Prologue
It was already Harry Potter's fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Or, it would be, in exactly two days. In the meantime, Harry was sitting in his little room, with a large album on the bed in front of him. He was looking at the charmed pictures from his fourth year at Hogwarts. He saw several which had been taken during the Yule Ball, one of Krum and Hermione dancing, one of Hagrid and Madam Maxime talking, one of the Weird Sisters singing, and another of Cedric Diggory and himself discussing something. He remembered that it had been the time when Cedric had been telling him about the egg. Harry frowned, trying not to remember how Cedric had died. There was also one of Ron and Hermione fighting. Harry sighed, well; at least those two had gotten over it. Hedwig started a ruckus in her cage, wanting to be let out. Harry grinned, got up, and let her out into the room, muttering,
"But only because the Dursleys are asleep. When they get up, you'll have to go back into the cage." She just cooed, and flew to the window and asked to be let out again. Harry gave her an odd look, and replied, "Absolutely not! You've got to be kidding me, Hedwig. It's daytime, I can't let you out. the Muggles'll go crazy."
Just then, he heard a tapping at said window, and noticed a large eagle hovering outside with a miserable look to him. At least, Harry was pretty sure it was a he. Its reddish feathers were in terrible disarray, though. Harry quickly opened the window, and let it in. The eagle flapped in with extreme difficulty, and in the end, Harry had to pull the odd creature in and place it on his table. Harry stepped back and watched as the eagle's shape sort-of.. well, sort of stretched upwards until Ronald Weasley was standing in the eagle's place.
"Oh!" Harry yelped. "So, you've finally managed it!"
"Yes, yes, I have.." Ron replied, looking somewhat stunned. "Of course, I still have to work on the feathers, but."
"Wow! So, now the Marauders are complete!" Harry said, with a slight laugh.
"Well, not quite. remember, there were four of the original ones. we're only three." Ron said, laughing.
"We could always teach Neville how to turn into- say a- um- a toad!" Harry joined Ron in laughing at the funny image of Neville trying to become an Animagus. When they had recovered, Harry asked, "Does anyone know where you are? Or what you've done?"
"No, no. I was just going to go see if I can't find Hermione and tell her, too." Ron said, watching Hedwig chase Pigwidgion (who had followed Ron) around the room in a flutter of feathers. One floated underneath his nose and he crossed his eyes trying to look at it, and sneezed. Harry laughed.
"I'd join you, but a stag can't cover as much ground as you'd need to. you can stay here and rest a bit before you go if you like."
"That'd be great. Hey! Where'd you get these?" Ron had noticed the photos from the Yule Ball still open on Harry's bed. Harry blushed, and had the decency to look somewhat ashamed and chagrined.
"Oh, here and there.."
"Can I have a copy of some of these?" Ron asked, surprising Harry.
"Uh- sure. If you'd like..."
"Yeah... That'd be great!" Ron replied, and then reached up to grab Pig out of the air, as he headed towards the window. "You can bring copies to me at school. I'm going to have to go now. I'll see you September first!"
He threw Pig out the window, and changed shape, following Pig out. Harry watched him go; thinking what fun this year was going to be.
It was already Harry Potter's fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Or, it would be, in exactly two days. In the meantime, Harry was sitting in his little room, with a large album on the bed in front of him. He was looking at the charmed pictures from his fourth year at Hogwarts. He saw several which had been taken during the Yule Ball, one of Krum and Hermione dancing, one of Hagrid and Madam Maxime talking, one of the Weird Sisters singing, and another of Cedric Diggory and himself discussing something. He remembered that it had been the time when Cedric had been telling him about the egg. Harry frowned, trying not to remember how Cedric had died. There was also one of Ron and Hermione fighting. Harry sighed, well; at least those two had gotten over it. Hedwig started a ruckus in her cage, wanting to be let out. Harry grinned, got up, and let her out into the room, muttering,
"But only because the Dursleys are asleep. When they get up, you'll have to go back into the cage." She just cooed, and flew to the window and asked to be let out again. Harry gave her an odd look, and replied, "Absolutely not! You've got to be kidding me, Hedwig. It's daytime, I can't let you out. the Muggles'll go crazy."
Just then, he heard a tapping at said window, and noticed a large eagle hovering outside with a miserable look to him. At least, Harry was pretty sure it was a he. Its reddish feathers were in terrible disarray, though. Harry quickly opened the window, and let it in. The eagle flapped in with extreme difficulty, and in the end, Harry had to pull the odd creature in and place it on his table. Harry stepped back and watched as the eagle's shape sort-of.. well, sort of stretched upwards until Ronald Weasley was standing in the eagle's place.
"Oh!" Harry yelped. "So, you've finally managed it!"
"Yes, yes, I have.." Ron replied, looking somewhat stunned. "Of course, I still have to work on the feathers, but."
"Wow! So, now the Marauders are complete!" Harry said, with a slight laugh.
"Well, not quite. remember, there were four of the original ones. we're only three." Ron said, laughing.
"We could always teach Neville how to turn into- say a- um- a toad!" Harry joined Ron in laughing at the funny image of Neville trying to become an Animagus. When they had recovered, Harry asked, "Does anyone know where you are? Or what you've done?"
"No, no. I was just going to go see if I can't find Hermione and tell her, too." Ron said, watching Hedwig chase Pigwidgion (who had followed Ron) around the room in a flutter of feathers. One floated underneath his nose and he crossed his eyes trying to look at it, and sneezed. Harry laughed.
"I'd join you, but a stag can't cover as much ground as you'd need to. you can stay here and rest a bit before you go if you like."
"That'd be great. Hey! Where'd you get these?" Ron had noticed the photos from the Yule Ball still open on Harry's bed. Harry blushed, and had the decency to look somewhat ashamed and chagrined.
"Oh, here and there.."
"Can I have a copy of some of these?" Ron asked, surprising Harry.
"Uh- sure. If you'd like..."
"Yeah... That'd be great!" Ron replied, and then reached up to grab Pig out of the air, as he headed towards the window. "You can bring copies to me at school. I'm going to have to go now. I'll see you September first!"
He threw Pig out the window, and changed shape, following Pig out. Harry watched him go; thinking what fun this year was going to be.