Hello again! It's been a while since I last posted a chapter but I'm back again. Friday the thirteen wasn't an unlucky day for me but I can't say that for others. Here's the next chapter.

Chapter fourteen: The missing professor

"YOU'D BETTER GET GOOD GRADES IF YOU WANT TO AT LEAST BE ACCEPTED BACK HERE! I WOULDN'T LIVE WITH MYSELF IF MY VERY OWN SON FAILED HIS CLASSES BECAUSE OF DIRTY BLOOD INFESTING!" the angry voice of Mrs. Black rang in the Great Hall.

Everyone rolled their eyes and continued eating trying not to pay attention to the crazy woman's screams. They were already used to it by now and quite bored. Even the hype caused by the notice Sirius hung in the common room offering five Galleons to whoever found a way to stop the howler died.

In frustration, Sirius took his goblet of juice and threw it on the letter. It stopped for a moment waking a few students from their deep slumber but then it recovered launching drops of pumpkin juice over Sirius. He groaned at his newest failed plan as he picked up a plate to protect himself from drenching.

"THE NOBBLLEST BLLACK ATTENNDEDD HOOGWAARTSS ANND ALL FINNISHEED ITT WIITH PERRFECT MARKSS!" the letter hurled pumpkin juice back at Sirius as he looked dismayed at the furious impression of a talking duck while a few girls giggled at the sight.

"It's nice that his parents don't pressure him to do anything." James said causing Lily to giggle and earning a smile from Remus.

"You know I actually respect his parents. Not everybody would send a howler to their son three times a week. You'd think she got bored." Remus said.

James snorted "Her? NEVER! It's more a battle of wills I guess. She wants to show that no matter how long it takes, he'll move to Slytherin."

Lily looked between the two of them clearly lost in the conversation "But…Black WANTS to move to Slytherin." She glared at James "Doesn't he?"

James looked just as lost as her "I don't know anymore. I suppose he has already gone too far with his pranks and I don't think he fancies staying with Snape the next six years."

All of them smiled knowing fully well the animosity between the two boys. Every time those two met in the corridors, fireworks erupted. Literally! Too many times James had to see nasty burns on Sirius's face and bruises on Snape's face. Although the fact that being greasy seemed like a fun motivation to James, he began suspecting that there was something more to it. 'I've stood too much around Black.' James concluded when he voiced his thoughts alone in his dorm.

"I can't believe I'll be staying with Black for the next six years. He'll ruin Hogwarts!" Remus quietly complained poking his food out of boredom.

"It won't be so bad!" James assured "You can't tell me you had problems with him this year!"

Remus bit his lip looking like he was about to argue but then he shrugged and continued to play with his food. James looked at him and realized that Black had indeed been intruding into Remus's life. Wasn't Sirius the one that made James become a spy for him? Wasn't Sirius the one always lurking in the shadows trying to find out Remus's and James's secret? Even if Black had had a major change, he still was a problem.

"We'll just have to wait and see how everything turns out." James said.

"How are the Quidditch practices coming?" Lily asked desperate for a change of subject.

This instantly brought a huge grin on James's face and he ruffled his hair, a new habit he had "They're brilliant! I've learned so much these past months. Whatever I was doing home is nothing compared to Hogwarts Quidditch."

"So you're still going to try out next year?" Remus asked brightly.

James nodded his head unaware of his friend's sarcasm "Yeah! Definitely! I can't wait to beat the Slytherins!"

"Gryffindor still has a game against Ravenclaw this year though. I hope we win." Remus said.

"Anyway if you don't make it onto the team there's always third year." Lily said buttering a piece of toast.

Remus made a silent cough in warning but James was already shocked "Y…You mean…a year and a half waiting?" he stuttered.

Remus looked at Lily who was looking at James in the middle of biting and at James who looked ready to pummel Lily for such an obscured idea. He quickly came up with an idea "Hey speaking of…er…years, do you like McGonagall's lessons Lily?"

This had the effect Remus hoped for. James's annoyance instantly turned towards the professor not yet caught by Dumbledore. Several times James snuck out of Gryffindor tower to go spying for Death Eater meetings. So far James's plans failed because it seemed the Slytherins were taking precautions and not going every night but James wasn't giving up. Black and Pettigrew chose to spy on McGonagall following her everywhere they could. However they weren't very stealthy so McGonagall easily caught them and sent them away. Remus so far refused to take part in their plan. He didn't believe in his heart that McGonagall would do this but if she did, he didn't want to cross her.

Lily blinked at Remus looking at him like a mad man. "Er…I think I like them. McGonagall is a very good, strict teacher. Though, I can't say I'm on James's level." She smiled at James who seemed not to notice her.

"Yeah!" he grunted "What can I say? I'm an expert in transfiguration."

"Very modest too!" Lily laughed but stopped when she realized she was the only one. "Are you ok?" she asked James.

James turned his head towards Remus looking at him like he was the one to blame "Yeah! Fine!"

Remus rolled his eyes but didn't comment.

Lily interpreted the weird conversation wrong "Is it about Corinne?" Lily asked gently putting her arm on his shoulder.

James growled again and looked at the Ravenclaw table. Corinne was as usual eating with her fellow first years while Ludovic Palmer seemed to be telling a story. The boy was meddling more and more into Corinne's life and James found that he didn't like it one bit. He always had the arrogant look on his face holding his nose up, and wearing the most extravagant clothes and robes James ever saw. James had his share of wealth, a big one in fact, but he didn't go showing off to everybody.

"Why don't you go talk to her already?" Lily asked exasperated. "You don't come to Slughorn's parties, you stay as far away as possible from Ravenclaws in classes, and you turn your back to her whenever she's looking for you. What's wrong?"

James looked at Remus, no longer furious with him. Understanding came between them that this was one of Lily's screaming moments when whatever you'd tell her she'd get mad.

"It's just that…" James began trying to think quickly "I like her but I'm not old enough and I don't want to get her hurt. She's vulnerable and I don't want to give her hopes and then to break them!" he smiled pleased with his explication.

Lily looked shocked then frowned and began her tirade again "That's exactly what I told you! How dare you use my words against me?"

"When?" James asked stupidly.

"At the first, and only, Slug party you came! You were so sad that she was dancing with Black that although I was upset I came to comfort you."

James indeed remembered speaking to Lily at that party but comforting wasn't exactly what she had been doing.

"That's why you keep away from her?" Remus asked shocked "You said it was because you didn't fancy her anymore and I thought you were in denial."

Lily snorted "The only thing he's in denial of is his brain!"

"One at a time please!" James moaned putting his head in his hands.

"So you fancy her?" Remus asked.

James stopped moving for a while before replying with a "Yes."

"You are too afraid to talk to her because you're scared that she'll fancy Sirius?"

It was true, James thought. While James didn't complete his end of the deal, Black could always come and sweep Corinne off her feet just to get him jealous. "Yes" he admitted.

He expected Remus to laugh and ridicule him. He was not disappointed.

"That's the dumbest motive I've heard in my life!" Remus exclaimed.

"I've heard worse." Lily said looking bored as if none of this was new to her.

Remus stared at Lily for a second before shaking his head and turned to look at James. "If she indeed likes Sirius it wouldn't change anything would it? You'll both fall into silence and keep your distance. That's exactly what you're doing now! This is ridiculous! And what if she doesn't like Sirius? What if it was just your imagination and it was just a simple bloody dance?"

James without thinking shook his head "It wasn't."

Remus glared at him "And how'd you know?"

"I…I know. Trust me!"

Remus crossed his arms "Fine. But what are you going to do now? Right now you're like leaving him the territory open. You're helping him take her!"

"It's not like that!" James exclaimed already tired because of the interrogation "If I leave her alone, he leaves her alone! I have to deal with Black first before talking to her!"

"Well that's rubbish! Honestly it makes no sense! Whatever you and Black are hiding will come out eventually! Meanwhile Black isn't the only one trying to take her from you. There's still Palmer."

"He'll be taken care of!" James replied arrogantly.

"When James? You think she's going to wait for you forever? You have a chance in love James!" Remus said saddened "Take it! Not many have it!"

"You don't even know if she likes me." James scoffed.

"What if she does?"

"We should go. We're going to be late!" Lily said interrupting their quarrel.

"Huh?" they both asked confused.

"We have Defense in ten minutes." Lily explained while stuffing her bag with a lot of books.

James's expression turned grim and Remus's grimmer. Dolohov was their worst professor. He was doing what he thought was best and didn't explain to anyone. He had a lot of mood swings. If one week a student lost fifty points for whispering with another student, the next week the student would receive sixty for answering a question then loose ten for being to cheerful the next day.

"He practically holds the House Cup in his hands." James noted as he saw Fabian Prewett's name on the Gryffindor points list that lost twenty points for failing to take proper notes in Dolohov's class.

"Watch it Remus." Lily said gently "He didn't look to happy today at breakfast."

Remus nodded grimly. He was Dolohov's most disliked student and currently had ninety seven points lost on that class. He tried not to give a motive but most of the times the professor invented one.

"Lupin!" he yelled one time in class.

Remus sunk in his seat wanting the earth to consume him there and then. "Yes sir?"

"What is the counter curse for an Occamy's sting infection?"

Remus frowned. They haven't yet covered Occamys. They were on second year's curriculum.

"The strengthening charm?" Remus tried.

"Wrong!" Dolohov bellowed "It's the Contendo charm. For your knowledge, the Contendo charm can be user on all kinds of infections brought by creatures. Five points from Gryffindor for not knowing a ridiculous simple fact!"

Now, as Remus waited by the class, he sensed something was wrong. The whole class was waiting in the corridors for the classroom to open. They stopped a few meters away from the rest of the class because James saw Corinne among them. Remus waited idly for the door to open while Lily kept persuading James to talk to Corinne. Black and Pettigrew came a while after them also seeing the classroom door closed and sighed in relief. However five minutes later the professor still hadn't come and the students started to wonder.

"Maybe he tripped on a moving staircase." Sirius suggested hopefully.

"Are you so thick Black?" Lily commented "How can you say something like that?"

"What do I hear? Evans has a crush on the professor?" Sirius mocked.

Lily's face turned a deep shade of red matching her flaming hair. James thought her head started to look like a giant tomato.

"Shut it Black!" James said coming to her rescue "If she isn't some sick demented brat who wasn't raised by gits, that doesn't mean she likes him."

Just as the words slipped out of his mouth, James could tell he would pay for that. Sirius's face turned for a mocking stance to angered one, one that he only saw when Sirius faced Snape.

"You take that back!" he spat.

"Why? It's the truth!" James countered.

"Boys stop this at once!" Corinne said coming between them. She and James's eyes met for a moment but James looked quickly down not wanting to face her. Not just yet.

Sirius stared at her in shock and turned to look at James. His face was back to normal and as he looked at James, James could see a look of regret on his face. 'No it couldn't be!' James thought 'he's just sorry he didn't have the chance to beat me.'

"Right, right." Sirius said looking between James and Corinne. "We…er…we still don't know what happened to the professor."

James looked around to make sure the professor wasn't coming. He sat down on the floor avoiding meeting anyone's gaze and held up a bag of Bertie Been's Every Flavoured Beans and opened it.

"Anyone?" he asked coolly.

People laughed and each took a bean. As Corinne's turn finally came, she tripped and landed on top of James.

"Sorry." She muttered emotionless quickly rising up.

James nodded awkwardly avoiding meeting her gaze. This was the first time in months she talked to him and her voice sounded wonderful.

"Someone tripped me I think. I didn't do it on purpose you know." She continued.

James looked around seeing people talking to one another. The only one he saw looking at them was Ludovic who was instantly at Corinne's side trying to help her. 'What is his problem?' James wondered as Corinne sent him an apologetic smile and walked away with him. As she left her spot, James saw Black standing behind her with his hand in his pocket talking to a very confused looking Peter.

Shaking his head, he looked at Remus. He also was sitting on the floor but he was reading a book with a black cover. Next to him was Lily chatting hurriedly to Remus though she seemed to do most of the talking.

As he approached them, Lily looked at him and grinned. "How did it go?" she asked beaming at him.

James looked at her confused "How did what go?"

"The last time we saw you, you were serving her and then came crashing into you." Remus explained not needing to explain who "her" was.

"Oh, yeah. About that, I told you I can take care of it myself."

Remus frowned and Lily looked at him like he had sprouted an extra head.

"Sure James." Lily said sympathetically. "I'm sure you can do it."

"Huh?" James asked puzzled.

"Exactly my thoughts." Remus replied not looking up from his book. "What do you mean when you say you can take care of it?"

"I can handle my own love affairs." James explained.

Remus tore his eyes from the book and looked at James "So in other words you're saying that we tripped her on purpose so she could come falling onto you."

"Oh!" Lily said slapping her forehead.

James stared confused at them "You mean you didn't do it?"

Remus shook his head "No, although whoever did had the right idea."

"It's actually a third year charm, I think. None of us could do it." Lily said.

"Then…" James started then the image of Sirius appeared on his mind "Oh, never mind."

"What do you think it's keeping Dolohov from coming?" Lily asked worried.

"Missing him are you?" Remus mocked.

"Of course not! I just want to know!"

"Be thankful you have the time off." James said not really paying attention to the conversation. We was getting bored of waiting and hoped that somebody could come already and tell them they have the hour free.

"I'm skiving class!" James decided giving the other two a look. "Want to come?"

Remus shrugged "Be glad too actually. I don't even care if the professor does come."

Lily looked unsure "I'll wait for him. I don't want detention. Go ahead." She looked down, almost in shame. James and Remus shared a look not knowing what to do. Lily wanted to stay with them here, what were they to do?

"I'm sure someone will come to dismiss you. We'll be by the lake waiting." James guaranteed.

Lily smiled looking a little better. They both left her while she mourned their absence.

"Poor girl." James said earning a look from Remus. "She's mental, but she's not that bad." He added.

"Yeah." Remus agreed "Why doesn't she make some girl friends? She only hangs with us." He realised.

Shocked, James also remembered that Lily didn't seem to be spending a lot of time with her dorm mates. "Well, she doesn't exactly give you a good first impression, does she? I'm sure she'll have friends once they got to know her."

"I hope so." Remus mused "For the good of her and us."

James grinned "What? Getting tired of her already? We still have six years and something left."

Remus grinned as well "Yeah, school only has about two months left. I can't believe I've spent a year here already."

"Time flies doesn't it?" James agreed as they reached the double doors leading outside.

"It has only just begun you know?" Remus seriously added "The first four years are supposed to be blissful. Fifth year is the intermediate one and the last two are real life situations and troubles."

"If we get there that is." James felt the need to say. He wasn't a helpless brat calling for his mommy but then again his life was a little more complicated then Remus's. 'Is it?' James thought taking a glance at Remus. The pale boy looked worn as if he duelled with a hippogriff every month when he went…wherever he went.

With a start James realised there was a connection with Remus's colour and the place he went to every month. He always looked sick before he left and when he turned up again he looked even sicker. Then he slowly recovered before starting to pale once again.

"Is your mother sick again?" James asked before he could control himself.

Remus stood still "No." he answered.

Surprised, James looked over him. He looked ready to faint. This was usually the time when he would go.

"Alright then." James replied eyeing Remus carefully.

"Why d-do you ask?" Remus stuttered obviously shaken.

"You don't look to well so I guessed you received bad news."

"Oh," if possible Remus looked more shaken. "Now that you mention it I do have to go somewhere for a few days."

A triumphant smile slipped onto James's face "Really?"

"Yes."

James looked expectantly at him "Well, aren't you going to tell me why? You did say your mother isn't sick anymore."

"She is but that's not the point. A cousin of mine died last week and I have to go to his funeral."

"Last week? What, they're freezing him until you come?" James muttered sarcastically.

A small shade of red rose in Remus's throat. "He died Saturday. Since today is Monday, it's considered to be last week. Please don't interview me; it doesn't give me the best feeling."

James nodded and they set off. They continued walking towards a right spot by the lake near a tree's shadow. It was slowly heating up after the dreadful winter. It was slowly turning into a two season climate. At least the worst part was over.

"'Ello there boys!" The giant keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts greeted them.

"Hello Hagrid." James said with a smile.

"'Ello James. An' who's this awfully sick kid next to yeh? I remember yeh from the sortin' night. Yeh looked sick then too. Yeh don't eat a lot do yeh?" Hagrid chuckled "No matter now, pleased to meet yeh. My name's Rubeus Hagrid as I said earlier in the year."

"Remus Lupin." Remus introduced himself and felt his hand lifted and compressed under the man's grip.

"What are yeh two doin' 'ere anyway? Shouldn't yeh be off ter class?" the man asked eyeing them suspiciously.

"The defence professor didn't come so we went here to relax."

"Dolohov yeh say? Weir' man he is. He keeps asking Dumbledore ter fire me because I'm… well, he isn't a good person" Hagrid said regaining himself "But a great Auror. He fought in the Grindelwald war like no other. Word has it he was there when Dumbledore defeated 'im. He hasn't been the same since though. I suppose he misses the fights."

"He was there?" James asked felling dread creeping into him.

"Yes. He and Dippet ran the Order of the Dragon back then." Hagrid paused looking at them "I shouldn't have told yeh that." He turned around and headed to the castle.

"The Order?" Remus asked confused.

James nodded "It's too complicated to explain but it was like a strike team. When the Aurors from the ministry are unable to come through for us, the members of the order arrive and fix things. They dissolved when the war ended. The name represents the Hogwarts motto: never tickle a sleeping dragon."

"Draco Dormien Nuquam Titillandus?"

James nodded "I'm not sure if the motto came after they won or they inspired their name after the motto but the name itself represents the idea."

There was a pause "And how do you know this?" Remus asked.

James shrugged "I just do!"

A small scream came from the forest making James and Remus to turn around. Somebody was screaming and jets of light flew in one direction. James and Remus shared a look and headed towards the noise. As they neared Hagrid's hut, the racket ceased and something returned back in the forest.

People, most likely students, returned to what seemed like an interrupted meeting. They were stationed a little in the edge of the forest beyond Hagrid's pumpkin patch.

James held his hand in front of Remus telling him to stay there. Students in the forest talking about Quidditch were rarely found. By their covered faces, James also could tell it was something about his duty.

"-new location tomorrow night. We were told we had been already caught by somebody. He didn't tell us who."

The next voice that came surprised James. Although he didn't really know him well, he recognised the voice of Severus Snape. "And where will we go?"

"I will go to the second floor corridor. Filch doesn't go there since some ghost haunts the bathroom. YOU will stay in the common room and wait for fourth year like a good kid. We are not allowed any younger."

Snape snorted "Like the Dark Lord cares about age. It's only about power. Put me through the test Rodulphus please! I swear I'll have a few things to teach even the seventh years."

"I know you do." Rodulphus replied softly "but I'm afraid rules are rules."

"But the Dark Lord has the rule because he thinks first years are weak. Why won't you let me change that?"

"You dare question the Dark Lord's actions?" Rodulphus asked reprimanding.

"Y-You know what I mean." Snape stuttered.

"I should punish you but I'll let you go this time. Stop doing this and stop interrupting meetings!"

There were murmurs of agreement which told James that there were more there.

Lastly, the sad posture of Snape appeared from the trees not taking notice of a Gryffindor head sprouting from a pumpkin and retreated back. James slowly got back to Remus as quietly as possible. Remus was in Hagrid's hut. The man forgot to lock it so Remus slipped in when he saw Snape coming.

"What's wrong?" Remus asked James.

James gave a small grin "We finally have some progress. By the end of tomorrow, we'll know what McGonagall has to do with everything."

"How will we know?"

James's grin became wider as his eyes spelled "lunatic" all over them. "We'll crash their party!"

Remus sighed "I don't want to know do I?"

James gave a small chuckle and looked at the castle with a frown. "We're going to need as much help as possible. Suppose we should tell Black and Pettigrew?"

Remus sheepishly sat down not liking the plan at all. "We might as well!" he accepted.