"Hey kids. How's school going?" Harry Potter asked his assorted nieces and nephews as he entered the empty classroom where he'd asked them to meet him. He was a bit early but some of them were there already; James was lying flat across the teacher's desk at the front of the room with his feet propped up on a model of the universe. Beside him, Albus and Rose were flicking a piece of parchment back and forth while Roxanne kept score. Fred was sitting on the nearby window frame and, unnoticed by Albus, using his wand to guide the parchment through Rose's goal post every time she signaled him under the table.
They all looked up when he entered and, as in every other situation ever, James immediately started speaking before anyone else could get a word in edgewise.
"School's—"
"James, I already know how school is going for you." Harry cut in with his best attempt at a stern look. "Neville's letters paint a pretty clear picture. Between that and Binns..." he shook his head ruefully, "I must be the first parent to get a letter home from a ghost."
"About that…" James started.
"I mean, just the amount of time it would have taken—"
"It wasn't my fault!" James protested.
"He can't hold a pen! He had to float around, find someone willing to write a seven page long letter—"
"Well, he's always been a bit long-winded," Fred pointed out fairly.
"Seven double-sided pages—"
"Father," James cut him off with a suddenly serious tone. Behind him, Rose snorted. "I fear we're veering off topic. I think I would be remiss in letting my reprehensible behavior distract you from the duty you have come here to dispense…"
"I grew up with your Aunt Hermione, James." Harry reminded his son, "Big words aren't going to distract me. Stop messing around in Binn's class or your mother and I are going to paper this school with howlers reciting every nickname your Grandma Molly has ever given you."
Harry tried his best not to laugh at the look of sheer terror on his son's face.
In the sudden silence (as James was, presumably, too paralyzed with terror to speak) Harry said, "but you are right. I did come here for another reason."
Just then the door to the classroom opened. Teddy Lupin strode in.
"Harry! Hi, what brings you here?" he questioned as he walked over to shake Harry's hand, ruffling the top of James hair as he passed. James stuck his tongue out behind Teddy's back.
"I was just getting to that—" Harry started but was cut off as the door to the classroom opened again.
"Hi Uncle Harry!" A cheerful voice called and all turned to see Victoire, followed closely by her younger siblings, Dominique and Louis. Both girls immediately gave Harry a hug. Louis offered him a stiff handshake, which he had to bend down to accept.
Victoire went to perch herself on top of the desk Teddy was sitting at, ruffling James hair on her way past him, eliciting an affronted "pssht!" Louis gave him a look of solidarity. Dominique giggled as she shoved Fred aside on the window ledge so she'd have room to sit.
"What are you up to?" Victoire asked Harry as everyone settled back to listen.
"I mean, not that I'm not happy to see you," she continued, "but this is kind of out of the norm." Suddenly, her face brightened, "Are you finally going to show us how to get into Honeydukes? Because Cress's birthday is coming up…"
"I don't think the birthday of one of your lemmings is at the top of Uncle Harry's priorities, Vee," Dominique mocked her sister. Teddy snickered and reached behind him for a high five, which Dominique returned just as Victoire opened her mouth to retort.
Harry raised a hand, and they all fell silent, though Victoire shot her sister a look.
"No Victoire, I didn't come to show you the way into Honeydukes. I came to give you a chance to earn it. I'm not going to show you the passage…but something else will."
The change in the room was immediate. Albus straightened up in his chair. James narrowed his eyes at his father, a mixture of intrigue and accusation playing across his face. A small smile grew on Louis's lips just as Teddy, who'd been balancing on the back legs of his chair, fell forward with a clatter.
"You don't mean…" Roxanne murmured with awe, her voice trailing off. All of them looked at their uncle with stunned wonder.
Then, Fred stood up and whooped.
"Finally!" He laughed, hurrying forward to clap James on the shoulder. "I told you he'd give it to us eventually James, I told you."
And with that, they all suddenly burst forth into laughter and noise. Grins were exchanged, arguments immediately breaking out about who could do what and when, chairs scraping backward as everyone rushed around in excitement. Only Rose and James didn't moved.
It was awhile before the room was quiet enough to be heard in. The kids, having worn themselves out celebrating, all settled back in their chairs full of excitement. Only Rose stood up this time.
"What do you mean…earn it, Uncle Harry?" She asked.
Her voice was quiet but it carried. The laughter stopped. The smiles faded, a little. Albus and Fred both gave her incredulous looks, but Rose's gaze never wavered from her uncle's face.
Harry smiled, a twinkle of excitement in his eye, "Very good, Rose. You really are your mother's daughter, you know."
"I know," Rose grinned at her uncle ruefully, "and that's how I can tell I'm not going to like what you have to say next."
"What are you talking about?" Albus burst out. "The Marauder's Map! We've all been talking about it since the first time we ever heard about Hogwarts! We've waited our whole lives for Dad to finally hand it over!"
"But he's not about to hand it over," Rose told Albus patiently, before looking back at her uncle, "are you Uncle Harry?"
"No, Rose. I'm not going to hand it over." There was a collective groan before Harry continued…
"I'm going to give you a chance to win it."