Disclaimer: Not mine.

His Calling

Chapter 50

Potter's Test

"Mr. Lupin, this way," Albus greeted Remus at the main door of the castle, turning in a flurry of yellow robes and blue stars, hurrying back to the circular staircase.

Remus ran behind him, confused and alerted that something had happened. He ran up the steps, taking them two at a time, rushing into the Headmaster's Office where he saw James standing the window, Sirius next to him, his arm draped over James' shoulder as Peter paced in front of the fireplace, twisting a knitted cap in his hands.

"Mr. Potter?" The Headmaster put a gentle hand on James' shoulder and leaned forward to talk softly in his ear. "Mr. Lupin has returned."

James turned to study Remus, his eyes red and swollen, his jaw clenched in anger. "What the fuck did you know about this?"

"About what?" Remus said slowly. "Padfoot? What's wrong?"

"It seems Mr. Potter returned home from today's excursion to find his father's wards had been breached. Both of his parents are dead, Mr. Lupin."

Remus snapped his eyes to lock on Potter. "My gods, Prongs…I…I don't know anything more than you."

"Come on, James," Sirius tightened his hold on his friend's shoulders, giving him a slight shake, "you know better."

"Don't," James twisted away from Sirius, angrily sneering at him as he did and then turned back to rage at Remus. "I heard your mother was protected by the Order. How convenient that you made sure she was safe while mine was being butchered! You even made sure that fucking whore of yours was taken care of!"

"Prongs, no," Remus said softly, closing the distance between them, raising his hand to the Headmaster, silencing his protests and ignoring the comment about Lucy, knowing it was James' anger that was talking. "We all got letters. Someone planned this. Probably someone that they were already hiding from."

"Was anyone else attacked?" Peter asked the Headmaster, his own voice cracking.

"Not that we know of, Mr. Pettigrew. We have members out at this very minute checking on all your family members."

"I should have stayed home," James sobbed, "I should have done something."

"Don't think that, it's too late to undo it," Sirius tried to reason with him. "Headmaster, there must have been half dozen at least. The whole…"

"Not now, Mr. Black." The Headmaster cut him off, not wanting to go over the grizzly details again in front of James. "I would like for you to bring me the letters you each received. I am already aware of Mr. Lupin's and I am sure the Ministry will send someone to talk to you..."

"James, please, you have to believe me…you know I would never…"

"Then where the fuck have you been?" James raged. "Why didn't you come back?"

"Prongs, I was at the Ministry…they finished…they…I'm registered now," Remus said, swallowing hard, fighting back his own tears.

"Maybe they knew that's where he would be," Sirius suggested.

"You have to believe me," Remus pleaded, looking to the Headmaster for help. "I couldn't…James, please. You know me better than that."

"I know," James admitted, slumping into a chair, leaning forward and letting his sobs rack through his body. "But it doesn't make sense. Who did they ever hurt? Why? Just tell me why my Mum and Dad were butchered like that while people like Greyback go free. Your folks hid a fucking werewolf…what did mine do?''

"He didn't mean anything by it," Sirius said, standing behind the chair, massaging James' shoulders, his own eyes full of tears. "He…they are all he had."

Remus swallowed hard, squatted down in front of James and laid his hand over James'. "I don't know who it was, Prongs, I wish that I did."

"What now?" James looked into Remus' face, looking lost and afraid. "I don't know what to do. What do I do?"

Remus swallowed and looked over James' back to Sirius, who was wiping his arm across his eyes, unable to talk.

"We will figure it out," Remus choked.

"Prongs?" Peter leaned over and whispered. "If you want I will make the arrangements. It's not something you should have to do right now. I could do it."

"Good idea," Remus stood up, putting his hand on Peter's shoulder. "James? Is there anyone…Headmaster?"

"No." The Headmaster shook his head. "I am sure the Daily Prophet will do a sufficient job of notification. I do believe there is a beautiful place in Godric's Hollow that you may look into. I will make sure Mr. Prewett is not far behind to offer protection."

Remus leaned forward and wrapped his arms around James, saying nothing, not able to think of words that could convey what he felt. He nodded to Peter, who after whispering his encouragement to James joined him for their trip to make burial arrangements.

By the time they returned and gave the information to the Headmaster, Remus was exhausted. Trudging up the stairs to the dorm room, he was at first surprised to see James sleeping and Sirius sitting on the foot of his bed watching him. Then, noticing the half- empty vial of dreamless sleep on the nightstand he knew that Madame Pomfrey was trying to make his first day easier.

"How is he?" Remus asked, sitting on the edge of his bed, tugging off his boots.

"Okay, I guess. He's sort of out of it now. They gave him that," he nodded to the nightstand, "but…gods, Moony…it was awful. No one should see their folks that way."

"He knows I didn't…"

"Yeah, don't worry about it. He was just crazy there for a while. He said I dragged him out, accused me of knowing what was coming," Sirius said, trying to laugh. "He even accused Peter and his father before he got to you. Whoever was in front of him, even the Headmaster. Said the old man protected everyone else's family but his, so he must have wanted them dead. First time I almost felt sorry for Dumbledore. Should have seen his face. I never thought I would see him like that."

"What is he going to do now?" Peter asked, undressing and climbing into bed wearing only his boxers.

"He hasn't had time to think," Sirius sighed. "Lily was nice. She offered to let us spend the rest of the holidays with her, but somehow I think her Mum may not approve."

"Don't, you'd put her whole family at risk," Remus muttered. "He really does care for her, doesn't he."

"Yeah, I don't think he could have held it together as well as he did without her."

"What about the place you were in?"

"Wouldn't take him back there." Sirius leaned his head back against on one of the bedposts. "Dumbledore said he will have it cleaned up…but I don't think he could look at it and not see what it was like."

"Give him time," Remus sighed, lying down on his side and pulling the blankets up.

"Ya know what I was thinking about Moony?" Sirius asked laughing. "That time up on the tower, remember? We said we would die before all this was over."

"I remember," Remus said quietly.

"I always thought we would die first. Ya know? Before everyone we loved did."

"Yeah, well…guess it's too late for that."

.

.

.

Sirius and James stayed at Hogwarts. Peter reluctantly left, after apologising that his father wanted him home, but inwardly proud and happy to be returning to his family. The fact that he was the only one of the four that still had a home to go to was not lost on the others. Sirius shrugged and tried to laugh it off while Potter and Remus remained silent, both wondering if Peter would have better off without his.

The students returned, lessons began, and the boys fell into the familiar rhythm of Hogwarts. Remus had asked the Headmaster to forward his letters to Lucy and to his mum and had been told of a squib living in London that was part of the Order. He made the trip into the city without mentioning what he was doing to the others, not wanting them to follow and put themselves at risk.

Gideon and Fabian Prewett introduced him to the small timid looking woman who patted him kindly on the back and promised she would get the letters to their destination. The three wizards sat politely and drank tea, Remus lost in the conversation of who was doing what, who had joined the Order and who was at risk.

Arabella put her cup down carefully and studied Remus. "You know why they are speaking so freely in front of you?"

"I would guess that as a werewolf I wouldn't …"

"Oh, no, son," she smiled kindly, "Albus has mentioned that you wish to join our little group."

"Yes, he said I was too young."

"Not at all, lad." She reached over and patted his leg. "You are still a student. Once you are done at Hogwarts things will change."

Fabian chuckled and poured himself a second cup of tea. "Albus chose Miss Figg as your…contact…in London for a reason. Although she is not able to help us in the field, she is invaluable in our other endeavours."

"I do what I can," she said proudly.

"Miss Figg has offered her home as a safe place," Gideon leaned forward, studying Remus. "That's not to say that we want you to live here, quite the opposite. We want you to stay away. If you have further letters to send meet her somewhere away from here."

"My home is to be used in an emergency," Miss Figg said. "If you ever need to escape quickly, and have no idea where to go, no safe place as it is, you may come here. However, only in extreme emergency, only in the darkest of times."

"The time will come when you can no longer use the floo to the Alley and will find yourself unwelcome at the apparation points. You have to find your own transportation when that happens, but if you are cornered, with no other way out…come here." Fabian watched him closely, making sure he saw a nod of understanding.

"This is to go no further," Miss Figg was quick to add. "Only us four, the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall know of our arrangement."

"We should be leaving," Gideon said, standing up and offering his hand to Arabella. "Again, you have been most kind."

"Remus," she said, clasping his hand in both of hers. "You must be careful and must not mention anything in your letters that could put your mother or Miss. Spencer in danger. I do what I can, but I cannot guarantee anything. I can only help in these little ways."

"I understand."

"Good," she said, handing him back his letter to Lucy. "This one you may deliver yourself. She is at the Museum of Natural History. I am sure you can find her."

Remus snapped his eyes up and grinned. Grabbing the squib by the shoulders, he gave her a quick hug before running out the door, hearing the brother's laughter behind him.

Remus didn't get back to Hogwarts until the sun was just coming up. Walking as quietly as he could he, he was just pulling the blankets back when he heard a movement behind him. Spinning around with his wand already in his hand he saw Potter standing in the doorway.

"Sorry, couldn't sleep," James said quietly.

Remus joined him as they moved to the common room, sitting on a long couch that faced the fire.

"I saw Lucy," Remus said smiling. "She was in town doing some research for one of her papers."

"You don't talk about her much," James said quietly. "Sirius told me what I said about her, I don't even remember it. Fuck, man…I didn't mean it you've got to believe that."

"Yeah," Remus shrugged, "you never did seem to like her."

"Does that matter?"

Remus studied his face and nodded slowly. "Yeah, yeah it does. You guys mean a lot to me and I don't want you to…"

"I've been a prat. I didn't like that you spent more time with her than you did with us." James smirked and tried to shrug it off. "Sounds stupid when I say it out loud."

"No, not stupid," Remus sighed. "Have you decided what you are going to do when we get out of here?"

"Padfoot is going to stay with me. He doesn't have any place to go and I don't want to be alone. Peter says his dad has a job lined up for him, some sort of…guard or something down at Gringotts. What about you?"

"I can't very well get a job . I thought Peter was going to work in Hogsmeade."

"Changed his mind I guess. What about your place?"

"Mum still owns it, her and John, but I can't go there. John being an Auror, and …I won't put them in more risk than they already are. Anyway, she is in hiding somewhere. They won't even tell me where. I think they are afraid if I get caught I may talk."

"No, don't think that. There are potions and stuff, don't think they don't trust you. What happens when the moon changes?"

"Don't know yet," he sighed, staring into the fire. "There is a new potion out that seems to work but it's bloody expensive. I'm going to try to find work in the Muggle world this summer. I'm a pretty good farm hand."

"Big call for that sort of thing?" James laughed. "You're fucked, you know that right?"

"Yeah, I've known it for a long time now." Remus grinned, leaning back and resting against the back of the couch. "I want out of here so badly it's driving me crazy, but I don't want it to end. Does that make sense?"

Potter only nodded and left for the dorm, leaving Remus to sit by himself, watching the fire, and thinking of Lucy.

.

.

The rest of the term was uneventful. More rumours of what was happening in the outside world still reached them, despite the restrictions the Headmaster continued to impose in hopes of sheltering the students. James spent more time with Lily, sitting in the common room and listening to her stories of Muggle life, and her unspoken hints that when school was over they all return to it with her. Remus had seen Peter in the courtyard, arguing with his father, but when he acted as if he did not want to talk about it, Remus let the matter drop. It seemed to him most families were at odds with one other and even when Sirius mentioned his aunt it was clear that her husband's Muggle family wanted no part of them.

"Wake up," Sirius was leaning over Remus, pushing his shoulder. "Wormtail has something he nicked from his dad he wants to show us."

"In the morning," Remus grumbled, trying to bury his head under the pillow. "I just got to sleep. I need to…"

"Moony, it looks important, come on," James whispered as he dashed out of the room headed for the Astronomy Tower.

"This better be good." Remus muttered as he followed behind, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Peter spread out a piece of parchment on the stone floor, then sat back on his heels grinning. "I copied it, but it's just like the one he has. Really, I used a spell."

Remus lowered himself to the floor, sitting between Sirius and James as they tried to make sense of what they were looking at. "It's the list of He-who-must-not-be-named's troops."

"No shite," James breathed leaning closer to the parchment. "Did you show Dumbledore?"

"Dad says he knows, says that's what he is hiding from us…you know, not letting the papers in and all. That Order of his raided Yaxley's and got his copy. Dad threw his in the fireplace but I got it out in time to make this."

"Inferi?" Remus said, looking up at Peter. "He has Inferi?"

"Yeah, hasn't used them yet. Bet he is saving them for something big. And look here, giants. He is getting the giants on his side."

"Fuck," James said, his voice shaking as he rose unsteadily to his feet. "I need to see the Headmaster. I need to know…"

"Padfoot?" Sirius stood with him.

"My folks…could he…?"

"Bloody hell," Remus ran his hand though his hair, suddenly aware of what Potter was worried about. "No, James, they are okay."

"I didn't see them. I.."

"I did," Remus cut in, "Pete and I, we stayed until they were brought to the undertakers and the undertaker sealed the coffins. They are safe."

James sat back down, swiping his arm over his eyes. "Where in bloody hell did that fucker get so many?"

"He must be a lot more powerful then Dumbledore," Peter said quietly. "It takes a lot of power to raise a corpse and even more to bewitch it to do what the wizard says. I'd hate to face him in a duel. This says he has a whole army."

"We need to hit the library," Sirius said solemnly. "I want to find out if he can be using the Muggles or does the…the deceased…need to be a wizard."

"Don't matter," Peter said, folding up the paper and putting it back in his pocket. "You just need to kill them yourself."

"Fuck," Remus muttered. "He…he killed that many himself?"

"Yeah," Peter shrugged. "Thought everyone knew that. Not one at a time, he can do it by…you know…an accident on the train, or…something with a lot of people. All he has to do to…"

"He started in Albania," James said quietly, looking at the floor. "Mum used to say they was crazy, that is was just a rumour, not about the Inferi, I don't think Dad knew about that. But that fucker was holding up in Albania just after the Muggle war and…he did what he wanted."

Remus lay in bed later that night playing over the conversation in his head and thinking about Lucy. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her stepping out of a grave and Tiffany waiting for her, the Potters standing behind them. Sitting up he breathed deeply, adjusting his eyes to the darkness in the room and tried to lie down again, hoping to rest if not to sleep.

He sometimes thought it would have better if she had not come to London, if he had not be able to hold her, to hear her voice or to get lost in her the way he always did when she was near. He had steeled himself against her absence, then, when she had looked up from the library table and smiled at him he felt the world again spin out of control and his resolve melt away. When she had leaned over the table and whispered in his ear, he had wanted to grab her and keep her here. When she had taken his hand and led him back to her room, he had pretended with her, pretended that they were normal, that nothing could stop them from being together, and that all the talk of war and death belonged to someone else. Now, he rolled over to his side, pulling his pillow into his arms and fought to hide his tears, knowing that what they had was only a dream.