The Marauders and the Fetch of Hogwarts

"Now who can tell me for what purpose Otanes was using the Imperious Curse?" Professor Benbrook was already into the wizards encountered by the armies of Alexander the Great. Once half the class, the wizard born half, was told exactly who Alexander the Great was and why he was significant in world history, attention started to perk up.

Remus' hand shot into the air at the same time as Lily and, surprisingly enough, Sirius'. Benbrook noted Sirius' hand with no little interest and nodded to him. With a smirk in Remus and Lily's direction, the black-haired Gryffindor reported in clear tones, "Otanes was controlling a soldier in Alexander's army and thus was supplying the enemy Persians with information regarding the Macedonian army's whereabouts."

Benbrook nodded, a smile held in check. She had a follow-up question, she always did. In this case she had two follow up questions. "And, Mister Black, why was Otanes spying on Alexander's army and why was this particular soldier his target?"

Sirius chewed on the inside of his cheek a moment and then nodded to himself. "Otanes was a member of the Persian court of King Darius and his family and lover were killed when Alexander and his army burned the royal city of Persepolis -"

"Ah but Darius wasn't at Persepolis at the time," interrupted Benbrook. The students immediately turned back to Sirius, who was looking a bit irritated.

"His family were magicians for Darius and were sent to protect the palace. They didn't make it in time and Alexander's own wizards dispatched them in combat duels. Otanes saw the opportunity to use his mediocre, indeed almost squib-like abilities, to whatever advantage he could, targeting someone who would be in the know of Alexander's proposed movements."

"And the soldier in question?" prompted Benbrook, her eyes gleaming curiously.

"Io- Ioa-" Sirius stumbled over the name.

"Iolaos," the professor supplied.

"Eye oh lay os," Sirius repeated with a deep frown, "was one of Alexander's squires and, thus was in essence, a bodyguard. He would have had the possibility of overhearing meetings between Alexander and his generals."

"Excellent work, Mister Black. Twenty-five points to Gryffindor." The Gryffindors crowed triumphantly. "Now then I realize that Otanes has recently shown up on Wizard Cards, but that was beyond the information found on a wizard card, Mister Black. Excellent job on the research."

Sirius grinned arrogantly. "He's an interesting character, Professor," Sirius answered honestly.

Benbrook grinned at him. "Who? Otanes or Alexander?" Sirius blinked in surprise. "Many wizards are not aware that Alexander was suspected to have been a wizard himself. Though injured many times in battle, he seemed to come through serious injuries with remarkable quick healing. His luck and tenacity, as well as an intense interest in local herbal remedies, have many suggesting that Alexander may well have been a healer, brought from that occupation by circumstances of his birth. Plus," Benbrook shook her head sadly, "with his untimely death so young and the lack of contemporary evidence left for us to study, it's difficult to say what else he may have been studying or proficient at that could confirm our suspicions of any magical talent."

The bell sounded and the slam of books filled the air. Over the din of rushing students, Benbrook called out, "I want the next chapter read for next time, plus don't forget one foot of parchment due explaining the importance of Aristotle's work in natural science in the development of potions and Herbology!"

"Way to go with the bookworm impression, Black," congratulated Toby O'Brien. Usually O'Brien or Lily Evans were the ones with all the answers.

Sirius laughed. "Nah, I actually got that off a pamphlet one of my uncles, Alphard, wrote. He's been doing quite a bit of research lately into Muggle in history that may have been wizards, or at least of untrained magical ability." Sirius' voice dropped down to a whisper. "My parents were more upset than you can imagine to find out that he was studying Muggles!"

Everyone gave half-laughs, awkward sounds that matched Sirius' derisive expression. It was the expression he always wore when discussing his family. Well, if he wasn't foaming at the mouth.

"Either way, nice work." O'Brien nodded to the other three and strolled off down the corridor.

"Well," James stretched. "That was all very well and good, but now we have the rest of the afternoon to cause mischief. Any recommendations?"

Tonight was the full moon, so Remus knew what he would be doing. The 'detention' he'd served with Dumbledore was a brainstorming session of trying to find out ways to excuse himself once a month. McGonagall was tired of worrying about it and apparently had told Dumbledore it was his problem. For now, Dumbledore was going with the invention of detention.

"Well, Moony here has detention," James was saying, bringing Remus from his reverie. "Me? I'm for cooking up something dastardly against the Slytherins. I'm fairly certain that MacNair was the one that flattened Drew Clemens yesterday. We have to look out for our first years."

"What did you call me?" asked Remus in a startled voice.

James blanched and then looked sheepish. "Moony." At Remus' completely horrified look, James explained, "It just fits. We all need nicknames. I've been trying to think of something for all of us. You're just so mysterious and moody sometimes, Remus, so I thought Moody, but that's too corny. Moony, the moon, it's mysterious, you're mysterious. Rhymes with moody. So you're Moony."

"What am I?" demanded Sirius and Peter at the same time.

James shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't gotten that far."

"Well, don't call me that," Remus snapped, fighting down panic. "I don't like it."

"Okay, Remus, okay," soothed James. "Slip of the tongue." He grimaced but didn't mentioned it again.

It was decided that since Remus had detention with Professor Dumbledore the other three would plot until Remus got back from serving said detention. Remus didn't have the heart to tell them he wouldn't see them until breakfast. Such an assurance would raise immediate suspicions and James' nickname for him had made Remus nervous beyond belief.

As they were heading down for dinner, McGonagall's voice called out. "Remus Lupin!" Remus turned politely to his head of house. "You will be serving your detention with Hagrid this evening. It seems Professor Dumbledore has been called to London with business of the Wizengamot." She leveled him a glance. "And your detention with me will be combined with Hagrid's this evening. I suggest you behave in the future."

"Yes, Professor," Remus answered in an appropriately contrite tone. McGonagall nodded curtly at him and then eyed the other three Gryffindor boys standing behind Remus before sweeping off to the Great Hall herself.

"What did you do, Remus?" asked Peter, as they plopped down on the bench at the Gryffindor table.

Remus grinned despite himself. "I tripped MacNair in the hall and McGonagall caught me." The other just stared at him in amazement. "What?" Remus defended. "He's a git!"

"Way to go, Remus!" crowed Sirius.

"You," Peter informed him righteously, "surprise me everyday."

James wiped a fake tear from his eye. "Our boy's growing up and causing mischief without us. I'm so proud."

"Oh shut up," Remus chuckled companionably. "I'll probably be serving detention all night for that one. You know how McGonagall is about showing house rivalries in public outside the Quidditch pitch."

"Yeah but Hagrid's a soft touch. Help him clean some pens and you're good to be back well before ten!" commented Sirius, reaching for the rolls. Remus wisely said nothing. Dinner continued with plots to destroy the Slytherins, as usual.

Dusk was approaching quickly by the time dinner was over and Remus quickly excused himself to head for detention. The other three waved him off and chattered excitedly up the staircase. Remus headed out for the Whomping Willow but Hagrid never joined him. Remus waited for as long as he dared then entered the tunnel himself, barely making inside the shack before the change completely took hold.

There was no Hagrid when Remus emerged either. Madam Pomfrey was waiting patiently for his emergence, chattering brightly as she helped him out of the tunnel. Remus looked around curiously. "Where's Hagrid?" he asked.

Madam Pomfrey looked at him oddly. "Well, since he escorted you last night I decided to let him sleep in."

"He wasn't here last night," Remus reported. "I waited as long as I could but he never showed up."

Madam Pomfrey was startled. "He didn't?" Remus shook his head. "We'd best go check on him, then."

The school nurse pounded for several minutes on Hagrid's heavy wooden door before it opened. When it did the smell about bowled both Remus and Madam Pomfrey over. "What have you been doing, Hagrid?" scolded the nurse, bustling past the bleary-eyed and rumpled groundskeeper.

"Time for the tree already, is it?" yawned Hagrid tiredly. He stumped back to a huge kitchen chair and slumped into it with another loud, huge yawn.

Both Remus and Pomfrey stared at him in shock. "That was last night, Hagrid," Remus said cautiously. "You didn't show up and I thought -"

"Couldn't a-bin," Hagrid interrupted. "I just laid down for a nap a few minutes ago."

Remus looked helplessly at Madam Pomfrey, who pursed her lips disapprovingly. "After you visited The Hog's Head?" she snapped irritably.

"I never -" stammered Hagrid. "Not today, er, yesterday, anyway!"

The school nurse gave a decided humph of disbelief. "You were derelict in your responsibility, Hagrid. Someone is supposed to keep an eye on Remus when he goes to the tunnel, you know that. Just in case something goes wrong!" Hagrid continued to listen to the lecture, growing more irritated and bewildered with each word. Remus used the time to study Hagrid, and examine what his senses told him, closely.

Remus remembered what Hagrid was wearing the day before and he was still in the same clothes. The groundskeeper reeked of something that smelled distinctly like rotten eggs, not butterbeer, ale, or any other liquor. Remus and his father had discovered that the smell of alcohol highly offended Remus' sensitive werewolf smell and Remus had learned to recognize the scents of quite a few of them from the local Muggle villagers. Hagrid smelled of no alcohol that Remus had ever smelled before.

Once the lecture was finished with an "and Dumbledore will be informed of this, Hagrid" Remus and Madam Pomfrey departed, leaving a miserable half-giant behind, still groggy and confused. Remus walked into the Great Hall to find Sirius, James and Peter looking solemn. Shaken up was a more apt description, Remus amended to himself.

"What happened to you three?" he asked in concern as he slid onto the bench next a pale Sirius.

"We could say the same about you?" muttered Peter, eyeing Remus suspiciously.

"I, uh, was so late with Hagrid, I just stayed there. Hagrid cleared it with Dumbledore, on the grounds it wouldn't happen again with any other student," Remus improvised.

James leaned forward, his eyes bloodshot. "We saw a ghost last night."

Remus blinked. "Hogwarts is full of ghosts. So what?"

"Not floating blue babies," Sirius muttered.

"It was a blue ghost candle," contradicted Peter automatically with the tone that said they'd argued this point many time before already.

"I just saw a ball of blue light," confessed James, his hand shaking as he poured himself some pumpkin juice.

"Whatever we each saw, it freaked us out and we headed back to the tower," Sirius continued.

Remus watched the three of them eat half-heartedly, fascinated by the dullness of their actions. They moved slowly, sluggishly, looking around in disinterest to the goings-on in the hall around them. There was no vitality, no life in Sirius, James and Peter.

And they positively reeked of fear.