Growing up Pureblooded

Tower Of Terrors

Sirius returned to Hogwarts in a sullen mood. He had thought he would be elated at having destroyed yet another Horcrux – if Aries's information was right, there was only one left – but his argument with his son hung over him like a cloud. He knew he was doing the right thing, and wasn't planning on changing his mind simply because Harry was annoyed, but he hated arguing all the same. He collapsed in his favorite armchair and poured himself a glass of firewhisky. He sipped it slowly, savoring the smoky flavor, and lit up a cigarette. That boy was going to be the death of him.

The door of his quarters opened and Remus walked in. The werewolf smirked when he saw what Sirius was up to. "That seems like a good idea," he said. "Mind if I join you?" Sirius poured Remus a glass and waved his hand towards the chair beside him. Remus thanked him as he accepted the glass, then sank down into the plush armchair. "I heard about your little tiff," he said. "How are you holding up?" Sirius shrugged. "It's not the first time I've had an argument with Aries. It'll blow over. I'm just worried about him, is all." He took a sip of whisky. "Is he still angry?" "I don't know," Remus replied. "I didn't see him. Draco told me."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "You found one half of the Troublesome Twosome without the other? That can't be a good sign." Remus took a long sip of his drink. "I suppose. Draco said he hadn't seen either of you since the fight." "What the devil is the little scoundrel up to, do you think?" Sirius mused. Remus whipped a folded-up piece of parchment out of the pocket of his robes and grinned. "I couldn't say, but I've an idea how we can find out." Sirius chuckled and put out his cigarette. He leaned forward in his chair. "Let's see it, Moony," he said.

Remus spread the map out on the table. It took them several minutes, but eventually they discovered the tiny dot labelled "Aries Black." Remus furrowed his brow. "It can't be," he muttered. "It looks like he's under the school somewhere. We don't have that area mapped out." Sirius stared at the map blankly, and then his face turned pale. "Great God in Heaven," he murmured. "He's gone after the bloody basilisk!" Remus looked at his friend sharply. "Do you really think so?" "Where else could he have gone?" Sirius demanded. "He was talking about going into Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets just last night."

"But surely he wouldn't be silly enough to go there all alone," Remus pointed out. "He'd take Draco with him." Sirius quickly scanned the parchment for his other son. Draco's dot was safely in Gryffindor Tower. "He might be annoyed at Draco," he pointed out. "Draco was not exactly on his side in the whole Horcrux affair. Or he might think that Draco would try to stop him." He cursed violently. "Why does that boy have to be so impetuous?" Remus gave him a wry look. "He's a good Gryffindor," he said. "I think he takes after his dad." "That's what frightens me," Sirius said, a despairing look on his face. "We've got to find a way to go after him." "We don't even know where the entrance to the Chamber is," Remus pointed out. "If only we weren't in Hogwarts we could try to Apparate to him."

Ordinarily Sirius might not have thought of the solution so quickly. Wizards of his station and upbringing tended not to think of house elves except insofar as they needed them to fetch a cup of tea, but Sirius had spent that day reading his brother's reminiscences about Kreacher and persuading the elf to help him. He had elf magic on the brain, and he knew that elf magic did not work the same way as regular magic... "MOPSY!" he shouted, and the elf appeared instantly in the room. "Master Black was summoning Mopsy?" the elf asked with a low bow. "Master Aries has gone somewhere beneath the school," Sirius explained hastily. "We can't get to him, and he may be in grave danger. Can you take us to him?" "Of course, Master," Mopsy said, offering a hand each to Sirius and Remus. "Mopsy will be doing anything to defend her Master Aries."

The two wizards took hold of the house elf's outstretched hands and they vanished with a pop, reappearing in a cavernous, dimly-lit chamber. Sirius instantly let go of Mopsy's hand and staggered forward. "ARIES" he called out. "ARIES! Where are you?" There was no reply, and Sirius turned around to face the house elf. "You must have made a mistake," he said. "Master Aries isn't here." Mopsy shook her head sadly. "Mopsy is making no mistake, Master," she sniffed, and pointed up to Slytherin's statue. "Master Aries is in the tower."

Sirius and Remus instantly ran over to the shrine and examined it from all sides. They found the door in the back, but could not get it to open. "It's no use, Master," Mopsy said. "There is powerful magic in this place. Only those who is speaking snake-language is able to get inside." "Can't you pop us in?" Remus asked. "Mopsy is afraid she can't," the elf replied. "Mopsy's magic isn't working in the tower. Mopsy is worrying that Master Aries is in grave danger."

"Why?" Sirius demanded. "What's in the tower?" "Is it the basilisk?" Remus joined in. Mopsy sighed. "Mopsy isn't knowing about the basilisk, sir, but she is hearing about this tower before, from her grandmother who was working all her life at Hogwarts." She gulped. "It is the Tower of Terrors, sir." Remus went white. "Good God," he whispered. "I thought it was only a myth." "You've heard of this before, Moony?" Sirius asked. The werewolf nodded. "According to legend, it is the place from which all nightmares come." Sirius looked up at Slytherin's ugly head and clenched his fists. "And Aries is trapped inside."