Chapter IX

Spying

"Follow me," McGonigal said stiffly to the Graybacks.

Al watched them walk out of the Great hall and then turned to speak to Rose when he noticed her mouth was opened in a perfect 'O'.

"Are you okay Rose?" Al asked while taking a sip of tea.

Rose didn't respond. Instead she slowly turned her head to face Teddy. His face was drained of all color and his hands shook violently.

"What's wrong?" Al asked casually, completely oblivious to what was going on.

Teddy started breathing in short gasps of air.

"Oh god, Victorie we have to get him to the Hospital wing now. He's hyperventilating," Rose directed.

Before Al could blink Rose and Victorie were out of the Great hall pulling Teddy with them. Will was running after them. Al stared at their empty seats. The room wasn't quiet anymore, everyone was whispering to each other.

"Great," Al thought glumly, "something else I don't know."

Al sighed and lifted his tea cup to his mouth, blowing on the steam to cool it down.

"Hey Al," James whispered urgently. Al jumped out of his seat surprised, and managed to spill the hot tea everywhere.

"Where are you James?" Al hissed through his teeth.

"Under the table."

"Why are you under there?"

"I want to show you something," James replied , "so get your butt down here, now!"

Al felt James tug his pants and reluctantly ducked under the table.

"Now thats better isn't it?" James said giving Al a mischievous grin.

"What are you doing James?" Al asked annoyed.

"Follow me," James said casually and started crawling between the legs of students.

"Fine," Al mumbled unhappily under his breath and followed his brother.

"Were are we going?" Al asked when James suddenly stopped.

"Keep your voice down will you?" James said quietly, ignoring Al's question.

"What are you looking at?" Al asked because James still wasn't moving.

Chuckling quietly James replied with one of his famous I-am-clearly-up-to-no-good grins and replied, "Do you really want to know?"

"Obviously," Al said frustrated.

"Well I was going to take the short-cut under this stone," James began with a twinkle in his eye, "but then I noticed that Danielle Carter has nice legs."

"Gah!" Al said sticking his tongue out and shoving his brother on the shoulder.

James laughed quietly while he pointed his wand at a stone on the floor and muttered, "Wengardium Leviosa."

The stone quietly floated up reveling a pitch black hole.

"What.." Al began to say but James had pulled him into a dark corridor.

"Lumos," James said and light sprouted from the tip of his wand reveling an old piece of parchment in James' hand.

"This is," James began," The Marauders Map."

"Umm, there's nothing on it," Al said matter of factly. His brother was so blind sometimes.

James laughed again and said," Dad gave it to me as a gift if a promised not to tell you anything about his…er…well you'll find out. He wanted to tell you in his own words."

"Tell me what," Al asked trying to sound innocent.

"Not yet," James replied and with a smirk said,"watch this."

He pointed his wand at the parchment and said gravely," I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

Al watched amazed as the map of Hogwarts emerged on the paper.

"Coo huh?" James asked still grinning.

"Aye," Al replied, his mouth slightly agape.

"Show me the Graybacks," James said and two pairs of foot prints appeared.

"Wow! How did.." Al began…

But James cut him off with," we are here," showing Al their set of footprints," so we need to cut across here and then go over there and make a left there then 5 rights and another left and we should be in McGoniagal's office," James concluded.

"Follow me," James commanded Al and they took off across the corridor, went through a couple of paintings, and they were suddenly at a dead end.

"Were are we?" Al asked out of breath.

James grinned and removed a stone from the wall. Al and James had a perfect view of McGonigal seated behind her desk and The Graybacks seated in chairs.

"Can they see us?" Al asked.

"No, we're behind a mirror. But they can hear us if we're too loud," James whispered quietly.

Al pressed his ear to the wall and heard McGonigal speak in a over stressed calm voice, "I wasn't sure it was possible, but when your name appeared on the list for the sorting hat over the summer I sent the two of you a letter of acceptance but I never dreamed you would decide to come."

"Father didn't want us to come," Iontach said quietly with a forced laugh," We were only able to get away unnoticed a couple days ago. Sorry we arrived late. But I promise my father will let us stay. He doesn't have time worry only about us."

"What do you mean," McGonigal said narrowing her eyes.

"Well Liath and I have 32 step-brothers and sisters, we're the only ones who are a wizard and witch, that doesn't make us well liked in the first place." Iontach said, choosing his words carefully.

"Think about that Al! 32 brothers and sisters!" James whispered under his breath.

"Right, of course. But, why are you two the only witches and wizard of the family?" McGonigal asked.

"I think are mum was a witch, father erm.. 'attacked' mum when he discovered that we couldn't switch into werewolf form by will. We only change into werewolf's when there's a full moon." Iontach said.

"Oh," McGonigal said, her face paling, "so you aren't here to spy on us."

"No," Iontach said," Liath and I refuse to be part of fathers up coming war."

"May I ask why all the uprisings are even happening?" McGonigal asked.

Iontach shook his head sadly and said, "The Dark Lord may have died but his ideas for the future didn't."

"I see," McGonigal said with a sigh. "Well, would you like to be sorted here or at the Great Hall?"

Iontach smiled and said," I would prefer it was here."

"Very well." McGonigal said and walked to a cabinet were the sorting hat was kept along with other such magical items.

McGonigal brought the sorting hat to her desk and said, " Iontach Grayback," and placed the sorting hat on top of him.

After about 2 and a half minuets the sorting hat said," Slytherin."

McGonigal took the hat off Iontach and said," Liath Grayback."

Liath looked up at the McGonigal and for the first time Al saw her face. She had strikingly pale skin and dark hazel eyes. Her overall appearance was haunting and Al shivered slightly. Liath let McGoniagl put the sorting hat on her head.

"I think the hat is talking to her," Al whispered to James.

"Slytherin," the hat solemnly said after 6 dreadfully quiet minuets.

"Congratulations," McGonigal said dryly, "follow me to your table in the great hall and I'll tell the head boy to help you out tomorrow. Do you have any supplies?"

"Sorry, no," Iontach said quietly.

"Oh in that case I'll get your supplies. Do you have wands?"

"Sorry, no again," Iontach said again.

"I have a few spare you can use until we get you proper wands," McGonigal said searching around her desk and pulled out to wands.

"Thank you," Iontach said and Liath bowed her head in a grateful manner.

Once they left McGonigal's office James whispered, "Time for bed. I'm tired aren't you?"

"I suppose," Al said and they took of down the secret passages.

"Hey," AL said," How come your friends aren't with you?"

James laughed and said, "Well, as much as they would love to come, Tim was talking to a girl he has a huge crush on for the first time and it just so happens Sydney's favorite food is steak and potato pasties, tonight's dinner."

"Well here we are," James said as they arrived at the portrait of the fat lady.

"Password," she said lazily.

"The red lion O'Lacock," James replied and the portrait swung open.

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Hey! Sorry I haven't up dated for a while. Exams are over and school is out for summer ( Yahoo!) I hope you liked this chapter. I love review! : )