you described sounds like he'd keep to less . . . reputable parts of town. There's always the Hog's Head Inn, if you aren't averse to the grime."
Grimacing, Peter gave a shudder, and Alice raised her head to peer at the boys. "Why are you looking for this Fletcher, exactly?" she asked.
"We thought that he might be able to supply us a potion," James replied truthfully.
"A potion for what?"
"To keep people from asking unwanted questions," he answered. Flushing, Alice clapped her mouth shut as Madam Rosmerta laughed.
"Well, the Hog's Head is my best suggestion," Rosmerta repeated, and Sirius slid off of Alice's stool with a nod.
"Is there anything we can get you while we're out?" James offered to the girls before his roommates could take more than a few steps towards the door. "A love potion, perhaps? Chocolates?"
"I'll take a copy of whatever it is that you're purchasing, Potter," Lily spoke up, and James took advantage of his excuse to meet her bright green eyes. "You know, the potion to stop unwanted questions."
Turning a beam on Lily, Alice giggled slightly as James grinned. "I can do even better than that and get you a trip to Madam Puddifoot's."
"We have things to do, mate," Sirius sighed, nudging James' elbow, but Lily and Alice had frozen with their mouths slightly ajar.
"Did I hear you correctly, Potter?" Lily questioned.
"Not unless you were using the Ear-Block Charm, I presume," James replied, shrugging.
"Are you trying to fake me out?"
"No, I'm trying to take you out," James clarified. "There's a considerable difference."
At his revelation, Alice gasped while Lily's face went white; behind the bar, Madam Rosmerta watched the children in poorly-concealed interest. "You've gone mental!" Lily exclaimed. "What makes you think that I would ever want to go out with you?"
Although he had somewhat expected this reaction, James nevertheless kept a smile on his face as Sirius pulled on his sleeve. "Come on, James, let's get going!"
"The offer still stands, Evans!" James announced as he stumbled after Sirius. "Think about it!"
"Buzz off, Potter!" Lily snapped back just as the door closed on her.
Turning away from the door with a smile, James opened his mouth to crack a joke to his roommates, but he nearly ran into someone standing just to the right. Recovering himself when the other person did not move, he scowled down at the student and felt his annoyance heighten when he realized that it was Snape.
"What are you doing here, Snape?" James growled. Frozen stiff as if he had been hit with a Full Body-Bind Curse, Snape merely turned his head from James to the window that he had been standing in front of. Noticing how close to the door Snape had been standing, James realized with a prickling on the back of his neck that he might have been listening in from outside.
"Were you eavesdropping?" James demanded, crossing his arms. Facing him again, Snape glared at him.
"What makes you think that?" he asked.
"Why else would you be skulking around the outside of the Three Broomsticks?" James accused. "If you wanted to go in, just go in! No one's stopping you!"
As James started to stomp away, Snape reached out and grabbed his arm. Throwing him off, James was about to hex him for touching him, but Snape spoke before he could take out his wand.
"What were you doing in there?"
"None of your business, that's what," James replied shortly, but Snape moved out to stop him again, strangely persistent despite the presence of Sirius and Peter.
"I saw you bothering those students," Snape said, pointing through the window.
"Since when did you care about Gryffindors?" James shot back before he could continue, but he felt something churn in the pit of his stomach when Snape's eyes shot to the window again. All of a sudden, James was not sure that he wanted to know why Snape was standing there, but he pressed on anyway. "Do you have anything better to do than follow us around, looking for a way to get us into trouble?"
Clenching his fists at his sides, Snape hissed, "For your information, I just happened to be passing by when I saw you throwing your weight around. I wasn't following anybody!"
"That's the biggest lie I've ever heard!" Sirius spoke, stepping beside James. "He was definitely following someone! Just look at his face!"
Obliging despite the bubbling in his gut, James saw something like a dark cloud pass over Snape's face as if the boy was trying very hard not to turn red. Feeling as if the roaring blood in his ears might suddenly rush out, James steeled his jaw.
"Look here, Snivellus," he shot, stepping forward and jabbing a finger into Snape's chest, "if I ever catch you following us again, I'll make you vomit slugs like last time." As Snape stumbled back, James glared at him meaningfully. "Just stay away from our House, do you hear?"
Hoping that Snape caught the glint behind his eyes, James spun around and stalked off with Sirius and Peter, who both slumped when they saw that a fight would not break out. After a few moments, however, Sirius seemed to remember their mission and turned to Peter.
"So, where exactly is this Hog's Head?"
Peter's face fell, but he started leading the others down the main street of Hogsmeade at Sirius' bidding. Ignoring the pink-splattered shops, the trio continued forward until Peter took a sharp turn, entering one of the many streets that branched off from the center of town. Just when the street came to a dead end, Peter halted in front of a dirty, ill-kept building with a sign that pictured a severed boar's head bleeding out on a white cloth.
Turning, Peter pursed his lips. "Do we have to go inside?"
"Well, we can't very well see what's inside through those dirt-caked windows!" Sirius exclaimed, gesturing at the pub. "We have to go in, don't we?"
Grimacing, Peter turned and followed his roommates up the front steps and through the door, which opened to reveal a cramped room with a few roughly-hewn tables. Immediately, James' nose caught the dank scent of ale combined with sweat, and he squinted through the dark of the pub to take in the people situated around it. A lone warlock sat smoking a slender pipe near the back, contributing to the foul odor, and the long-haired barkeep eyed the three students from behind the counter. Wiping a grease-stained glass with his equally grubby apron, the wizard merely shook his head after a moment and turned away from his newest customers.
Taking a few steps into the room, James glanced down at his feet to see the disturbed dust rising to his knees, now admiring how the snow-draped landscape outside was far cleaner than the interior of the Hog's Head Inn. Scattered about the sparse tabletops, the room's few occupants gave the boys sideways glances as they knocked the snow off of their shoes.
"Do you think that we should buy anything?" James questioned the others out of the corner of his mouth, peering at the rows of strange elixirs behind the counter.
"I don't think he'll mind if we don't," Sirius whispered back, nodding discreetly at the gray-bearded bartender. James imagined that the wizard was still ignoring the boys, though he would not be able to tell otherwise due to the barkeep's filthy spectacles, which matched the state of the pub's windows.
Beckoning the others forward, Sirius slunk towards the opposite end of the room, taking far longer than necessary to peer at the patrons' faces. Most of the customers did not shy away from the boys' inspections, too busy staring back to care if they were identified. Swallowing at their unblinking gazes, Peter hid his face behind James as the three boys approached the far end of the single room, and James began to wonder which one of the patrons they should ask for information about Mundungus. Among their options was the smoking warlock, a wizened old lady that looked suspiciously like a hag, a pair of cloak-shrouded goblins with their backs to the boys, and a sandy-haired wizard with a Bowtruckle on his shoulder. None of them seemed terribly approachable, and James suspected that they might hex him and his friends before they could even get out their question.
Slowing down, James stared at one of the goblins as he turned and eyed them with a near-scowl. His partner did not turn around even when the first huffed, and James narrowed his eyes as the hooded figure shuffled, exposing a lock of stringy red hair for a split second. Sirius saw it too, and he cried out triumphantly before spinning the so-called goblin around, causing his hood to slip off completely. Sputtering, Mundungus nearly fell to the floor as Sirius corrected his hold and grabbed the neck of the wizard's collar instead, holding him steady.
"Found you, you dirty sneak!" Sirius hissed. "It figures that you'd be hanging around a place like this!"
"Ah, Mr. Potter! Mr. Black!" Mundungus declared, smacking his lips as a trail of sweat worked its way down his forehead. "Let's not be too hasty—"
"Why didn't you show up?" Sirius interrupted, shaking him. "Why didn't you contact us? Were you too afraid to show your face after stabbing us in the back?"
Wide-eyed, Mundungus gulped as his goblin partner pushed off from the table and set his stubby legs onto the ground, significantly shorter now that he had left his chair. "I see that you have some personal business to take care of, Fletcher. I'll leave this until later."
"You didn't give our supplies to him, did you?" Sirius spoke to Mundungus, stopping the goblin with his foot and glaring down at him.
"No, no, you misunderstand completely!" Mundungus insisted, raising his hands as the goblin huffed again. "I hadn't even started talking with him when you showed up!"
"And I don't suspect that you will anytime soon," the goblin commented, pulling up his collar with a sniff before he headed for the door.
Pulling his foot aside, Sirius let him go with one last look and concentrated his energy on shoving Mundungus to the far wall. A few of the other patrons gave James and the others dark glances as the initial commotion ceased, although some of them fidgeted following the disruption; after a moment of squirming, the wizard with the Bowtruckle scooped up a briefcase at his feet and swept out of the door after the goblin. Behind the counter, the bartender turned his head after Mundungus as Sirius threw him onto a chair and seated himself across from him.
"Where are our Mandrake leaves, you traitor?" Sirius demanded as James and Peter sat themselves on either side of Mundungus.
"I told you, times have been hard!" the squat wizard pleaded. "You can't expect me to do the impossible!"
"You said that you'd have them by now!" Sirius growled, pounding his fist on the table with a low thump. Once again, the other customers gave the group passing glances as Mundungus jumped at the sound.
"I meant to give them to you back near a month ago! Honest, I did!" he insisted. "It wasn't my choice that—"
"So you did have them?" James interrupted, and Mundungus went pale as James and Sirius bristled.
"Now, I—"
"What did you do with them?" Sirius demanded.
"There—there was another buyer!" Mundungus stammered, shrinking under their fiery gazes. "He offered more money than you, and I thought that I could get more leaves in time for our meeting!"
"Who was he?" James interjected.
"He called himself Sibuna."
"Sibuna?" James asked.
"It was the only name he ever gave me," Mundungus answered, shrugging.
Staring him down, Sirius growled, "That's not much to go off of."
Breathing hard, Mundungus shook his head. "I don't know who he was, honest! I've never dealt with him before, but I wouldn't forget his face easily!"
"What did he look like?" James questioned.
"He was a big bloke with a brownish hair and beard," the squat man described, raising his hand as far above his head as it could reach. "Hid under a cloak, and snarled most of the time."
Frowning, James thought to himself as Sirius stood and loomed over Mundungus. "Why did he want the Mandrake leaves?"
"I don't know!" Mundungus replied hurriedly. "I don't usually ask my clients about their personal matters. Puts a rapid halt to business, usually." As Sirius sat back down with a grunt, Mundungus added, "If it helps at all, I also sold him an enchanted cauldron. Got it specially from a store near Diagon Alley."
"Knockturn Alley, you mean," James corrected. "We know." After another moment, he thought of another question. "Do you know where Sibuna took the Mandrake leaves?"
"Took them?" Mundungus exclaimed, shocked. "Merlin, are you even listening? I don't even know what the fellow did with them! Do you think I know where he lives?"
Crossing his arms, James sat back and glared at Mundungus. "Well, it's still your job to get them back!"
"Get them back?" the man stuttered. "Now, I won't deny that it was a large supply, but a wizard that desperate for material will have something very specific in mind for its use. In all reality, lads, it's probably much too late."
"Then when can you get more?" Sirius spoke up.
"Er, right," Mundungus gulped. "There are several factors that one needs to consider, and the market will be even harder to peruse now that it's already been—"
"If you can't get any more, then you have to take back what you gave to Sibuna," James interrupted. "We'll even help you track him down if it comes to it."
"But Mr. Potter," Mundungus tried, smiling his best despite the lack of several teeth, "it would be far too dangerous for a young lad like yourself to hunt down the likes that I deal with on a daily basis. Why, when I first met you," he said, nodding to Sirius as well, "I thought to myself what a fine pair of gentlemen you are!" Opening his mouth to continue, he frowned briefly at Peter, who had remained silent throughout the interaction. "And who's this again?"
"Peter Pettigrew," Peter replied, his voice cracking from the unexpected question.
"Well, that goes for him, too," Mundungus said, nodding to James. "It's not a wise thing to put yourselves at risk in the modern business world, not while you're so young and as impressionable as you are. Believe me when I say that there are unsavory characters about."
"Oh, I believe it, all right," Sirius muttered under his breath, and Mundungus shot him a scowl.
"At any rate, you can't expect to search for someone while you're at school!" he spat, turning to James as if to appeal to a more reasonable confidant. "I've been in this business for years, and you need to devote your full attention to tracking down a client who doesn't want to be found!"
"Then you'll do it for us," James responded.
"But Mr. Potter—"
"You're the one who sold off our ingredients for a higher bid!" James snapped. "You brought this on yourself!"
"But seeing as I trust you about as far as I can reach," Sirius added with a growl, "I say that we cast a Sniff-Out Spell to make sure you don't double-cross us again."
"Good idea," James agreed, nodding as Mundungus started. "If we can keep track of him from inside Hogwarts, we won't have to worry about him slipping away again."
"But the Sniff-Out Spell!" Mundungus gasped. "That's a highly complicated enchantment, and it's hardly necessary!"
"Yes, it is," Sirius interjected, and he procured his wand out of the view of the other tables. Making to sprint off, Mundungus froze halfway up from his chair as James and Peter rose to stop him, pulling out their wands as well. After a tense moment, Mundungus slowly sank back down into his seat and curled his lip at Sirius.
"I bet you can't even do it," he defied, but he squeezed his eyes shut as Sirius pointed his wand across the table.
"Indago Mundungus Fletcher!" Sirius retorted, closing one eye in concentration.
Drawing a slight moan from Mundungus, a wispy, grayish light sunk into the squat wizard's chest and evaporated. For a few seconds, Mundungus' features went slack, but he cracked open a bloodshot eye a moment later to glare at the others.
"I stand corrected. You three are more bothersome than I first thought when you came barging in here."
"With this spell in effect, we'll know the exact moment you disobey an order that I give you," Sirius told him with a smirk, slipping his wand away. "And you won't like it when we do."
"What will happen to him?" Peter asked, eyes wide.
"When my wand starts buzzing, the same thing will happen to him," Sirius answered, nodding at Mundungus where he sat slouched in his chair. "It's not too convenient to go about your day when you're shaking as badly as Mussmug when Remus walks into the room."
"Not only that, but everyone else will know that he's a dishonest rat," James insulted. "The only way to stop it is to go through with the agreement."
Scoffing, Mundungus spat a wad of watery saliva onto the tavern's dirty floor. "Agreement? Ha! What sort of agreement is it if you have to set a spell on me?"
"Listen up," Sirius interjected, silencing Mundungus and folding his hands together. "We need you to track down Sibuna and get back our Mandrake leaves. As soon as you find them, you need to contact us."
"And how will I do that, exactly?" Mundungus pointed out sourly.
Reaching into his pocket, James produced his two-way mirror and placed it on the table. "Use this."
"Use that," Sirius echoed, pointing at the mirror with a grin aimed at James. When Mundungus picked it up with an inquisitive stare, Sirius added, "Don't lose it or sell it, either."
"How will we pick up the Mandrake leaves?" Peter asked the others.
"It's too bad that we can't Apparate," Sirius said after a moment's pause, thinking. "I'd rather pick it up instead of trusting Mundungus to deliver it again, anyway."
"Can't we use Side-Along Apparition with him?" Peter suggested.
"Can't," James said. "No one can Apparate in or out of Hogwarts." When his roommates turned to stare at him, he shrugged. "Hogwarts: A History."
"Well, that's just brilliant," Sirius sighed, slouching back into his chair. "It's not like we can use the Hogwarts Express at short notice."
"No," James spoke again, sitting upright as an idea suddenly struck him, "but we could use your motorbike!"
This time, even Mundungus turned to stare at him, spluttering out a response. "A Muggle bike?"
"That's perfect!" Sirius praised, grinning once more, and he spun towards Mundungus. "We need you to bring my motorbike to Hogwarts."
"But—but how?" Mundungus gasped. "I can't exactly sneak an auto through the front gates without being noticed, can I?"
"Somehow I doubt that you have a problem with smuggling things around," James noted dryly.
"You'll find it in an outside shed at Potter Cottage, Godric's Hollow," Sirius informed Mundungus. "Find a way to get it onto the grounds during the night, and send us an owl the morning before."
"But it's impossible!" Mundungus protested. "I couldn't get through the front gate without being questioned!"
"Then don't use the gate," Sirius advised, a spark of annoyance in his voice.
"But how else would I get it in?"
Throwing his hands into the air, Sirius exclaimed, "How should I care? Make it fly!"
Glowering, Mundungus sat back as the bearded bartender and a few of the patrons glanced Sirius' way. Leaning forward, James tapped the wooden table to get Mundungus' attention, although he immediately regretted it when his fingers landed in an unidentified, gooey liquid.
"Do you have all of that?" James asked, rapidly wiping his hand on his robes. In answer, Mundungus simply harrumphed, sounding like Winthrop in the morning. "And I want you to remember that this is my house you're getting the motorbike from," James added. "If you touch anything that isn't yours, I'll hex your fingers together."
"Do what he says," Sirius told Mundungus, nodding.
"I'll send an owl to my parents so that they'll let you in," James said. "Just tell them you're a relative of Sirius' come to keep the motorbike for him—and say that his parents don't know."
"It'll work," Sirius spoke, appraising Mundungus swiftly. "He's about as easy to like as the rest of my family."
Standing up, James and his roommates stared down at Mundungus. "Don't forget," Sirius commanded, tapping the side of his head, "bring the motorbike by the end of the week. And don't you dare tell anyone what we're doing. We'll be waiting for your owl."
"Of course," the squat wizard answered, his voice dripping with irony, and the boys turned and left him sitting alone near the back of the Hog's Head. On their way out, only the hag watched them leave, but James thought that he saw the bartender give Mundungus one last glance before Peter closed the door behind them.