Yes, He IS!

Near Hogsmeade, Wednesday evening

While he’d received the missives of his former dorm-mate, Remus Lupin, and their former Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore (both via the latter’s Phoenix, Fawkes) on Monday, it had taken Sirius Black a couple of days to gather some of the Black fortune and more valuable artifacts that the former Marauders would need in the upcoming fight against Voldemort. He’d had to sneak around (fortunately, that was a Black Family trait he’d mastered early in life) to add to the cache in the abandoned house which he and the supposedly-dead Hippogriff, Buckbeak, currently occupied.

Buckbeak—who’d been condemned to death after Lucius Malfoy had presented a “half-case” (his son, Draco, had conveniently omitted the fact he’d insulted the Hippogriff, by not bowing…just before Beaky had attacked the 13-year old) to the Department of Disposal of Dangerous Beasts—originally had been beheaded; however, he’d ultimately been rescued by Harry and Hermione. The two had literally gone back in time, successfully using the Witch’s Time Turner, to save Buckbeak from his grisly fate.

Beaky usually stayed in a stable outside; however, Sirius had brought him inside this evening, so Remus could formally meet him.

The two Wizards had, long before now, agreed it was time to prepare for the return of Voldemort (although neither one could’ve foreseen the method used by the Dark Lord). It was totally understandable—given that it was his godson who’d been at the center of (and, indeed, the catalyst for) the rebirth—that Sirius was frantic to protect Harry Potter. Perhaps it was a little more surprising (at least to those who weren’t savvy to the connection between him and Sirius) that Remus would also count Harry as “extended family”.

At the alert of the Wards, Sirius jumped up, cast the Charm that identified the one approaching his temporary residence, then—after lowering the Wards—rushed to the door to welcome his fellow Marauder. As expected, the protective Beaky positioned himself between the two Wizards. “How could I forget about you?” Remus addressed the proud creature, even as he bowed deeply.

”Good boy, Beaky,” praised Sirius, as the Hippogriff and the Werewolf finished exchanging bows. Buckbeak then approached Remus, sniffing at the Wizard, then dropping his head again. This action was accompanied by an almost mournful sound.

Understanding immediately, Lupin gently patted the head of the ‘griff, saying, “You didn’t hurt me that night.” He was, of course, referring to the night last year, when he and Sirius had nearly captured the traitorous Peter Pettigrew. As Fate would have it, the Moon had been full that night, and Lupin’s forced transformation had provided enough of a distraction for the traitorous Animagus to escape. Buckbeak—having just been rescued from certain execution—had bonded with Harry and Hermione, to the point of fighting off the transformed Lupin. “I’m OK.” Buckbeak practically purred in response, snuggling against the Werewolf.

”Come on, and let Beaky and me show you around,” said Sirius, as Remus continued stroking Beaky. “We need to try to figure out what to do about Voldemort. I think the first step is to sniff out a certain Rat…,” said Sirius.

”Right behind you!” Remus replied.

Sirius (who’d been known since his school days as “Padfoot”) and Remus (“Moony”)—the Marauders’ numbers had dwindled from four, after the death of James “Prongs” Potter, and the defection of Peter “Wormtail” Pettigrew—started by reviewing glory days of their pranks a generation earlier.

”Did any of your students show any signs of…?” Sirius began…but stopped when Remus let out a hearty laugh, followed by an exaggerated, dramatic moan, causing Sirius to chuckle.

As Lupin lowered his head to the table now between them, he managed to say, “Well, Arthur Weasley’s twin sons, Fred and George—they were in Fifth Year…about the age when ‘it’ nearly happened; Sirius realized what his friend meant—certainly kept things hopping in DADA class!! It probably would’ve been a lot worse if their older brother, Percy, hadn’t been Head Boy!”

”They sound like the types who would’ve found the Map, after we lost it, Seventh Year.”

”Actually, from what I was able to piece together last year, the Map passed through several hands, before I saw it again,” Remus replied.

”Oh…? Do tell, Moony!” Sirius was on the edge of his seat, sensing a humorous story.

”As I understand it, somehow Filch got it…,” Remus paused to laugh at his friend’s moan of despair, and knew that Sirius was wondering what the Hogwarts Caretaker had made of the parchment, given that the crotchety man was a Squib, and therefore wouldn’t have been able to use the Map…even if it somehow had been activated.

Remus now continued, “Anyway, it seems Arthur’s boys swiped it from Filch’s office four years ago, and the Map sensed they had the same, ah, ‘adventurous’ natures we had, and allowed itself to be activated.” Lupin chuckled.

Remus went on to tell Sirius about the night Harry almost ran into Peter Pettigrew, and how the DADA Professor had confiscated the Map from Harry (although Remus had returned it to Harry, at the end of the school year), mere days before Black had returned to Hogwarts, after a daring escape from Azkaban (as “Padfoot”, in fact; luckily the Dementors couldn’t identify animal forms), in hopes of confronting Pettigrew, and somehow ultimately clearing his own name. Sirius had caught up to Remus in the Shrieking Shack.

The resulting confrontation had not gone well…especially after the Marauders’ main adversary, Severus Snape, had arrived to attempt apprehending Black…with Harry. Hermione and Ron as witnesses. Several Disarming Charms (and switched wands) later, and Snape had wound up being Stunned by Harry and his friends. Shortly after—on the way back to the castle…and facilitated by the rising of the full moon, and its effect on Remus—Pettigrew made his escape, and he hadn’t been seen since…at least not until the previous Saturday, when Harry was an unwilling witness (and participant) in the ritual to resurrect Voldemort.

”Maybe we’re going about this the wrong way, Moony,” said Sirius.

”How so, Pads?”

”Maybe we should be looking for Wormtail first, and make him tell us where You-Know-Who’s holed up! I wonder if Harry’s remembered anything else yet, about that graveyard…?”

Fortunately, the previous owners of Sirius Black’s current “residence” had been Magical; therefore, the dwelling had a Floo, and plenty of Floo Powder. While the Floo’s recent inactivity had hinted at problems, Remus and Sirius quickly had it in working order. “After you,” Sirius teased Remus, extending his hand toward the Floo.

”My pleasure,” Remus mock-bowed in return. Stepping over to it, he tossed in some Floo Powder. Both Marauders knew it would raise fewer eyebrows for a past teacher—even a Werewolf—to contact Albus, than for the escaped convict, Sirius Black, to do so…especially if Albus had any visitors. “Calling Hogwarts…Headmaster Dumbledore’s office,” he announced. The Werewolf then dropped to his knees, and stuck his head into the orange flames.

Remus got lucky…twice. First of all, Albus was in his office. Secondly, no one else was. “Remus!” Dumbledore exclaimed. “What an unexpected pleasure!” Both Marauders knew that Dumbledore was giving them—and himself—time to insure that their respective Floos were Warded against monitoring by Aurors whose loyalties had yet to be determined. This was especially important to Sirius, for obvious reasons (even though DMLE Amelia Bones was quietly leading the charge to get the former prisoner’s conviction overturned).

After seeing the glow that confirmed the Wards were in place—and as if reading their minds through the connection—Albus asked, “Well, do you have any leads yet?”

”No, not yet, Headmaster,” piped up Sirius, whose head now also appeared in the flames. “However, I’ve been able to get my hands on some things we can use—and some other things we can Transform, or at least liquidate—for this upcoming fight.

”I figure I’d give the money to Moony, so he could get it to the Order.”

”A good idea, and I’ll be honest, Sirius…every Sickle and Knut will help in, ah, ‘persuading’ anyone who’s on the fence which way to turn,” Albus began. “As it is, we’ve already benefited nicely from the Triwizard Tournament.”

”HOW??” The Marauders’ question was filled with incredulity that anything positive could’ve come from the heinous acts that had led to the death of an innocent student…not to mention the re-birth of Voldemort. The two Marauders practically jumped through the Floo—barely halted by Dumbledore’s chuckle, and upraised palms—to get at the story behind this incredible turn of events.

After Dumbledore finished relating the morning’s events with Fudge, Bones, the Diggorys and Harry, Albus told the two how much was already in the Order’s coffers. “Additionally, I have a sneaking suspicion that even more will be coming our way in another form…,”

”…courtesy of creations by a certain set of twins, I’m sure,” ventured a chuckling Remus.

”My thoughts exactly!” Albus concurred. “Come to think of it, I’m rather glad that Arthur’s twins ended up in a different House than the Xeno’s daughter….”

”Luna Lovegood?” Lupin practically jumped out of his skin. “Why, she certainly was one of two Second Years who kept everyone on their toes, with her skills and imagination! She’s going to be a force to be reckoned with…soon! The same thing goes for Ginny Weasley…although I’m not sure I’d tell Molly Weasley that!”

”Oh, go on, Moony…I dare you!l Sirius challenged…knowing full well that neither Marauder would escape the Weasley matriarch’s wrath at having any of her brood, especially her youngest, involved in the upcoming battle.

After the chuckling—from all three—died down, Albus dropped another bombshell. “In addition to Cornelius Fudge’s change of attitude about Voldemort’s return, there’s a chance we may be getting even more assistance from another quarter, if the whispers I’ve heard—and some things that I noticed at breakfast today—are any indication.”

”We can’t wait to hear about that!” Sirius and Remus chorused….

Transfiguration Classroom, 12:00 Noon, Wednesday

”Time!” Minerva McGonagall declared. “Please bring up your exam papers, Slytherins. Lunch will be at 12:30.”

As McGonagall glanced at the parchments that were placed on her desk, she—thanks to her cat Animagus’s heightened sense of smell—a badly-concealed attempt at the use of an Invisible Ink Transfiguration at the bottoms of exactly three exams, those of Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, and Draco Malfoy. Minerva wasn’t too surprised that Crabbe and Goyle had attempted this ruse; however, Malfoy’s actions surprised her, because—even though he was trouble outside her classroom—he was quite capable of holding his own, come Test Time.

Something inside her told the Professor to hold her tongue—and her cat-like curiosity—at bay, at least until the Transfiguration classroom was empty. After the last of the students exited, Minerva quickly cast a silent ”Colloportus”1 on the door; it was immediately followed by, ”Muffliato”2.

Suddenly remembering that each of the trio of troublemakers had subtly, slyly glanced at the lower right-hand corner of his exam when handing it in, Minerva quickly isolated those three from the rest (although she’d check the rest, too). "Revela invisibilia scripturam,”3 she quietly intoned.

What McGonagall saw on the three parchments—but only those three, she noted; no other Slytherin had volunteered the same thing Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle had—took her breath away:

The last part—especially going so far as to respectfully referring to Harry Potter as “Mr. Potter”—caused McGonagall to do a double-take. She’d have to ask Dumbledore to squeeze in yet another Emergency Staff Meeting…during Final Exams Week, no less. It would be a daunting task.

It also explained the whispers that her Animagus-enhanced hearing had detected, as she’d walked into the classroom to begin the test. Draco and his two best friends had distinctly been questioning themselves, ”You know what will happen when my father hears about this—and both of yours, too—so, are we really sure about this…?”