Crouch Fortress Night Raid Plan

James thought he might actually have to go back with his robes still wet, so he quickly said, "Fifth floor of the East Tower, the old alchemy lab. The one with the Marauder's mark on the door, right?"

Lupin nodded. "That's the most suitable place. It's hidden enough, and there's a workbench and a water source."

James made an exaggerated face at Sirius, deliberately emphasizing the word "friend." "I'll bring the Marauder's Map! As your best friend, of course I have to monitor the surroundings for your home-invasion plan and ensure your safety."

He paused, the corners of his mouth starting to turn up.

That smug expression made Sirius instantly wary.

James drew out his words, "Speaking of which... how's the special gift for our Young Master Black coming along?"

One of Sirius's hands had already clenched into a fist.

"Don't play dumb. I saw you writing a letter last night, asking the house-elf to secretly send over your precious Star-Guiding Compass, and you even specifically told them to use the most discreet packaging?"

James completely ignored Sirius's increasingly dangerous expression and made an exaggerated noble gesture.

"Kreacher, I order you, as the family heir, not to tell my mother, who has such a talent for roaring?"

Sirius's face instantly turned red, unsure if it was from anger or embarrassment.

Lupin said seriously, "However, that guiding compass is indeed a good idea. Lucretia seems to really enjoy Astronomy class. Professor Sinistra even mentioned last week that she's one of the fastest new students to grasp the star charts this year."

Sirius's tense jaw relaxed, but he still tried to maintain a cool demeanor. "She'll also need to navigate in the Forbidden Forest. Those precious ingredients aren't easy to find. Regulus mentioned last time that he might take her to the edge of the Forbidden Forest often in the future."

"Ah, yes, yes, yes, she can't get lost, unless another kind unicorn leads the way, right?"

After moving out of Sirius's attack range, James began to raise his eyebrows smugly again.

"I have to say, that guiding compass is indeed more practical than Crouch's toolbox... much more? At least it can glow in the dark, mate, balanced?"

Sirius rolled his eyes and took the ointment jar from Lupin, clearly wanting to change the subject.

He opened the jar and sniffed it, immediately wrinkling his nose. "Enough, let's look at this first. It doesn't smell very good, but the formula is very professional. Comfrey root, witch hazel, and..."

Lupin looked at him in surprise. "Wait, when did you become so knowledgeable about herbs?"

Sirius's ear tips turned a little red. "Recently... I've been reading some books."

James burst into another fit of laughter. "He almost cleared out the herb section of the library! Especially the books on healing herbs and magical plants. Madam Pince thought the sun had risen in the west! Moony, you really should have seen her surprised expression next time, as if she doubted she had sorted the books incorrectly."

Lupin suppressed a smile and carefully examined the ointment. "Alright, Padfoot. What you said is right. The texture is very good, and the combination of these herbs is clever. It not only fades scars but also repairs damaged skin tissue. A very professional formula."

James thought for a moment. "She said she made it right after arriving at the Crouch family's. Didn't Professor Dumbledore mention at dinner that she was pranked as soon as she got there... uh, could it be that our cold-blooded killer, Crouch, did it to her..."

He made a throat-slitting gesture.

Lupin shook his head. "James, don't talk nonsense. This formula is for old scars that have already healed, not new injuries. If she needed it when she first arrived, it would have been from before."

Sirius interrupted them in a low voice, his tone unusually serious. "And did you notice? When she talked about the origin of the spell, she almost said 'Mother.' I was watching her lips the whole time, I couldn't have misread it."

James and Lupin exchanged a look.

The corners of the former's mouth began to turn up again.

"Watching her lips the whole time? Like you've been watching her notes the whole time, watching her do homework and chat with your younger brother the whole time, watching her eat at the Ravenclaw table the whole time? With your observational skills, you should apply to be a special correspondent for The Daily Prophet."

Sirius glared at him, wishing he could smash his glasses with a single punch.

"This isn't a time for jokes, Padfoot. We all know Mr. Crouch adopted her from a Muggle orphanage a few years ago. What does that almost-spoken word mean?"

James restrained his smile and looked at Lupin. "Sorry, you're right. That is indeed strange. Moony, as the smartest among us, what do you think?"

Lupin frowned thoughtfully. "It's clear that title isn't referring to Madam Crouch. When she mentioned the scar-removal ointment and the herbs she brought from home, she only said 'Mother'."

James pondered. "Since she grew up in an orphanage, could it be the matron, or someone who took care of her? But Muggles generally don't understand these herbal formulas, I mean, even if they really knew the ingredients, how could they brew potions without a wand and a cauldron?"

Sirius tapped the ointment jar rhythmically with his fingers. "It's more than that. James, did you see the blessing gesture she made towards the unicorn? And the blessing potion she whispered into Moony's ear just now... that kind of method seems like some kind of inheritance, not just something seen in books."

All three fell silent.

There was a heavy feeling in the air.

James felt a bit uncomfortable with the serious atmosphere and cleared his throat.

"Regardless, at least we don't have to worry about Wormtail monitoring her for the time being. Your younger brother's move was quite ruthless. Madam Pomfrey said he'll have to stay in the Hospital Wing for a few weeks to recover."

Lupin nodded in agreement. "A variant of the Heartbreak Curse is difficult to deal with. Even if his memory was modified, his body still needs time to recover."

Sirius said coldly, "Most importantly, we have his notebook filled with problems concerning the Crouch family. That idiot was definitely acting under someone's orders."

James's eyes lit up as if he had thought of a brilliant idea.

He nudged Sirius's ribs with his elbow, the force so great that Sirius almost lost his balance and dropped the ointment.

"It looks like Tuesday night is your golden opportunity, my dear Padfoot! Crouch and your brother will both be away, and the little princess will be unsupervised, while I'll be in the tower monitoring with the Marauder's Map to ensure no one approaches the fifth floor of the East Tower."

James clapped his hands together and raised his eyebrows exaggeratedly, looking mysterious.

"If I see anyone suspicious, like those Slytherin girls who have a crush on Crouch, or if they finish their Ancient Runes group activity early, I'll immediately report to the front line via the two-way mirror. I really hope to see his expression when he discovers you gave him the Star-Guiding Compass. I estimate it will cause a fierce battle in the Great Hall the next day."

Sirius grabbed James's collar, the force so great that James's feet left the ground.

"James Potter, say one more word, and I'll sew your foul mouth shut!"

James wasn't scared at all; instead, the corners of his mouth spread even wider.

Being lifted up didn't affect his determination to continue provoking Sirius, making him look even more smug.

"Oh, don't get angry. I'm just happy for you."

Even with his collar grabbed, he didn't forget to rub salt in the wound.

"Think about it, our campus prince Sirius Black, one of the most popular figures in the school, the future heir to the Black family..."

He deliberately emphasized these words.

"...has to secretly deliver a gift to a little girl, and has to avoid her non-blood-related brother Barty and your old brother..."

Sirius raised his hand to strike James's face, but Lupin quickly stopped him.

"Enough, both of you. Snitch, stop adding fuel to the fire. And you, Padfoot, hitting him will only prove I'm right."

Sirius angrily shook off Lupin's hand and gritted his teeth at James, "I'm starting to understand why Evans refused to date you for six years. At least a giant squid doesn't talk."

James feigned pain and clutched his chest, "Ouch, a direct hit! But it's worth it, so worth it! Moony, what's your role?"

Lupin coughed lightly, "I think it's best if I patrol near the Hospital Wing, as a Prefect. Madam Pomfrey said she wanted to check on Peter's condition that day and might let him out to rest. I can make sure he doesn't wander around."

James slung an arm around Sirius's shoulders, though the latter tried to shake him off, "Perfect! Ready to steal his little princess from under the nose of her rival? If he finds out you gave Miss Lucretia a treasure from the Black family's vault, his and your brother's expressions will be priceless!"

Without a word, Sirius punched James directly in the stomach.

James immediately doubled over, hands clutching his stomach, letting out a pained groan.

But even so, the smile on his face didn't disappear, and he even chuckled between breaths.

James gasped for air, tears streaming from his eyes from the pain, but his voice was full of triumphant smugness, "Worth it... seeing you so flustered... proves I... hit the mark!"

He continued to laugh while rubbing his stomach.

"Padfoot... you're finished... you're completely done for..."

Lupin shook his head and sighed from the side, "Alas."

Lucretia and Emma's figures had already disappeared into the castle entrance in the distance.

He looked back at James, who was still rubbing his stomach, and then at Sirius, whose face was still red.

Lupin said helplessly, "You two... I think we should reconfirm Tuesday's plan more seriously. Lest someone's gift triggers World War III."

James immediately perked up, even though he was still bent over.

"Guys, I've got the perfect operational deployment! Codename: Crouch Fortress Night Raid Plan!"

Sirius glared at him, but didn't make a move this time.

Perhaps it was because Lupin was still present, or perhaps James looked miserable enough already.