Veritas et Tempus

Chapter four: Order of the Phoenix

Subtitled: You never thought I'd get this far, did you?

"Proofread carefully to see if you any words out." - The Beta Reader's Bible

***

Harry mulled over the first day of term in his mind as he walked to lunch. This year was going to be just as interesting (Insert witty, yet sarcastic comment here.) his godfather, in a fit of overprotective ness, was now a teacher. Not only that, a female teacher - Harry didn't even know how! Not only that, but the teacher who loathed both godfather and son package was now in love (he thought) with Ricki Bell... aka Sirius Black. Not to mention that when he got up that morning he'd been unusually stiff, and his robes were sopping wet, and he was seeing his mother in daydreams.

***

Ricki Bell was stomping down the corridor, after skidding as Peeves pulled the carpet from under her, and sending her skidding (much to Severus's embarrassment.) straight into the Potions master. She'd then started out in the same direction as Severus. He knew why he was going to the headmaster's office... he'd feel quite daft if he didn't... and he had a good reason. It was a one hundred to one chance, however, that Ricki Bell could be asking for leave too. Too much of a coincidence. She seemed to sense his thoughtfulness, and turned on him.

"Do you know of any other way to get to the Headmaster's office?" she asked in that same, moody tone. Her red hair fell around her shoulders, and she had a ribbon in her hand. Her hair must have come loose when he bumped into her.

""There's none that I know of." Severus answered; feeling very surprised that his theory being confirmed. She was getting time off at the exact same time as him! But why? Severus quickened his pace so that he kept up with her. She gave a soft snort of impatience. She's even beautiful when she does that, Severus thought to himself. (Poor Severus couldn't be aware of who Ricki really was.)

As the two rounded the final turn, Ricki stopped beside the Gargoyle, and stood for a second, expecting Severus to walk on. When he didn't a small flush rose in her cheeks, and she glared in annoyance.

"Bulls eyes." She said to the Gargoyle, which swung back. She stepped into the hallway, still seeming uncomfortably aware of Severus's presence. Finally, she rounded on him.

"My god, man! I'd drive a stake through your heart, if I wasn't sure nothing could kill you!" she growled in exasperation. Severus overlooked her little outburst.

"Asking for leave too?" he asked.

"Yes! Well, obviously!" He didn't trouble her to ask why it was obvious. Instead, he knocked smartly on the door to Professor Dumbledore office, seeing that Ricki wasn't going to trouble herself to do it.

Unknown to him, this was because Ricki had been trying to think of a good enough reason to get leave. She (or he) had the same reason for leave as Severus... but if she asked for leave because of that, he would instantly know that she was Sirius. Finally, as he knocked on the door, it struck her. She'd read the obituaries that day, and seen a Bell had died.

"Come in."

***

Both of them walked in, Sirius looking around and absorbing the familiarity of the office. He had had so many visits in here at school, mainly being caught with a dung bomb in hand. Honestly, McGonagall just didn't seem to understand that it wasn't fair to still give him a detention if he hadn't even achieved what he was getting the detention for.

"Severus Ricki! To what do I owe the honour of this visit?" asked Dumbledore, smiling at them both. Sirius avoided his eyes, feeling a pang of guilt. He really thinks I'm Ricki Bell. Keep telling yourself that, Sirius. He thought inwardly.

"My...aunt... Marianna Bell passed away last night. Could... could I get leave to go to the mass?" asked Sirius hopefully, sniffling slightly to add to the effect. Dumbledore must have heard of this already, as he nodded and muttered;

"Of course, I'm very sorry for your loss. I didn't know you were a relative of Katie's mother."

Katie Bell's mother! Sirius, you utter idiot! What if someone asks her if Ricki was there? Oh, for goodness sake... Sirius trailed off, as Snape look his silence for grief, and squeezed his hand. And James said that Snape would never like any Gryffindor. Was the first thing that Sirius thought, trying not to mile, thinking of what James would say if he was looking at this situation.

He's probably sitting on a cloud up there with mum, pointing down and laughing 'that utter prat! Hey, Lily, look at this!'

"And Severus? Here for moral support?" Dumbledore looked at Snape from over his half moon glasses. Severus shook his head, and wordlessly handed Dumbledore a duplicate of the letter Sirius had just received. The difference was that instead of 'Dear Padfoot.' It was 'Dear Severus.'

"Ah yes, that time again already?" asked Dumbledore, sounding slightly curious.

"No, it's an emergency, apparently." Snape didn't seem to think it was an emergency. Sirius knew better, Remus would never call an emergency meeting for no good reason.

"Very well, you're both excused from classes today and tomorrow. I'll see what I can do in getting a substitute."

"Oh, I'll be here for tomorrow's classes." Said classes." Said Snape immediately. Wouldn't want to miss out on the torture any more than he had to. Thought Sirius.

"Me too." Said Sirius.

"Really? You're not going to Mrs. Bell's funeral? Just the Mass?" asked Dumbledore.

"Can't stand funerals... just so morbid... always been afraid of buried alive...can't stand them... turn my stomach." Sirius muttered, looking at the floor and thinking how his lies just seemed to be getting bigger and bigger. He then quickly excused himself, saying, "I need a bit of time to myself... I was very close to Marianna."

Close call. Sirius, I've said it before, I'll say it again. You can't lie to save your life.

***

"Listeners are advised to stay indoors at all times, and listen for further storm warnings. It's a real howler out there tonight, you'd be mad to be out there." This broadcast went out all over Britain, on BBC radio 3's weather report, and yet even in this weather, as rain beat down and thunder rumbled ominously behind the lashing droplets of this bleak night, two figures were forlornly making their way down the country road known as 'Beggar's walk.' just outside of Charminster. The small town near Dorchester had been flooded already... The rain had made the river of Frome burst its banks.

One figure was wearing a long overcoat and holding an umbrella that kept blowing backwards on her, and was holding a small wooden box securely in one long-nailed hand. Her hair was tied very securely into a ponytail, and there was - to her own irritation - reddish pink lipstick smudged slightly on her lips. The other figure was so wrapped up that every single part of him was covered in cloth, besides his face. By all means that wasn't a good thing. A straggle of blonde hair hung over his blue eyes, and his white teeth were slightly bared in annoyance.

"I can't figure out where we are." said the woman, holding a map in her hand, and turning it in the darkness.

"Are you a witch or what?" asked the man with a glare.

"Are you the three times winner of witch weekly's most charming smile award or what?" she shot back.

"I am insulted! It was five times!" Gilderoy Lockhart, as we can now call him, swept his hand to his head as if he was about to faint from the insult alone, of course - very gracefully - he wouldn't have it any other way. Beside him, the woman - Rita Skeeter - gave a low snort of contempt, and muttered that he wouldn't have won it if he hadn't bleached his teeth.

"Shut up, Rita." Gilderoy held his wand high over his head, but the light still reached only a few feet ahead of them. The two plodded on, not exchanging even a single glance or word, both pairs of eyes fixed on the rocky pathway ahead, that shone in twinkling light. After a short walk, Rita's keen eyes spotted a small cottage. She gestured for Gilderoy to follow as she changed her direction.

The soft babbling and chattering of a mixed conversation reached their ears, bickering and re-unions. Both of the two recognised all of the voices instantly, and a small grin crept onto Rita's face.

"Ooh, Drizzle!" grumbled the voice of Doris Crockford.

"Mare like floods," replied Dedalus Diggle in his thick accent.

"He means more like floods," Arabella Figg's softer Glasgow accent translated.

"Where the frigging Nora are Rita and Gil, the dozy buggers?" asked Celestina Warbeck, sounding ready to kill.

"We're here, we're here." said Gilderoy crossly, quickening his pace. Half an hour spent walking with Rita Skeeter could take years off of anyone's life, and he was looking significantly older than he had that morning. Rita gave a soft, irritated noise and turned her back on them, leaning against the door in a coy way and winking at one of the men gathered - one with messy brown hair and a tired expression - called Dedalus.

"Long time no see," she said in an alluring voice.

"It has been, hasn't it? Eh...um...Did ye ken I'm engaged now?" Dedalus said quickly, roping his arm around Arabella, who giggled. She then gasped that she was going to squash the kitten ("Marvin.") in her arms, and pulled away in horror. Rita was glaring at Dedalus in a way that plainly meant 'what, so I wasn't good enough for you?'

"Calm down, you're all acting younger than the adolescents I teach! Now can I take a roll?"

"Yes Professor!" answered Rita, Doris, Arabella and Celestina sweetly. None of them had been taught by Severus, but still loved to tease him. The four also adored in confusing him somehow and making him miss a name, just to see how he handled being flustered. However, they never actually succeeded.

"Arabella?" asked Severus, scanning the list.

"Aye." Arabella Figg answered instantly.

"Doris?"

"It wasn't me!" Doris Crockford, who hadn't been listening, was startled by the sudden, loud mention of her name.

"Dedalus."

"Here." Dedalus Diggle yawned. Three O' Clock in the morning was not his favourite time to be standing in the middle of the country, in a storm.

"... Lockhart?" Severus' good mood didn't seem to stretch to calling Gilderoy his first name.

"At your service." Someone pinched Gilderoy as he said this, and Arabella's foot somehow managed to connect with Gilderoy's shin, as she muttered 'Don't be a smug bastard,' to him.

"Rita?" he drawled, raising one eyebrow at the drenched woman, who snorted haughtily in reply.

"Tina?"

"I dinnae do it!" yelped Celestina Warbeck, having been deep in conversation with Doris, and jumping to the same conclusion.

"And... Black," there was a final note in Severus's voice as he called out the final name. A small flurry of mutterings spread through the other six. Arabella sighed impatiently, seemingly the only one present who knew Sirius' current predicament... let alone that he was innocent in the first place.

"I'd murder the git if I ever saw him again!" muttered one of the women.

"Belt up, you don't even know the whole story." Arabella hissed.

"Oh, and you do?" asked Rita, raising her eyebrows, in a sarcastic way.

"Yes. I pride myself on keeping completely up to date on my friends. And put that Quick Quotes Quill away, Rita. Nose out... if that even is your real nose," Arabella snorted, and smirked at Rita, who was going red rather quickly. Neither seemed to notice the others' desire to get out of the rain, and glared at each other.

"Cat fight. Reowr!" Seemingly Gilderoy wasn't as stupid as he seemed. This smart comment made both women turn their back on each other and mutter 'humph!'

Severus ignored the entire bunch of 'half-wits, idiots and utter atrocities.' And knocked on the heavy pine door before him. He was certainly not fond of rain, and he was aware that he probably looked like a wet Grindylow. When he'd left that evening, the rain was no more than a light drizzle at most, but in the short (ish) walk from Hogwarts to Hogsmeade in order to apparate, the weather had taken a nasty turn for the worse. This was to add to the bad day he'd had so far. He was absolutely certain Ricki Bell had taken an immense dislike to him for some reason. It was unusual for someone to hate him without even having talked to him first, but Ricki Bell was a different case.

In the upstairs of the cottage, they all looked up to the window to see a dim green light, which travelled from the far room on the left, to the far one on the right, and then to the window beside the door. Rita and Arabella had started bickering again, this time a catfight seeming inevitable. Gilderoy, who was already sure he'd lost a few years off of his life in that past half hour, edged away from the two. Dedalus decided it was best to not get involved, and stood beside Gilderoy, nudging him and whispering "Pretend we're talkin' and no' payin' attention!"

The door swung open quite suddenly, and the tired, but pleased face of Remus Lupin grinned t them all. Rita, who'd been holding Arabella a foot off of the ground, dropped her instantly. Arabella landed into a huge puddle, and in turn splashed Rita all over. Doris and Celestina groaned, having been all geared up for a catfight. Dedalus and Gilderoy both sighed in relief, hands on their hearts as if to show just how relieved they were.

***

The soaked, dripping group had hauled themselves inside, and all (knowing what they were doing) seated themselves around a large table that seemed to take up nearly the whole room. It was circular and had thirteen seats around it, five of which were empty. Once they'd sat, the friendly conversation finally began.

The room looked friendly enough, and it was probably the mood in it that provoked the conversation. Soft dark shadows were thrown on the walls by flickering candles; old books on the bookshelves hanging on the walls seemed to give off a homely library smell.

"Fine." Rita held out her hands and begrudgingly took the kitten into her hands. Suddenly she gave a soft coo of delight and cuddled the kitten to her. She kissed the kitten's nose, petted it and hugged it again, all the while giving exclamations of how very cute and adorable it was.

With a wayward glance at Severus, she then emotionlessly handed the kitten back to Arabella, her face fixed in the same mixture of disgust.

""How can ya just chuck the poor bugger back after bein so nice tae it?" asked Dedalus in surprise. Seemingly he shared the same love of cats as his fiancée, as he took Marvin from Arabella and let the delightfully sweet cat make its way up his arm to stand perched on his shoulder.

"I can do it with men, too." Rita smirked. "I'll get her... and her little kitten too," she added under her breath, a la the wicked witch of the west. She was obviously planning a very nasty article on Arabella, which would somehow rebound on Dedalus.

"Then the nurses tried breaking the memory charm on me... I must have cast it very powerfully, obviously... Doris, are you listening to me?" Gilderoy asked crossly, noticing Doris's attention dwindle and slip away. Doris had only asked 'How is your memory regaining going?'

"Gilderoy," she said coldly. "If I was using a microscope right now, I wouldn't be able to find my interest in what you are prattling on about," she sighed, holding her head. She also found herself wondering how Rita had coped with walking with the man all the way from Charminster with the insufferable twat.

As Dedalus and Remus launched into one of their long debates on charms involving stars, Remus insisting that it must interfere with muggle astrologists somehow, let alone magical ones, Dedalus was adamant that it 'Was only a bit of harmless fun,' Arabella got up and walked past Rita, before leaning on the table beside Rita. Rita threw an aggravated look at Arabella, who ignored her and muttered quietly "I heard Sirius had to stay with you for a week?"

"Don't remind me." Murmured Severus in reply, looking shaken at the memory. Arabella laughed.

"As soon as Remus told me I flipped tae the weather bit o' the Daily Prophet, tae see if Hell had frozen o'er!" she commented, with a small smile. "Och, come on! He's no' that bad! He were a right gentleman tae me!" Arabella persisted, determined to find out what happened.

"Nosy little thing, aren't you?" asked Rita, raising her eyebrow. She hadn't been listening to the entire thing, and had just picked up the last sentence. She's automatically picked up on what Arabella was doing, having procured the talent herself.

"Rita! For the last time! Bugger off and stitch someone else up! Got it?" Arabella retaliated snidely. She was a nice person... no... really; she just had no patience with Rita Skeeter. The woman was a disaster on legs.

"Can we calm down?" asked Remus finally; noticing that the meeting he had called was already going awry. Everyone fell into a hush, and Arabella sat back down, folding her arms.

"As you all know, still, there are five empty chairs at this table. These chairs should be filled by Anshar Nuqam, James and Lily Potter, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew-"

"-Sirius Black wouldn't fill a chair, he's a traitor!" said Doris immediately, slamming a fist on the table.

"Hear hear!" chipped in Celestina and Gilderoy.

"And you aren't, Gilderoy?" asked Remus, mildly. Gilderoy frowned at him. "Of course I'm not!"

"Gilderoy, you lost your memory by turning your wand with intention to harm on Harry Potter. Lily and James Potter's son. If Anshar had written the contract more clearly, I'm sure it would have qualified as treason" Severus added softly to Remus's argument. Remus looked as though fighting back the urge to say 'you're one to talk! You turned on a direct member!'

Gilderoy cleared his throat awkwardly, a slight blush rising in his cheeks. He then brushed off the comment, and swept his hair from his eyes (It was now miraculously dry. Celestina had whispered she suspected he was carrying all manner of Hair Care Products in his bag.) Before straightening his shoulders and nodding to Remus, hinting that he was getting off subject.

"Anyway." Remus took the hint. "Due to certain talk of the resurrection of Voldemort, you know what that means. More like the old times. More meetings, and we'll probably have to go back to co-working with the Ministry. Obviously, his goals have changed. They are still focused on the 'cleansing.' The world of muggles, and muggle borns, but he has a new target. Harry Potter. He obviously wants the boy for a good reason, which is why under no circumstances, must he get Harry Potter."

"Get on with it, Lupin, you're telling us what we all already know. I badgered that out of Lucius Malfoy three weeks ago in an interview. Of course I didn't put it down, but it was plainly obvious. He wants to kill the boy who brought about his downfall. It's revenge!" exclaimed Rita in frustration.

As she finished this sentence, the door swung open. Celestina screamed, and pointed.

"Jesus Christ! it's raining cats and dogs out there, Moony! You'd want to see it! I'm probably drenched! Only a bit of water, but still! I'll probably get a cold now and have to explain it with some-" Sirius Black, standing at the door, paused. His eyes scanned the different looks of fear (Gilderoy) relief (Arabella.) and outrage (Severus.) before he grinned sheepishly, running one hand through his short cut (almost as if he'd taken a pocket knife and hacked off the offending tangle.) hair.

"Didn't realise I was so late. Sorry." Sirius shook himself, rather in a dog-like characteristic, and took the seat beside Severus.

"You! Where do you get off turning up here, ya great traitorous git?" Celestina said, going red in fury.

"You didn't explain yet?" asked Sirius, ignoring Celestina.

"I was getting around to it!" Remus replied, looking exasperated. He was painfully aware that everyone but Arabella and Severus were now glaring at him as if he'd been in on the whole thing. He had, but that wasn't the point.

"Erm... sorry." Sirius looked as if the awkward silence had forced him to apologize. Just to have something to say. There was an explosion of yelling, and outraged banter. Celestina grabbed the heaviest book off of the shelf she could find, and proceeded to try to beat Sirius senseless with it. However, Celestina was never really one for physical labor of any kind, and hadn't much strength in her wrists. The book was no more than a bothersome constant tap on the head.

"You're not doing it right, Tina!" Rita seized the book from Celestina, and her hands, stronger from having to write and fill in the blanks for her Quick Quotes Quill, were quite adequate. She lifted the book over her head and gave Sirius a hard smack on the head with it. Sirius very patiently got up, took the book from Rita, and put it on a bookshelf out of her reach. He then patted her on the head and sat back down, expressionless the entire time.

"Remus! Explain this!" demanded Doris instantly, with a fierce look in Sirius's direction. Sirius sighed, and suddenly winced as the extent of Rita's wallop set in on his scalp.

"Sirius didnae betray James and Lily so SHUT THE FRICK UP!" screamed Arabella finally, losing her temper. This outburst from Arabella Figg, the calm, caused Celestina, Dedalus, and Doris to fall into a shocked hush. Rita, though, was on the warpath.

"How could he not have!" she demanded. "He's a disgrace to our committee! He went back on a document signed in blood!" she said, pointing accusingly at Sirius, who stared defiantly back at her.

"Sirius and Peter switched places at the last moment. Peter did it, not Sirius! Peter also faked his own death. He's still alive." Remus said, quietly and patiently.

"How can you back that up? How do we know that you're not confunded?" asked Rita, a small, squeaky voice escaping her lips now, feeling very subdued.

"Right about now, I can't. You're going to have to believe me when I saw Peter two years ago," said Remus simply.

"Well... I buy the story..." said Doris quietly. Dedalus nodded. Arabella beamed madly, looking thrilled. Rita sat down, and looked over at Sirius in reluctance. Sirius offered a small half smile back. Celestina paused for about two seconds, and threw her arms around Sirius. "I knew it1 I knew it! I knew you didnae do it. No one listened to me! They thought I was mad but I was right! Siri, I missed ye so much!" Tina seemed to have forgotten her attempts to knock the stuffing out of him beforehand, and was quite pleased to stand there hugging him for the rest of the day.

Gilderoy, on the other hand, didn't feel the same way. "Sit down, Tina," he muttered crossly.

"Oh, jealous are we? Ye should have kept me when ye had me, Gil, ya daft git! Sirius has me wound round his pinkie finger, don't ya, Siri, my sweet?" asked Tina fondly.

"I do?"

Course ye dae! Ye wowed me with that Black charm years ago, gorgeous!"

"Oh..." Sirius rolled his eyes as Celestina looked over at Remus. He then turned the same direction and mouthed 'Help!' to him.

"Celestina, Sit down." Remus said in his sternest voice, pulling a small folder from under the table. Celestina threw a sulking look at Remus, folded her arms and stomped back to her place a seat away from Gilderoy. She was clearly upset about being separated from Sirius, and took the rest of the meeting to glare evilly at Remus.

Remus opened the folder, and pulled out a perfectly preserved piece of parchment, dated June 1974. There was a lot of neat writing, and a mess of signatures in murky red 'ink,' at the bottom.

Anshar S. Nuqam (9th May 1975)

Lillith Evans (July 2nd 1981)

Remus J. Lupin

James H. Potter (July 2nd 1981)

Sirius L. Black O (January 16th 1982)

Peter D. Pettigrew (July 10th 1981)

Severus B. Snape

Arabella D. Figg

ρσ  ρρδ

Dedalus Diggle

δρ  ρ

Rita W. Skeeter

Tina Warbeck

Harry J. Potter

"Hang on... there are fourteen signatures here, Remus," said Sirius in confusion, reading through them. There was a small pause, in which it registered in his brain. "Remus, why in god's name is Harry's signature down here?" he asked slowly.

"That's just it! It wasn't there yesterday, but when I woke up this morning, there it was! That's why I called you all here. He's under the contract now somehow as well, its in blood, there's no going back on it," there was a slight hint of desperation in Remus's voice. He'd spent the entire day combing the document to look for a loophole. Anshar Nuqam had been very precise when he'd written it.

"Well, he didn't sign it himself, if it's not his blood it doesn't count." Sirius said brightly. "And he couldn't have been outside of the school because-"

"-How would you know his exact comings and goings, Black?" Instantly, Severus picked up on this. "He wouldn't have had time to contact you, he wouldn't have a reason to, either, would he?"

"Shut up, Blondie." Said Sirius, irritably. He just was too sick with worry and confusion to even bicker properly with Severus. The order of the Phoenix was a very dangerous thing. Even if it had been formed by a bunch of school kids, Lily and James Potter had lost their lives for it. He didn't want the same fate to befall Harry. If he cast his mind back, he could remember nearly everything. He'd lost a few memories in Azkaban, but the others were as strong as ever.

"It's an organisation, formed by that Nuqam fella in Ravenclaw. We can't do much now, but once we leave school... think about it, Sirius! It's so well organised that it might well work! You could have a hand in the downfall of the Dark Lord!" Sirius had been doubtful, but 15-year-old James Potter was so persuasive. Lily had prodded him into joining, she was the second member. Remus had already signed up, as had Peter. Lily asked James, because of his skill at Transfiguration.

"The Order Of The Phoenix. A group of people each skilled in one particular brand of magic. Rita's father has already lined her up for a job at the Daily Prophet when she leaves school. Gilderoy is great at Memory charms. Doris Crockford is able to persuade people to do exactly what she wants! Lily's great at charms, Remus is excellent at Defence against the Dark Arts. All right... so Snape joined... he's Dark arts... but think about it. Arabella Figg joined, you like her, right? It's all really hush hush; we're the only ones who know. " James said, trying to explain it to Sirius. His blue eyes had seemed very over-bright. Sirius couldn't lame him, as James's parents had been murdered by Voldemort in his second year. James had sworn that day to never have one thing to do with dark magic.

"Alright, pal." Groaned Sirius. "Where do I sign?"

He was sure it was harmless, and sure it wouldn't go anywhere. In 1978, the group did become successful, able to find out and rat out death eaters with ease. Anshar Nuqam hadn't lived to even see the day. Everything was running so smoothly, no one was prepared when the blow came.

"I don't believe it!" James had cursed silently, eyes wearing a closed expression behind his glasses. "Someone at the Ministry must have snitched. Snape says that that You-know-who's found out. He's going for the leader first." Sirius knew whom James was talking about. When Anshar had died, that had left his second in command, Lily Evans... then Lily Potter, in charge. The entire Potter family were in danger.

"Resign. Keep her and the baby safe. The others will understand." Sirius had suggested weakly, not being able to think of anything else.

"I won't."

Sirius had gone to Lily, to try and persuade her. Lily agreed, and resigned in 1980, two years later. At a meeting it was decided Severus would inform - pretend to snitch on them - and say that James and Lily Potter had both resigned, even though Lily was the only one. Another source had told You-know-who otherwise. And so, He'd come after James Potter.

"He can't join. We must find a loophole somewhere," said Sirius dimly. Doris had asked his opinion on the matter, as - according to Arabella - Sirius was the closest, as far as she knew, to a father Harry had.

"Sirius, that's what I would say, but, look closely." Remus handed the parchment to Sirius, who looked at it vaguely and read the entire thing through. "What?"

Remus sighed. "Severus, can you see it?"

"It's not Potter's handwriting." Severus said instantly. He'd come to recognise the odd spidery print of Harry's writing from the many essays he'd corrected (Mostly graded C or D.)

"Let me see again." Sirius murmured. He stared at the writing. It wasn't Harry's, but still, so strikingly familiar. It wasn't anyone who had written to him recently. It definitely differed from Remus's neat italics, and seemed nothing like Arabella's childish handwriting.

"I don't know who's it is though. It's very familiar," Sirius said, rubbing his temple. His head was beginning to throb with the stress of this, as well as Rita's preceding smack over the head with that volume.

"Bring him to the next meeting... Severus, you're the closest in contact to the boy." Celestina said, glancing at Severus. Sirius snorted, imagining the conversation he and Harry would end up having. Harry would jump to conclusions and think Severus wanted to kill him.

"I'll do it," Sirius said evenly. "He's not Harry's head of house, it would be a real problem for him to get Harry at a free time. We'll make the meeting as his next Hogsmeade weekend." Until now, Sirius hadn't realised Severus had been acting, besides the one sentence he'd said to him the entire night, as if Sirius wasn't there.

"Agreed, all?" asked Remus.

"Agreed." They chorused.