Golden Age by black_blade

Chapter 32: Chapter Thirty-Two

Sirius stared down at the gold ring in his fingers with interest. It reminded him of the ring that Professor Swift had shown them but without the feel of a dark artifact. It was a plain signet ring with a worn-down crest that Sirius was assuming was the Riddle family crest. There was no inscription or anything else that set it apart from the other jewellery before him. He looked over to James when his friend yelped as a book tried to snap at him. He chuckled when James picked up another book and slammed it down on the snapping tome before him. An Auror drifted over and flicked his wand and the book settled down.

"You have to watch those ones, James." Sirius called out in amusement.

James glared over at him before sticking out his tongue and Remus chuckled from further down the long table they were seated at. Sirius glanced over at Peter but he seemed focused on a collection of silverware and had missed the exchange. Sirius frowned at that, lately, Peter had been distant to the rest of them.

Sirius pushed that to the side as he looked back down at the ring and wrote down a description in the book next to him. This work had been both interesting and mind numbingly boring. They were cataloguing the items that had been retrieved from Riddle Manor. Remus had been the best out of them all at picking up on the darker items but Sirius had a knack for it as well since he came from a dark family.

He tied a string around the ring with an identification number on it before setting it to the side and picking up another item.

"What's all this still doing here?"

Sirius startled and looked up to see Professor Swift standing in the doorway. The man had brought them here but had disappeared down to the Department of Mysteries with Severus in tow hours ago.

"We're still cataloguing, Swift." Head Auror Fowley remarked. "We sent the darker items down to Dean."

Swift looked around with those piecing green eyes and Sirius could tell that he was holding himself back from saying something. Swift walked over to Remus and laid a hand on his shoulder as he looked down at what was on the table. Remus looked up from his work and Sirius studied his teacher in while he was distracted. He'd done more for the werewolf than anyone had before and Sirius could never forget that.

James then yelped again as a book lunged at him and he jumped to his feet. The book threw itself toward the teen as James skipped back. Swift stood up but didn't pull his wand as a few Aurors chuckled.

"What is wrong with these books!" James squeaked as he grabbed a candle stick off Sirius's table and started to whack the book as it tried to bite him.

"Knowledge is dangerous," Swift commented as James battered the book away.

"So are the damn books!" James cried as he hit the book again.

Swift laughed and flicked his wand and the book froze. James gave it another blow for good measure.

"Did you forget that you are a wizard, Mr Potter?" Swift questioned and James blushed.

James grumbled under his breath while Sirius laughed.

"When are you releasing the boys, Adrian?" Swift asked of the Auror.

"You can take them," Fowley replied. "Before another book attacks, Potter."

"Okay," Swift said with a smirk. "Come on you lot. Let's head back to the castle."

"What about Snape?" Remus inquired.

"I'll be picking him up after he's done with Alexander," Swift answered as they headed out. "Did you learn anything today? Besides to watch out for books with a taste for blood?"