Chapter 134: A peculiar group
The day finally arrived. James already had all the potions ready and also the weapons he got from the ice knights he defeated earlier. The weapons would be useful for combat, though it was better if they were not necessary.
He would not be wearing his invisibility cloak. They would meet Gwen and the other two in classroom 11, and from there they would head to floor five in Regulus' invisibility cloak.
How Regulus is Black to Snape it didn't seem strange that he would have an invisibility cloak. The last thing he would think was that it would be one of the treasures in the vault.
"Where are you going?" asked Lupin, opening the curtain of his canopy bed and looking at James, who was about to slip out of the dormitory.
Sirius's bed curtains also opened, and he looked at James. He waited for his answer.
"To the Room of Requirement..." replied James.
He hadn't told the marauders about the ice vault. Mainly because it was too dangerous. He didn't want anything to happen to them. As for Snape and Regulus, they didn't have the same importance to him as his friends.
In Gwen's case, he had no choice but to include her as otherwise she would investigate on her own and could get hurt.
"Oh, I'll go too. I want to resume study sessions. I've already caught up on my homework," said Lupin, getting out of bed.
'What...' thought James with an ugly expression. He had said to the Room of Requirement since Lupin stopped accompanying him to study together and practice.
James knew that Lupin stopped practicing and studying with him because he was upset. When he started following Allan a month ago he didn't tell any of the marauders where he was going.
He disappeared for a week without saying a word. When he resumed his routine Lupin stopped accompanying him. It was a loss for James as it was fun to study and practice with Lupin, but he didn't want to involve him in something dangerous.
"Me too. I want to stretch my muscles a bit," Sirius said, getting out of bed and looking at James with a smirk. He knew his friend was hiding something.
'So what now? I should tell them I'm meeting a girl?' thought James as he thought about what lies would come out sooner or later.
James didn't know what to do. If he told them a lie and didn't let them tag along with him they would get mad. If he told them the truth they would be angry too, since he didn't tell them about something as important as the ice vault the cause of the curse attacking Hogwarts.
A memory of his mother telling him to trust his friends came to his mind. It wasn't that he didn't trust his friends. He just didn't want to put them in danger that can be avoided.
'Should I tell them...?' thought James, looking at Sirius and Lupin. It seemed like it would be the only option if he didn't want their friendship relationship to get worse. The marauders always told each other everything (except Lupin's lycanthropy at first.).
"What's wrong? You've been silent for a long time," Sirius pressed.
"Ugh..." sighed James as he pulled out his wand and cast a Silencio Barriera that covered the three of them.
It was best for the moment that only Sirius and Lupin knew. They had better martial magic skills than Peter and Toby, who were sleeping soundly. Their snoring could be heard.
"Why are you throwing up a Silencio Barriera?" asked Lupin.
James took fifteen minutes to tell them the whole story of the ice vault. The real one. The one where he fought the knights and stole the chest with Regulus. He also told them about the fake story he told Snape to help him brew the potions.
Lupin and Sirius's expressions were becoming more and more shocked and disbelieving. It never occurred to them that their friend had done such a dangerous mission and that it was partly because of him that there was an ice curse at Hogwarts.
"You... are you serious?" asked Lupin in shock.
"Regulus is involved...?" asked Sirius, unable to believe that his little brother had anything to do with and had met James.
"Yes, and yes. Now, if you'll excuse me. I have some business to attend to," said James, turning away. As he was about to open the door. Two hands rested on his shoulders. One belonged to Sirius and one to Lupin.
"Where do you think you're going?" asked Sirius.
"We're going with you," said Lupin, and Sirius nodded seriously.
"This is not a mission like the pranks we did before. It can be deadly. Far more dangerous than the Venomous Tentacles in Greenhouse Five," said James.
"I know. According to your story, my brother almost didn't tell it. It was good that you were there to save him. Thanks," Sirius said honestly.
"You're welcome. I let him in with me though," said James.
"Well, he insisted. Besides, that he had completed that riddle. He had the right to go in," said Sirius, and James nodded as for that reason he let Regulus follow him in.
"Do you have any more of those potions to protect you from the ice? We'll need it. I don't want to be like that Hufflepuff boy," commented Lupin.
"Yes. Thanks to all the ingredients Regulus brought, we managed to have plenty," replied James, passing two potions to each of them. He would take just one potion, but he preferred this.
"You guys aren't mad?" asked James, looking at both of them holding the potions.
"Of course we do, but now is not the time for that. We must save Hogwarts," Sirius replied with a smile.
"It's true. You didn't tell us anything out of concern for us, right?" said Lupin, and James nodded.
"You're not our mother. We had to go through your hellish training. We can defend ourselves. We won't be a burden," added Lupin with a slight smile tapping James' shoulder.
"That's good to hear," said James with a smile, "But don't be reckless. We don't know what we'll be up against. We may not even find anything," he added as he grabbed his invisibility cloak and started to head off to meet the others.
Being so many people, he would need his invisibility cloak.
They decided not to wake Peter and Toby as they had no more potions for them to enter the vault. Then they would explain everything to them and treat them to some delicious sweets.
On the way to meet Gwen and the other two. James repeated to them that Snape didn't know the real story. So they had to lie.
When the Slytherin group saw Sirius and Lupin they were very surprised. Especially Regulus and Snape.
Regulus didn't think he would meet his brother and share an adventure that could end in death for both of them. It wasn't a bad feeling.
Snape didn't like the inclusion of two marauders at all. Especially Sirius as he considered him more arrogant than James himself.
James didn't allow time for conversation. They quickly made their way to the fifth floor. Professor Sprout was standing guard away from the false wall facing the stairs. This was thanks to the fact that almost the entire corridor was filled with ice.
They each took their potion and started walking on the ice. To everyone's relief, no one was frozen. There were two groups. Each wearing an invisibility cloak.
In one group were James, Gwen, and Lupin. Since Gwen wanted to go together with James and not with strangers. And in the other Sirius, Snape, and Regulus.
'I hope those two don't cause any trouble,' thought James, referring to Sirius and Snape, who every time they spoke or anything they got sparks off each other.
Thanks to the invisibility cloak, they managed to get past Professor Sprout's hedge which wasn't too difficult. James stepped on the ice and didn't feel a thing. He only noticed that the temperature had dropped overall.
When they reached the wall they used Revelio, and thanks to the darkness they could not see the stairs that suddenly appeared. The only difference was that this time the stairs were frozen.
'We have an hour and a half. That should be enough time,' thought James arriving at the frozen corridor that now had another layer of ice different from before.
He kept the invisibility cloak in his wallet and looked at the strange group that had formed for this expedition.
Except for Regulus, everyone else was staring at the frozen corridor and the open vault door in surprise.
"This is the cause of the ice curse," Snape muttered, observing the corridor and the large door. Potter had not lied to him.
"On the move. The clock is running. Regulus be aware of the time," James said as he started walking, and everyone followed.
"You have more than one friend in Slytherin," whispered Sirius with a grin approaching James. By this, he was referring to Gwen.
"Yeah... She's my childhood friend. We grew up in Godric's Hollow," James replied as he walked towards the entrance of the vault with all his senses alert.
"She's just your friend?" asked Sirius, chuckling under his breath with a mischievous grin.
"Shut up. We're on an important mission," said James, tapping Sirius' shoulder, but a little more relaxed.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, leader," joked Sirius, taking a distance so he wouldn't get punched.
"Hey, Severus. You look a bit pale. Don't you want to go back?" asked Sirius, annoying Snape, who because of all the ice and low temperature had his skin paler than normal.
"You should learn to behave like your younger brother. With more class," snorted Snape grimacing.
"And you should behave like a less grim person. You look like a vampire," said Sirius angrily, starting an argument with Snape that at any moment could come to blows.
James and Lupin looked at each other and sighed shaking their heads. They knew that sooner or later this would happen.
"Quiet! We're on an important mission. Stop behaving like children. Why are all the boys like this? Well, except James. He's mature. You should learn from him," exclaimed Gwen, scolding the boys.
'Why involve me? Thanks anyway,' thought James with a strange expression.
Sirius and Snape were silent. They decided it was best not to anger Gwen, who seemed to have less patience than they did.
'Here again,' thought James, entering the ice vault. The hexagonal room was still the same as the last time he came. The ice knights were gone. And in the center stood a pedestal with nothing on top.
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