She thought her life was over – but fate gave her another chance, in a world of magic. Now, running around Hogwarts with James Potter and his friends, she's about to make choices that will change the future in ways she never thought possible…

Marauder's Phase

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN

The Map Never Lies

Well, it turned out that I was sick, a weird magical fever with a really long name. Darn Remus and his all-knowing. I spent three days in the hospital without any visitors because the fever was highly contagious and, by the time I was allowed to leave, I was desperately craving human company.

I decided that it might be best if I avoided the Gryffindor common room for as long as I could, so I decided to go up to the owlery and send Maggie and Reginald a thank you note for the dress robes, because I had forgotten to do so.

I climbed the stairs to the owlery slowly, not wanting to slip over on the icy stones, and then was nearly knocked over by something grey.

"Haphazard," I said, picking him up. "Would you please stop flying into people? And settle down, I need you to take a letter to Maggie and Reginald."

Haphazard sat on my shoulder while I wrote the letter, pausing every so often to wipe off icicles that had gathered on the parchment. The weather was getting colder…and I remembered a scene from the fifth movie, where someone had said that the weather had changed last time Voldemort was in power.

I shivered.

Picking up Haphazard after tying the letter to his leg, I carried him over to a window, and looked out at the snowstorm.

"Umm, Happy? There's no way in hell I'm sending you out in this…" I said, before jumping back, as a large black shape glided in through the window, startling both me and my owl.

A large, shiny black owl with a very sharp-looking beak landed on a perch, a latter tied to his leg. Curious as to who could've been sent such a regal-looking bird, I carefully approached him, and was surprised when he held out his leg for me to take the letter.

"For me?" I wondered, taking the letter and flipping it over in my hand. "No, hang on…wait a minute, this is for Regulus…hey, wait a minute!" I exclaimed, as the owl took flight again, disappearing out the window and into the snow, a black speck amongst the grey. "Oh, terrific." I muttered. I gave the thank you note for Maggie and Reginald to a strong-sturdy-looking school owl, before leaving the owlery in search of Regulus.

***###

"I must've searched through the whole entire castle!" I complained, standing in a deserted corridor with the letter to Regulus in my hand. "Of course, it would have helped if I weren't trying to avoid so many people, but still…the one time I really need him, and he doesn't just show up!"

"Hey Emma," I turned around, to see the painting of Roderick Plumpton looking at me. "Who're you looking for?"

I told him.

"Ah, I saw him on the third floor talking to his cousin," Roderick informed me.

"Well, can you get him to come here please?" I asked, as patiently as I could, because I was dying to know what the letter said.

"Back in a flash." Roderick promised, before jumping on his broomstick and zooming out of the painting.

I stood with my back against the wall, looking down at the letter in my hands and trying to figure out who had sent it. Could be his mother…or it could be another Death Eater…

As he'd promised, Roderick was back in a flash, but with some bad news – Regulus had left, and Bellatrix didn't know where he had gone. Or maybe she did, and just didn't want to say?

"Well now what do I – oh!" I clapped my hand to my mouth. I had suddenly remembered something important, that would help me to find Regulus faster than any other means. "I know what to do! Thanks for your help anyway, Roderick!" I said, turning and sprinting off down the corridor, heading toward Gryffindor Tower.

***###

At great personal risk, I was searching for the Marauders Map in the boys dorm, since Sirius had been the last person to have it. My heart was pounding like mad, though, because there was always the chance that one of them would come in, and then I'd be forced to talk with Sirius about what had happened at the Yule Ball. I hadn't seen him, or any of my friends, in three days.

I really missed them all, too.

I was rummaging around in a drawer by Sirius' bed, feeling like the world's biggest sneak and hoping I wouldn't find anything…weird. I was searching under Sirius' pillow when I pulled out a photograph.

"Hmm?" I glanced at it casually, and then looked at it again.

It appeared to be a picture of the Marauders, Lily and me, taken last year at the end of term. All of us were grinning happily, and waving at the camera. On the back of the photo, in Sirius' flawless handwriting, was the message: 'Til' death do us part'.

My hands shook slightly. He meant that about me, obviously. And it was what people usually said at weddings. Did that mean that..?

Then, I spied the Marauders Map in the same spot underneath of Sirius' pillow, and grinned, returning the picture to its place and pulling out my wand.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," I said, tapping my wand on the map. "Well, not really, but anyway…"

As the lines were appearing on the parchment, and the moving dots began to appear, I saw that Regulus was on the front steps of the castle, apparently pacing back and forth.

Then, suddenly, I heard footsteps and voices from the staircase outside. Glancing down at the map I saw, to my horror, that the two people coming up the stairs were none other than Sirius Black and Remus Lupin!

With no time to do anything else, I flung myself under Sirius' bed, and not a moment too soon, because the dorm door swung open, and Sirius came in, followed by Remus.

They appeared to be arguing about something.

"I tell Emma all the time to control her temper, and then you turn around and provide the worst example!" Remus said, somewhat angrily.

"Regulus deserved it," Sirius practically spat, opening up a drawer and shuffling through some spare parchment in there. "I would've done a lot worse to him if Umbridge hadn't stepped in. I'm gonna give her hell at detention tonight. I'm just glad Regulus got what he deserved for what he did."

"Punching him was not the right way to go about it," Remus said evenly. "What would Emma do if she found out?"

"It doesn't matter," Sirius sounded upset now. "Moony, you have no idea how this is making me feel, like…like…"

"Like your heart's breaking into millions of pieces, but you can still keep loving her with them?" Remus said quietly.

I could sense Sirius' shock. "H-how the hell did you know that?"

"Intuition," Remus said carefully. "And what are you looking for, anyway? You're tearing the entire room apart…"

"The map," Sirius said, looking through his trunk at the end of the bed. "I need to do something to take my mind off all this…can you look under my bed for me, Moony?"

"Sure thing, Padfoot," I saw Remus feet approaching the bed, and knew that it was all over. He got down on his hands and knees, and suddenly I was looking straight into his golden eyes, which registered complete shock when he saw me there.

For what seemed like an eternity, we stared at each other, before I shook my head slightly and handed him the map.

Remus took it, before nodding and straightening up. I heard him fold up the map and say: "Alright then Padfoot, come on."

I heard them both leave the room and, only when their footsteps had died away on the stair, did I breath a sigh of relief and drag myself out from underneath the bed, still clutching the letter in my left hand.

I waited another few minutes, just to be sure, and then I bolted, heading straight for the front of the castle.

***###

"Regulus!" I called, and he turned around straight away. I ran toward him, holding the letter above my head, and nearly slipped on the icy front steps, as he caught me in his arms. "You got a letter," I said, holding it out to him and marvelling at how he was still in the exact same place he'd been when I'd checked on the map.

Regulus took the letter wordlessly and, keeping one arm around me, he opened it and read it quickly.

His face paled slightly, and he began to shake.

"What is it?" I whispered. "What's wrong?"

"Read for yourself." Regulus said tensely, handing me the letter.

I scanned it quickly, feeling my chest tighten as I read the words.

Just then, Bellatrix appeared and, taking no notice of me, she said to her cousin: "It's gotten worse! Dumbledore just received news, and he wants us in his office, now!"

Regulus' face was possibly even whiter than snow, and he nodded wordlessly.

"I'm coming too." I said firmly.

Much as I hated Walburga Black for the way she treated Sirius, I knew how upset Regulus was going to be that his mother was dying of a rare and terminal illness…