you raise me up || harry potter

chapter 48

»»————-　song:　————-««

old friend

★ by elderbrook ★

❝ i got a couple old friends
i swear i'm trying to make amends
forget the years i haven't been... 

and we can ride around again like before.❞

♢ ♢ ♢

It was a bit of a surprise, hearing Snape's voice from his hearth. Remus knew the man usually wanted nothing to do with him—they had barely exchanged a single word with each other during the past week, and it was quite tiring to be the subject of his endless glares at breakfast in the Great Hall. Grading papers could wait, Remus thought, and so he ducked into the Floo with curiosity. 

"You called, Severus?" Remus said mildly, brushing a bit of soot off his cloak. The Hogwarts Floo seemed to have taken more of a liking to him than the regular Floo Network. 

"I certainly did," Snape said. He looked abnormally furious. Behind him, Remus noted, stood Harry. He didn't look as terrified as could be warranted for any student that had to witness the wrath of Severus Snape; he looked more sullen than anything. Interesting.

"I have just asked Potter to empty his pockets," Snape continued. "He was carrying this." He pointed at a piece of parchment on his desk. 

Remus approached it with bemusement, trying to read the words that were shining on its surface. With a startled jolt, Remus realized it was the Marauder's Map. 

It had been years since he had seen that ragged old parchment. He was suddenly overwhelmed by emotion. Grief or nostalgia, he couldn't be sure; perhaps a mix of both. James had worked so hard on this map—he'd pulled several all-nighters and skipped a fair number of classes trying to get the parchment to answer to his spells. Sirius had encouraged it, skiving off enthusiastically with him; and while Peter wasn't as bold, he  did provide them with excellent snacks from the kitchen. Lily had very much disapproved, but laughed when Remus advised her not to interfere. "The only way they'll stop is when they succeed," he had said. "Now let's get cracking on this potions homework, because we're good students. Unlike some people."

"Some people" referred to the geniuses that were James Potter and Sirius Black. Geniuses didn't have to go to class to stay geniuses, after all. 

Remus shook himself out of his reverie and read the writing that had appeared:

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

Remus winced. He'd forgotten that particular function of the map—it was quite adept at devising insults. His heart rate sped up with a bit of anxiety. Would Snape recognize who "Moony" was referring to?

The rest of the insults made their appearances, each one more juvenile than the last. By the end of it, Remus felt like covering his face with his hands. 

"Well?" Snape snapped. "This parchment is plainly full of Dark Magic. This is supposed to be your area of expertise. What do you say about this?"

Remus swallowed, determined not to waver. "Dark Magic?" he said, trying to inject a bit of lightness into his tone. "Do you really think so, Severus? It appears to me that it's merely a piece of parchment which insults anyone who reads it. Childish, perhaps, but not Dark. I imagine Harry got it from a joke shop—"