Before the End

SIRIUS IV

September 4th, 1971

Sirius Black did not like mornings. At all. Luckily for him, James slept in as well, so he generally didn't have to worry about being woken up at the ungodly hour of, say, nine thirty.

At Hogwarts he was supposed to wake up even earlier than that. It wasn't fair.

He woke up at six o'clock on Friday morning because, as he realised when he was forced to open his eyes, someone had enchanted the curtains of his bed to give off blinding light.

Sirius groaned and covered his head. Then the curtains on his bed were opened and someone hit him very hard with a pillow.

"Did you do this, you - oh, wait. Sorry," said someone who sounded like James.

"James?"

"Do you know who's hexed our bed curtains?" James asked.

"Yours too?"

"Get up and stop stating the obvious, Sirius," said James. Sirius groaned and got up. The two of them dressed, as they obviously weren't going to get any more sleep, then started discussing suspects.

"Our sisters could have done it," said Sirius.

"Not Mary or Elizabeth," said James. "And I don't think Andromeda would do it alone."

"Andromeda wouldn't do it anyway."

"Yes she would. Remember the snakes?"

"How could I forget? They nearly ate -"

"Yes, yes, I know. Do you think any of the girls in our year could have done it?"

"What - oh. Can you imagine Lily or whatshername - the bookworm - Annetta - doing something like that?"

"I can't imagine Lily or Annetta in our room at all. And the other girls probably wouldn't do it - maybe Jenny or whatever her name is, though?"

Sirius considered this and glanced around the room, thinking.

Peter and Remus' bed were empty. The curtains were also very devoid of brilliant light.

"Peter and Remus," he said.

"What?" said James.

"They must have done it. They aren't here and they would probably think it was funny."

"So would you, if they hadn't done it to you."

"Shut up, James. Where are those two idiots?"

They found Peter and Remus in the common room, playing chess (Remus was losing). "You're up early," said Peter, trying and failing to hide a grin.

"Why did you enchant our beds?" Sirius asked.

"I've got no idea what you're talking about," said Remus. "Pawn, take the queen and don't talk about it!" (Remus' chess set, as they would later learn, had an annoying habit of stating its opinion on whatever it was supposed to do, which normally gave away several possible moves to his opponent.)

"Bishop - good. Checkmate," said Peter. Remus sighed. "Why would we do anything?" Peter continued.

"Because no one else would have?" James asked.

"They could have," said Remus.

"They didn't," said Sirius.

Peter looked at Remus. "I told you that enchanting their beds would be much too obvious," he said.

"Well," said Remus, "they're up, aren't they?"

"Please stop talking about us as if we aren't here," said James. "And that wasn't funny."

"Would it be funny if we did it to Snape?" Peter asked.

"Yes," said Sirius.

"Doesn't matter, does it?" Remus asked. "We don't know the Slytherin password."

James and Sirius looked at each other.

"We can find out the Slytherin password," said James.

One and a half hours of chess and plotting later, the four of them went to breakfast. "What do we have?" James asked. Remus looked at his schedule.

"Defence Against the Dark Arts -"

"Again?" Sirius groaned. "We had it yesterday morning as well -"

"How do you know?" asked James. "You slept through it."

"- Herbology -"

"With the Hufflepuffs again," Peter added.

"What's wrong with Hufflepuffs?" asked Lily from across the table.

"- Then Charms -"

"We haven't had that yet," said James.

"- And Potions," Remus finished.

"With the Slytherins?" Sirius asked.

"With the Slytherins," Peter confirmed, looking at his own schedule.

"Damn," said Sirius.

"Indeed," said Remus. "Here's the mail."

An owl flew down towards Peter - the first owl any of them had had so far. Lily ducked as it swooped over her head and landed in front of Peter. Peter opened it, looking slightly confused.

"Ah," he said, looking at the contents - one small slip of paper. He scribbled the word Gladly on the back of the parchment, dug around in his bag and pulled out some string and a copy of A History of Muggle Awareness and Perceptions of Magic. He put the letter back into the envelope, sealed it, and tied it to the book, then tied the entire package to the owl, which flew off, looking slightly annoyed.

"What was that?" asked Sirius.

"I, er, nicked a book from my sister and she demanded it back," said Peter. "Impossible to read anyway."

"Actually, it's very good," said Remus. The other three stared at him. Remus grinned. "If, of course, you're absolutely mental," he added.

"You've read it?" asked Sirius.

"Nothing else to do," said Remus calmly.

"It was good," said Annetta from across the table, not looking up from whatever book she was holding. "Rather dry, and occasionally slightly biased, but still -"

"You've read it too?" Sirius asked.

James muttered something uncomplimentary under his breath. Sirius generally ignored him at moments like this.

"Of course I have," said Annetta, putting her book away and standing up. "Goodbye. Lily, do you remember the way to Professor Egg's classroom?"

"You know, we'd better go too," said Peter. "Can't believe anyone could have read that book for enjoyment, though - well, except my sister." This conversation continued up five staircases, down three more, into six dead ends, and finally to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.

"Why does it always take so long to find this place?" Remus asked. "We start off in the same place, and then halfway through we get lost."

"Maybe the halls move," murmured Lily from the seat in front of him.

"Of course the halls move," said James. "Maybe the castle's mocking us."

"It moves?" asked Lily incredulously.

This discussion was cut short by the arrival of Professor Egg. There followed an hour or so of boring questions and boring facts that Sirius completely ignored.

"Do you think Egg notices that you sleep through his class?" James asked as they went out.

"If he did, he'd stop me, right?"

"How do you get out of the castle from here?" Peter asked.

"Jump out a window," said Remus.

"There aren't any windows."

"There's one."

"That wasn't there before," said Sirius.

"That window leads into someone's office."

"Do you think we should look?"

"No, Sirius."

"This place does need a map," commented Peter a few minutes later. "Where's that mad portrait when you need her?"

"Probably where she normally is, in her frame, on the floor above this," said James.

"Well, if she wants us to ask her for help, she could try to be accessible when we need it."

"And she's supposed to know when we need help?"

"There's a window," said Remus. "To the grounds, no less. Now how do we get out there?"

"Jump out the window."

"Shut up."

They eventually found their way outside, though they had to walk nearly all the way around the school to find to greenhouses.

Sirius didn't particularly pay much attention in Herbology. They weren't doing anything interesting (he highly doubted the ability of barberry to cause death or any severe harm, therefore it wasn't interesting), and he didn't have to do much.

"You've cut off half the bush," Remus pointed out.

"So?"

"You aren't supposed to prune them that much."

"So?"

"I give up on you."

"Everyone does at some point."

"Sirius," James asked, "do you honestly think that's a compliment? Because if you do, it is my painful duty to inform you that you have been suffering under a misconception for all of your life..."

"Shut up."

"Explain to me how exactly you two are friends?" Peter asked, grinning.

"James is in awe of my talent."

"At what, killing plants?"

"Shut up, James."

"I give up on both of you," said Peter.

"No, you're only supposed to give up on me..."

"Shut up, Sirius."

They were late for lunch because Professor Sprout insisted that Sirius at least try to prune one of the barberry plants properly. He failed.

After lunch they entirely missed the Charms classroom several times, until an annoyed McGonagall carefully pointed it out. Sirius bowed dramatically and ran off in the wrong direction, forcing the other three to chase after him.

"You are insane, Sirius," said Remus just before they entered the Charms classroom.

"You just noticed?" James asked dryly.

"Welcome, you four," said the extremely short professor, in a rather high-pitched voice. "A bit late, aren't you?"

"Sorry, sir," said Remus.

"Quite all right," said the professor, giving him an odd look that Sirius couldn't understand. "If you will please sit down?"

All Sirius noticed in that class was that he was extremely bad at Charms, and Lily was extremely good. Professor Flitwick had them all watch her as she, blushing at the attention, skimmed buttons, quills, and other miscellaneous objects off her desk and on to the floor. Sirius, who had been able to move one button about an inch, was rather annoyed by the end of class. Everyone else had performed the spell perfectly at least once.

"So maybe you're bad at charms," said Remus. "That's no reason to be miserable."

"It is for him," said James brightly.

"Shut up. What do we have next?"

"Potions."

"Damn."

"Why? All we have to do to find it is go down."

"With the Slytherins."

"I should think that you, of all people, would find that an advantage, Sirius," said James.

"Why?" asked Remus.

"You'll find out," said Sirius, suddenly grinning.

"Oh, no," said Peter. "Try not to do it too close to Circe. She'll skin you alive."

"Don't worry. Cromwell sits in the far corner."

"How are you going to reach her from where we are, then?" Remus asked.

"I've been studying!" Sirius announced, grinning.

"Great Merlin!" said James dramatically. "Is it possible? Has Sirius Black been studying? How can such a thing -"

"Shut up."

They weren't late for Potions, barely. Professor Circe glared at them as they dashed up and got through the door just before she closed it, but she didn't say anything. They ran to their seats.

"Why Cromwell and not Snape?" James asked over their ingredients. You've got nothing against Cromwell." He grinned wickedly. "Like Annetta, do you?"

Sirius dropped a slug down his robes.

"When would be the most convenient time to blow up one of these?" he asked, looking over the instructions.

"Just after they've started to boil, said Remus. "About fifteen minutes. That's just before they start to have their intended effect. Very interesting things can happen if you get any on yourself at that point."

"Right," said Sirius. "What am I supposed to add now?"

"One leech and a teaspoon of asphodel and a handful of knotgrass," said James, glancing at the instructions. "All at exactly the same time. While I'm still stirring this."

"Right," said Sirius, looking for the knotgrass. "What happens if it's already boiled when it explodes?"

"Use your brains, Sirius," said Peter. "It's a Forgetfulness Potion. What do you think will happen?"

"Good enough," said Sirius. "What kind of interesting things, Remus?"

Remus shrugged. "Anything near it could change colour, or vanish, or turn into a Jobberknoll. I think that's it."

"Cool!" said Sirius.

"You are not to explode our cauldron first to see what happens," said James quickly.

"Is he likely to do that?" Peter asked.

"Yes," said James, "unfortunately."

"It wore off after a week," said Sirius defensibly.

"Being neon green for a week is not fun, Sirius," said James.

"When was this?" Remus asked.

"Two years ago," said James gloomily.

"It wore off," said Sirius again.

"If you're going to do anything, you might want to do it now," said Peter, looking at Olivia Cromwell. "Or in about five seconds exactly."

Sirius pointed his wand at Olivia's cauldron, noticing that she didn't seem to be paying much attention to it. "Erupto," he whispered.

Across the room, Olivia Cromwell pointed her wand at Severus Snape's cauldron and whispered the same.

Seven desks away, Severus Snape pointed his wand at Sirius Black's cauldron and whispered the same as well.

All three cauldrons exploded, one after another.

Severus Snape's desk and parts of the desks around him all vanished, dropping books and equipment to the floor.

Sirius Black and everything within three feet of his cauldron turned blue.

And Olivia Cromwell turned into a Jobberknoll.

Everyone in the class either screamed or laughed, except Olivia, who was still a Jobberknoll, and James, who was attempting to kill Sirius for turning him half blue. Professor Circe had to shoot sparks over their heads to restore order.

"Mr. Potter," she said, "sit down. Does anyone know what caused any of these cauldrons to explode?"

There was a long pause. The three people involved had had their wands hidden under their desks, and none of them had much of an idea what had happened to their own cauldrons. The only people who knew how any of the cauldrons had exploded were Snape, Sirius, and Cromwell, one of whom couldn't talk, while the others wouldn't, and James, Remus, and Peter, who had no intention of telling Circe anything.

Professor Circe sighed. "Ten points from Gryffindor and twenty points from Slytherin. Mr. Avery, do not argue with me. Someone take Miss Cromwell to the Hospital Wing, or to Professor McGonagall's classroom. Thank you, Miss Trent." She pointed her wand at Snape's desks and the ones around it. "Appareo! Pick up your books, Mr. Snape. Mr. Black, Mr. Potter, and Mr. Pettigrew, you may wish to go to the Hospital Wing to get that remedied. Those who were near the three cauldrons which exploded, please take them off the fire and throw out what is left. Everyone else, please continue. I will be testing your results in five minutes."

The class grumbled and got to work. Sirius, James, and Peter headed out of the class with Geneva Trent (she was holding Olivia Cromwell very carefully), who ignored them.

"Good work, Sirius," James said sarcastically once Geneva was out of sight.

"What do you think happened to Snape?" Sirius asked.

Peter shrugged. He'd been leaning over when the cauldron exploded, and his entire head was now blue. He was obviously rather annoyed.

"Anyway, Slytherin lost more points than Gryffindor," said Sirius, determined to be optimistic (mostly because it annoyed James). "And Snape's desk vanished - too bad he didn't go with it - and Cromwell got turned into a Jobberknoll, so everything's fine."

"No, it's not," said James. "I'm blue. Actually, I'm half blue. You're entirely blue. Peter's head is blue. And it's all your fault."

"I think your logic's off somewhere there," said Peter, "but I'm not quite sure where. Carry on."

"We lost ten points, and -"

"Slytherin lost twenty -"

"And you splashed the back of Lily Evans' hair and no one noticed, and she'll be very mad when she finds out."

"Oh."

"What's happened to you lot?" asked Madam Pomfrey, peering out of the door to the hospital wing. "Oh, don't answer that. Come in."

REMUS IV

September 5^th, 1971

Remus was feeling worse. And he had to find some sort of excuse to disappear for the next day or so. Lucky it wasn't a school day. Then again, James, Sirius, and Peter would probably expect him to be in the common room for at least some of the weekend, and he couldn't very well say he'd been in the library overnight.

He still didn't think it was safe to have friends. That feeling had accounted for about half his misery at primary school, he expected, but it had meant that no one would find out about him. But he couldn't really help being friend with those three.

Still, it was something of a relief when Lily Evans suddenly asked him if he was feeling all right.

Lily had been in a generally bad mood once she'd discovered that part of her hair was blue and she couldn't do anything about it, but luckily for Sirius it had apparently worn off overnight. She was losing spectacularly to Peter when she asked him.

"Not really," said Remus, hoping she wouldn't ask too many questions.

Oh, no, I'm perfectly fine, I just expect to turn into a man-eating werewolf later tonight, so that's probably why I'm looking a bit off-colour.

"Maybe you'd better go to the Hospital Wing," said Lily. "You're really pale."

"I think I will," said Remus.

"Watch out," Sirius muttered. "Madam Pomfrey's evil - her potions taste like dragon's blood."

"I'll walk you there," said Lily, glaring at Sirius.

"No, I'm all right, I'll go on my own," said Remus, getting up and leaving the common room quickly. He didn't have too much trouble finding the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey welcomed him in rather nervously. He didn't mind. He was used to it.

"I'm glad you came early, Lupin," said Madam Pomfrey. "Professor Dumbledore's told you about the ... arrangements?"

He wished she wouldn't be so nervous. It was making him nervous, and he was nervous enough. "Yes," he said.

"You'd better stay here for the rest of the day," said the nurse. "I'll bring food for you while the rest of the students are at dinner. Don't worry."

Remus sighed. Seven years of this. And what was he supposed to tell the other three?