The next morning, Snape called Harry into his office. "The time has come for direct action," he told Harry, who was still half asleep. He and Blaise spent most of the night before explaining what happened to Draco and Pansy, who were miffed that they had been left in the common room during all the excitement. Well, Draco was miffed, anyway.

Harry managed to rouse himself at this declaration, and eyed Snape inquisitively. "Sir?"

"Dumbledore has made plans for the apprehension and capture of both Black and Pettigrew," Snape elaborated. "These plans consist mainly of wards around the castle and grounds."

Harry nodded, wondering why he was being told all this. Snape wasn't usually this forthcoming without a reason. Sure enough, Snape's next words gave Harry a clue.

"That is not enough," he said. "Your snake has a scent memory of both Black and Pettigrew. Mine has the ability to fell both of them without damaging their ability to stand trial."

Harry eyed the cobra resting on the desk next to him.

"Cobras are venomous, sir," he said slowly. This particular cobra had spent an entire Parseltongue session telling Harry exactly how he would die should she choose to bite him. Snape had forced him to translate the whole thing, and in Harry's opinion, enjoyed the entire situation more than was strictly necessary. "I'm pretty sure death will prevent them from standing trial."

"That is where you come in," Snape said. "I have not learned enough of the language to accurately express my thoughts in this situation."

He didn't sound at all pleased, though it certainly wasn't Harry's fault that Snape hadn't picked up Parseltongue as quickly as Anthony. Then a thought struck him.

"Sir? What do you want me to tell her? She can't just, er, 'turn off' her venom."

The look Snape gave him told Harry very clearly that he should close his mouth and stop making a fool of himself. "I have brewed a potion that will temporarily alter the snake's poison so that the only effect will be a targeted paralysis."

"Alright," Harry said. "You want me to ask her to help, and to take the potion?"

Snape gave him a sharp nod, and Harry asked. Unsurprisingly, the cobra did not immediately jump at the chance.

"I like killing things," she said. "Why would I let you handicap me?"

"It would be temporary," Harry tried to explain. Snape seemed to have caught a fair amount of what was being said, or at least enough to help.

"Potion make venom better," he tried. Harry looked at him, confused. It very clearly did not make the venom better. That was the issue. The cobra seemed similarly affronted. Snape grimaced.

"Stronger," he snapped in English. Harry nodded with comprehension and repeated the word in Parseltongue.

"Potion make venom stronger," Snape hissed, and this time the cobra looked to Harry for confirmation. Harry hoped he was right in what he thought Snape meant.

"It will make the venom much stronger, and the only difference is that it won't kill your victims," he said. Snape was nodding, so Harry assumed that either he'd been right or Snape had misunderstood the Parseltongue. Either way worked for him.

The cobra considered this. "I could always kill them another way, if they are at my mercy." She seemed to enjoy the idea. "I could kill them more slowly, so that they can watch themselves die."

Snape noticed Harry's disturbed expression and asked for a direct translation. When Harry finished, Snape was smirking and running his fingers along the cobra's scales fondly. Harry tried to ignore the unholy glee emanating from both snake and Snape, and changed the subject.

"You would be aiming to bite two specific humans," he said, and began to explain the situation.

The next next morning, Lupin called Harry into his office. The snakes were already on the hunt, and Harry felt hopeful.

"Harry, I've been thinking, and I feel that you did the right thing," he said. Harry blinked at him, confused. "With the newspaper article," Lupin supplied helpfully.

"Oh." Harry nodded his comprehension. He was glad Lupin had finally forgiven him for that. He'd missed talking to his professor. "Good. Thank you, sir."

Lupin went on. "It was a horrendously stupid thing to do at the time, but it will serve us well now if Sirius turns out to be innocent."

Harry frowned. That added a bit of a sting.

"Dumbledore is taking measures to capture Pettigrew and Sirius," Lupin told Harry, who nodded along, already familiar with the situation. "If they step foot on the grounds, they will be unable to leave."

Harry nodded some more, intrigued. He wondered what kind of wards could manage that. Something to do with animagi?

"That's where you come in," Lupin said, and a wave of deja-vu swept over Harry. "I think I am correct in saying that you have a friendship of sorts with Filch?"

Harry nodded, wondering where Lupin might be going with this. He hoped it wasn't where he thought.

"We need to get the Marauder's Map back," Lupin said, and Harry cursed inside his head. He'd been worried this would be about the Map. "I think you can do it. Professor or no, Filch would never give it back to me."

It sounded like he might have already tried. Harry amused himself with the thought of his professor skulking around Filch's office while Lupin began outlining various strategies that would place Harry inside the office and Filch outside it for an extended period of time. Harry shifted uncomfortably. He should probably say something.

Or he could just keep the Map, and keep an eye on it himself. That's what Draco or Blaise would do. Pansy would have left the office already, having explained that she'd tried and it wasn't there.

But the expression on Lupin's face was so alive. Harry hadn't ever seen his professor this animated. It could have been because of the possibility of his old friend's innocence, or because he was plotting something similar to a Marauder prank, but he seemed happy.

Draco was probably going to push him off his broom for this. Pansy would ensure they were flying at a high altitude when he did it.

"Sir? Er, sir?"

Lupin stopped and looked up at Harry expectantly. Harry opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again and said, "I have the Map already."

Lupin stared at him, then smiled widely. "That's fantastic, Harry! Where is it?" He looked at Harry's pockets as though he might have it with him. Harry did, in fact, have it with him, but he wasn't quite ready to give it up. He needed a bit longer. He wasn't sure if he was going to get it back.

"It's in my dormitory," he lied. Lupin beamed at him.

"Perfect," Lupin said. "Meet me in my office after lunch, and bring it with you."

Harry nodded, and Lupin dismissed him. Harry paused when he was far enough away from Lupin's office and kicked himself in the shin.

"Dammit," he muttered, and went to class.

It was Blaise that reacted the worst to the news. He slapped Harry in the back of the head. Hard.

"Ow!"

"You idiot!" Blaise said. "Now what do you plan to do? We all know you aren't going to let the adults handle this. You've essentially blinded yourself!"

Harry rubbed at his head while Draco and Pansy nodded. He shrugged.

"I know, I'm an idiot. I still have it with me, though. He doesn't want it until after lunch."

"Tell him you lost it," Pansy said immediately. "Tell him Draco stole it."

Draco objected. "Hey! Why can't Blaise have stolen it?"

"Because you're the more believable thief," Pansy informed him. Draco looked to Harry for backup, but Harry could only shrug. She made a good point.

"Why did Draco steal it though?" Blaise asked. Pansy looked thoughtful.

"Harry doesn't actually have to 'know'," she said. "You could just say he borrows it sometimes, even."

"But then he'd want it tomorrow," Draco said, then his eyes landed on Harry. "Wait. This isn't going to work."

Pansy looked at Draco, then at Harry. Her face fell. "Oh. You're right. What was I thinking?"

Harry looked between them, confused. "What? What is it?"

"Harry, you're a terrible liar," Pansy said in gentle tone. "Especially with something as elaborate as this."

Harry was offended. "I spent months lying to you all about my job with Filch!" he said indignantly. "Not one of you knew what was going on."

Draco snickered. "Yes, but it was clear as day that you were lying. We just didn't know what about. I mean, spells that require lemons? Really?"

"That's still a classic," Blaise said, chuckling. "I thought it would get old after a while, but it's been years and it's still hilarious."

"No, no, no. 'I'm completely unaware of my family fortune and so I'm working for the squib caretaker' was ten times better," Draco said, grinning madly at Harry, who was not nearly so amused.

Harry glared ineffectively as they sniggered. Pansy at least had her hand over her mouth in a failed attempt at hiding her laughter.

Harry huffed. "Fine," he said. "I won't lie. Since apparently I'm such a failure at it, I'll just give him the Map."

This did not have the intended effect of sobering them up. "No, no, wait, Harry," Blaise managed to say, still laughing. "You could tell him...tell him that you and Anthony lost it while attempting a mashed potato ritual at lunch."

Harry stormed off in what he hoped was a very impressive huff. He had a feeling they were still laughing at him, though, so maybe not.

After he very reluctantly gave the Map to Lupin and finished his classes for the day, Harry decided to get back at his friends by associating only with Gryffindors until curfew.

"Hey Neville, hey Ron," he said, joining them on the grass by the Quidditch pitch. He was met with twin glares.

"What?" he asked, eyes wide. He looked up at the sky and saw red-clad flyers. "Oh wait, the team is practicing, right?"

They nodded, still suspicious. Harry thought he would wait a while before cleaning the seventh floor again. "We already played your team for the year. I'm not going to learn anything for the game against Hufflepuff by sitting here, talking to you."

After a moment to think on this, Neville nodded and Ron shrugged.

"What's new?" Neville asked as Harry relaxed.

"Slytherins are gits," Harry said darkly. "Though I suppose that's not exactly new." Ron brightened and slapped him on the back.

"And don't you forget it," he grinned. Harry assumed Ron was joking. Either way, no Gryffindor insulted Slytherin and got away with it. It was practically a bylaw of the House. Harry felt obligated to respond.

"So how does it feel to know your pet rat of twelve years is a thirty something, fat, balding guy who used to be friends with my dad?" Harry asked. Ron grimaced.

"Do you really have to put it like that?" he asked plaintively. Harry shrugged.

"How else should I put it?" he asked.

"Well," Neville said, "Up in the Tower, we've all been restricted to saying that Scabbers is living in the giant rat-hole in the sky."

Harry started to say something, but Ron interrupted him with a stubborn set to his face.

"He's dead, and that's it."

"You carried him around in your pocket everywhere," Harry reminisced.

Ron shuddered. "Slytherin git."

Harry grinned. "He slept in your bed, didn't he?"

Ron seemed to be reaching his breaking point, so Harry let it drop with one last snicker, and they fell into a somewhat amiable silence.

"You know, that actually makes a lot of sense," he said suddenly. "He was always trying to get to Pettigrew. He wasn't after me at all."

"Huh," Neville said. A beetle buzzed past his nose and he swatted at it.

"I hope the snakes catch them soon," Harry said thoughtfully. Neville and Ron seemed mildly alarmed by this statement, but remained silent.

The snakes came back regularly to tell Harry and Snape that they'd found nothing. Snape suggested that they search the outskirts of Hogsmede more thoroughly.

Harry's duelling lessons were going well, to the point that Snape had decided to finally incorporate nonverbal spells.

"Focus is key," Snape told him after a particularly frustrating lesson. "The purpose of saying a spell aloud is to narrow your focus. Nonverbal casting has nothing to do with your skill level and everything to do with your ability to concentrate."

This did not reassure Harry, who had been continually distracted lately. Black and Pettigrew were only the beginning of the list. Quidditch was taking up more of his time than was healthy, and despite requiring upward of twenty hours a week on a broom, Flint still managed to find time to yell at Harry for the detentions he accumulated because he hadn't finished his homework. Draco, whom Harry hated for managing to turn in most of his homework on time without Hermione's help, said that Flint was breaking under the pressure of his final Quidditch match.

"He's not likely to have to repeat again," Draco explained. "He doesn't want to leave Hogwarts having lost his final match. The scouts are watching."

April arrived, and it turned out that Hufflepuff had also been practising hard. While Slytherin still won, it was close, and Harry was relieved enough that he let all the death threats Flint had made before the game slide. Draco spent the next few weeks spitting mad at Warrington, though, who hadn't noticed a bludger that nearly took Draco's head off.

One night at dinner, Harry thought he heard a faint hissing sound. He looked around and spotted Anthony rising from his seat at the Ravenclaw table. Harry stood and jogged over to Anthony as he bent down and retrieved Harry's snake from the floor. He could tell she was agitated by the way she twisted and coiled in Anthony's palm. Her hissing was audible all the way up to the staff table, and Snape had looked up as well, watching them with narrow eyes.

"I don't have the faintest idea what she's saying," Anthony said when Harry arrived. "She's talking way too fast."

Harry took her and hissed at her to calm down and start over.

"We cornered the creature," she hissed. "And largesnake is fighting it and I tried to help but his magic weakened her and she needs help and-"

"Calm down," Harry said. "Where are they?" She began winding herself around his wrist as he spoke.

"By the largest birch tree past the tall wall to the east of the water," she said, and it took Harry a second to figure out where she meant.

Harry made his way up to the Head table and said, "Pettigrew's just outside the wards, at the east entrance," he said. Dumbledore, Snape and Lupin stood as one.

"Stay here," Dumbledore commanded as Harry made a move to follow them. Harry stood by the head table as the three professors swept out of the Hall. Anthony stood next to him, waiting. Once they heard the doors in the Entrance Hall slam shut, they walked calmly out of the Great Hall, then ran for the dungeons.

"What's going on?" Draco asked, having followed when Harry left dinner. Blaise and Pansy were with him.

"We're going," Harry said calmly. "Pettigrew is outside the wards."

Pansy stepped directly into Harry's path. Her face was a mask of incredulity. "You're not serious."

"I'm bringing the Invisibility Cloak," Harry said. Her expression did not change, and when Harry tried to step around her, she only moved to block his path again.

"That's funny, Harry," she said. There was a warning in her words. "Really, very clever. Let's go back and eat dinner now."

"They're outside the wards," Harry said, staring her down. "We'll be inside. Perfectly safe."

Pansy's mouth tightened. "Draco agrees with me, don't you Draco? Harry's being irrational."

Draco's eyes widened. "Er." Harry stared him down. "Erm, I... Well." He backed slowly away from the proceedings as he fumbled for words. Harry gave him up as a lost cause.

Anthony spoke up. "I won't let him do anything stupid, Pansy."

Harry was offended, but Pansy spoke before he could say anything.

"Well there's a relief!" Sarcasm dripped from every word. "In that case, carry on, the insane fucking Ravenclaw will take care of things."

"Pansy!"

At this most unfortunate point, Hermione showed up.

"What's going on?" she asked. "Did they find Black or Pettigrew?"

She faltered at the heated glares Harry and Pansy were exchanging. Blaise stepped up next to her and took her arm.

"I suggest we stay out of this," he instructed, stepping backward with Hermione in tow. Harry spared them a glance and went back to being furious at Pansy.

"I'm going," he said coldly. "I'm going to be careful. But I need to see this happen."

"You just need to be involved," Pansy retorted. "There doesn't always need to be an adventure, Harry. Snape and Dumbledore and Lupin are all out there. They can handle it alone."

Harry gritted his teeth, and glanced at Hermione and Blaise again, who were watching with worry.

"Fine," he snapped. Pansy blinked. "Fine. Let's go have dinner."

It seemed that no one had expected that. Pansy recovered from her surprise and narrowed her eyes at him. "Fine," she said. "Let's."

"Hermione, I need to borrow your Time Turner."

Dinner was over, and Harry had managed to distract Pansy sufficiently to escape. He sought out Hermione, who had left at the same time, and made his proposal.

Hermione pursed her lips at him impatiently. "Give me one - no, two good reasons why I should abuse the trust of the faculty and the use of a highly controlled magical device for you."

Harry stared at her, thinking hard. Dinner had given him time to pause and let the adrenaline run its course, and now the absolute necessity that had driven him earlier was ebbing. He had reasons. He was just beginning to doubt they'd be good enough for Hermione's tastes.

"Oh good, you're still in the castle." And Blaise was here now, how wonderful. "Pansy said she'd castrate me if I let you get away. Draco wanted to come, but Pansy was worried he'd help you club me over the head and escape."

Harry spared him an irritated glare, though he was glad that Draco, at least, was still on his side, and turned back to Hermione, who was waiting patiently for an answer.

"Pettigrew is right outside the wards," Harry said finally. "He's the key to this whole thing. I've been caught up in this all year, and I just want to know."

Hermione watched him for a moment, and when he didn't say anything, she prompted him. "And reason number two?"

There was a look in Hermione's eyes that scared Harry a little bit. She usually only got that look before she spent an hour lecturing Ron and Dudley about taking proper care of library books. Madam Pince never scolded her for raising her voice in the library during those rants. Harry's hopes screamed and flailed as they died tiny, painful deaths.

"You're not going to let me, are you?" Harry asked, defeated. Hermione shook her head.

"Do I need to tell you why?"

"No," Harry sighed, looking down at the floor.

"It would be a dangerous, stupid, pointless thing to do," Hermione elaborated, just in case. Harry nodded.

"You're right, I guess." He didn't know what he'd been thinking. Hermione didn't even want to use the Time Turner for naps. He should have just gotten his Invisibility Cloak and hoped for the best. There was no hope for that now, though, what with Blaise standing by. Hermione nodded at them both and continued up the stairs.

Blaise had a curious expression on his face that Harry decided to ignore as they walked downstairs.

"Did she catch you on your way out or something?"

Harry shrugged. Blaise looked thoughtful.

"Interesting how you were nowhere near the front doors."

"Interesting how you don't know how to shut your mouth," Harry muttered. Blaise grinned at him.

"I know she's a Gryffindor, Harry," Blaise said, amused. "But that doesn't make her good at adventure."

Harry just shrugged again, frowning, despite being pleased that Blaise found his own conclusion. Harry might not be good at lying, but he was fine at helping others lie to themselves.