The Time Guardian and the Prophecies

The Time Guardian and the Prophecies

Chapter 1 The Beginning...

Remus Lupin was glad to be heading back to the Gryffindor common room. The dusty rooms and furniture of the Shrieking Shack offered no consolation during his lycanthropy transformations. And students were forbidden to leave the castle due to the recent emergence of a new evil power who called himself Voldemort. His faithful followers, Death Eaters, had begun attacking both the wizard and Muggle communities, creating fear in every witch and wizard in Britain. Usually Remus' friends, James, Sirius, and Peter would conveniently disregard all Hogwart's rules, but this was extremely important, and they reluctantly agreed to stay behind during his transformation.

Remus walked quickly down the corridor, not caring to be found by Filch or Mrs. Norris. He didn't notice the blur coming toward him until it had already knocked him over and practically fallen on top of him. Remus looked up to see the someone or something that had run into him. Caught off guard, he gasped as he saw a young girl shaking severely from what he thought was being wet. She was soaked from the thunderstorms raging outside.

"Are you okay?" Remus looked on with concern.

"Big, black dog," she muttered as she continued to shake.

Sirius, he thought, halfway annoyed that he would scare this poor girl and that he and probably James and Peter had gone outside the castle without him.

Remus considered what he would do to the three of them when he saw them next. He nearly jumped as he felt the girl curl up next to him. He hesitantly put his arms around her.

Dia would kill me if she saw this, Remus said. Then again this is an innocent situation, nothing to be jealous about. Just helping a scared little girl...Wait, how did she get in here anyway? The castle is supposed to be invisible to Muggles.

Remus looked down at the girl. She was quite beautiful. Her brown hair was smooth, shiny, and fell down to her shoulders. Her eyelids were part of the way closed but Remus could tell that her eyes were light. They held no happiness, only sadness and trepidation, but if her eyes had shown a peace, they only would have added to her beauty. Up close and overall, she maintained an older appearance about her though she was tiny. After Remus had held her for a considerable while, the girl seemed to be in a deep sleep and visibly calm. He carefully retrieved his wand so that she wouldn't notice and muttered a drying spell.

They stayed there for a few more moments until the girl realized that she was hugging a complete stranger. She pulled away from the warm, comforting arms.

"Oh! I'm sorry." She blushed and stared at the ground.

"It's alright really. I'm glad I was here to help. You look like you've had quite a fright. My name is Remus Lupin by the way." He held out his hand.

The girl eagerly shook it. "I'm Beth, Elizabeth Spenser. Hmmm, I've heard your name somewhere before, I know I have." She looked up into his silvery-gray eyes and gasped. *Her hopes were confirmed when the light-haired boy looked up and over to the left. She now knew his name. It was Remus.*

Beth stared at him, making Remus shift uncomfortably. "Well there is the story of the twins, Remus and Romulus."

"Yes, but I don't think that's it." I remember that I was visiting my grandparents. I was asleep and dreaming about... Beth tried desperately to recall the last few hours of her life but found them to be missing from her memory. *The boy was tall and attractive with light brown hair and silvery-gray eyes.* She found herself looking up at him again, coming to the first of many realizations that she would have that night. I dreamt about him...but why would I dream about someone I've never met? This is too surreal...

As the silence invaded the comfort between the two, Remus was again curious to know how this mysterious girl managed to get into Hogwarts. He decided that he had to find out why she was here. Water drenched girls didn't usually show up in the middle of a hallway, not even in Hogwarts. "Beth, how did you get here?" he asked gently.

How did I get here? That's a good question. Why did I leave my grandparents' house? I remember something else... *A figure appeared in the shadows, a creature. She moved forward to investigate. An enormous shaggy black dog came bounding toward her. She gasped and began to run away.*

Maybe that's it. I'm not really sure. Nothing is making sense right now. I have to tell him something. After racking her brain, Beth was able to come up with a few details of what could have possibly happened to her in the last few hours, but she unfortunately couldn't tell which were true and which were not.

"Oh, that. Well, I know I was visiting my grandparents, and I think I got lost. Everything's really hazy. I think when I saw a big, black dog, I ran and came upon these ancient ruins. I was glad that I was able to get in and that there was a roof over my head," she explained quickly.

This all has to be a dream, even this boy in front of me, though part of me hopes that he's not. I wish I understood what was going on. Beth glimpsed around at her surroundings and noticed that this was not a ruin as she had seen from the outside but a well-kept castle.

Why am I here of all places? And am I in danger? I need to start thinking about things logically. What am I going to do? Can I trust Remus? Even though I have seen him before in my dreams, I've really just met him. Beth waited for a sign as to what to do from here.

Ancient ruins? Remus thought. That's what Hogwarts looks like to Muggles, but there are repelling charms to keep Muggles away so how could she possibly have been able to get in?

"Well, we better not stay out here. I know where there is a warm fire you can sit by." He stood and held out his hand to help her up.

"I don't know..." Beth bit her lower lip. Should I trust someone I've just met? I don't even know what's happened to me or my family.

Remus saw the hesitation in her eyes. She wasn't very keen on following him anywhere. He, himself, wasn't very keen on bringing her to Gryffindor Tower, but she really looked like she needed the help. He had seen the recognition in her eyes when she saw him. Somehow she knew of him, but how Remus had no idea. If anyone could help her in her situation it would be Professor Dumbledore. Unfortunately, it was about the time of the month when the password to Dumbledore's office changed, and only Lily Evans, his fellow prefect, would have the new password.

"Are you okay, Beth?" he asked trying to figure out what she was thinking in regards to him.

"Yeah, sorry. I'm just not sure I should go..." Her voice trailed off, too embarrassed to say what was on her mind.

"Look, it's okay. I promise that whatever you encountered outside can't hurt you anymore. And I promise I mean you no harm." He held out his hand again, sure that this time everything would be alright.

Beth took his hand and felt a warm comfort wash over her. She found those intense silvery-gray eyes with her own hazel ones and knew that Remus was someone she could trust.

The two started to walk. Beth's feet slipped out from under her as she stepped in a puddle that she had tracked in. As she began to wobble, Remus caught her and set her on her feet again. She continued to sway like a child who had been spun around many times. Ohh, I feel so dizzy. I don't know if I can make it.

"Careful there. Looks like you're still a little unsteady. Do you need any help?"

"I guess so..."

Remus put his arm around Beth to steady her. "Here, lean on me to help you walk when you feel dizzy, and we can stop if you need to."

"Alright, then."

The two stopped several times before they made it to the stairs just below the Fat Lady.

Beth looked over at Remus as she steadied herself against the wall. "Remus, what in the world are you wearing? Halloween is not for another month or so."

"Uh...um...well..." He stuttered as he quickly tried to come up with an explanation that would satisfy her. Beth raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well, it's essential really. It gets rather cold in the castle at night and especially during the winter, so we've found that wearing these outfits and heavy cloaks are advantageous to keeping us warm."

"We? Us?" Beth inquired.

"Yes, there are others like me living here in the castle."

"Oh. You're right, I suppose. It is quite chilly in here."

"Well, Beth, you have been outside in the cold, wet rain. I'm sure it feels even colder to you." Remus breathed a sigh of relief as he draped his cloak around her shoulders.

"Thank you."

"We're almost there. Are you ready to continue?"

"Yes, I think so. Will I get to meet others?"

"I'm sure you will and pretty soon, if you're up to it." He put his arm around her once again to steady her.

"Oh my, all this walking is making me extremely tired."

"That's okay. I'll help you get there." Remus kindly assured her.

Beth was feeling increasingly dizzy as they neared the portrait of the Fat Lady. Am I seeing things? There's a huge portrait of a large lady in a pink dress. Her lips are moving. Is she saying something? Oh goodness, I think I'm hallucinating now.

Beth began to fall again, but Remus caught her before she hit the floor. "We're nearly there, Beth. Just a few more steps, and then you can lie down." He hoped that there wouldn't be too many people in the common room.

As Remus entered the common room, Lily Evans glanced up at him from her studies on the floor. "There's a couch right here in front of you by the fireplace. Lie down and rest." He looked up to see Lily walking over to the two of them.

"Hi, Remus. Who's this?" She asked with a slight concern.

*The red-haired girl didn't seem to notice as she was busy making funny faces...* Beth thought Lily looked vaguely familiar just as Remus did. She had the pure red hair and emerald green eyes that Beth knew she had seen somewhere else. Beth shook her head to clear her thoughts. No, it couldn't be. Could it be possible that I've seen her in my dream as well?

"Beth, this is Lily Evans." He looked over at Lily. "She was frightened by something outside and ran in the castle and into me quite literally," Remus grinned sheepishly. Lily gave him a look, one with growing concern.

"Good to meet you." Lily smiled politely. "Would you excuse Remus and me for a few minutes?"

Lily pulled Remus by the arm to a corner of the room. "Remus, what's going on?" She continued before he could say anything, "Where did she come from? I've never seen that girl in my life. Is she a Hogwarts student?"

"Er...uh..." He wasn't expecting Lily to ask questions. Or more accurately was hoping that Lily wouldn't ask questions.

"Remus, what's wrong? Are you okay? You look a little pale still from being sick." She paused before continuing. "So...how did she get here? As a prefect, I shouldn't need to remind how dangerous it is to let just anyone in to the castle and especially the common room. What if she's working for Voldemort?" Lily reprimanded him gently in a way that Dumbledore would most certainly use.

He put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Lily. I didn't let her in. She just came in. I don't know how though. I don't think Beth would be working for Voldemort. She's a Muggle, it seems. She believes the castle is an ancient ruin which is what..."

Lily waved his arm off. "Yes, yes I know. That's how Muggles see Hogwarts. But why didn't she get repelled away then? Wait, what if the defenses on the walls of Hogwarts are weakening? Shouldn't we go see Professor Dumbledore right away?"

Remus considered her questions for a moment. "Lily, I don't think we're in any real immediate danger. If anyone is in trouble, it's Beth. Everything will be fine. We'll talk to Dumbledore in the morning. Right now we have to work on telling Beth about the magical world before she finds out in an unexpected way."

"You're right, I suppose." She sighed. "Let's go tell her."

Remus turned toward the sleeping figure of Beth curled up on the couch. Telling her wouldn't be easy. He sat down next to her on the couch, watching her sleep peacefully. He was in awe of her beauty. He pushed the hair that had fallen in her face aside. She looked like an angel, and she seemed to be heaven-sent with the way they both met. And yet being with her seemed impossible. The fact that he was with Dia wasn't a problem. Though he liked Dia, there were no strong feelings between them, not like what he was feeling for Beth right now. He could hold her forever if he wanted just as he had in the corridor and...

"Remus, Remus." Lily whispered, snapping her fingers in front of his face. "I see how you're looking at her. You know she's off limits. She looks about 13 and besides you're still with Dia, remember?"

Remus put a muting spell on Beth's ears. His cheeks seemed to hold a newfound pink tinge as he searched for the words to express what he was feeling. Lily had always been a friend to him, and he felt that he could trust her to understand and not tell anyone else. He opened his mouth but shut it when he heard noises coming from just outside the portrait hole.

The Fat Lady swung open, and footsteps were heard at the entrance of the common room. Remus and Lily both looked over to see James and Sirius pulling off James' Invisibility Cloak. Being that they were out of the common room past curfew, Lily met them halfway, ready to start in on them.

James saw Lily coming toward him and was set to try to impress her. Unfortunately, he still had no clue what the right way was to do this.

"Hail, Hail! The Brothers of Mischief have arrived!" James announced to an almost empty common room, as he messed with his hair. "No need to applaud our arrival." Some fourth year girls in the corner looked up at them and giggled. "Ah, my most loyal subject has come to grace me with her presence." He smiled hoping Lily would be in a good mood.

She wasn't amused. She scowled at him and made the boy who was considerably taller than her quiver in fear. "Potter, Black, what are you doing out of the common room at this time of night? You know we're not allowed to go wandering the halls, especially now that Voldemort has come into power. I should turn you both in to Professor McGonagall." Her eyes flashed dangerously. She looked highly irritated and worried.

They took a few steps closer to the couch where Remus sat with Beth. "Hey, no worries, Evans. We'd never get caught or anything. It's not like we went outside the castle," Sirius replied nonchalantly.

"That is not the point," she said in a huff.

James grinned and unconsciously messed with his hair. "Sirius, I do believe that Evans is softening toward us. She's actually worried for our safety! At this rate, she'll be accompanying me on the next Hogsmeade weekend," he smirked.

"Not a chance, Potter! Get the idea out of your thick, inflated skull. I'd rather take my chances with the giant squid. And I don't give a darn about your safety. I just don't want you to lose anymore points from Gryffindor, especially the ones I have worked hard to earn. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal clear, Evans," Sirius said quickly in an attempt to stop James from saying anything else and getting them in trouble, "now if you will excuse us, we have some business to attend to before bed."

"That business better be homework, Black, or I'm going to have your head mounted on the wall over the fireplace." She replied nonchalantly, not realizing the implications of her statement.

Sirius found the idea revolting that she could compare him to the house elves that were forever immortalized in the hallway of the Black House. How could she possibly know about that? He shook his head to push the thought from his mind as she offered an alternative. "Either homework or the visitor that is with Remus, your choice."

For the first time, James and Sirius turned their attention to Remus and the girl who was lying next to him. James frowned and his whole demeanor changed from arrogant prick to concerned friend.

Sirius, not realizing the implications of Beth's appearance as of yet, couldn't help but make stupid comments at Remus' expense. "Hey, Remus, who's the cute girl? Aren't you dating that Dia Lyons?" Sirius teased.

"Yes, I am." He gave a short answer, not wanting to delve into his love life.

"She's a bit young for you, isn't she Remus?" Sirius winked.

Remus blushed slightly and dismissed the meaning behind his statement. "Actually I don't know how old she is, didn't ask. I discovered her in one of the corridors on my way from the infirmary. She's been sleeping most of the time. Seems that she was scared by a big, black dog," he continued in an annoyed tone, "and so she ran into Hogwarts, trying to get away from the dog and the rain."

Sirius seemed offended by his comment. "I don't believe there were any big black dogs out their tonight, Remus. I would have checked myself, but James and I were too busy scoping out the Slytherin common room and dormitories for our next prank."

Remus' facial features softened, showing he was no longer upset with them. Lily stood behind him, leaning on the back of the couch. She was confused about the sudden code but said nothing. "We think she may be a Muggle, but we don't know how she would have gotten in if she was," she interrupted them to draw the conversation back to Beth.

"Well, what do we do with her now, then?"

James was the first to make a suggestion. There was a serious tone in his voice, one that the boys didn't hear too often and that Lily had never heard. "First, I guess we'll have to tell her about our world for now. We can always get Dumbledore to modify her memory before we send her back to..."

"No," Remus interrupted, "she can't go back. She...I..." He couldn't continue.

"Remus," James paused, "You know we can't be too careful with Muggles."

Lily was amazed that James could be cautious and sensible. She really didn't think that he was capable. What is going on here? Potter cares? Wait, what do I care if he cares? I must be more tired than I thought. Tomorrow morning Potter will be back to his old self, and I'll go back to being annoyed with him all the time. Lily turned from watching James to looking at Remus.

"I know, James. I just have this feeling that she'll be here awhile though."

"Shall we wake her and tell her the good news?" Sirius asked, a big smile spreading across his face.

Remus took off the muting charm and gently shook her awake. He didn't realize Sirius was very close to her. She stirred and turned her head away from the couch opening her eyes. She shrieked. "Dog!"

"Hey, I'm insulted!"

"No, you aren't, Sirius, don't lie," James smirked.

"Beth, these are my best friends, Sirius Black and James Potter." Remus informed her. "How are you feeling?"

*They were laughing at a joke that the tall gray-eyed boy with smooth black hair had just told. Another tall boy with untidy black hair and hazel eyes was directing everyone into position...* Beth sat up to get a better look at the two boys. This must be one big, long dream or piece of déjà vu. I know I've seen these two boys as well.

She turned her attention back to Remus. "I'm better. Nice to meet you all. So how did you find this place? Did you steal away from parents or an orphanage?"

The four looked uncomfortable. "Actually, no," James began, "We're at a school where we learn different things than you do. We study magic."

"Magic?" She began to laugh. "Oh, that's a good one. Come on, what are you really doing here?"

Sirius pulled out his wand to show her. She gave a short yell as the instrument looked familiar but she couldn't place it. "What the bloody hell? You're nutters." I remember something else, something different... *Hooded figures with pieces of wood emitting green and red lights...*

Remus found Beth's reaction to Sirius' wand to be more than a bit unsettling. She was clearly frightened by the sudden exchange. He began to question just what did happen to her before he found her in the corridor. What could have happened to her? A horrible thought suddenly struck Remus. Voldemort.

Remus glanced around at his friends and saw that no one else seemed to find her outburst a bit peculiar. Lily was looking at Beth in an odd sort of way as though she was about to come to the same conclusion Remus had only moments before.

"No, we're telling the truth." James protested. "Just watch this."

He pulled out his wand and a chocolate frog. "Ennervate." The frog began to jump in his hand.

"That's nothing, watch this." Sirius pulled out a small seed eager to show up his best mate. "Florioso." The seed grew into a beautiful rose, which he gave to Beth.

Beth watched with amazement. "Wow, you really weren't lying." She looked over at Remus. "So, I guess that's the real reason why you're wearing uniforms and cloaks over them." Black cloaks, magical sticks, magic wands. Could they be like the ones I just remembered?

"Of course we weren't lying." Sirius smiled.

"Your...wands, that's what you call them right?" Remus nodded. He wasn't sure he liked where this was headed. "Do...can they do harmful things?"

Remus put his hand on Beth's shoulder. "Only if someone wants to. Beth, listen to me. Did someone try to hurt you before you came to the castle?"

*The figure raised the wood in its hand, muttering something incomprehensible to her.* "I...I don't know. Is it bad that I can't remember anything?" Beth burst into tears. "What's happening to me, Remus? I'm so confused and scared."

Remus really didn't know what to say to Beth. He had an idea what was going on with her, but he didn't think it was a good idea to mention anything just yet. Lily saved him from having to say what was on his mind.

"We should probably get to bed now. It's getting late. We can bring Beth to see Professor Dumbledore in the morning since it's Saturday," Lily piped up, ignoring a horrorstruck James who was appalled she would suggest sleep so early on a Friday night.

"Professor Dumbledore?" Beth tried to dry her tears.

"Yes, he's our headmaster. He always knows what to do. He can help you get back to your family," Lily headed toward the stairs that led to the girls' dormitories.

"Oh, I hope I can go back to my family. I wish I could do magic, though. It would be fun." Beth sighed. "More importantly, I wish I wasn't so confused and could tell you how and why I'm here," she sniffed.

Remus looked around and saw that the common room was empty except for Lily and his fellow Marauders. "Don't worry. You'll feel better in the morning. Lily, can you help me take Beth to your dormitory?" Lily whirled around to stare at Remus.

"But Remus, you're not allowed up into the girls' dormitories. Remember Professor McGonagall put up those extra precautionary measures two years ago when she caught Sirius sneaking up the staircase three nights in a row?"

Mischievous smiles formed on all three Marauders' faces. "Don't worry about that, Evans. We've got that all taken care of." James smirked and played with his hair.

Lily briefly gave him a suspicious look. She returned to the couch to help Remus lead Beth upstairs when they heard girls' voices coming from the staircase to the girls' dormitories.

"Lily, we thought you'd be done your homework by now. I know you didn't have that much to finish..." The short blond girl stopped in mid-sentence when she noticed that there was a strange girl standing in between Remus and Lily.

Remus sat back down, knowing that it was going to be a little while longer before they brought Beth upstairs to sleep.

Beth looked over at the three girls who had just entered the room. *Two girls, the tallest with brown doe-like eyes and caramel skin and the shortest with fair skin, wispy blond hair, and blue button eyes, were whispering to one another.* Things keep getting stranger...

"Hi, girls." Lily smiled. "I'd like you to meet someone, who may quite possibly be staying with us for awhile. Beth, this is Alice Prewett, Dorcas Meadowes, and Morwenna Marchbanks. Girls, this is Beth."

"Nice to meet you." She shook hands with each one of them. The tall athletic girl with dark skin and brown eyes was Dorcas. The shorter plump girl with blond hair and blue eyes was Alice. The third girl, Morwenna, was thin with dark hair and eyes. *The last girl, who was rather slender with dark hair and eyes, and the shortest and heaviest boy, who had mousy brown hair and watery blue eyes, were doubled over in laughter...*

The boy with blue eyes, where is he? Beth smiled. I'm almost remembering something. I'm beginning to put things together. A sudden pop made Beth turn towards the fireplace. She stepped closer as though she was seeing it for the first time.

*Suddenly the dream became focused on someone else, who was apparently next to a boy, trying to calm his mate down. This boy was tall and attractive just like the two boys with black hair, but instead he had light brown hair and silvery-gray eyes. Behind him was a bright and raging fire in an enormous stone fireplace. The dream was now almost like a movie zooming in on one specific character. His face looked tired, but his eyes danced with laughter.

Yes, she liked him the best and was drawn to him the most out of all the friends. A burst of sound filled the dream for a split second, and she heard the words that echoed in her mind for hours afterward.

"Hey, Remus!"*

Beth dropped to the floor gasping for air as though someone had knocked the wind out of her. Remus knelt down beside her to make sure she was okay.

"Beth, what's wrong?"

*Every time she saw these 8 friends, she wished that they were real and that she could know them. All of them seemed so close to one another, and she was lonely without any friends. The only people she had were her parents, grandparents and cousin, the last of whom she would rather do without.*

Beth threw her arms around Remus' neck. "It wasn't a dream," she whispered.

Remus blushed at the abrupt gesture. Everyone else looked on with concern for Beth's sudden strange behavior. "What wasn't a dream, Beth?" Alice asked cautiously.

"You, all of you. I dreamt that you were all gathering for a photo. S-Sirius had just told a joke. James was directing everyone into position. Alice and Dorcas were sharing secrets. Lily and Sirius were making faces at the camera, much to James' dismay. He was going to tell them off, but you, Remus, stepped in to calm him down. You were standing in front of the fire place," she paused before continuing.

"That's how I remembered the dream, and I remember something else too. There was a black dog in my dream coming toward me, and my cousin was laughing. No, someone else was laughing. When I woke up I remember someone laughing, and it was a horrible evil laugh." She shuddered.

"My grandparents were having a party. I remember hearing screams and seeing wands. That's why I asked about wands doing harm. I still don't remember how I got here, but do you think everyone at the party is alright? Do you think my family is going to be okay?" Beth put her head on Remus' shoulder.

Everyone shared a knowing look. Remus hesitantly put his arms around Beth to comfort her. James spoke up. "We don't know, Beth, but we can talk to Professor Dumbledore in the morning. He'll know more and can help you find your family."

"It think it's time for bed, girls," Lily motioned them to go on ahead of her to their dormitory.

Remus gently pulled Beth up into a standing position, and Lily helped him lead her to the girls' room. He stopped the two of them at the base of the stairs so he could temporarily disengage McGonagall's alarm. Lily watched as he tapped some of the bricks by the stairs and muttered, "Quisque est abstineo." Whatever he did seemed to work, because all was silent as they climbed the stairs with Beth. Lily directed Beth to the bed that she offered to give up for the night, while Remus quickly returned to his own room.

"Hey! It's lover-boy. So, did you kiss her goodnight, Moony?"

Remus pulled off his shirt and threw it at Sirius. "Shove it, Padfoot. How can you be so insensitive? She may have lost the only family she has. And I just met her, for Merlin's sake. I'm not like you, snogging away the second you meet a new girl. She's nice, and I wouldn't want to scare her away."

"A new girl? What's this about a new girl, Moony? What about Dia Lyons?" Peter had just awoken to the conversation.

"Her name's Beth." Remus sat on his bed, looking away from his mates. "And she's sort of pretty, I guess," he admitted. James, Sirius, and Peter sniggered knowing how Remus was when it came to being interested in any new girl. Like the time in fifth year when he had a crush on the Hufflepuff Amelia Bones, and it look months for him to admit it to them let alone actually go and talk to her.

Remus stood up and changed into his night clothes so he could jump into his four-poster. "I don't know. We'll just see what happens. Like James said, she may even be going back to her family tomorrow."

He was attempting to be the voice of reason as usual. "It's not like I'm head over heels for her, unlike James, who's quite smitten with a certain Lily Evans." He smirked and Sirius as well as Peter broke out into fits of laughter.

James turned bright red. "Not funny, you three." He appeared to be an arrogant fool amongst other people at Hogwarts because he was trying to impress Lily. And he really didn't have a clue when it came to winning her over. With the rest of the Marauders, however, James could be himself and talk about his real feelings with his best mates.

"Don't worry, Prongs. She'll like you, eventually. Hey, years from now you two may even be married," Remus teased. James levitated his pillow in the air and successfully hit all three other Marauders, silencing the two laughing hyenas and ending all serious conversation.