Part two of chapter twenty-three!

What lay before her was a gouge, not very neat, in the stone. It looked as though someone had taken two square feet of the rock that lay beneath them and yanked it out. Inside the cave, were five boxes. One was wood and warped with a thin chain and lock around its diameter, its lid askew. The other was plastic and sealed. The next was ceramic cream with a top that fit neatly atop. Another was also wood, painted with sparks and flames. The last was hardly a box, it was a tin can with no lid and no organization; the contents of the metal container were spilling out or looked to have been thrown inside without care. Around the five boxes were things like papers, a few books, small trinkets, and snack items.

Rose's heart was pounding in her throat, she hardly knew where to start. If there wasn't a Gryffindor party raging below, she would have fetched Al, but there was no way to get him in and out of the tower without everyone seeing. Rose started with the wooden box.

"Alohomora!" she called, pointing Max's wand at the small lock. Nothing happened. "Bombarda!" The small explosion did nothing to the box. "Incendio!"

"Give it here," said Max, taking the wood container. He examined it for a moment.

Faced with the sudden fear that he was about to do something brash, she called, "Please don't hurt it!"

Max looked at her and laughed. "Says the girl who just tried to blow it up."

"Are you going to pick the lock?" she asked, just now remembering that he could.

"No, it's too old to pick. The spells on it are strong, but the lock itself is about at its end." He stepped before his side table and brought the box down hard against it. The lock hit the side of the table and snapped off. "There you go," he smiled, handing it to her.

The compartment contained photos and scrolls of paper. But what struck her attention was the word carved into the belly of the lid. It read, James Potter. This belonged to Harry Potter's father when he was in school. She contemplated continuing with it. Finding that she did not have the strength or the patience to wait, she lifted the contents out.

Though she was not biologically related to any of the Marauders, she found that tears were itching in her eyes as she flipped through scraps from someone who was as good as family. The photos caught her attention beyond anything else. She saw an image of James Potter in his square glasses and messy hair, crooked tie and confidant grin. This photo was moving as they always did. James, who couldn't be more than thirteen in this photo and looked remarkably like Albus, was leaning against a familiar third floor window pane. He smiled and waved at Rose then beckoned someone forward. Another boy, thirteen with a handsome face and curly black hair strode into frame with his hands in his pockets the same way Max did. Sirius Black, nodded curtly then winked at her. She continued to the next photo. Peter Pettigrew was laughing hysterically as James ran in and out of frame in his Quidditch robes as Sirius chased him with what looked to be something big and fleshy, like an organ. Another photo showed Remus, only fifteen, lounging in Rose's favorite squashy armchair by the fire. He was wearing a thick beige sweater and had tea beside him. The next photo was of a girl, a very beautiful girl at that. She had auburn hair in a ponytail and bright green eyes. She was fourteen and looked to be studying with the end of a quill in her mouth. Six more photos in the stack were of only this girl. The scraps of paper which were also in the box were poems and love letters all referring to a Lily. They were quite terrible and Rose thought it wise that they were locked in this box and never sent. They ended with things such as, "I suck at rhymes so end this torture and please be mine."

The next boxes also had names carved inside of them. The plastic one had a sicker which read, "Peter." The ceramic one was Remus Lupin's, the tin can belonged to Sirius Black, and the painted box had the word, "Ezzy." carved into it. Rose assumed that Ezzy was the fifth roommate but not a Marauder. She wondered why that name sounded so familiar. The other boxes held notes, letters from home, photos, newspaper clippings, and small things like rings or coins.

Max was rummaging through the surrounding items and had pulled forth enough food to last a month. "And most of these things are nonperishable!" he said.

Small trinkets that Rose had never seen before whizzed to life and journals and diaries lay flat on the stone. It was truly a magical feeling. She had just discovered a treasure beyond money. Max pulled forth a photo album. Rose climbed over the threshold to sit beside her friend and see the pictures. The binding of the book cracked as it was opened. Rose's mouth fell open. It was a goldmine of memories. Images lined the pages. Quidditch matches, James' failed attempts to woo Lily, Sirius when he first bought his flying motorbike, the Marauders grinning with butterbeer in The Three Broomsticks, the shrieking shack, the whomping willow, the Marauders in Animagus form with Remus atop a stag, Lily when she became their friend, chess tournaments in which she always won. Rose wiped a tear from her eye. There was a photo of a mouse in a birthday hat and tutus, a dog running across the Hogwarts grounds in fall, Lily hanging from the tree that Rose and her friends study under. Lily was laughing as James tried to kiss her and in another, she was chasing him with eggs as James ran away laughing. Rose wondered what incredible stories lay behind some of these photos.

"But," she said at last. "If all the Marauders are here, then who took the photo? Lily didn't know about their transformation at that time, so it wasn't her. And she and all the rest are in that picture."

Max pulled one of the images from its slot and flipped it over. A thin scribble was across the back with the date.

"What does that say?" she asked, squinting to read the swirly signature.

The doorknob to Max's room began jiggling. "Oi!" they heard someone call. "Why if this door locked? Who's in there?" It was Daniel trying to get in. But he couldn't see this.

"Don't come in; I'm naked!" Max called unconcernedly, trying to read the signature.

"That's a 'z' isn't it?" Rose asked quietly a while later, but not quietly enough.

"It that Rose?" Daniel called from the other side. "Vlad, why's she in there if you're naked? What's going on?"

"Go away, Daniel!" Max called angrily.

There was a muttering as footsteps grew fainter.

"What kind of rumors is he going to spread?" asked Rose.

"Nothing I haven't heard before," Max muttered.

"Those are 'z's,'" said Rose. "Two of them, this must be Ezzy!" she scowled slightly. "I know I've heard that name before."

Max thought. "You know, me too."

Rose turned the page. "Who's that?" she asked, pointing at a fourth-year boy who was laughing as the Sirius and James ruffled him with pats on the back and a rat sat on his shoulder. "Do you reckon Remus is taking the photo?" she asked, but didn't need a response, she had already decided that it was. The boy in the photo had black curly hair, bright blue eyes and resembled Sirius. "It could be Regulus Black," she thought aloud. "No," she decided. "Regulus was younger and the brothers didn't like each other, so who?"

"It's Ezzy," said Max. "See? That's my window they're standing in front of. They're in this room so that boy must be the fifth roommate, Ezzy."

The familiarity in the boy was somewhat making her sick. She knew that she knew him, but she had no idea how or where from. She recognized the name and now even the face was familiar. Rose took the photo from its place and flipped it over. Words were written on the back in handwriting Rose recognized as Remus' from his letters in his box.

'Celebrating the fourteenth birthday of Ezekiel Dalbert. Happy Birthday mate, thanks for being such a trustworthy friend.'

Rose froze. She jumped into the air and waved the photo, unsure whether she was amazed, happy, or angry. "Ezzy!" she called. "He was Ezekiel Dalbert!"

"You mean Professor Dalbert?" Max asked, amazed and also standing.

"Professor Dalbert was the fifth roommate of the Marauders!"

"But," Max thought. "It can't be. Surely, he would have mentioned something to you. And Dalbert isn't such an uncommon name."

"Yes, it is!" she argued. "And think about it, it's so obvious! Everything lines up! He's a Professor at Hogwarts, we know he was once in Gryffindor, his age line up with being eleven the same year the Marauders were, and his name is Ezekiel while his brother was Ezra! Don't you remember? He said that he and his brother were called Ez and Ezzy! This is him!" she shook the photo again.

Max was blinking. "Well, it does add up."

Rose turned to the door and swung it open.

"Where are you going?" Max called.

"To get Al, then to meet Ezzy!"

Max grabbed the photo album, shoved everything they had rummaged through back into the cave and shut it. As soon as the lip was down, the iron pull ring disappeared along with the lines of the door. Max ran after his friend with the book under his arm.

It took a while to get through the crowds of Gryffindor and Danielle who had 'fallen' on top of him and began blurting airy apologies as she continued to hang from his shoulders. Max had to push her off and physically hand her to Enoc Hubert who had just turned to ask where Rose was. He left the common room feeling violated as usual after encountering Danielle. The halls were half full of students none of which were Gryffindor. Hufflepuffs waltzed down corridors adjusting their buttons and hats to be sure they don't get cold on the way outside, a group of Ravenclaws sat on a bench in the hall to practice the violin as two more painted them doing it, a few Slytherins sat lazily on banisters and watched him run by.

Max swung himself down steps six at a time to meet her at the Slytherin entrance, wondering how in the world she was going to get in to find Al and wondered if he and Scor were even in their common room. Then he thought they probably were considering they wouldn't be by the lake with Stella.

"Stop!" Max almost fell over so not to trample Louis who had just jumped out from behind a tapestry with his camera around his neck and looking frantic. "Where is it!" he screeched, falling to his hands and knees to look closely at the floor.

"What did I step on?" Max asked hurriedly, backing away and praying to Merlin that he didn't kill anything.

"Where is it?" Prefect Abercrombie Boot came streaking around the corner with a small glass of water.

"Tinkerbell over hear stepped on it," Louis assumed.

"No I- hey!" Abercrombie, or Abe, ripped Max's shoe straight off his foot. On the sole was a small pathetically squished daisy.

"Are you serious!" Max called angrily. "It's a flower? I thought I killed something!"

"You did!" called Abe. "The miracle of life! This little weed found its way through stone to get a breath of fresh air and see the sun, and we didn't even get the picture."

"No, no, wait!" Louis took Max's shoe and set it on the ground. "This is even better. The decay of life and destruction of beauty." Louis snapped a few photos with his camera. "Now for the destroyer of all things pure." He faced his camera toward Max. "Smile!"

"Why?"

Louis lowered his camera looking sad. "That's a horrible outlook on life."

Max rolled his eyes. "I don't have time for this!" He snatched his shoe and took off again. Rose's family was a little insane sometimes.

"She went through there." Max stopped again to see a fourth-year Slytherin resting on his knees with a book open on his lap. "That girl you're always chasing after, she dived behind that tapestry."

"Thanks," Max muttered. He jumped behind the tapestry and lit his wand to see through a passage and down a concealed staircase. What was she planning on doing once meeting Dalbert, or Ezzy? That sounded weird. A respected and responsible Professor with a name like Ezzy? And what was she going to say to Al to justify rummaging through his heritage without him? Max was lost in thought and didn't notice the solid wall before him, but it wasn't solid wall, he fell through it like the brick divider at platform 9 ¾. Lucky, something squashy broke his fall with a curse word and a squeak. Max rolled off Rose who had been bulldozed to the floor.

"I'm sorry!" he hurried, helping her to her feet.

"No, just help me get through this wall," she said, rubbing her hand across a blank stone wall. They both knew that this wall was the entrance to the Slytherin common room having walked their friends here many times before. "I've tried all the passwords I could think of," she said discouragingly.

"Have you tried knocking?" Max suggested.

"Walls too thick," she replied backing to stare at the stone with her arms crossed.

"Yeah, you can't get in." Rose and Max both jumped to see Slytherin prefect, Kade Noir, standing behind them with a cup of coffee, black, and also staring at the wall. "I'm not saying you don't have the ability," he enlightened after taking a sip of the bitter drink. "I'm just saying that if you waltz in, you'll be killed. Standing behind enemy line, you are. Not a great number of people in there like your lot."

"I just need to see Albus," said Rose desperately.

"The Potter boy?" asked Kade. "Good for you then, they're outside. Weren't bundled up real well for being in the snow, though."

"Thank you!" said Rose earnestly. "Come on, Max!"

"It'll be quicker this way," he said, starting toward the stone wall that he had exited from. Rose snapped at him to stop then covered her mouth to stifle laughter as Max walked head-on into solid wall.

"It's only open from the other side," she giggled.

"Yeah, I got that," said Max, holding his nose in pain, his eyes watering.

Rose took him by the arm and pulled him the long way up thirteen staircases. "Nutters," they heard Kade mumble.

"They're in the gardens," said Rose.

"That's obvious," Max agreed, checking his hand for blood.

"Are you alright?" she asked, now looking back at him slightly worried.

"I'll live," he replied. "It'll be healed within the hour anyway."

Cold air stung their lungs as they stepped into the January snow. They weren't dressed for winter anyway. It had been over a month since they last visited the enchanted gardens and Rose was quite looking forward to it. They walked for fifteen minutes until they were at the side of the castle where nothing was except for a large ivy-covered stone wall. Usually in winter, ivy turned brown and became ugly sticks growing over walls, but this ivy remained bright green and healthy to be thick enough to hide a concealed door; this should be the first sign of something peculiar to the smarter students. Rose clutched Ezzy's birthday photograph tighter in her hand as Max snapped the lock and swung open the door.

As usual, a waft of fresh peppers and strawberries met their senses and filled them with delight, summer, and warmth. Max closed the door behind him. House elves worked happily, harvesting vegetables, pulling up weeds, and whistling as they laid fresh soil. Rose was almost never happier than when she was in here. As usual, both she and her friend immediately removed their shoes to feel the soft green grass between their toes.

"What are you planning?" Max asked.

Rose thought that this question was odd. "I'm going to get Al so we can talk to Dalbert," she replied.

"But, what are you going to say to Professor Dalbert? How is this relevant? Why does it matter if he knew Al's grandparents?"

Rose shook her head. "You don't understand. What if you found out that someone you looked up to was once close to your-" she stopped to think. Well, he wouldn't care if he met a friend of his father's and she was sure that he would hate whoever liked his mother. "Uh, Will," she decided.

Max furrowed his eyebrows not necessarily in a scowl, but in a way that told her, he was displeased as he always was when his brother was mentioned. He often acted as though he didn't have a brother. The topic on Will was a bit depressing. Rose wished that she hadn't used that example.

"Yeah," Max muttered. "I guess I don't understand. Excuse me?" he leaned down to the height of an elf weaving baskets. "Have you seen two Slytherins here recently?"

"Oh yes, sir!" called the elf. "The Potter boy and Malfoy are at the creek."

"Thank you," Max smiled and started toward the creek. It was more of a babbling brook except it was a bit larger. Stones lay neatly across the edge and small Minos and frogs can be seen in this area. The heart of the creek was in spring. The two made their way further into the gardens to find themselves in the right season as cool, damp air hit their face. Birds chirped, frogs croaked, and blossoms bloomed. A large weeping willow with pink blossoms grew strong beside the creek over soft green grass. The sky above was blue and the clouds were white and puffy. Rose stopped to take the sight in for a moment. Max continued without noticing. He never seemed as impressed by the gardens as Rose was. Under the willow were two figures sitting by the stream. Albus kicked at the water as Scorpius took a swig of pumpkin juice from a glass bottle; he had removed his Quidditch cape but still wore his turtleneck and boot.

Rose grinned broadly and ran toward her friends.

"Boys!" she screeched.

"Rose?" asked Scorpius, standing up. She just noticed that his hair had a small curl in the front as though it were waving with age. "Are you alright? You were scorned for playing during the match too, weren't you?"

"What?" she asked, then realized that she must still have red eyes from whenever she had been crying over the Marauders. "Oh, yeah, well, sort of, but that's not important."

"Don't you guys have a victory party?" Al asked, squinting to see them through the sun which was behind Rose's head. "What are you doing wasting your time here?"

"I found something!" she called quickly. "Under Max's floor boards in his common room! We found a trapped door and look!" She thrust the photo into Al's hands. It took a moment before his eyes widened.

"But, but that's James and Sirius! And, well I'd assume that rat is Pettigrew. They hid this photograph under floorboards?"

"No, they hid a whole lot more."

Rose explained everything as they trudged back up to the castle. Al had the photo album that Max had brought and was flipping through it franticly. Whenever she told him about their findings on Dalbert, Al was so surprised that he dropped the album in a puddle.

"This is incredible," Albus muttered, flipping through the now wet book. A tear sparkled through his glasses as he stopped on a photo of Lily Potter laughing in the great hall as Sirius seemed to have pasta on his head. Rose waited for scolding about being impatient and not waiting to go through the treasure trove, but none came.

"Where do you think he is?" asked Scorpius. "Professor Dalbert I mean."

"I reckon he'll be in his office," said Max. "We have classes tomorrow, and we're getting our essays back. He's probably grading."

Rose was tired and was now noticing the soreness in her muscles from practice, the game, running up and down thirteen staircases twice, and traveling to the gardens and back. The Defense Against the Dark Arts class room door was cracked allowing Rose to throw it open. A faint growling came from Dalbert's office door across the class. It was shut, but that didn't stop Rose from swinging it open without even noticing Scorpius hands which was two inches from knocking on the door.

Professor Dalbert looked up suddenly as Rose swept in. "Weasley?" he asked in surprise. Dalbert shoved what looked like a wingless owl with six-inch fangs and completely bald, back into its cage. "Can I help you with anything?"

"You're Ezzy Dalbert," she said matter-a-factly.

"Nobody calls me Ezzy anymore," he smiled grimly.

"Since when?" she asked.

"Well, the only people who ever used that name besides my brother was-" he stopped himself hesitantly.

"The Marauders," she finished.

Dalbert shot his head up suddenly and raised an eyebrow. "How would you know-?"

Rose lifted the photo into his face. Something in his eyes flashed, whether it was happiness or the opposite, she didn't know. He slowly took it from his hands and flipped the photograph over.

He looked up at the four of them with shining eyes. "You found our safe?"