Potions

"Moony sends his regards to Headmaster Dumbledore and begs him not to stick his frighteningly long beard into other people's business."

Dumbledore froze for a moment.

But the map was not finished. More writing appeared beneath it.

"Mr. Prongs agrees with Moony's opinion, and would like to add that Headmaster Dumbledore is a pompous old fool."

Though the situation was dire for James, Snape found it rather amusing, and the corner of his mouth involuntarily curled upward.

There was more...

"Mr. Padfoot would like to express his surprise at finding such a decrepit old man here. The only place he ought to be is The Hog's Head Inn."

James shut his eyes in terror. When he opened them again, the map had displayed its final message.

"Mr. Wormtail bids Headmaster Dumbledore good night and suggests that he visit Madam Pomfrey to have his crooked nose fixed."

Snape could no longer hold it in and let out a soft laugh. James, however, could not laugh at all.

To his surprise, Dumbledore began laughing too.

"Very interesting," he said gently. "A most apt assessment."

"Is this map yours, James? Can you tell me how to use it?" Dumbledore looked at James and asked.

Trembling, James drew his Wand. It felt as though something were lodged in his throat, and he said in a dry voice, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

A map of Hogwarts appeared on the blank Parchment. Moving black dots, each marked with a name, clearly showed the location of every person in Hogwarts.

"Help for magical mischief-makers?" Dumbledore murmured, a trace of nostalgia in his eyes. "It reminds me what it felt like to be young."

"However, I cannot leave this map with you." He looked at the four little black dots in the upper-left corner of the map. "You see, we are all here."

"'Moony,' I think I can guess who that is. But why do the rest of you call yourselves 'Prongs,' 'Padfoot,' and 'Wormtail'?" Dumbledore asked.

James stammered, his mouth opening and closing, but he could not form a complete sentence. "I, I... no..."

"Oh, we can discuss that question later." Dumbledore pointed at two little black dots moving toward them. "Professor McGonagall is coming. Let us wait a moment."

Before long, there was a knock at the door.

Mulciber walked in with his head hanging, covered in mud and dust, with streaks of blood still on his face.

Professor McGonagall followed closely behind him, Wand in hand.

"Albus, I've brought him," Professor McGonagall said tiredly.

"You two, sit as well." With a light wave of his Wand, Dumbledore conjured two more chairs.

"Now then, look up," he said. "Mulciber, I imagine you have a great many things to tell us."

But Mulciber merely glared at Dumbledore resentfully and remained silent.

Dumbledore fixed Mulciber with his piercing blue eyes for a while.

Slowly, the gentle smile vanished from his face, and the cheerful glint disappeared from behind his spectacles.

Every wrinkle on that aged face seemed to carry icy anger. An oppressive aura radiated from Dumbledore, as though he were burning with heat.

Mulciber seemed frightened by the force of it. His body trembled slightly, and he instinctively tried to rise and flee. But the instant he stood, Dumbledore forced him back into the chair with magic.

Then Dumbledore waved his Wand. A flash of red light streaked out, and Mulciber's head drooped as his whole body slumped unconscious in the chair.

"James, Pandora," Dumbledore said, "go back to your dormitory. Severus, stay."

"Minerva, please find Horace and have him bring the potion."

Professor McGonagall immediately led James and Pandora away.

What potion?

A flicker of unease rose within Snape. Dumbledore had knocked Mulciber unconscious and sent Professor McGonagall for Slughorn—was he going to use Truth Serum on him?

He remembered that Truth Serum was far less effective if its target was awake or on guard. Yet there was a certain chance it could cause irreparable damage to someone's memories.

Wasn't Dumbledore the sort who would do everything in his power to protect every student, even at the cost of his own life?

But then he recalled that Dumbledore's protection of Draco had, in fact, involved using himself as bait to set a deadly trap for Voldemort.

At that thought, Snape became several degrees more wary of Dumbledore.

Time passed second by second in silence.

Hasty footsteps sounded in the corridor. Professor McGonagall returned with Slughorn.

"Albus," sweat beaded on Slughorn's bald forehead. The moment he saw Mulciber unconscious in the chair, he could not help crying out, "Heavens, what happened to Mulciber?"

"He was merely struck by a Stunning Spell," Dumbledore said. "Horace, did you bring the potion?"

"Did he do it?" Slughorn looked at Dumbledore, his face full of confusion.

When Dumbledore nodded, he hesitated for a moment before handing him a small vial of clear liquid.

Dumbledore rose and walked over to Mulciber. He gently pried open his mouth, poured in three drops of potion, then pointed his Wand at Mulciber's chest. "Revival Charm!"

Mulciber slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was vacant, his cheeks slack, and he looked as though his soul had left his body.

Dumbledore crouched in front of him, face to face with him.

"Can you hear me?" Dumbledore asked calmly.

Mulciber's eyelids fluttered several times.

"I can," he said softly.

"I want you to tell us," Dumbledore said slowly, "how you came to be in Hogsmeade. What did you do there?"

Mulciber took a deep, trembling breath, then began speaking in a flat, emotionless tone.

"My master learned from me that Dumbledore had often been away from the school lately. He told me about the Secret Passage beside the Library and ordered me to go to Hogsmeade through it.

"Following his instructions, I used the method he taught me to turn the Corpses in Hogsmeade's graveyard into Inferi, and planned to send them into the school through the Secret Passage...

"My master said that this school had betrayed its history and tarnished its honor. It needed to be purified..."

Mulciber's eyelids twitched again.

"Tonight, not long after I had guided the Inferi into the Secret Passage, I heard a rumbling sound. The passage collapsed..."

His voice was full of terror.

"My Wand fell during the shaking, and I couldn't find it. The Inferi went out of control... It took everything I had to escape.

"They rushed out of the post office..."