Message In The Ashes

Chapter Four

Members of the Rite

 

 

Remus would always remember the look on James’ face for the first few weeks after his parents’ deaths. He felt like he was a burden to have to live with him, standing in the shadows as James received visits from those who wanted to personally address their condolences. The Potter household, normally bright and warm, became dark and solemn as James’ grief continued. Remus had to remind himself not to mention his feelings of intrusion to him, less it would anger his friend. James was adamant that Remus was no less than a brother. This was the highest complement that Remus had ever received, and he felt extremely honored. Yet, after James’ brief smiled faded back into the dark emotional pain, Remus couldn’t help but remember his own mother’s death. His own mother’s murder.

"I don’t understand it, Moony," James whispered to him hoarsely one evening. Lily had gone to bed early.

"Understand what, Prongs?" Remus asked kindly, stirring some lemon into his tea.

"Why people kill." James stared at the ceiling, lying on his back on the sofa.

Remus frowned, setting his spoon down on the saucer he was holding. He looked down into the brown tinted liquid, watching the lemon continue to swirl around slowly, coming to rest.

"No one knows, no one ever will," he whispered.

James turned his head to him then, his expression insisting.

"You don’t realize how strong you are, Moony. This pain… this pain is… consuming. The loss is almost too much to bear. I don’t know how you deal with it."

Remus looked up at him, James’ face threatening to draw back into tears once more. He sighed, and shook his head.

"I’ve come so used to pain, that I’ve become numb."

James sat up and ran his hands through his messy black hair. There were rings around his eyes, not unlike Remus’ after a transformation. Looking at him, the state James was in, it only reminded Remus that the full moon came tomorrow night.

"I’m taking Lily to get the rest of her things tomorrow," James said suddenly, his head turned to the window with a blank gaze.

"Good luck getting through the door." Remus forced a light tone.

"She waited this long just for that purpose," James muttered.

"Lily… she did a good job, organizing things, I mean," Remus said quietly.

James took a deep breath and looked at the floor, nodding remotely.

"Yeah… couldn’t have done it without her. She’s… she’s too good to me."

"Well, nothing’s too good for love," Remus said. James looked at him then with what was becoming a rare smile. A look that he had not seen on him for weeks overcame James, almost wistful.

"I would do the same for her."

"You already have," Remus stated quietly.

As if on cue, Lily slowly walked into the room. She looked a little distressed, her eyes wide and puffy and her hair tangled more than usual after getting out of bed. Both Remus and James turned to her, their faces concerned.

"I’m sorry, were we too loud?" Remus asked curtly.

Lily shook her head and looked down to the floor with an almost downtrodden expression. James got up and put his arms around her shoulders.

"What’s wrong? You’re not worried about tomorrow, are you?" he asked, holding her close. Lily buried her face under his chin and into his neck, her response muffled.

"N-no… just… I just had a bad dream, ‘s all."

James momentarily glanced at Remus before closing his eyes and leaning into her, sighing. Remus looked away, feeling slightly intrusive.

"Can I sit with you?" Lily asked quietly.

"Of course you can!" James almost laughed, leading her over to the sofa and sitting down with her. "Don’t be silly."

Remus sort of twiddled his thumbs as everyone went quiet, just staring around, looking for something to say. After a few minutes, Remus made to break the ice, before a pop announced someone’s arrival by apparation in the foyer. Sirius walked in a moment later, dressed as if he were about to go out to dinner. He stopped, staring at them all with a bemused expression, as they stared back.

"Okay," Sirius said slowly. "Perhaps I picked a wrong time, but I was thinking that it’s been a very long while since we’ve gone out and figured we should do something tonight."

Everyone blinked. James looked torn between agreeing and disagreeing, glancing sideways at Lily.

"You go, Remus," James said suddenly, turning to him. "I think I’ll stay here with Lily."

Sirius ducked his hands into his pockets, looking imploringly at Remus.

"You, my friend, need a drink," he said.

Remus shook his head.

"I’m not partial to alcohol."

"No, you’re gonna have yourself a nice pint of decent brew if I have to shove it down your throat. Then we’re going to get yourself a girl-"

"Oh, no!" Remus started, shaking his head vigorously.

"-Oh, yes. Yes, and I think you are going to accompany me on a little mission I have recently decided I’m going to pursue." Sirius smiled mischievously. James raised an eyebrow.

"Who is it, and how much damage are you going to make without me?" he asked.

"For once I’m not going to vandalize public property. You know I wouldn’t do that without you, Prongs." Sirius looked at him pointedly. "This is something I’ve been saving up for since before I left for Hogwarts in my first year. It’s taken this long because it requires Muggle money."

"Muggle money?" Lily said, her voice slightly groggy. "What do you need with Muggle money for?"

"If I can pull this off, you’ll soon see. Now, come on, Moony… Happy Hour starts in 30 minutes."

Remus looked to James almost desperately for an excuse not to go out gallivanting around the countryside with Sirius alone. It was usually James that kept him in check. Yet, James was the one who had suggested he go without him and Lily, so, much to his reluctance, Remus got up and fetched his coat.

"Happy Hour?" Remus asked him skeptically, as they prepared to disapparate. James and Lily got up to see them out; both were wearing highly amused expressions.

"You’ll love it, trust me." Sirius clapped him on the back jovially, slipping his own coat on.

Remus rolled his eyes and gave one last hopeless look at James before he and Sirius disapparated.

 

They apparated to a desolate looking backyard, that after a moment, Remus recognized as the one belonging to the pub known as The Leaky Cauldron. A few stray tin garbage cans littered the area around the brick wall, which he knew led to Diagon Alley. He had come by this way before a few times to fetch his school things. It almost troubled him that he would not be returning there this year to get them.

"Tom’ll be glad to see you!" Sirius smiled at him, tugging at his coat before walking through the back entrance to the pub. Remus smoothed out the ripples he had caused before following.

As soon as he was through the door, though, he walked straight into Sirius’ back. Confused and slightly annoyed, Remus pushed himself beside him to see why he had stopped.

"Now, why did-"

"You lads better move off to somewhere else tonight," blustered Tom the innkeeper and bartender. He was holding a normal sweeping broom and was trying to shoo them out. Something about the air didn’t smell right to Remus’ keen sense.

"What’s up? What’s with this, Tom?" Sirius looked slightly harassed.

Tom’s face was tight, his eyes wild and worried. He kept looking back behind him as if he were being followed.

"Just a minor problem… should have it fixed by morning..."

Sirius looked at Remus, his hand moving to the place under his coat where the pin of the Order was kept. Remus nodded, and they both flipped open their robes to show Tom their pins.

"You better let us take a look, Tom," Sirius said. Tom’s eyes went slightly wider at the sight of their pins. He shook his head before moving aside, sighing.

"I had no idea you boys were with that lot... forgive me."

Remus gave him a reassuring smile as they walked past into the parlor.

"No worries, Tom."

He followed Sirius into the bar, when he started to hear a lot of rough voices. However, when they came into the view of the many tables around the counter, there wasn’t a single person in the entire pub. Sirius stopped dead and looked at Remus, confused.

"Tom? Weren’t there people just in here?" He called behind him.

They heard Tom’s broom clatter to the floor, before he scuttled to stand beside them. His face was just as befuddled as theirs.

"I-I don’t understand… there was a whole lot of nasty folk in here that demanded to be left alone. I couldn’t let anyone into the building! They must’ve disapparated, eh?"

Remus went to look around the tables. There certainly were people there before; there were bottles and mugs littering the tabletops, chairs were strewn aside. His keen sense of smell told him that they had been consuming more than just alcohol. He wrinkled his nose in distaste.

"Whoever they were, they did not want to get caught," he said, walking back over to Sirius and Tom. Tom frowned, grabbed a rag from the counter, and went to clean up.

"Well, you two better go… I have a job on my hands here. Maybe you could- wait a moment, what’s this?" He bent down to the floor and picked up a money clip. Turning it in his hands, Sirius walked over and took it from him.

"It has initials on it," he said, peering closely. "N.L."

Remus felt his throat close. He grabbed the bar counter for support. It couldn’t have been…

Sirius only glanced at Remus with an unreadable expression before calmly placing it in his pocket.

"I’ll take this in for evidence, Tom. They can be prosecuted for their actions by the Ministry. You take it easy."

They left Tom to tend the mess in the bar and walked back out into the backyard. Both of them didn’t say anything, before Sirius sighed and turned to Remus.

"Let’s go to The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. Maybe we can actually get a drink there. The other place of business I need to tend to just so happens to be not far from there."

Sirius disapparated, but Remus waited a moment more. It was obvious Sirius suspected who that group was, but was refusing to say and instead of immediately going to report this incident, Sirius was going on as if it didn’t happen. Remus had a bad feeling about this.

When he apparated to the street just outside the popular pub, the place was absolutely mobbed. Sirius had already disappeared inside. With a deep sigh, Remus walked inside and was hit instantly with the loud din of voices. It was like squeezing into a sardine can, there were so many people. People laughing, people talking, people arguing; it was almost overwhelming. Remus did not care for loud noise, it made him very irritable and jumpy. Seeing Sirius over at the bar, he slowly made his way over to him.

"DO YOU REALLY THINK WE SHOULD BE HERE?" He shouted over the noise, leaning close to Sirius. The bartender handed him two mugs filled with something other than Butterbeer, and Sirius glanced at Remus with an innocent expression.

"It can wait until tomorrow! C’mon, Moony! Live it up a little!" He said loudly back, pushing his way over to where Remus assumed he thought was space to sit down. Hair bristling with exasperation, Remus trudged his way behind him. Miraculously, Sirius had found an empty booth and sat down. Remus slid beside him as he pushed a mug over.

"What happened could be serious, Sirius," Remus almost growled.

Sirius grinned.

"That bad, huh?"

Remus frowned at him.

"If we don’t report what happened now, those Death Eaters in The Leaky Cauldron could be out killing people as we speak," he said in the lowest whisper he could mutter, shielding his face from prying eyes.

A look of comprehension and almost worry crossed Sirius’ eyes, before he took a deep breath and resumed his nonchalant attitude.

"Can I top you off, boys?"

Remus looked up into the face of a startling pretty young woman waitress, perhaps only a year or so older than him. Madame Rosmerta.

"Of course you can, Madame, anytime you want." Sirius had put on his most charming smile, his eyes shining brightly up at her. Remus groaned and put his face in his hands, shaking his head. He could hear Rosmerta’s high-pitched giggle as she poured more poignant beer into Sirius’ mug.

"And you, Mr. Remus?" She turned to him. He looked up at her with a stone-faced expression and quickly declined. However, she didn’t look the slightest bit offended and only smiled at him more brightly. "Always the smart one, eh, Mr. Remus?"

Sirius gaped as Remus gave Rosmerta a blushing smile as she walked off to the table next to them. He shrugged and took another swing, looking out over the crowd. Remus was about to give another reprise about reporting to Dumbledore when Sirius pointed a finger to the sea of bodies.

"Look, isn’t that that Charles Gates fellow that’s a member with us?"

Remus, with an exasperated snort, sharply turned his head to the direction he was pointing at. Sure enough, he could pretty much spot the fairly tall, long-haired wizard ordering some rum from the bar.

Even though they had been working at the Ministry for nearly three weeks, Remus and his friends had yet to have any close contact with any of the other Order members at all. They were all spread out in twos among the Ministry buildings, and seldom crossed the other pairs’ paths. This particular Order member they were looking at was one of the few they had come across. His name was Charles Gates, an extremely loud and exuberant wizard who took great pride in his shoulder length pale blonde hair, which he tied in a ponytail at the back. He walked with a swagger, and was great friends with his paired partner, Darwin Edwards, whom he was seldom seen without. Sure enough, Remus looked to the doorway, where Edwards could be seen looming above the rest.

Slightly taller than Gates, Darwin Edwards was a skyscraper. His short, bowl-cut black hair almost touched the ceiling, it seemed. He was certainly very intimidating, for he never spoke a word. Never. Gates had explained shortly after they had first met briefly, that Edwards has never spoken a word in his life. At least, since he’s known him. Sirius suspected later that he might be an Unspeakable, the most mysterious and least known about departments at the Ministry. Remus agreed; however, just because he didn’t speak didn’t immediately bran him as an Unspeakable. After all, Remus’ father had been an Unspeakable, and he talked all the time!

Sirius and Remus watched them quietly as Gates grabbed his vial of rum and a mug of beer, and walked over to Edwards where they promptly found a table and sat down.

"Think we should go say hello?" Sirius asked, taking a sip of his beer.

Remus looked at him pointedly.

"Sure, then we can tell them what happened."

Sirius rolled his eyes.

"You never give up, do you?"

"No."

Remus got up, still staring intently at Sirius, both hands holding him up on the table. Sirius stared at him, his mug poised in the air, before he sighed, nodded, and got up as well. The shuffled out of the booth and wove their way toward the table where Gates and Edwards were, when a loud voice stopped them.

"Oy! You there! Lupin and Black, am I right?"

In union, Remus and Sirius turned to see another tall wizard, whom Remus recognized as the one that had sat in front of him at the first meeting of the Order. Fletcher, he believed his name was.

"Yeah," Sirius nodded.

"Come grab a pint and take a load off with me, boys. Let’s have a chat!" He pulled out two chairs at the table he was sitting at.

With a quick glance at Gates and Edwards, Remus and Sirius sat down. Madame Rosmerta quickly appeared with refills, and they both looked at Fletcher, who was grinning at them.

"So, how’s it going boys? Anything exciting happen yet?"

Remus looked immediately at Sirius, who evidently was swallowing hard.

"Er…"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. We both came upon something odd not too long ago this evening," Remus started quickly, looking back at Fletcher.

Sirius leaned back in his seat, looking defeated. Fletcher looked at him curiously, then back at Remus when he continued.

"We had just arrived at The Leaky Cauldron, when the bartender, Tom, tried to shoo us out. There were loud voices coming from the bar, and a stench that could have been an illegal substance. When Sirius and I finally showed our pins to Tom to let us by, whoever they were had immediately disapparated."

"All we could find was this." Sirius pulled out the money clip with the initials on it. Remus felt his stomach flip and looked more intently at Fletcher instead. The older wizard took the clip from Sirius and studied it closely in his right hand; a suspicious look played on his face.

"N. L., eh? No initials I’m familiar with. So, this was all that was left? Aye, there wouldn’t be anything more, would there? Definitely fishy, definitely."

"So," Remus looked at him expectantly as Fletcher handed the clip back to Sirius. "What should we do?"

Fletcher scratched his chin and leaned back in his chair, looking at them both in turn.

"Nothing much you can do right now without the right equipment," he said, hitting his mug on the table to shake the froth off the top of his beer. "Bring it to the Atrus’ at the Ministry’s Dangerous Concoctions laboratory tomorrow. They should be able to put a trace on that money clip there."

Remus frowned, but nodded just the same. The full moon was tomorrow night and he usually had to prepare for his monthly transformation well before nightfall. Perhaps if he and Sirius went early enough…

"Will do," Sirius said, getting up. "If you’ll excuse us, Mr. Fletcher, my partner and I have a little shopping to do."

"Shopping?" Remus blurted out, being pulled up by the collar by Sirius. Fletcher eyed them both curiously.

"I shall see you two, then." He nodded, and went back to sipping his beer. Sirius pulled Remus by the arm toward the door, placing their mugs on the bar counter.

"Where are we going? I wanted to talk with Gates and-" Remus started, before Sirius cut him off.

"You’ll see!"

They bustled past the other customers to the door and Sirius pushed it open. When Remus made to follow, he knocked into the shoulder of a girl with long unruly dark brown hair.

"’Scuse me," he muttered, not really looking at her face.

The girl merely grunted and shoved rudely past.

"You’ll have to hold on to my shoulder as we apparate," Sirius said, leading Remus out onto the street. "If I told you where we were going it would spoil the surprise."

Remus rolled his eyes as Sirius went ahead and grabbed his hand, placing it on his broad shoulder. He half-considered just apparating back to James’ house before Sirius did the spell. Instantly, Remus was transported with him to a dark alleyway. The sound of traffic from cars could clearly be heard.

"Sirius, where are we?" Remus blinked down to the end of the alley, where he could see a busy highway of Muggle cars.

"Just out of London. Er, we’ll need to change clothes. Here, I’ve already stashed us some."

He shuffled over to a large dumpster, pulling out a bag with two leather jackets and Muggle shirts. Remus cocked an eyebrow as Sirius tossed him a jacket and a shirt.

"I have a bad feeling about this..." Remus muttered, pulling off his robes.

"Don’t be such a worry-wart, Moony. Before the night is out, we’ll be riding in style!" Sirius put a shirt on and a black leather jacket over it. He looked like a characteristic Muggle delinquent.

"Riding in style? Sirius-" Remus began, putting on a brown leather jacket, as Sirius made his way out of the alley and onto a sidewalk. He ran to catch up, panting at his side, when he noticed where they were heading. A large glowing sign on the side of the highway read:

Billy’s Auto World

"We Know The World of Wheels!"

"Oh, Sirius…"

"Won’t take long. I’ve went ahead and reserved it." Sirius was beaming with anticipation. He had the same look on his face as James did when he had bought his latest broomstick. Remus was beginning to remember Sirius’ silent fascination with Muggle sports cars and motorcycles. He hardly ever spoke of it, certainly not to anyone else except James and Peter besides Remus. A brief visit to Sirius’ home a summer or two ago revealed his small collection of Muggle pictures of the contraptions. Remus never imagined he would take his fascination as far as buying one!

They walked onto the brightly-lit lot, filled with row after row of colorful cars of every shape and make. A Muggle salesman appeared in front of them as suddenly as if he had apparated.

"What can I do you gentlemen for this evening?" the man asked brightly, looking a little too eager. Remus nervously looked at Sirius. He certainly knew what he was doing, by the look on his face.

"Yeah, I’m here to pick up my bike," Sirius answered proudly.

The salesman’s face broke into an impossibly wide smile, as if he had just been told that he had won all the money in the world.

"Yes, of course! Come up to the office and we’ll get all the necessary paperwork out of the way."

Remus slowly turned to Sirius as the salesman walked eagerly away to the large glass enclosed building in front of them. Remus’ eyes were wide with question; Sirius simply grinned.

"Coming? I need you to double-check the money I have to see if it’s correct."

Before Remus could even open his mouth to argue, Sirius walked briskly after the salesman and into the office. Feeling defeated, Remus jogged after him.

Not more than ten minutes later, Remus was following Sirius and the salesman to the farthest corner of the parking lot. The salesman looked beside himself with glee; Sirius had paid in full with cash. Remus was expecting him to be suspicious, for, with his knowledge of Muggles, it was extraordinarily rare for a Muggle to pay for a vehicle with cash. They had something called "credit" for such a large purchase. Yet, the salesman was only more than happy to accept Sirius’ payment.

They came upon a dark spot on the lot where the electric lights couldn’t reach. At the end of a long line of cars was a large black and red leather motorcycle. Sirius practically fainted with admiration.

"She’s all yours, Mr. Black!" the salesman piped, tossing him the key. He walked away merrily as Sirius dropped to his knees and began to caress the large plush driver’s seat.

"Now, really, Sirius… get up…" Remus muttered nervously, checking over his shoulder to see that the salesman was out of earshot.

"Isn’t it beautiful, Moony? I got it used, but it’s still in perfect condition. Why, after a few alterations, I’ll be the most envied wizard in the country!" Sirius nearly drooled, his eyes glossed over.

"Alterations? What do you mean, alterations? You can’t perform magic-" Remus started, before Sirius interrupted him, getting up and straddling the bike.

"Get on, Moony! Let’s go show this baby off!"

"I am not getting on that," Remus stated firmly. A motorcycle was not his idea of a safe mode of transportation. Why, it looked like one hit over a bump could knock him clear off!

"Don’t be a wuss, come on!" Sirius growled, and before Remus could do anything, he grabbed his shoulder and pulled him over the bike.

"Sirius! No!" Remus wailed, throwing his arms around him as Sirius jammed the key in the ignition and started the engine. A great thundering roar broke the sleepy silence of the parking lot, and Remus could feel his whole body shaking as the motor revved up. Sirius let out a great cry of glee, turning the handlebars this way and that.

"SIRIUS! I’M GETTING-" Remus began to shout, before one swift kick of Sirius’ foot disengaged the kickbar and gave it all it got.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Remus cried, cringing onto Sirius as the motorcycle zoomed off of the lot, turning the scenery around them into one big blur. All he could hear was his own terrified screams and the din of the engine. Sirius was beside himself with exuberance.

Keeping his eyes tightly shut, Remus had no idea as to where Sirius was taking them. All he knew was that, hours later, they ended up on a dirt road leading up to James’ house. He nearly fell off of the bike, almost hugging the grass under him as Sirius bounced happily off of the seat and began to dance around him.

"Wasn’t that fantastic?" he cried.

"Ohh…" Remus moaned, feeling no better than he usually did after a full moon.

"Oh, but it’ll be so much better after I’m through with it! Don’t tell James just yet! I want this sweet little thing all finished when I show it to him. He’s gonna be jealous! He’ll be begging Lily to let him get one too!"

Remus braced himself against a small tree along the road, clutching his stomach, willing it to settle. He stared warily at Sirius as he continued to prance around and praise his newfound toy.

"Just don’t make me get on it again," Remus muttered.

Sirius put his hands on his hips and looked earnestly at him.

"Aw, c’mon, Moony! You know you had a blast. You said yourself not too long ago how interesting Muggle contraptions are!"

"That didn’t mean I was going to go out and buy the confounded things!" Remus countered, staggering back onto the road, facing the house.

Sirius frowned slightly, but shrugged and got back on the bike.

"I’m gonna work on it tonight and it should be ready by morning. We have to go see the Atrus’ tomorrow, right?"

Remus nodded, turning slightly to look at him.

"I shall meet you there," he said clearly. "Good night, Padfoot."

Sirius started the bike up again, the loud roar making Remus flinch slightly.

"See you, then! G’night, Moony!" With a cloud of dirt and dust, he was already halfway down the road.

I don’t know what’s worse, Remus thought as he walked up to James’ house. Getting killed by a dark wizard or getting killed by a seat on two wheels.

 

Security at the Ministry of Magic headquarters in London had never been so tight. Guards could be seen flanking the Minister himself as he went about his business. Employees made nervous glances at sudden movements, and a lot absolutely refused to go into any dark office without their wands. Mail was inspected thoroughly before anyone could open them, in case some contained dangerous hexes, jinxes, or illegal potions.

The normal security guards remained at their posts around the various buildings that made up the headquarters. Each of them had been informed about those of the Order of the Phoenix. On the first day after the meeting, the members were introduced to them all, and given full superiority over any emergency. Since that day, the entire Order hadn’t been together in one room all at once.

Divided into pairs, the members of the Order patrolled the hallways, laboratories, conference rooms, and the various other rooms the Ministry controlled. If anyone questioned them, they were to show their pin. Anyone with any knowledge of the legendary group would immediately recognize them.

Partnered with Sirius, they both checked in the following morning and made their way to the Dangerous Concoctions Laboratory in building C. They had never been in this building before, having been assigned to building D, where most of the work done concerning international wizarding affairs took place. Many wizards and witches wearing white robes bustled past them, bearing flasks and test tubes filled with odd-looking potions. Sirius looked horrified into one laboratory window, where a particularly mad looking wizard wearing purple and green stained white robes was lowering a steering wheel into a large cauldron of bubbling potion. Before Sirius could do anything, Remus pulled him away.

"We have to find the Dangerous Concoctions Laboratory, come on."

"H-how could he? W-where did he f-find that?" Sirius whimpered, allowing himself to be pulled away.

After searching a dozen hallways, they finally came upon a large metal door labeled:

Dangerous Concoctions Laboratory

You’re not authorized… you’re not getting in… so there.

"Somebody has issues..." Sirius muttered as Remus considered knocking on the great door. However, the prospect of breaking all the bones in his hand against the thick metal wasn’t appealing. They stood there, gaping at the door for some time, before a small noise behind them made them jump. Twirling around, Remus was looking into the face of a very plain looking woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, a pointed nose, and thin lips.

"Are you in need of assistance?" she asked blandly, her eyes half closed as if she hadn’t gotten enough sleep. After blinking a few moments, Remus finally recognized her as another member of the Order; one of the twins he had seen at the first meeting. Sirius also evidently remembered her, and was quick to point the fact out.

"You’re still working your normal job?" he blurted out.

She tilted her head slightly in his direction, her expression unchanged.

"Why not? I’m here at the Ministry, am I?"

"Er…" Sirius blinked, at a loss for words. Remus rolled his eyes.

"We have a bit of evidence that we need to have looked at. Can you give it a look right now?" he asked her.

The woman, whom Remus was still unclear of her first name but was almost certain she was one of the Atrus’ Fletcher had mentioned, made no confirmation. She silently walked beside them, lifted her wand, and muttered a spell. It was a custom designed spell, obviously, so that not just anyone could walk into the lab. The great metal door slid open and she walked inside. Remus and Sirius followed her.

For such a large door, the lab itself wasn’t that large at all. A few long tables covered in all sorts of glass equipment took up most of the space. Posters hung on the wall gave instructions for what to do in the event of an emergency, such as various types of bomb threats, bat infestation, insane and rabid bunnies, and werewolf attacks.

Remus grimaced after reading that line.

Sirius, who had been reading the poster over Remus’ shoulder, turned around and had to stifle an almost girlish scream. Another woman, identical to the one who had let them in, was standing silently behind them.

"Can I help you?" she asked without a trace of interest.

Remus turned and nodded, elbowing Sirius to show her the money clip.

"Both of you are working here?" Sirius asked, handing the clip to her. She took it without a word and walked over to her sister, who was preparing some flasks of greenish looking liquid. Remus and Sirius watched intently as one twin lowered the clip into a flask and the other began to pour another substance along with it. With a puff of smoke, the clip disappeared. Both twins watched unblinkingly.

"Er…" Remus tilted his head, waiting for their reaction.

"So? Can you figure out where it’s from or who it belongs to?" Sirius asked, not looking at Remus.

The Atrus’ turned to each other and began to talk amongst themselves. Remus couldn’t make out a word they were saying, and Sirius leaned closer to try. After a few minutes of murmurs, silent staring glances back at the flask, then more murmurs, the women looked at them with unreadable expressions.

"The clip has traces of a fungus found only in rural provinces of England," said one twin.

"After running the initials through many calculations, they belong to a non-wizard, or a non-registered wizard," added the other.

"Evidence of materials only found in Muggle currency was also on this piece," continued her sister.

"Also, there is another inscription on the underside of the metal. ‘Made In China’."

Both Remus and Sirius blinked, then glanced at each other before staring back at the twins.

"You got all that by a poof of smoke?" Sirius asked dubiously.

The twins made no reaction or reply.

"Could this money clip belong to a Death Eater?" Remus asked seriously.

"Not likely," said one twin.

"Perhaps," said the other at the same time. They looked at each other with the first real sign of emotion they possessed. Each looked bewildered that they didn’t agree.

"Katina, the evidence clearly shows that all signs point to the owner being a Muggle."

"But, Kalina, a Death Eater would be smart enough to disguise such evidence to prove otherwise."

"Come now, sister! Why would one go to such lengths?"

"To protect themselves!"

"Katina!"

"Kalina!"

Remus and Sirius watched as the twins continued to argue, totally unaware that they were still in the lab. Hesitantly, Remus reached over and, using a strainer from the countertop, filtered out the money clip from the flask of potion. Sirius went and opened the door, and they left, leaving the Atrus’ to their argument.

"Thank God I don’t have a twin," Sirius muttered, breathing a sigh of relief as the door swung closed behind them with a loud thud.

"I second that," Remus murmured under his breath.

"Remus! Sirius! What’re you doing here?"

They looked up to see Peter bounding down the hallway, his wizarding robes nearly tripping him as he did so. Remus smiled as he stopped in front of them, panting heavily.

"What’s up, Peter?" he asked lightly.

Peter frowned, moaning slightly.

"Heya, Peter! Peter, where’d ya go?"

A girl about their age was jogging toward them. She had long reddish hair tied back in a ponytail and gold rimmed glasses. Freckles dotted her cheeks, becoming clearer as she stopped beside Peter, panting slightly. She looked up at Remus with a large toothy smile.

"Oh, hello! I remember you from the meetings. Remus Lupin, right? I’m Emily Maxwell."

"Yes, nice to meet you, Miss Maxwell," Remus said, shaking her hand politely. Sirius exchanged the same pleasantries.

"What are you doing in building C?" Peter asked again, with a hint of hope. Emily was practically bouncing on her heels beside him.

"Oh, well, we came to have some evidence looked at. Sirius and I found it in The Leaky Cauldron last night. We think it belongs to a Death Eater," Remus said, turning the money clip over in his hand.

A strange looked passed over Peter, but before Remus could figure out what it was, he was taking the clip in his hand and looking at it closely.

"Hmm…well, I don’t know," Peter muttered, handing it back.

"We better get back on patrol, Peter. I want to get some more of that orange soda I found in the Muggle Substance Analysis Laboratory; it was great, don’t you think?" Emily shook his shoulder, while looking intently at Sirius. She smiled broadly at them, particularly Sirius, before dragging a reluctant Peter behind her down the hall.

"Poor guy," Sirius laughed, following Remus in the other direction. "Definitely a personality clash there, eh?"