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The Metamorphmagus


Professor McGonagall was talking, but her voice was far-off. James stared at the seat next to himself, where Sirius usually was, and doodled on his parchment. None of the fourth years were doing too good with paying attention to their lesson, even Lily Evans was staring out the window, and Remus was abjectly staring at the grain of the wood desk and Peter was sneaking bites of biscuits he’d stuffed his pockets with, having eaten non-stop since Sirius had left.

“Alright,” McGonagall sighed heavily and the change in her tone made all four of the students before her look up, “None of you is concentrating, I know. And I’m not doing much better myself.” Indeed, she’d just given them all the wrong incantation for changing a table into a horse. She sighed and waved her wand to close the books open on her desk and fell into her chair, quite exhausted. “There’s just been such a lot going on here at the school in the last twenty-four hours, I can’t say that I blame you for being unable to study.” She shook her head.

Such a lot was an excellent way to summarize the amount of things that had gone on in the hours since Dumbledore’s sacking and Sirius’s expulsion. It had taken no time at all for rumors to run through the school’s veins like poison. Severus Snape’s outing of Remus and Sirius had lit the school ablaze. It took no time at all for the Slytherins to start in, snickering and announcing loudly that they’d been right all along… There’d been a general onset of panic among the students, especially the younger ones who had never met Moody before and didn’t know he was an alright guy. Honestly, at this point, with everything else the Marauders were facing, the new Headmaster was the least of their concerns.

“What if they kill him?” Remus asked without preface. Everyone knew he meant Orion and Walburga Black. Everyone knew he meant Sirius.

McGonagall’s jaw tightened, not liking the thought anymore than any of the four students. “We have to have faith that they won’t, Mr. Lupin.”

“They locked him up in his room last summer, wouldn’t let him out for anything. They barely fed him!” Remus cried, “Orion Black tried to kill him when we got him out. He killed my elf!”

McGonagall looked down at the desk.

“Can’t we get him out?” James begged, “Bring him back? We don’t gotta tell the Minister. Moody won’t tell. Moody’s Dumbledore’s man.”

McGonagall said, “I wish that we could, Mr. Potter, but unfortunately Mr. Black’s situation is being monitored very closely by the Ministry for Magic and if he were to leave Number 12 Grimmauld Place he would be in very great trouble.”

“He’s being tortured there,” James said, “Surely the ministry isn’t completely heartless.”

McGonagall’s eyes were sad, “I wish I could say I believed not, Mr. Potter.”

“I can’t believe they sent him there in the first!” Lily said, “Knowing that they’re You-Know-Who’s followers!”

“Aye but they don’t know that, Miss. Evans,” McGonagall said, frowning, “It’s the Resistance that’s proven the guilt of the Black family time and again and the Resistance is extraneous from the Ministry itself. The Resistance acts under their own orders, not that of the Ministry, and many of the Death Eaters are very high ranking Ministry officials.”

“Well so are many of the Resistance members,” James pressed.

“Aye… but not as high as some of the followers of You-Know-Who,” she said, shaking her head regretfully, “And many of the other side have pockets lined with riches they are willing to lie down to keep the Ministry’s eyes turned.”

“Bloody politics,” muttered James.

Peter asked, “Well… the Ministry does have a bit of a point… where was Dumbledore when the attacks were happening?” he looked up at McGonagall with pleading eyes, “Why wasn’t he here, keeping us safe?” He twitched, “I thought Dumbledore would always protect us…” Peter was thinking of how long it had taken Dumbledore to show up at the Lestrange Manor.

“He does protect you -- more than any of you know!” McGonagall answered sharply, “Not a finger was laid upon the grounds of this school by the Death Eaters, was it? They were all in Hogsmeade. Had they made even the slightest advance toward the castle, Dumbledore would’ve come. As it was, Albus was tied up with very important business in Ottery St. Catchpole… and the aurors were responding to a false lead the Death Eaters delivered them.”

“Dumbledore was in Ottery St. Catchpole? Where the Weasleys are from?” asked Remus, looking up, “Is Bilius and that lot alright?”

McGonagall didn’t betray the truth either way, rather she replied, “Things were taken care of and Albus returned to the school promptly. He was gone for but three hours, at the most, and I was here the entire time, as were Professors Shacklebolt, Flitwick, Slughorn, Viridi, Zosma, Kettleburn, and Mr. Hagrid… You were at no time unprotected.”

Peter sighed. “It just isn’t any fair, Professor; Sirius doesn’t belong expelled and Dumbledore doesn’t belong being sacked. They both belong here - at the school.”

“I know, Mr. Pettigrew,” McGonagall replied and she studied them all a moment, then said, “Let me assure each of you, the day Albus Dumbledore’s protection completely leaves this school is no day in which the Headmaster’s heart stays beating. So long as the phoenix song is heard about this castle, so is Albus Dumbledore present!” She nodded curtly, “And mind, Alastor Moody is about as close to Dumbledore himself as any other man could be. Moody was selected long ago to be the man who would take up the role should this thing come to pass. So don’t you worry your minds -- Moody IS Dumbledore’s man, through and through!”

James looked up. “Professor… what’s going to happen to Sirius? What - what happens to students when they’re expelled?”

McGonagall drew a deep breath, “There are… options… Sirius Black is a very capable, very scrappy young man, who will find his way… I have one hundred percent confidence in his ability to forge his way ahead. Besides ---” she hesitated, on the verge of saying something, but from the halls outside came an echo of students moving along through the corridors, and she stood up, “Alright you lot. We’ve discussed enough. It’s time for you all to run along.”

“What do you reckon McGonagall was about to say?” James asked a few minutes later as they walked down the stairs toward the Great Hall. “It was something about Sirius. Something besides about Sirius.”

“Dunno,” Peter replied.

Remus was keeping his eyes down at the carpet - the only one of the three boys that noticed that half the students they passed were eyeing him and smirking or else turning to whisper to their companions. Lily, who was walking with them still, was the only one that noticed Remus’s averted eyes. She stepped up next to him and, playing the role of Sirius, slipped her arm ‘round him - though her arm only hit his waist, not his shoulders. “Alright, Rey?” she asked gently.

He nodded.

Lily kept her arm about him just the same.

They were halfway down to the Great Hall when a girl with long teal hair, glasses, and a black and yellow Hufflepuff scarf about her neck passed by. “Hullo,” she said as she went by, and she smiled at each of them -- but especially James.

“Oh hullo, Maryrose,” Lily replied.

James did a 360, turning about to watch her as she went on down the hallway, not looking back. When she’d disappeared ‘round the bend at the end of the corridor, James turned about and looked at Lily. “Evans,” he said, “You know that girl?”

“Yeah, that’s Maryrose Jenkins, she’s Pandora’s sister.”

“Where’d you meet her at?” he asked.

Lily rolled her eyes, “The same places you ought to have. She’s in our bloody Herbology class, isn’t she? And Divination.”

“Bloody hell.” James rubbed his chin. “Why haven’t I noticed before?”

“You’ve been a bit distracted mate,” said Remus, his eyes swiveling toward Lily.

“Yeah -- but -- I mean, teal hair. It’s a bit hard to miss.”

“She’s a metamorphmagus,” Lily said, “She doesn’t always have teal hair.”

James nodded slowly, “Well, she ought keep it, it’s rather lovely. Very shocking.”

Lily raised an eyebrow, “You fancy her, do you?”

“What’s it to you if I do, Evans?” James responded.

“Only that someone ought to send the poor thing a sympathy card and warn her to file a restraint order against you before you drive her positively batty with your bloody whining,” Lily answered.

James laughed, though not very heartily, “Sorry to hear that Evans. Just think, ‘least the pressures off you to put up with it, yeah?” He nudged her, “Think you could… you know… lend me a hand at getting her to pay me attention?”

Lily said, “You? Needing help getting attention? Potter. Please.”

James grinned. “I could use a little supplementary assistance. Especially if I want to make a move in -- oi, Valentine’s Day’s the day after tomorrow.” He looked at Lily. “Please? A good word perhaps?”

Lily rolled her eyes, “I’ll see what sort of rubbish I can muster…”

“Thank you, Evans.”

“Whatever, Potter.” She looked about and saw Severus coming in from the grounds with the other fourth year Slytherins - Kingsley Shacklebolt leading them along from whatever activity he’d had them on for their Defense Against the Dark Arts class. “I’ll see you lot later,” she announced, and she hurried off.

James stared after her, then turned to look at the other two. “Anyway. What do you lot reckon McGonagall was getting at before?”




Dear Padfoot…
It hasn’t even been a day and already there’s… a rather lot to tell you about going on here at Hogwarts.
First off, James may be taking a date - someone that’s not Lily - to the Valentine’s Day Tea. Her name’s Maryrose, she’s a Hufflepuff, and she’s going teal hair. A metamorphmagus, apparently. We’ll see how that goes. He hasn’t asked her yet, but you know James with his ego and confidence, he’s already picking out his tie for the tea and talking about how long he should wait to snog her! Blimey. Appears James deals with anxiety by lining up a girl to snog. Peter deals with it by eating the entire kitchen out of stock!
Let’s see - as you know, Moody is the acting headmaster here while Dumbledore’s gone, but we spoke with McGonagall today and it seems she thinks there maybe reason to believe Dumbledore hasn’t actually left the castle, and that as long as Fawkes is about Dumbledore must be here somewhere too… I wish I knew where. I’d bloody like to ask him what I’m supposed to do about the Full Moon coming up.
I’m really worried about it. I mean not only do I need to figure out how the ruddy hell to sneak out under Mr. Constant Vigilance’s watch, but I’ll have to do it all by myself…
There’s one other thing that you need to know about things that’re going on about the castle - you see its seems somebody sort of… let slip… about you and I. Don’t freak out (I can feel it, you’re freaking out while you’re reading this, please stop freaking out…), I’m alright. (Really.) Just I didn’t want you to be shocked if you heard it from another source...
I do wish you were here. I miss you. And it’s only been a ruddy day.
I hope you’re ok. Write me back so I know you’re okay. Please. Everyday. It’s making me nutters thinking of you alone in that horrible house with those horrible people…
I love you.
Moony





Moony -
I’ve only just checked and yes, it seems I am still alive.
Sounds as though the lot of you are getting on alright there...
Ignore anyone who tries to bring you down… Stay strong, My Moony. Always, no matter what.
Love you back…
Padfoot


Sirius stared at the parchment. He nodded. It was alright... Chock full of good, encouraging, sage advice that would be good final words to have said should Orion Black come to do him in before he got to write again to his Moony…