Death Before Dishonor

DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR

Chapter Twelve: Vigilance

Messrs. Moony and Padfoot

Professors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

are proud to present

THE GATEKEEPER´S GUIDE

In honor of Prongs.

There was nothing else. No lines, no castle, no passages, no little dots representing people, and no Marauder´s Map. The red words simply stared back at them, from the top of the page, glowing faintly and seemingly insufferably pleased with themselves.

Harry blinked, staring at the words and wondering what exactly this piece of parchment (that had just happened to be in Sirius´ drawer when the Weasley twins set off a distraction) could be. Obviously, it couldn´t be the Marauder´s Map, but... Equally evident, though, was the fact that Fred and George still didn´t understand what was going on. And they had even less of a clue than Harry did, since neither of the twins knew who Messrs. Moony or Padfoot were--but even knowing that did not help Harry much. So he stared as curiously as the others, waiting to see what would happen.

"What the hell?" George finally wondered, scowling.

"Wipe it and try again," Fred suggested.

"Right." George shrugged. "Mischief Managed."

But the words did not disappear. Instead, after a short pause, another line of text slowly appeared. This one was black.

"Professor Moony presents his compliments to the Weasley twins, and would like to politely inquire as to how they came into possession of this Guide."

They all stared. Harry´s mind raced forward as he assimilated the information offered--was it possible that there was another map? Or, if not a map, something else useful that his Sirius and Remus had dreamed up? But if so, why only the two of them? What about his father and Wormtail? Suddenly, though, he had no time to wonder any more, because the map--guide--was continuing.

"Professor Padfoot would like to ask if the Weasleys really thought we would be so stupid as to use the same passwords twice."

From his left, Harry heard a choking noise as Ron tried to control himself. For himself, Harry bit his lower lip, hard, trying not to burst out laughing and ruin the whole joke. He could almost hear those words coming out of Sirius´ mouth; it was hard to resist the urge to glance over his shoulder and see if his godfather was there. Hermione was only watching with wide eyes, undoubtedly trying to figure out exactly how this second "guide" came to be and working out every necessary spell inside her head as an academic exercise. Finally, Fred and George overcame their speechless surprise.

"You´ve got to be kidding me," Fred managed.

"It´s something else!" George gasped.

Exchanging an amused glance with Ron, Harry watched his friend roll his eyes and mouth Took them long enough. He smiled his agreement, and then returned his attention to Ron´s older brothers. Despite their earlier and slightly dim comments, no one could ever call the Weasley twins stupid. In fact, they were actually quite smart, especially where mischief and mysteries were concerned.

"There´s bloody two of them!" Fred exalted. His eyes widened with anticipation. "I wonder what this one´s for...maybe there are more passageways in the castle? Or something on the grounds we´ve never even seen?"

"Wait a minute," George said thoughtfully. "Why are they "Professor Moony and Professor Padfoot? Did they actually teach here?"

"Not with McGonagall around." Fred rolled his eyes. "She´d never let someone so cool--" Fred cut off speaking as the guide continued.

"Professor Moony would like to suggest that the Weasleys return this Guide before they get into trouble."

"Ack! They even sound like professors!" The last comment was too much for George; after all, trouble had never been a problem for the Weasley twins. "Ah, hell, now we´re going to have to figure out the passwords for this one, too. The Marauder´s Map took us months!"

"Professor Padfoot would like to add that the retribution for not returning the Guide will be astonishingly horrible."

Fred rolled his eyes. "Sure," he snorted. "You´re probably dead, anyway."

Something wasn´t right. Harry knew it. Somehow, he got the idea that they really weren´t meant to find the Gatekeeper´s Guide (whatever it really proved to be). Although it was something that he could see Sirius doing as a joke, something told him that this wasn´t. He started, "Uh, Fred, George--"

"Professor Moony would like to say (for the last time) that this is not a toy."

"Professor Padfoot would merely like to remind the both of you that you were warned."

"I really think you should put the guide back," Hermione said quickly.

Had anyone else suggested it, Fred and George might have listened. But Hermione was the quintessential worrywart, and both twins only rolled their eyes in reply. "This thing´s really got a rotten sense of humor," George commented.

"They were much better when they were younger," Fred added. "And besides, Professor Black doesn´t even know we´ve--"

The portrait hole slid aside, leaving Remus Lupin silhouetted in the opening.

"Professor Lupin!" Hermione gasped. She was the first to speak, but just barely--Harry, however, quickly looked over at Fred and George, and noticed that the Gatekeeper´s Guide had mysteriously vanished. No one had ever said they weren´t good.

"Err...what are you doing here, Professor?" Ron asked.

But Remus´ level eyes were on the Weasley twins. "I believe that you two made a recent acquisition?" he asked passively.

"Acquisition?" Fred echoed.

"Of what?" asked George.

"Of something the two of you pulled out of my desk." Sirius Black stepped out from behind Lupin, and together, the two of them entered the Gryffindor common room, something professors rarely did--even ones who were Gryffindors themselves. The Fat Lady closed the portrait hole behind them, having apparently forgiven Sirius for his past behavior enough to let him in. Fred and George looked at one another with confusion and a trace of guilt; Sirius´ face was unreadable, but his eyes were not laughing in the way Harry would have expected them to if this were all a joke. Again, it occurred to him that Fred and George weren´t meant to find the Guide.

"Out of your desk?" Fred repeated innocently, and if Harry hadn´t known him so well, he might have believed it.

"When you thought I wasn´t looking," Sirius replied somberly. "You were looking for the Marauder´s Map, I suspect, but found something else."

"You know about the Map?" George wondered.

"Of course I do," Sirius replied, and a smile fleeted across his face when he recognized George´s half-hearted effort to change the subject. "And while I will admit that was a very unique distraction--especially the dancing suit of armor--it wasn´t very effective."

"Why not?" Fred looked indignant; it was obvious whose plan the distraction had been to begin with. Although he seemed to momentarily forget that he was talking to a professor, Harry knew that Sirius would not mind.

And he also knew that the Weasley twins were in for a nasty surprise--but even the inherent pleasure of realizing that did not take away his curiosity. What was the `Gatekeeper´s Guide´? What did it do? And why had Sirius and Remus made it? Not knowing the answers to all those questions left Harry impatient for this conversation to be over, and he could tell from the look on Hermione´s face that she was wondering about the same things. Ron, on the other hand, looked positively gleeful over his brothers´ coming discomfort, and didn´t seem worried about anything.

"Kids these days," Sirius sighed, shaking his head at the twins and catching Lupin´s eye. The other professor nodded gravely.

"Indeed."

"No respect."

"No imagination," Remus added mournfully, and it occurred to Harry that the two of them sounded almost like Fred and George--but with so many more years of practice.

"Regardless," Sirius continued, holding out his hand. "I am afraid I am going to have to ask for the Guide back."

Fred and George exchanged a glance; Harry could see that they were weighing the odds of succeeding in the innocent act. Finally, the twins shrugged, and George handed the Guide over. "Do you know how to work it, Professor?" he asked.

Sirius snorted, and seemed to be trying hard not to choke on his rising laughter. Watching his godfather struggle to keep a straight face made Harry grin; when Remus reached out and stole the map out of Sirius´ hand, the sudden indignant look that Sirius wore made the situation only funnier. However, their history professor scowled as he looked at the Guide.

"Tried the old passwords on it, did you?" he asked.

George suddenly seemed wary, and Harry couldn´t blame him, really. Had he not known what he did, he´d have felt suspicious too. "What old passwords?"

"The ones from the Marauder´s Map, of course," Sirius replied nonchalantly, stepping sideways to glance over Remus´ shoulder. "Oh, bloody hell. You had to try and wipe it, didn´t you?"

"Well, yes." Fred shrugged.

"This is going to take time." Remus scowled again.

"True," Sirius replied. "But at least--Well, that was a rather rude remark."

For a moment, all five Gryffindors looked at their Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor as if he´d gone mad, but it only took them a moment to realize that the Guide must have spit something nasty out at Sirius. Unable to help himself, Harry giggled; it seemed that the Guide either didn´t know its makers, or it just plain didn´t care. Next to him, Ron and Hermione were grinning as well, and Sirius shot them a dirty look that was only mostly playful before returning his attention to the parchment in Lupin´s hands.

"Pot calling the kettle black," the other professor mumbled half under his breath. His eyebrows rose, though, as more words evidently appeared on the page.

"Play nicely, Moony; your alter-ego isn´t exactly being polite, either."

"At least I didn´t just tell myself to bug off," Remus retorted.

"I never claimed tact." Sirius pulled his wand from his robes with a slight smile. "Shall we?"

"Let´s."

Both professors´ wands touched the very center of the parchment, and they spoke together. "This is what happens when you don´t pay attention."

Harry did not have a good view of the Guide from where he was, but it seemed to him as if a giant rainbow of color had just started to swirl around on the page like an inverted tornado. Lupin sighed.

"Pimples purged."

The churning colors intensified. The parchment glowed slightly, now, illuminating the two professors´ features as they both stared at the page, waiting for some signal known only to them. Obviously, though, this was an eventuality they had planned for, because as Sirius spoke, the Guide went blank. "Sardines."

Without another word, Remus rolled the guide up, and glancing at Sirius, he arched one eyebrow. The Dark Arts professor nodded and turned back to Harry and his friends. "Sit down."

Curious, the Gryffindors did so. Fred and George, Harry noticed, were exchanging interested glances and could barely seem to contain themselves. Finally, the dam of their control broke when both professors had made themselves comfortable on a couch facing the students.

"How do you know about the Marauders Map?" Fred asked breathlessly.

"And what is that?" George continued.

"Is it a--"

Lupin held up a hand to stop Fred´s next question. "We will explain," he said levelly. "But first, I want your promise--the both of you--that you will not go looking for the Marauder´s Map or the Gatekeeper´s Guide again."

The twins´ expressions fell in matching disappointment. They looked at one another for a moment, then back at Sirius and Remus´ unwavering expressions, and nodded. "We promise."

"Very well." Reaching out, Sirius accepted the Guide from Remus and held it up. "This is the bastard child of the Marauder´s Map, a second generation, if you will. Rather than map the Hogwarts castle and grounds, though, the Gatekeeper´s Guide is a model of Hogsmeade."

They all gaped.

"However, unlike the Marauder´s Map, the Guide was not created with mischief in mind, although it certainly would serve that end as well," Sirius explained. "The Gatekeeper´s Guide is one of the many layers of defenses that we have been working on since the beginning of the term. Since Apparition is possible in Hogsmeade, we created the Guide in order to monitor who enters and leaves the village."

"Isn´t that illegal?" Hermione asked.

Professor Lupin shrugged. "Probably. That is not as important, though, as what this guide allows us to know."

"It lets you know if there are Death Eaters in Hogsmeade," Harry said quietly. "Or...anyone else." He didn´t want to think about the other possibilities, now that Voldemort had a body and could move under his own power...

"Yes, it does," Sirius agreed. "And like the Marauder´s Map, the Gatekeeper´s Guide has been integrated into the castle´s defenses, so I would appreciate it if the five of you keep quiet about it. At the moment, you are the only students who know about either map, and we would like to keep it that way."

They all nodded, but George was grinning. "So, how does it work?"

"Perhaps someday we´ll show you." Sirius´ eyes were shinning, even though Remus shook his head in mock exasperation.

"You at least have to tell us how you figured it out," Fred pleaded.

"Honestly!" Hermione rolled her eyes before either professor could reply. "Haven´t you figured it out yet? Of course they know how it works! They made it!"

"You made it?" both Weasleys gasped.

Harry couldn´t help it. He burst out laughing. The stupid surprise on the twins´ faces was unbelievable--how could they miss all the clues? Was it really so hard to believe that professors might do that? Quickly, though, he answered his own question. Yes, he knew. Besides, it´s hard to see any of our professors as having once been our age. I have to remember that I see Sirius and Remus differently...they´re my parents´ best friends. Ron and Hermione understand, too, but Fred and George didn´t have a reason to know. For one moment, Harry was surprised at his own mature outlook on the situation, but then he only laughed again. It´s still funny.

"Of course we made it." Finally, Professor Lupin grinned.

"You´re Moony and Padfoot?" Fred asked.

"At your service," Sirius replied lightly.

"Wow." George´s voice was reverent--but then again, the makers of the Marauder´s Map were heroes to Fred and George Weasley...heroes who were now their professors.

"Amazing."

"I bet you got in loads of trouble."

The two professors exchanged amused glances. Lupin replied dryly, "You have no idea."

Smirking slightly, Sirius stood. "While I hate to cut this conversation short, we have work to do, and unless I´m mistaken, the four of you--excluding Hermione, of course--still have homework to do. So if you will excuse us, I believe it´s time to grade some papers. Your papers."

They all groaned, but the Gryffindors said polite farewells as the two professors headed out the portrait hole. As the door began to slide shut, though, Harry jumped to his feet. A sudden thought had occurred to him, and it wasn´t something he liked to consider. He bolted through the opening. "Can I ask you a question, Sirius?"

"Sure, Harry."

He took a deep breath as both of his father´s best friends turned to face him. "Do you really think that Voldemort will come here?"

"No," Remus responded immediately.

"Yes," Sirius said at the same time.

The two remaining Marauders looked at one another. Lupin frowned, asking. "Do you really think he´s that foolish, Sirius?"

"No," Harry´s godfather replied grimly. "I just think he´s that powerful."

Fear gripped Harry´s insides. "But Hogwarts is supposed to be safe," he said quietly. "I mean, isn´t Professor Dumbledore the only wizard Voldemort has ever feared?"

"I´m not saying Hogwarts isn´t safe, Harry," Sirius said softly, putting a hand on Harry´s shoulder as he turned to face him. "In fact, as this war goes on, Hogwarts may very well become the safest place in the Magical world. And that, in the end, is what will make Voldemort come here. He´ll have to, if he´s going to win."

"Do you think he will win?"

"I won´t lie to you. It´s possible." Sirius squeezed his shoulder. "But I believe, just like the Headmaster does, that this is a battle worth fighting, win or lose. And I believe that we can win, Harry. It won´t be easy, but we can."

"We have to," he said quietly, trying to overcome the lump in his throat.

"Yes, we do," his godfather agreed. "Are you all right, Harry?"

Harry glanced up at Sirius, noticing the look of gentle concern on his face. There were times that he still found it odd, having family, but in others, in times like this, he was glad for it. Sirius understood; his godfather knew that there wasn´t a yes or no answer to that question--things weren´t nearly that black and white. The world was darkening, but some parts were still varying shades of gray. "I don´t know," he answered slowly. "I just feel...strange. Like something is going to happen. For the last month, ever since school started, it´s seemed so quiet. I mean, I know bad things are happening in the world, but here at Hogwarts, it seems so far away."

"You´re afraid it won´t stay like that, though, aren´t you?"

"Yeah." Harry shivered. "I think Voldemort wants me."

Abruptly, Sirius´ face closed off. "Let´s go talk, Harry."

Nodding, Harry headed through the corridors at Sirius´ side. Although they walked in silence, he felt comforted by his godfather´s presence; the last month had shown Harry what it meant to have family. Even though their time together had been less than he would have liked, Harry and Sirius had still been able to find moments to spend together, moments to come closer and closer. Having spent a lifetime feeling alone, there were times when Harry almost wasn´t sure what to do with the newfound relationship, but all the same, he reveled in it. Especially in moments like this, when he was feeling unsure and (although he hated to admit it, even to himself) afraid.

They ended up in Sirius´ chambers, a place Harry knew himself to be the only student ever to visit. For obvious reasons, Hogwarts students did not ever end up in their teachers´ rooms, but then again, Harry wasn´t exactly a normal student, and nor was Sirius a normal professor. Sirius was the closest thing he´d ever had to a father.

"You´re worried, Harry." Sirius spoke the words as he settled onto the couch and gestured for Harry to sit next to him. As he did so, Harry nodded, knowing that his godfather´s statement was not a question, but feeling that an answer was necessary all the same. Still, though, he did not know how to put his fears into words, or how to explain the sudden feeling he had that Voldemort was coming for him. Again, Sirius laid a hand on his shoulder.

"You´re scared?" he asked gently.

"Yes," Harry whispered. He didn´t want to be, but it was true.

"You have every right to be afraid," his godfather said softly. "You´ve shouldered very heavy burdens at such a young age...what you are, Harry, would have destroyed many other people. And knowing that Voldemort is hunting you would break most wizards."

"You think he still is, then?"

"He has to," Sirius replied frankly. "To prove to his followers that he´s every bit as powerful as he once was, he has to kill you. You´re the only one who has ever defeated him."

"I was just a baby," Harry objected.

"That doesn´t matter to him."

"So you think he´s going to come here because of me?" It wasn´t a question that Harry wanted to ask, but he had to. He couldn´t bear the thought of putting Hogwarts, his friends, and his classmates in danger. None of them deserved to die simply because Voldemort wanted him.

"No. I think he´s coming here because the other person he has to beat is Albus Dumbledore," his godfather replied. "If all the world goes dark, Harry, Hogwarts will be the last place to fall. Even now, the resistance against the Dark Lord is centered here. Dumbledore, and therefore Hogwarts, is the heart of the Order of the Phoenix, and to win, Voldemort has to break that heart. He´s coming, but not only because of you. Don´t blame yourself. You didn´t make Hogwarts his target."

"Is it?"

"It will be," Sirius replied certainly. "But not yet."

"When?" Harry wondered, knowing that his godfather was privy to the inner workings of the Order of the Phoenix and therefore knew what was going on in the fight against the Dark side.

"No one knows for sure," Sirius admitted. "All we can do is guess--and prepare. That´s the other reason that I wanted to talk to you."

"What can I do?" Harry asked quickly. Anything was better than hiding. He knew he was only fifteen, but he wanted to act, wanted to fight. Perhaps it was merely his status as the Boy Who Lived, but Harry felt he had a responsibility to the Wizarding World. He felt that he had to do something, yet no one had ever let him.

Sirius must have seen his anticipation, because he smiled very gently. "I´m afraid it´s nothing exciting," he said. "What we need you to do, though, is to be careful. I know you´ll hate to hear this, but don´t go sneaking around at night. Don´t leave the grounds, even with Ron and Hermione. And mention to the Weasleys that all the passages are blocked."

Harry´s heart fell. "Does that mean I can´t go to Hogsmeade?" he asked.

"There´s a reason why we made that guide, you know," Sirius said lightly. "When your classmates go into the village next weekend, you may go as well. Just be careful, all right?"

"I will," Harry promised.

"I know you will," his godfather replied. "And I´m sorry if I sound like an old woman when I keep telling you to be careful, but it´s my job to worry."

Harry smiled. "I don´t mind."

And he didn´t. Strangers didn´t worry--but family did. Family always did.

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Author´s Note: Can I thank you all enough for all the reviews?? Thanks for being so wonderful about it, and please continue to do so. I´m terribly sorry that I left you all hanging with the last chapter... I hadn´t originally intended to end it there, but you know how stories just kind of take control of the authors, rather than the other way around from time to time... And I sincerely hope this part doesn´t disappoint. It was hard to get right. Anyhoo---stick around, and stay tuned for the plot to take a darker turn...you can count on this being the last bit of carefree humor for that happens for a bit, because Voldemort is on the rise, and yes, he´s playing to win. Please review!