A/N So I outlined the majority of the story today. Happiness!
Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling.
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Chapter 23: Marauder Base of Operations
If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.
~Sirius Black~
October's full moon was a blood moon and fell on a Friday. It was a different experience for Remus and Padfoot. Remus wasn't nearly as fun as an aware wolf. Sort of boring really, but Sirius somehow coaxed him into a game of tag and tug-a-war with a dusty throw rug. Unfortunately, he got a dust bunny stuck in his nose and had a sneezing fit. Once again they napped together and Sirius snuck out before dawn and managed to beat his teammates to the pitch for Dawn Patrol.
Remus only missed his morning classes and met them in their care of magical creatures class that afternoon. There was a happy spring to Remus' steps and he grinned at Sirius, James, and Severus "Beautiful day isn't it?" It was actually a horrible day again, freezing.
James gaped at Remus who had slipped his hoody and sweatpants under his robes. "Warming charms. Remember?"
James smacked his forehead. "This is why I miss you when you're gone Lupin. You keep me well informed! Where were you anyway?"
Remus sighed, "Family stuff."
Then the conversation became impossible as professor Grubbly-Plank began lecturing them on Nifflers. Lilly thought they were cute and smart. But James insisted they were the most dangerous dark creatures in the wizarding world, and said that Goblins would agree with him.
Lilly was sure it was because the Niffler had attacked his hand to get his heir's ring. Serious had to agree as it appeared to him that James had a broken finger. But watching James and the Niffler gave Serious an interesting idea for a prank.
The weekend found Sirius bored. He rarely allowed himself to sulk, but today he was morose. The weather was horrifying and the Dawn Patrol ran the corridors and stairs rather than the pitch. Sirius had to admit that running stairs was a challenge that left half the group collapsed in heaps along the way. That morning at breakfast the respite he had hoped for arrived in the form of a trio of owls that deposited a large package and letter. Sirius noted his grandfather's handwriting, the fancy paper, and the wax black seal on the envelope and tore into the letter. His eyes scanned the words and his eyes lit up with excitement.
Dear grandson,
I hope that this letter finds you well. Thank you for your last. It was helpful.
Sirius snickered, as Arcturus would be referring to his basic instructions before leaving the earth, list.
I am sending you an early Christmas present, and birthday... actually, this uses up your quota of presents for the rest of your life. It's not completely finished. Just don't waste too much time with it. I've enclosed the instructions.
I do hope to see you soon, as I have news to impart.
Lord Black, your impoverished grandfather.
Sirius looked at the enclosed manual and smirked at the title, LeVique's Enchanted Luggage Owners Manual.
He fed the owls some of the bacon and picked up the package. Remus was watching him with a fascinated look and James was reading the daily prophet's Sports Section. Sirius winked conspiratorially at Remus and said, "Grandfather sent me a new trunk." He explained. "I'm just going to go and put it away."
Remus nodded, "Pretty happy about a piece of luggage."
"Well. It's the first time I've ever received a gift when it wasn't my birthday or a special occasion. Besides, it's a family tradition. It means my grandfather doesn't give a hoot which house I sorted into. I'm still his heir." He explained.
But all of those half-truths seemed to fall flat for Remus. He nodded unconvinced. "If you say so Black."
"Fine. You want to know the truth?" He nodded, "It's got a special magical feature." He grinned, "And just because you're being a berk, I'm not going to tell you what it is." With that Sirius flounced like a wounded child out of the great hall and to Gryffindor Tower, muttering all the way about nosy teenagers.
He spent more time than he wanted reading through the manual, but it was interesting. The generic information about security and how to enlarge and shrink the trunk, how to safeguard it from prying eyes, how to keep it in good working condition, he just scanned through. Finally, satisfied he set the manual aside and opened the package. He tapped the magically shrunk trunk with his wand and it expanded to full size within seconds.
He smirked and then placed his thumb on the silver locking mechanism that was shaped like a snake eating its own tail. The wards recognized him and opened, no one without Black blood would be able to get through that blood ward. He understood that the consequences were not as severe as they could be because the trunk was in a school full of children. They would receive a nasty shock and stun though. He would have to warn his dorm mates. He could of course add them to the wards but that would have to wait.
When first opened, it appeared to be nothing more than a fancy school trunk. He moved all his belongings from his old trunk to the new one and then closed the lid and tapped a new sequence on the lid with his wand. When he placed his finger on the lock the second time and opened the lid a ladder was visible that led downwards.
Smiling he climbed inside the trunk and closed the lid behind him. Immediately a soft glowing ambient light filled the area, and Sirius climbed down the rungs drinking in the sight before him.
He was greeted by a beautiful spacious open concept kitchen and living area. A ladder led up to a sleeping loft. The kitchen boasted golden marble counters and an island, a wizarding gourmet kitchen, and a potions lab combined, a dining table big enough to seat 14 people, six to a side and one to each end. Long benches provided the seating and two majestic chairs were situated on each end.
Sirius went through all the cupboards and storage areas and a fully stocked pantry complete with stasis charms. The counter had enough room to brew about three potions at a time. The air fairly crackled with the magic that fueled this place. Environmental charms kept the space at a constant temperature and could be adjusted was just one of the bonus features Arcturus had added. The ministry couldn't track under age magic here. It was completely secure from the outside. Only Arcturus would know how to get in.
He was quite impressed by the entertainment and security features. Mirrors near each ladder provided views outside the trunk. Handy, he thought, That way you would know if it was safe to come out. He heartily approved of it.
Several closed doors beckoned and he went to investigate further.
The first door brought him to a library, although to be fair it reminded him more of a war room. The shelves were mostly unstocked. It was a massive old-fashioned affair, that reminded him strongly of his grandfather's study. He ran his hand along the polished mahogany desktop, sat in the wingbacked chair behind it, and felt like an interloper. The partially stocked shelves were indexed by category and title.
The room included a map that covered the entire wall where one would expect a window to be. He inspected it further and when he reached out to touch it the map zoomed in. He got excited and played with that feature for longer than he intended to but he found that he could not zoom in on Hogwarts, but Hogsmead was okay. The magical map had a marking system and scrying stone that allowed a fuzzy yet live shot of an un-warded area.
There was a circular table here as well, it held a pensieve in the center. His own PENSIEVE!?" Sirius swooned a bit. The table had 12 chairs around it. It reminded him a little of the Knights of the Round table. He noticed runes etched along the edge and carved in the table before each place setting a single rune. He read the runes as Honesty, loyalty, Nobility, Virtue, Grace, Truth, Courage, Courtesy, Gallantry, Authority, Service, and Humility. In no particular order as it was a round table. This was Merlins Code. The code that the knights of the round table adopted for the Chivalry Code. He whistled. As hard as it was he left to investigate the rest of the Marauder's Secret Base of Operations.
The next room was a massive space lined with mirrors and soft springy flooring. Cushioning charms he realized. This was the dueling room he had mentioned wanting. He saw that the mirrors had been charmed with impervious and strengthening charms. Even an angry werewolf wouldn't be able to harm them. One could also charm the mirrors to turn opaque or to reflect various scenes like a forest scene or an empty field. It was an alternative to the shrieking shack for Remus Sirius realized.
There was a bathroom that included a full-sized magical tub and shower as well as another unfinished room that could serve as a guest bedroom. The loft was the only finished bedroom and included a king-size bed and walk-in (as big as a two-car garage) - closet/storage area. Sirius was ecstatic.
Having fully explored the accommodations, he checked the mirror for the other trunk entrance and saw that Arcturus was sitting at his desk going over some correspondence.
Sirius climbed silently out of the trunk and moved like a ghost towards the elder Black and when he was standing practically at his elbow he said, "Knock knock."
Arcturus yelped and his quill went skittering across the desk. Arcturus glared a death threat at his grandson and said, "You know the concept of knocking was devised to ask permission to enter said person's home, not announce yourself after the fact. Too many people likely died of heart attacks from people sneaking upon them." the cranky elder growled.
Sirius grinned and gave his grandfather a hard squeeze. "Thank you for the trunk grandfather. I know how much they cost and I swear I'll put them to good use."
Arcturus sighed and then sat back rubbing at his eyes, "You are welcome. And well... I was able to strike a good deal with Vic. I'm enchanting some luggage in exchange for a healthy discount. And I was able to make most of the modifications myself so that saved a few galleons." Sirius grinned knowing full well that his grandfather was a grand negotiator and would always come out ahead. "So do you like it?"
Sirius grinned, "It's amazing. Bigger than I expected."
Arcturus nodded, "It hasn't reached near capacity yet. But I figured we can add rooms as we need them. The time bubble isn't on it yet. It will likely be a few more months. Just didn't see any reason not to let you have it before then."
Arcturus then showed Sirius the invitation to the upcoming ball, and it was agreed that he would plan to attend. Once that announcement was discussed, he brought up the meeting.
"Pollux and Cygnus were here Friday." He told him. "It went poorly, but nothing more than I expected." He sighed, "Bella's magical restriction has been suspended. She's on probation so is expected to behave." He said, "I'll show you the memory next time we meet." He assured his grandson, then glanced at the clock. "You should get back to Hogwarts, your friends will be missing you."
Sirius agreed and then said, "I'll be back soon." he promised.
Arcturus nodded, "Good, I wanted to discuss something of importance with you as well."
Sirius went back through the passageway and checked carefully before making his way back into the dorm. He closed the lid and shrunk his old trunk and tossed it down the stairs and closed the lid. The rest of the morning he spent learning the intricacies of his trunk and all the ways it would help him defeat Voldypants and his butt munch eaters.
He couldn't wait to share this with his dorm mates. But he knew it was a little early. It wasn't that he didn't trust them with this, but they were all still so immature and they needed to forge stronger ties. He realized he was facing the same dilemma Dumbledore faced with Harry. Sooner rather than later he would tell them. Of course, Remus would make it sooner he was sure. His hints had stirred the werewolf's curiosity and watching the boy when he entered give Sirius and his new trunk the evil eye was just confirmation.