Sirius was sitting in the middle of the bed, scowling as he watched them get dressed.

"We won't be gone long," Lupin said, avoiding meeting Sirius' eyes. "I don't think Professor Snape wants to be away from the school for too long, or for us to be seen by too many people."

Sirius said nothing.

"McGonagall will bring your lunch." Lupin gestured toward the tray perched on top of the trunk at the foot of Sirius' bed. "I think you're set for now."

Sirius had not joined them for breakfast, refusing to get up or dress. It had been a very uncomfortable morning.

Lupin sighed. "Come, James, we should go."

Harry tried to give Sirius a parting smile, despite Sirius' ugly scowl. "We'll be back soon, Paddy," he said. "I'm sorry you're not going with us."

Sirius snorted angrily in reply, folded his arms, and threw himself backwards onto the pillows, fixing his glare on the ceiling and leaving no doubt that he intended to continue his silent treatment indefinitely.

Lupin caught Harry's hand and pulled him toward the door. "Good-bye, Padfoot."

As soon as they were out, the door slammed shut with considerably more force than was strictly necessary. It had been spelled to lock behind them.

Lupin drew a long, frustrated breath. "I do wish..." He trailed off, not finishing. "Never mind. Let's hurry, James. I don't want to keep him waiting."

They walked quickly through the empty, dark corridors, up the staircase, through a side door to the courtyard, and finally out onto the road. Harry hugged his robes tighter around himself, wishing he'd worn a jumper underneath. It was a chilly morning, with fog rolling across Hogwarts' lawns.

A carriage was waiting up ahead, a pair of thestrals pawing the dirt restlessly.

"We're not taking that all the way to London...?"

"Of course not," Lupin said. "With so many restrictions on travel, we'll have to go a bit out of our way. Hogsmeade is just too closely monitored."

"Oh," Harry said. They had reached the carriage and he looked in cautiously. Snape was not inside. "Should we get in?"

"I suppose." Lupin looked around, frowning. "We're not early. I wonder if something's kept him."

They climbed in and settled on the seats, Harry facing forward and Lupin opposite him.

"We will just have to wait. Too bad I didn't think to bring a book."

Harry nodded and looked out the window at the school. The morning fog was starting to clear, but he still had to squint to make out the details.

"Do you think Paddy will be all right?"

"I'm sure he will," Lupin answered, just a little too hastily. "Just terribly bored, I expect."

"I wish he could have come."

"I'm glad he didn't need to," Lupin said, shaking his head. "Professor Snape was right, it's too risky."

"Then," Harry said with a dejected sigh, "I wish he would see this isn't the worst thing that's ever happened. We're together and we're safe. Professor Snape hasn't been that bad... and he is helping us."

"Right," Lupin said, looking at Harry with a bit of surprise. "That's a sensible attitude, James, especially after yesterday."

"Sensible," Harry repeated, thinking back to his promises to Snape. Maybe he wasn't managing to keep them, always, but oddly enough he was still determined to try. "Yes, that's me."

Without warning the carriage door was yanked open and Snape got inside, settling next to Harry, who quickly wondered if there was any polite way of moving across to the other seat.

"Is everything all right?" Lupin asked cautiously. It was clear Snape was not in a particularly good mood.

"Fine. Just some last minute delays."

Snape waved his hand and the carriage started off at once. Harry wondered idly how that worked.

None of them spoke. Snape had taken out a potions periodical and began to read. Lupin settled against the corner of the carriage, looking pensively out the window. Harry, not knowing what to do with himself, picked at a loose thread on the hem of his robes, hoping their trip would not be too long.

Hills and the occasional dwelling flew past the window, but the carriage showed no sign of stopping or turning off the main road... if it could still be called a road, since it grew more and more wild as they went, the packed dirt giving way to weeds and becoming narrower and narrower until it was no more than a path through the fields.

Quite abruptly, they did stop, throwing Harry forward and into the opposite seat.

"Stay here," Snape commanded. His wand was already in his hand as he opened the carriage door and got out.

After a few tense, silent moments, Lupin peered cautiously out the window. "I think we're here... yes, I see the house. I think he's just checking to make sure it's safe."

"Right," Harry said, his voice sticking a bit in his throat. He had been reminded sharply of just how dangerous their trip to Diagon Alley could turn out to be.

"Come on, he wants us," Lupin said, reaching for the door handle. "Follow me."

They scrambled out of the carriage, somehow feeling the need to run until they reached the place where Snape was waiting. Harry, at first, did not see the house Lupin had claimed to be able to see from the carriage window, until he saw a door and a window set right into the hillside.

"It's empty," Snape said, pushing the door open. "We're only passing through."

There was only one room inside. Harry was reminded of Hagrid's hut, though this house was considerably better kept.

Without preamble, Snape took a pot of Floo powder from the mantle and pushed it toward Lupin, who took a handful, and then toward Harry.

"Follow a minute behind me," Snape said, taking a handful of powder himself and turning toward the fireplace. Without another word to them, he stepped inside, having to stoop slightly, and vanished behind a column of green fire and smoke. "Diagon Alley!"

Harry looked at Lupin, who was chewing his lip. "Think it'll be all right?"

"Yes," Lupin said, his eyes widening to betray his own nervousness. "As long as you don't land in Knockturn Alley by mistake."

Harry giggled stupidly.

"All right, it's been a minute, at least," Lupin said, stepping toward the fireplace. "Follow right after me. No..." He looked back at Harry with a frown. "Maybe you had better go first...."

"I will, then," Harry said, suddenly wishing it all to be over already. He climbed in, took a deep breath and held it so he wouldn't breathe in the soot and smoke, and tossed the Floo powder at his feet. "Diagon Alley!"

He hated flooing. Some hundred twists and turns later he had landed on a hard floor at Snape's feet.

"Disgraceful," Snape muttered, hauling him up by the arm.

Lupin arrived a moment later.

"We will stop at the Apothecary," Snape said, not waiting for either of them to get their bearings before heading at a brisk pace toward the exit. "I have an order waiting."

They had to almost run to keep up. Though Harry's heart began to race as the wall opened to reveal Diagon Alley, he had no time to stop to take in the familiar sight. He only got a brief impression of a nearly-deserted street before Snape was ushering them into the narrow space between two shops, where scraps of parchment and broken glass littered the cobblestones and crunched underfoot.

"I wonder if we'll be getting our supplies here," Lupin whispered as they tried to keep up. "But... we can't, can we?"

Harry frowned. "Why?"

Lupin looked like he was wishing he hadn't said anything. "Closed by the Ministry."

"Closed...?" Harry repeated. He had been there with Lupin only a short while earlier. He tried to push down the suspicion that it could have been their actions that led the Ministry to target the shop.

"I'm sure it will be fine," Lupin said.

Harry shrugged. "Yeah, probably."

Lupin still looked uncomfortable, and Harry hastened to change the subject.

"We never got our letters."

"What?"

"Our Hogwarts letters. We were supposed to get them Friday, McGonagall said, but we never did."

"I have them," Lupin said, looking apologetic as he reached into his pocket and brought out three slightly rumpled envelopes. "It didn't seem important."

"Oh," Harry said, accepting the envelope -- addressed to James McKenna, of course -- that Lupin handed to him. "I guess not."

They were interrupted at that moment by Snape, who had stopped abruptly. "Wait here."

Harry watched curiously as Snape tapped his wand smartly against a wall, where a moment later a window appeared. Snape leaned it, his head and shoulders out of sight.

Harry ran a fingertip over the envelope. He wanted to open it, though he knew there would be only a standard Hogwarts letter inside.

"I suppose they're filling orders here," Lupin said. "Odd place, though." He looked down at the two envelopes he still held. "I didn't give Pad--er... Patrick, his letter. I thought it would just make him angry again."

"Good thinking," Harry agreed. He was still staring a little dumbly at his letter, reminded of the day he had got his real one and his life changed forever.

"Thank you," Lupin said, pulling Harry abruptly out of his reminiscence.

With a large parcel under his arm, Snape walked past them, dropping a smaller parcel in each of their hands as he went. "Your supplies. You will not be needing cauldrons, as I have cupboards full of old ones you can choose from. Come along."

They had no choice but to hurry after him.

They passed the cauldron shop without stopping. Harry averted his eyes as they went past Eeylops Owl Emporium, though that meant he was forced to look at the display of Quidditch brooms in the shop across from it. It seemed like everything held memories, both good and bad, and in the end he just looked down at his feet.

Snape seemed determined to get to Ollivander's. He did not pause at Flourish & Blott's, nor at Madam Malkin's or Gringotts. Certainly Harry didn't expect to stop for an ice-cream at Fortescue's.

Finally, Ollivander's shop was just ahead. Harry felt his heart begin to beat faster. What if Ollivander somehow knew it was him? Hadn't Snape suggested it might happen? Or, what if no wand chose him? What if his old wand, now broken and gone forever, was the only wand that was really right for him, and there would never be another?

He turned to look at Lupin. Lupin was biting his lip nervously, though he caught himself and smiled at Harry when he saw him looking. It didn't make Harry feel any better.

Their steps were dragging, and Snape got quite ahead of them before noticing that they were no longer following on his heels. He stopped and waited, scowling, until they forced their feet to move faster.

"What if...?" Harry started as he reached Snape, unable to stop the dreaded thoughts from escaping.

"Just smile and nod and don't talk," Snape said shortly, turning away and starting off again. "Don't touch anything and don't talk."

Harry tried to swallow, but there was a terrible nervous lump in his throat. The tension in Snape's voice had not helped at all, and he wished he hadn't asked. What had he expected Snape to say, anyway? Had he actually expected some reassuring words?

There was no more time to worry; as soon as Snape ushered them inside the shop, Ollivander was upon them.

"How do you do, Professor," he said with a slight bow. His pale eyes glittered with something Harry could not identify. "What can I do for you today?"

"Two wands, if you please," Snape said briskly. "These are first year students. It will not take long, I presume? This is not a task I normally take on, and I am behind schedule."

"Not long... not long," Ollivander said, his eyes flickering over first Harry and then Lupin. To Harry's relief, they lingered on Lupin longer than on him. "Step over here, if you will."

Harry had almost forgotten this part of wand selection. The tape measure measured him from elbow to wrist, shoulder to finger, and seemingly every which other way. Lupin received the same treatment, standing very still and still biting his lower lip, which now looked decidedly ragged.

"This way."

Ollivander led them over to a shelf. Harry looked at all the boxes stacked one on top of another, each containing a wand. Would there be a wand for him?

"The wand chooses the owner, you see." Ollivander took down a pair of boxes, setting one down while opening the other. "Willow, ten and a half inches," he said, holding the wand out to Lupin.

Evidently the wand did not see in Lupin a potential owner; it lay lifelessly in his hand. Ollivander quickly replaced it with another.

"Oak, nine and a half inches."

That wand, though it sparked, was not correct either.

"Try this one," Ollivander said, and almost before he had handed it to Lupin, a tremor went through the wand. "Hmm. Willow, ten and a quarter inches. Dragon heartstring."

As soon as Lupin touched the wand, indeed before he had a good grasp on it, a blinding bolt of light and sparks shot out of the end.

"You have your wand," Ollivander said, with another small bow. "Use it well."

It was Harry's turn. He tried to casually wipe his sweaty palm on his robes, but it was really no use. A trickle of sweat was making its way down his spine, making his whole back itch horribly.

Ollivander had taken down several more boxes. "Holly and unicorn hair. Nine inches. Springy."

Harry took it. He knew as soon as he had it in his hand that it was not right, but gave it a wave.

"No --" Ollivander snatched the wand back, quickly replacing it with another. "Maple and dragon heartstring. A bit more rigid than usual."

That wand was just as quickly replaced by another.

Harry noticed, as this wand, too, lay dead in his hand, that Snape was looking at him with a rather wary expression. He swallowed and forced his eyes away. He didn't need Snape making him even more nervous than he was.

"Beechwood and phoenix feather," Ollivander said, plucking another wand out of a box. "Ten and a half inches. Flexible."

Harry took the wand and looked down at it, willing it to do something. It felt no different than the others. Without much hope, he gave it the required swish.

Without warning, the wand came alive in his hand, warmth traveling like electricity down to his fingertips and up his wrist. Sparks flew up to the ceiling -- Harry nearly dropped the wand in shock -- and fell all around him like fiery confeti.

"Your wand," Ollivander said grandly. "Let it serve you well."

"Thank you," Snape put in sharply. "Would you mind drawing up separate receipts for each wand? It will make record keeping easier."

Ollivander went back behind the counter. Harry, clutching the box containing his new wand tightly to his chest, joined Lupin near the door until, a few minutes later, Snape herded them outside.

"Well," Harry said with a sigh of relief. "That was nowhere near as long as last time. He didn't even ask for our names!"

Snape coughed contemptuously.

Though he came out of the shop carrying one more box than he'd had before, Harry felt decidedly lighter. The most important and most dangerous part of their excursion seemed to be over, and none of the things they had worried about had happened.

"Are we going to do the rest of our shopping?" Lupin asked. He, too, looked quite different now, a bit of color back in his face. "Or have you taken care of it, Professor?"

"We might as well," Snape said. Maybe Harry was imagining it, but even Snape sounded less sour than before. "You will need clothing, and clothing fits better when it's tailored to suit you. A few personal items will be useful as well. It would be odd for first year students to arrive at school with nothing, even under your unfortunate circumstances."

They stopped in front of Madam Malkin's.

"What about Pad--er, Patrick?" Lupin asked, lowering his voice. "He's taller than either of us."

"He will make do with what he's given," Snape said, pushing open the door and waving them inside.

The shop, like the others, was deserted. Madam Malkin left the counter immediately to see what they needed, a quill and long roll of parchment floating at her shoulder.

"Two sets of robes will suffice," Snape said, before she could begin with any pleasantries. "Four plain white shirts, two plain black trousers, two nightshirts, and two sets of underneath."

Harry started to open his mouth in protest at the mention of nightshirts, but Lupin elbowed him in the ribs.

"On second thought," Snape said, raising an eyebrow, "best make it six shirts and four sets of underneath, as I'm not certain how often laundry will be done this year."

Madam Malkin clucked in agreement, happily making the changes on her parchment.

"We will take an extra set of robes and trousers, as well, with room to grow. I will not have time to bring them back once the school year begins, as I rarely leave Hogwarts."

Snape waited while the quill flew over the parchment.

"Will there be anything else?" Madam Malkin asked, looking hopeful.

"The same, for a student I was not able to bring with me. He is half a head taller than this one." Snape pushed Lupin forward, then waved his hand dismissively. "That will be all."

"Shoes?" Madam Malkin protested. "Coats and gloves for the winter? We carry a lovely selection...."

"Very well," Snape said. "Shoes and winter cloaks. Gloves and the like they can pick out from the lost items box."

Harry noticed that Lupin's ears went quite red at that, and wondered if Lupin was already intimately familiar with the contents of the box in question.

"I will be purchasing your books while you are being fitted," Snape told them. "You are not to leave this shop."

Without waiting for an answer, he turned on his heel and walked out of the shop, leaving them at Madam Malkin's mercy.

An hour or so later -- it felt a lot longer to Harry, who thought he had tried on a hundred articles of clothing and been measured ten dozen times -- they were back in the street, loaded down with parcels and boxes of various sizes.

"I will give you three galleons each," Snape said, taking the coins out with a look that suggested he loathed to part with the money. "There's a second-hand shop across the way, where you can purchase some small items. Remember that anything you would have taken with you when you were rescued had to be small."

"You are not coming with us?" Lupin asked curiously -- a little too curiously, it seemed to Harry -- as he took the coins from Snape.

"I have business elsewhere. I will meet you shortly."

Snape waited until they had entered the shop before walking away. Harry had the suspicion that Snape was heading in the direction of Knockturn Alley, but he kept that observation to himself.

"This gives me an idea, James," Lupin said, almost whispering. "You know where we can get those kinds of things, right?"

"Huh?" Harry said, not understanding at first. Then he remembered the little room behind the secret panel, and all the things Sirius and Lupin showed to him. "Oh. Yes, I know."

"But we do need more clothes. You don't want to be walking around in those all the time, do you?"

Harry thought of the prim white collared shirts they had just been fitted for, and the school robes. "No."

"He won't take us into Muggle London, of course."

Harry snorted. He couldn't imagine Snape doing that.

"I think we can find some things here."

"Do you think he'll mind?"

"Of course he will -- if he finds out," Lupin said, not sounding too concerned about this unpleasant possibility. "I doubt he will check."

Harry followed Lupin to the back of the shop. There, indeed, they found several racks with clothing of various sorts. Without much difficulty, Harry found a pair of jeans that fit, and a grey jumper that was only slightly too large.

"Too bad there's nothing for Paddy."

"Oh," Lupin said dismissively, "he won't mind wearing his school things. He always did."

Harry hesitated. "Milo... I'm from a pureblood family, too."

Lupin was silent for a few moments, rubbing the sleeve of a ratty fur coat. "Well... we'll ask before you wear any of this, I suppose."

"Right," Harry said, but his good mood was slightly spoiled. Now that he had a reason to think about it, the idea of having to pretend to be a haughty pureblood --what had Snape said about the McKennas? Older than the Black family, and all Slytherin! -- weighed rather heavily on him. He was too aware of how much he still didn't know about the wizarding world.

"Come on, we should pay and have these wrapped before Professor Snape comes for us."

Even after paying for the clothes they still had a galleon between them, and spent the next few minutes lost in extra large ice-creams at Fortescue's next door. Snape had not, after all, instructed them to wait inside the shop.

"Do you think we got everything from the supply lists?" Harry asked, taking out his letter and opening it at last. "Let's see, potions supplies, robes, books..." He read the list again. "Hats and dragonhide gloves. Do you think we need those?"

Lupin grimaced around a spoonful of ice-cream. "We'll get gloves from the lost items box, I'm sure. And when do students ever wear those dumb hats?"

"Good point."

Harry averted his eyes from the notice about acceptable familiars ('an owl OR a cat OR a toad', it said). It was still too painful to think about Hedwig, and he was glad there was little chance of Snape taking them to either the Magical Managerie or Eeylops.

They ate their ice-creams in silence for a while. Harry looked up to see that Lupin was stirring his absentmindedly.

"Are you all right?"

Lupin rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. "Just a bit tired."

"You look --"

"Did you find what you wanted?"

Harry jumped, startled. Snape had appeared with no warning next to him, as Snape had a habit of doing.

"Yes," Lupin said, looking guiltily up at Snape.

"Then we should start back."

They scrambled to collect their purchases, as Snape didn't seem to intend to wait for them and had started off toward the Leaky Cauldron.

"I had expected yelling, honestly," Lupin muttered under his breath.

Harry grinned. "Always safe to expect that."

The trip back to Hogwarts seemed very short by comparison. It seemed like before he even got settled among all the parcels and boxes, the carriage pulled up at the school's gates and it was time to climb out again.

"I can take some of that for you," Harry said to Lupin, though he was already carrying all his own things as well as everything meant for Sirius. Though Harry hadn't noticed anything wrong while they were in Diagon Alley, Lupin looked more than just a bit worn out.

"No, thank you."

Harry turned to take the last box from the carriage and saw Snape looking their way with narrowed eyes.

"Come to my office after you have put your purchases away," Snape said. It took Harry a moment to realize he was speaking to Lupin. "You look unwell."

"It's nothing," Lupin said, but his protest was as weak as he looked.

"Nevertheless, I will be expecting you," Snape said, and with that he turned and began walking toward the school.

Lupin sighed.

"I don't suppose Pomfrey knows?" Harry said with sudden realization. It hadn't occurred to him until then.

"How can she?" Lupin said, his shoulders slumping dejectedly. "Anyway, with the Wolfsbane potion it won't be like last time. I'll be fine."

"Well, all right," Harry said uncertainly. Lupin sounded like he thought he would be anything but fine. "As long as Snape makes your potion."

"Of course he will," Lupin said in the same glum tone. "And make sure I drink it to the last drop, too."

Harry, his arms occupied, kicked the carriage door closed. He frowned, not sure he understood. "Oh."

"He will never forgive me for that one time, you see. I thought we had a chance to start over and put old hostilities aside, until then. But he never lets me forget, now."

"Or," Harry suggested, not knowing why he was leaping to Snape's defense, "maybe he can just see how ill you look. You do, you know."

Lupin said nothing, but looked at him with a slightly deprecating smile.

Harry realized with annoyance that Lupin thought he was naive. "We should go."

"You're right," Lupin said. "Lead the way."

They walked in silence up to the castle, down to the dungeons, and, when the door openned for them as they approached, inside Snape's quarters.

Harry stopped in front of the door to their room. He wasn't sure what kind of a reception awaited them, considering Sirius had been locked up since early morning.

"Might as well," Lupin said. "No sense putting it off."

Lupin put his hand against the door --for the second time that day, Harry felt a pang of annoyance that Snape was apparently telling Lupin things that Lupin didn't see fit to share with him -- and the door opened at his touch.

They went inside the dark room. Harry blinked, trying to help his eyes adjust to the lack of light, wondering why the torches weren't lit.

"Padfoot," Lupin said, his tone very cautious. He set down his things and lit a torch, flooding the room with yellow, flickering light. "Everything all right?"

Harry saw that Sirius was sitting exactly as they had left him, in the center of his bed. The only difference in the room as far as he could tell was that the breakfast tray was gone and a little round folding table had appeared, with a lunch tray on top of it.

"Done with your little shopping spree?"

"Yes," Lupin said. "Done sulking?"

Sirius made a face. Then he jumped off the bed and stretched noisily. "I was utterly bored, I'll have you know."

Harry slowly let out a relieved breath.

"You just missed lunch," Sirius went on. "I haven't had mine, so I think we should go down to the kitchens and find something better than what McGonagall brought over." He pointed with disgust at the lunch tray. "That woman hates me."

"I doubt that," Lupin said with a thin smile. "I have to see Professor Snape about my headache first, but I think you have a good plan."

Sirius' eyes glinted. "I have an even better plan," he said, dropping his voice. "Shut the door and I'll tell you."

Lupin gave Harry a meaningful glance, but closed the door as Sirius asked.

"All right, see here," Sirius said, still keeping his voice low. "I've been thinking about this. James will be sorted first, right?"

Harry's heart sank. Sirius had spent the entire morning and part of the afternoon thinking of ways to get into Gryffindor?

"Then you, Moony, and then me. Your names start with 'M' and mine's not far off, so we will be right by each other in line. If James gets sorted into Gryffindor -- and you will, of course, James -- Snape can't possibly hate him any more than he does now, and McGonagall will be secretly glad. Then --" Sirius had been progressively speeding up and getting louder, because Lupin looked like he wanted to interrupt. "THEN, the two of us will get sorted, and when Snape demands to know why we didn't try to get into Slytherin, we'll tell him we didn't think it was a good idea to let James go to Gryffindor by himself, knowing how much trouble he gets into! IT'S BRILLIANT!"

Harry stared at him, dumbfounded. It was just about the least brilliant plan he had ever heard. Having spent hours thinking, Sirius could at least have come up with something that couldn't be restated as 'We'll just blame Harry.'

"I..." Lupin stopped and rubbed his eyes. "I'm sorry, I need that headache potion."

The grin slipped off Sirius' face. "Fine, let's get your potion. James and I will go on ahead to the kitchen."

With that, Sirius stomped over to the door and tried to throw it open, only to find it was still locked to him.

"You first," he said, stepping aside with a scowl.

It opened easily enough for Lupin, and the three of them started down the corridor.

Just as Harry had suspected he would, the moment they were alone Sirius started trying to convince him that the plan was sound. Nothing Harry said made a bit of difference.

"It's almost like you want to be in Slytherin," Sirius said accusingly, biting a large chunk out of piece of buttered bread. "It's like you're on Snape's side."

"I am not," Harry said, but found he was unable to put much conviction behind the words. "I just want us to be safe, and I just think we'll be safer somewhere other than Gryffindor. That's all."

"That's all," Sirius mocked. "Right. I don't know what's happened to you, James, but you're not acting like yourself at all."

"Maybe I'm --" Harry stopped, catching himself as he remembered that his name was not Sirius' fault. He dropped his voice to a near whisper. "I'm not my father, Paddy. I never was. I'm not into doing dangerous things for fun, like he was. Dangerous things just sort of happened to me."

Sirius stared at him for a long time without speaking. Finally, he looked away, picking up his glass of milk and taking a sip. "My mistake. You must have always been the sort to hide out in Slytherin because it's safer, and I just never noticed."

Harry tried not to let Sirius' words hurt him, but it was impossible. "That's not fair."

Sirius shook his head and turned away, fixing his eyes on the far wall.

Harry sighed and picked at his food, feeling like he'd just made everything worse.

"I can't sleep," Harry said, flopping over on his side.

The shapeless lump in the next bed gave a grunt and sat up.

"Sorry," Harry said preemptively.

"Did you take your potion?"

"No, but --"

"Take it, then. Padfoot was out like a light. Go on."

Harry reached for the nighstand drawer, knocking over something that clattered noisily to the floor and rolled away. Lupin sighed with annoyance and after some shuffling and failed attempts, lit the tip of his wand.

"Thanks."

The small bottle was cool in his hand. He measured out the dose and swallowed it. Just like always, a sense of relief washed over him. No nightmares that night.

The light flickered and went out.

"Sorry. Lumos!... Lumos!..." Lupin huffed irritably. "No good. I'm too tired."

"That's all right," Harry said, screwing the top back on the bottle tightly. "I've got it."

"Don't drop it. We'd never hear the end of it."

"I won't," Harry said, carefully feeling for the open drawer with his free hand and setting the bottle inside. Like he'd ever tell Snape if that did happen. He pushed the drawer shut. "There, it's back in."

"Good night," Lupin said pointedly.

"Aren't you worried at all?"

"Of course I am."

"What if we can't do it? What if Paddy won't --"

"Stop. We can't do anything about it now. Tomorrow is going to come if you get any sleep or not. At least you will get to go to bed after the Sorting no matter how it goes. I won't."

Harry slid down under the warm covers guiltily. "Sorry. Good night."

Shutting his eyes, he tried to forget what the next day would entail, and how easily it could all go wrong.