CHAPTER TWENTY

I don't own. Onwards.

I handed Mcgonagall the parchment as soon as I stopped feeling bad for Neville enough to move, and quickly retreated from the scene of angry lectures spewing from Mcgonagall's mouth, punctuating Neville like blows.

I don't think anybody slept that night. At least, Tom and I didn't.

Once in the day I got detention for being involved in a prank on Filch with the Twins, and we were all separated into different times of the detention. The entire detention period was used up helping Filch crawl through bathroom stalls and finding cracks and holes in the walls. I took a bath as soon as detention was over.

Sir Cadagon had been fired, and honestly, I was glad. The Fat Lady had nervously agreed to return to her job, but a few ugly trolls would guard her day and night. I had the displeasure of feeling the club on my shin when they felt that I was too close to the Fat Lady, and ever since I strayed far from their wooden clubs.

Ron had gotten so much attention that for a moment, Harry seemed like the plastic of a lightbulb; unseen but still, in some odd way, twisted around the light of fame.

"I swear, if Lavender coos at him one more time, I'm going to puke." I whispered as Lavender and Parvati giggled and batted their eyes flirtatiously at Ron.

Harry merely smiled and ducked around the corners. "I wish it was like this all the time," he said thoughtfully. "Ron being the famous one; no stares of death or creepy girls who like to chase down the 'heroic' boys."

I laughed, then instantly sobered as I noted Neville, who was sitting next to the Portrait Hole again, miserably.

Harry and I approached him. "Hi, Neville." I said. He raised his head, then did a double take.

"You need to get through? The password's Swishy Cuttlefish; strangest passwords ever." I shook my head.

Neville got to his feet, dodging a club aimed at his ankles. "You're that Snape girl everyone's talking about, huh?" he asked dubiously. "Why would you be helping me?"

I groaned. "Okay, my name's Celia, not Snape anything, okay? Besides, why would I leave you here?" I turned to the Fat Lady.

"Swishy Cuttlefish." The portrait swung open and Neville nodded, scrambling through the hole.

I waved and continued walking, Harry said, "Hagrid talked to Ron and I. Said we should talk to 'Mione again."

I eagerly zipped my bag shut. "Yes, Harry! You really should! Oh, and the next time you see her, tell her that the book Hippogriff Cases by Adam Antonio, has a good case on page four hundred eighty-two, okay? Also, Hogsmeade soon; you should go!" I swung my bag over my shoulder and stared at my schedule. "Agh; I'm two floors lower; got to run, bye!" With a turn, I ran off, huffing happily at the thought of the trio talking again.

On the day of Hogsmeade, Ron and I made a big show of saying goodbye to Harry. We shot each other grins and innocently waved at Harry.

"I'll tell you all about it!" I pretended to promise. Hermione passed us and frowned at Ron's too-excited face.

You're a good liar. Weasley, though, is terrible. Tom remarked as Ron broke into a grin, yelling a "See you when you get back!" at Harry, winking too obviously. I dragged him out of there before he blurted the entire secret out.

"Ron, you need to work on your lying skills. You were beaming and winking." I groaned and released his arm. Ron frowned. "Oh."

In Hogsmeade, we found Harry and we went up to the Shrieking Shack. There was a wickedly awesome broken-down house and I stared at it, awed.

"No one can get in…Fred and George tried it; the doors are sealed shut." Ron whispered to us. We gazed up at the house again, when a voice startled us.

"Suppose you'd love to live here, wouldn't you, Weasley? Dreaming about having your own bedroom? I heard your family all sleep in one room-is that true?" Draco smirked as Ron's ears went red.

I narrowed my eyes. "Shut up." Ron was shaking. Harry seized us by our cloaks and whispered, "Leave it to me!"

Draco grinned. "We were just discussing your friend Hagrid." He continued. "Do you think he'll cry when they cut-"

"Shut up, Draco, or you'll get it!" I took my wand out and held it out in front of me angrily.

SPLAT. Draco jolted forward, and I could see a huge glop of mucky mud in his hair. I grinned. Another splatter-

Draco yelped and clawed at his face, which was dripping with mysteriously appearing muck.

Something happened, and suddenly I could see Harry's face. I gasped.

"ARGGGGGGHHHH!" Draco screamed, tripping on a root, and ran down the hill, his two cronies following hurriedly.

I blinked. "Well, we're screwed."

"No-Harry, get back before Malfoy-" Ron said, and Harry whispered a goodbye.

I turned to Ron. "I should probably get back to. Draco's going to get killed." My eyes narrowed again as they stared at the spot Draco was in.

Ron nodded vigorously. "Punch him for me," he called as I went back down the hill. If Draco had told one teacher, it would be the teacher who believed him the most. That wasn't Dumbledore, that definitely wasn't Hagrid or Lupin, not Mcgonagall, but Dad. And I knew Dad; he was probably going to go after Harry.

Sprinting through the front doors, I ran to his office and opened the door, trying to look like I had just walked in casually instead of scrambled inside at breakneck speed.

Harry was sitting in a chair, and Dad was saying something to him. I edged away from them and sat on the sofa chair beside Harry. Harry shot me a quick look, terrified.

"Turn out your pockets, Potter, or we go to Dumbledore! Now!" Dad barked. I stiffened, and instantly Dad caught the movement.

He raised his eyebrows. "Is there something you'd like to tell me, too?"

I gulped down a lump in my throat. "Nope. Not at all. Nothing." Okay, so much for casuality.

Harry took out the map and the Zonko's bag.

"I gave the bag to Harry before I left. Ron and Hermione gave me two." I blurted out. Dad was unconvinced. He took the Marauder's Map.

"Spare bit of parchment," Harry shrugged. Tom smirked. Now, that is what I call lying. I wonder why he isn't a Slytherin.

Dad was examining every crinkle and corner of the parchment. "Indeed? Surely you don't need such a very old piece of parchment. Why don't I just throw this away?" His hand moved towards the fireplace, where a steady, hungry fire was burning.

"No!" Harry and I bolted to our feet. "Stop it!"

Oh my gods. I breathed a quiet sigh of relief when Dad pulled his hand back, smirking.

"Reveal your secret!" Dad tapped the wand. I took a deep breath. Harry and I exchanged grins.

"Show yourself!" Sharp tap. "Professor Severus Snape, master of this school, commands you to yield the information you conceal!" Sharp hit.

I smirked. "You do realize you're yelling at a piece of parchment?" Harry stared at me, covering his mouth, shooting me a stop-making-me-laugh look.

Dad froze and Harry stared at the parchment. I craned my neck and stared at the parchement. It read:

Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out over other people's business.

Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony, and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git.

Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a professor.

Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slimeball.

Tom instantly burst into snickers, which made it hard for me to suppress my laughs. Moony, Prongs, Padfoot, and Wormtail. I was liking them more and more.

Harry's face was crossed with laughs and horror.

"It's not Harry's." I butted in. "Ron and Hermione bought it last time. Zonko's newest product…" I trailed off at my dad's thunderous gaze.

"So…" In a quick, jerky movement, Dad grabbed a fistful of powder and threw it into the fire, calling, "Lupin! I want a word!" The fire roared upwards.

Lupin? Why Lupin? I was pretty sure this wasn't because he was a werewolf…I froze.

Werewolves turned under the moon. One of the marauders had been named Moony. Maybe Moony was a werewolf, too, and Lupin knew him. Yeah. That was probably it.

I was also pretty sure that my dad had gone crazy, since he had just thrown powder and spoken, quite harshly, to the fire. And he had addressed the fire as Lupin.

I gave him an odd look. "Uh…dad? Are you going crazy? That's a fire in a fireplace, and you're talking-woah!" Lupin had just stepped out of the fireplace.

My jaw fell open and I gasped. "That is so cool!" I reached out towards the fire, which was blazing less furiously. A hand grabbed my sleeve and pulled me back. It was Dad, glaring in exasperation.

"I suggest you withdraw your hand, unless you wish to burn yourself. Powder has not been inserted now." He raised his eyebrows, and I sheepishly removed my hand, rubbing the warm tips of my fingers where the fire had been closest to. Lupin smiled a little in amusement, then calmly turned to Dad, whose expression instantly consorted into a stormy glare.

Dad turned back to Lupin, coldly. He handed the map to Lupin, saying, "I just asked Potter to empty his pockets, and found this."

"Well?" Dad impatiently stared at Lupin, whose face was twisted in an odd expression.

"No-please, professor, that was just a Zonko's product!" I crossed my fingers. Lupin gave me that look again, like he was mildly amused. I was starting to get frustrated.

"You see, Severus? It looks like a Zonko product to me." Lupin smiled innocently at Dad. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Harry and I shared hopeful glances.

Ron burst into the office, panting and trying to talk. "I-gave Harry-the stuff. Bought-in…Zonko's…ages ag-ago!"

I nodded. "Yeah, I was there!" I chimed in.

Lupin clapped his hands cheerfully. "That seems to clear that up! Severus, I'll take this back, shall I? Harry, Celia, Ron, come, I need a word about my vampire essay-excuse us, Severus-" he walked out, with Ron, Harry, and I rushing after him like a bunch of lost chickens.

"Professor-" Harry tried as we walked to an empty entrance hall.

"I don't want to hear explanations. I happen to know that this map was confiscated by Mr. Filch years ago-I know it's a map. I'm astounded you didn't hand it in. I can't let you have it back, you three." Lupin said shortly, and sternly.

"What?!" I exclaimed. "But-that map-it's not dangerous or anything! And plus, not many people know how to work it! The Marauders-those people who made the map-you knew them, didn't you?"

Lupin gazed at me, then nodded. "We've…met." His tone offered no explanation, and i didn't ask. His demeanor changed and he stared at Harry with a stern expression. "Don't expect me to cover up for you again, Harry. I cannot make you take Sirius Black seriously. But I would have thought that what you have heard when the dementors draw near you would have had more of an effect on you. Your parents gave their lives to keep you alive, Harry. A poor way to repay them-gambling their sacrifice for a bag of magic tricks."

Then he nodded and turned, walking away. I looked at Harry, as did Ron. By the look of Harry's face, the guilt was probably sinking in hard.

"It's my fault-" Ron began, but I cut him off. "It's all of our faults. We should have known. Let's talk about something…happier." I said. I didn't add for Harry's sake, though I wanted to.

We reached the Fat Lady, and I saw Hermione. I waved. "Did you tell Hagrid about the book I searched up? I have another one-"

Ron frowned savagely. "Come to have a good gloat?" Harry stayed silent. I shot both of them a look. "Shut up, Ron."

Hermione sniffed, and for the first time I realized her eyes were bloodshot red. "N-no. I just thought you ought to know. Hagrid lost his case. Buckbeak is going to be executed."

"WHAT?!" I yelled. "No-they can't. They can't." Hermione blinked and shoved a wet, cried-on letter at me.

"No-they can't." I took the letter, staring at it.

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