The last of the February frost relented with the arrival of spring, and the grounds of Hogwarts were born anew, the grass coming in greener than ever and the trees blooming with leaves once more. Spirits were high amongst the staff and students in spite of the daunting exams approaching at the end of term. Cassie tried her best to remain calm and relaxed, but with the stress of the O.W.L. workload, she felt as if she were slipping into a pit of insanity. Add her worry about Will on top of that, and she was surprised she hadn't taken another trip to the hospital wing yet.

She hadn't made any headway with the locket, either. Night after night she stayed awake, trying to decipher the rest of the message, but to no avail. Trying to connect the links between it, her dreams, and Miranda's story was proving to be an impossible task. She felt as if the answer was dangling right above her, just out of reach, but no matter what she did, she just couldn't grasp it.

Carlisle, fortunately, was unaware of Cassie's continued involvement in trying to find whatever it was the older witch was looking for, but the clock was ticking. She was sure Carlisle was still working on trying to find the object for Voldemort, and every day she didn't crack Will's code was another day Carlisle could potentially find it before her. But what would happen if Will found it before any of them? She didn't even want to imagine what Voldemort would do to him then...

"Miss Alderfair, if you would kindly pay attention, it would be much appreciated."

Cassie lifted her head with difficulty to see Professor Flitwick frowning at her from his desk. She was supposed to be copying down the wand motions for a spell that would be on their Charms O.W.L., but her lack of sleep was making her drowsy and dumb.

"Sorry, Professor," she mumbled, picking up her quill and slowly beginning to write down the correct wand motions. Professor Flitwick went back to the lesson, and Alice leaned over to her.

"Cass, are you all right?" she asked. "You look peaky."

"'m fine," she said, stifling a huge yawn behind her hand. "Just tired."

"You've been just tired for weeks now," Alice pointed out. She peeked over her shoulder. "Is this about Sirius and the others? Are you still having a row with them?"

Cassie's grip on her quill tightened at the question, her mouth pulling into a scowl. She'd barely spoken to the Marauders in three weeks, and the reminder of it made her gut clench. Remus had tried to keep peace between all of them, but he must have realized the effort was futile, for he had backed off after only several days. James refused to even look in her direction, and Sirius had been as haughty and unruffled as ever, which increased her own anger. His blasé attitude was a slap to the face after the moment they had shared on the staircase, but her hurt was masked with too much pride to allow herself to obsess over it.

"What gave it away?" she asked Alice sarcastically. "The stoic silence, or the fact that a room turns into the Arctic Circle whenever we're all trapped in there together?"

Alice frowned, her expression unhappy. "You should at least try apologizing to them, then. You've been a stick in the mud ever since Valentine's."

Cassie's scowl deepened. "I have nothing to apologize for. They're the ones acting like gits, as if I had betrayed them..."

Alice sighed, clearly not wanting to press the issue further. "Suit yourself."

Cassie trudged out of the classroom when the bell dismissed them a half-hour later, closely followed by Lily, Marlene, and Alice.

"Cassie, you look like you're ill," Lily said immediately after they had stepped into the corridor. "Do you need to see Madam Pomfrey?"

"No," she said sullenly, ignoring the glance the three exchanged.

"Oh, suck it up, Cass," Marlene said, raising a critical brow. "You're not sleeping, and not to mention you've lost weight. Your bum used to look great in that skirt, but now it just looks sad. At least go get some Pepper-Up or something."

Startled and slightly offended, Cassie looked down at her appearance. To her dismay, Marlene was right. Her uniform and robes were rumpled and hung loosely on her body, giving her the appearance of a waif with un-ironed clothes.

"Fine," she snapped, throwing her hands into the air in exasperation. "I'll go get some bloody Pepper-Up. Just don't insult my bum again."

Marlene shrugged. "Just being honest."

"We'll see you in Herbology," Alice added.

Cassie sighed as she made her way to the hospital wing; maybe some Pepper-Up would do her good. She slipped through the doors of the hospital wing. A dozen or so students lingered in the ward, coughing and blowing their noses while Madam Pomfrey bustled about with a cart full of potions and tonics. Upon Cassie's entrance, the matron's head snapped up like a shark scenting blood.

"Pepper-Up?" she asked before Cassie could even get a word out. Cassie nodded. The matron pointed her to the cluster of sniffling students. "Line up there. My new batch is almost ready." She clucked her tongue. "Honestly, I've been through two cauldrons already just this week! Exams, I'm telling you—they make everyone sick..."

Cassie sidled over to the group, keeping some distance away from the sicker ones and only looking up when someone approached her.

"Hey, Cassie," Remus greeted.

She nodded to him, her expression neutral. "Remus."

"You down with the flu as well?"

She shook her head. "Just tired."

He nodded, scratching his cheek. "Exam stress—tricky thing. I have it too."

"I thought you said you had the flu?" she said, giving him a sidelong glance. He looked perfectly fine to her, if only a little paler, but she caught a flash of panic in his gaze before it was gone, replaced with an easy grin.

"I'm trying to prevent it before it can set in," he said, shrugging. "Can't lose revision time, especially with O.W.L.s coming up."

Cassie nodded, wondering why she didn't believe him. She had always trusted Remus so readily, but something about that flash of panic in his eyes when she had questioned him planted a seed of doubt in her belly. What did he have to fear?

An awkward silence befell them as they waited for Madam Pomfrey to distribute the potion. Cassie opted to stare out one of the windows, watching the sun battle for dominance with the heavy clouds rolling in the sky, but she looked back to Remus when he coughed slightly and scuffed his shoe on the floor.

"You talk to James or Sirius lately?" he asked, grimacing when she gave him a scathing look. "Stupid question, I know. Of course you haven't spoken to them."

"I have nothing to say," she said coolly, echoing Sirius's words from a few weeks ago. She wondered if he had told the other Marauders about their conversation, or even their near-kiss, but Remus seemed oblivious, only cringing.

"We just want you to be safe, Cass, that's all," he said. "James and Sirius...well, they'll get over themselves eventually."

"I am safe," she retorted. "No more meddling, remember? Unless I want to be killed alongside my brother."

"I know that," he said quickly. "But they—"

"They need to get off their high hippogriffs and apologize for being selfish prats, and then maybe I won't be tempted to turn their hair green."

Remus didn't answer as Madam Pomfrey swept over to them, handing each a vial of fizzing, popping liquid before whisking away. Cassie drained her potion in one gulp as Remus did the same, but before he could say anything more to her, she had already left the hospital wing, her throat burning, and not just from the Pepper-Up.

WIZENGAMOT PASS BILL GIVING AUTHORITATIVE POWER TO THE AUROR DEPARTMENT

On Wednesday, 3 March, the Wizengamot voted in an overwhelming majority to give the Department of Magical Law Enforcement executive power in the capture and detainment of so-called 'Death Eaters,' witches and wizards who proclaim to be allies of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, or otherwise sympathetic to his cause. This bill allows Aurors to use deadly force if needed when in pursuit of such criminals, and "necessary force is encouraged in order to subdue said criminals," as the third paragraph of the bill states.

Though Minister of Magic Harold Minchum has yet to sign the bill into law, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Bartemius Crouch, says that he "is confident the Minster will approve the bill. With the magical community in such a frazzled state, this will give citizens reassurance that all is being done to apprehend these criminals and put them in Azkaban where they belong."

However, a few number of these concerned citizens have criticized the bill, calling it a declaration of open war and an incitement to violence between the Ministry and You-Know-Who. This controversial decision also comes on the heels of legislation Minster Minchum signed into law in late December, allocating a hundred more dementors to guard Azkaban prison. (For more information, see pg. 9).

"The Minister is playing with fire," one of these citizens (who wished to remain anonymous) told me. "Allowing the Aurors to use violence against the very people who condone it is just asking for trouble."

Though known for his toughness and iron-fist approach regarding You-Know-Who's uprising, one can only wonder if the Minster has as much of a grip as it seems. Following the Wizengamot's decision to clear William Alderfair of all charges in the torture of a Muggle family in Cokeworth late last year, it seems that the Ministry—and the Minister himself—has a half-hearted approach to condoning such actions. (For more information, see pg. 10).

That can only lead to more speculation on whether the Ministry is biased in its definition of "criminal," especially considering the amount of arrests documented as "linked to Death Eater activity" and the number of convictions, which are drastically lower. However, Bartemius Crouch assures the public that the passing of this new legislative bill would give the Aurors more power to put these criminals on trial to the Wizengamot, and more power to capture them in the future.

The Minster is expected to sign the bill next week.

Reported by Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent of the Daily Prophet and Evening Prophet

"Ugh, of course they would find some way to put Will's name in there," Cassie said, shaking her head in disgust later that evening. She tossed the paper onto the table, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair as Lily, Alice, and Marlene perused the article she had just read.

"That's so scary," Lily said, shuddering. "I mean, I get why they're doing it, but at the same time..."

"It is open war," Marlene said darkly. "It's like you said at the beginning of term, Cass. There's been one for months; they're just trying not to scare anyone."

An uneasy silence covered them. Before anyone could say more, Remus approached their table in the common room, and Cassie had to refrain from rolling her eyes.

"I'm not apologizing—" she started, but Remus shook his head.

"I came to talk to Lily," he said, and Cassie snapped her mouth shut, flushing.

Lily looked at him expectantly. "What is it, Remus?"

"I can't do rounds with you this Saturday," he said. He averted his gaze, speaking to his shoes. "I, er...have detention."

Lily's brows rose, but Cassie narrowed her eyes. He was lying.

"Really?" the redhaired witch asked. "Who gave it to you?"

"Er, Professor Vector. I forgot to turn in my homework last class."

Lily still frowned, looking dubious, but she shrugged. "All right, then. I'll speak to Meyers; perhaps he can patrol with me."

Remus's shoulders sagged in relief. "Thanks, Lily. I'll make it up to you."

She waved goodbye as Remus walked off and returned to his seat with the rest of the Marauders by the fireplace. Cassie's eyes followed him until they snagged on a familiar grey gaze staring back at her. However, when she met Sirius's eyes, he looked away, glaring moodily into the fire.

"What's wrong with Lupin?" Alice asked. "He looks ill, too."

Marlene snorted. "Lupin's always ill. Back when I was dating Sirius he'd disappear for days; always sick, that one is."

Cassie frowned in the direction of the Marauder, Marlene's words stirring memories in her head that she'd never thought twice about until then. Remus did seem to be ill quite a lot; in fact, hadn't he always been that way? Even before she was friends with the Marauders she would vaguely register him missing in lessons, or looking sickly every few weeks. Either his immune system was terrible, or something else was going on with him. The latter thought made her heart sink; she'd never given thought to his illness, so what kind of friend did that make her?

She stared at the back of Remus's head, wondering if even after all this time, she still didn't know who he was.

xx

Friday could not pass quickly enough for Cassie.

Not only was she drained from the strenuous lessons and unceasing homework for O.W.L.s, but the weekend would give her prime opportunity to continue work on the locket's mystery. Time was already running out; there were only three months left in the term before she would have to go back home for the summer holiday, so she had to find the object before then, or risk Carlisle—or even Will himself—finding it first.

She slumped against the wall of the dungeons outside Professor Slughorn's classroom, attempting to keep her eyes from drooping. The Pepper-Up she had taken earlier in the week had worn off, leaving her more exhausted than ever. Sleep had continued to evade her; nightmares had been plaguing her ever since Valentine's, and combined with her stress, she could only manage about two or three hours of rest a night. Stifling a yawn, she tried to focus on the girls' conversation next to her, but since they were discussing the properties of the Draught of Dreamless Sleep, she tuned out hastily, not even wanting to hear anything with the word sleep.

She checked her watch, wondering why the class before theirs was taking so long to pack up and leave, but she glanced up when rowdy laughter echoed down the stairs, closely followed by the appearance of the Marauders. She scowled and averted her gaze.

Finally, the classroom door opened and Slughorn's previous class filed out, laughing and chatting as they ascended the staircase back to the ground floor. Cassie leaned farther into the wall to avoid being hit by a wild bag or shoulder, but she looked up when she heard a cheery "Cassie, hey!"

Bertram Aubrey pushed his way toward her, his smile as white as ever and his blond hair flopping nicely across his forehead.

"It's been a while!" he said. "How've you been?"

"Good," she said, nodding and awkwardly tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, acutely aware of both the girls' and the Marauders' eyes trained on her, including some of the Slytherins nearby. "You?"

He shrugged, his smile never once dimming. "About as well as can be expected during N.E.W.T. year. I swear the teachers are trying to kill us."

"I know the feeling," she said with a laugh. People began to enter the now-vacant classroom behind them. She watched Sirius stalk into the classroom, pushing Emma Vanity out of his way with the Marauders hot on his heels, but she looked back to Aubrey when he spoke.

"Hey, I've gotta get going, I have Flitwick next," he said. "But we should get together sometime; catch up. There's a Hogsmeade trip at the end of the month; we could go together, as long as Sirius Black doesn't try to sabotage us again." He gave her another blinding smile, and she nodded dumbly. Bertram Aubrey was asking her to Hogsmeade?

"Just let me know!" he called over his shoulder as he sprinted up the stairs, shooting her a last grin before disappearing. Shaking her head, she entered the classroom just as the bell rang, heading for her usual seat, only to stop dead in her tracks when she realized that Lily was in her old place next to Remus, with Sirius perched on the stool next to Cassie's.

Lily caught her bewildered gaze and held up her hands helplessly, mouthing I don't know. Straightening her spine with dignity, Cassie waved her off, sliding onto the stool next to Sirius and plopping her bag on the floor just as Professor Slughorn waddled in.

They didn't speak as Professor Slughorn announced that they would be working on Draught of Dreamless Sleep that day, and Cassie chose to remain silent even after he had set them to work with a chipper "Off you trot!" Instead, she went to retrieve their ingredients from the storage cupboard, stepping inside the musty closet and resisting the urge to roll her eyes when Sirius slipped in beside her.

"I can get the ingredients myself," she said irritably, grabbing a box of moth wings off the shelf and shoving it into his arms with much more force than was necessary.

"Sorry for wanting to help," he drawled.

"Why are you even sitting with me again?" she asked. "I thought I was still getting the silent treatment?" When he didn't answer immediately, she turned around and eyed him suspiciously. "What are you playing at, Sirius?"

He merely glared at her, but a sudden thought crossed her mind that made her scowl morph into an incredulous gape.

"Is this about Aubrey?" she said, and though he gave no outward sign of admission, his eyes still flicked from her briefly, giving her all the confirmation she needed. "It is. Merlin, Sirius, are you jealous?"

"Stop acting like it's so surprising," he snapped, and his face was the tiniest bit flushed. "Grab that jar of frog eyes."

She grabbed the jar, thrusting it into his arms while he adamantly refused to look at her. They finished collecting the rest of their ingredients in silence, Cassie's heart beating quickly, not knowing what to say to him. Frustration was the forefront of her emotions; how could he run away from her last month, then ignore her for weeks, and then turn around and be jealous simply because she had talked to another boy? It was maddening!

"We have everything," he said, making for the door. "Let's get our cauldron set up."

Cassie reached the door before him, standing in front of it and crossing her arms, barring his exit. He gave her an exasperated look.

"Cassie, we're not doing this here—"

"Oh, yes, we are," she said. "You need to get over yourself, Sirius. You can't claim to have feelings for me and then never act upon them when the opportunity presents itself!"

"I left that decision up to you," he said coldly. "You still haven't given me a damn clue on how you feel—"

"Bollocks!" she said angrily. "Was me wanting to meet you on Valentine's not enough of a hint, you bloody moron? What am I supposed to do, spell it out for you in the sky?"

His lips twitched, but he still looked annoyed. "I won't deny that would be a sight to see."

She sighed, raking her hair back from her face. "Look, I apologized for lying to you already. Now either you can take it and move on, or leave it and stay mad at me. But I won't apologize for doing it to protect you. There are just some things that I have to keep a secret, and you have to be willing to understand that."

He studied her carefully, his lips pursed while she waited, crossing her arms once more. Eventually, he opened his mouth, but before he could get a word out. the door to the storage cupboard swung open. Cassie flailed for a second, her balance lost as the door disappeared from behind her. She yelped as she tumbled to the floor, along with their potion ingredients when Sirius dropped them all to reach for her, but he was too late.

The classroom fell silent, everyone swiveling in their seats to stare at the disaster that had occurred as Cassie pushed herself back to her feet, her face blazing and wondering what higher being had it out for her so badly.

Peggy Sloane, who had been the one to open the door, snickered at the two Gryffindors as Professor Slughorn bustled over, having to squeeze his wide girth through the tables as he said "What is this, what is this?"

"I caught Black and Alderfair snogging in the storeroom, sir," the Slytherin cackled. "Looked messy, too." She gestured to the ingredients smashed on the floor, and Professor Slughorn looked between Cassie and Sirius, his walrus-like mustache rippling from the force of his breath.

"Is this true?" he asked them.

"Of course not," Sirius snorted. "Sloane's just making it up, as usual."

"Miss Alderfair?" he asked, turning to her.

"Sirius is right," she said. "Sloane's lying."

Professor Slughorn seemed to struggle with himself for a moment, obviously torn between believing a student from his own House or a member of his Slug Club, but eventually he waved a hand.

"I won't assign any detentions this time," he said, "though I will take ten points from Gryffindor for destroying my ingredients." He flicked his wand and the mess instantly cleaned itself. "And no more dallying, it's time to start working on your potion."

"Thank you, Professor," Cassie said, flashing him a thankful smile that he acknowledged with a wink, going back to his desk and leaving the three alone.

"Sirius, finish getting the ingredients," she said, glaring balefully at the Slytherin girl. "Sloane and I need to talk. Privately."

He hesitated briefly before ducking back into the storage cupboard. When he was gone, Cassie narrowed her eyes and took a step toward the much shorter girl. To her credit, Sloane did not back down, but her eyes flickered uneasily as Cassie towered over her.

"Stay away from my friends and me," she said lowly. "I may not have retaliated after that stunt you pulled last term, but I haven't forgotten. And you do not want an Alderfair as your enemy."

Sloane narrowed her eyes, but Cassie could see the flash of uncertainty in them, and felt a nice flare of satisfaction at the sight.

She brushed past Sloane, heading back to her seat and thinking that, sometimes, it paid to have a bad reputation.

xx

"Lily, have I ever mentioned how lame you are?"

The redhaired witch looked up in offense at this, abandoning her essay to glare at Marlene, who curled her hair around her quill and appeared utterly bored.

"I am not!" Lily protested.

"Mar's right," Alice said, grinning. "You dragged us into the library to do homework—on a Saturday night."

Lily gaped, whirling to Cassie for help, but the dark-haired witch wasn't paying attention, twirling the locket between her fingers and staring at the glinting ruby embedded in it.

"Maybe you should go out with Potter," Marlene said. "At least he knows how to have fun."

Alice snorted when Lily glared.

"Don't say that!" she hissed. "You know I would never—"

"Go out with Potter," Marlene drawled, rolling her eyes. "Yes, we know. I just don't get why you're so set on hating him; he's not that bad—"

"You sound like Cassie," Lily said.

At her name, Cassie started and sat up straighter in her seat, looking between them all. "What about me?"

"Nothing, Cass," Marlene said. "We're just wondering when you and Sirius are going to make up and snog already—"

Cassie flushed, her cheeks turning bright red. "We already made up—I think—but we are not going to snog!"

"That's not what you said on Veritaserum," Alice muttered, and Marlene giggled at the expression on Cassie's face.

"You can't hold that against me!" she said. "Veritaserum makes you say all kinds of things—"

"Yes, but only truthful things," Lily pointed out, and Cassie turned on her, her expression screaming I thought you were on my side? Lily shrugged, a small smile on her lips, and Cassie knew she was only playing along with the others because she didn't want the conversation turning back to her and James. She huffed, sitting back in her seat and crossing her arms.

Lily got to her feet a few moments later, claiming she needed to search for a reference book, and Alice and Marlene began speaking in whispers, talking about something Cassie didn't care to know about, instead opting to stare at her Herbology essay. Seeing that she hardly had enough room to fit another sentence on her parchment, she reached into her bag, digging around for a spare bit of paper she could use. Her fingers snagged on a piece, and she pulled it out, only to freeze when she realized that it wasn't spare parchment after all. It was the list she had stolen from Carlisle's office ages ago, with the names of the Founders written upon it. Perhaps it was a bit more crumpled and worn since the last time she had seen it, but it was still the same:

Salazar Slytherin – FOUND

Helga Hufflepuff – FOUND

Rowena Ravenclaw – ?

Godric Gryffindor

She stared hard at Gryffindor's bolded name, her heart beginning to pick up speed, the locket synching right along with it.

Miranda had been Gryffindor's lover; that was what Cassie had learned from her dream all those weeks ago. Miranda had written The Gauntlet of Gryffindor about Gryffindor and the locket—the locket that Cassie was wearing that had belonged to her ancestor, passed between her hands and Gryffindor's and Gwarwyn-a-throt the Thief's. Voldemort, Will, and Carlisle were all searching for an object, an object that seemed to have some connection to the Founders, to Gryffindor himself...

The Gauntlet of Gryffindor. That was it. That was what everyone was after, though they didn't know it yet. The gauntlet was the object Voldemort wanted—and she had just figured it out, before any of them. Of course, there was the matter of actually finding it...but she knew. But should she tell the others?

She had vowed to work alone, to protect those she cared about from Voldemort's wrath... But if she had found something so big, so much of a gamechanger...

To hell with it, she thought, deciding to throw caution to the wind and pray that she was right. She stood up abruptly, beginning to shovel things into her bag, her body suddenly feverish and tingly with adrenaline and excitement.

"Cass?" Marlene asked. "What are you doing?"

"I forgot I had to do something," she said hastily, shoving the piece of parchment with the Founders' names into her back pocket and swinging her bag over her shoulder. "I'm sorry; I'll see you later!"

Without waiting for a response, she bolted from the library, ignoring Madam Pince's scandalized cry of "No running in the library!" She pushed her way out into the corridor, pelting for Gryffindor Tower at full speed, clutching a stitch in her side when she skidded to a stop in front of the Fat Lady.

"Virtus vero!" she panted. The Fat Lady gave her red and sweaty face a judgmental glance before swinging open, and Cassie clambered inside, trying to catch her breath. She entered the common room, looking for any signs of the Marauders, but when she didn't see them she took off up the boys' staircases, reaching their door and pounding on it.

"Open up!" she called. "Please, it's me—it's urgent—"

"Cassie?"

She whirled around to see Frank Longbottom emerging from the adjoining dormitory, looking at her in confusion. "What are you doing up here?"

"Frank," she said. "Have you seen James or Sirius or the others? Please, I need to speak with them—"

"They're not in their room," he said, shrugging. "I dunno if that helps—"

"Do you know where they might have gone?" she asked desperately.

"Dunno," he said, grimacing apologetically. "I've never asked where they run off to some nights—honestly, I'd prefer not to know, seeing as what they get up to..."

Cassie let out a noise of frustration. "I'll find them. Thanks anyway, Frank."

He waved as she sprinted back down the stairs, throwing her bag at the bottom of the girls' staircases before rushing out of the common room once more.

"What's all your fuss?" the Fat Lady called after her. "You know, I was about to enjoy some beauty sleep right before you showed up—"

Cassie waved her off and jogged down the corridor, wondering where on earth they could possibly be. Her first place to check would be the kitchens, but if they weren't there, then she had no other leads.

Bloody hell, she thought irritably. Just when I need them the most and I don't even know where they are.

She hopped onto one of the moving staircases, waiting impatiently for it to connect to another so she could be on her way, looking out one of the windows overlooking the grounds. The full moon was bright, bathing the grounds in white light, and faint wispy clouds rushed quickly through the sky, dark tendrils clinging to the moonlight and giving an eerie effect. She was just about to turn her head when she saw something out of her peripheral, and her eyes locked onto three figures striding across the grounds—three very familiar figures.

Cassie leaped the last meter between the two staircases, taking the steps two at a time as she raced down, not once stopping until she had reached the ground floor. By some miracle, she managed not to run into anyone, even when she slipped out through the great double doors in the entrance hall and emerged onto the grounds.

The moon was so bright that she needn't bother with her wand, instead heading for the place where she had seen the figures of James, Sirius, and Peter last. The grass was dewy under her trainers, and despite the warming weather she zipped up her jacket all the same, the cool nighttime breeze making her skin break out into goosebumps. She paused on the top of the slope that would either lead her to the greenhouses or toward Hagrid's hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, her eyes searching the landscape for any sign of the three boys.

After several anxious moments, she spotted two figures standing at the edge of the Whomping Willow, just out of range of its restless branches, and she started forward, wondering what they were doing so close to the dangerous tree, and where Peter had gone, as she could no longer see his shorter figure next to James and Sirius.

Suddenly, the Willow's rustling branches froze completely, as if someone had Petrified it, and she stopped, watching as James and Sirius walked calmly beneath the still branches, her mouth dropping open when they disappeared into the Willow's base.

What in the actual name of Godric...

Swallowing her awe, she crept closer to the Willow, freezing when the branches shook themselves and came alive once more, swaying and whipping, their creaking echoing across the empty grounds.

She looked at the base; a small, dark opening crouched there, and she assumed that was what James and Sirius had gone through. But why? What was below the Whomping Willow? And how did they even figure something out like that? They had been forbidden to go near the tree ever since it was planted the year they came to Hogwarts, and no one dared to mess with it anymore ever since poor Davey Gudgeon had almost lost his eye from an assaulting branch.

Deciding she would never fully know how the Marauders' brains work, she approached the Willow slowly, stopping just outside of its violent radius. She figured her smartest and safest option would be to go back into the castle and wait up for them in the common room, but something told her she needed to be here tonight—she needed to follow them. The locket trembled against her chest as she pulled out her wand and pointed it at a knot she could see on the base of the tree, sticking out like a sore thumb.

"Immobulus," she muttered, and just as before, the Willow snapped to attention, its branches ceasing their moving. Keeping her wand out, she walked quickly for the mouth of the tunnel, crouching inside and checking her surroundings. Seeing nothing, she ducked into the tunnel, walking with a stoop to avoid hitting her head on the ceiling and whispering "Lumos," her wand tip igniting as she went forward.

The tunnel seemed to last forever, but it had probably only been about ten minutes before she began to hear voices, and she paused. She extinguished her wand and crept closer to the voices.

Two minutes later, dim light began to filter through the tunnel, and she came to another mouth, this one opening into what very much looked like a wooden cabin. Holding her breath, she crouched down to her knees, ignoring the dirt, and peered inside to a dilapidated structure that looked as if it had been abandoned for years. What little furniture there was inside was broken, as if someone had smashed it in, and the moth-eaten curtains covering the cracked windows were ripped to shreds. Perhaps the most frightening detail of all, however, were the deep furrows in the wood of the floor and walls that looked suspiciously like claw marks, and she gulped, wondering how the Marauders had found this place—and worse, why they wanted to come in here at all.

She hauled herself inside the house, walking slowly and lightly as not to make any noise. The floors creaked subtly beneath her weight as she moved over to the window and pushed aside the curtains, barely able to make out the silhouette of Hogsmeade in the distance. Her stomach flopped, and she backed away from the window once realization hit her: she was in the Shrieking Shack.

The voices were closer now, and she definitely recognized Sirius's deep drawl amongst them as she headed for the staircase leading up to the second landing. Keeping her wand out, she padded up the steps, emerging onto the second floor and pausing outside of what she assumed was a bedroom.

"Five minutes to," James declared. "You ready, Moony?"

Cassie started; Remus was there? Since when?

Said Marauder grunted. "Ready as I'll ever be."

Sirius chuckled. "That's the spirit, mate."

What the hell were they on about? Why were they even in here? No one had ever been inside the Shrieking Shack before. Deciding that enough was enough, Cassie swung open the door with an ominous creak and stepped inside the shabby bedroom, looking around at the four pale faces that greeted her.

"Cassie," Remus choked, his face the whitest of all and tinged with some green. "What are you doing here?"

"How did you get in here?" Sirius demanded, his voice harsh as he strode over to her and gripped her elbow. "Merlin, Cassie—"

"Pads, get her out of here," James warned hoarsely. "Fucking hell, get her out—"

"What the hell is wrong with you lot?" she said angrily, attempting to twist her arm out of Sirius's grip, but to no avail. "Why are you in here—?"

Remus looked devastated, his eyes glinting gold in the moonlight streaming through the window. Cassie stared. But Remus's eyes were green, not gold...

It hit her with the force of ten Stunning Spells at once.

"The full moon," she said, the blood draining from her face. "Remus..."

He looked as if he were coming apart at the seams—and he was, she realized with a flare of panic. He was about to transform. Remus was about to become a...a...

"GET HER OUT!" James snarled, and before she could utter another word, Sirius dragged her from the bedroom.

"Wormtail, get the door," she heard James order. The door slammed behind them, and Remus let out a keening moan. At first she thought it was because he was distressed, but as the sound deepened and became more pained, she realized that it was because he was turning. Into a—

"You're a reckless, bloody idiot," Sirius growled as he pushed her in front of him, making her topple back into the tunnel from where she had entered. She barely heard his next words as a scream morphed into a roar above them, rattling the panes on the windows, and her heart dropped. "Honestly, Cassie, what were you thinking?"

"I had to tell you something," she managed to get out, her throat tight. "I saw you walking here..."

Sirius swore under his breath. "I knew we should've taken the damn cloak..."

Another roar echoed down the tunnel, and Cassie gasped, collapsing into the dirt and realizing that she had been quietly sobbing the entire time.

"He didn't tell me," she cried as Sirius stopped behind her. "None of you did...I didn't know..."

"That was the point," he said gruffly, giving her a nudge so she got back to her feet, stumbling forward again. "He didn't want you to know."

"Why?" she choked. "I'm his friend. He doesn't have to be afraid of telling me—I know what other people think of w-were... but I'm not one of them! I don't care!"

"He doesn't know that," Sirius said, and though his voice was still tense, he seemed to be trying to reassure her. "Werewolves...you know how society treats them. He's terrified of anyone finding out—I mean, we found out our first year—kind of hard to keep that sort of thing from us when we all live together—and it took him a long time to come to terms with the fact that we aren't going to hate him for it."

They were about halfway through the tunnel, and Cassie breathed out a sigh of relief when she realized she could no longer hear Remus's pained screams and moans. How could she have been so blind? All the signs had been there from the beginning: his mysterious illnesses and absences, how he always looked so drained and sickly once a month, the panic... She had been so preoccupied with her own life that she had never once stopped to think about what he possibly had to go through. Was she even really his friend after all?

"Oi," Sirius said, tapping her back. "I know what you're thinking, and it's not your fault you didn't know, Cassie. He knew he would have to tell you eventually if you never figured it out. At least this way, now you know."

"He must be terrified," she said miserably. "Having someone find out your secret like that..." She shook her head. "I am an idiot."

"No argument there," he said, half-jokingly. "Honestly, Princess, what even possessed you to follow us out here?"

"I figured out what it is," she said hollowly. All excitement of unlocking a piece of the puzzle was gone, dull in comparison to what she had just discovered. "The object they're all looking for—Voldemort, Carlisle, the Slytherins, Will—I know what it is."

"I thought you were done meddling?" he asked sardonically.

"It was a trick," she said. "A dumb one, in hindsight. I didn't want anyone to know I was still working on it."

"That's why you threw us for a loop," he said. "So no one would suspect anything."

"Carlisle and the Slytherins knew you were helping me," she said. The tunnel was starting to become wider, and the air was cooler, less musty. "I had to make them think I was truly done digging."

Sirius was silent for a few moments.

"That was smart," he said grudgingly.

"I know." She meant it as a joke, but it fell flat, and they retreated into silence.

A few minutes later they had reached the end of the tunnel, and Sirius stopped her by putting a hand on her lower back, making an involuntary shiver go down her spine. He seemed to hesitate briefly before looking to her with a grimace.

"There's probably another thing you should know," he said, and in the next second, he was gone. Cassie blinked, blanching when instead of Sirius, there was now a great shaggy black dog in his place.

"Merlin's beard," she said weakly, and the dog's grey eyes—Sirius's eyes—seemed to wink at her before it wriggled out of the tunnel, touching a paw that had to be as big as a bear's to the knot in the Whomping Willow's trunk.

She clambered out of the tunnel, following the dog some distance away before it shook itself, slowly turning back into the human Sirius.

"That was risky," she said, wiping the last of the tears from her face now that they were out of the tunnel.

Sirius cocked his head, and all she could imagine was the dog as he stared at her. "How so?"

"What if you turned back naked?" she asked. "How do you even know to keep your clothes?"

"A lot of practice," he assured her. "It took us almost two years to figure it out—I swear the only person who's seen as much of James as I have is his own mother."

"James is an Animagus too?" she gasped.

He nodded. "Yep. He's a stag. So's Peter—he turns into a rat."

"'Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs,'" she remembered. She touched a hand to her forehead. "I'm going mad."

"C'mon," he said, grabbing her arm again, though this time his grip was much gentler. "We shouldn't be out here."

As they made their way back, a lone howl echoed across the grounds, and out of reflex Cassie slid her hand into Sirius's, squeezing it tightly. His fingers wrapped around her own as the castle loomed closer, and despite everything that had happened that night, she had to appreciate the one small moment of light amidst the darkness.