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Sirius


The snow outside is completely gone now - it's the end of March and the kids have two more months until they have to go and sit their OWLS. Oooh, I'm so glad it's them, not me. I really hope we have drilled them well enough. I would be most pleased if several of them would excel in their achievements. Hermione will, that's no question. Padma will, too, she's close behind Hermione. Then there's Ron, he's continually improved. Ginny. She always makes me smile, that young lady! What a talented girl. She's going to be good, too. In Potions she's almost as good as Hermione. She's great in Charms, too. Then there's Harry, but he'll not be the best in certain subjects, he's still in trouble at Transfigurations. Unlike James this definitely isn't his subject. I don't know where he got stuck with it, but he takes longer for that than most of the others.

"Dinner is ready, Siri!" Harry calls at that moment.

"I'm coming, Harry, thank you..."

I get up and go to the kitchen, where most of the others are already sitting down. Once we're all together, Dobby sends the food over. We have taught him and Winky to cook pasta and now we get them fairly often. And, oh, I have to say that they got the hang of it! Today it's tortellini alla panna. And they're yummy! With just the touch of garlic in the cream and some freshly ground black pepper and some nutmeg. I finish off a plate and a second one. Remus still smiles when I eat a lot, which isn't all the time anymore.

In fact I think I've brought my body back together nicely. I have gained a bit of weight in just the right places, have built up some muscles again and when I look into the mirror, it doesn't throw comments like:

"You look like a living corpse!"

at me anymore. I couldn't believe that Remus had enchanted our mirror to speak! In the meantime I'm used to it again. Better than my mother's derisive comments during my childhood any time.

When I sit back to enjoy my usual espresso after the dinner Remus looks over at me and says:

"Feeling good, are you?"

I lean in and kiss him on the cheek. He doesn't need more of an answer than that. We've grown closer in the past six months than ever before. We're working together very smoothly and we live together like we would have done if the shit hadn't hit the fan, as the Muggles say. It's cute how the kids always tease us. They mostly do it the way Prongs used to do it, lovingly and with big grins. We don't mind. We tease them right back. It's lovely to see that we have a few couples among the group. The most obvious are Harry and Hermione. I'm amazed at those two. Within the stretch of six months they have grown up so much. Prongs would have been proud of his son to propose at that age. They're ridiculously young, and I'm not really sure yet, whether they will manage to keep that engagement up, but normally those Potters fall once and when they fall, they fall hard. Very hard. The two or three short affairs James had before Lily were ridiculously short and unimportant. He was as shy around girls as he was arrogant around boys he didn't particularly like. Yes, shy! Until he made that first move, from then on he would be one hell of a flirt. And once he had Lily - he was so sure it was the thing to last the rest of his life. How could anyone expect it to last but barely five years.

Harry is different. He doesn't seem to be shy around girls. He's interacting very openly with all of the ones who are here. I think he looks at them as sisters. And since they've become chosen family he would go to any lengths to protect any of them. Most of all the one he loves not as a sister. He does look at Hermione as his future wife. Sometimes I notice he's looking at her in class, not dreamy, not like a possession, no, he is totally in awe. I guess he feels like I felt when I first got together with Moony. He's smashed that she even looks at him and totally smashed that she deems him worthy of her love. And Hermione is that wonderful girl with the not perfect looks but the perfect huge heart and brain who will do anything in her considerable power to keep him safe. He will be able to rely on her like Prongs knew he could rely on Lily. I do hope they will be blessed with that house full of children his parents had planned to have!

I'm fairly convinced that Harry was never meant to be an only child. Lily was a strong woman who did follow her career as well, but she loved children as much as Prongs did. She was a doting Mum for Harry, but I suppose she would have become more and more practical with more children. She was also wonderfully sweet and strict at the same time. Boy, did she get mad if we did something with Harry that would scare her. The fire from her head would go right into that head of hers and she'd shout at us, usually James and I, while Moony always got the smiles. Yes, our Moony quietly won Harry's heart by being the one everyone looked to when baby Harry needed to be soothed. Even back then Remus had a hand with children.

Besides Harry and Hermione there are Ginny and Ernie. Those two are pure fun. They fit together so well, and they are so easy with each other. Ginny is quickly growing into a very powerful little lady. That's her only resemblance with her mother, though. While Molly is powerful, she's also sometimes a bit, how to put this... aggressive? She does mean to protect her loved ones of course, but she oversees when she goes too far. And she's a bit very convinced she's the only one who knows the right way to do something. Ginny is different. She has the power from her mother and some of her temper. But her looks and her character come straight from her father. Of course, Arthur is THE underrated employee at the Ministry! He blends in, he's kind, understanding, often indulging, he has a very fine sense of humour and he's much, much more knowledgeable than most people would think. Ginny has all that as well. She's a well rounded young woman with much promise for a bright future. Provided she gets that future that is.

Ernie - I notice that I don't know anything about his family. The McMillans have been Hufflepuffs for at least a century, he told me. He has an older brother who has already finished Hogwarts and a younger sister, who is in a safe house with the other fourth years who need that protection. He loves Quidditch like your next witch or wizard and if he gets to Diagon Alley it's to be expected he presses his nose flat on the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies to swoon over the newest broom model.

Yes, if there's one thing we do miss here it's Quidditch. We can go out and ride a broom, the kids can play a bit if they don't go too high and use concealment charms all the time, but it's not the same. Some of the students like Harry, Draco, Ernie and Padma have been on their house's Quidditch team and they do miss it greatly.

The third blossoming couple seems to be Draco and Parvati. Now there's beauty and beauty coming together. I think I've figured Draco out by now. He's had the same kind of youth as I had, minus the scathing comments. He was sorted into Slytherin as expected and he probably wanted to be there. Up until Lucius made him realise that he would not hesitate to kill his son if he didn't accept to become a Death Eater, Draco has had nothing but admiration for his father. He was being pampered, the heir, the one who would take over after Lucius... only that might become difficult now. Draco has seen the light before he made the mistakes Severus made. Luckily he's brighter than his marks until now make believe. And luckily Lucius made such a stupid error. Of course, the icy bastard would be idiot enough to do something like this. Well, he's mucked it up. I can't help but wonder if he will go to the lengths to impregnate Narcissa again to have another try... who knows, my cousin might even be willing.

Anyway, Draco is a beautiful boy. He's still quite small for his age. But he's still taller than Parvati. That girl is the typical Indian type. The colour of her skin reminds me of the dark honey from forests. She has a narrow face, those endlessly long black braids she always wears, her eyes are darkest brown, sweet full lips. A truly lovely girl. She's quite tough if there's need. She can stand up for those she likes. And if she's annoyed she's no easy opponent. She has a tendency to gossip, but I haven't caught her telling lies. She's just not the one I'd ask to keep a really important secret. But if I'd want to start a really important rumour I'd tell it to Parvati!

Parvati is happy to have her sister here. She misses her best friend Lavender badly. She's allowed to correspond with her friend, but she knows what is at stake if she tells Lavender where she is right now. According to Harry, Hermione and Ron Lavender is Parvati's best gossip partner.

Padma looks like a carbon copy of her identical twin. I can only tell them apart when I can get their scent and when they talk. She and Blaise make an interesting couple, too, as both are so dark. Blaise has this Italian type, almost olive skin, dark brown eyes, darkest brown hair which he wears short.

And finally there's Ron and Justin who dance around each other very much like Remus and I have done at their age. Ron has come out of the closet and has told Harry he's interested in boys rather than girls. Justin seems more like someone who will never really decide or he'll just decide on a person, not a gender. Which is as well actually. Leaves a few more options, too. He'll just fall in love some day and will allow the person to be a man or a woman. And if he doesn't hit it right the first time it might just be a man first, then a woman and after that a man again, who knows?

Well, that was how I was until I worked out that the love I felt for Remus really was the kind of love one feels for the chosen life partner and not just the best friend. Reflecting about the budding romance among our students always leads me back to those happy days of our first love.

Did I say happy? We started off anything else but happy. Well, we were happy until the day I sent Snape to the Whomping Willow. That was about the same time I started to realise that the feelings I had for Remus were love. I was very confused. Then there was the pressure from home to perform well at school, my mother who disliked me so much she could never speak one normal word to me while she practically drooled over my younger brother Regulus. Who, as I wish to add, never even matched my grades in one single subject. In fact he managed to be behind me by at least 20%, sometimes more. It irked him immensely, but he should have studied a bit more and he might have been there. And it irked both my parents, that I was the good student, in spite of all the trouble I got into. Trouble like sending Snape to the Willow. I'd take this back even today if I only could. It thrashed all my hope I had to get even closer to Remus for a long time. In reality it was barely two months, but for a 15 year old those two months can be a very long time. I spent them practically alone, completing my Animagus transformation on my own. We were so close that I wouldn't stop, just because James and Peter were cutting me out. In the end I was the one who transformed for the first time a full month before James did. Padfoot saved me for the first time right then. When the tension in the dormitory got too thick I'd leave and trot out of the castle as the big black dog. I kept this all to myself, cried when I was the dog, so no one would see my tears and bottled up my loneliness by running through the forests surrounding Hogwarts. It's amazing what you can meet in a forest when you're an animal yourself.

One day about a week before Christmas in our fifth year Remus decided to follow me to see where I was hiding and I didn't notice him. He keeps his sense of smell in his human form, I only have it when I'm a dog. So he saw me transform. He didn't show himself, but he told me later that he followed me until he saw me transform. The weekend before the Christmas break started he confronted me. Wanted to know if there wasn't something I wanted to tell him. I acted dumb, but he started to really nag until he got it out of me. At first I just felt trapped. After months of ignoring me he wouldn't let go of something he wanted to know. So I told him. He almost fainted. I turned around and wanted to get away as fast as I could, to get out and break free for a few hours. I got close to the portrait hole when he softly called me back. The common room was packed with people, and they all noticed something was going on. The close-knit quartet that we were had practically been non-existent for two months, so they were all curious what would happen now.

"Sirius, don't go, please!" Remus said it so softly and yet, I heard it easily through all the noise in the room.

I turned around and he was right behind me.

"Is it any wonder I'm surprised, a little shocked and not able to reply immediately after what you just told me? - Please, Sirius, don't go - or take me with you..." he said quietly.

I couldn't speak, so I nodded for the portrait hole and we left the room. It was icy cold in the halls and even colder outside, but I didn't feel it. Once we were out of the view of the castle I transformed. Just stood there and he fell to his knees and hugged me. I believe it was the dog that turned Remus around. The dog was the first link between us and one of the strongest we have. He hugged me and cuddled and almost cried. Nothing had ever felt as good as Remus clawing my fur with his hands and pressing his face into my neck.

All of a sudden he looked up and said:

"You're a right Padfoot, you know!"

He only got a bark as a reply. We mended our friendship and got to be closer. I still kept it to myself that I loved him, only a year later I was finally coming to terms with my own feelings. Remus gave me little signs, too, but almost always when he was in his wolf form. I never saw him as a raging beast. Padfoot's view of the wolf was always the one of a very cunning, playful and loyal animal.

It started to dawn on me when I noticed that Moony would occasionally put the stag and almost always the rat in their place but it would never happen to the dog. The wolf regarded the dog as an equal.

But before I could get to speak it out and talk to him, there were OWLS and school was out for summer. I had to go back to that dratted home that had never been one. I barely spent a week there before it became unbearable. Father had the great idea to try and force me into becoming a Death Eater. He didn't shy away from using Imperius and Cruciatus to achieve that, but I managed to get out of the house and flee to James' place, where his parents took me in. I know I would have had to hold out under that roof if not for that inheritance, but I had enough to supply myself for the two remaining years at Hogwarts and a while beyond. The move out of my family marked the change in my life. All the misery seemed to have vanished by the time I got back to Hogwarts. Remus was incredibly sweet when he met us and so happy to see us. He had to spend two full moons without us and he said that the difference couldn't have been any worse, because the wolf missed his pack and the wolf did not like missing his pack, so he took it out on Remus. The last full moon had been only a week before term started, and how badly Moony had treated Remus was still visible. If one knew where to look.

The gleam in Remus' eyes when we hugged at the station and the tightness of that hug was the last hint I needed. I was still not sure how Remus felt, but over the vacation I had engaged James' help. I asked him to speak with Remus, find out about Remus' feelings, and if he gave the slightest signal he could share mine I'd talk to him. James promised and just a week after school resumed he met me somewhere outside of Gryffindor tower and told me:

"Remus likes you, Siri. I got to talk to him and I told him I noticed he never looked after girls and whether this was because he was a werewolf, then he told me, that was not so much the reason but that he preferred boys. Then we casually talked about possibilities and his eyes glowed when your name was dropped. So you'd better talk to him, I think he's ready!"

James! In all of the git's arrogance and his self assuredness he had a big heart. And he really, really cared for me.

I took the first chance I got, one Saturday morning in the prefect's bathroom, when only Remus and I were in there. For the fact that it was the prefect's bathroom, there were quite a number of non-prefects there at most times. About half the prefects told their friends.

For a year we had eyed each other, there were numerous occasions when we touched and sought those touches even, when we would make sure the other didn't see that we watched each other. It took every bit of my Gryffindor bravery to ask him, but I did. And the answer was more than worth it. For a year I had known that I loved him and had told off about half a dozen girls and at least two other boys who were interested in going out with me. So finally, on that cold early October morning in that wonderfully romantic setting I took my chance and, having just dried off and dressed, I kept Remus from leaving the bathroom. I told him I loved him. I was mentally ready to bolt from the room, but he just looked up at me and finally smiled.

"I thought as much, Siri. I'm glad you come out with it. I - Moony has known for a while longer, but I have known for a year that I love you. That's why it hurt so much when you told Snape... it hurt twice, because I had to live with Moony raging inside that the mate he chose didn't want to become our mate."

"I loved you then already... I thought I'd never even be your friend again, Remus, I thought I'd break apart after that. But I couldn't stop thinking of you, and I know very little as much as I know now that I'll always love you."

That was our start. We hugged and kissed and that very first kiss is still so well embedded in my memory that not even all the Dementor's efforts could get it out of me, because I would never, never think of this at Azkaban. I only allowed myself to think of Remus - the Remus I loved and who loved me back - when I was safely transformed into Padfoot.

Nothing has changed. Remus' kisses are still the miracle for me as that very first kiss was. It wasn't only his first kiss, it was mine, too. I had been pursued by so many of my school mates, but I hadn't been tempted by one. Before my 15th birthday I was utterly uninterested in anything sexual and after I hit my puberty it was Remus. Only Remus. I've been rewarded with the love of one of the most extraordinary persons I've had the luck to meet in my life and I would gladly spend another twelve years locked away if at the end I'd still be graced with Remus' love.

I decide to watch over Ron and Justin, offer them all the advice I can give them. Right now I feel the early spring sun and want to go and run. I look behind and see Remus come out of the house looking for me. I transform, run to him and tug on his sleeve. He grins, follows me outside of the garden and then walks with me along the edge of the forest. I circle around him, yip, and when I find a nice little stick I pick it up and push it in his belly.

"Padfoot, don't be childish, please!"

I whine a bit and drop the stick, then look up at him and back down. He bends over and actually picks it up.

"Oh, have your way then, Padfoot."



Remus


Oh, sweetheart! You really want that? Gosh, but you're the dog sometimes. I throw the stick as far as I can and he dashes after it. He's amazingly elegant and very fast as a dog. He picks it up and brings it back. We keep playing, while I keep walking away from the house and along the pasture. We leave the edge of the forest behind and still have the house in our view, but are a bit above it now. Sirius is still running around excitedly, chases some scents in his nose and happily brings back the stick every time I throw it. We meet farmer Gruber who checks on the growth of the grass. It's not much yet, but it starts to get greener again. The snow is gone completely now. I talk to Gruber for a while and he admires Padfoot.

"I didn't know you had such a big dog, Mr. Lupin. Is he new?"

"He's not a steady guest, just there occasionally. His name's Snuffles."

"Is he as good-natured as he looks?"

"Oh yes, really just an overgrown puppy, believe me. Aren't you, Snuffles? - We love him to bits, as he's very playful."

I pat my dog and we part. I start to enjoy this walk and we take our time to return to our home. Nothing bad has happened while we've been away. We enjoy a peaceful evening and most of the students go to bed fairly early. The many study sessions Padma and Hermione insist they're having all together are taking their toll. I'll have to see that they won't do anything anymore in the last week before the exams, so that they will be rested enough.

Reading the local wizarding newspaper I find out that there is actually a museum of magic near Ascona, so I decide this is worth an outing. We plan the trip there for one of the next weekends and the three days we spend in the area are worth every Knut spent for them. We get to see the museum, which holds wizarding artefacts hundreds of years back and has an extended library, too. The book collection includes mostly information about artefacts and magic devices in several languages. I talk to the clerk and find out that it's a very specialised collection.

"We are actually collecting anything about any kind of magic device that we can get hold of," he says, "many visitors here from all over the world have been able to point us to other devices and books about those devices, that we can say we probably have the largest such collection in the world. You don't get to see most of the things the museum actually has. Of course we are especially careful with Dark Arts devices as you can imagine."

"That would be very recommendable. You know that Voldemort is back, don't you? You'd do well enough to get those things to safe places, because he'll be after anything he could find useful," I warn him.

"Voldemort? Yes, I've heard rumours..."

"Well, they're not just rumours. He was resurrected last June and he's thrown himself back into his pet goal - to become immortal."

"We'll have to really consider your warning, thank you very much. This museum is very well known and if the Death Eaters are about again then they will swarm in sooner or later."

"Exactly."

The walk through the museum is fascinating. I recognise many of the devices and artefacts, but there are even more I've never come across. The kids are in awe. Hermione's eyes are gleaming, this is of course something she loves to explore. I take some notes about several of the gadgets. There's a crystal cube which is suspended mid-air in a showcase and the caption tells us that this crystal is used to identify any kind of living or dead person.

"It's so powerful that it can identify anything back to several thousand years. Suspended over a body or a person and activated by a spell it will tell the person's name, birth and death day, and the cause of the death if a corpse," Padma reads.

"Awesome. They'd better watch out for people like my father here..." Draco mutters.

Then there's a collection of specialised wands for artisans. We see a whole array of uses of certain bones. I suppose we could have spent days at this museum, but it gets time to return to the car and we reluctantly leave.

This is the last outing we can allow the kids before the exams and the end of the school year. But there's the promise of more during the summer break and so we return to the Sunnegg and work through the last weeks of revision. I work them through Charms for a large part now and occasionally sneak in a new spell to see whether they notice. It's fun to see how they react. When they protest I casually declare that they can't just look back, they have to learn something new in between, too.



Sirius


All too soon the day comes when we will have to depart to Hogwarts. We have ordered the students to rest the past week. They have not been allowed to study outside of the classes. Instead we ordered them outside and had them play Quidditch. Either Remus or I make for the fourteenth player and the other referees. It's been a lot of fun and when we arrive at Hogwarts with the two Portkeys Dumbledore has sent us the kids couldn't look more relaxed. We have been magicked directly into Albus' office. He welcomes us warmly and introduces us to some of the Aurors who have been sent to stay at Hogwarts. Some are known to me still. They accompany Padma and Mandy to the Ravenclaw tower, Ernie and Justin to the Hufflepuff common room and Remus and I take the five Gryffindors, Blaise, Draco and Morag to Gryffindor tower.

"You're to stay in the Gryffindor tower for security reasons. We're still debating whether you should go for the meals to the Great Hall or not. You can decide, but if you go you should sit at one of the other tables, I think it's literally a bit dangerous for you at your house's table. Even though the three of you have helped your house to make second in the House Cup a great deal," I tell them.

They accept the verdict and are shown the dormitories. Hermione and Parvati take Morag up the stairs to their dormitory and Neville, Harry and Ron take Blaise and Draco up to theirs.

"I only hope the three get through this unscathed," I say.

"They will. That's why we stay close to them. They will not walk around without one of us at least nearby," Remus reminds me.

The first hard moment comes when we get the kids down to the Great Hall for dinner. Draco, Blaise and Morag show up and when they walk into the Great Hall with us and their Gryffindor schoolmates, they walk straight to the Gryffindor table. I am really astonished as I walk in behind them. Snape looks disgusted, but he knows it's for their best. The other Gryffindors look scandalised, that Draco takes a seat at the table, but now Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Parvati and Neville show that they have spent a fruitful half year with Draco and decidedly take him in their middle, Blaise and Morag the same. The signal is enough for the Gryffindors, but there's uproar at the Slytherin table. Snape has no problems to still that though. Then Dumbledore gets up and announces that expulsion would be the consequence for anyone who would use their wands in the corridors against another student until the end of the term.

"I herewith remind you that there are two Aurors in the corridors at all times and they are the ones to turn to if you need matters cleared."

I'm very glad to have decided to only come over the day before the actual exam starts. Though the kids all seem to feel a bucket of ice drop in their stomachs when they realise the examiners have arrived. I remember the feeling only too well, we all went through this. We walk them back to their common room and while most of the students are still doing frantic revision ours decide to fill out another practice test. The next morning we walk them down to the Great Hall for breakfast and stay with them outside in the Entrance Hall, while the Great Hall is rearranged to hold the single tables for the students.

At one point I see two of the Slytherins moving closer to our three students. I step between them immediately and just quietly remind them they would not risk expulsion.

"They're traitors!" one of them hisses.

"That's entirely rubbish. Now move away and behave."

Ernie and Ginny are waiting arm in arm as do the other couples among our students. I don't see many others close together and wonder if we should tell ours off, but then I decide against it. Ron and Justin quietly talk together. Justin lifts one arm and puts it on Ron's shoulder. Ron looks pleased and smiles. Then the doors of the Great Hall are opened again and class for class gets called in. They have decided to make our thirteen students a class and they get called inside together. Remus and I remain outside and stand guard. Shortly before lunch the doors open again and the rest of the students and the teachers are allowed inside for the meal.

Remus and I sit at the Gryffindor table and the kids tell us all about the exam. They seem to be quite content. Ginny thinks that she has passed all questions. Hermione isn't sure if she has been profound enough in her answers, but Ron tells her off for repeating something he has enough to have it experienced once. Remus and I grin. Yes, we know the feeling so well.

"We all went through that ordeal, dears. You'll survive! One morning has passed already. Practical will not be so bad. You'll see!"

In the afternoon two of the Aurors take over to guard the Entrance Hall. Remus and I go to see Dumbledore at his office. There are several members of the order around him. I greet Tonks, Moody, Hestia Jones and Mundungus Fletcher.

"I have been asked from many parents to keep Hogwarts open during the summer. I don't think this has ever been seen, but there are many people who believe it would be safer for their children to stay here. I'm afraid, that even if they stay they will still be in danger. The Ministry has already decided that we keep the school open, so we will of course do this, but I only wish I knew a way to really keep everything out. The security has been breached so often before."

"Polyjuiced people for example," Moody growls.

"Yes, we definitely need something to figure out the true identity of everyone here."

"Have you thought of the identification spells we used for the Marauder's Map?" Remus asks.

They all stare at us.

"Marauder's Map?" Dumbledore asks.

"Yes, you must have seen it. The way Harry told me he had to give it up to Crouch. It must have been on his desk when you went to rescue Harry," I state.

"I saw nothing like that. Explain, please, Sirius," Dumbledore says.

I explain about the map and then ask:

"Do you remember when you sent Severus to test the alarm? That's when we made the same kind of map for our house. That's how we saw Pettigrew coming close."

"Ah yes, that map. So this had a predecessor? Interesting. We do have to consider this, but we need someone to check over it..."

"No problem. One Auror for four hour shifts or so. Though it will be a bit of work to draw up Hogwarts again, our house was fairly simple. No passwords, no hidden entries, no trick steps, no secret passages and no Room of Requirement..." I say.

"I actually do have fairly accurate floor plans, Sirius," says Dumbledore, "and you can have one if you enchant it with all the spells that would be required."

"I go and get the book from the library," I say, get up and leave at once.

It takes me less than ten minutes to locate the book and check it out from Madam Pince. She looks at me suspiciously, but I flash her a smile and tell her it's for Dumbledore. She accepts it and I am back at his office a few minutes later. Dumbledore has retrieved a few large rolls of parchment.

"Where could we set up such a surveillance room?" Hestia asks.

"I'd suggest one in this area here..." Dumbledore points at a set of rooms quite in the heart of the castle on the fourth floor, "that would be close to where your quarters are. There's an empty room we can set up. Let's go right there."

We take the rolls and go to the room he showed on the map. We cover it with a password and enter. The room is completely empty. Dumbledore turns to me and suggests:

"Sirius, methinks, this is one of your specialities, would you like to decorate the room?"

I grin.

"Certainly, headmaster," I say and a short while later the room has curtains, rugs on the floor, several comfortable chairs and settees, coffee tables, sideboards and I have cleared the wall for an enlarged floor plan of Hogwarts. I copy Dumbledore's original and enlarge it. Then Remus and I start to enchant it with the necessary spells, all the while giving the others information about the effect.

"Well, this is the first spell. It shows all passwords to every password protected room or passage. If you want to know that password you simply tap the place with your wand. Like this corner here," I explain and tap the entrance to one of the secret passages. There's a tiny bubble with the password coming up.

"Very nice..." says Moody.

"The next spell," Remus explains, "shows people. They will be shown as a dot with their full names. It shows everyone, even people hidden under Invisibility Cloaks. AND it never lies."

He casts the spell and immediately the map is full of black dots, labelled with full names. The students waiting in the small chamber off the Entrance Hall to be called for their practical OWLS, the ones inside the Great Hall taking their test, the examiners, ourselves. Remus continues casting the next spell.

"Now this is our sophisticated extension from the original Marauder's Map. As soon as there is anyone around who has the Dark Mark that person will come up in red. Currently there should be one person in the castle showing in red and that's Severus Snape. There he is. If you see any other dot in red, turn on the alarm in your head."

"That's superb!" says Mundungus. "Have you found all those spells in this book?"

"Not all. This extension is my own invention," Remus says smugly.

"Wow! I knew you've got a good brain, wolf-boy, but that sounds impressive..."

"It gets better still. You see, we also thought it would be good to have animals show in a different colour. So we used the spell to identify animals and they will show up in blue in a moment."

Remus cast the next spell and all the animals in and around the school turned blue. There was also a name for all those animals which had a name.

"The next distinction is again one of my own making. If you look at the map you'll see that the animals all have fairly simple names, so we thought it would be good to show Animagi in blue when they are in their Animagus form. Watch out, I cast the spell..."

Remus finished casting the spell and I said:

"...and I'll transform. Look what happens to my dot."

They look at the dot and I transform. The dot turns blue and when I return it comes back to black.

"Oh, now that's a great bit, Remus! So we might find out if there's someone else running around as an unregistered Animagus."

"Exactly. And finally the last one - that's again from the book - is the distinction between other magical creatures. House-elves would fall under that category, ghosts, werewolves, centaurs, vampires, veelas, etc. I'll only cast this spell if you want it, headmaster."

"Does it say what kind of magical creature, Remus?" Dumbledore asks.

"Yes."

"Well, if you don't feel bad about it, cast it. It would be nice and since none of us would misuse it, I suppose it could be helpful."

Remus cast the spell. He never thinks of himself when a greater good can be achieved. His dot turns green as well as many other dots, which we mostly recognise as the house-elves and the ghosts. Next to his dot is the message: Remus Julian Lupin, werewolf.

"Well, we're looking out for the red dots anyway, so we just know different other types..." says Tonks.

"Exactly."

"Okay, I'll now make several other copies of the original map and cast the same spells over them, headmaster, there should be some transportable versions. I think you should have one, too," Remus says.

"Yes, I'd like to have one, Remus. And Minerva, too."

"You need a communication system fast enough to start the alarm chain, if someone shows up, Albus," Moody remarks.

"Two-way mirrors?" I suggest.

"Yet another gadget you used at school?" Moody asks back.

I grin.

"Of course... they can easily be enchanted. Should be in some other book. You see, we DID put the library to good use! We mostly used the mirrors to be able to talk if we were in different detentions."

I can see Dumbledore smile. I know what he's thinking and I'm feeling a pang of longing in the pit of my stomach. I'm still missing James so much it still hurts terribly. Contrary to the others I was never really able to peacefully mourn the loss of James and Lily. I had to relive the horror of their deaths every day - and several times every day and night. I'm pushing the thought out of my mind.

Tonks has made a list of the colour code, makes it a bit larger and places it on the wall next to the plan. Then she turns to me and says:

"Should this not be password protected as well?"

"I think so. On the other hand this one should never be left unguarded anyway."

"I'll protect mine," Dumbledore says.

Remus adds the spell for the password protection. He gives Dumbledore the incantation:

"'I'm Fawkes' true friend' opens it and 'eternal rebirth' closes it."

Dumbledore smiles again. Then he nods and admits:

"I kind of like that. So you had yours protected?"

Remus and I grin a pretty evil grin.

"Oh yes. But that incantation was a little naughty: 'I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good' opened the map and 'Mischief managed' closed it."

They are all laughing at that. Dumbledore wants to know:

"So how did Harry get this map? Through you, Remus?"

"No, I didn't have it anymore. It was confiscated by Mr. Filch just before the NEWTS. The Weasley twins apparently nicked it in their first year. They gave it to Harry in his third, because he wasn't allowed to go out to Hogsmeade. He used the secret passage here. Which leads straight into the cellar of Honeydukes," Remus explains.

"Oh, so he really WAS out then?" Dumbledore asks.

"Yes, he was. Twice even."

Dumbledore sighs, but admits: "Well, I certainly can understand why he longed so much to go out. He didn't want to be the only one left behind."

We end the meeting and the first shift of Aurors gets installed. They agree that they much prefer this device to endless prowls along the corridors. Of course there would still be a group of Aurors in the corridors, but they would be guided by the ones watching over the map.

"Remus, Sirius, if you would please come back to my office, I still have something to discuss with you."

We sit down when we get there and he tells us:

"You will take your protégés back to the safe house immediately after the exams. The results will be owled in July anyway, so that should be no problem. Are you willing to continue to tutor them?"

"We do what is needed, Albus," Remus says firmly.

"Sirius?"

"Yes, I am."

"It does keep you imprisoned in some ways, I'd understand if you'd prefer to do something else in the Order, Sirius," Albus says.

"I prefer to stay with Remus. We'll still have time to do research for you if you like. We've fallen over a very interesting place in Switzerland, a museum with a collection of magical artefacts and devices, and they have this immensely extensive library of magical devices from everywhere, maybe they will be willing to let us copy the texts for research..."

"Very well, Sirius. We will again supply you with the school books. You'll also get the syllabus and teacher's materials again. You already know the best ways to communicate with the other teachers. Take the opportunity to talk to Professor Sprout for Herbology, it seems to have been one of the subjects you had a bit less success..."

"You can say that aloud, but mainly because we can't keep a ton of greenhouses, so we'll have to do with the theory. I'm afraid apart from Neville none of our students will achieve an Outstanding OWL in Herbology," I admit ruefully.

"That's not too bad. It's a rather specialised subject. Neville is quite advanced at it, and he should be able to get along with the theory. If you could just maybe have one greenhouse built and do some of the practical things..."

"Yes, we could do that. We'll discuss it with Madam Sprout, she'll surely be able to come to our place and consult us," Remus suggests.

"A very good idea. Please plan something with her."

"I'll also sit down with Professor Vector for some extra consulting on teaching Arithmancy. I think I might not be too challenging a teacher," I say.

"You have two weeks of time - use it well, I'm sure your colleagues will be helpful," Dumbledore advises.

"Yes, I'm sure of that, too. Albus, there's something I'm worried about and that's this law that Umbridge managed to pass - about hiring werewolves," Remus starts.

"Don't worry about that, Remus. It's been withdrawn two months ago. Once Fudge noticed that we have told him the truth about Voldemort's return he started to mind some of my advice and has taken some of the worst laws excluding werewolves. He hopes to win their trust a bit more. If it's not too late in many cases it means that your employment is at least legal again," says Dumbledore.

I'm relieved to hear that. I know it's been on Remus' conscience that he has been officially hired and that this was illegal.

"The school governors have agreed to several such safe houses. In practically every year we have had to displace students. I left Ginny in your care, because I knew she was able to be promoted and I am quite sure she'll pass the OWLS. But there are four fourth years, another eight third years, six seventh years and three sixth years who have been kept at safe houses. It was very lonely here at Hogwarts, but we must make sure that our students can get their education the best way possible."

"Did you place them out of the country as well?" I ask.

"Yes. That is all I can say about it though."

"That's perfectly fine with me. So they're all here now?"

"Only the fifth and seventh years, because they have the examiners coming from the Ministry to test them."

"Oh, good."

After a lengthy conversation we go back down to the Entrance Hall to meet the students again after their practical exams. Only Aurors are in the Hall. I ask one of them about the students.

"Yours have been accompanied directly back to their common room, sir," says one of them.

"Oh, good, I'm relieved. We've been scooped up at the headmaster's the whole afternoon. Are they all through?"

"No, not all of them, there's still a few who have gone in. The Weasleys among them."

"Good, we'll take over to take them back up to Gryffindor tower," Remus says.

We wait and then Ginny and Ron come out, Ginny with a very happy grin and Ron with a content face. Blaise is with them, so they're the last group. Blaise looks quite content as well.

"You all look like it's been a piece of cake," I remark.

"Well it damn near was," says Ginny, "all of my spells worked perfectly and I knew all they asked. I think I made an Outstanding OWL in Charms!"

She definitely beams. If all her spells have gone well then it's just about her theory, and I think she's sound in that as well. I turn to Ron and Blaise.

"Yes, I think I've done well, too. I wasn't sure about all of my theory and I had some problem with one of my cheering charms, otherwise most went okay. Twice I needed a second try to get a spell right," Ron commented.

"I had the theory mostly right and then mixed up two spells and botched one, but I think I've passed comfortably," Blaise says.

"Well done! Let's get you back to the common room."

While we climb the stairs Ginny asks:

"And what have you been up to the whole day?"

"We watched over the Entrance Hall and in the afternoon we've redone the surveillance device for Hogwarts," I say a bit cryptically. After all you can never tell which walls have ears.

"Oh. So we're all watched now? I can't sneak down to Ernie?"

"Nope, Ginny, I'm afraid that will have to wait until we're back home," I tell her with a grin.

"Shucks!"

"Life sucks sometimes, doesn't it?" Remus asks.

"Absolutely."



Hermione


They really have to play the watchdogs the next two weeks. Tuesday of the second week is a full moon, so Remus stays back all day and night in his rooms, but he's smoothly replaced by Tonks. Sirius hardly gets to sleep, because he really looks out for us. I hear that once or twice a Death Eater has shown up on the map, but I haven't heard if they were captured.

Finally the last day of exams comes up. It contains Astronomy, so the practical test, drawing a star chart, takes place at eleven o'clock in the evening up on the Astronomy tower. Sirius and Remus stay behind on the last set of staircases, while we have to do the test. Time is ticking by while I look through my telescope and register the stars I can see and recognise. I'm finished about ten minutes before the time is up, go over it once more to make sure and then a third time, but then I hand it in. It has been a bit difficult, because of the half moon, which still interfered a lot with its light.

We will all return to the common room and our dormitories, get our stuff and then meet up at the headmaster's office to be Portkeyed back home. I'll finally sleep in Harry's bed again.

The time is up, the others hand in their star charts. We are dismissed. While we're walking down into the Astronomy classroom, we're held up by Sirius and Remus.

"Stay here, please, we've been informed that there's a commotion down in the Entrance Hall. We're not to move away from here, before we get the okay from the headmaster. We've already locked and warded the door," Remus explains.

"What happened?" several people ask.

"Death Eaters. Six of them have been spotted on the grounds and now a group of Aurors is after them," Sirius replies calmly.

"Can we give them all light from the Astronomy tower?" Ginny suggests.

"Good idea, Ginny, everyone back up on the top of the tower, please!" Remus orders and we all climb up the stairs again. The tower has arrow-slits, through which we now aim our wands and then we use a spell Remus gives us which works like Muggle spotlights. Strong rays of light now enlighten the area around the castle at least on the side we can lighten up. Remus informs Dumbledore of this and only ten minutes later there are more lights from all the other towers, so that most of the grounds almost up to Hagrid's cabin is covered. Then we can see the Aurors who have finally cornered the Death Eaters. They are fighting still, but it seems like the Aurors are able to bring the Death Eaters down. It takes another half hour until we are allowed to return to the common room.

"You're not going back to the headmaster's office, you'll be Portkeyed out of the small chamber next to the Great Hall. We'll take you there," Remus tells us.

We get our stuff from the dormitory and say goodbye to our housemates. Then we follow Remus and Sirius down to the Great Hall. It looks like there had been a fight in here, too, and the house-elves are already cleaning up. We all pass the hall quickly and file into the room behind the teacher's table. Professor McGonagall is there already, holding the two Portkeys which will take us back to Switzerland. Both are short ropes, which are easy and nice to hold. We all grab them and then Professor McGonagall activates them.

It seems like ages since we've been here. Those two weeks were very long! We've been well prepared and I have a good feeling, but now it's over. And we can look forward for a bit of rest. I'll have to go through the new book lists though, I do want to have my regular advance reading.



Ron


This OWL ordeal is over. Am I glad! I have to say, I may not have done as well as Ginny, but I'm certainly several OWLS better than the twins. So, over all, I don't have a too bad feeling. I'll send Mum and Dad a letter tomorrow and tell them that I've probably done well. Have to ask Ginny if she wants to add her own. I miss the Burrow. It's not much different here though, it's almost as crowded and that's not a bad thing. There's always someone to talk to, to play or study with.

Remus sends us all off to bed. We're all pretty tired and he's right. I wish everyone a good night. Justin waves his hand and leaves the classroom in the other direction, while I go through the door to the kitchen and up the stairs. I love my room! I have my comfortable four poster like at Hogwarts but it's my own room here and the privacy I'm getting is great. I haven't heard anything from Harry and Hermione anymore after that first time. They make me smile those two. She's been pulling him out of the classroom in seconds flat! They must have been missing each other terribly these past two weeks. I've heard Harry thrash in his bed more than once. I wonder if those were wet dreams or nightmares. I shouldn't joke about that though.

Well, here I am. Off to bed! I drop my bag on a chair and sink on my bed. I might read for a while still. We've got the whole weekend ahead now, then it's still another two weeks of classes before the summer vacation starts. It's a strange feeling, this was meant to be a temporary exile, but now it looks like we're staying here for another while.

The most interesting news was that Fred and George actually have a shop somewhere on Diagon Alley. What a shame, that we can't go and see it yet, but I understand it's too dangerous. Mum and Dad are both in the Order, I'm sure they are very glad that Ginny and I are out of the way and that they can devote their time to the Order. Bill and Charlie are both very grown up, so they can look after themselves. The twins should start to make enough money on their shop soon, so they will be able to live off it as well. They both want to join the Order, too. That must scare Mum to bits, she's always afraid something could happen to us, but if it's still needed in two years, Ginny and I will surely join as well.

Ginny - she was amazing these past two weeks. She seemed to actually enjoy those tests. At least the practical ones, she could have done as well as Bill or Percy. I hope so at least. Just so Percy can see that it doesn't take his stiff character to achieve good results.

I put the book away again. Can't concentrate on it. I pull up the duvet and turn the light off. It's better to think over these things in the dark. I remember the first day in the Great Hall with Blaise, Morag and Draco. We actually took them in the middle to show they're part of our group, I'm still feeling quite strange about that. But Draco has mellowed down a lot. I don't even want to imagine what it would feel like if my own father would tell me he's inclined to kill me because I haven't turned out the way he wanted me. Though of course Dad would never even think something like this. Lucius Malfoy must have one sick mind! Pressing his son into becoming a Death Eater...

I wonder who the Death Eaters were they caught today. And what they wanted. And if we will hear about it. How many have joined You-Know-Who by now? It's really a fearsome group. I'd be glad if they would be gone before we leave school.



Ernie


Boy, I'm knackered. Just something more than two hours ago we finished that exam. It didn't go too badly, I think. We've been trained well! All those practice OWL tests have helped us a lot. Remus said they were authentic earlier tests. To know that was good, because we could prepare based on the tests. Getting an idea of the format of a test helps cramming. We're working pretty hard on the theory, but I'm glad we're also being trained so well practically, Remus and Sirius both seem to think we need that more than anything.

One consequence of living here in this group was that I have not dropped Potions. I would have left it off my list, if I'd have to learn it with Snape. I don't mind to study hard, that's what I'm used to do, but if studying like mad, knowing and doing things mostly right brings point deductions for my house for being stupid, inapt, utterly untalented and other such reasons then I have a hard time understanding what this is supposed to achieve. If anything except aggravating us. Here I may not be the best student, but I feel encouraged and I'm getting realistic marks. Ginny is doing loads better than I, even though she's a year younger. I don't begrudge her that. She's worked a lot for her good marks.

I can't wait for the results. I'm not really worrying, because I know I can't have failed, not after all these E and A tests I did. I'm quite convinced I wouldn't have done half as well if I hadn't been here. We've worked so much. But somehow everything was so compact here, so - continuous, I'm looking for an expression to really say this. Well, I think it had to do with that we've only had two teachers. Sirius may not be a real teacher, but he was doing a good job of leading us to find things out and learning together with us sometimes. His better understanding helped us to find the way together. It was all very stimulating. That's the best term I can find. We stimulated each other to learn and find out things. We've become a close-knit group.

I'm yawning, say goodnight to the others and vanish in my room. I undress and climb into my bed. I know that Ginny will most probably be here in a few moments. We're cuddling only, sleep next to each other and I'd like to do a bit more, but she's quite adamant that we wait for a while still. Oh, I can wait, that's not it, but she's so wonderful. I do want to show how much I like her. We're so easy with each other. She's a bundle of energy, I'm a bit more relaxed, but when she runs over board I can hold her back and when I'm about to sink too deep into the sofa she's pulling me out.

"Hey!" she says at this moment, closing the door quietly behind her.

"Hey! Put your stuff away?"

"Yes. But I missed you so much these past two weeks it hurt. Need to feel you by my side again, Ernie!"

She slips into bed and scoots closer. I offer her my arm and my shoulder and kiss her on the nose first and then on the lips.



Harry


Got through them. And I even have a good feeling. I might manage to get through and become an Auror after all. Somehow I'd like to. On the other hand, with all the subjects I'll have next school year I'm probably open to more things, because I keep all the main ones, even Herbology. Potions with Siri is so much fun that I actually learn something instead of having it beaten into my head. He says that Snape has given us a very good basis, but at what price? Sirius is much better. He holds a balance between being strict and lenient. We all know that things can go badly wrong brewing potions, so he's watchful and he does tell us off sometimes, but it's not personal. He doesn't put us down for it. If we've been careless he tells us off and that's it. We don't like him getting angry, so we try to do our best. Which in turn seems to be for our best, because we try to do better the next time.

I walk up the stairs holding Hermione's hand. She wears the ring day and night. It's been almost six months since we got engaged. I find it quite frightening actually, because I know full well we're nowhere near ready starting a life as a married couple or even more, starting a family. Though this is something I'd really like one day. Maybe I'd get something of what I'd missed as a child, a happy family. But we do have to think of our career first, establishing a life and then the baby.

I've had a conversation with Professor Dumbledore last week. He knows we're together and he noticed the ring. He smiled when he told me he thought we were a lovely couple. I told him about the engagement and that I was a bit scared at having done this. I've watched his eyes but he just raised his eyebrows a little and then he told me:

"Harry, you do know that like your parents you may not have much time. You may have made a spontaneous decision, but this is what your heart told you to do. You're not someone who throws vows like that around for nothing. I know that you are a sincere person. You may be young, but I think you have chosen well. And she said yes, didn't she?"

"Yes, she did. I thought she would think I made a joke, but she didn't take it as a joke at all and of course I hadn't meant it as a joke."

"That is because Hermione Granger might be your soul-mate, Harry. You'll learn more about it while growing up. You don't need to rush a wedding, just enjoy your young love, both of you, with reason of course. I suppose you have learned about being responsible and using contraceptive spells or potions? Madam Pomfrey would surely show you the necessary otherwise."

"We've looked it all up, yes."

I'm glad I had it out and he's really been amazingly nice. Usually he's so secretive, but he told me lots that evening, about living life to its fullest every chance I get, that he'd support us and our love if Hermione's parents should not take it well. He also told me to talk to Sirius about it all. I'll do that soon, I think. Right now all I want is feel her again! We didn't sneak around at Hogwarts, but it cost me several nights filled with nightmares. I think, Ron and Neville noticed, and even Dean and Seamus complained about me being quite loud. It couldn't be helped. The only help I've found is sleeping next to my lover. My heart beats and I can feel my body react to her immediately, but by now it's nothing I'm ashamed of anymore, knowing how much she enjoys to feel it. Even if we don't make love, just knowing she loves my touch gives me peace. Her warmth, her love, her hands on my skin, this is enough to banish the dreams. I've finally come to terms with Cedric's death.

A sudden thought crosses my mind. I would like to see his grave. I will owl Mrs and Mr. Diggory to tell them that the first chance I get I'll visit Cedric. They must miss him so terribly. I didn't know him well, but even I miss him.

"I love you, Harry, sleep well."

"I love you, too, Hermione. - Sleep well and sweet dreams, love."

She cuddles up to me, but we're much too tired to do anything else. That leaves promise for the morning, because as studious and good as she is, Hermione loves to make love and finds nothing wrong with it.



Sirius


We find our bed and soon everything is quiet in the house. When I wake up in the morning it's after ten, but everything is still totally quiet. I look at my lover. He's still fast asleep. The full moon has only been a week ago, he's over this one, but we've had two very stressful weeks. We'll have a fresh company of Aurors coming in this week, three of them at the time. We'll put one up in Harry's room, he'll move in with Hermione on the top floor, the others will get a room at the back of the house, the one just next to the door to the classroom, I think, and one on the top floor where Neville and Draco are.

My stirring wakes my ever attentive werewolf lover. His eyes flutter open and I plant a kiss on his cheek, then move to his mouth. He returns it after a moment.

"Good morning, love," he says.

"Morning, Moony. Getting up? It's after ten..."

"I think so. We have to check the wards and the map..."

"Take it slow, love... we will do all that, but first I want to unpack, take a shower, get dressed and enjoy breakfast."

"Agreed. Love you, Siri. Oh, and when have you become so sensible?"

"Hee hee... living together with you affects me this way... be proud of yourself, because your good influence finally reached me. Wonder what James would have to say to that?"

"I know what Lily would say," Remus says with a cheeky grin.

"That is easy. She'd say it was about time. I probably lost some of my rashness in Azkaban and more of it on the run."

"Which would mean that Azkaban had one good consequence. Horrible thought. I quite loved some of your rashness, Paddy. And the resulting bashful glances when you noticed you went too far. Almost cuter than your puppy dog eyes."

"Remus!" I'm scandalised. He actually said that ? how awful! Evil being you can be sometimes, you know...

I sit up and push down the duvet. We get up and tying the sash of my dressing gown I yawn and open the door to go downstairs and look for some breakfast. My stomach tells me to get something in there before doing what I had planned to do before. Dobby turns up at once and tells me he'll have my breakfast done immediately.

"Thanks, Dobby. - Was everything okay here while we were at Hogwarts?"

"Yes, master Black, I is not seeing anything wrong. I is looking at the map, and Winky is doing it, too. No red dots anywhere."

"Good. We'll get three Aurors to join us again, they will take turns in patrolling and watching the map."

"We is staying here, sir?"

"Yes, at least until we hear otherwise."

A huge grin shows on his face. He seems pleased.

"That seems to please you," I remark.

"Oh yes, sir, we is very happy here, Winky and Dobby."

"That's very nice to hear, Dobby, you two are doing very good work and we like to have you here."

I pick up the coffeepot and pour myself a cup, then I grab one of the lovely croissants in the basket in front of me. I've come to love this local pastry a lot. They're buttery and a bit crunchy outside, but very soft inside. People here either dip them into the preferred breakfast beverage or eat them just plain or put butter and jam on them. I usually start by biting off one of the crunchy ends. Remus of course loves the variety containing chocolate. He can't pass a bakery here that sells petit pains au chocolat. And of course he really makes me smile when he dashes inside and comes out with that childlike dazed look at his bit of pastry. He has a few really endearing quirks, my lover.

I sit back in my chair and pick up the Daily Prophet. The news have started to become more blunt about Death Eater activities. Now that we do have the Ministry's support we can really fight. I think it's a lot clearer this time, in spite of the ugly danger. But we have all learned our lessons. I'm quite sure that the Ministry will work their way through with more Veritaserum than not. They do need to find out how much of the Ministry is Death Eater contaminated. Knowing who's friend and who's foe is vital and I suppose people like Kingsley Shacklebolt should be able to get that point through even to small-minded idiots like Percy Weasley.

While I muse about the latest news Remus comes down and gets his breakfast as well. All is still quiet, but I suppose the others will turn up one by one soon. We enjoy about ten minutes of each other's company when the first one comes in. It's Neville. He gives us a shy smile.

"Good morning, Neville," I say.

"Good morning," he replies, takes his seat and gets his breakfast. He eats quietly.

He's a sweet boy that one. What damage has been done to him when he had to watch my cousin torture his parents? My heart goes out to him, because he's such a dear. He has gained a lot of confidence in the past seven months. His self esteem must have had a boost, too, because he laughs more often and it's a free laugh. He's told us a few stories about his impressive grandmother who Remus and I have known quite well in our young days. We had been friends with Frank and Alice. Frank was a lot like Arthur Weasley - though slightly less underestimated. People knew about his quality as an Auror. He had also been a fairly good friend of Moody's.

"Sirius, can you help me with a potion I'd like to make?" Neville asks me.

"Of course, Neville. Tell me what you need, we can owl order ingredients we don't have on store from the apothecary. What potion is it?"

"I've read about it last week. It was mentioned in a Herbology magazine I'm subscribed to. It's supposed to help me find out what caused my problems with memorising things... here, I've brought the article."

He pushes a magazine over to me and I look at the article which is already opened. I study the purpose of the potion and the ingredients, then the brewing instructions. The article praises the potion to be able to use on patients with amnesia.

"But you don't have an amnesia, Neville. You know perfectly well who you are and what happened to you. You know your whole history," I object.

"Still. I know there's something that's lost in my brain. I would like to find out if this is how I've been born or if it's caused by having to see what happened to my parents. My gran of course thinks I've been born with it, but I can't explain it to her. Sometimes I have a feeling like someone pressed a wad of cotton on a certain part of my brain. Nowadays I suspect they must have memory charmed me. But it could also have been the trauma of seeing and hearing what I witnessed."

"You've just given me a well founded reasoning. Would you mind if I inquire first with Poppy and Professor Sprout to find out that this potion would help rather than harm you? Because if you were indeed memory charmed, there would be possibilities to break through those charms. They don't hurt any more than this potion would."

"No, I wouldn't mind. I just think it's time I'm getting to the root of this."

"You are one brave fellow, Neville! We'll find it out. Have your parents' healers ever examined you?" Remus asks.

"If then I can't remember."

"What do you know of the day? Not from your own memory but from what your relatives may have told you?" Remus wants to know.

"Very little. They always told me that it happened and that my parents were taken to St. Mungo's the next day and that I was placed with my gran immediately. I don't know how much more my gran knows, she never told me."

"There is a certain danger that you will have to go through the trauma once again if memory is restored, Neville," I warn.

"Yes, I know. There's a mentioning of something like that in the article, too. But I think I'm old enough to cope with it."

"Well, I can only agree with Moony. You are one brave young man, Neville. I think you're coming more after Frank every day. You have also made an incredible progress in your school work it seems. Professor McGonagall was commending you, you know."

"Yes, she told me. I think it's because I'm here. You're both always so kind and I know I need encouragement. The others are nice to me, too, and their help isn't condescending, it's sincere. Not having to cope with a very mean teacher and an overly strict one who scares me has helped, too."

"Okay, here's what we do: I'll owl both, Madam Pomfrey and Madam Sprout and tell them to comment on the article and your condition. I think you can really trust them both. If they say we should try it, then we do. We can make that potion and I'll let you drink it if there's no danger of a negative effect. Okay?"

He gives me a smile and says:

"Yes, okay. Thank you, Sirius."

"You're very welcome, Neville."

In the afternoon I sit outside in the sun and doze, when I hear someone coming to me and sitting down on the desk chair next to me.

"Siri, can I talk to you about something?" Harry asks.

I open my eyes.

"Of course. What is it?"

"Can we go for a walk?"

"We could go over to the Lueg and have an ice cream..." I offer.

"Oh, that's a nice idea... let's go."

I summon the car keys and, passing the study I tell Remus who's working inside:

"Remus, Harry and I are gone for a while. I'm taking him out for some ice cream, okay?"

"Okay. Take the mobile phone along, please."

"Got it."

We keep up the habit of having the mobile phone with us. It is a very good way to communicate and other wizards usually hardly know how to use it. Harry fixes his seatbelts, I get into the car, fix mine and we leave the Sunnegg down to the little town. We pass it and then find our way to Affoltern and up to the very lovely Lueg, where we take a small table in the garden. Harry doesn't need to look at the dessert menu to know what he wants. It's called Méringue glacé and contains of regular meringue over several balls of ice cream, covered with a huge amount of whipped cream and decorated with fruits of the season, at this time of the year mostly strawberries. I take the same thing. While we wait he starts to talk about the exam weeks.

"I really missed Hermione. I've had nightmares again, Siri."

"You should have told us, Harry. You could have received some mild sleeping potions. There's something much less strong than Dreamless Sleep potion you know. - Does this mean you never have them when you're sharing your bed with Hermione?"

"Never. It's like when she touches me somewhere there's a shield. I do have dreams, but I don't remember them and I have the distinct feeling they're not nightmares. Or if they are they stay out of my consciousness."

I smile. No need to ask about the nature of THOSE dreams. It's certainly a lot nicer than having nightmares, I think. The waitress brings the Méringues. He smiles and digs into his. We've discovered this place before and he loves the stuff more than he loves chocolates. On the other hand I sometimes think Honeydukes has only the magical stuff ahead of the sweets here in Switzerland. They don't need the magic, the sweets are incredible without.

"That's good, Harry. I know that having someone who loves you beside you is one thousand times better than having to drug you. Hermione is a wonderful young woman."

"You like her, too, don't you?" he makes a small pause, then says: "I've had a conversation with Professor Dumbledore about that."

"Oh, you did? And what did our old friend say?"

"He said I decided with my heart and that it was a good decision. Then he reminded me of using contraceptives."

I grin. The old codger may seem to be a dreamer, but in truth he's a realist. He looks mystique, acts secretive, but he sees things in exactly the right light, as much as we sometimes hate it.

"Then he's been awfully concrete about this," I comment.

"I thought so, too. He advised me to talk to Madam Pomfrey about it. Contraceptives I mean. Actually I had a feeling that he seemed pleased."

"Well, considering you're now engaged to the brains in your year, I'd say that you have made a good choice of a life partner and possible mother of your children, Harry. And if that may sound awfully technical, yes, it was meant that way, because biology is something we can't completely deny. I mean, there's some mechanisms inside of us which help us choose and possible reproduction has always a part. Professor Dumbledore is sometimes more aware of that than the rest of us. He thinks in those patterns. So do the Death Eaters in a way, only their main focus of reproduction is, of course, blood purity. Dumbledore's focus is the ability to achieve things, to love, to learn, intellect, talent. He should be very happy if you and Hermione pass your immense talent on to children one day, even if he did remind you of preventing any right now."

"That really sounds technical. Where is the romance in that?"

I grin. He's coming right to the really important question and I'm most pleased he asks it. I reassure him immediately:

"Between you and Hermione. In the interaction of you as a couple and us, your family, or your friends. Be romantic as much as you can, Harry, it's worth every minute and every effort. And do keep it up. Hermione is very down to earth, which is endearing and gives her a lot of strength, but she sometimes needs someone to take her flying and reminding her that there are other things. And be physical all you want. If you want. But it seems to me you want that, too."

"I do. Last winter it was more Hermione. She's amazing, Sirius. She's pulled me out of my shell and now... well, I can't imagine not being with her. She's my breathing, my heart beating, my body tingling, she's just all that and more."

"That's good enough for a Valentine's card, Harry," I tease.

"Is it? I know I'm romantic, but I can't usually express it. When I try she always smiles and tells me I don't need to, she already knows. But I do need to express it. - Do you think we should both wear rings?"

"It would be a nice gesture, Harry. You would give her a visible sign of your commitment. Women like that. I mean, she KNOWS very well that you are committed, but she'd surely like to show the rest of the world."

"Good. Because I want to, you know. I know we're young, but in just 13 months I'll be of age, so..."

He's definitely grown up. I touch my own ring on my left hand and feel Moony. While we spoon up our ice creams I look out over the valleys and the deep green hills, many of them covered with thick forests and the scattered neat farm houses we can see from here. Apart from the occasionally passing motorbike or car there's no noise at all as right now we're the only guests out here.

"You're one hell of a great little guy, you know!" I finally say, "How about choosing your birthday to give her the ring and start wearing yours? I can take you to Bern before and we can explore so you can choose. Or - you two go off and choose them together, I think that would be even better."

"That would be great. I'd love to do that. I'll talk it over with Hermione. I'm sure she wants to do that, too. I mean, I've picked the ring I've given her for Christmas, it would be nicer if we picked our rings together."

"Good boy."

His mentioning of his 17th birthday in a year reminds me of the fact that he has no idea yet that the account from which he draws his money is by no means the only thing he owns. It will come as a shock for him, but we're determined not to let him know before next year that he's the heir of a more than good fortune. I think that Dumbledore has shown a lot of sense in giving Harry his own vault with only a small part of what he really owns. Even so Harry saw more money in there than he could even use during his school years. Though he probably spends a little more here than at Hogwarts.

"There's something else, Siri. Something completely different..." Harry starts.

"What is it, Harry?" I ask.

"I know I'm still not the biggest light in Transfigurations, but do you think I could learn to become an Animagus? I would like to try..."

Now I'm quite astonished. So far he's not shown any interest in that at all and by his marks in Transfigurations I would have said he'd be quite in trouble, but now he asks me directly. Hermione on the other side has dropped hints that she'd like to have an opportunity to learn more than once. She could pull him along. Harry is still a lot better than Wormtail ever was, so I suppose he could learn it. I take my time in deciding, but then I say:

"I'll see, Harry. Hermione wants to try, she hinted so more than once and I'm sure she's already gone through several books, so if she is willing then I teach you two, because she could pull you along. You're not that good at Transfigurations, that's true, but Wormtail was abysmal, he often made McGonagall shout at him... and he mastered it, too."

A big smile spreads over his face and the green eyes sparkle.

"That would be great, Siri."

"But you're not doing it illegally, we'll get registration forms from the Ministry, okay?"

"Okay."

We finish the ice cream slowly and quietly, then I pay the bill and we return home. Remus smiles when he sees us. He knows the two of us need some time off alone sometimes. It's important that we get to talk at times, it's much too rare that we actually do it. Remus never asks what we're talking about, but I tell him mostly. In any case I replay the conversation for him today. He smiles.

"Yes, I think that is a sealed relationship. She's naturally sincere and Harry doesn't trust easily, but he trusts Hermione. They are both bright and talented. If there are sparks in their physical relationship they should have a good relationship over all."

"He's gone off looking for her to tell her he wants them to wear rings - both of them. Remus, I think our little Harry has grown up."

"And you can accept that?"

"Astonishingly yes. I realise I will have to let go to keep him close. He liked that conversation, there was no insecurity in his words, he hardly thought about what he wanted to say, Remus. He's self assured."

"Good. He needs all the strength he can build up, mentally and magically."

"He wants to become an Animagus," I say casually.

"He WHAT? That's dangerous, Padfoot, and you know it."

"I know. I didn't give my consent easily. Hermione seems interested, too, she's given me more than one hint, only she hasn't asked straight out yet. So I told him, if she's included I would teach him. She can pull him along."

"Good thinking."

Hermione

Harry's back. He comes outside and sits down next to me to give me a kiss. I pull him close to deepen it. His eyes are sparkling, so I think he must have spent a nice time with Sirius. He tastes of sugar.

"Remus said you were out with Sirius..." I say.

"Yes, I wanted to talk about some things with him and he suggested going up to the Lueg. You know what I usually like to have there."

I grin. He's almost as bad as Ron is with the sweets. He grins back and then he surprises me:

"Hermione, I want us to wear rings, both of us. Siri said he'd take us to Bern, so we can go through the shops and choose them. I want you to pick them with me. Do you want to?"

"Oh Harry, that would be wonderful. I cherish your ring, but it's only me wearing it. I'd like to let the others know of our commitment."

"You still need to tell your parents."

"Well, they know you're my boyfriend and they approve of that. I'm not too scared of telling them that you will remain to be my boyfriend, you know. They're a product of the sixties, so they are liberal enough to accept that, even though I'm young. I'm rather afraid that I'll be teased mercilessly that I'm not looking around a bit more. They'll probably think we'll fall apart because we haven't seen enough of the world. So I'm not too worried."

"I'd like to learn to know them better. I mean, I hardly talked more than a few sentences with them."

"I miss them. But I have a plan for that. I want to ask Sirius and Remus if they couldn't come and visit us for a week or so."

"That would be great. And it's a good idea."

We decide to get a game and start playing something on the table in front of the house. It's like it's been last summer, simply wonderful. The geraniums are back on the window sills and the garden is in bloom with many flowers already. In a corner of it we've planted some aconite for next year's supply. This way we needn't pass at the apothecary and give Remus' secret away when we get the ingredients for the Wolfsbane. I'm getting used to brewing this potion by now.

"Oh, Hermione, I've asked Sirius if he'd be willing to teach me to become an Animagus," he announces all of a sudden.

I freeze! That's what I'd love to do, too! I've given him some hints, but so far he's never reacted. Now Harry has asked him straight out!

"What did he say to that?" I ask.

"He'd teach me. But only if you do it, too... he's noticed your hints."

Oh. My. God. He's offering to teach us! I've wanted this from the moment McGonagall has told us about it and showed us her cat form. And of course I wanted it even more after I met Siri in his dog form. I'm getting very excited and admit:

"I was close to start working on it for myself. I've already studied some of the books in the library. I so want to do this, Harry."

He grins.

"He suspected that, too. I think he's got you figured out completely, love."

That makes me smile. Clever Sirius. He notices more than one would think. Well, never mind, I think it's good he understands us. Remus is a very loving person, but he is much more distanced, especially in class. Sirius makes no difference between class and free time. He's just competent whenever. Not that Remus isn't of course, but he is the teacher among them. I don't think Sirius even sees himself as a teacher, rather like a tutor. I think Remus is more of a respect person. He needs the respect, too, because he's a werewolf and people treat him with their petty prejudice and zero respect as soon as they know. I pay him the respect, gladly, because he's one of the kindest people I know.

One by one our classmates show up on the terrace. Some of them, like Parvati and Draco, only just got up. Honestly!

The exams are over, but there is still a week of school. Not that we're going to be too hard working. I can't wait for the results to come out. That will have to be quite a big package of stuff arriving in July.

When Sirius and Remus join us on the terrace I ask them:

"Remus, what do you think - could I invite my parents to come here for a week or so?"

I wait anxiously for his decision. He seems to think over all the pros and contras and then agrees:

"Yes, I think we can make that possible, Hermione."

I jump up and hug him! He hugs me back and gives me a peck on my nose. I'll see my parents! I haven't seen them in almost a year, it's been very hard. I know it's the same for Ron and Ginny, for everyone in fact except Blaise who will never see his parents again.

We agree to leave to choose the time for them to come to my parents and I rush off to write a letter to them. Hedwig is happy to take off with it for me.



Remus


It's not an easy decision. Hermione's parents know where we are, so it's not that we don't want to have them know. They will need to be brought here undetected. And even more important than the security is the feelings of Hermione's class mates. I can see their faces. And it's easy to guess what they are thinking. I'm thinking this over and decide that we'll have to grant them what we grant to Hermione.

On Monday I welcome them back to class and tell them that we will be taking it slow that last week and that there's no need to do very much, since the material of the fifth year is concluded and we don't have the sixth year books yet.

Then I bring up the subject of other parents visiting.

"Hermione has had the idea of inviting her parents for a week. I think we could extend that, what do you think? Does anyone else among you want to invite your parents?"

Immediately Ron and Ginny, the Patil twins, Mandy, Morag, Justin and Ernie lift their hands. We'll have to coordinate things, but I think we can do it. To fit everyone at the table when we have to eat inside we can always use the classroom as the dining room. They can move together to free rooms for their parents, but if we have one family visiting for a week each we can manage even without that. We have a room free at the back and that should be good enough.

"Okay, so you can write home immediately and offer a one week visit here. Let's fix weeks and see if your parents can fit it in with their plans, okay? We can be flexible enough about the when."

Finally we decide that the Patils go first, then Ernie's, Justin's, Morag's and finally Mandy's parents, for which we have to make sure it's not over a full moon since they're scared of werewolves, leaving Molly and Arthur and Hermione's parents last. I suspect that the Grangers will have the hardest work to get themselves free of their obligations unplanned.

But in the course of the next week we get answers from the children's parents that they would love to come and finally see where we hide their children. And all of them accept the dates given. Hermione is a little sad that her parents will be last on the list, but on the other hand she'll be lucky and have them a day or two longer than the others.

So we spend the last week in casual classes, work over some things the kids want explained again or do some work they would like to do. Sirius finishes off with a very useful though definitely not syllabus potion. He has eyes glinting of mischief when he allows them to brew a hangover potion.