Adopted Moonfoot(discontinued) :(

22

Cathy pov

I didn't react.

I already knew the real story from the time moony told me.

"Turn out your pockets, Potter!" he spat suddenly.

"Turn out your pockets, or we go straight to the headmaster! Pull them out, Potter!" he repeated it as if harry stood frozen or something.

From the rustling I assumed he was looking in a bag.

"Ron gave them to me," said Harry, "He brought them back from Hogsmeade last time --"

'Worst excuse in the world harry, you can't be this bad at lying'

"And you've been carrying them around ever since? How very touching...and what is this?" I could tell Snape had his eyebrow raised.

"Spare bit of parchment," he said with a shrug.

'It can't be'

"Surely you don't need such a very old piece of parchment?" he said, "Why don't I just -- throw this away?"

My eyes widened.

"No!" Harry said quickly.

"So!" said Snape, his long nostrils were probably quivering.

"Is this another treasured gift from Mr. Weasley? Or is it -- something else? A letter, perhaps, written in invisible ink? Or -- instructions to get into Hogsmeade without passing the Dementors?"

'Oh thank merlin, he doesn't know'

"Let me see, let me see..." he muttered.

'Please say it, please say it'

"Reveal your secret!" he said, then it went silent.

"Show yourself!" Snape said.

Silence.

"Professor Severus Snape, master of this school, commands you to yield the information you conceal!" Snape said, and a noise I assume from hitting the map with his wand.

'Finally!!'

It was silent, I assumed they were reading it, I prodded a bit at Harry's mind to know what was written on the map.

"Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business."

I had to stifle my snort.

"Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git."

'Oh merlin'

"Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a professor."

I bit my lip to keep from laughing, drawing a bit of blood.

"Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape a good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slime ball."

I pull out, barely keeping silent I wait for Snape to respond.

"So..." said Snape softly, "We'll see about this ..."

There were footsteps, "Lupin!" Snape called, "I want a word!"

Second later I heard dad say mildly, "You called, Severus?"

"I certainly did," said Snape, "I have just asked Potter to empty his pockets. He was carrying this."

I assume he pointed at the map, dad didn't answer.

"Well?" said Snape.

Dad still didn't answer, probably coming up with a plan.

"Well?" said Snape again, "This parchment is plainly full of Dark Magic. This is supposed to be your area of expertise, Lupin. Where do you imagine Potter got such a thing?"

"Full of Dark Magic?" he repeated mildly. "Do you really think so, Severus? It looks to me as though it is merely a piece of parchment that insults anybody who reads it. Childish, but surely not dangerous? I imagine Harry got it from a joke shop --"

'He's way better at lying then harry'

"Indeed?" said Snape, "You think a joke shop could supply him with such a thing? You don't think it more likely that he got it directly from the manufacturers?"

'The hell is he talking about talking about'

"You mean, by Mr. Wormtail or one of these people?" he said, "Harry, do you know any of these men?"

"No," said Harry quickly.

"You see, Severus?" said Lupin, turning back to Snape, "It looks like a Zonko's product to me --"

Suddenly Ron came running and accidentally pushed me making the door open.

Almost making me fall.

He was completely out of breath, and stopped just short of Snape's desk, clutching the stitch in his chest and trying to speak.

"I -- gave -- Harry -- that -- stuff," he choked out, "bought -- it...in Zonko's... ages -- ago..."

"Well!" said Lupin, clapping his hands together and looking around cheerfully.

"That seems to clear that up! Severus, I'll take this back, shall I?" He folded the map and tucked it inside his robes.

"Harry, Ron, come with me, I need a word about my vampire essay -- excuse us, Severus --" he briskly walked past Snape.

I gave Snape his stuff before following dad.

We walked all the way back into the entrance hall before speaking.

Harry turned to dad, "Professor, I --"

"I don't want to hear explanations," said dad shortly.

He glanced around the empty entrance hall and lowered his voice.

"I happen to know that this map was confiscated by Mr. Filch many years ago. Yes, I know it's a map," he said as Harry and Ron looked amazed.

"I don't want to know how it fell into your possession. I am, however, astounded that you didn't hand it in. Particularly after what happened the last time a student left information about the castle lying around. And I can't let you have it back, Harry."

I just stood there listening.

"Why did Snape think I'd got it from the manufacturers?"

"Because..." Dad hesitated, "because these mapmakers would have wanted to lure you out of school. They'd think it extremely entertaining."

"Do you know them?" said Harry, clearly impressed.

'You have no idea harry' I thought.

"We've met," he said shortly.

"Don't expect me to cover up for you again, Harry. I cannot make you take Sirius Black seriously," I suppressed a grin, "But I would have thought that what you have heard when the Dementors draw near you would have had more of an effect on you. Your parents gave their lives to keep you alive, Harry. A poor way to repay them -- gambling their sacrifice for a bag of magic tricks."

We started walking away, still in hearing range I turned around.

"And raven you were right," I shouted, he looked at me confused.

"Your father didn't strut he pranced."

I left raven and Ron confused, while dad shook his head but cracked a smile.

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