AN: I know I told a few of you I would update right after the fourth, but some circumstances changed. Unfortunately, I now have very limited access to a computer, which means I just typed up all of this chapter in one sitting. Granted, it was stewing in my mind for several days, but still. That doesn't mean that chapters will be few and far between, and it shouldn't last for long. Just that I won't have a lot of time to answer all of your questions, but I will try. Thanks to all of the readers, followers, and favorites who have even glanced at this story. Tons of thanks to all of you who devoted the time to leave a review: lilmisadiva, red neo ranger, heart chan, TrisakAminawn, Majerus, Penny is wise, becuzitswrong, tpx1, Ari989, serialkeller, ILoveGeorgeEads, Kairan1979, To the TARDIS, Lady Sabine of Macayhill, Guest, magitech, AlaskanKing, Firenze Fox, Sakura Lisel, Tellur, ultima-owner, MariusDarkwolf, Fibinaci, Wonderbee31, and B00kw0rm92.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter franchise.
In their seven years at Hogwarts, Remus and his friends had often wondered just what happened during the school's infamous staff meetings. Was it secretly a huge disco party, allowing Dumbledore to parade around in his flashiest robes without being judged? Were the few hours spent in the staff room used to vent their frustration on the Marauders' frequent pranks? Or was it perhaps used to spend time gossiping about all of the latest drama occurring within the castle's walls? Remus doubted his friends would've been happy to learn that it was just a regular, boring meeting where teachers discussed what needed to be improved upon.
Of course, at the time, none of them had considered what it would be like if they took away Dumbledore and added in Remus and Snape. The Potions master was currently glaring across the table at the werewolf, his inky black eyes unreadable. Whatever he was thinking, Remus was positive it wasn't good. All around him, the professors paired off to chat about…well, Remus wasn't sure, exactly. He stood at the edge of the room, ready to flee at a moment's notice.
Minerva cleared her throat, leveling them all with a serious look. "In case you've all forgotten, this is a staff meeting, not a social hour."
Pomona giggled. "Oh, hush, Minerva. It's not as though you haven't done the same thing."
Minerva smiled tightly. Something about her expression seemed off to Remus. "Yes, well, circumstances have changed. It is of the utmost importance that I speak to you all now."
Snape rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest.
"As you all know, the dementors have surrounded Hogwarts by order of the Minister. Any outdoor classes need to first be approved by either myself or Aurora—especially after today." She glanced pointedly at Hagrid, who flushed. "I believe this goes without saying, but I would like to remind you all that you should pay extra attention to students who might have the opportunity to come into contact with the dementors. I understand these circumstances are…less than ideal," Minerva paused for a beat, "but I think you'll find that this is necessary."
There was a murmur of assent around the room. Remus swallowed, eyes darting back to Snape, whose glare was unflinching.
"Remus, Hagrid, how are you settling into your new positions?" She asked politely, folding her hands on top of the table.
Hagrid averted his eyes, surprising Remus. It seemed to him that the friendly, eager half-giant would've spoken up about his classes relatively quickly. "I think yeh all know about tha' accident, what with the hippogriffs and all…" He trailed off meekly, hunching over in his chair.
Remus noted the way Snape's face twisted into a smirk.
"But besides tha', I think it went okay." Hagrid reached up to stroke his beard contemplatively.
"And you, Remus?" Sinistra nodded towards him.
Remus cleared his throat. Snape was still smirking. "It went well, thank you."
Flitwick seemed mildly disappointed. "Just well?"
"Yes," Remus replied shortly. He resisted the urge to shrink down into his chair and raised his chin a few centimeters.
"One last order of business," Minerva spoke again, drawing everyone's attention back to her. "And it is perhaps the most imperative. With Black on the loose, security needs to be the top priority for everyone. If you suspect anything, get the children to safety and notify myself or Aurora straight away. And if anyone knows anything that could help end the hunt for Black, they should speak up now."
Remus put his trembling hands under the table and stared straight ahead, masking his anxiety. He could feel Snape's eyes boring a hole in his head. Should he say something? He should, shouldn't he? He should tell them. But telling them would mean admitting that they had gone against the law. More than that, it would mean going against the pact all four of them had made in school, when they'd agreed never to tell anyone what they'd done ("Except for maybe Lily," James had added hastily). He didn't much care if he went against Sirius at this point, but betraying James and Peter would…it would wreck him.
In the end he remained silent, so focused on his thoughts that he didn't hear Minerva end the meeting. A light touch on his upper arm made him jump.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Charity apologized sincerely, eyes widening.
"No, no, it's fine. You just startled me." He hadn't had the chance to really talk to her. He knew she taught Muggle Studies and was the Head of Gryffindor, which had intrigued him. She appeared to be about his age, and yet she didn't seem the slightest bit familiar. Stranger still was the fact that she sat with the Gryffindors at lunch, to the obvious disdain of Snape.
"Can I talk to you outside?" She asked, moving her head from side to side furtively.
"Of course." He wondered what was so secretive that they couldn't speak about in the staff room. Maybe she just didn't like being around Snape. He could sympathize with that.
Charity was silent as they moved through the hallways, reaching a small alcove. She fidgeted nervously, twirling a lock of blond hair around her finger. Remus waited patiently for a few minutes, but she didn't seem to ready to speak any time soon.
He sighed. "Listen, Charity, what is this about?"
She squirmed a bit more. "I know you were friends with Sirius Black!"
Remus froze and unconsciously took a step back.
Her mouth dropped open in shock. "I'm sorry, that came out so wrong, I'm not judging you, I swear—"
"It's fine," He said automatically.
She shook her head emphatically. "No, it isn't. It really isn't. Look, can I just start over?" Without waiting for an answer, she continued. "Earlier today, Minerva and I spook with Harry about Black and what he did to the Potters."
Oh, Merlin…Remus swallowed heavily and nodded.
"But we didn't mention you at all. We just wanted to tell him all the fact, y'know? We didn't want him to go into it blind."
"He probably took the news badly," Remus said lightly, rubbing his sweaty palms on his robes.
"Actually, he didn't. He seemed very…I don't know a good word for it, but his reaction wasn't right. He most likely talked it over with his friends, but I'm not sure…I just think that maybe it would help him to talk to someone who understands what he's going through." She peeked up at him from behind curly blonde bangs.
"Oh." Remus didn't know how to respond to that. If he agreed, that would bring up everything he'd been trying to avoid, all the feelings he'd stamped down for years. But if he refused, what would happen to Harry? How would Harry feel? The thought of James and Lily's son having to face that pain alone made his throat constrict. He, Remus, had been alone when he had to go through that unbearable feeling of loneliness and loss and the realization that he would never see any of those people again. But Harry was only thirteen…
"I'll do it," He decided aloud.
Charity's face brightened and her blonde curls practically vibrated with excitement. "You will? Oh, thank you!" She threw her arms around him in a grateful hug.
He almost fell back in surprise before instinctively hugging her back. It had been a while since he'd been hugged. It had been a while before anyone had told him thank you for anything, even something simple.
Charity pulled back, seemingly unfazed. "I know this is probably going to be very difficult for you, and I thought maybe you wouldn't accept—"
"I wasn't in Gryffindor for nothing," He cut her off with a smile.
She beamed back at him. "This is going to help Harry so much, I—I just—thank you," She finished.
He blinked as the full force of her happiness hit him. "You really want to help those kids, don't you?"
She stared at him, as though surprised he would ask such a question. "Of course. I'm their Head of House. It's kind of my job," She explained.
"Yes, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone go to such lengths to do it before." He reached up to rub the back of his neck. This conversation was quickly becoming a bit uncomfortable.
She blushed. "I guess that's just me, then. I see something that needs to be done, and I do it. They've come so far in such a short amount of time. I'm so proud of them."
Remus found himself smiling at her again. It had been a while since he'd used those muscles, and he found it came with a pleasant sort of pain. "It's good to see that you care so much. Um, I haven't eaten dinner yet, I was kind of busy then."
"Oh, well, neither have I. That talk with Harry put off my appetite for a bit, and now it's back with a vengeance. Mind if I join you?" She asked hesitantly.
Normally, Remus found himself immensely irritated when people invited themselves along to things. But Remus was quickly figuring out that Charity was not normal, and she wasn't too bad of a companion. At least she wouldn't be worse than Sirius, who had been known to pack away enough food for four people.
"Sure. Why not?" He replied, setting off towards the kitchens.
It was the first time in twelve years he'd been able to think about Sirius without feeling that dull ache in his chest.
When Harry got back to the Common Room, he realized that no one was there. It was dinner time. Harry didn't feel like going down to the Great Hall and facing all of those people. His stomach churned at the thought of eating anyways. He sat down in a red squashy chair by the fire, only to find that his mind couldn't concentrate on anything but Sirius Black. He groaned and stood to go up to his dorms. Maybe he could catch a quick nap before what was bound to be a long conversation with his friends. As he was climbing the stairs he bumped into another boy and sent parchment flying everywhere.
"Sorry," Harry mumbled, gathering some of the parchment.
"Harry!" Oliver exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"I wasn't that hungry." Harry shrugged noncommittally. "What about you?"
"Quidditch plays," Oliver answered, gesturing to the parchment. "First match is against Slytherin. I have to prove to Flint that we'll always be better than he is."
Typically when Oliver talked about beating someone at Quidditch, a certain fire appeared in his eyes. This time, there was no such fire. Instead, a dull look gazed back at Harry. Was it fear? But fear of what? Oliver couldn't possibly be afraid of Flint, could he?
"Oliver, are you okay?" Harry asked, handing over the rest of the plays.
"Yeah, yeah. Did I tell you that Flint got signed to the Arrows? Can you believe that? Clearly they don't care that he's as dumb as a sack of rocks. He had to repeat this year! And they still signed him."
"You told me," Harry said flatly.
"Oh, right. Well, when I'm on Puddlemere and he's with the Arrows, I'll make sure that he knows who the best is."
Harry's eyes narrowed. "How was Quidditch camp, by the way?"
"Oh, it was great. I learned a lot. I'm planning on using some of it in the next game. Flint'll never see it coming. The Arrows wouldn't let him come to training camp until next year."
Harry nodded, pretending to be interested. "I bet you had fun getting to see all of the Puddlemere players."
"Oh yeah. Loads." Oliver shifted, looking uncomfortable. "Listen, Harry, are you sure you're alright? You don't look too good."
Harry cursed inwardly. Was he really that obvious? "I was hoping to tell you guys something after dinner."
"Yeah? Well, it looks like everyone's back now, so you could probably tell us now." Oliver gestured towards the portrait hole, where Gryffindors were pouring in.
"Yeah, I guess." Harry trudged back over to the fireplace and rubbed his eyes tiredly. His friends sat around him, anticipating the talk he had told them about on the train. Yesterday now seemed like a lifetime ago to Harry.
"Are you okay?" Katie wondered worriedly.
"I just have something to tell you guys, s'all." He remained silent until everyone else had cleared out of the Common Room. While he did have the majority of Gryffindor on his side, that didn't mean he wasn't still leery of the others. Especially after finding out about Black.
"So what is it?" Leann asked eagerly, leaning forward. It was close to midnight by the time the Common Room was empty.
"Mr. Weasley told me before we got on the train that Sirius Black is after me," Harry told them quietly.
Alicia gasped loudly. The Weasley brothers went pale, their freckles standing out sharply. Katie hugged herself.
"And a few hours ago, Professor Burbage and McGonagall told me something else."
"There's more?" Parvati asked, confused.
Harry nodded grimly. "Have any of you heard of the Fidelius Charm?"
Percy and Hermione nodded, while everyone else looked clueless. The three quickly filled them in, though everyone remained confused about why he had asked such a question.
Harry took a deep breath. "Sirius Black was my parents' Secret Keeper, and he was my godfather."
There was an instant outcry from every soul in the room.
"No bloody way!" Seamus shouted.
"But how?" Angelina stammered.
"That's sick!" Lee declared firmly.
Eventually Percy began to shush them all, reminding them that there were still people sleeping upstairs. The room settled down as a heavy silence hung over them.
Finally, Neville spoke up. "What are we going to do about it?"
It didn't escape Harry's notice that Neville had said "we." He surveyed the serious faces around him. "I don't know about you, but I'm going to go after him," He said stoically.
The mood grew even more solemn.
"But, what about your promise?" Lavender reminded him.
"Yeah, you told Dad you wouldn't go after Black!" Ron said.
"But that was before I knew about this," Harry replied, glaring into the fire.
"He made you promise that you wouldn't do it no matter what, Harry," Hermione repeated.
"I don't care," He retorted stubbornly, standing up as though about to head out immediately.
Oliver stood as well, highlighting the extreme height difference between the boys. "Do you really think that a fully grown wizard who's been trained in the dark arts is going to get beat by you? He's not going to go easy on you, Harry. You can't just hit him with a Petrificus Totalus and drag him back to Hogwarts for the dementors."
"I've beaten Voldemort twice before," Harry pointed out.
"That was by sheer dumb luck," Percy disagreed. "You had no clue what you were doing."
"So? I could do it again!" Harry replied defensively.
"Are you seriously willing to chance that?" Hermione asked quietly, eyes cast downward. "You know what they say. Third time's the charm. Maybe this will finally be it. Maybe your luck will run out. Think about this logically, Harry," She pleaded. "Black would kill you."
Harry paused. The roaring in his ears was finally growing quieter, and he was coming down from the high of his adrenaline. "I just…he killed my parents," Harry said weakly. "He was their best friend, and he killed them. Just without a second thought. He just handed them over to Voldemort, like he didn't even care. Like all of it was a lie." Harry was ashamed to feel tears pricking the back of his eyes.
The room fell silent again. Harry was too tired to remain standing and collapsed back into the chair. There was tense atmosphere around him, and he wondered if this really would be it. If he would have to go it alone, without any help from his friends.
And then Neville, shy, insecure, bumbling, Neville Longbottom stood up. "My parents aren't dead," He declared quietly. "My parents aren't dead," He repeated, a little more loudly. "They're still alive. But they don't know who I am. They have no clue. Because…because a bunch of Death Eaters came and tortured them so badly that they have no memory. They don't ever talk. They don't do anything!" He burst out, frustrated.
Neville began breathing heavily. "And yeah, when I think about who did that to them, I get really angry. I get so angry that I just want—that I just want to hurt them back, to make them feel what I felt." There were tears on Neville's face, and a hint of hysteria was creeping into his voice. "They're all in Azkaban now, with the dementors, and they're getting what they deserve. Dementors would drive anyone mad. But that doesn't make me feel any better. Harry, getting back at Black won't make you feel any better. It won't bring back your parents."
Neville's breath hitched. "Going after Black won't get you anything. But it will get something for Black. He'll finally have what he wanted. He just wants to kill all the Potters. And if—if you die, then that'll just make him happy. But if you stay here, with us, with people who love you and who care about you, where you're happy, then that'll just make him angrier. Because he would hate seeing you happy. And that's what your parents would've wanted, isn't it? They wouldn't want Black dead; they'd just want you happy. I know you want your parents back and—and I want mine back too, but this isn't going to change it."
Harry didn't know what made him do it, honest, he didn't. There was just something about seeing Neville there, crying because his parents were gone too, talking to someone who understood, who really understood instead of playing on sympathies. So no matter how "un-manly" it was, Harry stood up and gave Neville a hug. And on his side, he could feel Parvati and Lee and Hermione and everyone else join in.
"Group hug!" The twins shouted, as they all converged into a gigantic clump that was no longer able to support itself. The lions went tumbling down together, falling and laughing. Harry realized Neville was right. He did feel happy. And if Sirius Black came after him, then Harry would have friends who would help him fight back, and after it was over, Harry would still be happy.
We'll make it, he thought contentedly. We always do.
Unluckily (or maybe luckily, only time would tell) for him, three other Gryffindors were listening in, as well as hatching a plan.
"Attention!" Ginny shouted over the grumblings of several sleepy second years. "I know that it's early, but I wouldn't call this meeting if it wasn't absolutely necessary!"
Slowly, the rude mutterings quieted down as raccoon eyes and bedheads turned towards the ever so wonderful Madam President.
"Late last night, in the Gryffindor Common Room, Vice-President Creevey, Secretary Robbins and I were privy to a conversation between the great Harry Potter and his friends—"Ginny began.
"You mean you were eavesdropping?" Malcolm Baddock drawled slyly.
"Of course not!" Demelza retorted hotly. "We just happened to be in the right place at the right time."
"As I was saying," Ginny interrupted, shooting Baddock a fierce glare. "This conversation concerned the fact that someone is out to kill our hero."
Gasps sounded around the room.
"No!"
"Who is this fiend?"
"How dare they!"
Ginny held up her hand for silence. "Yes, I know, what a great tragedy this is. The culprit is none other than the escape convict Sirius Black."
Ginny, Colin, and Demelza had chosen not to share some of the more personal details they had overheard the previous evening. It seemed much too serious of an offense.
"Now, I suppose you're all wondering what we will be doing about this new revelation. Well, Ideas Committee Chairwoman Lovegood, Head of Special Operations Cadwallader and Special Operations Squad Leader Bradley have devised a plan. Cadwallader, explain please," Ginny ordered.
Michael stood to address the terrified crowd. "Ladies and gentleman, I won't lie to you. Originally we thought about going after the threat ourselves. However, after some careful consideration, we realized this would be a suicide mission. So, instead, we have decided to make life easier for Harry Potter by helping him in any way possible."
Luna quickly joined in. "You see, it would help Harry greatly if we were to ease the burden of his daily life by assisting him in tedious tasks. This way, he would be a little bit more relaxed."
Ginny was a little doubtful—how could Harry relax if someone was out to kill him?—but his friends seemed to be on his side for that part. Besides, it was the best they had.
"Thank you, Cadwallader, Lovegood, Bradley. Because of these new changes in HPFC procedure, Vice-President Creevey and I thought it would be best if we instituted a name change. So, from now on, we will no longer be the Harry Potter Fan Club. Instead, we will be the Helping Harry Potter Club. Are there any objections?"
Malcolm's hand began to sneak up in the air before it was pushed down rather aggressively by Demelza.
Ginny smiled, satisfied. "Good. Now, moving on. Has anyone found some first years who might be willing to join the club, even after this new change?"
"I'd like to join." A strong, confident voice carried through the abandoned classroom.
Ginny squinted, trying to make out the figure. "And who might you be?"
A small girl stepped forward, pushing past the crowd. "Romilda Vane."
A quick note to all reviewers:
You are all absolutely amazing! I wish that I could respond to each and every single one of you, but because of my aforementioned computer problems, that's currently incredibly difficult. I seriously apologize if I was unable to get back to some of you. Unfortunately, that trend is most likely going to continue until early August. I just want you to know that, though I couldn't respond, your words were wonderful to read, and I want to see more! Thanks for your patience.