Sirius Black was standing on tiptoes in front of the deputy headmistress's office and was peering through a gap between the doorframe and the door, which exposed a small part of the room to him, in which the Professor's desk and two chairs were positioned. On one of the chairs, the one closer to the window, Severus Snape was sitting and reading a book, the title of which Sirius could not make out from such a distance.
The Professor, it seemed, was walking through the room asking questions, but Sirius could not tell for sure, as she was currently out of sight. Also, the anti-eavesdropping spell on the door and the walls of the office made sure that no sound emerged from it, not even the reverberation of steps or any of the two voices.
For a while, Sirius had wondered what Snape was doing in there all by himself. Then the Transfiguration Professor had appeared in his sight and complicated the matter. Very clearly, Snape was not getting a lecture, as he seemed deeply emerged in his book. But why would he need to do his reading assignments in the presence of a teacher? Had he missed out on handing in an essay once too often? Not unlikely, Sirius resolved.
Then, suddenly, the small boy took out his wand, tapped a quill that was lying in front of him on the desk and Sirius observed a few pale green sparks shooting from his wand in the direction of the quill.
Nothing happened.
At once, Professor McGonagall was at Snape's side, obviously correcting a mistake he had made. Sirius grinned. The tall witch was wearing her hair in a black bun, as usual. Her robes, however, were not of an emerald green for once, but deep black and cut in a very traditional way making them look like the dress robes his mother wore for marriages and funerals. Sirius wondered why. Snape, on the other hand, started another attempt at transfiguring the quill. Again, nothing happened.
With an impact of fury McGonagall grabbed his wrist (Sirius could just imagine her losing her patience over the small Slytherin's stupidity) and tried to move it in the correct way for the spell to work.
'No, no, no!' she seemed to say, demonstrating the movement Snape was supposed to do. The small Slytherin, Sirius observed with at least as much surprise as his Transfiguration teacher, broke into a panic. He shot a wide-eyed look at Professor McGonagall, recoiled on his chair and started fighting against her grip with all might. The deputy headmistress let go at an instant.
Sirius frowned at Snape, whose face had assumed the colour of milk and who was staring at McGonagall, hiding both hands under his armpits as he did.
Someone tapped Sirius's shoulder from behind. On turning, he looked into the grinning face of his friend James Potter, who was clad in his Quidditch robes and carrying a broomstick under one arm.
'Hey mate,' he said, returning the grin and cautiously moving away from the office as to not give his current activity away to the people inside. 'You been playing Quidditch?'
'That too,' replied James. 'And I got hold of another copy of this.'
He opened his bag that was hanging loosely from his side and pulled out a book Sirius had seen before.
'Oh great!' he said happily. 'I knew you could do it! Did you get Snape to hand it back?'
They were walking along the corridor towards the Gryffindor common room now. James shook his head.
'Are you kidding? He's as stubborn as a goat. And I don't wanna make a fuss about it. If he thinks it's important he will make enquiries. Then he'll find out I pinched it from McGonagall's table, and then he'll... I dunno... probably try to blackmail us or whatever. As Slytherins tend to. And the last thing I need is everyone to know that I borrowed a book on advanced animal transfiguration. I mean, most people won't care, but McGonagall isn't stupid. And if she finds out she'll know we've been trying it, too. And in that case, we're done for. Werewolf food, so to speak.'
'No,' said Sirius curtly. 'We're werewolf food if this doesn't work out. Then again, if Remus doesn't come back, we won't have to worry about it any longer.'
He was in a bad mood all of a sudden. James stared at him.
'What do you mean if he doesn't come back? Dad's on those idiots' track. And Kingsley. And Stur. They'll find them.'
'No, they won't,' said Sirius grumpily. 'And you know it, don't you? What has the wizarding army done to prevent them from being taken in the first place? Nothing. They can't do anything. They don't know... anything.'
'Oh, but you do,' snapped James indignantly.
'More than you think,' confirmed Sirius, regretting his words at an instant. If James started asking questions he would be in trouble, not being able to break his oath.
Quite naturally, this was the next thing James did.
They were fighting all the way up to their dormitory and long after that. When they were moving towards the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, however, a new option came into James's mind.
'Well, don't tell me what you know then,' he said, 'but if you're so convinced that you know more than our soldiers do, then we might as well go and look for Remus and the others ourselves.'
Sirius considered this for a moment. 'You mean like an undercover searching mission?' he mumbled.
James nodded.
Sirius considered some more and then grinned. 'I like it,' he said. I absolutely like it. It means we'll miss a bit of school, though. It'll take ages to search The Forest.'
'What forest?' asked James, the two of them settling down in the back row of the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, not taking note of what was going on around them. 'Where d'you want to look?'
'You'll see,' said Sirius lightly. 'I said I can't tell you, and I won't.'
James scowled.
Then, suddenly, one of the girls approached them. Sirius had got to know her as extremely nosy and unbearable when it came to cleverness. He froze.
'Shut up,' he only barely managed to hiss before the girl was in earshot. 'Evans at twelve o'clock!'
But James hat long spotted her. Sirius got the distinct impression that his friend was straightening up instinctively in his seat. He had casually put one arm on his desk, and was ruffling the back of his head with the other as to make his hair stand in all directions.
'Show-off,' Sirius muttered.
'Stop showing off, Potter,' the girl said, pulling a face at James's clumsy attempts of making himself look better in her eyes. 'Please. Don't mind me. I was going to talk to Sirius here.'
James stuck out his tongue. 'As if,' he said. 'Why would I be minding a fat lady such as you are?' And he turned.
Sirius got the distinct impression that something was not quite right, but raised his eyebrows at Lily Evans, who held a piece of parchment directly in front of his nose. 'That yours?'
'Oh. OH!' Sirius stared at the parchment for a second, and then snatched it from the girl's hands. 'Ah, yes. Cheers, mate. That's it. That's... my... History homework.'
'Doesn't look like it,' said Lily Evans coldly.
'What would you know?' snapped Sirius. 'It's for... next week.'
'It doesn't have anything to do with the Dwarf Quest. And I bet you haven't even been looking things up for that, as I distinctly noticed you not taking down what homework he actually gave us last lesson.'
'I didn't? I mean - yeah, I did. I... copied it before when...' Sirius had to admit that he was slightly lost. James was not of much help either.
'We know everything about the Dwarf Quest,' he snapped.
The girl laughed. Simply.
'Yeah, said Sirius. 'Lots of things. Like... that dwarfs have been on this... quest, basically. It might be a bit hard for you, cause you're a girl, see...'
That did it.
'You're unbearable,' snapped Lily Evans, turning around. 'Just so you know, I've read that parchment, and I know what's on it, and I know what you're going to do. Just see what you'll do if I tell.'
And she stalked off.
James threw a questioning look at his friend. 'What we're... going to... do?'
'It's not important,' whispered Sirius, making sure the girl was out of earshot. 'I've been collecting... a few possible ideas of how to get hold of those... Knights.'
'You've actually made plans for rescuing Remus?' hissed James. 'And you didn't tell me?'
'Well,' replied Sirius, as quietly, 'someone's got to take action. I suggest we take Peter, create a water-tight alibi for us to leave the school without getting into trouble with the soldiers or any of the teachers - and then let's see what we can do.
James nodded.
'Fair enough,' he said. 'I'm in. You suggest we should ask anyone else to come? Just... in case they run to a teacher about certain discoveries?'
'No way!' snapped Sirius, knowing exactly what his friend was heading at. 'We will not take Evans!'
In the afternoon, the three friends and the rest of the third-year Gryffindors and Slytherins were filing through the entrance of the dungeon classroom for this year's first Potions lesson.
Their new teacher was of little height and as little patience. He was an elderly man, in his seventies perhaps, who had taken the job (as James happened to know) because he owed a favour to the deputy headmistress of Hogwarts, and because he liked to keep an eye on Dumbledore - as Sirius happened to know.
This specific person was not someone to cross James had found out during their first year at Hogwarts, and it was clear that Professor Fumes remembered their short encounter as clearly as the boys did. He regarded especially Sirius and James with a look of disapproval on his face, telling them that this term would be a hard one.
As all teachers this year, Fumes started the lesson with taking the register.
Sirius had the distinct impression that the old wizard, whose beard was meticulously cut into the shape of a very small, very unpleasant moustache, was taking a mental note at his and James's name as though to remember them for future reference.
Upon finishing registration Professor Fumes stood up, walked in front of his desk, and eventually stood before them, both legs spread, his hands firmly on his hips.
'Get up!' he demanded.
The students did.
'You will form a straight line to fetch the ingredients from the shelf,' stated their teacher. 'You will then return to your places quietly and start working for fifty-five minutes. Then we will test your results on those who have not finished their potion. Afterwards, you will compare your results and take notes. Any questions?'
Sirius raised his hand, grinning. Fumes ignored him.
'Any serious questions?'
Sirius could not help it.
'As a matter of fact,' he said, 'this is a Sirius question.'
No one laughed.
The Slytherins glared at Sirius, making very plain that they were not going to stab their new Head of House in the back. Sirius gave them an apologetic shrug.
With two steps, Fumes was standing in front of him. Sirius frowned. The Potions master gave him a ringing slap across the cheek and grabbed his collar firmly, to pull him as near to his face as possible before hissing, 'I noticed before that you are obviously used to flouting the school rules at will, being an insolent and disobedient brat as your father has informed me beforehand. Be assured that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated in my class. This school may be run by an effete old man and an overworked witch, but this class is run by me. Thus, any steps out of line - and I mean any,' he glared, 'will be a free ticket into the thrashing vault for you. Is that clear, Mr. Black!'
Sirius stared at him.
'IS that clear?'
The grip on his collar fastened.
Sirius gave in, his ear still ringing. 'Yes, sir,' he said dutifully, though not in his most humble voice. 'Perfectly clear.'
Fumes let go and marched back to his desk.
The other students, who had been staring in disbelief at the scene before them, were now hurrying to line up as Fumes had told them. Sirius, however, hesitated, and then raised his hand again.
'Excuse me, sir?'
It was probably wise to lay low for a while to see how many of his threats Fumes was actually ready to carry out. The Potions master raised a stern eyebrow at him.
'Mr. Black.'
'You have not actually told us which potion we are going to do,' said Sirius earnestly, careful not to let a grin appear at his face. Fumes frowned.
'Yes, I did, a minute ago. Had you been listening, you would be aware that we are going to brew a Shrinking Solution, but I understand that this is more than I can expect from a person who likes a pun on his own name.'
Sirius's gaze darkened.
'You haven't said anything about a Shrinking Solution so far!' he snapped, watching not without unease how Fumes approached him again, this time seriously angry.
'If you want to challenge me, boy,' hissed the Potions master, stopping in front of Sirius as he had done before, 'continue like this. I advise you, however, to shut your trap now, and do as you are told without disturbing my class any further. Otherwise, I shall be obliged to discipline you using more impressionable measures.'
Sirius shut his mouth. As none of the other students seemed inclined to move or support him in this matter, he eventually just lined up with the others, now at least knowing what potion they were going to brew, and contented himself with shooting a death glare at the Potions master whenever he was not looking.
A short glance at James told him that they were thinking the same thing. With Fumes around, leaving the castle unnoticed would not be as easy as they had thought.