Everlasting
By LadysWords

Previously on Everlasting:

Sirius Black Escapes From Azkaban

By Rita Skeeter

The notorious criminal, known as Sirius Black, escaped from prison.

Black was sentenced to life in Azkaban due to the murder of thirteen muggles...

after he famously betrayed the Potters on the fatal night of-

"Sirius Black? This should be interesting." He murmured, as he continued to read the newspaper.

'I have a feeling he'll be after Potter.' Edward thought while he frowned. 'If he managed to escape from that prison…I have a feeling that he'll able to enter Hogwarts as well.. and that's how he'll be able to get to Potter no doubt.'

Edward sighed. If he was right.. then he'd need that bit of parchment paper.

"Where did I put it?" He muttered to himself a little latter as he found himself looking around his desk for the parchment paper he was thinking of.

'Ah! Here it is… now what were there words for it…? Oh yes, now I remember.'

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Edward said as he pointed his wand to the parchment paper.

"Now next year will be a bit more interesting. If I'm right that is." Edward mused as he watched the blank piece of parchment reveal the words:

Messrs. Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs

Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present

THE MARAUDER'S MAP

Chapter 18: Of Hippogriffs and Werewolves

Edward grumbled to himself as he walked down the staircase attached to the headmaster's office.

'How do I get to that man? He's going to be difficult to find and seeing as I don't know where he is, I think I may have to borrow Hagrid's new pet,' Edward thought as he walked down the hallway.

Pet, though, was not a word he'd commonly associate with the new creatures Hagrid had managed to tame in the past week. After all, trying to make a hippogriff a pet…well, that was just an absurd idea.

Edward remembered shaking his head in disbelief when he had first visited Hagrid during the summer. The half giant might have had foregone with his 'pet' baby dragon, the three headed dog that had once protected his Philosopher's Stone inside the castle, and even the abnormally large spider that still lingered in the Forbidden Forest. Now the half giant had brought to the castle an entirely different species: hippogriffs, not minding the fact they were dangerous like Griffins were.

Edward sighed and grumbled to himself when he realized he had to borrow one of Hagrid's hippogriffs. Edward recalled his meeting with the Headmaster.

"I need you to do me a favor."

"A favor? Of what sort?" Edward said while he raised an eyebrow in surprise, not thinking that the Headmaster would want him to do a favor at all.

"Find me Remus Lupin."

Edward narrowed his eyes and couldn't help but think, 'Who's Remus Lupin?'

Curious, Edward asked voiced his question.

Dumbledore looked at him and smiled. "Well if there's anyone that could teach Defense against the Dark Arts properly, it would be him. But, finding Lupin may be difficult, and that is why I am asking you if you can do it for me."

Edward frowned, "Find him for you? Well, why can't you send him an owl or something?"

Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled with mischief."I'm afraid I can't do that, you see…"

'There's no way I can get there by any normal means...'

"Hagrid…?"

"Yes, Professor?" Hagrid asked, eyeing him warily.

'It's the only way…'

"Do you think I can borrow one of your hippogriffs for a while?" Edward asked. He would rather ride a hippogriff than travel by griffin.

Hagrid blinked. Whatever he had thought the professor was going to ask this was certainly not it.

Edward muttered something looking around the empty hallway.

"What for?"

"Business, Hagrid. Dumbledore wants me find someone to replace the previous Defense teacher."

"I haven't tol' ya somethin' about those hippogriffs, Professor," Hagrid said, shifting uncomfortably.

"What's that?" Inside, Edward wondered, 'Hippogriffs can't be that dangerous, can they?'

Hagrid studied him carefully and then said, "Hippogriffs aren' dangerous unless you offend them. Well, it's 'cause o' this; hippogriffs are proud creatures, easily upset, and don't never insult one. 'Cause it might be the last thing yeh do."

Edward nodded once to show he was listening. "Is that all?"

Hagrid sighed. "Well, ter get pas' tha', all yeh gotta do is this: Yeh always wait fer the hippogriff ter make the firs' move. It's polite, ya know? Yeh have ta walk towards him, and then yeh bow, an' yeh have to wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed to touch him. If he doesn't bow, then get away from him quick, 'cause those talons hurt."

Edward blinked in surprise, but said, "Alright then."

Hagrid led him into the Forbidden Forest.

"You keep them in the Forest?"

"Yah," Hagrid replied. He stomped a little further, and then they came into a little clearing.

As Edward gazed around, he saw that there were several Hippogriffs in the herd of various sizes and color, but they all had the front legs, wings, and head of a giant eagle and the body, hind legs and tail of a horse. As he watched he saw that the Hippogriffs had cruel, steely colored beaks and large, brilliantly orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and appeared to be deadly.

Edward gulped and thought, 'Perhaps this wasn't a brilliant idea.'

As he and Hagrid approached the herd, he watched as one eyed him. The hippogriff was taller than the rest that stood beside it. Hagrid noticed him look and said, "That there's Stormswift; he's the leader of the herd. An' he's deadly, so don' upset 'im."

Threatened by the sudden presence, Stormswift began to snort, but neither Edward nor Hagrid moved a muscle; if they had, they'd be dead. Still, Ed knew better than look at the creature with fear.

As Stormswift moved forward, it stopped abruptly, less than five inches in front of them. Edward did not avert his eyes from the creature, and all he could do was stare up at it with golden eyes. The hippogriff eyed him as it settled down from the sudden charge. As it did, Edward bowed toward the hippogriff, as he suddenly remembered what Hagrid said '….and then yeh bow, an' yeh have to wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed to touch him. If he doesn't bow, then get away from him quick, 'cause those talons hurt….' A few more minutes passed and the hippogriff bowed its own head.

"Well done, Professor, that's the first time he's ever done that," Hagrid said while he marveled at Edward, clearly impressed over what happened despite how dangerous it was. "Right then, I'll let yeh borrow him," Hagrid said while grinning at him. "Just make sure he comes home."

Edward nodded nervously while saying, "Don't worry. I will be back before the start of the term."

"Oh-you don't have to worry about feedin' him, 'cause he'll do that on his own." Hagrid said and then quickly added, "He's feisty, that one. So don' do anything that'll make him upset, if yeh do, he just migh' buck you off. Even if yer in the middle of flyin'."

"Don't worry Hagrid."

"Here's a couple of ferrets..." Hagrid handed him some of the animals after plunging his hands into his immense pockets."Yeh might wanna give it to him, if he misbehaves."

"I'll keep that in mind, Hagrid, and thanks for this."

"No problem, Professor." Hagrid frowned and then asked him, "Where yeh headed, anyway?"

"First to Godric's Hollow and then Black Mountains over in the east..."

"Black Mountains? Werewolves are there, yeh ought ter be careful if you go!"

"Don't worry."

Hagrid smiled and said, "If you can manage ter keep Stormswift loyal to yer on your trip, he just might protect yer from those werewolves, 'cause those are dangerous."

"I'll keep that in mind. Now I have to be off," Edward said as he climbed onto Stormswift.

"Good luck to ya," Hagrid yelled as he slapped Stormswift's rear, making him gallop.

'Bad idea!' Edward thought panicking as the creature began to flap its powerful wings and rear into the air.

Edward yelped in surprise at the said creature as it finally flew into the air. He hugged at the creature's neck in a near death grip. Stormswift could still easily buck him off while flying.

"Right... I should have asked Hagrid how to fly this thing," Edward grumbled out loud after a few hours in the air. As a response Stormswift swirled several times in the air intent on making sure his rider would fall off.

"Bad Hippogriff… Bad Hippogriff…Bad I say, no don't-!" Edward yelled, as the Hippogriff continued to try and throw him off. Edward wondered in the back of his mind if this whole thing was such as good idea. Well, in any case, it was too late to change his mind now as the hippogriff began to make sweeping movements.

OoO

Somehow, Stormswift knew where Ed had wanted to go. After it had calmed down a few hours from its tantrum. 'Godric's hollow, huh?' Edward thought as read the address Dumbledore had given him. It might have taken a few days of flying, but eventually he made it.

'This feels like a damn mission that Mustang would send me on," Edward chuckled to himself and sighed as he remembered what Dumbledore had said.

"So where will I find him?" Edward questioned Dumbledore, at that Dumbledore held a piece of parchment paper with a written address.

"You'll find him in Godric's Hollow. However, if you don't find him there, he might be on Black Mountain in Germany."

"Black Mountain?"

Dumbledore nodded, "Yes, Black Mountain, a dangerous place to be, especially at certain times of the month."

Edward frowned, "Why's that?"

"Werewolves," was all Dumbledore spoke on the danger surrounding the Black Mountains. "If you have to go there, I suggest you take one of Hagrid's hippogriffs for extra protection."

"I will." Edward nodded as he turned to leave Dumbledore's office.

Edward grumbled to himself, and he pulled out his wand muttering the Disillusionment Charm on Stormswift to make him invisible to a Muggle's eye. Annoyed however, Stormswift flew away from him. Idly, as he watched Stormswift leave, he couldn't help but roll his eyes and think, 'There goes my extra protection from those werewolves.'

"Right, let's find this guy," Edward grumbled under his breath and watched the hippogriff as he, too, began to look for the address that Dumbledore gave him.

OoO

Edward narrowed his eyes; he had found the house he was looking for after several hours of searching. Edward sighed, 'I should have asked directions...I might of had found it earlier.',

The house was a large two story and had been built with bricks, making it look shabby and old compared to houses that were beside it. The lawn in front had weeds and scattered leaves; evidence it had been uncared for, for a long while. Edward frowned as he looked at the house and stared it suspiciously.

'Don't think anyone's lived in that house for awhile,' Edward thought to himself.

As he approached the path that led to the door of the house he heard someone come up to him suddenly and say, "The lad that lives in that house isn't there. I've noticed that every time there's a new moon, he always leaves… sometimes I wonder what he gets up to."

Edward blinked as he turned around to see who had spoke. While he did he remembered, 'Only wizards, witches and magical creatures can see me because of the Philosopher's Stone..'

The man that had spoken had white hair and brown eyes, and wore a faded brown cloak. Ed looked at the stranger warily, but decided to be polite. He didn't want to suddenly get into a argument.

"I see. Thank you. If I can't find him, could you deliver him a message for me?" Edward asked slowly realizing the man must be Lupin's neighbor.

The man looked at him and nodded. "Yes, I can."

"Tell him that Dumbledore has a position for him at Hogwarts."

The man nodded turning to leave.

"Looks like he isn't here and that mean it looks like I'll have to go to Black Mountain," Edward muttered to himself. As he began to walk back he stopped remembering just how he had gotten there. 'I have to find that damned Hippogriff, where the hell did it go?' Edward scowled and thought, 'If I were an annoying hippogriff, where would I go?'

"Sir," It was the man again.

"Yes?" Edward asked, turning around.

"I believe your hippogriff attempted to eat my ferret..."

Edward's eyes bulged as he listened to stranger and then he managed to splutter out, "E-excuse me?"

Edited by Kanathia

TBC