Elektra Black I

Chapter 5 | Harry's Fury

Remus had never felt guilt quite like he had after El and Harry left the kitchens. Since he had the map, he could make sure that they had gotten to their common room in one piece, which they had done. To his anger and horror, the two teenagers that he had just shouted at were right. Peter Pettigrew was indeed on the map. Not in the kitchens but now in a section of the library.

 Remus felt cold sweat begin to drip down his body as his heart began to thud ever so loudly. As quick as a flash, he raced up the stairs, through corridors, not stopping once, to reach an empty corridor that the map had revealed Peter to be in. When he got there, it was dark and cold, and paintings were fast asleep on the walls all around him. Better be quiet, he thought to himself as he slowly inched his way through the endless corridors to where the name was. Nobody was there, not a single soul. The realisation hit him like a slap to the face as his tired and stressed mind finally glued together the answer. "Look to the floor!" He heard his subconscious mind tell him. Peter Pettigrew was a rat. Not only in animal form, but if he were to be alive, he had also ratted out the Potters to Voldemort and ultimately faked his death, which left Sirius Black, someone he held most dearly, to rot in prison.

The floors around him were empty. "Lumos!" He whispered, waving his wand slightly so that light escaped from the tip of it. He lowered himself to the ground and waved his wand from side to side until he found what he was looking for. Cowered in a corner, a rat with bent ears was squeaking to itself. 

It was him. 

Remus knew his old best friend's animal form very well. He flicked his wand and aimed for the rat with a reversal charm for Animagi but was too late because Wormtail had scurried off into the night. He used holes within the walls to get up to the third floor from the looks of it. Remus was never going to catch him in time, but one thing remained clear, the real traitor was alive, and he had the map that led right to him. The question in Remus' mind was now rather obvious, and a sudden sick feeling overcame him. Where was Sirius?

On their way back up from the kitchens, El and Harry had devised a plan to get the map back and follow Remus. After his knowledge about the Marauders Map, she had begun to mistrust him and saw best fit to figure out his secrets. El had slept most of the night downstairs by the fire with Jada, gossiping away about Jada's crush Joe and revealing the dark secrets that El had discovered. Jada was onboard with the plan almost instantly and found it hard to fall asleep due to her excitement. 

Harry had told Ron and Hermione everything that had happened after El had permitted him to let them both know since they knew all about the invisibility cloak. A gang was forming, and El couldn't have been more thrilled! She could only imagine McGonagall's face when she saw all five of them together. Remus had mentioned that she would near enough tell James and Sirius off at least every day, and now that Harry and El were friends, trouble only followed. The day involved all of them going out in pairs under the invisibility cloak to search for Remus but no luck. 

By the time dinner had been served and wolfed down, the gang decided it was time to take matters further. If Remus had the map, he would see what they were up to regardless, so what was more trouble going to do considering she was in enough already. She was a troublemaker, after all.

They all chose to go out collectively after Hermione created an invisibility potion with the help of Jada's incredible potion skills. The two together were quite the team. Harry, Ron and El had agreed to fit under the invisibility cloak together as the potion was only enough for two. They planned to follow Remus until he had fallen asleep, which he usually did frequently. 

The clock struck 7 pm, just as the sun was setting, and they had found themselves walking to Remus' office nonchalantly in hopes it would give him enough time to have had some food and then fall asleep in front of his fire. That's what usually happened anyway. Though, as they got to his office door, it burst open and out poured a very frantic and stressed out of his mind Remus. He had what seemed like tears in his eyes and was holding the map fully in his hand, reading it. He was following someone himself and thankfully hadn't noticed all of their names behind him!