"Harry, I really don't think its a good idea." Hermione says looking at Ron and Nix for back up.
"I'm not missing another Hogsmede weekend." Harry says, "Besides you won't even notice I'm there. You didn't last time."
Phoenix shrugs, "I'm not stopping you."
"Nix!" Hermione gapes at him, "He hasn't got parental consent!"
"It's kind of hard to get parental consent when my parents are dead."
Hermione closes her eyes with irritation, "You know what I meant."
"Meet you near the shrieking shack?" Ron asks, Harry nods slipping the invisibility cloak on.
Phoenix, Hermione and Ron gather around with the rest of the students, ready to walk to Hogsmede and spend their galleons on Zonko's products and Honeydukes sweets. They struggle through the thick white snow, the cold turning their noses red.
"Why is it called the shrieking shack?"Phoenix asks as they make their way to the village.
"It's haunted." Ron says, "Apparently there used to be screaming and wailing come from-"
"Don't be so ridiculous,Ronald." Hermione sighs, "It's just a trick of the wind."
"We can always find out." Ron grins. "Investigate it."
Phoenix shakes his head, "You're on your own there mate."
As the trio get to the shack, Draco is already present with his friends. Hermione, Ron and Phoenix immediately turn around, not wanting any trouble but it's already too late. Draco smirks at them.
"Surprised you're allowed in Hogsmede Phoenix." He smirks, "Sirius Black could be lingering around here somewhere."
"Shove off, Malfoy." Ron snarls, grabbing Nix by his jumper sleeve and pulling him away.
"What is your full name again?" Draco says ignoring Ron entirely.
Phoenix rolls his eyes, "Phoenix Adler."
"No. Your full name. Your middle names?" Draco smiles.
"Not everyone has those." Hermione frowns.
Draco looks at her with genuine offence, "No one asked you to speak, Mudblood."
"Phoenix Apollo Adler." He says distracting Draco from taking his wand out, stopping him from harming Hermione.
"You're missing a few there." Draco laughs, "You really don't want anyone to know do you?"
Phoenix swallows, waiting for his distant cousin to expose him there and then. He'd been here many times before with Draco, for some reason Draco never actually did reveal his secret, but now that Sirius was free. There was no reason to keep it to himself anymore. Everyone would find out eventually.
Draco opens his mouth to speak but is interrupted by a snowball flying at him from nowhere, smacking him in the face. He looks around at his two friends with confusion, more snowballs fly towards them. One of his friends, Goyle tries to run forwards but his trousers fall down and he trips. It's as if someone has pulled them down.
Ron, Hermione and Phoenix can't help but laugh as Dracos hat is pulled over his face. He screams, glancing nervously at the so called haunted shrieking shack and runs.
"It's actually haunted!" His other friend yells as he trips over his own feet in panic.
"Hilarious Harry!" Hermione laughs as Harry takes his cloak off.
"They're not going to sleep for a week." Ron snorts loudly, "Wusses!"
Phoenix smiles along, but something else has caught his attention in the distance. He's looking at the shack, which is fenced off. He's certain he could see someone looking out of the broken window, watching them. He blinks violently and looks back, no one is there. It was just his imagination playing tricks on him.
**********
The prank went horribly wrong. Zion and the others didn't understand why. It shouldn't have happened. There was no reason for the smoke, there was no explanation. They had worked on the miniature fireworks since last year, they had perfected it. They had done several trials in their dorm room, away from every one else. It was perfect. It was ready. They were ready.
During Breakfast, they let them off, grinning to themselves as everyone watched in awe. They danced around the Gryffindor table, sparkling brightly- the perfect way to rub in their win against Slytherin the day before. People cheered, but then the fireworks stopped dancing and they erupted into thick grey smoke.
The Gryffindor table choked on the fumes, struggling to their feet to escape. Zion took one look at Marlie and knew how badly he fucked up. He wasted no time jumping to his feet and picking her up in his arms, the twins and Lee close behind him as the rushed her to the hospital wing.
Phoenix and Harry barged in whilst Pomfrey made Marlie her top priority. Zion was alarmed at how angry his brother was. Phoenix never got angry.
"You! Stupid! irresponsible! Selfish! Idiot!" He says, pushing his older brother violently with each word.
Harry forces the brothers apart, Phoenix glaring at him. The teachers swarm into the ward, Professor Lupin, Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall. Madame Pomfrey assures everybody that Marlie is fine.
"You got fucking lucky." Phoenix hisses under his breath, "Now fuck off."
Zion glances as his little sister in the bed, flashbacks of their childhood rush through his mind. Phoenix goes to her, holding her hand in his and talks. It could've been a lot worse. His brother was right, he had been lucky. He always managed to get away with things but his luck would run out eventually. He takes another look at Marlie, her blue eyes filled with sadness and fear. Something that he had caused. It was his fault.
Professor Lupin tries to speak to him but he brushes past him and leaves. He walks outside, keeps on walking until he reaches the black lake and then he just screams into the abyss. He didn't understand why he fucked everything up. He just did. If anything bad had happened to Marlie, if anything bad ever happened to Marlie because of him, he would throw himself into the lake and drown.
Hogwarts would contact his Mum, she would arrive and probably strangle him. If he was her, that's what he would do. He would strangle the life out of him for being so careless. His Mum would never do that, she was gentle and kind. Something Zion was pretty sure he was undeserving of most of the time.
"I'm such a fuck up." He says to himself, throwing his head into his knees as he lets out another gut wrenching scream.
He hears the sound of a twig snapping, he lifts his head up and looks around. Just on the outskirts of the forbidden forest, he sees an all black shaggy dog. He rubs his eyes,wiping the tears away and when he looks back, it's gone.
********
Phoenix doesn't go to Hogsmede the next day. He stays with his sister instead. Marlie had pleaded with Dumbledore not to inform her Mother, she said she already had enough going on with Sirius escaping. To Phoenixes surprise, Dumbledore had agreed, meaning once more Zion got away with things.
Later on though, Phoenix regretted not tagging along with his friends. As for when they returned Harry was in a foul mood. He ignored Phoenix entirely as he stormed upstairs, his feet thumping loudly and the stairs shaking as he slammed the door to their room.
"He found out that Sirius Black was his Dads best friend, that he betrayed them and led he-who-shall-not-be-named to them." Hermione says not sugar coating it.
Phoenix exhales sharply, "Fuck."
"Yeah. It's fucking shit." Ron says, "Thats like one of us telling Voldemort where he is."
"I wouldn't do that." Phoenix says quickly, almost biting Ron's head off.
"It was just an example."
A few weeks passed, Harry acted as normal as he could with his friends but they all noticed the switch in him. He had a new hunger in him, a new force or desire. They knew he wanted to hunt Sirius Black down himself and make him pay.
Harry started to keep a log of known sightings, he marked them off from when he first escaped to his last known sighting in Scotland. Phoenix knew Sirius was on his way to Hogwarts, if he wasn't hiding here already. There had been no reported sightings in weeks. Both Harry and Phoenix were twitchy about this.
"Psst, Nix are you awake?" Harry whispers harshly, pulling the curtains open.
"I am now." Nix sighs, sitting up.
Harry lifts the covers up and climbs into the bed besides him. Phoenix quickly moves up in panic as Harry settles down next to him. He whips out the Marauders map and shines his wand on it. It had once belonged to the Weasley twins, Zion and Lee but they had given it up to Harry so he could sneak into Hogsmede and join in the fun.
"I've noticed something weird on the map." Harry says, pointing with his wand at a name.
Phoenix looks and gulps as he reads 'Peter Pettigrew'.
"That is weird." Phoenix agrees with a shrug.
"It's supposed to show living beings only." Harry says, "Clearly it's broken."
"Why do you keep checking the map?"
Harry sighs, "Sirius Black was a student here once. If he's in the castle, it will show up on the map."
"Oh.." Is all Phoenix can muster, he looks away guiltily as Harry continues inspecting the map, "There's something you need to know."
Harry looks at him and nods, "I already know."
Phoenix frowns at him with confusion,"What?"
"Sirius Black is your Dad." Harry says in one breath, not breaking eye contact, "It doesn't matter. You're still my friend and I know you're not like him at all."
Phoenix stares at Harry, he looks at the round glasses on his nose, he stares into his green eyes and his breath gets stolen.He stops staring at Harry, scared of the one sided magnetic impulse he feels. He relaxes a little, shuffling down into the pillow beneath him.
"I don't want him to be my Dad." Phoenix says eventually, breaking the silence.
"I know." Harry smiles, folding the map back up, "That's why I trust you. You've been one of my best friends since the very first day."
Phoenix closes his eyes in relief, he had been so terrified of losing Harry. His wonderful best friend Harry, the incredibly handsome and funny Harry. The Harry who's eyes he could get lost in, the Harry who trusted him no matter what. Harry. Harry. Harry.
"I won't tell the others." Harry whispers reassuringly.
"Thank you." Phoenix says as Harry climbs out of his bed, back to his own.
It suddenly feels very empty without Harry next to him.
*********
A few weeks later, Harry creeps into Phoenixes bed again. Phoenix budges up to make enough room but he's too aware of their legs brushing against each other under the sheets. Harry shows Phoenix the map, pointing once again to 'Peter Pettigrew.'.
"I might be overthinking it but...I think we should follow it?" Harry says, "Maybe it shows ghosts after all?"
"I am not playing ghost hunters, Harry."
Harry rolls his eyes, "Fine, I'll ask Ron."
Phoenix frowns, "Didn't you ask him already?"
"No, I asked you first." Harry shrugs, climbing out of the bed.
Phoenix feels his heart singing, Harry always asked Ron to do things first. He doesn't want to let Harry down all of a sudden. He wants to spend more time with him.
"Erm Harry wait." He says climbing out on the opposite side, "I'll come with you."
The two boys remove the invisibility cloak, they both lean in to look at the map and bump heads. Phoenix steps away with embarrassment and nerves as Harry holds his wand, he looks at the map and searches the long empty corridor. He starts rushing, the wand shining brightly waking the portraits from their sleep.
"It says he went this way!" Harry says, following the map.
Phoenix runs to catch up, both boys bumping straight into Professor Snape. He glares at the two boys with intense dislike as he snatches the map out of Harry's hand.
"I'll take that." Snape says pointing his own wand to the now blank paper, "Show me your magic!"
Phoenix let's out an inhumane snort, badly attempting to disguise it as a cough. Harry smirks at him as Snape looks at the map in disbelief. The boys sneak a glance, the map is insulting him- repeatedly. Snape folds the map up, his nostrils flaring with anger.
"What is going on down here?" Remus says as he steps into the light.
"These two boys were galavanting the corridors with this." Snape says waving the map around, "It's enchanted."
Recognition flashes on Remus' face as he swiftly removes the map from his hand. He smiles softly as he looks at the two boys. It was such a full circle moment, that two of the mini marauders,would end up with the map the originals had invented.
"I'd better keep hold of this Severus." Remus says, folding the map into his pocket, "Dark arts are my expertise after all."
Snape rolls his eyes as he turns on his heel, "I'll leave you to deal with Potter and Adler then."
"Goodnight Severus." Remus calls, biting the inside of his cheek as he tries not to laugh at the angry mumbles of his former classmate.
"Where on earth did you two get this?" He asks, the boys realise he's not angry at them but Harry doesn't want to throw the twins under the bus.
"We found it." Harry shrugs.
"I hope you won't mind me keeping a hold of this for awhile." Remus nods, "I can't allow students wandering the corridors at night with a magical map."
"He knows.." Phoenix whispers in shock.
Remus smirks, "Of course I know. I'm one of the four people who made it."
"Did my Dad help?" Harry asks with a smile.
Remus nods then turns to Phoenix, "Your Dad did too."
Phoenix doesn't smile. He shifts uncomfortably, keeping his head down. Him and Harry were okay, they were friends. He didn't want Harry to have constant reminders that his Dad was the reason his parents were dead.
"I think the map is broken." Harry says changing the subject.
"How so?" Remus frowns, it seemed in perfectly working order to him, even the insults worked perfectly after all these years.
"I saw the name of someone I know to be dead." Harry explains, "Peter Pettigrew."
Remus goes pale, "But that's impossible."
"It's true sir." Phoenix says, "I saw his name too."
Remus looks at the two boys, innocent and truthful. They're not lying. This isn't an elaborate joke. He realises in that moment that he had been oh so very wrong. He stalks away from the children, his tie suddenly feeling even tighter around his neck.
Sirius Black is innocent.