Chapter 2
"So you watch us on the map?" Ron whispered after waiting for their dormmates to settle into sleep. The other three were used to Ron and Harry talking quietly and once they had learned the proper charms, insisted they be used around the bed curtains during late night meetings. Not that the pair minded, as sometimes Hermione would also slide up to their dorm room if things were really dire. Out of habit they still waited for the others to be asleep first though.
"Course. I'm still anxious after Fake-Moody last year. If I wasn't afraid of damaging it, I may try to get it to show some indicator of junior or senior. Just to be extra safe. Since we have at least two juniors here and I need...I need to know which I'm dealing with" Harry's breath started to pick up at the end. Ron reached out to take the shorter boy's hands and guided them to his chest to feel his chest rise and fall with each breath. Harry calmed slightly at the familiar gesture.
"Well, I can tell you I'm glad you care about us. And it gave you warning of who would enter prior to their arrival" Ron reassured his friend "And, how about we set 'Mione on it in the morning. You know she'll agree with the obvious security flaw"
"Entire thing is a security flaw" Harry retorted grumpily.
"And she'll solve that too. Perhaps by making a whole new one with our added areas, like the chamber, with a password only us three can guess. Boom, only three people in the whole world can access it, especially when we get our shields fully up and running. And you throw this one somewhere into your trust vault!"
"It's a good idea Ron. Thanks. Just... I still hate the thought that Snape can sneak into my head though. Not to mention Twinkly eyes" Harry drew some unconnected runes with his finger on Ron's pants as he thought about the two men.
"Hey, no drawing runes without Hermione's supervision, remember last time that happened? Neville was slightly green for an entire month!" Ron scolded gently. The two dissolved into giggles at the memory of Neville's well-timed misfortune, poorly paired runes and the Weasley twins testing their inventions making it so he had a green sheen until they figured out how to untangle the interactions. Luckily, Neville had inherited his father's easy-going attitude, though no one knew it until he had gained some more self-confidence.
"Are they really....the marauders and mum?" Harry asked quietly.
"As far as we can tell. They at least whole-heartedly believe that they are, and the map calls them that. They just have different names 'cause of the whole already graduating thing" Ron's face fell into neutral as he thought about possible ways they could have fooled the map when they had no idea of its exact location.
"And Wormtail?"
"Baby Wormtail. Seemed just as nervous as he did in the Shack, though he's definitely younger. His features don't have the more rat-leaning aspects and his right hand is whole, including the finger he would have cut off back in '81" Ron reported.
"What do we do then?"
"Well, for starts you can move over" Hermione moved aside the curtain nearest the door. Both boys moved so she could join their huddle without comment "Now. Catch me up"
"I'm worried that the map is a security risk because now there's seven people outside of us who can open it, as well as the fact that it doesn't have a marker for junior versus senior. Ron said we should get you on making a new one so only us three have access. Which brought us to legilimency and the people we know who can use it. And then I asked if the people really are who they said they are. Ron pointed out the features of Wormtail at the very least that disproves it being the one who cut my arm" Harry summarized. Hermione nodded briefly in acknowledgement but didn't say anything yet. After a few seconds Hermione nodded again.
"Okay. So. From what I can tell, something happened that split their lives. The ones we know went on living their lives for the past twenty or so years. However, these ones time travelled as copies of a sort. Up until whatever made them suddenly end up in that corridor, the two versions were one. And then it's almost like mitosis, cell reproduction, where you end up with two identical daughter cells ideally" She explained.
"Re-explain mitosis to me in the morning 'Mione, it's escaping me right now" Ron asked. She gave him a thumbs-up.
"Back to the elephant in the room, what to do about the new students. Do we have a plan on how to eliminate them permanently just in case? Or is that just my trust issues acting up" Harry twisted his wrist to slide out his wand.
"I hate to say it mate, but your trust issues may be extremely valid in this circumstance. We have to be prepared for the two versions of the still-living ones to try and merge. Which may mean Petey boy has got to go" Ron looked vaguely disgusted at the thought of the older Peter getting that close.
"As much as I share your concerns, I believe I need to be the voice of reason in that we can't assume such an event will occur. After all, it's not like the Diary where they felt every one of those years. From what we observed, it's like they took one step out from behind the tapestry and it's suddenly 1995. I'm not saying we let them that close just because of who they are to us, far from it. I just think we need to give them the benefit of the doubt. It's not like they can use any of us as hostages" Hermione pulled her throwing dagger out from her boot as demonstration.
"That reminds me, did Theo ever tell you when he can meet up with the two of us to learn knife throwing?" Ron realized.
"No. Slytherin's just as on edge about Umbridge as we are. Turns out they have some background on her, and it isn't pretty. She's got at least two confirmed kills to get where she is. Torturing students with a Blood Quill to get them to fall in line is nothing to her. Wouldn't surprise me if she was behind the Dementors if it turns out to be the Ministry's fault"
"So if I continue to get detention with her, there's a chance she'll escalate when I refuse to give in" Harry realized. Both of his friends nodded grimly. "I won't promise to keep my head down, we all know I suck at that. I will do my best though. And I will make as big a deal as possible if I get more lines with her. Flash my hand at McGonagall, have tremors for Snape, beg Madame Pomphrey for pain potions"
"Good idea mate. We'll make sure to make the same potions for you that Pomphrey would hand over. That way, we can use whatever you get from the hospital wing for anyone else who gets lines" Ron took out a pen and jotted it in his reminder notebook. Hermione beamed at the use of her suggestions before getting serious again.
"Do you need to watch us brew?" She looked at Harry who tipped his head back and forth in thought.
"I think so. After what happened with Cedric, and then the dementors and Sirius only reaching out to tell me to be good and stay in y'know...I need to see that you're making what I know you'll make. I won't trust it otherwise" He looked upset. Ron reached out and took his hand.
"Har, mate, Hermione asked because she knows you're struggling, as do I. We're not upset that you're afraid to trust even our brews, we're all on edge. We had to sneak our letters to you after you watched someone die just because you both were too noble to take it alone. We couldn't have your back and that made us feel useless because we promised you. Promised we'd never let you do this stuff alone anymore. Had to smile and nod at the headmaster when he said you wanted to be left alone for the entire summer when we knew you needed us" Ron started to cry softly as he finally expressed what had been bothering him for months. Harry crawled over to wrap his arms around Ron, Hermione hugging both of them tightly. Harry and Hermione's hair both started to spark with their magic as they encouraged it to wrap around their huddle. Ron chuckled and his own rose to join, the three just wrapping each other in a cocoon.
"I don't blame you both. None of us knew I'd be kidnapped from an event witnessed by three schools. I got back to you, the only problem left is my issues. And you know Dumbles is high on my shit list, only Voldemort is higher cause he keeps trying to outright kill me. You found a way to make sure neither succeeded in isolating me" Harry reassured them both. Ron chuckled at that.
"Maybe one day he'll wear neon green robes with brown spots and we can charm them from a far to look like shit stains"
"Wouldn't be hard" Hermione smirked.
"Course you'd say that Ms. Set-a-teacher-on-fire-without-being-caught" Ron playfully shot back. Hermione sniffed.
"Get on my level" They all held their composure for a few seconds until dissolving into laughter. "As nice as this is, we should get some sleep. Anything else to address before we leave Harry to make a little nest for himself once more?"
"Nah. And I resent" a big yawn broke up Harry's words "that remark." Hermione just patted him on his head and stood up. Ron gave a wave and stumbled over to his own bed as she left. Harry smiled as he closed his curtains and gathered his covers around himself. His friends were the best, and he wished they could all show their true selves openly. He pushed aside the dark thoughts of those that forced them to hide parts of themselves. He really needed the sleep, as the strange corridor would most likely show up again, and Ron would make another tally mark. They all worried about what was being forced on him. But those were morning thoughts.