The Marked

Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup,
They slither while they pass, they slip away across the universe
Pools of sorrow, waves of joy are drifting through my open mind,
Possessing and caressing me.
Jai guru deva om
Nothing's gonna change my world
-Across the Universe The Beatles

"Alright, Moony old boy," Sirius began. "What brilliant scheme have you cooked up for us?"

Lupin held up the piece of paper he'd been working on. It read like this-

Seamus- Blast Lucius into bits and pieces!

Sirius and Seamus blinked. And then looked at each other.

"I thought you said it would be brilliant," Seamus commented to Black, grinning apologetically at his professor when he gave him a pathetically sad look. "Sorry Professor Lupin." The man scribbled away.

Great minds are never appreciated in their times.

"Yeah, and obviously dull ones aren't either." Sirius snickered, then swore loudly when Remus swatted him upside the head the pad of paper.

"Well, actually," Seamus began, reflecting on Lupin's suggestion, "it's not a bad idea only...I don't know how!"

Sirius looked at the boy curiously. "But you made the paper materialize out of nowhere," he pointed out.

The teenager shrugged. "I don't know how I did that! It just...happened!"

"Nothing just happens, you must have done something subconsciously."

Seamus sighed. "Yeah, ok, so I'll just subconsciously kick Lucius Malfoy's ass, how's that?"

Lupin doubled over in silent laughter while Sirius looked abashed. "Well...I didn't mean that! Just that...you know! Oh, shut up you!" He poked Remus in the side.

Ouch!

"Ok! Quit fooling around you two! This isn't a laughing matter!" Seamus crossed his arms, fully aware Lupin and Black were staring at him strangely. "Well, it isn't! We could die!"

"Ah, the old 'we're going to die!' What good times."

Indeed.

Seamus stood, throwing his hands in the air. "You two are nuts! I think I was doing better on my own!"

"You know," Sirius said casually, "you shouldn't talked to a convicted murder that way. I could...bite you."

He's been known to bite hard.

"GAH! WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU PEOPLE?!?!"

"Having problems?" All three occupants of the room turned towards the now open door. There stood Lucius Malfoy, cloak now gone from his form. "I thought you all were supposed to be allies, and yet, here you are bickering away like schoolgirls."

You wound me. See my pain. Remus made a gagging face, and Sirius snickered. Seamus felt as though he was about explode from anger. How could they be taking this so lightly? Weren't they worried at all?

Lucius sneered. "I see nothing can't stop an idiot like you from expressing yourself."

"And I see somebody forgot to wash behind his ears. Didn't your mother teach you anything?" Sirius glanced at the pale man strangely. Seamus was at a loss for words.

Lucius looked down his nose at them. "If you think snide little comments like that are going to effect me, you're gravely mistaken."

Maybe not on you...

No one else really understood that. So they ignored it.

"If you're done with your with childish taunts I've business to get to."

Seamus groaned. "You're not going to extract again already are you?"

"Oh no," Malfoy grinned maliciously. "Quite the opposite for you in fact. I won't be taking any of your energy, I'll be using it."

"Using it? You mean the Keepsake?" Lucius shook his head.

"No. Of course, I suppose it won't even really be me harnessing the energy. You'll finally get a taste of how it feels to use actually use what you've given. You'll experience power." He paused. "In a manner of speaking."

"What are talking about?" Seamus and Sirius asked simultaneously.

"As I said. Power. I suppose you're wondering why I even bothered keeping you and the werewolf alive at all??" Sirius and Lupin nodded. "It all comes back to a source of power. Have you heard how much energy was given off by the victims at their moment of combustion? An amount equal to that swarming around the walls of Hogwarts at any given point during a school day. Now, why would simply kill you when I can get that much more power from you?"

"Er...because you enjoy killing people. A bit too much." Remus nodded his agreement to Sirius's conclusion.

Seamus, however, didn't seem to have heard Sirius's statement at all. "What do you mean? They aren't Marked, how are you going to get power from them?"

"Correction, boy," Malfoy smirked. "They aren't Marked yet. You are going to Mark them for me."

"What...I don't even know how to do that!"

"Ah, but Delving did. And, bless me, the poor half-blood wrote it all down in his journal. Imperio." There was no wand. Only the statement of the curse and it washed over him.

Raise your hand boy.

Seamus did. But it angered him, deep down. He knew what was happening, and he was helpless to stop it! Or...was he?

Concentrate on...

The voice started to die down as thoughts of mutiny raged in him. Harry could fight it, why couldn't he? Sure, Harry was The Boy Who Lived, but Seamus was Marked. He was The Marked. He could do anything wanted! Lupin had as good as told him.

Concentrate...

Lucius sounded anxious. And angry. But Seamus didn't care. He could feel power starting to flow through him, oddly devoid of pain. It wasn't just from the floating sensation the Imperius created. This power felt pleasant. This power felt...right. As if it should have there all along.

I...will...NOT! Seamus mustered all of his strength and with a brilliant flash, the spell was thrown off of him. Sirius's jaw was nearly to the floor, and Lupin had a proud look about his ever youthful face, but Seamus took no notice. All he saw was Lucius Malfoy. Angry and shocked were later the words Seamus would use to describe how the man looked.

"I will not!" He repeated aloud. "I won't be used like this!" His eyes narrowed. "You're a foul person, worse than I even thought possible!"

Lucius seemed to take this insult in stride. "I've been called worse by better than you, you filthy half-blood." He raised the Keepsake, the jewel in the center gleaming brilliantly in even in the ill light, blue and purple radiating from within the red stone. "CRU-" He couldn't even finish the Unforgivable before the Keepsake, chain and all, flew from his hands and into Seamus's.

"No. You can't hurt me. You can't touch me. I'm better than you." And then there was light.

***

When later questioned about what exactly happened in that one moment in the red room, neither Remus Lupin nor Sirius Black could either one be entirely sure. The Keepsake had flashed, and then light had exploded through the room. Silvery in color, they said, with just a touch have green. There had been a brief shriek of pain before everything had stopped. The shriek ended, and the light disappeared.

Lucius Malfoy hadn't been there. The door was still shut, and there was no body to be seen. There had been what almost looked like scorch marks where he had stood before. But no other trace remained.

Seamus had been in a bad state. The Keepsake had fallen from his shaking hands with a loud clatter before he himself had collapsed. Lupin had rushed over to him while Sirius had checked over the scorch marks on the floor. They almost resembled the soles of boots...

***

"How is he?" Sirius kneeled down beside Remus to take a look at the boy. Remus shook his head, indicating all was not well. Seamus was shaking all over and his eyes were glazed over. "I figured as much. I'm not sure what happened exactly, but that was definitely some powerful magic." Sirius paused. "And I suddenly have a feeling you worked a master plan after all...you had a bit of a hand in that, didn't you?" Remus shrugged distractedly. Sirius got the point. They needed to be working on a way out and not on what had just transpired. "Right," He leaned over the boy, smoothing hair away from his sweaty face. "Seamus? Can you hear me?" He didn't answer. "Seamus, come on, snap out of it!"

It all happened at once. Sirius moved to shake the boy gently, when Seamus had sat up with great speed and a sharp intake of breath before practically screaming, "I WANT OUT!"

And then the world melted around them before rearranging itself.

It remarkably resembled Professor Dumbledore's office. So much that Dumbledore himself sat behind the desk.

"Well, I can't say I expected this happen." A typical Dumbledore greeting.

"Oh well, you know us, always throwing out the expectations!" Answered with a typical Sirius comment.

"Indeed," the Headmaster hurried over to them. "How is he?"

"Pretty bad," Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "He went and did...something way over the top. He should see a doctor."

"Indeed, we'll get Mr. Finnigan to the Hospital Wing at once." The Headmaster stood, conjuring Seamus onto a stretcher and motioning for Remus and Sirius to follow him as h left the office. "You two are in good condition, I take it?"

"Er...well...I suppose. Although," Sirius turned to Lupin, who cast his head down. "Lucius Malfoy did a number on Moony here."

"'Did a number'?"

"He took away his voice. Or something to that extreme. Remus can't talk, anyway."

"I see," came the grave reply. They continued on in silence until they reached the Hospital Wing.

"Oh, I should have known," Madame Pomfrey was changing the sheets on one of the beds. She outright refused to let the house elves come anywhere near her territory. "He's become more of a regular than Harry Potter!"

"Have some sympathy, Poppy," Dumbledore told her. "He's been going through so much."

"Yes, yes, well, lay him down over here, I've still to change the sheets on that half." They moved Seamus from the stretcher on to one of the freshly changed beds. From there, Sirius, thankful for the lack of student interruption due to break, proceeded to fill Dumbledore in on the happenings in the red room. As he did so, Madame Pomfrey charmed Seamus to sleep.

"An interesting tale. And an intriguing method to use Remus. I'm most impressed."

Lupin had dug out some parchment and a qill during the discussion.

I had to do something. Seamus was our only hope and didn't properly know how to use his power without provocation. He still doesn't.

"Yes, he will need to be properly trained." Dumbledore nodded.

"Wait a second," Sirius looked confused. "What are you two talking about?"

The Master Plan.

"Ah. Which was?"

"Anger." Dumbledore answered. "You said yourself Seamus got very angry and annoyed when you two proceeded to act carelessly in the situation. And extreme emotions and widely known to-"

"-to force out pent up energy. So, by making Seamus angry, we increased the flow of energy in him?"

"Yes, and he was able to let it loose in a controlled manner."

"That's what you two were doing?" A younger, somewhat tired voice drew their attention away. Seamus was awake. The men had been talking by his bedside for hours and had failed to notice his waking. "You were annoying me on purpose?"

Well, I was. Sirius is just always like that.

"Hey!"

"Seamus," the Headmaster gave him a concerned look. "Did you do...what I think you did to Lucius Malfoy?"

Seamus didn't answer at first. "Depends on what you think I did."

"You Marked him. And accelerated the process."

"No," Seamus shook his head. "I didn't Mark him. I Cursed him."

"Aren't they the same thing?" Sirius asked.

"No." Seamus looked away. "They aren't. I'm Marked. Delving was Marked. The others were Cursed." He turned to Lupin. "Professor, Delving didn't die because he was a half-blood. I'm almost sure of it."

Lupin thought through what the boy had said before writing a response.

I suppose that might fit. But what about the half-bloods affected that died?

"You told me yourself he infected his other coworkers, and that they were all pure-bloods. What if affected them differently? What if the passed it on different?"

Lupin had just began a reply scribble when Dumbledore raised his hand for attention. "Mr. Finnigan, while I am most impressed with your theory, it is late and you all need your sleep. This can continue in the morning." He stood, as did Sirius and Lupin. "You're parents have been informed of the situation and will be arriving here tomorrow afternoon. I shall decide, in the mean time, if you are fit enough to return home and whether or not you are a danger. But, In daresay your theory might alleviate some of the worries we originally had. Good night."

***

Seamus ate breakfast in his bed the next morning. Half-way through, someone opened the door the Hospital Wing and entered. It was Dean.

"Hey Seamus." He seemed unsure of himself. "Am I allowed in yet?"

"Are there any teachers coming?" Dean checked the hall.

"No."

"Then yes." He pushed his food away. "Come sit down for a bit, will you? I'm not going to hurt you."

"Ok." His best friend pulled up a chair. "Have a good Christmas?"

"I wouldn't know. I slept through it. How about you?"

Dean shrugged. "Good enough. Neville and Lavender went home for the break, and you know how the Trio is, especially when something is going on so I only had Parvati for company really."

Seamus let loose a grin. "You do much worse. Speaking of Parvati, how is that lovely twin of hers? I do believe you were making headway last time I saw you."

"Padma?" Dean got starry-eyed at the mere mention of her name. "She's...good. Very good."

"Do I smell a relationship?"

"No. That's my new cologne, like it?"

"It's nice. So no new developments with Padma?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." Dean grinned a little. "We've got a date next Hogsmeade trip."

"Good for you!"

"Thanks." An uncomfortable pause filled the air. "So, are you alright?" Dean looked as though he didn't want to get his hopes up. "I mean, you seem fine, but then, you did before too."

"You know what? I think I am. Really. My parents are coming today. I'm hoping maybe I can go home for awhile. You know, since I never really got a break."

"Seamus...what happened? What's wrong with you?"

Seamus sighed. "You really want to hear it?" Dean nodded. "Well, then I can suggest you get comfortable."

When his tale was concluded, Seamus was expecting a rush of sympathy, and maybe even some expressions of jealousy over his new source of power. Certainly not, "Wow! Sirius Black is innocent?"

"Er..." Seamus felt his face fall in expression. "Yeah."

"And he's got a good sense of humor?"

"I'm not sure good is the right word to use."

"So...you killed Lucius Malfoy? Draco Malfoy's father?"

Seamus faltered. "Yeah...I guess I did. Didn't I? I...I never thought if it like that..." He turned his head to the floor. "Oh man..."

A new voice entered the conversation. "Don't worry about it." Seamus and Dean turned to see none other than Draco Malfoy leaning casually against the open doorway. Dean stood warily.

"Sit down, Thomas, I'm not here for taunts."

"Then what are you here for?"

"To tell Finnigan exactly that. Don't worry about my father."

"What do you mean?" Seamus raised his eyebrows in surprise. "He was your father! And...he's dead. And it's my fault! You aren't angry?"

"No. I'm not angry. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not suddenly full of warm-fuzzy feelings for you either. But, well..." he shrugged. He was acting very un-Malfoyish. "You met him. You saw how he is. He wasn't a good person. I hated him. I'm not happy to see him go, like you said, he was my father. But...well, maybe you did me a favor inadvertently. You know what I mean."

And, to his surprise, Seamus did know. "Yeah, ok."

"Ok," Malfoy repeated. Then, with a quiet nod, he left, leaving Dean and Seamus alone once more. Not for long, however, as soon Professors Dumbledore and Lupin arrived, with a large black dog at their heels. Padfoot.

"Well, Mr. Thomas," Dumbledore smiled at the fifth-year, "I'm glad to see Mr. Finnigan has had a visitor. Although, I'm afraid I must ask you to leave us in private for the time being."

"Yes, sir." Dean turned to his friend. "Well, I'll see you later. Bye."

After Dean was gone, the door was shut and locked, and Sirius changed back.

"Well, Mr. Finnigan. Would you care to enlighten us on your theory in full, now?" They all took seats around the bed.

"Er, well, it isn't much of a theory." He took a breath. "Well, like I said. Delving was a half-blood and his colleagues were all pure-blood. So, what if the original curse affected pure-bloods differently than half-bloods? I mean, they're different, just like muggle-borns are as well. What if the Curse changed once it moved from Delving to the pure-bloods? It might have transferred different then, and worked through them slower. Giving Delving enough time to come up with the extraction process."

"An interesting, and well-thought out idea, but, why did affect you differently all together?"

"Well...I think I got hit with original Curse itself."

"How though?"

"The portrait." He paused to smile. "I finally remember when I Cursed Lucius. It was the portrait of Hundley. Hundley who was actually Delving."

"How do you figure that?" Sirius looked skeptical on this bit of information.

"Ask Hermione about Hundley and Delving. She figured it out. I only eavesdropped. And how the portrait Marked me?" He shrugged. "I really don't know. But that's where it happened." There was a knock on the door, and Sirius quickly reverted as it swung open to reveal Professor McGonagall.

"Headmaster? Mr. and Mrs. Finnigan are here to see you."

"Are they outside?"

"Yes."

"Let them in."

"Of course." She left again, and soon, two very recognizable adults stumbled in.

"Oh Seamus!"

"Mum!" Practically before he'd heard her she was on him, strangling him with hugs and kisses. "Stop it, you're embarrassing me in front of my teachers!"

She didn't seem to hear him. "When we got that owl...oh, I was so worried!"

"Mum! I'm fine! Get off, please!"

"Now Seamus," his father said warily, although Seamus could tell he was just as worried as his mother. "Your mother and I have been worried. We wondered why you hadn't signed up to come home."

"Actually, Mr. Finnigan," Dumbledore started, "we've decided that Seamus will be fit to come home later this evening for a late break. Two weeks, if that is all right with you?"

"All right? Of course it is!" His mother looked outraged. Her expression quickly softened, however. "Erron will be pleased to see you, Seamus."

"Yeah," he rolled his eyes, "and Emma will bite me."

His father chuckled, and patted Seamus on the back. "Now son, you know that's her way of showing she likes you."

"Well, yeah, I mean, it wasn't so bad when she was baby, but she's five! Her teeth are sharp!" His father burst out laughing.

"Henry..." Seamus's mother, tapped him on the shoulder. She had been talking with Dumbledore. "They need to give Seamus some...instructions and then he needs to pack and say his good-byes. Why don't I go show you Hogsmeade? You'll love it." She looked torn at leaving her son so soon, but knew it had to been done.

"Alright, Colette. Well son, we'll come get you later." He leaned down to give him the most masculine hug possible before standing, taking his wife by the arm, bidding everyone good-bye, and leaving.

Professor Dumbledore left with them, and Lupin and Padfoot not far behind. Remus paused out in the hall-way to watch the retreating back of Seamus's parents go in the opposite direction. Sirius risked transforming for a few seconds.

"Are you ok, Moony?" He didn't answer. "Moony?"

I'm fine, he mouthed, then strode quickly off to his office.

***

Before leaving, Lupin had informed Seamus, by way of parchment, that he was free to leave the Hospital Wing come lunch time and eat with the students in the Great Hall.

But Seamus found he couldn't wait that long. So he soon found himself making his way to the Gryffindor tower. When he reached it, he found himself at something of an obstacle.

"Password?" The Fat Lady looked down at him blankly.

"Er...couldn't you just let me in? You know I'm in Gryffindor!"

"You know I can't do that."

"Oh come on!" Seamus narrowed his eyes in frustration.

"I'm sorry. Password or go."

"This is stupid!" He kicked the wall. And the portrait hole swung open.

"What on-!" The Fat Lady certainly wasn't expecting this. But Seamus was somehow not overly surprised. Eagerly, he clambered through the opening, swinging the portrait back in place behind him.

"Hello?" He called out, entering the empty common room. "Anyone here?"

A dark-haired head popped out from the girl's stairway. "SEAMUS!"

"Hey Parvati!" He barely had time to greet her before she'd jumped him, offsetting his balance in a hug that shoved him to the floor. "Oof."

"We've been so worried!" She stood up, wiping tears out of her eyes.

"Aw, don't cry! I can't take it when girls cry." He stood as well, feeling very uncomfortable as she launched herself at him again, burying her face into his shoulder.

"Oh, don't let us interrupt anything," an amused voice came from behind them. Seamus looked over as best as he could and saw Dean, Harry, and Ron watching them with large grins. Hermione had come down from the girl's dorm, as well as Ron's little sister, Ginny.

"Parvati, I'm glad to see you, too, but, could you maybe let me go?" Parvati relented, wiping her eyes as she pulled away. Seamus gave her a smile as she he shoved his hands in his pockets. To his shock, his fingers came in contact with something smooth and cold. He pulled it out.

"Is that...?" Dean couldn't finish his question.

"Yeah." Seamus had forgotten about it. The Keepsake glimmered like a star in the bright light of the common room. "It...must have slipped into my pocket. I thought I dropped it."

"What is it?" Harry asked from the corner he stood beside Ron. Hermione had come over to join them, leaving Ginny by the staircase, looking at Seamus with curious eyes.

"What?" Seamus gave the Trio a questioning look. "You haven't figured it all out?"

Hermione looked heartbroken. "We tried! We read every book available but, there was nothing! I feel so...wronged." Seamus burst out laughing, failing to notice the others following suit.

After the laughter died down, Harry turned serious again. "So, is there any way you might tell us what happened?"

"Well...I dunno." Seamus shifted his weight from foot to foot. Everyone, except Dean, who already knew, and Ginny, who seemed a bit uncomfortable with the situation, looked on eagerly. "I wasn't specifically told not to but...oh, what the hell!"

***

After lunch, Seamus had been instructed to go and see Professor Lupin about the extraction process. According to Dumbledore, Lupin had recognized something about the process and had spent most of the night digging through his infinite volumes for it.

"Professor Lupin?" Seamus knocked on the open door of the office. Sirius Black's voice answered him.

"Come on in Seamus! Oh, and close the door behind you!"

Seamus did as instructed and found the two men seated in beside the window. Lupin gave him a small welcoming smile and wave before gesturing for him to join him.

"Hello Professor Lupin...er...Mr. Black."

Sirius erupted in giggles and Lupin seemed to be stifling his own silent laughs.

"Mr...Mr. Black! Oh that's rich!" Sirius looked back up, wiping tears from his eyes.

"Pardon me for being polite." Seamus raised an eyebrow before turning to his teacher. "Professor Lupin? Can I ask you a question?" He nodded. "How are you going to teach without a voice? And what about doing magic?"

Lupin held up a finger before digging a wand out of his pocket. He closed his eyes and mouthed the, "Lumos!" and, to Seamus's surprise, a light shot out of the tip. Seeing his pupil's shock, Remus scribbled on his ever-handy parchment-

It's not the sound so much as the concentration of the words and spell.

"Oh. What about teaching? Are you going to teach next term?"

Oh yes. Students will just have to get used to new helper. Professor...Steve.

"Steve?" Seamus turned to Sirius, who was grinning widely.

"I've always liked the name Steve. It's a strong name." He sobered up a little. "McGonagall's agreed to help with the transfiguration, the only tricky part will be keeping the Ministry away."

"Oh. Well, I need to get packed so, can we start working on this extraction thing?"

Of course.

***

"How long are you going to be gone?"

Seamus had packed everything he would need for his vacation home. He now stood in the common room with Dean and Parvati, as well as the Trio.

"Two weeks. You better take good notes for me in Divination," Seamus laughed as Dean rolled his eyes.

"Well...don't sleep too much," Parvati wasn't too keen on the idea of him leaving, but knew it was for the best.

"Oh believe me, I won't be doing too much sleeping. I've barely been conscious this past month as it is." He shouldered one of his two bags. "Well then, I guess this is goodbye, for now."

"Yeah," Dean turned his head away. "What should we tell Neville and Lavender?"

"Tell them the truth. And tell them I said hello." There was a knock at the portal. His parents were back. "Goodbye then."

"'Bye." They all bade him farewell in unison. It felt like it would be much longer than two weeks before they would see each other again, he thought as he stepped out the common room and into the hall where his parents and Professor McGonagall waited.

"Hey there, son," His father greeted him as his mother once more enveloped him in an enormous hug.

"Hello."

"Ready to go?" He picked up the second bag, following his son's teacher's lead out of the school.

"Yeah."

"Got everything sorted out?"

"Yeah. Lu-, er, Professor Lupin helped me out a lot. I'll be fine."

They passed near the library, and came across Padma Patil and Mandy Brocklehurst. Seamus unconsciously gulped.

"Going home Seamus?" Padma asked him.

"For two weeks, yes."

"Oh. Well, I'm glad you're healthy again."

"Me, too. Bye Padma. Bye Mandy." He waved as they walked on. Behind them he heard Mandy call out lightly, "Goodbye Seamus! I'll see you soon!"

Seamus grinned as he exited the main doors. Life was really starting to look up. In two weeks, his life would be back to normal.

Almost.