IMPORTANT: If you're like me, you usually skip these things but you really must read this. I first started this story when I was 15 years old -shudder- and as such, it is rife with the amusements of a 15 year old girl. I had this story on a permanent hiatus but after reading the reviews people have left over the years, I have decided to continue it.
The first fifteen chapters have some spelling errors and grammatical sins in general left by my 15 year old self, but the comedy in the story really makes up for any mistakes. It is my hope that you will continue reading despite these errors with the assurance that it has it's redeeming moments. I intend to first finish the story and then to start at the beginning and re-submit each chapter with an improved version. I have re-done this chapter with this note and improvements but the author's notes and much of the content will remain the same. Also, keep in mind that this was written shortly after the sixth book was published.
Thanks for reading,
TTL
About the story: This story takes place in the Trio's seventh year at Hogwarts. Just imagine up to the sixth book but without the last ... like ... ten chapters and you'll understand this just fine. DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU HAVE READ ALL SIX BOOKS!
Lily/James, Harry/Ginny, Ron/Hermione; mostly comedy, a little bit of Romance, Marauder era.
Disclaimer: "With that Harry scooped Ginny up into his arms and pledged his undying love for her. With Voldemort gone from their lives and Ron and Hermione engaged there was nothing stopping their true love." ... Or not. I am not J. K. Rowling and do not own Harry Potter so, alas! this ending can not be! UU
It's About Time!
Chapter 1: Of Purple Rabbits
"I will KILL MALFOY!"
Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley were in the hospital wing of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry with Hermione Granger. She was examining her nose in a hand mirror. A hex from Draco Malfoy had made it grow to six times it's usual size.
"I mean, why would he want to hex me?" She had had quite enough of Malfoy's hexes. "Well it it's true I'm muggle-born but seriously! I'm smart, I have a decent sense of humor, I'm well liked by other students, I'm a prefect, I'm-
"-Quite good looking..."
Harry and Hermione's heads both whipped around to look at Ron in surprise. His eyes were round and his ears had gone quite pink.
"Er... just trying to make you feel better." He said quietly to the floor.
Hermione was still processing this odd behavior, when a small smile broke across Harry's face.
"Er- Hermione... we have to-er-be somewhere. So we-er-yeah-have to go."
"Wha-Oh!" Ron said, cottoning on with a meaningful look from Harry. "Er- right, we have to go and-er-be somewhere... right, later Hermione."
"Yeah, get better."
For the first time in anyone's memory, Hermione looked nonplussed as the two boys scurried from the hospital wing.
When they were a safe distance away Ron smiled.
"So, what did you have in mind Harry?"
Harry grinned evilly
"Oh, you'll see."
"BOYS! WHAT IN MERLIN'S NAME DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?"
Ron and Harry were in Professor McGonagall's office an hour later. They had never seen her this mad. After a moment she calmed down. A little.
"Would one of you please tell me why you felt the need to turn Mr. Malfoy into a-" Here she paused as if she could not quite believe what she was about to say. "A GIANT PURPLE RABBIT!
Harry and Ron looked at each other for a split second and then said, in perfect unison as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "he had it coming."
Professor McGonagall's jaw actually dropped as she stared at them incredulously. She continued to stare when something seemed to register in her memory and she sighed.
"Well, for a time you actually had me convinced that you had not inherited your fathers fondness for complete havoc, Potter." She sighed in exasperation. "I hoped for, it seems, too much." She leaned forward and surveyed them both severely from over her spectacles but there was a distinct sparkle in her eye. "You will both serve a detention this Saturday morning at nine o'clock and I will take forty points from Gryffindor... even if it was the best bit of transfiguration magic I have seen years. Good night gentlemen."
When they had returned to the common room Hermione was waiting (her nose thankfully back to normal). She got up and was trying very hard to make herself look stern and to fight off the grin that was threatening to slip onto her face.
The grin won.
"You guys really shouldn't have. It's not worth it."
"It was fun though," said Ron. Harry smirked.
"But McGonagall wasn't as mad as I thought she'd be."
Ron gawked at Harry's last comment. "You call that not mad?"
"We have our limbs, don't we?"
"Let me guess." Hermione smiled. "Yelling, detention, lost points and... a reluctant complement?"
"Yep, that sounds about right."
They grinned together.
"I wonder how long it'll take Malfoy to turn the right color again."
On the following Saturday at quarter to nine, Ron and Harry made there way down to McGonagall's office surprisingly lighthearted considering the circumstances. After all, this was certainly not the first detention they had received so far this year. The three friends had actually started showing an oddly familiar disregard for school rules (yes! Even Hermione!). When the boys finally got to McGonagall's office she was waiting for them.
"This morning you will be putting these files into alphabetical order." She pointed to two, rather large, identical filing cabinets standing against the far wall of her office. "Now, if you will excuse me I need to see Professor Flitwick. There seems to be trouble about a chair that thinks it's a goose. I expect you to be finished when I return." With that, she left the room and closed the door firmly behind her. Harry took the cabinet on the left while Ron took the one on the right and they each started their work on the long, daunting task before them.
Three hours later, Harry had finally finished his sorting. He stood up and stretched, waiting for Ron to finish up the last of his filing and leaned on his cabinet, bored and tired. He did not stop to consider that the cabinet was lighter than he was, or that there was nothing supporting it on the other side. As he put his weight on the cabinet it leaned away from him and smashed into the other wall not far away.
"Crap! Harry, look!"
Harry regained his balance and looked at Ron. He was pointing to a shelf on the wall, which had been smashed to tiny, tiny bits by the impact of the filing cabinet. Much to Harry's grief the shelf had previously held dozens of time-turners.
He heard wind rushing past his ears.
A severe dizziness.
Then everything went black.
"Are they alive?"
"I don't know."
"Let's poke 'em with a stick!"
Harry felt something hard poke into his ribs.
"Ouch!" He moaned.
"Cut it out Padfoot, I think they're waking up."
Harry opened his eyes and looked around. It was very dark so he assumed it was night. He was lying flat on his back a few feet from Ron who was still unconscious. There were other people in the otherwise empty corridor where he lay. His heart skipped several beats when he recognized the a group of boys he had seen only once before in Snape's memory, a group that had dubbed themselves The Marauders. What the bloody hell was going on? Harry sat up and looked at Ron who was starting to stir and he kicked him to hurry him along. Ron's eyes opened and widened in shock when he made the same observations Harry did.
"Uh... you guys okay?" Remus Lupin asked. Remus was tall, thin and mysterious looking. He had blue eyes and mousy brown hair as yet untouched by grey. Though despite his young age, he already held a very tired and harassed look.
Harry turned to look at Ron. "You see these guys too?"
Ron nodded
"So I haven't completely lost it?"
"Afraid not."
"It's settled then." Stated Harry. "McGonagall was so mad that we busted up her office that she hexed us both into nothingness and we are now dead."
At this point James Potter, a good-looking boy of about Harry's height with very untidy black hair and hazel eyes, called everyone's attention from the peculiar scene.
"Guys, I think that we should move if we don't want to be caught by Slughorn, who, with impeccable timing, happens to be heading strait toward us." He said with a distinct air of indifference.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get under the invisibility cloak!" Sirius whispered. Sirius Black was a bit taller than James and he had a nicely muscle toned body (Thank you Quidditch!). His chocolate brown hair fell into his grey eyes with an elegance that only the infamous Sirius Black could pull off.
"Yes, but what about them?" Remus asked, pointing to Ron and Harry. "We can barely fit ourselves."
By this time Harry and Ron were on their feet.
"Don't worry," said Harry. "We've got it covered."
Against all odds, Harry and Ron had planned to sneak into Hogsmead that afternoon with Hermione for some well-deserved fun and (ironically enough) Harry had brought his invisibility cloak along with him to his detention.
James looked closely at Harry's invisibility cloak. He had the look an old librarian would have, while studying at a very old and interesting book.
"Old but very nice, good quality too. Looks just like mine actually. Where di-"
"Prongs! No time for chitchat. Come on!"
"Fine, I'm coming. Relax, Padfoot."
With that, the Marauders, Harry and Ron all disappeared under an invisibility cloak just as Slughorn came around the corner and he passed them without a second glance. They all let out a sigh of relief.
"I think that tonight's events should be cancelled due to our-er-discovery?" Said James.
"Right." Agreed Sirius. "We should go back to our dorm. You guys follow us and we'll get this sorted out."
And Harry followed his future father, godfather, Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and enemy slowly down the familiar halls back to the Gryffindor common room.
A/N: Well, there it is! The first chapter! I hope you liked it. I know it's a bit slow but it gets better! REVIEW!