"James?" Remus asked his voice shaking as he spun around trying to find the source of the voice that had sounded far too much like the voice of his dead friend.
In your head dumbass. Forgot to put your shield back up after checking to see if Sirius had messed with it. Which he hadn't. Moony seems to be the only thing in your head that has any sense.
Remus flinched not only from the fact he was now hearing voices in his head but from James's tone. It wasn't the sweet brotherly tone that Remus was so use to it was similar to the way James had spoken when he talked to Regulas after learning of the teenager taking the Dark Mark. As if he had been personally betrayed by the person he saw as a little brother. "Prongs I'm…"
Don't you dare say you're sorry Remus. How could you think Sirius betrayed Lily and me? Sirius of all people! He hates anything even remotely Dark Arts but you and every other fucking idiot thought he just decided overnight 'Hey its fun to listen to my fucking bitch of a mother and go join Voldemort. Never mind I've been fighting against it my whole life.' What the hell were you thinking Remus? Or did you have your nose so far up Dumbledore's ass that it screwed with what little brain power you apparently have? Or should we talk about my son. You know Harry? The kid you swore you'd treat as your own if something happened to me? The kid you totally abandoned.
Remus whined shaking his head. What was happening? Why was he hearing James? He knew deep down he wasn't going insane or that this wasn't some trickery. James was right here with him. He could feel his pack-brother. Feel his emotions of anger and betrayal. That was something you couldn't fake. But how?
Then it struck him. He'd been playing with the pack link and had been opening holes in it to see if Sirius had done something to communicate with the wolf. The first time his mind had been opened since before that Halloween night.
The pack bond wasn't any simple spell. It was pure raw magic shaped into a form wanted by three very powerful young wizards and one very weak one. It was elemental in many ways. James and Sirius had used every bit of knowledge of the ancient magic that slumbered in every being that their pureblood families knew of to create the link.
Legend said that once centuries ago all creatures be they wizard, muggle, goblin, dragon, or elf had this magic for it made up a person's very being somewhat like a soul. But over time the magic had faded and only surfaced in a few people normally of bloodlines that became witches and wizards while for some it became to stuff of myth since the magic was dormant in them or muggles. Magical creatures kept the closest hold on the ancient magic through their lives but even they lost much of its power. Pureblood families claimed to have to most connection to this raw magic but even they only had a fraction of what the magic had once been. Sirius and James both from families who did indeed have a closer bond with this magic had been able to funnel off a little of it for the amazing feats of magic they did but even then only rarely and unpredictably. The magic only really surfaced at full strength in burst of accidental magic as it was called. The magic of a child. Yet in some rare cases teenagers could use it too. Remus personally believed it was James and Sirius's young age and childlike view of the world that had allowed them to channel the magic so well.
The link was one of those brilliant unpredictable burst they had done. It was powerful and impossible to eradicate for that very reason but also meant that they weren't sure of the true power it contained. Was it possible that even in death the link had stubbornly tried to keep the pack together? That it had somehow put James in a state where if the link was open the pack could communicate with him?
He could feel James surprise through the link and self-consciously he pulled back. It had always bothered him having no privacy though James and Sirius had loved the connection. Though apparently it did James no good in the end. He was dead from the person he supposedly knew best betraying him.
James didn't allow him to pull far from the link. He chased Remus to the deepest regions of the werewolf's mind and mentally pinned him in place forcing Remus mind under his control.
You can't run from me like you did everything else Remus. I want answers as to why you did what you did even if I have to dig through your head and rip them out. James growled.
I didn't do anything wrong. Sirius betrayed you. I don't know what he's done to convince you he…" Remus yelped in pain as James did the mental equivalent of driving a rusty nail into Remus mind. Waves of pure anger rolled off the stag Animagus and Remus had the feeling if James had a body it would be beating the werewolf into a bloody pulp.
SIRIUS NEVER BETRAYED ME YOU FUCKING IDIOT! HE WASN'T SECERET KEEPER!
Remus recoiled from the mental scream but the words didn't make sense. "Prongs you told me you were making him secret keeper."
He screamed as James's seized his mind and began to try throttling him mentally. All Remus could do was try and throw up some shield to block the pain like someone was chopping his mind up with a sword when abruptly the pain vanished but some flowed through from James's mind. Gasping Remus tried to recover from James's mental attack when James spoke again sounding like he often did when Lily made him be friendly with a Slytherin His 'if Lily wouldn't hex me into bite size pieces I would be ripping your throat out' voice.
Honestly Rem? You're supposed to be the brains. Who would everyone think Lily and I would use for secret keeper? The one person I fully trust my fawn with?
"Sirius, just like you did. Right?"
THINK Remus.
The werewolf considered everything he knew from following James around for a decade. A thousand memories of the Beta and Alpha of the pack slipped through his mind. "I don't know what you want me to know."
If it was physically possible I would be slamming my skull into a brick wall right now. What did I always say about Sirius?
"That if you ever decided to play for the other team you would marry Sirius. That one?"
OWWW. You just had to say that when my wife was listening didn't you?
"Lilly?! Why can't I hear her?"
No, Remus after I bit the dust I decided to get married to Voldy's ghost. Of course Lily! And as for the not hearing part Sirius and I don't know. Your theory on why I stuck around makes sense but Lily wasn't part of the link.
"You've been in contact with Sirius? James you have to tell me where he is. He's a murderer. I need to tell the Ministry…"
This time the pain was worse. It felt as if a hand had grabbed him by the throat and using that to hold onto him slammed his head back into the basement wall. Tears swam in the werewolf's eyes and he whimpered.
This is what we're gonna do. Right now you are about as high up on my list of people I would never hurt as a Malfoy and not the cute fawn one that Harry hangs with either. See Lucius Malfoy never went against everything the pack stood for unlike you.
"James I…"
Shut up Remus. I need to tell you something and trying to get through it without me getting so pissed off that I rip your mind to shreds is going to be hard enough without you interrupting me.
Remus wisely chose to keep his mouth shut. He knew that Sirius's temper though more quickly to flare had been a candle next to the wildfire of James's righteous anger. He knew that it was better to be locked in a room with a dozen starving dragons covered in meat then piss James off.
Sirius was Secret Keeper for all of ten minutes. Dumbledore the stupid goat-whore insisted on being the one to cast the charm. I told him Sirius was going to be Secret-Keeper but as soon as he left I decided with Lily's agreement that something was off. Why had Dumbledore all but forced us to move into Godric's Hollow when the Potter House had enough protective spells on it that it would take an army of Death Eaters lead by Merlin himself a month to break down? He kept going on and on about how being the heir of Gryffindor Harry and I would be naturally protected from Slytherins heir Voldemort in Godric's Hollow. I kept telling him I had no clue if the old family legend was true and I was a heir of Gryffindor. Guy lived way to long ago for the family trees to be of any use but Dumbledore guilted me into it. He said that Potter House could only keep on being used as a hiding place for those being hunted by Death Eaters if we weren't there. Then he got Sirius to move out. Don't know what he said but something major because Sirius has lived with me since we were sixteen. He stayed when I was dating Lily, after we got married, through her pregnancy, and even after Harry was born. Sirius and I never liked Dumbledore after...
Remus badly wanted to ask what when James abruptly stopped. He knew something had happened between his alpha and beta and the Headmaster but neither would say what. But the threat of having his mind ripped up held his tongue.
Pads and I had our issue with him and I lost about 99% of my trust in him. I thought for some stupid idiotic moment that Dumbledore was going to let the Death Eaters get my brother and that I would lose my Sirius. Use him being our Secret Keeper to attract the Death Eaters to him or something like that.
Remus's stomach twisted with jealousy. Even after all that Sirius had done killing Peter and those poor Muggles James still called him brother. He had never had never ever dreamed of harming his pack brothers. Yet here James was treating him like he was the traitor not worthy of being a pack member not the murder.
No one and I mean no one not Voldemort not even Dumbledore was going to put Sirius in danger like that. So I had him and that fucking rat switch places.
Wormy? What had Sirius done to make James angry at his dead pack-brother?
Remus I'm really tempted to drag your mangy ass to the nearest Healer and see if you have anything but hot air and Moony between your ears. Let me explain this in small words so you have a chance of understanding it. Sirius no secret keeper. Pettigrew secret keeper. Sirius no make people go boom. Sirius good doggy. James spoke slow and clearly as if he was speaking to a 3 year old.
Before Remus could even begin processing what James had said Prongs suddenly grew silent and still in his mind leaving Remus with the distinct impression of a stag alert and ready to run at the edge of a clearing.
SHIT SHIT SHIT. Remus I've got an emergency with my son to go handle. I'm going to leave you here to think about what you've done. I'll still be paying attention to your thoughts and if you even think of telling the Ministry about Padfoot's animagus form I will personally turn you into a blubbering wreck. I need Sirius proved innocent so my son has a chance at a decent life.
With that James yanked back throwing up a thin wall that would only allow a small connection between them and leaving behind a very confused werewolf.
HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP
Sirius was pretty sure he'd never felt so helpless before. He'd take a thousand Crucio's instead of having to watch what he was watching. His pup in pain and not being able to do anything about it. All he could do was help Draco hold his godson down licking his face and whimpering while Harry had some kind of fit. He screamed and thrashed on the floor well he thrashed as much as he could with a dog and eleven year old holding him down. His face was pale and blood trickled from his mouth which Sirius hoped was from him biting his tongue and not a sign of a bigger problem. Eyes clenched shut he screamed and kicked complete unaware.
"Padfoot what's wrong with him? He's been like this for over a minute. We have to get help." Draco urged tears sliding down his pale cheeks. Sirius barley heard him his whole being concentrating on Harry. He didn't know what to do. He'd already slammed into the door a half dozen times but it was warded shut. Dumbledore the useless old git had apparently hit his head on the fall and was happily drooling unconsciously on the carpet or maybe that's was just the senile old man taking over. Snape was clutching at the spear sobbing around his gag, and Hava was still stunned. So Sirius had a distraught Draco, McGongall who was still tied up, and himself to try and figure out what to do.
What's wrong with my son? James asked before he got a look at his son.
James what do I do? Draco has been yelling his name and I've been barking and licking his face. He having some kind of fit or something. Sirius wailed and James's own panic mixed with his. Suddenly anger and hatred rose in the leader of the Marauder's mind.
Lily says it's a curse. Someone cursed our baby.