A/N: there were some problems with the story so I have to reupload some parts, sorry guys. but a new chapter is coming right after! thanks for your patience :>

Wordcount: 1996

No one in Gryffindor Tower slept that night. They knew that the castle was being searched again, and the whole House stayed awake in the common room, waiting to hear whether Black had been caught. Professor McGonagall came back at dawn, without Professor Lupin this time, to tell them that he had again escaped.

Throughout the day, everywhere they went they saw signs of tighter security; Professor Flitwick could be seen teaching the front doors to recognize a large picture of Sirius Black; Filch was suddenly bustling up and down the corridors, boarding up everything from tiny cracks in the walls to mouse holes. Sir Cadogan had been fired. His portrait had been taken back to its lonely landing on the seventh floor, and the Fat Lady was back. She had been expertly restored, but was still extremely nervous, and had agreed to return to her job only on condition that she was given extra protection. A bunch of surly security trolls had been hired to guard her. They paced the corridor in a menacing group, talking in grunts and comparing the size of their clubs.

Remus couldn't help noticing that the statue of the one-eyed witch on the third floor remained unguarded and unblocked. It seemed that he had been right in thinking that he and his friends were the only ones who knew about the hidden passageway within it. So now it was just him and Sirius. Remus reckoned he should tell someone, but he knew Sirius was not coming in through Honeyduke's, he'd've heard if the shop had been broken into, even if Sirius used his disguise as a big, black dog, he would have had to break in one way or another. If he admitted to knowing the one-eyed witch's passage, he would get in a lot of trouble and suspicion for not admitting to it earlier. So once again, he gave Sirius an advantage by being too cowardly to own up to his mistakes. Saving his own weak, anxious, cowardly skin. Sometimes he doubted himself being Gryffindor.

Ron Weasley had become an instant celebrity overnight. People were paying immense attention to him, and it was clear that Ron was rather enjoying the experience. Though still severely shaken by the night's events, he was happy to tell anyone who asked what had happened, with a wealth of detail. Remus overheard it more than twice when walking through the corridors.

"... I was asleep, and I heard this ripping noise, and I thought it was in my dream, you know? But then there was this draft... I woke up and one side of the hangings on my bed had been pulled down... I rolled over... and I saw him standing over me... like a skeleton, with loads of filthy hair ... holding this great long knife, must've been twelve inches... and he looked at me, and I looked at him, and then I yelled, and he scampered."

"Why, though?" Ron added to Harry as the group of second-year girls who had been listening to his chilling tale departed. "Why did he run?"

Remus knew a lot of people had been wondering the same thing. Why had Black, having got the wrong bed, not silenced Ron and proceeded to Harry? Sirius had proven twelve years ago that he didn't mind murdering innocent people, and this time he had been facing five unarmed boys, four of whom were asleep. "He must've known he'd have a job getting back out of the castle once you'd yelled and woken people up," said Harry thoughtfully. "He'd've had to kill the whole House to get back through the portrait hole... then he would've met the teachers...."

Neville was in total disgrace. Professor McGonagall was so furious with him she had banned him from all future Hogsmeade visits, given him a detention, and forbidden anyone to give him the password into the tower. Poor Neville was forced to wait outside the common room every night for somebody to let him in, while the security trolls leered unpleasantly at him. None of these punishments, however, came close to matching the one his grandmother had in store for him. Two days after Sirius's break-in, she sent Neville the very worst thing a Hogwarts student could receive over breakfast -- a Howler.

The school owls swooped into the Great Hall carrying the mail as usual, and Neville choked as a huge barn owl landed in front of him, a scarlet envelope clutched in its beak. Remus, looking over from the teacher's table recognized the letter as a Howler at once -- back when he was at Hogwarts his friends had gotten plenty of them in their seven years.

"Run for it, Neville," Ron Weasley advised, who was sitting opposite from him. Next to him sat Harry, shaking his head.

Neville didn't need telling twice. He seized the envelope, and holding it before him like a bomb, sprinted out of the hall, while the Slytherin table exploded with laughter at the sight of him. They heard the Howler go off in the entrance hall -- Neville's grandmother's voice, magically magnified to a hundred times its usual volume, shrieking about how he had brought shame on the whole family.

The whole week Sirius Black was the only topic of conversation in the corridors, in the classrooms, during the breaks and during all meals. Remus reckoned he had grown accustomed to the constant shadow of his former friend following him. With all the new security and fear going around, Remus had also come to term with himself and his feelings. What he had been believing all this time, that there was something missing that would clear up the situation, was a mere glimmer of hope that the man he had loved in the past wasn't gone; and a foolish hope it had been. Sirius Black had brought terror to the castle and Remus knew that this was really not the same Sirius he once knew. This was Black, this was a murderer who would backstab anyone for his own benefit. Remus did his best to acknowledge that.

This Saturday was a Hogsmeade weekend that everyone was looking forward to, just to get out of the castle and breathe fresh air. Almost all students were gone, except of course for first and second years. And Neville Longbottom.

Remus for one decided to stay in the castle. Not that he had had a choice. Minerva had "advised" him to stay in the castle, "for safety reasons". So basically, he was not allowed to go. Because they thought Sirius might jump him from behind a bush if he left his office. Like that was going to happen.

All afternoon he was kept busy grading students' homework. It was a rather uneventful day, until an angry voice shouted out of his fireplace, lighting the flames green and scaring the hell out of Remus.

"Lupin!" Snape called out of the fire. "I want a word!"

Remus got up immediately and seconds later, he was clambering out of the fireplace in the dungeon, brushing ash off his shabby robes.

"You called, Severus?" said Lupin mildly.

"I certainly did," said Snape, his face contorted with fury as he strode back to his desk. "I have just asked Potter to empty his pockets. He was carrying this."

Snape pointed at a parchment on his desk. Getting a closer look, Remus was able to recognize his own handwriting on the front; the insulting words of Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs were shining there as if written seconds ago. He silently congratulated himself for having his expression under control. This was their map! The Marauders Map. Unbelievable.

"Well?" said Snape. Remus continued to stare at the map, he had to do some very quick thinking right then.

"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?"

Remus looked up and, by the merest half-glance in Harry's direction, warned him not to interrupt and he knew that the student understood perfectly.

"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 --"

"Indeed?" said Snape. His jaw had gone rigid with anger. "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?"

Remus' breath got caught in his throat, but he made an effort to look confused. He knew that Snape knew, and Snape knew that he knew that he knew. Both of them were perfectly aware who the Marauders were and that this was not an article from a joke shop.

"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 Remus, turning back to Snape. "It looks like a Zonko product to me --"

Right on cue, Ron came bursting into the office. 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. "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."

None of them dared to look at Snape as they left his office. Harry, Ron, and Lupin walked all the way back into the entrance hall before speaking. Then Harry turned to face Remus.

"Professor, I --"

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

Harry didn't look shocked, nor did he protest. "Why did Snape think I'd got it from the manufacturers?" he asked curiously.

"Because...," Remus hesitated, "because these mapmakers would have wanted to lure you out of school. They'd think it extremely entertaining." It was no lie. James, Peter, Sirius and Remus would have been thrilled to know people were getting into trouble through their map.

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

"We've met," he said shortly. He was looking at Harry seriously.

"Don't expect me to cover up for you again, Harry. I cannot make you take Sirius Black seriously. 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." Remus walked away, probably leaving Harry feeling worse by far than he had at any point in Snape's office.

He was one to talk, not having taken Sirius Black seriously himself a week ago. Remus knew it was harsh, and it hurt him to say it, but it would do the job of keeping Harry inside the castle. If it helped to keep him safe, he had to live with that.

Harry was better off feeling guilty than being dead, after all.