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The Secret Weapon by cwiddy

To find himself here, at the Department of Mysteries again, brought back many memories. Remus Lupin had come alone this time, sent by Harry to search for a secret weapon to assist in the final battles against Voldemort. The last time he had been here, he had lost one of his best friends. The pain of that night kept him on his toes. Remus Lupin had his wand out and was ready for anything.

Remus could not help thinking about Sirius as he moved down the hallway. How would Sirius have assisted Harry through the past year, especially after the death of Albus Dumbledore? Remus knew he was the last remaining connection Harry had to his parents and hoped he wasn’t letting his friends Lily and James down. He tried to be there for Harry, as best as his curse would allow. How he wished that Sirius was still here to advise Harry! Remus had been impressed with how well he had done in the short time Harry’s fourth and fifth years at Hogwarts. Even though Sirius had been in hiding, he had been there for Harry, right up to the end. Sirius just would not remain behind when his godson was in danger. It had been very difficult for Sirius to be trapped in a house full of so many miserable memories! Rescuing Harry was had also been a reason to escape his new prison and feel useful again. If only that snake Severus Snape had not goaded Sirius so much about being of no use to the Order of the Phoenix! There had always been turmoil between Severus and Sirius … but perhaps Sirius was right all along. Severus had murdered Dumbledore in the end.

Remus was glad that Harry still had the support of the Weasley family. Arthur and Molly looked upon Harry almost as one of their own. He could not have better friends than Ron and Hermione. Ron’s loyalty and Hermione’s cleverness were going to be great assets to Harry in his battle against Voldemort. Remus just hoped he was as good an asset. His curse always seemed to get in his way. Remus was not sure how effective his being undercover with the werewolves was to the Order. Gaining the trust of Fenrir Greyback was practically impossible, although Remus was trying. It did cause him great guilt that he could not take his Wolfbane Potion every month. He always feared harming someone when he transformed. He took it when he could and when not under watchful eyes of the other werewolves.

That dark night at the Department of Mysteries had also brought him another treasure, the love of a woman. Remus still did not understand why Nymphadora Tonks had feelings for him, a poor werewolf who had nothing much to offer her in life. She told him every chance she could get how much he meant to her, that she loved him because he had a great heart, was a loyal and generous friend and that just because one night a month he was a wolf, did not mean he was unworthy of being loved. He had not felt so secure of a woman’s love since he had lost his mother. Tonks was there, not matter what, loving him, even when he denied her. She was the woman of his heart, though he had tried to fight it. Her sincere feelings, her blazing temper, and her clumsiness all endeared her to Remus.

Remus cautiously tread down the dark hallway at the Department of Mysteries, expecting anything to happen, not sure what he would find ahead of him. Thoughts of his friends, Tonks, and Harry kept him moving forward.

Remus reached the door and entered the next room. He quickly closed the door behind him and the room spun around. When the room was still, Remus chose a room to enter. He continued forward in his search.

Remus cautiously moved into the new room. As he moved forward Remus heard the door he just came from latch closed behind him. Immediately after the latch clicked, darkness surrounded him. The darkness felt thick and he felt almost as if he was alone in a void. Remus felt himself start to panic, gasping as dark thoughts filled his mind.

Would he ever see his friends again? What did Tonks ever see in him anyway? Why did she think she would survive the love of a werewolf? He had forgotten his Wolfbane Potion on several occasions; he was bound to forget again! How could Tonks be so certain that he would not kill her or pass his curse to her? What hope did they both have of surviving the final battle, anyway?

How had he lasted this long undercover with the werewolves? How could they not know that he was there as a spy? Once they found out, his life was forfeit.

What was Harry going to do? How was Harry going to survive a battle with Voldemort? Harry had no chance! Not without Dumbledore there to guide and protect him! Harry would be better off to have Sirius or James there to help him prepare for the doomed battle! He knew that he was a poor guide for the battle ahead! He could not be depended on, especially near the full moon. He was so tired and sickly. What a poor mentor he, Remus Lupin, was for any boy, let alone one destined to fight the most evil wizard that ever walked the earth!


These thoughts surrounded Remus and he collapsed to the floor in despair, dropping his wand and the small bag he had over his left shoulder. Suddenly, from his left side he heard a murmur of noise which almost sounded like Tonks’ voice. Remus looked in that direction in surprise and moved toward the noise as he lifted up his bag.

“…nice surprise when you reach your final destination. A reminder of how much I love you and how much hope I have for our future together. Carry this message with you to pull out in the dark moments; so that you never forget that you are a man who is worthy of love and that you deserve to be loved. I love you Remus Lupin, never forget that!” The words issued from a small image of Tonks. The image had risen from a memory ball that had fallen from Remus’ bag when he dropped it. Tonks had given it to him about a month past. He had stopped carrying it because he was afraid that the werewolves he was spying on would find it and discover his love. That would be dangerous for Tonks and himself. How had it gotten into his bag again?

The darkness of the room began to close in on Remus again. In the glow of the memory ball he saw the door he entered through. Remus struggled to pick up his bag, the memory ball, and his wand and hurried back to the atrium of the Department of Mysteries. He almost slammed the door behind him relieved to have escaped the room, and again the room spun around him.

Remus turned around in the atrium, trying to decide which door to try next. He remembered now that he should try to mark the doors so he doesn’t go to rooms he’s already been in. He pulls a quill out of his bag and a bottle of semi-permanent ink. Remus had laughed at himself when he put it in his bag right before leaving his small room at the werewolf village he was currently living in, but was glad he had grabbed it. He marked a small RL above the door knob of a room, then opened the door and walked through.

Remus was a bit more cautious this time when the door shut, preparing himself for anything, wand at the ready. Once the door shut, it disappeared and he stood there a minute, wondering what was about to happen. As he turned around he realized that all the walls appeared the same. Always good at discerning direction, he remembered that the wall currently to his right was the door he had entered through. Slowly, the walls began to move in toward him. Although he was not claustrophobic, Remus did not like this prospect!

Remus stopped and thought for a minute. I don’t want to try a blasting spell because who knows what would go flying. How can I get out of here? Remus started to look through his bag again. I did pack it! Remus pulled out another bottle of ink; the label read “Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes presents the Magical Escape Ink!” Fred and George had given him the ink to try out sometime for them. What better time than now? Remus read the instructions: “For those moments when you just need to draw an escape door! Caution: knowing what is on the other side of the escape hatch or door that you draw can be of importance, and remember to close door behind you or you can be followed! Door will not remain permanently, so not to be used for redecorating!” The things those boys come up with! They are good at what they do, though!

Remus quickly pulled out his quill again and drew a door on the wall he had entered the room through. A doorknob appeared where he drew it and he quickly opened the door and stepped back into the atrium. He pulled it shut and the many doors spun around him again.

Remus marked another door and opened it. He entered carefully, keeping the door open till he was sure the room was safe. As the door shut behind him, Remus advanced toward a soft, cushioned chair that stood in the center of the room. It looked like the one his grandmother had when he was a child. She used to read him stories from that chair while she held him in her lap.

The chair seemed to call Remus to sit and relax for a while. Remus realized that he was tired, and a few minutes sitting would do his aching feet some good. I’ll stop for only a few minutes. Five minutes won’t make a difference on my search.

As Remus sat, he found that he didn’t care about continuing with his quest anymore. The chair was just as comfortable as he remembered from his childhood. He could almost hear his grandmother reading his favorite stories to him again. He shut his eye to hear better and he adjusted the bag around his neck, and heard something fall to the floor.

Suddenly there was a loud BANG! Remus leapt from the chair as a rocket whizzed around the room. Remus remembered that he was on Order business and didn’t have any more time to rest. He practically ran towards the door, glancing back only once at the chair that had hypnotized him. Remus was happy for the memories that had returned to his mind, memories that he’d almost forgotten in his current life; he did need to hold on to them to ponder over at another time. He stepped back into the atrium.

Remus marked yet another door and warily stepped through it. This place is a lot more dangerous than I ever realized! No wonder it is called the Department of Mysteries. Everything is shrouded in the unknown. As Remus advanced forward he blinked in recognition. This is the room that contains the veil that Sirius fell through. As he stood there, he felt darkness move around him. Whispers surrounded him, and the room just felt … wrong. Remus took a closer look at the room he was walking through and realized that the veil was not in the same location it had been when Sirius fell through it, and the doors were all different, too. The room seemed darkened and gloomy, more than the room he had been in before, and shadows trailed from one side of the room to the other, passing back and forth in front of the curtained doorway on the platform that was off-center.

This is not the same room at all. It just reminds me of that room, that at first glance I thought it was the same room.

Out of the shadows a voice he recognized beckoned to him. James? Is that really you?

“This is not the place for you to be Remus; you need to get out of here. The door is to your right. Hurry, quickly leave this place.” James‘ voice spoke softly behind him. “No, do not turn around. This is not a place to discuss or reminisce. Go, Harry has need of you yet. Take care of my son for me, for you are the last true remaining Marauder.”

Remus hesitated a second before turning to his right and exiting through the door, turning around to try to glimpse his friend only when safely on the other side of the vestibule. Shadows were the only thing he could see as the door slid shut.

As the room stopped spinning around him, Remus turned around in a circle himself with his eyes shut. When he stopped turning, he choose the door that was in front of him, marking his initials above the doorknob again before opening it.

Remus carefully took a step into the room, and found himself falling. The fall ended with a splash as he realized he was floating in a lake which filled the room about him. He looked around him and saw a door across the room from where he was currently treading water. He also saw a key beside the door on a hook. I’m glad I took the time to learn to swim! Now how am I going to get out of here? That key next to the door is just too easy. It was harder to get out of the other rooms than that. I’ll look around a bit more.

Remus looked around and then saw that there were two more keys in the room. One was at the bottom of the lake near the center, and the other was on the ceiling. Obviously the key next to the door is not the correct one, because it is right there. The one at the bottom of the lake also is too easy. Guess I need to get the one off the ceiling.

Accio key!” said Remus, trying not to swallow half the lake in the process. Nothing happened. Ok, that didn’t work. Diffindo!” Remus said, hoping the key would fall into the lake where he could get it, but again nothing happened. I suppose the key is resistant to magic. What should I do now? Remus was still a moment, and then swam to the wall to touch it. I hope that it is the key that is resistant to spells, and not the room! “Collolecto! ” said Remus pointing his wand at his boots. Then he pressed his boots against the wall where they stuck. It worked! Now I have to walk up the wall and hope that this works on the ceiling, too.

Remus carefully walked up the wall to the ceiling, straining to raise his boots with each step. He was glad he had experimented with this charm when at school with the other Marauders! This was one of James’ favorite spells. James and Sirius had done a number of pranks using this spell to walk around the walls and ceilings during their days at Hogwarts! The memories brought a smile to Remus’ face, and he almost fell back into the water below when he was not concentrating on the task at hand. I’ll have to think about these memories later, now I have to get to that key.

When Remus got to the ceiling he carefully touched it and found the surface was much like the walls. He warily moved his right foot over and pressed it to the ceiling. It also stuck, so Remus meticulously walked over to the key. I’m glad I recently invested in a new pair of boots! My old boots would never have held my weight!

Remus then descended to the door with the key. He unlocked the door and moved back into the atrium of the Department of Mysteries saying, “Reverto” to remove the sticky spell from his boots.

The motion of the atrium came to a stop and Remus stepped up to another door, marking it as he entered another unknown adventure. This room contained a large, stone enclosure. He cautiously walked around the area, where he found an enormous hawk that looked a bit like his Patronus, chained to a door across from the one he had entered through. That door must be the exit. What am I supposed to do?

Remus was once told by a mystic that his totem was a hawk because he was adaptable, aware, insightful, and an observant. The mystic had also explained to him that each person’s Patronus was a reflection of the dominant totem in that person’s life, so it could change as the person grew or changed. He had understood that better after he saw the changes in Tonks’ Patronus in the past year.

As Remus came around the stone enclosure the hawk took flight and flung himself at Remus, talons extended. Remus put up a shield just in time to prevent the hawk’s talons from sinking into his wand arm. Remus ran back to the door he had entered through and tried to open it. The door remained closed. “Alohomora!” Remus shouted at the door. But it remained locked. Then he saw a hook next to the door much like the one across the room that secured the chain around the neck of the hawk. I’m guessing that I have to fight the hawk and move the other end of his chain to this hook. Why does it have to be such a challenge to get out of each of these rooms!

Remus turned back towards the hawk and looked into his bag. I’m really going to have to thank Fred and George if I get through this adventure in one piece! Remus thought as he pulled a miniature sword from the bag. There was a wrapper around it that said “Super handy sword, for those moments where a knife just isn’t enough! Wrap hand around hilt to make full sized. Sword will shrink back to smaller proportions once handle is released!” Remus put his hand around the small hilt and it grew into a full-sized weapon.

Thus far Remus’s shield had taken the brunt of the hawk’s attacks. Remus advanced toward the hawk with the sword raised in his wand hand, having put his wand in his left hand to hold the shield. As the bird swooped at Remus again, he struck out with the sword and the hawk let out a squawk of pain and fell to the ground behind Remus. Remus realized he had injured the creature’s wing. The hawk was angry now and charged at Remus, his sharp beak ready to pierce anything he could get. Remus swung the sword again, this time hitting it in the leg. Now the hawk could no longer run after Remus as he raced to grab the other end of the chain on the hook next to the exit door. He cautiously ran around the bird to place the chain on the hook next to the entrance door. The hawk continued trying to get to Remus, but Remus stayed out of the range of its sharp beak as he ran back to the exit door. The door now opened when he reached it. Remus sighed as he slammed it shut behind him.

From the atrium Remus marked another door as he stepped into a new room, ready for anything. Once the door was closed he blinked a minute and realized that he was floating in the air above his body. This is odd. I don’t like out-of-body experiences. This happens to me each month as the wolf takes over and I am no longer in control of my body. At least this I will remember when I get back to my body this time, I hope.

Astral Remus moved toward his physical body below. As he moved closer he hit a barrier and could not go any nearer. I knew that was too easy. Wait, what was that old charm I learned at Hogwarts about how to end an out-of-body experience? I remember hoping that it would work with the werewolf transformations, but gave up on that the next full moon since I couldn’t stay conscious of my body long enough to try it. Guess I forgot the words after that. I wonder if there are any clues in the room somewhere.

Astral Remus floated around the ceiling, examining the walls. In the first corner of the room he explored he saw a glittering “oLc” written on the wall. He floated toward the next corner and saw a tiny “ssdCu” glowing red on the wall. He floated to the next corner and saw a glittering “iu”. So he glided toward the last corner to see a tiny glowing red “nou”.

These letters have to be clues. The glowing letters might go together to form a word and the tiny red letters go together to form another word. Now I just have to figure out the words. Remus went to first corner with the glittering words and found that he could touch the words and they would appear in the middle of the room. So he went to the other set of glittering letters and they appeared in the center of the room. He then found that he could move the letters around in the middle of the room and experiment with them to form a word. It did not take him long before he realized that the letters spelled out “Lucio”. That’s right! The charm is Lucio Condusus! As he thought the words, he found himself back inside his body. Remus quickly ran to the door and exited the room before the room decided to separate his spirit from his body again.

Remus paused to take a deep breath before marking and opening another door when the atrium stopped spinning. As he entered the room Remus noticed that the walls were dark and shimmering. He peered around the room looking for danger before approaching one of the walls to inspect it closer.

As he approached the wall he saw his own reflection standing as a man under a full moon. Remus then saw his reflection surrounded by his parents, James, Lily, Sirius, Dumbledore, Cedric Diggory, and many other friends and family members that had passed away recently and in the past. Tears stung at Remus’s eyes as his mother stepped toward him out of the wall and encircled him in her arms, followed by his father and friends. James with Lily on his arm and Sirius at his other shoulder came and shook his hand. Lily kissed his cheek, welcoming an old friend back to the fold. Dumbledore stepped closer to him and shook his hand, thanking him for a job well done.

Remus blinked back his tears and spent many moments talking to his friends and family. James and Lily asked about Harry and Remus’s time at Hogwarts teaching. That simple question brought Remus back to the present, which reminded him that all these people were gone and that he could not stay here to catch up. Tonks’ beautiful smile flashed through his mind, reminding him of another reason he had to leave.

Remus pulled himself away from the friends and family that he missed so much that it hurt, but he had to finish living his life. He heard his family and friends asking him to remain there with them, but he knew that this was not the time for these conversations. He had to return to the world of the living, to his cursed life as a werewolf. Taking one last look at the full moon shining above him, and the friends and family he missed so much, he opened the door back to the real world.

Remus stepped into the atrium with tears in his eyes, but joy in his heart from the memories and the love he felt for all the friends and family he had just seen again. The world spun around him, but he didn’t even notice as the memories played across his mind. He stood in the atrium a minute before shaking his head and walking toward yet another door.

This is starting to get old! I’m still wondering why Harry asked me to come here tonight. I have to admit that seeing my friends and family in the last room filled my heart with love and reminded me that I have made a difference. Maybe that is why I was sent here tonight, to return hope to my heart. Harry had told Remus to come here tonight, that he was not sure why, but that he needed to search the Department of Mysteries for something that was vital to success in the war against Voldemort. Remus was getting more and more doubtful that there was anything here that would assist in the war!

Remus marked another door and walked through it. He was relaxed, but ready to respond to any danger that may be lurking within the room. The door shut behind him and he heard ghostly music start to play. His feet felt uncomfortable, so he looked down to find that he was now wearing dancing shoes. Suddenly his feet began moving, and then he was waltzing around the room.

What is this madness? Tonks has been trying to teach me to waltz, but this is ridiculous! And what is that awful howling, can that be some sort of … music? It does have a tempo, but I can’t say that I like it! How can I get out of here? Enough is enough, I haven’t found anything that could be useful in the war … but I’ve had enough of these crazy rooms!

Remus tried to direct his dancing feet in the direction of the door, but anytime he almost reached it, his feet turned him in another direction. He made many attempts to get to the door, but he never seemed able to get there. None of the spells he cast on the shoes stopped them, and he ran out of ideas to try after about an hour. Remus kept resisting the dancing shoes for what could have been another two hours. He was beginning to tire, but his feet just kept on dancing.

Then Remus started to pay attention to where his feet were going. If I’m going to be stuck waltzing for a while, I might as well learn the dance to get Tonks off my back. As soon as he stopped resisting, the music changed a bit, becoming a bit more his style. I like that better! It’s a bit jazzier! That is definitely better! This is actually a little fun.

Remus soon found that he could control where his feet led him, and once he had the steps memorized, he made one more attempt to reach the door. This time, since he was not resisting the dance steps, the shoes did not stop him. When he reached the door, he was able to open it and stepped out into the atrium once more.

This time, when he arrived he was not alone. He blinked twice at Tonks who stood there, smiling at him.

“When did you learn how to waltz?” Tonks asked her exhausted boyfriend.

“It’s amazing what you will learn when your feet are stuck in enchanted dancing shoes that waltz you around a room and won’t let you escape for almost two hours!” Remus laughed.

“Harry sent me to find you. Did you find anything useful here?” Tonks inquired.

“I’ve been into ten different rooms, and can’t say I’ve found anything useful for the war against Voldemort.” Remus proceeded to tell Tonks about each of the rooms he had found during his adventure.

Once he finished telling Tonks about the magical waltz and enchanted shoes, Tonks looked at him a moment and began to laugh.

“Harry told me he wasn’t sure about what you were to find. He was given a new prophecy to send you here to give you a weapon that would assist him in the final battle, and that without that weapon, there was a risk of losing. I think that you did find that tool. Learning the waltz may have been an added bonus for me, but didn’t you just tell me that you found hope in the room where you got to visit with your old friends and family? You also found hope in the memories inspired by the other rooms. Hope can be a very valuable tool. I should know! I got it back when I was finally in your arms.” Tonks gently wrapped her arms around Remus’ neck and gave him a deep kiss.

Remus kissed her back and held her close for a moment before pulling back to see her delightful face. “You know, maybe you’re right. Hope is definitely an important thing to take into battle with you. I’ll be a better fighter with hope backing me, and us,” Remus said as he held her close once more. “Why don’t we go back and report in to Harry. He has a lot going on, and needs all the help he can get to prepare for the final battles against Voldemort.”


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