The Marauders Year Five Part 2 #Wattys2017

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Remus was hurrying, dragging along both Ollie and Dexter behind him as he moved quickly. They'd gone to the Three Broomsticks to try to find James and Lily, but they weren't there. He didn't know what to do, he felt lost and confused and he wished very, very much that somebody was there that could help him - anybody. He would've done anything to see Newt or Tina Scamander, or Dumbledore, or --

He skid to a stop, and blinked in disbelief.

It was the gait of his walk that made Remus recognize him. His hair was long and unkempt, a thick beard covering his chin. He looked wild and thin, but strong in the arms as he always had, and Remus felt a surge of hope. "PROFESSOR!" The man was coming out of the doors of the inn - still shrugging on his jacket, a briefcase in his fist (it was black and sleek, not at all like Newt's case, Remus noted) looking up and down the street - though not in response to the title. Probably because only Remus still called him that. Anyone else would have called him --

"NED! NED VEIGLER!"

The man stopped, turned, and Remus could see his face was dirty and the hair was matted and gnarled and his eyes searched the crowd around him for who had yelled his name.

"C'mon," Remus gasped, and he pulled the two boys down the street toward the man, and as he approached he let go of their hands, running as the best as his knees would let him, and he threw himself at Ned Veigler, wrapping his arms around Ned's shoulders. "Professor Veigler!" he cried out, leaning down to embrace the older, but still shorter, man.

Ned hugged Remus and patted his back solidly, "Rey," he said, and his voice was thick, rusted as though he had spoken very little since his departure in December.

"Oh Professor Veigler, I'm so glad you're here." Remus felt like he had never been so happy to see anybody in all of his blasted life. He backed away and dizzily looked Ned over, "Where - where have you been?"

"Iceland," replied Ned. "I've -- so much to tell you, Remus... so much to tell you and Newt and -- I owe you all apologies, so many apologies... I just needed time away. And it was so good that I took it... I'm here on business, to see Dumbledore..." His eyes travelled to the two anxious looking first years hovering behind Remus, staring up at the wild-looking man with wide eyed expressions of confusion. "Who's this?" he asked.

Remus answered, "Oliver Kent and Dexter Cardwall. They're first years. They're - they're -- Oh Professor, I need your help."

"My help?" Ned Veigler's brow folded in concern... and now he could see the worry in Remus's eyes. He hurriedly pulled Remus into a small alley beside the inn, the two first years rushing over to stay close, "What's happened? Newt's here - isn't he? I heard about that -- ridiculous claim, about the children, and that he's been in hiding here and --"

"It isn't here, no -- Newt's gone - gone to New York City..." Remus said and Ned's eyes widened, but Remus plowed on, "It's the other first years." And he told Ned Veigler everything that had happened.

"How do we get out of here?" Lily asked, feeling terrible to be the first to interrupt the moment between James and Charlus, but knowing that it was important they go before they got caught being there. "And how do we get the first years?"

"The fireplace in the dining hall is the Floo connection," Regulus said, who had travelled to Malfoy Manor plenty of times by the Floo in Number 12 Grimmauld Place. "That's right above us and to the left."

"Is it the left or the right?" Sirius undermined him, getting up from where he'd been hugging Mrs. Potter, and going over to the stairs where Regulus stood. "I remember coming here when we were kids and --"