From the Eyes of the Werewolf

Chapter Nine

The Search

Sirius?

Sirius was here?

Sirius did...this?

Remus' mind raced as he tried to grasp what Peeves had announced. It was unfathomable! How could Sirius have gotten into the castle, let alone in so far as the portrait hole.? And it just didn't fit with what Remus knew about him to slash the Fat Lady! She had always been polite to the Marauders....

Of course, it didn't fit that Sirius would betray James and Lily either, yet he had done that.

Remus noticed that Snape was staring at him with great ferocity. Their eyes locked and neither of them said a word as Dumbledore sent the students into the Great Hall and ordered the other houses to be assembled there as well. As the last student passed them, Snape took a step forward.

"Well, Lupin? What explanation do you offer?"

"I have none," Remus said shortly.

"Is that so? You don't find it a coincidence that Black manages to get past our security after you have been hired as a member of the staff?"

Remus snapped at him, showing true anger for the first time. "I know what you're getting at, Snape, and I resent the implication!"

"I'm sure Black finds you, his good friend, quite useful right about now."

Temper rising, Remus spat out, "I will remind you that not only was Sirius my friend, but so were James and Lily and Peter! And I do NOT forgive Sirius for what he did to them!" Snape flinched at the mention of the names. "If you honestly believe that I could ever turn my back on my fallen comrades...then your heart is blacker than even I have imagined it to be!"

Not letting Snape say anything more on the subject, Remus turned and strode back to the Great Hall where Dumbledore was giving instructions for a search of the castle.

His heart was beating fast in his chest and his breathing was unsteady. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Snape did have a point. Remus was the only living person who knew that Sirius was an Animagus. Shouldn't he go and tell Dumbledore that they should be looking for a dog and not a man? For certainly Sirius had transformed by now. Was he still in the castle? If he was, Remus would be the only one able to catch onto the scent of the dog rather than that of the man.

How much he wished for the map right now! Wait a minute! The Marauder's Map! Why didn't I think of it before? I'm sure Filch still has it tucked away in one of those dreadful filing cabinets....

But before he could come up with a way to get into Filch's cabinets to look for the map, Dumbledore was asking him to help in the search for Sirius. Thinking quickly, Remus told the Headmaster he would take the fourth floor. That way he'd have easy access to the third floor as well, as both places held secret passages that Sirius knew about and could have used to gain access to the castle.

With his great speed, Remus darted up the stairs to the fourth floor and headed for a room at the very end of the corridor. His eyes glanced from side to side as he passed vacant rooms, ears on alert for any sound that might be out of the ordinary. He entered the last room on the right quietly and paused in front of the large mirror. Fourth year...we found this one our fourth year. Wonder if any students still use it?

The mirror was very large and had brass trim all around it. Shapes of various animal faces had been molded into the frame and they looked back at Remus with their cold eyes. Reaching out his right hand toward the fox on the side, Remus pushed in the face and the mirror slid open.

It was dark in the passageway, too dark for Remus' liking. Had it always been this dark?

"Lumos," he muttered and stepped inside.

But he didn't get too far, for the passageway had caved in just a few feet down. There were visible signs that someone had been using this at one time, as there were remnants of fireworks on the floor. But from the look of things, the cave-in had happened a few years ago and the passageway was useless. He turned to head back out when he suddenly caught a familiar smell....

He turned back and examined the rocks blocking his way. The scent was very faint, but it most certainly was there. Sirius...Sirius had been here. But he had been on the other side and wasn't able to get past the rocks!

Feeling his heart rate quicken, Remus sniffed just to make sure he wasn't picking up on a very old scent from his childhood. No, he didn't smell Peter or James...just Sirius. Or rather...Padfoot.

"Damn it!" he swore out loud to himself.

He exited quickly and shut the mirror, satisfied that Sirius wasn't getting in that way. That only left the witch on the third floor to check now, as Filch had found out about the other ones in their seventh year.

He took the stairs two at a time and rounded the corner towards the statue of the one-eyed witch only to meet up with the last person he wanted to deal with again tonight. He nearly ran right into Snape, who apparently had been assigned the third floor for his own search.

Not wanting him to suspect anything, Remus asked, "Found anything?"

Snape eyed him with a sneer, "Not yet...why do you ask?"

"Concern, Severus."

"Concern for Black or for yourself, Lupin? Because if I ever find that you have been helping him...."

Cutting him off Remus said, "I have not spoken to Sirius in twelve years, Severus! How can I make you believe me?"

"By telling me how he got in!"

Remus froze. "How would I know - "

"You and your little gang were always sneaking in and out of the castle. If anyone knows how he could pull off such a stunt, it would be you, wouldn't it?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Remus lied, but he hoped Snape wouldn't catch onto him.

"Why are you even down here? Is there something you needed to check with your own eyes?" Snape looked around at the portraits and classrooms and finally the statue of the witch.

Remus fought very hard against looking at the hump-backed statue right then and said calmly, but with a growing edge to his voice, "I was just going to offer my help as the third floor is larger than the fourth, where I was. Merely being polite." Remus nodded at him and brushed passed down the hallway.

He heard Snape turn the corner and start down the stairs. Stopping his own path, Remus turned and stealthily walked back to the statue. He sniffed heavily and found no trace of Sirius here. Giving a look around to make sure the coast was clear, he took out his wand and went to tap the witch.

Hold it...this requires the use of a wand! Realizing that Sirius had had his wand snapped when he was taken to Azkaban, Remus heaved a sigh of relief. He couldn't possibly be using this passageway, as it requires a wand to work it!

Satisfied that the passageway behind the statue was safe, he replaced his wand in his belt and headed down the stairs to the Great Hall. With the new information about the two passageways, Remus now knew just how Sirius had gone in and out of the castle. He had used the front door.

But how? There were dementors guarding the doors day and night! Sirius wouldn't possibly be able to walk right past them without them noticing him!

A thought chilled him to the bone. What if the dementors didn't recognize him? What if he was coming in disguised as the dog?

Remus brushed the thought away quickly. The dementors would certainly be aware of any strange animal that made its way up the main steps of Hogwarts. Surely they would scare a dog off with ease. No, Sirius had to be using some sort of dark magic to get into the castle.

Having been giving the "all's well" signal from Dumbledore, Remus went to his chambers in the staff wing. He flopped down in his armchair and closed his eyes tightly, trying to erase the scent of his old friend from his memory.

Sirius had been right here...he was right here!

Remus sat forward and rubbed his eyes, feeling the tension build up in his shoulders. The full moon was only a day away and this was not the way he wanted to face it. Standing up, he began to pace his rooms. His mind was racing over all the different types of spells Sirius could have used to get past the dementors. Naturally, the Dark Lord had probably taught Sirius a thing or two while he was still in his service. It was quite possible that Sirius knew spells and curses the likes of which Remus couldn't even fathom.

He felt a growl growing in the pit of his stomach. He had never understood why Sirius had done what he had done to their friends. He had been angry with him for so many years. But it wasn't until tonight that he felt the full weight of that anger. Sirius was using all the resources he had at his disposal to get to Harry...for Remus was convinced that Harry was Sirius' target. Not only was Sirius using what his master had taught him, but he was also using the tricks and secrets Remus himself had helped him discover.

He stopped pacing in front of the picture sitting on the mantel of the fireplace. The four smiling faces waved back at him with joy, unaware of how short their time together would be. Unaware that the boy in the middle would betray them. Unaware that two lives would be shortened and lost forever senselessly.

Rage like he'd never felt before swelled within him and Remus smashed the picture down on his desk. The glass shattered into pieces. "Damn it, Sirius! DAMN IT!"