The Marauders: Year Seven Part One

Sirius's Precious Seconds

CRACK!

Sirius found himself on the road outside the Lupin house and quickly ducked through the Fidelus's shield. The Lupin house was dark and quiet and he hurried up the path and into the house.

There was a funny feeling in there, something he couldn't quite describe, hanging in the air, and he withdrew his wand, looking about with a wary eye. "Hullo?" he called quietly. But there came no reply. Sirius reached up into his hair and drew his wand slowly, silently, taking careful steps, one foot directly in front of the other, rolling his boot cautiously to avoid making a sound, listening carefully. "Hullo?" he tried again, passing the mantel slowly, staring out toward the kitchen.

Sirius did not notice that the photos in their frames were still, not moving like they should, and there were a couple clocks, lined up, whose hands were not ticking, but still.

"Hullo?" he called again.

There was a creak of the floorboards and he turned around, wand raised. But nobody was there. His hands shook. "Hominum revelio," he cast, waving his wand.

Nothing.

Sirius walked back to the living room, looking at the floorboard he'd been sure he'd heard the creak not a moment before. It was still empty, and he swept his eyes about, desperate, because now he could sense it, too. There was someone in that room, someone moving around, but his magic had failed to show them.

"Are you a ghost? Show yourself."

Nothing.

Sirius shivered and stood behind the couch, looking around.

It was then that he spotted the still photos and the un-ticking clocks.

"Mopsus," he whispered, and he looked around, his heart jumping now. "Fuck." Quickly, without care for quiet now, he charged for the front door, hoping to get the hell out of it, reaching for the knob, when there was a decided click of the lock and he stopped short. "Alohamora," he tried, and, but it didn't work. "Reducto!" But the sparks would not come from his wand and he slammed into the door a couple times, using his shoulder like a battering ram. The door stood, still whole and locked, and, realizing he wasn't getting out - Sirius slowly turned around.

Shivering, pale, and semi-transparent, Kostos Mospus stood in the middle of the living room, staring at him, his fingers holding a shiny gold device, which he tucked into his robes as Sirius turned. "Hello Sirius Black," Mopsus said.

Sirius simply stared.

Mopsus smiled in a way that - from anyone else - might have been seen as gentle, but Sirius was put at unease by it coming from the old man, whose wrinkles outnumbered the stars. Mopsus's mouth was lopsided and his yellowed teeth unnerving, and even more so when he was only partly visible like this.

"Your manners fail you, boy," Mopsus said.

Sirius snapped, "You don't deserve my manners."

Mopsus laughed. "You've always been the one with quite the mouth on you. Never able to keep that bit of you in check, are you, Sirius Black?" Mopsus shook his head. "It'll be your undoing, that temper of yours."

Sirius glowered, "Give me one god damn good reason why I shouldn't hex you and call for the Ministry right now."

Mopsus chuckled, "Your magic has no affect here, and especially no impact on me. Hard to kill what isn't fully alive."

Sirius's hand shook, his wand aimed.

"Go ahead and test it, if you don't believe me," Mopsus said.