Big thanks to all reviewers. You're the best and best motivation to keep on translating.
About the right or left arm. I must admit, that I was quite confused about that too. You see. In 90 % of all the fanfics I read, that the mark is on Sevies left forearm. Now, I only read the German translation of the Harry Potter books. In the forth one, when Kakarov is showing Snape his mark in class, he's showing him his left arm, but in the end, when Snape shows it to Fudge, he pulls up his RIGHT sleeve to show it. So I guess it's a mistake of the book's translations. I'm sorry if I got it wrong, but I didn't know any better and hesitated on which version I should rely. In the end, I decided to stick to the version I knew of the book, because I don't know the original.
Chapter two:
Meeting againHarry felt Ron's hand on his arm as his friend led him silently from the supply room. Without resisting, he let himself be steered away and together they ran towards the Gryffindor tower - - both of them had lost all interest in food at that point.
Only after having brought a healthy distance between them and the dungeons, did they slow down.
"Snape can be such a git. But at least Black and Lupin are here to keep him under control," Ron whispered.
Harry nodded. "I just wonder why Sirius didn't send me an owl to announce his coming, or did at least come to see me right upon his arrival in Hogwarts."
"Geez, Harry. It's half past eleven at night. If they only just arrived, you can't expect Black to visit you at this hour in the dormitory. We are supposed to be asleep right now, as I remind you."
Harry waved his hand in the general direction of the dungeons. " And what would Sirius be doing down there so late? And Snape?" he hissed.
Ron shrugged nonchalantly." Sirius probably had to fetch something for Dumbledore, and it's no big news that Snape loves to sniff around at night, in a sick hope to catch students out after curfew. This guy is a cranky sadist, who only then feels some kind of liveliness, when he finds a way to make others suffer.
"Right," Harry agreed. "Let's go back to the Griffindor tower. We'd rather go to bed now too."
"Yes. I don't feel comfortable, when I know that that greasy vampire is sneaking around."
One hour later, as a low snoring announced Ron to be fast asleep, Harry was still wide-awake in his bed, staring at the red sky of his bed. He was happy and exited to know that his Godfather was close and that he would, with all probability see him in the morning, but that wasn't the only reason, why sleep eluded him. Deep down in his gut, a bad feeling had taken root. Something was bothering him, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. Snape's threats towards Sirius too, bothered him more than he cared for. Now, it was no secret that the two of them didn't stand on good ground but they had both, on Dumbledores wish, agreed to a truth of arms, since they were on the same side after all. The Headmaster had said so, and yet…
Voldemort was steadily gaining power without them being able to do something about it. Through Harry's involuntary help, he had even gotten his body back. The ministry though was still doing their best to ignore his existence, and the situation was slowly getting out of control. And since a while now, Snape had been getting edgier as usual. He was yelling at the students at every opportunity and acted nastier than ever, towards the people around him. As well was he quite often coming to class with delay. Something that would never have happened only one year ago. Hell would have frozen over, before Snape would have been late for one of his classes. And when he finally showed up in class now, he was snappish and impatient, as if he couldn't wait for the lesson to be over.
Harry pushed those thoughts aside, rolling over to his left side with a sigh and closing his eyes. There was no use to think about such things right now. Tomorrow he would talk to Sirius about it. His Godfather would surely be able to help him sort his wild thoughts. He always brought good advise and news, which helped, enlighten current problems. Yes, Sirius would help erase his worries this time too.
With that knowledge, Harry snuggled deeper down under the covers and a smile spread over his face for a moment, only to promptly disappear again, as he remembered something. His eyes flew open and suddenly he knew, what had been bothering him so much. Snape had called Voldemort the dark lord. Not his name or you-know-who, or the-one-who-must-not-be-named. No, he had clearly said: The dark lord is getting stronger, and there hadn't been any fear or repulsion in his voice. Rather something akin to…hope.
At this revelation, Harry shot up into a sitting position. That was not possible; he surely simply misunderstood. True, Snape had been a deatheater once, but now he was on their side. Dumbledore trusted him, and the Headmaster was above all doubt. He would know if Snape would double-cross them.
With those consoling thoughts, Harry sank back down on his pillow and held stubbornly onto this, hoping that this knowledge would chase the bad feeling in the pit of his gut.
Two hours later, he was still lying in his bed, wide-awake.
*************
"Hey Harry," Ron greeted him the next morning, his words distorted by a wide yawn, as he stretched his arms high about his head to chase the last stiffness of sleep out of them. "Slept well?"
"Yes," lied Harry and sat up on the bed, rubbing his eyes. The truth though, was that he only fell asleep a couple of hours earlier and that his body was sending unmistakable signs that it wanted to go back asleep, but Harry knew, that there was no way to get out of bed in time, if he allowed his tired body the luxury of an extra five minutes, which would without a doubt extend into a few more hours. Thankfully, he had learned to get along on little sleep with the Dursley's.
"Doesn't really look like it, though," Ron comented as he studied him from over his bed. "You look like an animated corpse."
"Funny," Harry replied dryly. He took a determinate deep breath and swung his legs over the edge of his bed, pushing himself off the futon. With little enthusiasm, he stumbled to the bathroom. A shower would hopefully do the job of waking him up.
********************
As he stepped into the common room, Ron and Hermoine were already waiting for him there.
"Say, is it true, what Ron has told me? That you overheard Snape and Sirius last night?"
Harry nodded. "Yes. Looks like Sirius and professor Lupin are both here in Hogwarts."
"Oh, this is great news, Harry," Hermoine exclaimed clapping her hands together excitedly. "I only hope that they can stay a bit this time. You don't see your Godfather nearly enough," she added a bit more somberly with a regretting face.
Harry smiled encouraging at her. Hermoine had a huge sense of justice and the fact that Black was being accused and chased for a terrible crime, even though he was innocent, was going against all she stood for.
"That will be so great. At least as long as Snape is staying off our skin." Ron's voice was crabby and his look pensive.
Harry looked over to Hermoine and reading her worried expression, he could tell that Ron had already told her the details of the fight between Snape and Sirius.
Suddenly, the portrait of the fat lady moved noisily aside on the other side of the wall, revealing a big dog, which came storming in, jumping at Harry and nearly burying him under its weight, as he pushed him back over to the floor and started to lick his face with obvious enthusiasm.
"Isn't that Si...Snuffles?" Ron asked the obvious.
In the meantime, Harry was trying to push the bear like dog off him, so that he could get up again. In vain, he pushed and pulled for a while on the fuzzy fur. His grinning and giggling did take out much of the weightiness out of his actions though. In the end, he got the Animagus off him anyway and climbed back on his feet, his hand still resting on the head of the dog. Only then did he see the second person that stood by the entrance, and watched the scene with a slight grin.
Ron followed his glance and recognized the man in the worn robe right away.
"Professor Lupin. You're here too?" he faked surprise.
The still smiling man made a dismissing gesture. "Please cut the 'professor' and call me by my first name. I'm not your teacher anymore.
"All right," Ron confirmed in a stretched voice.
"Prof…ahem, I mean Remus," Hermoine said. "What are the two of you doing here in Hogwarts?"
'Leave it to Hermoine, to evade a lie, or even an obfuscation and still to ask the right question,' Harry thought. Neither his Godfather, nor the werewolf needed to know, that Ron and he had been out of their dormitories after curfew and had eavesdropped on Snape and Sirius.
But at Hermoine's question, Lupin's smile vanished and the big dog wailed deep in his throat. Harry scowled worriedly and Lupin massaged tiredly the bridge of his nose with thumb and forefinger.
"Dumbledore has sent for us. The times have gotten more difficult and the signs for the dark side are…worrisome. Dumbledore is gathering his most important men to discuss our further tactics."
The big dog had been observing his friend and now turned his massive head to the stairs leading to the dormitories at first and then lifted his snout to sniff the air, while cocking his ears slightly. Only after he had seemingly approved of the security of the room, and their being alone, did he morph into his human form.
"Something needs to be done, and fast," he said somberly. "Voldemort is getting stronger with each day and his followers are getting more numerous. Many who had been unstable before, are changing over to the dark side completely."
At the last words of his Godfather, the image of Snape came back in Harry's memories, as the potion master was holding his forearm, murmuring that he didn't need Dumbledore. With a slight shake of his head he chased those thoughts away once more. The situation seemed worse than they had thought and Snape and his threats or his inner demons were not important nor did they interest Harry very much.
"And does Dumbledore have a plan?" Hermoine asked.
Lupin sighed heavily. That's the worst of all. Even him seems to be at the end of his wits. That's why he has called for a meeting with the heads of the order. We'll exchange our knowledge and ideas and will hopefully find a new strategy."
A heavy silence fell upon the room for a couple of minutes, before Sirius cleared his throat. "But this all is no reason, why you three should miss your breakfast. Best you continue as usual and don't raise any suspicion. Some of the other kids here have Deatheater parents. It's better to be cautious and not to trust anybody."
The three teenagers nodded still a bit worriedly, but they complied and started to walk off to the great Salon.
T.B.C.